Suddenly, my ears perked up at his mention of silver flowers, so I forgot that I had just flinched and turned my head to look at him. What about the silver flower? Did it finally bloom?

“Are you talking about that silver flower? Did it bloom? I saw it looked like it would bloom when I saw it last.”

I shut my mouth suddenly while asking him a barrage of questions in spite of myself. His navy blue eyes were looking at me up close.

“Oh, I’m sorry, Your Majesty.”

When I murmured, with my head down, he broke into laughter.

When I looked up, I saw him smiling with a very satisfied look.

I just blinked my eyes silently in embarrassment. My heart was pounding at the sound of his laughter that I heard for the first time after my return.

“Your Majesty, I’ve found a rest area that you ordered me. There is a pond not far from here.”

“… Good. Can you escort us?”

While I was looking at him blankly, I came to my senses at his sudden voice.

When I hurriedly changed my expression, with my head down, he grabbed the reins and spurred the horse.

“I knew you were interested in that silver flower, but I never knew you were so interested like this. I wish I had told you sooner if I had known it.”

“… Sorry, Your Majesty. ”

“When I looked at the flower some time ago, it looked like the buds opened a bit. Let me tell you when they bloom.”

On the day I spent the night in the garden with him a few months ago, it seemed like the buds were blooming. Looking back, they actually did. At that time, I was not so sure because I felt sleepy.

If the buds opened, would they bloom sooner or later?

I’ve been wanting to see them bloom so long, but I never saw them blooming before. I was very curious about the silver flower that was allegedly the same as my hair color.

Are they bright and beautiful? Are they fresh but shy? Well, as it looks like dela flowers, it must be elegant and graceful.

When I was imagining the various shapes of the silver flower, I felt the horse stop.

There was a pond shining like a mirror under the sunshine among the forest surrounded by tall trees. A white cloud was reflected on the surface of the blue water without any little ripples. When the singing birds soared into the sky, the green leaves were shaking.

The royal knights who got off the horses all at once surrounded the pond. The young man jumped down and reached out to me. When I stepped down, grabbing his hand, the white horse, blinking her black eyes, slowly walked to the pond and began to drink water.

He said, “I didn’t know there was a place like this on the royal hunting ground.”

“Really?”

“Yes. I haven’t had a chance to come down here because I was so busy for many years”

“As you opened this place to me, I’m so grateful to you.”

“You’re welcome. As I have shot lots of arrows today, I would like to thank you, too.”

Then he asked softly, “By the way, how is your condition now?”

“Pardon? Oh, I’m fine. As you know, I recovered a while ago.”

“Hmm, I hear that the High Priest is taking good care of you. So, even if you’re busy, don’t forget to visit the temple. The High Priest usually doesn’t stay long there.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. I will keep it in mind. ”

After nodding lightly, I walked after him. As it was near the pond, the soil on which I stepped on felt very soft. When I heard the horses drinking water, I felt his soft hand touching my hair suddenly. I curled up myself unconsciously and looked back at him.

“Your Majesty?”

“I took off a leaf out of your hair.”

“Ah… Thank you.”

When I saw the leaf stuck between his long fingers, I blushed. I tried to turn my head in embarrassment, but I couldn’t move. My heart began to pound fast at the fragrant scent carried by the wind.

“What’s wrong with you?”

“Oh, nothing, Your Majesty. I’ll be back after checking my horse for a moment. ”

Even forgetting that I was rude, I quickly turned without his permission. Then I quickened my step to Sylvia, which was still drinking water.

“Whew…”

When I buried my face in her silver mane, my heartbeat that was beating fast finally slowed down.

I examined Sylvia’s wound. Fortunately, the wound was not severe, and the blood from her ankle already stopped.

‘Whew, what a relief!’ ‘

When I was breathing a sigh of relief, he approached me in no time and said, “It looks like you love her very much.”

“… Yes, Your Majesty. She is called Sylvia. ”

“Pretty name. She seems to go well with you. ”

“I’m flattered, Your Majesty.”

“As we had some breaktime here, let’s go back now. You also need to have your beloved horse treated, don’t you?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The moment I held his hand, I suddenly felt hot.

I was annoyed with myself. I think I was strange for the past few days.

I couldn’t control my body as I wished, and my mind was complicated with all sorts of things.

I bit my lips hard enough to bleed. Because of the memories that reminded me of my painful past, I felt goosebumps. Why am I acting like this? What am I doing?

“Come on, get on the horse now.”

“…Yes, Your Majesty. ”

Pounding my chest anxiously, I climbed the white horse with him. The royal knights on the lookout nearby mounted their horses all at once.

Heehaw!

After going heehaw loudly, the horses began to run in full gallop.

Everybody was now riding fast to the main building.

The day I returned to the capital I headed for the Imperial Palace to stand on duty.

When I entered the 2nd Knights building, a familiar knight with brown hair greeted me.

“Welcome back, Sir Monique.”

“Hi, Sir Feden. Thank you for attending my coming-of-age ceremony. You will receive my thank-you note sometime tomorrow.”

“It was my pleasure to attend it. Congratulations on your coming-of-age once again! ”

“Thank you.”

“By the way, what happened on that day? I was really surprised to hear that you returned to the capital with the emperor.”

As expected, there was a big fuss over my return with the emperor. It was natural that they were shocked. As the star of the hunting competition, I rode the same horse with the emperor, and that I was his former fiancee.

Everyone looked at me in shock, but he casually got off the horse and dropped me off. Moreover, after awarding the prizes, he gave me a silver fox fur to celebrate my coming-of-age, saying he was sorry for coming to the hunting event. Because of that, I had to receive congratulation letters from all the members of rival factions who came down to the guest house that night. In fact, I was absent-minded with so many letters pouring in from all over for the past several days.

“Oh, I think I asked you too many personal questions. I’m sorry.”

“That’s fine. By the way, shall we move? I think it’s our working time now.”

“You’re right. Let’s hurry up.”

After I checked my work place on the daily worklog and turned, Sir Feden checked his uniform and said, quickening his pace, “By the way, did you read the public announcement?”

“Pardon? Public announcement? ”

When I asked, tilting my head, Sir Feden explained in a calm voice, “It’s the announcement about the creation of the 3rd and 4th Knights Divisions, which were only rumored up to now.

I hear the government will select a large number of full-fledged knights.”

“Really?”

“Yes, that’s right. Besides, the families who will be in charge of the new knights divisions were also announced.”

“If they create two knights divisions, are Marquis Enesil and Marquis Mirwa taking over them respectively?”

“That’s right.”

“Well…It seems that the emperor is going to give one of them the position of captain.”

“I think so. I think he struck a deal with them in return for creating the two divisions.”

I glanced at Sir Feden, feeling envious of the new knights divisions. At first, I thought he was just a typical knight. But he was really an excellent knight with a political sense in my eyes.

‘Can I talk him into it?’

Even though I couldn’t make him one of my family vassals, I felt he would be beneficial to me if I made good friends with him.

But the knight with brown hair, who didn’t know what I was thinking right now, continued in a calm voice, “They have not decided how many knights they will choose, but they announced the selection criteria. I hear they will test the candidates in four areas.”

“What are they?”