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“The Knights are those who serve the imperial family, so you who are a Milanaire should also celebrate their appointment.”
“I am a Milanaire, but I have never been there before, Your Majesty.”
At Dorothea’s words, Carnan and others’ faces hardened.
In the cold atmosphere, everyone looked at Carnan.
Usually, when the emperor makes such a suggestion, it is common for subordinates to follow the emperor’s instructions, even if someone’s wedding is held that day.
Even as a princess, Dorothea’s words were breathtaking.
Carnan looked like he wanted to scold her for never listening to him. But because there were so many people watching, he swallowed the words.
“You can do it if you want to forsake the opportunity yourself.”
“Thank you for understanding my foolishness, Your Majesty.”
As Dorothea bowed her head and stepped back, Carnan walked past her with his mouth shut as if reluctantly.
Raymond, who was standing behind Carnan, looked at Dorothea and smiled.
‘Let’s practice swordsmanship in the afternoon.’
With that in his mouth, Raymond followed Carnan and disappeared.
* * *
After the inauguration ceremony, a banquet hall was to congratulate the new knights.
Carnan, who took part in the formal dinner, was worried about Dorothea.
“How about paying a little more attention to Princess Dorothea?”
Dorothea had thought he’d completely lost interest in her, but that was never the case.
Because, in a good or bad sense, there’s no way he can completely forget the child Alice left behind.
But he admits it. He knew that he had neglected Dorothea.
It was true that she hadn’t been treated like a princess because Alice was dead or because she didn’t have the Spirit of Light, it was his fault.
So he bought her a birthday present and gave her a little more money in the budget.
He even tried to call her to talk to her from time to time.
But, like an emotionless doll, she gave only a short answer before returning.
Despite all his efforts, the distance showed no sign of getting any closer.
Time passed while still standing in the distance.
Dorothea matured day by day and became more like Alice.
If it wasn’t for the color of her hair and eyes, it was enough to mistake her for Alice.
Occasionally seeing Dorothea brought back memories of Alice, which had barely faded, and made his heart ache.
It was then that Carnan began to reconsider the meaning of Dorothea.
The bleeding from the wound left by Alice’s death had stopped, and now he could see the scar.
Dorothea Milanaire.
She was not the child who killed Alice, but the child Alice protected while dying.
It was until nearly 20 years later that he realized that.
Alice’s last gift. Little Alice.
However, the only significant legacy he left behind was the wine ‘Dorothea’ he made when Dorothea was six years old.
The reason for making wine was not simply because of the promise.
The day he first met Dorothea.
‘I’m going crazy.’
He clenched his teeth at the rushing emotions like a tidal wave.
The child who killed Alice had an abominably adorable figure. And a face resembling Alice pressed down on the weakest corner of his heart.
And the young Dorothea’s eyes stared up at him hostilely. It was as if she resented him for not protecting her.
He was eaten by those eyes and had no choice but to keep his promise.
Before the debutante, he reached out to his daughter with a gift of wine. To his daughter who suddenly resembled Alice’s face completely.
Carnan hoped that Dorothea would get to know him a little bit, accepting his gift.
But Dorothea never smiled when she saw the wine he had prepared.
And the wine was sent to the frontier knights and medical facilities.
Doesn’t she know how good that wine is, how much effort, capital, and time it took to make it?
Can’t she imagine how he came up with this wine?
How could she, who was brilliant and smart, not see the implications of that?
So how much more effort did he have to put in for her to understand?
Whenever he reached out his hand to do well, Dorothea slapped it away without even looking.
And today too.
“I’m a Milanaire, but I’ve never been there before, Your Majesty.”
The words he uttered as if to listen pointed out his indifference.
Carnan didn’t think it was her fault either.
‘But, how long are you going to be frustrated with the past?’
‘Nothing can be solved if you don’t hold the outstretched hand!’
She kicked the opportunity that had crept up on her.
Carnan thought she was being clever, but she was being stupid.
‘Why don’t you want to use the spirit’s power that you’ve awakened?!’
He was overjoyed when Dorothea awakened her spirit in her debutante.
‘Yeah, there’s no way Alice’s daughter can’t handle spirits.’
Carnan hoped that Dorothea would establish herself externally.
However.
“Your Majesty, is it important that I have the power of a spirit?”
Dorothea’s reaction confused Carnan.
Dorothea must know better than anyone how important it was.
He wondered if Dorothea had the power of a spirit originally, but she had hidden it from the imperial family.
Dorothea never showed the spirit’s power properly after that, and even after moving the palace, she quietly spent tea time alone as before.
‘Are you going to live like that until the day you die?’
Carnan thought, taking a sip of the wine from the dinner table.
At that moment, Stefan came into Carnon’s eyes.
Appointed as vice-leader today, he remained silent in the midst of the loud celebrations of the people.
‘Did he say he escorted Dorothea for ten years?’
Carnan narrowed her eyes and stared at Stephan.
At that time, Stefan, who felt Carnan’s hot gaze, turned to Carnan.
Carnan, caught in the eye, cleared his throat for nothing.
Stefan waited lightly, waiting for him to speak as if he had something to say.
He didn’t intend to talk, but Stefan’s wait was so serious that Carnan had no choice but to open his mouth.
“Sir Stefan Greenwall. What is that clam pin on your chest?”
The ugly clam pin that bothered his eyes at the inauguration ceremony.
Although it was small in size, it stood out, especially among the decorations flashing with various colors.
As the knights, it was not a problem to put one or two decorative pins unless it was a counterfeit medal, but usually, they wore colorful jewel pins, not cheap seashells.
“Princess Dorothea Milanaire gave it to me.”
‘Dorothea?’
‘If it were a princess, she could have given him something nice instead of a cheap pin like that.’
Carnan didn’t understand Dorothea, who gave him such a gift, or Stefan, who wore it proudly.
But more importantly, Dorothea personally attached a pin to Stefan’s chest.
Carnan had heard early reports that Stefan and Dorothea were very close.
He’d heard that Dorothea, who seemed so cold to him, would laugh and giggle in front of the fierce-looking knight and swing her sword coolly.
It is said that when she was young, Stefan hugged Dorothea.
Carnan couldn’t believe his blunt and rude daughter being hugged by that reticent knight.
“If you’ve been escorting Dorothea for a long time, you know Dorothea well.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
A frustratingly slow reply.
Carnan wondered how Dorothea had lived with such a person until now.
‘Can such a man command the knights?’
‘Arthur said that there was no problem because most of the commands went through physical signs and standardized simple words…’
“What do you think of Dorothea?”
At Carnan’s question, Stefan’s black eyes humbly looked down.
“The Princess…”
A long silence as if choosing a word.
Just as Carnan was about to talk, Stefan’s mouth opened again.
“She is the one I want to protect the most.”
There was no shaking in Stefan’s voice, which came out late.
Then Carnan’s eyes narrowed.
“You want to protect the most? Why?”
At Carnan’s question, Stefan opened his mouth as if to answer again, and then spit out his voice.
“It’s because I’ve been escorting her for a long time.”
A very simple answer for the amount of time it took.
But Stefan couldn’t answer any longer.
Other than that, it would take too long to explain his heart in detail.
How would he describe the warm, sympathetic, and heartwarming feeling he gets when he sees Dorothea?
If it was love, it was love. It’s not about loving the opposite sex, it’s about something precious.
‘If I could find the love most similar to that, it would be family love.’
But he couldn’t be honest.
If he thinks of the princess he serves as his family, he will hear that it is disrespectful.
Therefore, Stefan’s mouth was shut briefly.
Carnan was a little annoyed by his attitude but asked calmly again.
‘The only person I could turn to for advice on Dorothea right now was this knight.’
“What did Dorothea usually like to do? She doesn’t socialize, so what does she do in the palace? Have you ever seen Dorothea use the power of a spirit?”
When Carnan asked many questions, Stefan was confused and nervous, and he kept his mouth shut, unable to answer.