“I need to report to Lord Leonidas. Would you like to meet him first?”
It was the day the exhausting journey of over twenty days had finally ended. Joseph, returning with a tired face and lacking enthusiasm, asked politely.
“……”
“Lady Kaon?”
But no answer came. Joseph looked at his master with an even wearier face. Kaon was staring at the ground as if something precious were buried there, and there was no sign of his gaze lifting.
“…Huh? No, I’ll go see him later. You go on ahead.”
Kaon, snapping out of his thoughts, suddenly raised his head. He tried to act calm, as if he hadn’t just been lost in thought, but he looked like someone pretending they hadn’t just woken from a nap — obviously awkward.
“Are you feeling unwell?”
“No? I’m fine.”
“You kept staring at your hand, so I thought you might’ve injured it. I’m relieved it’s nothing serious.”
So clearly, something was wrong — but Joseph decided to drop the matter.
As an aide, it wasn’t proper to be overly curious about his master’s private matters. Adding extra trouble when he was already exhausted was a disservice to himself. There was no reason to show enthusiasm for something that wouldn’t profit him.
The latter reason weighed a bit heavier, but the conclusion was the same. Joseph bid farewell without hesitation and walked away.
Left alone, Kaon looked down at his hand again. Staring blankly at his large palm, he trudged toward the back of the castle.
“Woof!”
He heard barking from afar, and a small puppy came dashing toward him as if its feet were on fire.
“Koda.”
“Pant, pant!”
Kaon crouched and beckoned. The puppy wagged its tail frantically and then flopped onto its back, belly exposed. Kaon affectionately patted the pink belly, a gesture they’d long become accustomed to.
Next to the rear gate of the main building was a doghouse. With a proper roof and all, it looked quite nice. It was a gift Kaon had given to a stray dog that somehow wandered into the castle — along with the name “Koda.”
“Paw.”
“Woof!”
Koda, with its dark grey fur, was incredibly clever. Though it had never been trained, it would offer its paw or lie down on command. A highly perceptive dog.
“I don’t have anything for you right now. I’ll bring something later, so don’t sulk.”
Looking slightly disappointed, Koda rubbed its snout but wagged its tail again as if saying that was fine. Though they had spent several years together, the dog still seemed small and cute — definitely fully grown, but forever puppy-like in appearance.
That’s why Kaon had taken him in — because he was small and cute. Kaon had always liked cute things since childhood, perhaps because everything around him was always so big.
‘Come to think of it, the princess was small too.’
Suddenly, an image of a certain girl popped into Kaon’s mind — the petite princess of Ingelos, whose head barely reached Kaon’s chin.
More specifically, he kept remembering the moment they danced together.
Her hands were so tiny that Kaon had to focus intensely just to make sure he didn’t crush them while dancing. He was worried they might shatter with just a little too much pressure.
The Ferdinand family, a knightly lineage, had produced strong warriors for generations — all tall and broad-shouldered.
Kaon had already passed 186cm, and his older sister Leonidas was nearly 182cm. In contrast, the princess of Ingelos was extremely small.
Could she even be 162cm?
Perhaps not even that.
“I was delayed due to a small accident on the way. I deeply apologize for being late to Ferdinand. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me, my lord.”
And her voice — so delicate.
To Kaon, who lived among shouting knights and sharp commands, her gentle tone tickled his ears.
“…Were you hurt in the accident?”
“Oh my, how kind of you. Thank you for your concern, my lord. Fortunately, I wasn’t injured.”
Dancing lightly, the princess smiled. Her slender eyes curved gently, and her crimson pupils sparkled.
The color of monsters’ eyes — feared by many and considered ominous in Ferdinand — yet Kaon felt no discomfort.
Rather…
“Chomp chomp chomp.”
Chomp? A small noise disrupted his thoughts. Kaon turned and jumped in surprise.
“Hey, hey! Why are you eating grass?!”
Left alone while Kaon daydreamed, Koda had started nibbling on grass out of boredom.
As Kaon panicked and tried to stop him, Koda yelped and flipped onto his back again. With no other choice, Kaon gave up thinking.
“Oh dear! My lord! What is going on here, oh my!”
Kaon, having spent some time with Koda, sensed something unusual upon returning. Baroness Robere was wailing and weeping.
She was the wife of Chief Steward Bronson, mother of aide Joseph, former nanny of Leonidas and Kaon, and now ran the Ferdinand household.
Even without comparing her to Kaon’s scheming uncle, who was always trying to snatch his nephews’ inheritance, she was truly like family to Kaon.
“Madam, please calm down or you’ll collapse.”
“Madeleine! Can you believe this? Our young lord is engaged to some Ingelos wench! Does that make sense to you?!”
“Of course not! No one in Ferdinand would!”
Kaon, sensing that he couldn’t just pass by, hesitated and finally understood the situation.
Whether Joseph had spilled the beans under his mother’s pressure, or Leonidas had made an official announcement, the news of his engagement to the Ingelos princess had spread.
Ferdinand and the first Duke of Ingelos were once renowned heroes — a Swordmaster and an Archmage — who aided the king in subduing monsters in a chaotic era.
Though once strong allies, they grew apart over time due to differing opinions.
Their relationship soured to the point of a tragic ending. The knight lost both arms, and the mage lost his magic and went into seclusion.
Their descendants, left behind, fought like dogs. They rejected everything the other proposed and snarled whenever they met.
Though it was an old story, the animosity remained — as was evident now.
‘Maybe I should run away…’
Sensing a dreadfully exhausting future, Kaon began inching backward, but the baroness reached him first.
“My lord! I heard those uncivilized people didn’t even arrive on time! Is that true?!”
“Ah, well…”
It was true. House-to-house arrangements were always treated with utmost seriousness — being late was a grave insult.
Kaon had fumed multiple times while waiting, so he understood her outrage.
So, yes — he should’ve agreed and shared in her indignation. But for some reason, he couldn’t bring himself to say it.
“It’s true! Those rude scoundrels! How dare they insult Ferdinand like that!”
“Outrageous! Who do they think we are?!”
The problem was that silence sometimes meant agreement.
Unable to outright deny it, Kaon’s silence only fueled their rage — now even the head maid, Madeleine, joined in.
“Did they at least apologize? I bet they didn’t, those manners-less people!”
“No, the princess…”
“Oh please, mages are all the same! They think they’re better than everyone else!”
“She did sincerely apologize…”
“A mage! A mage, you say! Leonidas knows how much the Duchess hated mages when she was alive!”
I said… she did apologize…
Kaon tried to interject, but his words fell on deaf ears. The women were fuming to the point their eyes were blazing. Nothing else could get through to them.
“What does our young lord lack to be matched with a girl from such a disgraceful house?”
“Oh Madeleine… To think our noble young lord would have to marry a witch… I can’t stop crying…”
Looking around, Kaon noticed that even other servants seemed to agree. Some even had tears in their eyes.
Ferdinand had long suffered under mages, and Ingelos sat at the peak of that power. He couldn’t blame their feelings.
Just a month ago, Kaon himself had agreed with them.
Rude, selfish mages. Ingelos, the land of arrogance.
But the Ingelos princess he met was not like that. She was polite, kind, and sincerely asked for forgiveness.
“She must be evil and wicked. What if she tries to seduce our young lord with dark magic?”
“No, she’s not…”
She wasn’t wicked, and she certainly wasn’t plain. Even in a black robe, she stood out.
“Malicious” was the last word he’d use for her. On the contrary, in that ballroom, she had the kindest face he’d ever seen.
Still, saying all that out loud felt strange. He didn’t want the engagement either. Why go out of his way to defend her?
“I can’t stand this anymore. I, Beverley, will personally go and speak with Lady Leonidas.”
“Huh?”
Letting things unfold might have led to louder opposition and maybe even a broken engagement, which would’ve benefited him…
“I’ll help however I can, Madam.”
“No, please, don’t do that.”
…but somehow, Kaon couldn’t allow it.
He stepped in front of the two ladies, who were ready to storm into the office.
“My sister made this decision after long thought. It’s for… ahem, for Ferdinand.”
It was for Ferdinand’s sake. He wasn’t lying, but his throat still tightened as he said it.
“I can’t be protected forever. With our parents gone, I need to support my sister and carry my share. So please, support her decision. It’s what’s best for our house.”
“When did our young lord grow so wise… Oh my…”
“My lord…”
As he finished, Baroness Robere shed tears of emotion. The head maid wiped her eyes, barely holding back. He could even hear sniffles echoing through the mansion.
Kaon turned his back on the praise and walked away.
Squeak.
He could almost hear the sound of his conscience dying in his ears.
