Chapter 35: Vivian’s Escort – 2

“Enough!!”

At Vergor’s command, all the young soldiers lowered their wooden swords and slumped to the ground.

The sound of their heavy breathing filled the training grounds, joined by cheers from various corners.

Those cheering were members of “Kailo’s Unit”—our allies.

“…Ha.”

The one I had cornered with my wooden sword let out a sigh.

He was Yanes, responsible, like me, for leading fifty young soldiers.

At eighteen, he looked mature and, from what I’d heard, had even had a fling with a maid recently—a rugged young man with a hint of stubble.

My unit and Yanes’s had engaged in a mock battle where victory came by subduing the opponent’s leader.

Yanes had surrendered to me, ending the training.

“…What did you hit me with this time?”

Yanes complained, pushing away my wooden sword with a tone of injustice.

His forehead was red and swollen from where I had struck him.

“Even with this size difference, I get knocked around every time…”

Hearing his complaint, I chuckled and offered him my hand.

Yanes glanced at it before nodding and taking it to stand.

He was at least a head taller and had a more solid build than me.

Still, as he eyed me, he muttered.

“Aren’t you in your growth phase now? Seems like you’re getting taller every month.”

“Yeah, still growing.”

“How much of a beast are you going to be when you’re fully grown? Is this why Rondor lost?”

Yanes grumbled as if talking to himself, while Valon, Wallace, and Martin approached, chuckling and giving me a pat on the shoulder.

“Good job, Kailo! Thanks to you, we don’t have to do laundry!”

Valon said with a grin.

Wallace chimed in, calling over to Yanes.

“Yanes, make sure to wash those clothes nice and clean.”

“Make sure to do the quarters cleaning too!”

Martin added.

They laughed as they teased Yanes, and I couldn’t help but notice that since that maid incident, their teasing of him had become even more relentless.

Yanes shook his head with a smile, seemingly more amused than annoyed.

This banter wasn’t limited to just us, though.

Even the young soldiers who had fallen to Yanes’s unit were lying on the ground, busy joking with each other.

Observing them, I had a quiet realization: beyond testing our stamina and tactics, these exercises were helping build camaraderie and trust within our ranks.

Had I stayed back home, as my father had, leading knights, I would have understood this aspect as well.

“Attention! Salute the Lady!”

The sudden command made all the young soldiers, lying around, scramble to their feet.

Then, they saluted the girl with red hair approaching from afar.

I simply stood still, looking up at her.

Her gaze found mine as well.

-A slight nod.

Vivian tilted her head in a brief nod, signalling to me.

I handed my wooden sword to Valon, asking.

“Take care of this for me.”

“Getting summoned again, huh? Try not to get picked on.”

Valon teased as he took the sword.

“We’ll be taking a break here.”

Yanes added, teasing back with a tone of revenge.

I shook my head and began walking.

Standing just a bit behind Vivian, I followed her.

It didn’t seem like she had any particular destination in mind, more like she was just walking to pass the time.

“Why’d you call me?”

I asked.

Vivian paused slightly, then answered in her usual even tone.

“We need to have dinner early today.”

“Why?”

“…There’s something I need to do tonight.”

Whenever dinner was over and night fell, Vivian would always hole up in her room.

Knocking would just get you told to leave, and the door was locked, so I could never tell what she was doing in there.

My unease likely stemmed from concern for her precarious position.

Recently, she seemed to be finding her place, which had helped ease my worries somewhat.

“What do you even do every night?”

I asked abruptly.

Vivian paused in silence for a moment before responding quietly.

“Why do you need to know?”

“Just curious.”

My relaxed response seemed to soften her stance.

With a sigh, she replied.

“…I’m studying, that’s all.”

Studying, huh.

There was little else I could say.

Having witnessed her efforts recently, I felt it would be a bit mean to tease her further.

Silently, I followed as Vivian took a right turn at the castle’s edge.

I stopped her, gesturing toward the river ahead.

“Let’s go over there. It’ll be nice to rest a bit while looking at the view.”

Though she didn’t respond, Vivian’s feet steadily took her toward the river.

I always loved the riverbank.

The gently flowing water brought a sense of peace and was a brief escape from the hostility of the adults around us.

It felt like all the stifling tension from the castle could wash away with the river’s current.

When I had our guards stand a bit farther back, it became the perfect spot for a break.

Vivian seemed to know this too, stopping close to the river and having the guards stay back.

I began picking up stones from the ground and skipped them across the water, watching them bounce.

Vivian sat silently beside me, watching the stones splash.

I skipped stones and glanced at her, noticing her blank expression, lost in thought.

“Does it feel real?”

I asked.

She blinked, snapping back to reality, and asked.

“What?”

“Do you feel like it’s real?”

“…What do you mean?”

“All the harsh words you said the other day… do you feel like it’s made any difference?”

Understanding my question, Vivian gave a slight scoff, though her laughter held a hint of fatigue and self-deprecation.

“Of course it feels real. Just look at everyone’s expressions—they’re all so intense. You’d only understand if you were in my shoes.”

-Plop.

Vivian suddenly lay down, as if she felt the urge to look up at the sky.

The grass bent gently, becoming her bed.

Her red hair flowed down around her, drifting with the soft breeze.

Watching her gaze at the sky with a serene expression, I found myself catching my breath.

It became hard to keep looking at her, so I idly threw stones into the river.

“Everyone seems desperate to see me dead…”

Vivian whispered, unaware of how much I’d changed.

Hearing those words made my heart grow heavier.

Wanting to lighten the thick atmosphere, I joked.

“What are you gonna do about it? In ten days, I’ll be gone, too.”

In ten days, all the knights of Rondor were set to march out.

This time, it was said we’d be out for at least ten days.

It meant I’d be away from Vivian for that long.

I expected her to respond with something like, “I’ll be just fine without you,” or “Do you think you’re someone special?” or even, “Didn’t I tell you I don’t need your protection?”

But instead, she stayed silent.

Puzzled by her lack of response, I turned around to see a faint expression of fear and worry flicker across her face.

It was enough to make me feel a bit embarrassed for even bringing it up.

Seeing her trying to act strong, I wondered how much pressure she must have been under to show that kind of reaction.

Maybe the grim expressions I’d seen from her retainers weren’t exaggerations after all.

Sensing my gaze, she quickly hid her expression.

I threw another stone into the river, pretending not to notice.

“…Well, I guess you’ll need to plan well. Stock up ten days’ worth of food and all that, you know…so you don’t go hungry like last time.”

I mumbled awkwardly, fumbling for words, but I knew they didn’t provide any real comfort.

Perhaps, in a way, this was her growing pain to bear.

Even if her retainers acted more fiercely, even if that put her in more danger, she had no choice but to endure it.

“…I’ll just have to take more maids with me.”

Vivian eventually muttered in resignation.

But we both knew that wasn’t a true solution.

In fact, trying to increase the number of maids around her could only bring her enemies even closer.

As our awkward conversation settled uncomfortably, Vivian slowly sat up.

I didn’t look at her.

She dusted off her clothes and started to walk away, back to where she’d come from.

“…Or.”

Then, without thinking, I spoke.

When I turned around, I found her looking back at me, her gaze softer than usual, almost as if seeking some sort of reassurance.

I could feel her focus on my words.

“…Or, you could join the campaign.”

“…What?”

Her eyes widened.

If she joined the campaign, I could stay by her side.

Though she’d have to endure the stench of men, tasteless food, long, gruelling walks, and even the harsh scenes of war, at least she’d be safe.

“As the head of your house, it might be good for you to see what your soldiers are doing. It’s better to have a leader who shares the burdens rather than one who only gives orders from afar.”

I even provided an excuse on her behalf.

Her gaze wavered slightly as she considered it, and I felt a small glimmer of hope as she didn’t reject my suggestion outright.

“Have you ever been outside?”

I continued cautiously.

“The scenery’s quite beautiful. Even if it’s tiring, moving around and taking in the sights would be much better than being cooped up in this castle.”

Like a wheel set in motion, I found myself genuinely trying to convince her.

Rather than leaving her alone in the castle, struggling with her fears, I wanted her by my side, even if it was hard.

After staring at the ground in deep thought, she slowly looked up at me, meeting my eyes.

I knew then—it was clear from her gaze that she wanted to follow me.

“…No.”

But her answer was the opposite of what I’d hoped for.

“…My uncle will be arriving in Loctana during the campaign period. As the head of Rondor, I must greet him.”

She turned down my suggestion with a far more logical reason than the excuse I had made for her.

“…Do what you must, then.”

Knowing that she couldn’t abandon her role, I had no words left to say.

Vivian turned her back and walked away toward the castle.

In the end, all that remained between us was a lingering sense of unease.