‘So that’s a Commander of the Knights!’
His hair was long, and while his build was well-balanced, he lacked that sharply disciplined aura unique to knights.
The realization left her momentarily dazed.
At the same time, she felt a sense of familiarity — something she hadn’t sensed until just moments ago.
Ail Jeneta.
His was a family that had sworn loyalty to House Keilos for generations.
In the original story, he was the one who, after offering Eren sincere counsel to the very end, died just like Liselotte.
He was a capable talent who served both as Commander of the knights and as an aide.
Ail, too, seemed taken aback by her sudden visit; as he hastily straightened his clothes, an awkward expression crossed his face.
“To think you would visit my office — I’m surprised.”
He gave a brief smile and hurriedly cleared the piles of documents that had overtaken the sofa.
The table had long since been conquered by papers as well, rendering it nearly useless for its intended purpose.
The only thing neat and beautiful in the room was his face.
Maintaining his bright, pleasant smile, Ail politely gestured toward the sofa he had just managed to tidy up.
“We only recently returned from the subjugation, so things are a bit chaotic. It’s rather humble, but would you care to sit? Or you can leave, if you prefer.”
It was courteous, concise etiquette — yet it was clear he was hoping she’d leave.
‘He’s not even trying to hide it…!’
If not for his polite manner, she might have thought he was picking a fight.
The original Liselotte would have lost her temper at such treatment.
She had never been one to tolerate this kind of attitude.
But to someone like her — who was used to rooms buried in paperwork — there was no reason to refuse.
“Perfect timing. I wanted to talk with you anyway.”
As Liselotte sat down in the seat he’d indicated, Ail froze for a moment before quickly composing himself, moving to clear the documents from the opposite sofa and taking a seat himself.
His smile deepened all the more.
The cluttered office gave her an odd sense of dissonance.
“It seems this is the first time we’ve met face-to-face since the wedding.”
Even though he had often come by to deliver one-sided notices.
Most of the time, it was Ail who conveyed Eren’s messages.
It had always been one-way communication — nothing more.
As his closest aide, he seemed to have already heard the news.
“I was informed by His Highness. I hear you demanded half of Keilos’ territory. Is that why you’re here?”
“No.”
“Then are you here to request an increase in your private allowance — to buy new jewelry, perhaps?”
“No.”
“Or is it a petition to hold a grand banquet and invite all the central nobles?”
The list of requests she had made to Eren in the past flowed effortlessly from his mouth.
Facing him, Liselotte smiled brightly and replied,
“None of those. I’d like to take a look at the employment contracts within House Keilos.”
“…”
Ail didn’t answer — he simply froze with a polite smile, as if he’d turned to stone.
A short silence passed, and Marsha, unable to bear it any longer, let out a very unnatural sneeze.
“Ah, my nose… k-kuh-ehh-tchoo!”
Snapped out of his daze by the awkward sound, Ail asked gently,
“Is the maid not to your liking?”
“Would it only be a maid?”
At that moment, Marsha flinched behind her.
Liselotte quickly added,
“Ah, not because of Marsha.”
The question didn’t seem particularly important, as Ail didn’t even blink.
Instead, his smile grew softer and brighter than before.
The more they spoke, the more radiant his expression became — strangely out of place for the situation.
“If you send me the list, I’ll review it and handle it myself.”
“Then you’ll have quite a bit of extra work, Sir Ail.”
“A few maids are no burden. Please don’t worry.”
“It’s not just a few.”
Liselotte smiled lightly at him as she continued.
“After observing things for three months since the marriage, it seems there’s more than one person in the North who’s dissatisfied.”
In that instant, the gentle expression on Ail’s face began to stiffen slightly.
Straightening his posture, he finally seemed to be taking the situation seriously.
His voice, still mild yet laced with a quiet sharpness, asked,
“Who said such a thing?”
“I happened to overhear the head maid instructing Marsha to incite a divorce between me and His Highness.”
“…Karin, then. She’s worked for House Keilos for a long time — someone with a strong pride in the House’s honor.”
Though he said it calmly, Ail seemed to be paying careful attention as well.
In truth, most of the household staff were highly loyal to the House itself, yet that loyalty rarely extended all the way to the current Head, Eren Keilos.
It was a delicate issue.
They did what they believed was best for the House — and many of them had served since the days of the previous Grand Duke.
Because they had been around so long, there were many who trusted and followed them, and they knew the North inside and out.
But they did not recognize the current Grand Duke as the true Head of House Keilos.
They constantly imposed impossibly high standards upon him.
“The late Grand Duke would never have been like this…”
“If one bears the blood of House Keilos, meeting such expectations should be natural.”
“Can those who bind others with curses truly be called loyal? How long can a relationship built on coercion even last…?”
They were one of the key reasons Eren eventually became the hidden villain — and so they had to be cut away.
Liselotte smiled softly and asked in return,
“Isn’t His Highness Eren Keilos himself the very embodiment of House Keilos? I don’t see how those who refuse to follow their own Master can still claim to serve the House.”
“…”
For the first time, Ail seemed genuinely surprised, his eyes fixed on her without a trace of a smile.
Liselotte, shameless as ever, asked,
“Why are you looking at me like that? I’m right, aren’t I?”
“Yes. You are. It’s just… hearing that from you feels rather refreshing.”
Was he mocking her?
The irony was that, with his delicate features and gentle smile, his words sounded almost softened — as if the sarcasm had been wrapped in silk.
‘Now that I think about it, he only smiles when things get awkward or inconvenient.’
To think someone would use a beautiful face like that as a shield.
Just as a glint flickered in his eyes, Ail’s voice grew a little louder.
“His Highness the Grand Duke has already shown enough ability during the subjugations to succeed the former Grand Duke. It’s true there’s been a lot of noise surrounding the Word of Command, but he never uses his power recklessly on just anyone.”
It was the only moment his emotions truly showed.
Liselotte quietly watched him as he spoke rapidly, words spilling out in a rush.
It was clear just how deeply he trusted and respected Eren Keilos.
He must have held back his opinions until now, wary of others’ reactions.
‘To think someone like this goes unrecognized and ends up being killed later… honestly.’
Perhaps sensing her gaze, Ail cleared his throat softly and composed himself again, returning to his usual neat and proper demeanor.
“…Even so, the people in question were all hired by the previous Grand Duke. It won’t be easy to dismiss them arbitrarily.”
“That’s why I’m asking to see the contracts.”
“I can certainly show you the contracts, but…”
Ail’s words trailed off.
He didn’t say the rest, but the implication was obvious.
Ordinary people wouldn’t even know what to look for, even if they saw the contracts.
But she was not ordinary.
“Would you bring them for me, please?”
At her firm reply, Ail hesitated briefly, then rose from his seat.
Pushing aside the piles of papers, he went to the desk and retrieved a somewhat aged-looking document from a drawer.
Ail handed it to her politely.
“This is it.”
Liselotte’s eyes skimmed swiftly through the contents.
“Hmm. I was thinking of claiming damages, but there’s no clause for that here.”
“…You had considered that far ahead?”
“Thanks to this mess, the atmosphere in House Keilos has turned ugly, and my maid was even harassed. Of course I should be compensated for the harm.”
After flipping to the next page, Liselotte extended her hand toward Ail.
“Do you happen to have a pen I could borrow?”
“…Here.”
He took out the fountain pen tucked in the small pocket on his chest, uncapped it, and offered it to her with both hands.
Among the papers strewn about, Liselotte found a clean sheet and began copying part of the contract’s contents.
“Leaving the workplace, defamation of the House’s honor, disobedience of orders not due to natural disaster or personal circumstances — I’ll need to cross-check northern and central law, but generally speaking, almost all of these can be used to tear them apart.”
“Tear them apart?”
“Ah, my mistake. I meant asking for compensation for damages.”
Liselotte smiled brightly, as if she had never said anything out of place, and set the pen down with a light tap.
“From now on, I want you to carefully calculate the losses the House has suffered. While you’re at it, you can also estimate the damages from the subjugation. Might as well do it all together.”
She nodded toward Ail, who was looking at her from across the desk with a somewhat bewildered expression.
Then, cheerfully waving the contract in her hand, she added,
“Well then, shall we start by dismissing the people listed here, one by one?”
