The Amber Knight Swears His Love on the Saintess’s Left Hand - Chapter 16

Marius ground his teeth, the image of the Saint’s retreating back as she entered the cathedral seared into his eyelids. He simply could not accept her engagement.

Tradition dictated that the Saint marry into the Royal Family. That was the only reason Marius had gracefully stepped aside. He had stayed by Lynette’s side more than anyone, protecting her throughout their two-year journey. He didn’t believe for a second that she had lost her emotions. Lynette had always shown appreciation for him as the captain of her guard, offering him smiles. Those beautiful blue eyes had always been directed toward him with such softness.

If not for tradition, he would have spirited her away long ago. He believed Lynette desired the same from him. He had spent years enduring that frustration.

So why a Black Knight? And worse, the foster child of a red-eyed savage?

“The Saint must feel the same way I do.”

He was certain this engagement had been distorted by the Royal Family’s desire to further bolster the New Faction of nobility.

On the day he was appointed Captain of the Guard, Earl Ceryes had personally entreated him: “Please, protect my daughter.”

Earl Ceryes was a man of great influence within the Old Faction. Because of this, the Earl had shared his fears with Marius—that the Royal Family might neglect the Saint.

The Earl’s anxieties had proven correct. Using the “current climate” or some other trivial excuse, the Royal Family had forced a foul, outcast knight upon the Saint.

“I will save you. I swear it.”

Marius gripped the hilt of his sword, whispering the words like a sacred vow.

＊　＊　＊

On the same evening he was ambushed by Earl Ceryes, Quill found his feet leading him toward the townhouse. Waiting for him there, unexpectedly, were the Crown Prince and Princess. It wasn’t often that royalty hopped over to an Earl’s residence so casually.

Leonard explained that after hearing about the incident at the office from Geis, he figured Quill would end up back here. His intuition was sharp.

In the drawing room sat Quill, Lynette, the Langbart parents, and the royal couple. The topic brought to the table was one that made Quill want to bury his face in his hands.

“An evening ball!?”

Crown Princess Juliana nodded with a beaming smile at Quill’s exclamation.

“It doesn’t need to be a grand debut, but perhaps you could attend a ball at least once to… flaunt how close the two of you are?”

Quill glanced at the Doll Princess beside him, wondering if they were actually close enough to “flaunt.”

As Geis had mentioned, his performance at the exhibition match had been extremely well-received. While there had been many voices against the unusual engagement, seeing Lynette’s behavior that day had shifted public opinion in the capital toward favor.

Now, the plan was to gather the provincial nobility. No doubt the Royal Family was concerned about rumors spreading in the countryside.

“So, a ball then.”

“I shall be the host, so I will be mindful of the guest list. What do you think, Lynette? After all, it was one of the items in your notebook.”

Juliana knew the contents of the notebook where Lynette recorded her wishes. It seemed the Saint and the Crown Princess shared a bond that transcended their stations. The way Juliana’s hand rested over Lynette’s spoke volumes.

When asked for her thoughts, Lynette made a show of considering it.

“I don’t mind. I only wonder… whom should I ask to be my escort?”

Quill’s elbow slipped right off the armrest of his chair. What on earth was his fiancée saying?

“I hope I haven’t given the impression of being the kind of shameless man who would send his fiancée to a ball alone?”

“Eh? You’re attending, Lord Quill? To a ball?”

He was starting to understand. These eccentric remarks of Lynette’s weren’t intentional. They were purely “organic.”

Feeling the tension leave his shoulders, Quill asked her:

“What exactly is written in your notebook regarding evening balls?”

Lynette reached into the slit of her skirt, pulled the notebook from her pocket, and flipped it open. She did so with the same flat detachment as if she were checking a daily training schedule.

Among the standard entries—dancing a waltz, having someone choose a dress for her, trying alcohol—there was an item for receiving a gift of jewelry.

“Could we consider that one ‘cleared’ by the Pledge Lock?”

“Certainly not,” Juliana said.

“That wouldn’t count, no,” Leonard added.

“Quill, don’t even try it,” his father chimed in.

He was shut down by Juliana, Leonard, and his father in quick succession. His mother looked like she was developing a vein in her temple.

When Lynette herself said, “Oh, so that’s how it works,” with genuine curiosity, Nicola who was waiting by the wall gave Quill a look of pure pity. Quill had no allies left in the room. Even though Lynette herself seemed satisfied with the Pledge Lock.

It seemed the goal wasn’t just to fulfill her wishes, but to show the world that he was pampering her. Quill still had a lot to learn about the “ideal fiancé.”

“I understand. I’ll return here the night after next to coincide with my time off. I might be a bit late, though.”

“Are you busy?”

“Magical beast sightings are increasing around the capital. It’s unusual for this season, though easier than the autumn breeding season when they tend to go into a frenzy.”

There was something else bothering him more than the numbers. For some reason, the beasts were causing zero damage on the path from the Aschefallen Mountains, moving as if they were targeting the capital directly. It was a behavioral pattern he hadn’t seen before.

And one more thing: the beasts’ eyes were focused on Quill. Within the Black Knights, they were clearly coming for him. Does the red eye lure them in?

Meeting Lynette’s gaze, Quill hid his concern behind a rare forced smile.

“Spring is a busy time for paperwork. Don’t worry about it. Three days from now… shall we go out and see the town?”

Lynette watched Quill in silence for a moment before nodding and closing her notebook.

After the meeting adjourned and the plans for the ball were set for three weeks later, they saw the royal couple off. Just before boarding the carriage, Leonard beckoned Quill over.

When he hurried to them, it was Juliana who spoke.

“If possible, please stay at the manor tonight.”

“That was my intention, but why?”

“Lynette went to the cathedral again today. Please, be gentle with her. Pamper her.”

Juliana’s expression clouded over, and Leonard pulled her close by the shoulder.

“That isn’t something we should force upon him.”

“Yes! You’re right. I’m sorry.”

Unsure of the meaning behind her melancholy, Quill bowed in response to her apology. Leonard patted Quill’s shoulder.

“I’m relieved to see you’re doing better than I expected.”

“I wouldn’t say I’m doing ‘well’ yet.”

“At least I can see that you’re treating her like an ordinary lady. You were the right choice for this.”

With a satisfied look, he climbed into the carriage and drove off.

Feeling a bit left behind, Quill watched the carriage depart until Lynette stepped up beside him.

“You are quite close with His Highness.”

“My birth mother once helped him. He’s looked out for me ever since.”

At times, they were as casual as brothers.

Quill’s biological mother, Olga, had once saved two lives: his brother Lars, and Crown Prince Leonard.

He didn’t know the details, but it was thanks to his mother’s merit that he had been welcomed into the Earl’s house.

“You are quite close with Her Highness as well, Lady Ceryes.”

“We met often at children’s tea parties. I looked up to her like an older sister. Because of that bond, I was brazen enough to beg her for this engagement.”

He hadn’t expected to be given a task by the Crown Princess. Especially something like “pampering.”

Toward the Lynette who adored her like a sister, Juliana had looked almost mournful. What was behind that sorrowful face?

“Is the Saint’s duty very difficult?”

Traveling for two years with the Holy Sword. Offering prayers of purification. He had assumed she simply continued to offer prayers in the cathedral now.

He didn’t know the reality of what Lynette’s duty entailed.

When he asked, Lynette lowered her eyes and then fixed her usual smile in place.

“Once you get used to it, it is nothing special.”

She looked as though she were lightly hugging herself. The spring night air was chilly depending on the wind.

Quill took off his knight’s jacket and draped it over her shoulders.

“Let’s go inside. I’ll ask Nicola for some tea.”

“Yes.”

Lynette momentarily tried to form a smile, then let her expression fade. Instead, she lightly raised her left hand and offered it to him.

Her hands were always so sincere; it made Quill feel strangely light-headed.

“By the way, Lord Quill, are you proficient at the waltz?”

The light-headedness vanished instantly.

“…I will strive to make you want to raise your left hand by the time the first three beats are over.”

Quill answered honestly. Lynette glanced around the empty garden, then tugged on Quill’s sleeve, pulling him down toward her. When he leaned down, her soft breath brushed against his ear.

“I am as well. So, if you feel that things are going poorly, please just pick me up and spin me around.”

With a perfectly serious face, Lynette gave a small spin in a waltz pose.

If only she had her emotions at a time like this.

Would she still have that serious face, or would she look mischievous? Quill thought to himself as he suppressed a laugh. He really wanted to see it.