Return of the Female Knight

As usual, one could find Derek brushing up on his sword fighting in the training hall. He practiced constantly to keep his vow to protect Empress Elena. He would never let anything as dangerous as Paveluc happen again, and if it did, he would take care of it with his own hands.

Hwiig hwiig.

Derek’s sword cut fiercely through the air, when one of his knights approached him.

“The commander is waiting for you outside.”

At those words, Derek’s swordplay halted. It had to. The one that he called commander was his father, Alphord.

“…What brings him here?”

“I don’t know. I told him that you were training. What will you do?”

Alphord was the commander of the Fourth Order of the Imperial Knights, and Derek was a leader of a group within it. No matter that they belonged to the same Order; there were not many occasions when the commander and a group leader interacted in the same space. Derek and Alphord did not run into each other unless it was a special occasion, and they both accepted this as normal. It was the first time Alphord visited Derek since the latter joined the Fourth Order.

‘What brings him here all of a sudden?’

What’s more, Alphord did not directly come into the hall to see Derek. Given that a message was given through a subordinate, Alphord likely wanted a private visit. The suddenness of it was a mystery from Derek’s point-of-view, but he would soon find out what it was anyway. He lowered the sword in his hand and replied.

“I’ll be ready soon, so please bring him to my office.”

“Yes, sir.”

The knight bowed and quickly left to carry out the order. Meanwhile, Derek strode in another direction. He had to change his sweat-soaked clothes before meeting Alphord.

***

Derek arrived at his office with fresh clothes, and Alphord was already sitting and waiting for him. Derek spoke politely to the commander.

“What brings you here?”

Derek was just as straightforwardly blunt as his father.

“I’m here to talk about your marriage.”

“Marriage?”

“Yes. You need to get married soon. How long are you going to stay single?”

“I…”

Derek’s words caught in his throat. He knew something important might be brought up, but he didn’t expect it to be about this.

“It’s already quite late for you. Considering the rest of the family, you should start your own family soon. You are the oldest son, so don’t think about getting married later than Mirabelle.”

“…”

Derek hadn’t the heart to contradict his father. After Elena and Mirabelle found their partners, he vaguely considered that he had to get married as well. Elena was married and now the Empress of the Ruford Empire, and Mirabelle was currently dating Kuhn. Among them, Derek was the only one left.

“Are there any prospects?”

“Yes. The Morris family daughter is good.”

“If it’s the Morris family…”

“Before Her Majesty married, the Morris family previously proposed to her.”

Derek nodded. The family name was familiar to him.

“I’ve met them a few times, and the Morris family are suitable in-laws. Their daughter is old enough to marry, so please see her.”

The fact that Alphord, who rarely gave praise, complimented the Morris family meant that he was quite impressed with them. Derek wasn’t inclined to get married immediately, but he had no reason to refuse. Meanwhile, Elena and Mirabelle found their own respective loves before a family match.

Derek was different. He had never met a woman that thrilled his heart, nor did he have a hidden lover. Perhaps it was because of his responsibility to lead the family, but he thought of simply marrying the woman that Alphord chose. Now that time had come.

“…”

But as Derek hesitated to answer, Alphord, watching him, responded in a quiet voice.

“I already almost died once saving the Empress. And that was not the only time. I’ve risked my life several times when living as a knight. Derek, you are no different from me. Start a family before it’s too late.”

It was sincerely given advice, from one reticent knight to another.

“…I understand. I will meet the young lady of the Morris family according to your wishes.”

Meetings arranged by families were not always simple, but as long as there were no major problems, it was safe to say that the marriage would happen. Derek wasn’t worried about that anymore. He had already made up his mind, and he was determined to get married. Alphord looked satisfied at the resolution in Derek’s face.

“Yes, that is a good decision.”

“If you make an appointment…”

“There is already one. The date is tomorrow, and you can have lunch together.”

Derek couldn’t speak for a moment. He realized that Alphord would have pushed for the meeting, regardless of his answer. Derek let out an embarrassed chuckle. It didn’t matter anyway. It was something he had to live with as a noble.

Alphord, having accomplished his task, checked his pocket watch and stood up from his seat.

“The meeting place was already decided, so make sure you’re prepared and not late. I must go now.”

“You’re going already?”

“I promised to teach Prince Crow swordplay today.”

As gruff as Alphord was, he broke everyone’s expectations and completely doted on his grandson, to the point that he would die for Crow. Derek was already accustomed to this, and he replied with a nod.

“Very well. If you see Her Majesty, please give her my regards.”

“I will.”

After Alphord left the office, Derek sat down at his spacious desk. He already made a decision, but it didn’t completely register to him yet.

“Marriage…”

The word was still unfamiliar to him.

***

Derek donned a well-cut suit and waited for the appointed time as given to him by Alphord. A servant informed him that the Morris family carriage had arrived in front of the Imperial Knights residence where he stayed. He thought that the Morris’ would simply inform him where to go, and was surprised by the carriage. But that didn’t matter. The important thing now was to see the woman he would potentially marry.

Kkiig—

Derek was about to enter the presumably empty carriage, when he saw a maid sitting inside first. She was an impressive beauty with soft brown hair and large, clear eyes like a cat. When their eyes met, the maid bowed to him first and introduced herself.

“Hello. My name is Jeanne. Lady Morris has sent me in her stead.”

“Lady Morris?”

“Yes. The lady is so shy that she sent me to ask you questions instead.”

Derek’s expression stiffened a little. He wondered how shy Lady Morris must be to ask a maid to do this for her.

Jeanne seemed to notice his reaction, and responded.

“I will only accompany you on your way to the meeting place. If you wish for me to leave because of my low status, I’ll move to horseback.”

“No, please stay.”

Derek answered briefly and boarded the carriage without hesitation. He didn’t understand Lady Morris’ behavior, but he would have to go along with it. She was probably wondering about him just as much as he was.

As Derek settled himself in the seat across from Jeanne, he felt her studying him with close eyes. He looked back with a curt expression.

“Didn’t you say you were going to ask me questions?”

“Ah, yes… So, when did you start learning how to use a sword?”

“I don’t remember. The nanny said I learned to use a sword before I learned to use a spoon.”

“You must have been very young.”

The carriage began to move forward slowly, and there was a clattering sound as the wheels started to roll. Lady Morris must be really curious about Derek, as the questions Jeanne asked him in the carriage were endless.

“How tall are you?”

“187 centimeters.”

“And your birthday?”

“July 10th.”

“If you had a child, which would you prefer, a son or a daughter?”

“It doesn’t matter, but I want them to be the best they can be.”

“What if the lady says it’s difficult to raise children?”

“Then I suppose it can’t be helped.”

“What do you mean…?”

“I’ll help out as best I can, but if it’s too difficult, then we should stop having children. That’s what I meant.”

Jeanne’s expression shifted as if she were weighing his response.

“I heard that you are popular with women…”

“That’s incorrect information. I don’t recall anything like that.”

“…Is that so?”

At the same time, Jeanne gave a faint smile. Derek glanced at her because she was so pretty, but that was all. The maid resumed her questions again.

“What kind of person do you want?”

“I’m not sure, but someone who I can start a family with.”

“What is your greatest concern?”

“The Blaise family and the Imperial Household.”

“What is your greatest goal?”

“To protect Her Majesty the Empress. I want to be a strong support for my sister.”

“…I see.”

Jeanne nodded, then posed another question.

“Do you have any questions about Lady Morris?”

“No.”

“None?”

“No. I will see her and judge who she is for myself.”

“…”

At the end of his sentence, Jeanne’s expression changed subtly. It was a complicated mix of emotions that was impossible to identify as a single one. Derek peered out of the carriage window.

“Can I ask you another question?”

“…What is it?”

“Where are we going now?”

“A restaurant. The lady said she wished to have her first meal with you outdoors. The elders of the Morris family wanted to invite your family directly, but seating would be difficult. We should arrive any minute now.”

Derek nodded his head and gazed out of the window again. Meanwhile, Jeanne studied his profile and asked no further questions. The quiet atmosphere was a completely different mood from earlier. The sudden silence made Derek a little curious, but perhaps the time for speaking was over. He had already answered so many questions that it would be a good idea to think up questions of his own for Lady Morris.

The carriage finally halted in front of a famous restaurant. When Derek arrived at the promised location, he opened the carriage door and stepped out. At the restaurant entrance stood a woman in a fancy dress. Her plain, freckled face seemed out of place against her beautiful garments. She seemed to be waiting for someone, and when she realized that Derek was here, she blinked and approached him.

“Ah, I-I’m from the Morris family. We’re supposed to meet today…”

Derek realized that this was the woman he had been in conversation about. He walked straight to her and gave a polite bow.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Derek Blaise.”

He took her hand and was about to kiss it when—

Tak!

A touch stopped him. Derek looked around and saw Jeanne, the maid he had been riding in the carriage with.

“What—”

Before he could finish talking, Lady Morris opened her mouth in a startled voice.

“Ah, My Lady!”

Derek’s head began to spin at the strange turn of events. Jeanne explained in a soft voice.

“I’m your real partner today. Let me give you a formal greeting. My name is Jeanne Morris.”

Derek looked at the woman before him, and the woman he thought was Lady Morris.

“What on earth is this?”

“As you said a little while ago, I too wanted to judge for myself who my husband would be. I was planning to hide my identity until the end, but I changed my mind.”

“…?”

“I like you.”

Derek’s eyebrows lifted at her words. Out of all the things that happened so far, this was the one he least understood.