Chapter 110

The world is unpredictable. Sometimes, opportunities come when you least expect them.

Originally, the knight of the imperial tomb, Karneil, who thought she would never be called again, resigned from her position with a light heart. There wasn’t much to hand over to her successor. This was a position where all you did was wait for the day you could resign.

“Finally, freedom! Now I can do knightly work!”

Whether you’re forced to strip or you strip yourself because you can’t stand the treatment, it’s all the same. In such a situation, who would bother to organize things for their successor?

In the time it takes to hand things over, it’s more common to write a resignation letter or try to impress the high-ranking officials who occasionally visit the imperial tomb. A successor unlucky enough to be demoted here wouldn’t even catch your eye.

Of course, if the successor causes trouble and something happens to the imperial tomb, the predecessors won’t be unscathed either. So, while she didn’t plan to completely wash her hands of it, she only intended to pass on enough to avoid responsibility. Just as her predecessor had done, she didn’t plan to teach much.

No way. Nope. Not a chance.

Her unlucky successor probably didn’t know that being an imperial tomb knight was a job you had to endure through sheer willpower. But now, it seemed like it wasn’t her problem anymore.

“Her Highness Ardein hasn’t forgotten me…”

Receiving a letter written by Ardein herself and an imperial order the very next day, the knight was genuinely moved. She had forgotten her lord, but her lord had not forgotten her.

A lord abandoning a subordinate. And a subordinate abandoning a lord. Both involve one person abandoning another, but if you ask which is the heavier sin, everyone would say the latter.

No matter how you sugarcoat it, what she did was betrayal. In fact, even as she went to find Ardein, the knight was filled with worry. She was anxious, wondering if she might just provoke anger instead.

But she still sought out Ardein because she deluded herself into thinking that someone like her still had the qualifications to be of use.

“I didn’t completely betray her, and because of that, I suffered so much.”

She even briefly thought that not stabbing Ardein in the back and thus not rising in rank might actually be a sign of loyalty. That was until she met her and realized she had nothing to say.

At that moment, faced with the princess she hadn’t seen in so long, Karneil found herself at a loss for words. After recounting old memories, she truly had nothing more to say!

No matter how busy she had been, remembering who it was that avoided even her lord’s contact and severed ties, Karneil finally realized what she had done. A few years is a longer time than you think, and during that time, Ardein had changed a lot.

Not being by her side, she knew nothing about the current Ardein. What did she even hope for by seeking her out? She felt like crawling into a mouse hole.

“For now, fulfill your current duties. Good things will come soon.”

Hearing Ardein’s words, she was moved. In truth, just not being kicked out was a blessing.

Whether there would be “good things” or not, she was grateful just for not suffering any bad things. But lo and behold, the “good thing” she hadn’t even dared to hope for actually came.

Ardein summoned her as her personal knight. In terms of rank, it was higher than the position she held before being demoted to the imperial tomb.

She was calling back a betrayer and placing her in an even higher position.

“Your Highness. This time, I will dedicate my life to you! If you command it, I will even jump into a pit of fire.”

Going to Ardein again, this time she swore her loyalty with tears soaking the floor. These were not fake tears; she truly cried.

Seeing her, Ardein wore a complicated expression. The reason she forgave this betrayer was simple: she herself was not qualified to judge Karneil.

This knight had served Ardein, but she had not owed her life to Ardein. She had simply served her as her lord. For such a person to betray her, she had ground her teeth in anger.

Then, what about herself, who owed her life and even her father’s life?

And what about herself, who did nothing when that person jumped into the pit of fire?

What kind of treatment should she receive? It shouldn’t end with just grinding her teeth, but that kind person even blessed her before leaving.

Thinking that, her face burned with shame.

In the end, she wrote a letter to Karneil herself. She had done worse and was scolding her.

Perhaps the shameless one wasn’t her, but herself.

“Lady Karneil. A carriage from the imperial palace has arrived. We will escort you to the palace.”

“Mm. Thank you.”

Karneil, buoyed by her rise, nodded. The imperial palace was one of the best workplaces in terms of welfare, and as a personal knight escorting royalty, anyone could borrow a carriage and coachman as if it were their own. For Karneil, a commoner from a not-wealthy family, this was a great benefit.

Living on the outskirts of the capital, she usually walked to the imperial tomb for work. It would be nice to have a horse, but the warhorses of the knight order had nothing to do with her, an imperial tomb knight.

And they weren’t the kind you could just sneak one home and keep. Even if you did, the cost of feed alone would ruin your finances.

These horses couldn’t maintain their muscles by grazing on roadside grass. In fact, they couldn’t even stay healthy. It’s a downside of selective breeding. Without meticulous care, they’re worse than ordinary horses.

But buying a horse when you don’t even know when you’ll retire seemed like a waste. So she just walked, and now riding a carriage to work, she couldn’t help but laugh. She felt like she was floating.

Just as she was getting into the act of pretending to be dignified and weighty, the carriage suddenly stopped. Karneil, about to say something, closed her mouth and imitated the high-ranking officials, resting her chin on her hand and pretending to enjoy the leisure. Nobles are supposed to be relaxed and at ease in all things!

‘Ah, this is suffocating.’

How long did she maintain that pose? Karneil, who acted like she didn’t care even if the road was blocked, couldn’t last ten minutes and called for the coachman. The coachman scratched his head and explained the situation.

“Well, the road ahead is completely blocked. There are too many people, it’s hard to pass.”

“What… Oh, no. What?! Why is that?”

“The gate that was open just suddenly stopped. So the protesters are in chaos, trying to see the gate… People from the Republic are angry, saying the Empire is up to something… Well, anyway, that’s it.”

“Protest?”

The coachman nodded and continued. People in the transportation business are usually well-informed.

“Imperial citizens are angry, saying people from the Republic are taking their jobs and eating their grain. People from the Republic are indignant, saying they didn’t come here by choice and that they’re also in debt.”

Conflict between outsiders and locals is inevitable and always happens. That alone isn’t a big deal.

The problem is that the gate suddenly stopped. That’s why the whole area is in chaos. People from the Citadel Republic, whose families, relatives, and friends’ movements are blocked, are furious. The Imperial citizens also have a lot to say since it’s not their fault.

‘The gate stopped? And protests? What’s this? I’m going to be late on my first day as a personal knight. No way. How can I face Her Highness Ardein like this?’

The mages might be shocked that the gate stopped, but Karneil, not being a mage, had no interest or concern. Conflict between Citadel citizens and Imperial citizens? What does that have to do with her? She’s too busy trying to survive.

“Park the carriage back at home!”

In a hurry, Karneil jumped out of the carriage and ran on her two legs. In heavy traffic and crowded roads, running is the fastest way to get around.

By the time the knight, who had run with all her might, reached Ardein’s room, she looked more like someone who needed to be escorted rather than someone doing the escorting.

Ardein was shocked to see the pale knight. Seeing Karneil, exhausted and looking like she might collapse at any moment, left her speechless.

“What’s going on? Why did you rush here like this?”

Even as a personal knight, how often would Ardein, the master, need escorting?

If she needed escorting, would having one Karneil even help?

So Ardein didn’t care whether Karneil was late or not. But seeing her run here like this, she felt a little proud.

“Huff… Huff… It’s… Huff…”

“Take a breath and speak. Maien, bring some water.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

The maid brought a glass of cool water. After gulping it down, Karneil caught her breath and continued.

“I’m sorry, Your Highness. The gate stopped, and there were so many people around it that my duty to protect you was almost delayed. But I, Karneil, have dedicated everything to you. Even if the carriage couldn’t go, I broke through on my two legs and came here!”

“Ah, I see. The gate stopped… The gate stopped?!”

Absentmindedly repeating Karneil’s words, Ardein suddenly shouted. She grabbed Karneil’s shoulders and shook her.

“What are you talking about? Explain in detail! The gate suddenly stopping, that’s nonsense! Don’t tell me, don’t tell me the gate was destroyed?”

Without asking a single question and coming straight here, what could Karneil possibly know?

Every question was met with “I don’t know,” and her head hung lower and lower. Eventually, she slumped. On her first day, she had been of no help to her lord…

“It must be. This is definitely the Temple’s doing!”

Without any evidence and without even going to the scene, the princess immediately concluded. She, ignoring the incoming Karneil, rushed outside. The gate, the gate. There must be no problem. Surely…

Surely, it’s nothing. Just a small disturbance.

It had to be. Please, let it be so.