Chapter 7
I looked up at the grand white mansion. The sunlight gleamed sharply on the roof’s top, dazzlingly bright.
‘Here it is.’
The place where the second person to cast is located.
I was about to remove my cowl when the gatekeeper spotted me.
“Are you here again because of the tournament recruitment or something? I’m sorry, but the Duke is…Huh!”
I put down my cowl and showed the ring engraved with the royal emblem. It was a ring that only the princess could possess.
The gatekeeper, who had been so dismissive earlier, prostrated himself on the ground.
“P-Princess, I, I’ve been disrespectful. I beg you to k-kill me for my insolence…”
“So you want me to order you to die?”
“N-No, that’s not it… P-Please spare me”
“Just get up. Everyone makes mistakes.”
I held out my hand to him. The wide-eyed gatekeeper froze, took my hand, and rose to his feet.
“Thank you. How can I repay this kindness…”
“If you really want to repay me, you can lead me to the Duke. Consider that your payment.”
The gatekeeper’s face went white at the unexpectedly quick collection.
‘Didn’t David say he would kill anyone he sees recruiting?’
This one’s not going to be easy.
It was at that moment, behind the gatekeeper, that I heard a familiar voice
“Why are you on your knees?”
His noticeably tall stature made me recognize him in an instant. A solid physique that was clearly covered in muscle. Despite the evident strength, there was a sharp sleekness in the lines of his body. His perfectly tousled platinum blond hair looked like it came from a portrait painted by a master.
“Have you been rude, or—”
He turned his head to look at me.
“Has someone else been rude to you? …Your Highness?”
His eyes widened as if he’d seen a ghost.
Finally, we meet. Here he was—the epitome of chivalry, the perfect knight. The sword that cuts through the wind and the knight admired by every squire in the land.
And as such, an indispensable figure for the success of this knight tournament.
Duke David Bertier!
* * *
Edith approached him, making an effort not to look impatient.
“I didn’t mean to be rude, and the gatekeeper wasn’t either.”
“….”
“There was just a small issue in communication, maybe?”
The Princess’s golden hair swayed in the breeze.Her appearance was so lively that it wouldn’t be strange at all if bunny ears popped out of her head.
Saying something like ‘there was a small issue in communication’ with that kind of face seemed absurd. David looked at the still trembling gatekeeper.
‘Even though I’m here, he can’t lift his head, so he must have made a mistake.’
However, the Princess was nonchalantly putting her arm around the gatekeeper.
‘She doesn’t seem the type who just pretends to be nice.’
Rather, she seemed fascinated by the gatekeeper’s actions rather than offended by them.
‘Quite peculiar.’
David Bertier glanced down at the girl who had shaken his ability to remain calm even in the most dire of circumstances.Then he smiled kindly.
“It’s a bit late, but it’s an honor to meet you.”
He’s never met a person, young or old, who didn’t melt at this smile. But the Princess in front of him was still smiling as sweetly as ever. It seemed to her that he was just another candidate for Cartamen.
‘She is evaluating me with pure eyes.’
Are those eyes like the tyrant Beauvoir’s? Or are they the eyes of a real Cartamen judge?
“Will you be treating me with such hospitality again this time?”
“We can’t treat you any other way, Your Highness. Please come in. I’ll escort you.”
David guided the Princess into the mansion, concealing his true feelings.
‘But to think that someone so the head would come to visit me, not just a minor servant.’
The Princess personally coming here was unexpected.
‘Is she really that serious about the Cartamen?’
David’s suspicions, firmly entrenched, cracked slightly at the Princess’s unexpected visit. He would have been more than willing to participate, if it were a ‘real’ Cartamen.
The Princess greeted him with an innocent and unassuming demeanor.
“It’s good to see you. I didn’t expect to meet you like this.”
“If it’s for the Cartamen, you’ve come to the wrong place. Even commoners aren’t entering themselves, so why would Duke David Bertier do so?”
The lord sneered, seemingly convinced that David wouldn’t participate in Cartamen.
‘That must be quite a blow to her pride.’
David stared at the Princess. Surprisingly, she remained unfazed.
“It’s a pity that the conversation between you and your lord isn’t going well.”
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