Chapter 30 — Princess's Proposition [2]
As I was thinking all this beside Layla—
"Lady Layla, we're here. I saw through the message sphere that you were supposed to be at the training grounds, but why are you here instead…?"
Cedric entered the training grounds.
No—he wasn't alone.
Sara also entered the training grounds.
"Oh? Alex, you were here too?"
"Yes, good day, Cedric. And Lady Sara."
I stood up and bowed to the two of them.
Cedric motioned for me to sit back down, then sat beside me.
"Hey, perfect timing. Why didn't you come to the Swordsmanship Club? I thought for sure you would, but you didn't show up."
"I applied for another club."
"Really? Which one?"
"I…"
"Wait. Before that, let me ask something first."
Sara interrupted me and joined the conversation.
"Alex Vanehart. What exactly were you doing here alone with Lady Layla?"
"We were talking."
"Talking about what—"
"It's nothing serious, Sara."
This time, Layla spoke up.
Her usual innocent smile—no, it wasn't exactly innocent, more like mischievous—appeared on her face.
"We were talking about clubs… and oh, I also mentioned how it might be nice if Alex became my personal knight."
"What? A personal knight… for this man?"
Sara looked shocked—and a little hurt—at Layla's words.
"But, Your Highness, you have me. There's no reason for anyone else to protect you…"
"Well, you'll eventually have to leave my side someday, right? I need to prepare someone new in advance."
"That's not true. I'll always—"
Sara's tone was full of frustration.
Cedric, watching the scene, gave a dry laugh and gestured for me to go.
I nodded and quietly got up, leaving the training grounds.
As I stepped out, I glanced back.
Sara still sounded upset, while Layla looked a bit flustered like she hadn't expected her little tease to actually hurt Sara that much.
"Hey, Sara. I said I'm sorry. Are you still mad?"
"I–I'm not mad."
"Ahh, come on. I said I'm sorry."
Time passed, and before long, it was dinner.
Layla, Cedric, and Sara were eating together in the Academy dining hall.
Layla had her arm wrapped around Sara's waist, still apologizing.
"Come on, cheer up, okay?"
"I'm really fine. More importantly, please let go of me. You should maintain the dignity of a Princess…"
"If the Princess herself wants to cling to you, just let her," Cedric said with a chuckle.
"But you know, Sara, Layla has a point. Once you graduate, you won't be able to keep guarding her. You'll probably be super busy with your family affairs by then."
"I know that. I know… and I understand that she'll have to entrust her protection to someone else eventually. But still…"
Sara frowned, clearly not satisfied.
"Your Highness—no, Layla. Why would you choose him for that role? There are plenty of skilled knights, so why him of all people?"
"Well… because he's good at defense?"
"Hahaha, yeah, Lady Layla's right about that," Cedric said, laughing as he looked at Sara.
"To be honest, if we're talking about who's more suited to guard someone, Alex's actually a better fit than you, Sara. Compared to most knights, he's the best there is when it comes to defense—and protecting others."
"I–I can't accept that. That guy probably only knows how to protect himself. If it's about guarding Lady Layla, I'm the better choice—"
"Hah, this is something. Sara's actually getting heated about this."
"Huh?"
"Oh? Eleanor!"
Layla stood up from her seat, her face lighting up.
"It's been so long! Why are you only showing up now?"
"It's an honor to see you, Your Highness."
"Come on, Eleanor. I told you, just call me Layla."
"Understood, Lady Layla. If it's not rude, may I join you?"
"You don't need permission for that! Sit, sit. How have you been?"
"I've been quite busy with Disciplinary Committee work."
Eleanor sat down and replied without a hint of expression.
"Today's the first time in a while I've had time for dinner."
"Didn't you say you were especially busy last year?"
"Last year… I was cleaning up a complete mess. That's why."
Eleanor nodded in response to Cedric's question.
Then she turned her gaze toward Sara.
"But Sara, why do you look so upset? That's not like you."
"…Don't mind it, Eleanor."
"Should I take a guess? It's about losing to Alex, isn't it?"
"I–It's not like that!"
"Oh, you're not far off, though," Cedric chimed in. "It is related to Alex."
"Shut it, Cedric."
Sara threw a punch at Cedric, but he dodged it effortlessly without even looking.
Sara looked even more irritated, but Cedric seemed used to it.
"Anyway, Eleanor. Since we're talking about Alex—he applied for the Disciplinary Committee, right?"
"Yes. Did you hear that from Alex himself?"
"Not exactly. He told Lady Layla, and then we heard it from her."
"I see."
Eleanor replied flatly, sounding completely indifferent.
To outsiders, her tone might seem cold, but the three of them were used to it.
"So, Eleanor, are you going to let Alex join the Committee?"
"There are a few more applicants, so we'll hold the entrance test together. But I believe… the only one who'll pass it is Alex."
"What's in the entrance test?"
"I'll explain that after it's over."
"Hmm, alright. Then let me ask something else—what do you think of Alex? Is he a good person?"
"Yes. At least to my eyes, he was quite likable."
Eleanor nodded calmly.
"His honesty stood out to me the most. Honest people are the easiest to deal with."
"Well, you do hate flattery and all that," Layla said.
"That's correct. So when he said openly that he wanted to use his connection with me, I found it… refreshing."
A faint, barely noticeable smile formed on Eleanor's lips.
"It's been a long time since I met someone that honest. At some point, everyone started lying to me, so it felt different."
"And besides," Eleanor added casually,
"I couldn't help but feel a romantic attraction toward him."
Eleanor spoke with her usual calm expression, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
But the three others who heard her—
"Huh?"
"Eh?"
"What?"
—all froze with shocked faces.
Meanwhile, Eleanor remained utterly composed.
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[To be Continue]