Shadowless Night

The sudden amount of information gave him a headache. Ricardis frowned, pressing on his temples. The emergence of a strong mage that hadn’t appeared for several generations. It was just a pity that he couldn’t end this with simple emotions like “Wow, that’s great” or “Wow, that’s cool”.

After leaving the annex, Shuten was standing alone in the distance. Ricardis approached him and asked for Rosaline’s wherabouts.

“It’s been awhile. She’s with His Highness Diech in the garden inside the temple…”

Scratching the back of his head, Ricardis’ lips twitched in response. “Why did you leave your colleague in bad condition by herself?” Shuten was thoroughly scolded. Ricardis grew furious and followed Shuten, who was leading the way, and busily moved his steps.

In an unorganized, shabby garden, a man and a woman were sitting side by side under the shade of a large tree. There were red and yellow berries on the handkerchief spread out on the ground, making it look like playing house.

‘The distance… isn’t it… isn’t it a little too close?’

‘Wait, isn’t it very close? They almost stick together. Are their shoulders touching, too?’ Ricardis stopped and looked at the two. When Rosaline said something, Diech took one of the berries and shoved it into her mouth. Her cheeks moved diligently.

Something snapped in Ricardis’ head.

“Diech Reye Illavenia… With that angelic face, what a lewd…!”

The Knights of the White Night shook their heads. Lewon hesitated and opened his mouth carefully.

“… No, Your Highness. That’s not lewd at all… It’s just…”

“Can’t you see that hand is full of adultery, Lewon?”

“… Now that I look closely, it seems like that.”

‘Jealousy of a man is so unsightly.’

“Lewon.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“What do you think is the most miserable way to break that position? Something like causing a scar so unsightly to the fruit, to the point of not being able to look at round things again?”

“… I didn’t raise you like that.”

“Indeed. Because I grew up by myself.”

‘I mean, how could you say something so harsh? Don’t you remember that I even changed your diaper? e first met when we were seven years old. What nonsense are you talking about?’ While the two of them trade banters, the friendly atmosphere under the shade was broken as Ricardis wished.

Rosaline, who had been looking at the fruit with ecstasy until earlier, was approaching with a frightening momentum. Low posture, fingers twitching and releasing, wide-open eyes that never blinked. She had a bloody atmosphere as if she wanted to catch someone.

Rosaline broke the statue of a woman holding pottery as she walked by.

Bang!

There was a lot of dirt and dust. Leone gave a brief appreciation.

“I’m so glad she’s on our side.”

Rosaline robbed the statue woman of her pottery and came closer with a more ferocious force. She stopped before she reached where Ricardis and the Knights of the White Night stood. She lifted one leg and prepared to throw the pottery flying. The Knights of the White Night split on both sides.

Roselin flung the pottery like a whip.

Shhh—

The sound of cutting the wind was clear. The final destination for pottery was the head of a passing priest.

Puck. Crunch.

The pottery that hit the head precisely was shattered, and the priest slumped over. Rosaline’s face which was like an angry tiger, returned to normal. She shrugged her shoulders under the eyes of the many.

“It’s an assassin.”

“… I hope so.”

Because he didn’t want to break the head of a good priest passing by. Ricardis ordered the knights to take their place. Soon he recalled the fact that Diech was there and looked back. The fruits on the handkerchief was mashed. Rosaline seemed to have stepped on them because she’d only been looking forward.

No, I didn’t mean to be that miserable! How could you trample on a man’s innocence?!

‘Rosaline, seriously… that’s too…’

I seriously like it. I like it too much.

But strangely, Diech’s expression wasn’t bad. On the contrary, his eyes were twinkling. He’d always been a gentle, fragile child, how could he enjoy such a violent scene?

He didn’t know that Diech’s golden eyes were on Rosaline.

***

Knock, knock. As soon as the door was knocked, an answer came right back from inside.

“Come in.”

After Rosaline wrote a few reports with Hessa’s help, she stopped by the knight commander’s office. It was a battle report against the Black Moon. Although the details of the battle were known as they were known, it was a formal procedure.

“Glory of Idelavhim who parts the black moon.”

“Glory of Idelavhim to you. Welcome, Sir Rosaline.”

As she entered the room, Rosaline’s gaze escaped Starz and turned to the table in front of him. To be precise, to the cat sitting on the table. The light brown and yellowish fur was glossy. It was a common breed in Balta. The cat was enjoying the gentle touch of the knight commander while purring.

The cat looked at Rosaline, and its eyes turned from yellow to green. The energy of magic flowed over the beast in an instant.

‘… It’s Macaron.’

Rosaline had been worried about not seeing the Macaron all day. She didn’t expect it to be in the knight commander’s office.

Starz laughed embarrassingly when he saw Rosaline’s eyes reached the cat on the table.

“I’ve seen this guy often since the mission. I’m afraid it’s been hiding in the carriage’s luggage… I feed it once and it comes to see me sometimes. What a smart cat.”

Starz continued, “Our Mimi doesn’t eat what other people give…” and “Sir Pardict and Sir Shuten were bitten while trying to touch…” He secretly boasted about how Mimi seemed to like him so much.

Mimi was looking at Starz with a contented look, like a full-fledged cat sunbathing in the sunshine. It was a strange sight for a cat to adore a human, but it seemed like a good thing since they both looked happy.

Rosaline submitted her report, along with the documents to participate in various competitions. Starz looked through the report several times while shaking his head, as if impressed when he saw Rosaline playing her part as a senior knight.

“Participating in the competition will be hard for the knights, but it’ll be strength to the lord. You can see the size of each faction at a glance. Please do your best.”

“I’ll do my best.”

“I beg you. Don’t do your best.”

Rosaline left Mimi and Starszbehind and left the room.

Calyx had told her that from this month to next month, it’d be busy. Starting with the first festival ‘Shadowless Night’ Rosaline had experienced, next month would be hunting competition, martial arts competition, Foundation Day, a ball, etc. All sorts of events were lined up. There was even an acquaintance’s happy event in between them. It was none other than Raymond’s wedding.

Many Illavenians tried to get married during this time. This was because there was a widespread story that a couple married in the month of founding lived happily ever after. Raymond and his fiancee, Chloe Golgarten, decided to get married at this time as well.

Ricardis’s plight had been so close that his subordinate, Raymond, had had to delay marriage several times as well. Raymond had left a will similar to a marriage proposal if he returned safely from Balta, and fortunately, he was able to return alive to get married…

Raymond handed Rosaline a handwritten wedding invitation. Rosaline, who became the groom’s best man, almost took over the congratulatory speech as well, but was eventually dissuaded by all of the Knights of White Night.

Rosaline drew a to-do list for the day in her head. ‘I finished the reports, gave it to the commander…’

Clomp, clomp.

One more sound added to the constant sound of her feet walking in the hallway. The other footsteps followed Rosaline tenaciously. It was a leisurely and calm walk, maybe their destinations just overlapped by accident. Rosaline didn’t look back.

The stride length of the person walking behind was larger than hers, and the distance between them gradually narrowed. Within a few steps, Rosaline was walking alongside the man.

The figure cast a large shadow over Rosaline. He was a man of stature, comparable to Pardict or Shuten. As she glanced up, she saw black hair that had been eroded by the backlight and darkened even further.

Black hair, scar on the left eye, and big, sharp impression.

Count Radwiell. Fertan Esther. He was Rosaline’s father.

“Father.”

Fertan looked down at her once and then moved his gaze back to the front. He seemed unwilling to talk at all, but his walking speed slowed down. Apparently, he was tuning in to Rosaline. And Rosaline, too, noticed that Fertan had come to see her.

“That’s a very friendly title to call someone who’s a stranger. How did you recognize me?”

“Calyx and Raymond.”

“I see.”

“They once told me that Father has a brutal impression.”

“… I see.”

Rosaline hadn’t known what a brutal impression looked like, but she knew it the moment she saw Fertan. Fertan seemed to know his impression well, given that he didn’t refute it.

He kept his mouth shut for a moment, then glanced down at Rosaline once again. Her fine black hair, greenish eyes, and healthy complexion.

Fertan had thought he would be able to recognize her. ‘Obviously she must’ve at least one difference with my daughter.’ But the thing before him was Rosaline herself. Even the eyes, tone of voice, and facial expressions were the same, and as it was expressed so naturally without a trace of imitation, Fertan began to be confused about what to call ‘This’.