BCOM 06

Chapter 6

Beware of Me

Marquis Rizern finished his breakfast and, accompanied by the butler and Anes seeing him off, headed toward the palace.

Anes, after some thought, followed him out, curious about something. She asked if it would be possible for him to live within the palace since, due to his age, commuting might not be easy. But the answer she received was that he still didn’t want to leave her alone in the mansion.

The slight smile that had appeared on her face… she managed to hide it.

In the end, she couldn’t bring herself to mention it again.

“Take care. Be careful on your way.”

“I will.”

Watching the carriage disappear into the distance, Anes couldn’t move from that spot for a while. She couldn’t help feeling a sense of lingering regret.

Still, since it was something he absolutely had to do, she couldn’t hold him back out of her own desire.

Anes suddenly turned and gazed at the main gate of the grand mansion. Stepping back a few more paces, she could finally take in the full view of the main building.

Until now, she had only read descriptions calling it large and magnificent, so seeing Marquis Rizern’s estate in person was a first.

“Wow…”

Looking at the place that could have been her new home, the place she would soon have to leave, Anes felt a wave of regret.

Alright. Anyway, the duties at the royal palace would be learned once she became Crown Princess, so until then, she would make sure to absorb as much of this mansion as possible. She wanted it to remain in her memory as if it were truly the home she had lived in.

From that moment, Anes began exploring the mansion. No powers had manifested yet, she hadn’t encountered any fateful adversaries that could destroy the empire, and there was nothing she knew enough to prepare for.

All she could do was steel her heart. For now, that was enough.

Simply having someone she wanted to protect felt like gaining a solid weapon in her heart.

Meanwhile, at the palace:

“You just can’t speak properly, can you? Huh? I couldn’t even raise my head in front of the young lady yesterday, really.”

While a warm atmosphere prevailed at the Rizern estate, the imperial dining hall resounded with the frustrated voice of the Emperor.

“Then why do you keep emphasizing marriage? He’s still the Crown Prince, and Your Majesty is so robust.”

Teowin had again earned a scolding from the Emperor because of yesterday. He had just wanted to finish his meal quietly and leave, but the Emperor’s words caught him.

Still, he wasn’t intimidated in the slightest and countered. Throughout history, it had been customary for a Crown Prince to secure his position by taking a Crown Princess and balancing the power among factions.

However, with the Emperor firmly on the throne and no other princes vying for the Crown Prince’s position, it wasn’t necessary. There was no urgent need to force two strangers into a marriage simply for the sake of imperial friendship.

Nor was there justification to overturn what had already been decided. In theory, Teowin could have protested when Anes objected to the marriage…

Thinking back, he remembered the young lady he had seen yesterday. Something was different from their previous encounters.

She was extremely beautiful, calm, and elegant. While he had been angry at the Emperor for making a hasty decision regarding his marriage partner, he was secretly satisfied with the choice.

Among the empire’s noble young ladies, she was the best, he thought. Later, he heard from Creil that she was famous as the most beautiful young lady in the empire. Many young nobles had set their sights on her as a future spouse…

Even hearing that, he only thought it fitting. By his own eyes, she truly was beautiful.

But the young lady he met yesterday… something about her was different from the image he remembered. She seemed to carry a flame inside. Her gaze held determination, and boldly, she suggested canceling the marriage.

It wasn’t something he proposed; it was her idea. For a moment, he felt like he had been struck on the back of the head. Absurd, yet somehow… audacious? He had even laughed at his own incredulity soon after.

“Honestly, she’s the best young lady you could decide on. Even I had to appeal to the Marquis—do you understand, boy?”

“But why so anxious? That young lady didn’t seem weak at all.”

The Emperor seemed overly protective, as if worried she might get hurt. Anyone unaware might think he was her father rather than Teowin’s.

“You wouldn’t understand just by seeing her once. When she was young, the Marquis’ wife passed away, and she struggled so much she hadn’t even visited the grave on the anniversary. Behind her calm exterior lies a delicate heart.”

Indeed, she had a delicate heart. Teowin had observed it in her emotional reactions.

Yet… she was both strong and fragile. Still, Teowin didn’t tell the Emperor that she had suggested canceling the marriage. It would only worry the Emperor unnecessarily.

Instead, he began to take interest in the young lady whose reputation was so different from reality.

“Your Majesty, once you finish dining, I’ll take you to the audience hall. Marquis Rizern has arrived.”

“Oh, Rizern?”

At that moment, the steward announced the arrival of someone at the dining hall entrance. Hearing “Rizern,” the Emperor momentarily thought it might be her, but he barely held back a smile—it was the Marquis who had arrived, not her.

The Emperor’s pace in finishing his meal noticeably quickened. Teowin and the Emperor had been comrades since the Crown Prince days, sharing life and death, and they remained very close.

“If it’s Marquis Rizern… didn’t he step down as Knight Commander quite a while ago?”

Teowin asked, curious, and the Emperor, who had swallowed his food, answered quickly:

“The mana remaining in his body had been causing trouble. The Imperial Knight Commander had to return home due to illness, leaving a vacancy. So he was asked to train and appoint a new commander. That way, he could train himself while overseeing matters at the Imperial Training Grounds.”

Marquis Rizern was a rare talent, skilled in both sword and magic. That was why the Emperor cherished him.

After explaining briefly, the Emperor finished the last bite and rose from his seat, clearly eager to see his friend. Teowin followed quietly behind.

“Have you arrived? How is your health?”

The Emperor greeted him as he entered the audience hall. A gentle smile appeared on Marquis Rizern’s face as well.

“I haven’t come to the infirmary due to illness, Your Majesty.”

“Haha, yes, but I can’t help worrying.”

Teowin, following in, had no chance to intervene as the two exchanged warm greetings. He stood aside, watching them, glancing at the closing doors of the audience hall.

“This is truly a good opportunity for me. I want to help the former Knight Commander who fell ill. Of course, I intend only a small gesture.”

“It’s just coincidence. Helping is fine, but don’t blame yourself for it.”

The Emperor patted Rizern’s shoulder firmly, and the Marquis responded with a smile.

“Oh, Crown Prince, you’re here too. I, Marquis Rizern, have returned to the Imperial Knights to serve as an advisor.”

His gentle smile turned toward Teowin. Having trained with him since childhood, Teowin felt more like a disciple than a peer.

“You did come to the infirmary, right? You’ll need to move around to recover, but can your body handle even a bit of strain?”

The Emperor, rough in appearance but soft in speech, always left this task to someone else. Rizern chuckled at the father’s concern.

“I do worry about that too, Your Highness. But I decided to commute because I’m concerned about leaving my daughter alone in the mansion.”

The word “daughter” carried deep affection.

“Yes, that was the problem.”

“She even said today that staying at home would be better, but commuting daily is too exhausting. She asked if it’s possible to stay inside while fulfilling the duties.”

Teowin recalled the resolute expression of the young lady who had thought similarly. Did she speak so firmly even to Rizern?

“I thought she was a delicate young lady, but she’s surprisingly strong-willed. What did he say?”

“He said he still feels uneasy leaving her alone. After accepting Bieli’s death, it seems she’s grown stronger.”

Teowin smiled quietly, imagining her speaking so determinedly. A strong-willed young lady… he thought, recalling her staying alone at the mansion.