Chapter 44

Ver and Prillance’s practice continued. The two, who have gotten familiar with each other, were now dancing more naturally.

The two were dancing to more advanced steps. They were dancing while holding each others’ hands, and when he let go, she turned outward. Then when she came back, he grasped her waist and lifted her in the air.

In that state, the two of them would meet each others’ eyes and make a turn. During that time, their gazes did not separate from each other. Now it was natural for the two to dance together.

For the past couple of days, the two got closer by dancing. Rather than communicating through words, they became closer through looking at each others’ eyes and holding each others’ hands.

”I believe I have nothing more to teach.”

As Ver spoke those words, he felt regretful.

Today was the last day he would be spending his time alone with her publicly. The royal banquet was scheduled to be held in a few days’ time. And her designated partner was Duke Tonz.

“It’s all thanks to you, Viscount.”

Prillance also felt it was a pity. However, it was Ver himself who chose to end it, so she didn’t protest.

Different from the usual, silence hung in the air. Their gazes were directed at each other.

“You may become a little surprised, but I have something to say.”

Ver carefully grasped Prillance’s hand and knelt in front of her.

“V-viscount.”

Flustered, she tried to lift him up, but her hand that was held by him made it impossible to do so.

“A knight who swears an oath must keep his promise, and I plan to swear that oath towards my lady.”

He looked straight into her eyes. He saw her become flustered.

“From this day onwards, I shall do my best to protect my lady.”

Seeing her in pain was more painful for him than he himself being in pain. He did not want to see her suffering.

“So please, become my lady.”

After Ver spoke those words, he carefully kissed the back of Prillance’s hand.

Still flustered, her eyes were lost in a daze.

“It is only natural that my lady is embarrassed. However, I have already decided this from the moment I entered the Marquis of Weiand’s Order of Knights.”

He knew he had realized his feelings for her too late. His actions had given her pain and made her grow distant. It was a past he could not reverse.

He couldn’t treat the past as if it were dust, and even if he did, he did not want to lose his heart for her.

No, to be exact, he could not. Whenever he closed his eyes, the image of her in tears would appear, and whenever he opened his eyes, he would go to wherever memories of her exist.

Whenever he trained with his sword, he remembered the time they trained together. Whenever he walked through the estate, he remembered how she worried about his wellbeing, as well as the time she held a playful face.

It was nice to be in a place where both her and memories with her memories existed. He noticed the change of his heart too late. He knew that Prillance held feelings for Roman, so it was impossible from the very beginning, but he could no longer retract his heart. Hence, Ver chose to stay by Prillance’s side.

“I shall protect you until my life is over. Will you please allow it?”

‘I will do my best to protect you from now on.’

‘I will protect you until my life is over.’

As she looked at him, her eyes trembled. Two sentences passed through her head. The statements that Ver had declared just now, although their tone of speech was different [1], ultimately, their meaning was the same.

These were the same words Ver had spoken in the novel. However, the occasion and the person it was directed to was different.

In the original novel, these words were directed towards Cecia. And the occasion was the imperial ball.

Prillance couldn’t understand why something he should have declared to Cecia was now being directed to her.

The moment Ver uttered these lines was during the time he could no longer hide his unwavering feelings toward Cecia. It was an expression of his heart that wanted to be beside her, even if it was just as her knight.

Prillance was about to say something when-

Suddenly the sound of the door opening reverberated. Then, she saw the flustered butler, Derek, as well as Roman standing behind him.

“It’s been a while.”

Roman looked at the two intently.

“You two.”

He noticed that the faces and voices of the two were a little sharp.

Roman could see Ver kneeling in front of Prillance. And his current gesture – putting one hand on his chest while holding Prillance’s hand with the other – revealed that he had just sworn an oath.

It was the gesture of knights saying they would keep their promise with all their hearts.

As opposed to the flustered Prillance, Ver, kneeling down beside her, looked composed.

Prillance became distraught. Ver’s actions just before confused her. The words that Roman had spoken passed through her ears without being understood.

“Perhaps, am I interrupting something?”

At Roman’s words, Prillance’s gaze unknowingly shifted to Ver. Her face indicated she had many words she wanted to say. Her eyes told several unspoken stories.

Roman wanted to divert her attention. And when he took one step closer to her,

“I just swore an oath to Lady Weiand.”

Ver stated, reflexively blocking his path.

“Viscount Grant. Please step aside.”

Roman said, sharpness evident in his eyes.

[1] His tone of speaking with Prillance was more formal, while in the original novel, his tone of speaking with Cecia was informal