“Don’t worry about it. I heard that the surviving family of Sir Lake received a big compensation.”

“I see. It’s impossible to compensate for his lost life because he was involved in something that had nothing to do with him….I’m so glad to hear that anyway.”

“Yes, that’s too bad. But he passed away while on duty, so it was something he had to be ready for as a knight. You don’t have to blame yourself for it.”

“Right.”

Several knights nodded, agreeing with Sir Freia who spoke firmly. I felt relieved to hear them now. While I was talking with him about what happened at the time and the traitors, suddenly a young knight said, as if something came to his mind.

“By the way, Sir Monique.”

“Pardon?”

“Is the rumor true that you will leave the knights divisions sooner or later? ”

At that moment the atmosphere among them became subdued. I smiled rather embarrassedly, looking at the nervous knight. How should I respond? Given my current situation, I have to quit anyway.

“Well…”

“Why are you hesitating? Are you really…”

“Oh, no! Absolutely no! ”

“We’re strongly opposed!”

“You are the only woman… No, you should not quit!”

While I was blinking, startled at the simultaneous shouting among the knights, suddenly the knights on the opposite side stood up and bowed deeply.

“Loyalty to the Lion! We’re honored to see the Sun of the empire!”

“Glory to the empire! That’s true. She has to start to prepare from now on for the wedding ceremony during the New Year festival.”

Huh? What is he talking about?

When I turned around in a hurry, I saw the emperor standing obliquely, with his head tilted to one side.

“Wedding ceremony?”

“Your Majesty, I don’t understand what you mean…”

“That’s exactly as I said. So, keep that in mind, everyone!” he said, wrapping my shoulder with one hand after approaching me. Then he smiled at me when I looked up at him, startled.

“You don’t like it?”

“…Your Majesty.”

“If you don’t like it, let me retract it. You don’t like it?”

“That’s not what I mean…”

“Then, it’s a done deal.”

When I looked down, putting my hand on my pounding heart, he whispered into my ears, leaning forward, “I’m on my way after seeing your father. He also agreed to the wedding ceremony during the New Year festival.”

“Ah…”

“Now it’s only about two months left, you’re going to be very busy preparing for the ceremony. Put in some more effort. Let me help you a lot.”

I felt something soft touching on my forehead, then fell. At that moment, there were screams, exclamations, groaning and sighing here and there.

“No!”

“Unbelievable…”

“Oh my God!”

“Sir Monique … our goddess …”

“What did you say? Goddess?”

Suddenly, he turned and stared at the knights sternly. Knights flinched, faced with his sharp glance. Turning his mouth up slightly, he rebuked the coldly.

“What did you say about my fiance a moment ago?”

“Oh, that… ”

“Are you Sir Ryan? Answer me.”

“Oh, what I mean is Lady Monique is our goddess …our idol, in other words, she is the mascot of our knights divisions…”

“Ha…”

When he roughly swept up his blue hair as if he was dumbfounded at his response, I pulled his cuffs, startled. As I looked up at him with anxious eyes, he said, patting my shoulder lightly, as if to reassure me, “I knew she was popular among you, but I didn’t know she was so much loved by you all. In fact, I was worried that she might have had a hard time as a knight, but I feel relieved now. ”

“Your Majesty.”

“Let’s go. Don’t you think you have to start moving now to prepare for the wedding ceremony?”

“But…”

When I looked back hesitantly, I saw the knights looking at me with a gloomy expression. So, I wanted to refuse his offer to leave now, but their faces suddenly turned white. In the end, Sir Freia, who was standing in front of me, said in an urgent voice, “You look very busy. Please leave, Sir Monique.”

“Still…”

“We are fine. Don’t feel pressured. ”

“Yes, we are good.”

Why is everyone reacting like that? Did he do something to them?”

I looked back at him, just in case he might have signalled something to them, but he was looking at them casually as if nothing happened. I was a bit confused, so I told them after briefly looking at him, “…Goodbye for now. Sorry, everyone. ”

“That’s fine. Goodbye, Sir Monique.”

Leaving their sonorous shouts behind, I left the restaurant with him. For some reason I felt uncomfortable, but I felt so warm in his hand holding mine.

***

Three days later I headed to the Imperial Palace to submit my resignation letter. I could submit it to my father easily, but I think it would be better to follow the formal process of resignation because I’ve been working at the knights division for several years.

My father received the white envelope from me and stamped it with a complicated expression.

I also had mixed feelings. I felt like I took off clothes that didn’t fit me, but at the same time I felt rather regrettable and empty.

“You’ve been working hard, Sir Monique.”

“… Thank you, Captain.”

The title ‘Sir’ that I was called by my father for the first and last time, and the title ‘Captain’ that I called him for the first and last time.

Thus I put down the shoulder strap on my uniform that I would never use again with mixed feelings. At that moment, I recalled the past six years during which I knocked myself out to earn that title.

Suddenly, I found myself choked up with emotions.

“I always wanted you to quit this job…But I feel rather strange as you have come to resign like this,” said my father, while touching the shoulder strap for a long time. When I nodded, seeing eye to eye with him, his navy blue eyes turned to me.

“Now I begin to feel for real that you are going to get married in two months.”

“Sorry, Daddy. I wanted to live with you for a long time …”

“Don’t say it, Tia. If you are happy, that’s enough for me. Besides, you are not going far away. We can meet anytime, right?”

“Yes, but… Oh, Daddy, you have just made the promise to me. You should never leave the capital, okay?”

“Yes, I promise. Where can I go, leaving my beautiful daughter behind?”

I felt so warm in his embrace when he swept my hair with his hand. I was briefly carried away with that, when I suddenly recalled something and turned to him.

“Daddy, are you available in the evening?”

“What’s up?”

“Well, I don’t think I have spent time together with you these days. How about a date with me since it’s been such a long time? ”

“I want to welcome it anytime. Then, see you later. ”

“Yes, Daddy. See you then.”

I came out of his room after smiling at him brightly, when the knights pacing up and down near the entrance surrounded me all at once. After confirming the missing knight straps on my shoulder, they asked desperately, “Well, are you really quitting?”

“Oh, no. You can’t resign like this…”

“Please say it’s not true.”

I assumed the important duty of the captain’s aide as a young girl who hadn’t yet had a coming-of-age ceremony. Since I was from the Monique family, I enjoyed some privileges directly and indirectly, and as luck would have it, I obtained the title of a full-fledged knight because of the change in the selection criteria. Despite that, my colleagues at the knights division welcomed me instead of hating me. Of course, some were jealous, but I could have a comfortable life as a knight thanks to the kindness of most knights.

With gratitude for all that, I politely greeted the people around me.

With sincere gratitude, I replied politely to those who surrounded me, “I’m sorry, and at the sametime, I am grateful to you. I’ve always caused trouble to you, but you have treated me kindly. I’m grateful to you from the bottom of my heart.”

“Oh, you’re welcome!”

“It was an honor for all of us to be with you Sir Monique!”

Smiling brightly at their sonorous reply, I bowed to them once again.

“Thank you. And I hope I’m in great hands in the future, although I can’t work with you as your colleague as before. ”

“Of course!”

“Thank you. Then see you again next time. ”

I smiled again with gratitude. I looked back at the building of the 2nd Knights, which I would not come to often, then walked away.