Translator: Happybear13 Editor: Kassy
***
Dylan looked at the calendar.
‘Master is coming back soon.’
He wasn’t sure whether Charlize knew. The day she comes back from her fifteen-day vacation. That day was Charlize’s birthday.
Dylan was preparing in advance to celebrate Charlize’s birthday. The people of the Crown Prince’s Palace were all happy and eager.
“Is everything ready?”
“Yes, Your Highness. For one day the release of the magic defense is approved, and we’ve put a lot of magic for the sake of the Grandmaster.”
“Yes. As soon as the Grandmaster arrives, we have also prepared food made from fresh ingredients for her to enjoy!”
The chef said with rare excitement. The servants, maids and knights all missed Charlize.
Charlize was someone precious and dear to many people.
“By the way, Your Highness the Crown Prince.”
The maid, who seemed to be hesitating for a moment, approached Dylan.
“The head of the Ronan family continues to ask Your Highness. To withhold the Grandmaster’s application for expulsion…”
The maid studied his movement. The employees gave their attention to Dylan.
The Crown Prince was intelligent.
He knew what Ronan’s purpose was. Regretting the past and trying to win Charlize’s heart.
‘But then what do you do?’
‘You gave her a Blackshaw as a gift.’
While Charlize was away from the Imperial Palace, the Grand Duke’s intention  to try to sweet-talk the Crown Prince was clearly read.
If there had been a sincere apology, Master would have said something. Ronan was firmly mistaken.
Dylan only did what Charlize wanted and had never disobeyed her.
“Tell him that it’s my Master’s right. It won’t change anything if he persuades me, so tell him to give up.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
At Dylan’s clear words, the maid finally bowed her head at ease.
As much as the employees admired the noble Grandmaster. They treated Charlize dearly and preciously.
It’s the past. It was the same that they didn’t like Ronan for being mean to the Grandmaster.
Dylan’s gaze turned to the table. At that place.
There was a gift that Dylan had prepared for Charlize. It looked like a necklace on the outside. In fact. It was a sword.
A dagger embellished with fine jewels.
Usually, it would be worn like a necklace, but if there was an urgent situation, it would become a dagger when pulled out.
‘I hope you like it.’
Dylan missed Charlize.
How far off was she? It was like he hadn’t seen her in years.
He felt like he was going crazy because he wanted to see her.
It was a time when he tried to forget by concentrating on his work or training. Dylan looked out the window, feeling a deep thirst.
The employees withdrew politely.
***
‘Is the family heirloom precious?’
Charlize was treated with the utmost care. The Duke’s attitude had changed drastically.
At first, as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing, the Duke of Kenin’s hands trembled.
‘I can’t believe it!’
He didn’t say it in words, but it was written on his face. The tactician standing next to him was also the same.
He opened his mouth wide as if his jaw had fallen out and couldn’t speak for a long time.
[The bet.]
Did she win now? When Charlize wanted to ask, Kenin, embarrassed, bowed his head.
Something shiny and dripping in the sun. At first, she didn’t even know it was a tear. The man, known as an iron-blooded Duke, was crying?
But it was real.
[I lost.]
The Duke’s way of speaking became courteous. Beyond the clean defeat by Charlize, complete recognition and respect.
[Thank you so much, Grandmaster. No, Grandmaster…]
Was it something related to memories of his childhood? Did it have anything to do with his parents who died early?
It was a bewilderingly quick change of attitude. His sentiment was sincere.
The Duke of Kenin soon realized that the knights and the tactician were watching him. Belatedly, he cut back on his words.
[…Thank you.]
Because that was the etiquette. However, even if there were no eyes watching him, the Duke would have continued to respect her.
The Duke of Kenin’s eyes were clear, as if the shiny tear earlier was an illusion. But facing each other, Charlize saw it.
His eyes were a little red.
What on earth was the family heirloom that filled him with joy so desperately? She could’ve asked him a question.
[Then the condition of the bet.]
Charles smiled. The Duke of Kenin replied.
[I will fulfill it.]
It was a stone-hard affirmation.
The tactician looked at the Duke with surprised eyes, and he continued.
[A promise is a duty to keep it.]
[Good.]
The Duke seemed to have realized something then. Charlize was a being that couldn’t be described by words.
She was close to the Absolute that went beyond questions and transcended all common sense and rules.
Even if it was unbelievable, there was a reality that unfolded before him.
Charlize came with their family heirloom. Even faster than the deadline he set of fifteen days.
The knights watching were more surprised by the change in their Lord.
‘Not bad.’
Charlize was happy. Although she was welcomed from the beginning, the atmosphere of the Duchy had changed significantly since then.
The Duke looked to openly bow before Charlize. It was natural for his subordinates to know it for his safety.
“Grandmaster, the ceremony of the Duke giving a knight’s oath will be held soon.”
Three maids brought together from the Crown Prince’s Palace helped Charlize.
Charlize raised her head.
The condition of winning the bet was to have the ‘Duke’. His right, all his influence.
What Charlize asked of the Duke was. The Duke’s knee that has never been knelt for anyone. It had knelt for Dylan.
“It’s really amazing. The Duke suddenly offered to serve His Highness as his Lord.”
The maid whispered. A look of envy and admiration reached Charlize.
Charlize was expected to receive the Duke’s oath of loyalty as the deputy duly entrusted by Dylan.
“Because His Highness is excellent, so he just requests him to be his subordinate.”
“However, the Grandmaster is amazing…”
When the maid spoke with courage, the other two nodded enthusiastically.
“Will you follow me?”
“Can we dare to come observe?”
“Yes, of course.”
Like asking why not. Charlize smiled convincingly at the maids.
They’re the same woman. But because the beauty they faced up close was so striking, the cheeks of the maids turned red.
The area of ​​the knights was also called the area ​​forbidden for women. Since female knights were rare, and they rejected the opposite sex. The maids hesitated a little.
But Charlize didn’t care.
“Let’s go together.”
What was gender?
It has no meaning to the transcendent.
“Yes, Grandmaster!”
The maids shouted brightly.
Charlize’s long hair hung softly in the moonlight. Instead of wearing any accessories, there were mixed clear iridescent threads between her hair.
Thus, her dreamlike beauty was revealed as her hair fluttered while she walked.
“So. the Grandmaster went into the Lion Mountains alone and brought this heirloom?”
“Exactly!”
“We couldn’t do it even though hundreds of our knights rushed in, could we?”
“I heard it myself. The hotel receptionists where the Grandmaster stayed told me that after defeating the monster, she came back to sleep at night.”
“Actually, there was a report from the scout that the number of monsters had decreased sharply.”
The Duke’s knights gossiped.
Like the knights of the Duke who claimed control of the military power, they were elites with no less pride than the Imperial Knights.
“If only I could watch her swing a sword at least once.”
“If I want her to train me, Is that too much of a dream?”
Knights respected martial arts, so they did not judge by looking at one’s appearance.  If you had the ability, you deserved to be treated with respect.
Soon the knights shut their mouths.
Because the entrance opened.
Charlize, who appeared, was still only 20 years old. She wasn’t truly young, but looked young on the outside.
She had already reached the position of the Grandmaster of the Crown Prince. Everyone stared seriously. At the vanguard of that gaze.
There was the Duke of Kenin.
When the Duke noticed, the tactician began to tremble and talk.
“Because His Highness The Crown Prince, who will receive the oath as the Lord, is inevitably absent, I would like to proceed with the procedure informally with the Grandmaster of the Crown Prince as his deputy. Therefore, the witnesses please stand solemnly.”
Everyone stood up quietly. The maids who followed were also present.
“The Grandmaster, the deputy of His Highness, please take the top seat.”
Charlize rose to the top seat. Sighs flowed out secretly.
It was a night with torches. Even though it wasn’t a bright day, Charlize stood out as if they couldn’t see anything else.
The tactician noticed and eventually continued.
“The Duke, the knight to be sworn in, come forward and kneel.”
Charlize saw the Duke slowly walking out. If she had a child, he would have grown up to his age.
The Duke knelt in front of Charlize. There was no hesitation.
“Grandmaster, please have the courtesy of the Lord.”
The Duke of Kenin pulled out the sword and offered it to Charlize. She accepted the sword in a polite posture with her head down.
And.
She put a real sword on the Duke’s left shoulder and said.
“As your Lord, I never take your loyalty lightly. I will take the lead in creating a world that will uphold your principles.”
“As a knight of the Lord, I will serve only one Lord for the rest of my life, so I will be by your side with loyalty until the day His Highness dies.”
The Duke breathed for a moment. He raised his head. Charlize realized that the subject of his oath was not Dylan but herself.
“I will live as a faithful servant so that I can achieve what you want.”
This time Charlize swept the sword on the Duke’s right shoulder, saying.
“As your Lord, I will never betray the loyalty of my servant. I will repay your trust and be the complete Lord alone.”
The Duke answered.
“As a knight of the Lord, I will defend the Lord’s chivalry with all my fidelity, defend the Lord with my life, and risk my whole life to make the Lord’s name shine brightly.”
“…”
The atmosphere was as serious as the formal oath ceremony.
Making an oath had formality, but you could make a word yourself freely, adapting to the circumstances.
So the implication was to show sincerity.
The tactician, who was watching, said belatedly after a moment of a daze.
“This is the end of the informal oath ceremony. The holy Ehyrit are also watching you, so this will be the promise of the soul that will never be broken.”
***
Charlize returned to the island with the letter of oath. The Duke of Kenin begged her to stay a little longer, but Charlize refused.
The work to be done was done. There was no reason to stay any longer.
“The Grandmaster is so cool.”
“That’s right. She’s a woman, but I think I’m falling for her.”
Charlize just smiled at what the maids were saying with their faces blushing.
‘I can’t wait to see Dylan.’
Charlize headed straight to the Crown Prince’s Palace. And when Charlize arrived.
She couldn’t help but be surprised for a moment.
A bustling atmosphere and a gorgeously decorated palace.
And, standing in the middle of it
Dylan.
It’s so pretty.