The Amber Knight Swears His Love on the Saintess’s Left Hand - Chapter 14

Just as one might expect or perhaps, inevitably—Quill ended up retreating to the barracks, much to Sascha’s exasperation.

He cherished his family, the Langbart. It was precisely because of that deep affection that he had built a wall between them ever since the incident at his twelfth birthday celebration. It wasn’t that he didn’t care for Lynette, but he felt a stubborn resistance toward simply moving his life back into the manor so easily.

His elder brother, Lars, who managed the Royal Library, visited occasionally. With his usual calm demeanor, Lars would give him updates on Lynette’s recent activities over a quick stand-up chat. Sometimes he delivered letters from Lynette herself, or “hex-like” notes from their younger sister, Adele.

Lars never once told him to come home. Quill felt both grateful and guilty for that.

Adele’s latest note read: “I hope a sudden downpour of strawberry torte falls upon my cold-hearted big brother from the heavens.” If that actually happened, it would be a catastrophe.

Before he knew it, half a month had passed since the engagement. During that time, Lynette had visited the cathedral four times. It seemed she needed to attend to the Holy Sword much more frequently than Quill had imagined.

Lying on the stiff bed of the barracks, he read a letter from Lynette. It began with formal seasonal greetings and ended with words of concern for his health. He could almost see her face that embodiment of seriousness as she penned the rigid, textbook-perfect handwriting.

He was interrupted by Sascha, who had the rude habit of opening the door while knocking simultaneously.

“Can’t you wait for an answer before coming in?”

“Oh, come on. Between me and you, a door might as well not exist. The Commander is calling for you; says there’s a guest.”

“A guest?”

Could it be Lynette? Quill sat up immediately, causing Sascha to narrow his eyes with a smirk.

“If you’re that worried about her, you should just go home once in a while.”

“It’s only natural to be concerned for one’s fiancée.”

“I’m not judging. But unfortunately, the guest is a ‘miss.’ A bit of a complicated person.”

“Complicated?”

As Quill looked at him suspiciously, Sascha’s expression turned grim.

“It’s Earl Ceryes. The Commander is sitting in on this one, too.”

In the Commander’s office sat a man with a stern face that bore no resemblance to Lynette’s. If Adele saw him, she might burst into tears on the spot.

He was much older than Geis, likely pushing fifty. His forehead was receding, deep furrows were permanently etched between his brows, and his eyes shot toward Quill with an unmistakable air of appraisal.

“Forgive the unannounced visit. I sent my niece numerous letters, but she shows no sign of listening. I had no choice but to come here.”

The bluntness of the man’s opening allowed Quill to sense the gravity of the situation. However, he remained silent, waiting to see the man’s next move.

“I will speak plainly. I would like you to annul the engagement.”

A massive sigh escaped the room not from Quill, but from Geis. Earl Ceryes turned a sharp, sensitive gaze toward the Commander, but the veteran of a hundred battles didn’t flinch, meeting the look with a composed stare.

Quill, meanwhile, felt a restless wave of emotion. He knew Geis was sitting in as a surrogate father figure.

He was twenty-five.

Twenty-five, and yet…

The twenty-five-year-old placed his hands on his knees and straightened his back. As a son of Langbart and a knight discovered by Geis, he paid more attention to his posture than ever before.

“I understand this engagement was Lady Ceryes’s own wish. Having received this match from the Crown Prince himself, it is not something I can annul on my own authority.”

“Do not think so rigidly, Sir Langbart. This is a proposal meant to protect your standing.”

“My standing?”

“You are already a man who draws public scrutiny. I cannot overlook my niece’s selfishness dragging you about, especially when it leads to unsavory rumors.”

“Rumors…?”

“You can imagine them, can’t you? They are already circulating outside the capital.”

Quill’s fists tightened on his knees.

The blood of Betzyraft was clinging to him again. No doubt the story was that Quill had pulled strings to force the engagement.

It wasn’t that he hadn’t expected this. He knew that once the world learned Quill Langbart was the fiancé of Lynette Ceryes, people would start spreading baseless gossip. That was exactly why the engagement had been kept strictly under wraps until the day she left the cathedral.

Only half a month. In that short time, the nobility were already mocking him behind his back. This was the reality of taking a fiancée who was “above one’s station.”

“Rumors are just rumors. Besides, after that display at the exhibition match, the capital seems to be taking it quite favorably,” Geis interjected.

Earl Ceryes wore a look of profound pity.

“At the King’s feet, no one would dare ridicule the King’s choices.”

“The Old Faction certainly remains harsh toward His Majesty,” Geis remarked dryly.

If these rumors spread, suspicion would fall even on the Royal Family for supporting the match. The Saint, who was supposed to marry into royalty, was instead wedded to the blood of Betzyraft. If one stone were thrown, the masses would easily tilt.

Suddenly, Quill thought: Couldn’t these rumors be used to my advantage?

If he were known as the man who manipulated the crown to get the Saint, even if the engagement were broken, no one would ever bring him a marriage proposal again.

At the very least, Quill had no reason to cling to an engagement at the cost of his reputation.

His only concern was the wound Lynette would suffer from a broken engagement.

“If it were annulled, wouldn’t Lady Ceryes find her future prospects difficult?”

“The son of the Marquis of Claussen is quite fond of my niece.”

Quill felt like his jaw was about to drop.

Beside him, Geis looked toward the ceiling with a weary expression.

“Surely, you don’t mean Sir Marius?”

The Marquis of Claussen had three sons. Praying for a miracle, Quill asked the question, only for the Earl to speak with a smug look.

“Despite being the heir to a Marquis, he took on the dangerous duty of being the captain of her guard. I cannot thank him enough.”

The image of the yapping man’s sword strikes flashed through Quill’s mind. At the start of the engagement, he had thought she should have just chosen Marius.

But now, the thought of Marius standing beside Lynette after an annulment made him inexplicably furious. Surely there’s someone better? The White Knights were full of noble sons from reputable houses.

He could almost hear Marius’s grating voice calling her “Lady Saint, Lady Saint” with that worshipful tone. Quill tapped his knee irritably.

“You need not worry about my niece’s future. You can simply annul the engagement with a light heart.”

“I refuse.”

“Wh…?”

The Earl’s stern face suddenly slackened, looking somewhat like a dazed badger.

Quill himself was shaken by the words that had come out reflexively, but he stood up regardless.

“I gave Lady Ceryes a Pledge Lock. The only person allowed to break that bracelet is Lady Ceryes herself. It is certainly not a matter to be decided between Your Lordship and me.”

“W-wait, Quill—”

“It is time for training, so I shall take my leave!”

He slammed the door shut and walked away quickly.

Behind him, the sound of Geis’s booming laughter burst through the door and bounced down the hallway.

It wasn’t a laughing matter. Quill didn’t even know why he had become so stubborn.