Shadow Queen

Elena felt an unbearable strain. When she imagined the revenge that would be completed by showing the world the talent of Hurelbard, which only she knew, she was filled with joy.

“…”

Elena rolled her eyes and glanced at Leabrick. As soon as their eyes met, she lowered her eyes and showed signs of conflict, driving the atmosphere.

“I’ve decided.”

James and Leabrick paid attention to the cautious but stubborn voice.

“Lord Hurelbard, put down your sword.”

“…!”

“Y-your Highness the Princess.”

James was at a loss what to do. Next to him, Leabrick stared at Elena with a devilish face.

The knights who gathered at the training camp were also shocked. Hurelbard, who they did not recognize as an equivalent knight, seemed unconvinced that he was appointed exceptionally. Among them, Lorentz’s shock was more than double that of other knights. He couldn’t erase the miserable feeling of being abandoned because Elena had been convinced of his good intentions he had been shown to her over the past few days.

Either way or not, Elena wasn’t interested in it at all.

“Lord Hurelbard, the owner of the sword has been chosen. How long are you going to stay like that?”

At the words of the smiling Elena, Hurelbard belatedly lowered the sword below his belly button and fixed it so that the tip of the sword faced the ground.

Pledge of the oath. The mainstream relationship and the recognized appointment process ended the whole ceremony.

“Your Highness, may I ask you a rude question?”

“Yes, Lord James.”

James plucked up his courage. He couldn’t understand this situation to just move on.

“I beg your pardon, but there are a number of great knights here who are more experienced and capable than Sir Hurelbard.”

“So?”

“I-I don’t doubt the sight of your princess, but may I ask what you saw in Sir Hurelbard and made your choice?”

He said it in a roundabout way, but he didn’t understand why she chose Hurelbard, so he needed an explanation. It was also a representation of the minds of the unchosen knights.

“Yes, I’ll tell you.”

“What’s that?”

When James asked again, everyone focused on their ears. Then Elena said without hesitation for a second.

“Because he’s handsome.”

“W-what now?”

“It’s rude of you to ask me again. If you don’t hear it, you can’t help it.”

James was embarrassed and asked back, but none of the people who gathered here did not hear Elena. However, the answer was so shocking that they couldn’t get out of it.

‘He’s just handsome.’ That vulgar, uncultured word in your mouth….’

Leabrick quivered at Elena’s words that did not match the status of the princess. Did she know how much the vulgar words can bring down the dignity, and reputation of Princess Veronica?

Look now. Everyone tried not to show it, but the faces of the knights showed indescribable disappointment. Some even felt shame at the fact that the virtues of the knight were judged only by their appearance, while being put on the back burner.

Hurelbard was among them. When Elena chose him, he was more suspicious than happy. But the reason is that he’s handsome. He couldn’t get rid of the unpleasantness to be happy.

“How long are you going to keep me embarrassed, Lord Hurelbard?”

“…!”

Elena rekindled the alluring smile that captivated Hurelbard in their first meeting. Hurelbard kneeled one knee as if possessed by the strange atmosphere.

“Knight of the Grand Duke, Hurelbard vows to serve Lady Veronica von Friedrich. I swear by putting my life on this sword.”

Hurelbard raised the sword lying horizontally with both palms and raised it as if to be true. Elena, looking down, pulled out a handkerchief embroidered with the Grand Duke’s seal from her sleeve and put it on the blade. The handkerchief was a token given to the Lady when she pledged to the oath.

“Lord James.”

James, who was standing disapproving of Elena’s low call, pulled out his waist-length sword and held the handle on the back of his nose.

“……the knight James de Robres proves it.”

Proof of oath. It is a ritual that the knights attest by guaranteeing the pledge of oath. Knights who were not chosen, led by James, reluctantly joined.

“The knight William Finn proves it.”

“The knight Pedro von Geras proves it.”

From the faces of the knights, there was a sense of discomfort that could not be hidden even if they tried to hide it. They couldn’t be happy to be standing as a knight for Hurelbard, a commoner who had no idea what was going on. However, no matter how important pride is, they cannot refute Princess Veronica’s choice.

The ceremony ended when all the knights gathered in the training ground proved their vows.

Hurelbard stood up and put the handkerchief in his armor so that it was not wrinkled. A willingness to always remember the oath by keeping the certificate closest to the heart.

Elena stole a glance at Leabrick’s face. There is a saying that people become calm when they are too angry. That’s exactly what it is now. Over her cold expression, there was a fire.

‘What can you do? It’s already spilled.’

Elena was quick to notice. She was a pathetic woman who had done something wrong, and she has completed the finish perfectly by remaining.

“Please take good care of me, my knight.”

In the near future, one of the three swords that would sustain the empire was in Elena’s hands.

***

As she sat on the terrace overlooking the garden, Elena relaxed and enjoyed tea time. The Earl Grey black tea, the first tea being thrown away, the taste was mellow, and the more she saw the gardener who had stayed up and planted tulips instead of lilies, the fresher she felt.

“If I put them all together, will that compare to the joy I have gained?’

Elena’s eyes, as she savored with the tea in her mouth, stood and reached Hurelbard, who was waiting. Considering that the skin of the knights who practiced outdoors were scorched, the skin of Hurelbard was very clean. He was more of a noble spirit than a knight. In addition, the calm and unknowingly cold atmosphere kept her eyes on him.

“Is there something on my face?”

Hurelbard asked if he felt uncomfortable with the blatant eyes.

“I’d rather there was. So that I could share a few more words with my knight.”

Elena drank tea with a smile on her face. Seeing her, Hurelbard was at a loss at what to do.

“If you have any questions, ask me anything.”

“No, let’s get to know each other. What’s the rush?”

“…”

Hurelbard didn’t know what to do with the lady, who had no idea what was going on in his head. The captivating smile of the first encounter lingered in his mind. Apart from her status, it was not a smile that only aristocrats could make. He thought that she had half-heartedly forgotten.

At the ceremony, she chose Hurelbard as her direct knight because he was handsome. The shock still lingered on why, it was unbelievably vulgar because it came from the mouth of Princess Veronica.

And the lady, who he saw on the terrace now, was such a dignified woman that he couldn’t even look at her. Hurelbard was constantly surprised by her changing impression. Elegant hand gestures, arrogant but respectful eyes, playful but not crossing the line, etc. He felt the elegant dignity of bowing down.

“Sir, please get out of here.”

Elena quietly put the teacup down.

“We’ll have a visitor soon. There’s no reason for you to be here.

“You mean a guest?”

There was a knock as soon as Hurelbard asked back.

“It’s Leabrick, princess.”

“I’m right, right?”

Elena smiled and winked out. Surprised at the situation where it fit exactly, Hurelbard stepped down, assuming that she had an appointment in advance.

Leabrick, who had crossed with Hurelbard leaving the room, quickly scattered. After he left and the door closed, Elena, who had been sitting on the terrace until a little while ago, having tea time gracefully, disappeared.

“I-I’m sorry. Liv, it’s my fault. Please forgive me just once.”

Elena, who came right in front of Leabrick, gathered her hands and prayed. In a pathetic and servile way, Elena, who gave up her pride as a dog, tried hard to show any signs of remorse and reflection.

“I-I couldn’t stand it. At that moment, I was suffocated to see Sir Hurelbard. I just wanted to keep him as a knight by my side. I’m sorry. I must have been out of my mind.”

“…”

Leabrick did not open her tightly closed mouth. She stood looking at Elena with a thorny look, as if it were torture.

“I-I’m really sorry. I’ll accept any punishment.”

Elena groveled, claiming to be a sinner. Before leaving the Duchy, Elena never brought up the story, even though she was promised the right to appoint the knight she wanted. Rather than being seen as clever, she wanted to remain as an underdog who obeys the Leabrick.

“Sin? It’s all right. Don’t be so sorry.”

“Right, I feel so guilty I could die… What? Liv, what did you say?”

Elena looked with her eyes wide open. Leabrick reached out and put Elena’s hair behind her ears.

“The princess did nothing wrong. Appointment of a knight is a princess’ right, isn’t it?”

“B-but.”

“So don’t worry too much. I respect the princess.”

Respect? Elena held in her laughter. There is no reason to push Elena, and it may be talking about it because it is already spilled. Or there’s another reason.

“Thank you, Liv. I won’t do anything I want again.”

“You’d better do that. That way, wouldn’t your parents in the Mariana Islands be okay?”

“…!”

Leabrick smiled brutally, blatantly provoking the couple. It was a clear threat.

‘That’s what you actually look like, Leabrick.’

It was a threat that would come out someday. The surest way to control Elena is the life of her parents. She suffered so much in my past life, succumbing to that threat.

‘That threat doesn’t work anymore.’

The threat doesn’t work, but she has to pretend it does.

“I am… s-so…”

Leabrick’s smile deepened as Elena couldn’t even speak properly and could not leave her eyes anxiously. She saw that the threat worked properly.

“Forget everything and focus on preparing for your birthday. Okay, princess?”