It was a strange thought that I never had before. Even if it was possible, Kyle was not suitable as an escort.
‘It’s like trusting a cat with a fish.’
I shook my head.
“It’s not that I don’t like it, but you’re busy enough with the Great Duchy, and I don’t want to disturb you. I’ll just take the sentiment.”
Ho… Ho… Ho… I thought I should laugh, but I didn’t. It was too pretentious for me to think of it.
“You don’t have to just appreciate the sentiment. I’ll do it if you want.”
Oh, my God. Kyle refused my refusal, even though I refused politely.
My head suddenly started pounding, because of Kyle’s personality, it was obvious that he would somehow stick to this as a once-in-a-lifetime job.
If I didn’t solve this…
‘For the first time in the Empire’s history, we may enjoy the luxury of an Archduke escorting an Archduchess as a guard.’
Perhaps it will find its way in the history books. No, that could not happen, I would rather die that find it recorded for everyone to see.
With those ominous and sinister thoughts, I hurried to settle down the conversation with Kyle.
“No, I’m really fine. I’m really, really good.”
“…”
“Also, I’ve already concluded my conversation with Sejan, it’s not something I can go back to.”
“I don’t care…”
“Oh, how about this? What if the Archduke teach me swordsmanship?”
“Swordsmanship?”
This is it.
I didn’t miss Kyle’s subtle reaction, slightly different from my first refusal.
“Yes, swordsmanship. The biggest reason I asked Sejan to escort me was because I wanted to learn swordsmanship from him. I thought I should be able to protect myself.”
“…”
“But if you teach me swordsmanship, I’ll ask Sejan to escort me from time to time, except when we’re all moving together, only on special occasions, what do you think?”
I corrected “from time to time” to “special occasion” while speaking, because Kyle frowned at the first part.
‘Do you hate that I’m using Sejan as my escort?’
Anyway, that would reduce the time spent with Sejan, so there would be nothing to be uncomfortable about. Furthermore, I also urged the point of learning swordsmanship, which would be a good reason.
Lastly, one more thing.
“I think improving my sword skills is the biggest thing I wanted from having an escort. So, it would be nice if the Archduke could take over it.”
I was told that the purpose of having an escort was to learn swordsmanship. In some other words, Kyle was asked to play the most important role of being my escort.
After spilling out words like a mastermind, I took a quick look at him.
‘I’d like you to move on from this now. Please move on. Move on. Move on.’
Unintentionally, I was chanting in my mind. Did my earnest wishes come to reality? Fortunately, his irritated expression disappeared without a trace.
“That’s fine.”
As I was able to finish the conversation with his words of permission, I was so relieved that I could control my fast beating heart.
“Okay. So, when we reach the temple, would you be able to start teaching me swordsmanship?”
Kyle looked puzzled when I reached out my little finger at him while talking.
‘Do you not know the meaning?’
I almost laughed out loud. He looked like a child at times like this.
I opened my mouth while smiling.
“It means, to make a promise.”
“A promise?”
“Yes, so I’ll show you how to do it. Give me your little finger.”
“…”
“Well, look at me. Come on.”
Kyle hesitated and slipped his little finger out. I gently cross my little finger on Kyle’s. As soon as our finger touched, he showed signs of flinching and tried to untie his finger from mine.
“Cold…”
“…It’s fine, so stay still.”
It’s cold, but tolerable for the moment. For some reason, Kyle immediately fell silent. I murmured quietly at the rare sight of a gentle Kyle.
“When you put your little finger with mine, it means you’re promising.” I immediately added an explanation.
In fact, I wanted to tell him the 4 steps of making a promise in Korea; pinky promise, stamp, signature and copy, but I decided to give up. I was already feeling embarrassed.
“…Okay, I promise.”
Kyle, who was curiously looking at his little finger, quickly accepted.
After the promise, I took off my little finger. Silence came. A little ticklish silence.
‘As a result, I couldn’t tell you about the shortcut.’
I thought about talking about it, but I gave up again. Somehow, I didn’t mind this silence.
***
After our talk, the carriage ran for a long time. As the sun began to set, we moved to a nearby villa. Once we reached the villa, I scanned the surrounding through the window, it looked like a cabin.
‘It’s cute compared to the Great Duchy, but it’s bigger than I thought.’
One could say it was the top quality cabin. The villa was quite elegant, blending harmoniously with the trees and grass that grew thickly around it.
‘Huh?’
Now that I could see up ahead, there were knights in front of us ready to meet with our party. It seemed they had been waiting for us to arrive.
“Stop, let’s get off here.” Kyle said dryly.
As soon as we stop, Kyle who saw the scene, got out of the carriage. I looked at Kyle’s back and found the coachman coming this way, while I was getting ready to get off.
‘What?’
Suddenly, someone’s hand popped out in front of the carriage door. It was Sejan’.
“Sejan, what’s this hand?” I asked rather bluntly.
“What? It’s only natural as your escort.” Sejan’s eyes didn’t waver while his hand was still waiting for me.
‘What a strange and lively escort is he?’
Well, there are times when the escort would do that, but Sejan, was not that kind of person, was he?
I looked at Sejan’s hand quietly, wondering what he was up to. His gloves, which must have been white, were red colored.
‘If someone sees you, they might think we’re going to die together.’
This might suit Sejan.
‘You don’t really mean that.’
Speaking of, whose blood always covered Sejan’s clothes and body?
It seems like I would like to know but didn’t really want to know, the curiosity seems to end with more curiosity…
A hand popped out from the other side of Sejan, deepening my doubts.
It was Kyle.
‘Huh? Why did you come back? Didn’t you go first?’
I wanted to ask with a rather absurd look.
“Archduke, what are you doing?”
“… Get off.”
“What?”
“Take my hand and get off.”
What’s wrong with him all of a sudden? Last time, he didn’t say much when the coachman dropped me off.
“Huh? What happened to your noble Highness? You’re not supposed to be doing this.” It was Sejan’s voice.
I think he had a similar idea to me, but it was obviously more sarcastic than what I would have said.
Kyle frowned at Sejan’s words.
“I’ll do it from now on, so don’t worry, guard.”
“It’s not a guard, it’s a personal escort, your Highness, and this is what the escort is supposed to do. I don’t think even a dragon doesn’t know about it.”
“That’s ridiculous. Do you think it makes sense to have an escort do such thing? And why does “dragon” come out of your mouth?”
“Surely. I hope the word “dragon” would not come out of my mouth. I don’t really like it.”
“Sejan, do you think I can’t kill you?”
“No. No way. Oh, but are you trying to kill me? I’d be honored if you’d kill me by yourself, your noble Dragon Highness.”
“… Have you finally gone mad?”
“What do you mean? Didn’t you know that I was crazy?”
In a crisply frozen atmosphere, sparks erupted from the eyes of the two, Kyle and Sejan turned to me without missing a moment. Then again, they stretched their hands toward me.
“Hold on.”
“Hold on.”
Moreover, the two even made similar remarks at the same time.
‘Do you like this situation?’
The two glared at each other again in a terrible mood, and then, both turned at the same and looked at me.
‘Kyle’s expression of unspoken blackmail and Sejan’s smile of unspoken temptation.’
It was clear that I was being asked to choose between the two. Each other’s order meaning to vote for them in a last attempt.
‘What the hell are they doing?’
That was enough, I was full of it. Honestly, I wanted to grab the back of my pounding head.
The knights, my maid Lily, and the employees from the villa were all looking this way.
‘I don’t think we should take any more time here.’
I recited with a calm and cold expression as much as I could to prevent the situation from getting worse.
“… I’m not going to hang onto either of them.”
Instead of giving them time to refute, I turned my eyes and glance towards the coachman, Matthias, who was rolling his feet from behind.
“Then Matthias, can I ask you to escort me as usual?”
“Yes? Oh, yes! I got you, your Highness.”
Matthias, stuttering, rushed to me. He was probably really nervous at this situation.
When Kyle and Sejan saw him, they stared at the coachman’s approaching steps. Matthias was sweating from the vicious looks of the Archduke and the Knight Captain.
‘I’m sorry about that.’
However, there was no better way.
I laughed and said to Matthias. “Matthias, help me get out of the carriage.”
“Oh… Yes, your Highness.”
Matthias’ face turned into a deathbed because he couldn’t cry.
‘I think we should raise Matthias’ hourly wage, most likely double it.’
No, I’m going to have to put up much more looking at Mathias’ expression. So, he does not run away.
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