- Episode 2
Everyone who heard the story wore the same expression as he said, 'It's not really anything special.'
However, Adelheid listened intently, as if determined not to miss a single word from Dominic.
And she maintained that attitude until the end of the story.
He thought that perhaps she was interested in everything in the world because she had grown up pampered only within the palace.
Dominic was never the type to tell interesting stories, nor was he particularly good at reacting.
Although he didn't like talking, that didn't mean he couldn't speak.
The position of Captain was not one where one had to be skilled only with a sword, and fittingly, Dominic was quite outstanding in magic as well.
Heather, a born warrior, often used to say things like that.
'It’s easier to cut off a head than to get a headache from a verbal sparring match. And it’s faster.'
Dominic agreed as well, but one cannot clash swords in every matter of the world.
Adelheid, who had been quietly thinking about something, suddenly asked.
"...Did the Dragon say anything to the Captain? I heard it did when he bestowed the blessing..."
"It is nothing but a myth."
“Is that so?”
It seemed she was thinking it was a dragon from a children's fairy tale. Dominic sighed inwardly.
Outside, there were rumors that the King was captivated by the woman's seductive charms, and others that they was captivated by her innocent girlishness.
To add to the story regarding the latter, he said that he wanted to protect that innocence forever, so he cherished it and kept it close to his heart.
However, Dominic thought that this wasn't pure, but stupid.
Adelheid simply smiled innocently, as if she wasn't even embarrassed.
Dominic felt exhausted from the opponent and the current situation.
He was deeply troubled by the fact that he had been negligent in his duties from the very first day. The task the King had ordered Dominic was to guard the entrance of Mont Palace
So that people inside the palace could not go out, and people outside the palace could not enter.
It sounds good to call him an escort and a guard, but in reality, he was nothing more than a doorman.
One slightly puzzling aspect was that he was a gatekeeper who also prevented Adelheid from going out.
However, Dominic intended to obey the King's command without question, regardless of the circumstances.
Even if that weren't the case, guarding the door was much better than talking to Adelheid.
Perhaps her displeasure had been revealed on her face; Adelheid tilted her head while resting her chin on her hand, still wearing a smile.
"The Captain doesn't find conversation very enjoyable. I guess you don’t.”
"...No. It is simply because the King has ordered something."
"Ah, the royal command. I mean that."
Gentle blue eyes stared at him. Dominic fixed his gaze on the teacup with an uncomfortable feeling.
After a brief silence, Adelheid let out a chuckle.
"...You are a diligent person. It is reassuring."
Adelheid moved her lips a few times as if to say something more, and with this she gestured that it was okay to go now.
It was unexpectedly cool. Dominic bowed politely, pretended nothing was wrong, and hurriedly left.
It felt as if a persistent gaze was following him from behind.
The wind flowing in through the open window tickled Dominic's hair.
"You unpleasant person," he muttered to himself.
***
Dominic felt uncomfortable with the unwarranted stares of the maids going in and out of the front garden, so he just stared at the firmly closed door.
It was a relief that the wall blocked the sunlight. Otherwise, I would have stood in the sun all day and gotten tanned.
Even though he had only been here for two days, Dominic felt stifled. It wasn't because the work was hard.
Rather, it was because of the situation where he had to stand still.
Since he first held the sword, he had never been idle, nor had he ever been lazy.
Dominic's characteristic diligence in idle situations made him extremely frustrated.
Therefore, Dominic diligently performed the task of simply standing still without the slightest distraction.
“Aren’t you thirsty, Sir?”
Dominic accepted the glass offered by the shy maid and drank it without saying a word.
The maidservant held his mouth shut as it opened... exchanged glances with colleagues.
"Are you really the leader of Leganon?"
"...Exactly."
"I've heard a lot about you... I didn't know you were this handsome, though. Isn't it hard for you? At least have a chair..."
Dominic shook his head and handed over the empty glass.
The maidservant, her face flushed bright red, stopped mid-sentence while accepting the cup and kept glancing up at him.
Then, he fumbled and dropped the cup
The fragile glass cup was unlucky enough to be struck by a large rock and shattered into pieces, falling onto the dirt ground.
"Ah," the maid let out a small scream and bent down to pick up the pieces.
Just as Dominic, worried about hurting his hand, was about to tell them not to pick it up, a voice interrupted him first.
"We don't know when the King will arrive, yet everyone seems so at ease."
Before Dominic could even open his mouth, the maid straightened her back in great urgency.
Other maids gathered nearby with her. A heavy silence instantly descended among the girls.
It was almost at the same time that Adelheid began to speak.
Dominic thought the atmosphere was too excessive to be attributed solely to the mistress blaming the maids for their negligence.
"Everyone, please go inside."
The maids swarmed in without answering, their heads bowed.
A strange tension surged through the air.
The maids disappeared into the palace. Adelheid stared at the backs of the maids, and only turned his head to Dominic when they were completely out of sight.
Adelheid gave a slight smile as their eyes met.
Unlike yesterday, it was a somewhat cold smile.
“...Do not engage them. I think I told you a while ago... Captain Legenon, you are my bodyguard.”
It sounded like a child's unreasonable talk.
The familiar unpleasantness Dominic feels every time he deals with her deep inside came up.
He replied in a rather stiff tone.
"I am Your Highness's bodyguard, not Your Highness's property."
"I never said you were my property. But aren't my guards supposed to protect me?"
"Are you saying that I should protect Your Highness from Your Highness's ladies-in-waiting?"
"It is an order. Do not speak to anyone in this palace except me."
He is a knight, not a servant, not even a pet.
Even though she couldn't have been unaware of Dominic's displeasure resulting from it, she was shameless.
“...I don’t understand, but."
“You don’t need to understand. Did you come to Mont Palace because you understood the King’s command? No, you didn’t. It is the same thing. Obey my command even if you do not understand it.”
Even though he was Adelheid's bodyguard, he was not Adelheid's knight.
Guards and knights are by no means synonymous. Dominic was a knight of the King who swore allegiance only to the King.
However, he did not refute it otherwise.
In any case, since the King had ordered him to be Adelheid's bodyguard, even if only nominally, her words were not entirely wrong.
"...All right."
At the reluctant answer, Adelheid instantly relaxed her expression.
And, with a gentle face as usual, she approached him somewhat awkwardly.
"I'm sorry for being so harsh."
"No."
“No.”
Adelheid sat demurely on the wide bar, muttering to herself.
Dominic felt uncomfortable being close, so he unnecessarily took a step back and pressed himself against the wall.
Whether or not she knew of his reluctance, Adelheid stared at the door and asked in a low voice.
"...Will the King come today? It has been quite a while since he arrived."
"His Majesty must be busy. It hasn't been long since the war ended."
Dominic's words implied that one should not needlessly summon the busy king.
He did not want his liege to neglect state affairs because he was infatuated with a woman.
Even without that, rumors were gradually circulating that the King was neglecting state affairs.
However, because the King was ruthless and cruel, no one could raise a complaint in his presence.
"Then... He will not visit for the time being?"
“I don’t know.”
"I wonder if he has another woman?"
Dominic pulled his lips flat and then let them go, letting out a silent sigh.
Adelheid just stared blankly at the closed door with an indifferent expression.
The complex gaze lingered over the door for a long time before finally sliding down.
"...What is the order the Captain received from the King?"
“It means guarding the door.”
"I mean preventing anyone from leaving and no one from entering, except for the King."
"..."
"No outsiders are allowed in here. Captain, you only need to keep an eye on the insiders."
"..."
"There is a fairly spacious library inside. If you enjoy reading, feel free to use it as much as you like. At night, there is no need to guard the door just because it is locked."
A handful of sunlight had settled upon the brightly smiling face.
"It's a boring place here."
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