CHAPTER 17
“Iāll greet the Count, so you move the box to the room. Itās a gift from His Majesty, so handle it carefully,” I said.
Before I could show Theodore to his room, I had to see the Count first. I tried not to frown as I walked into the mansion. The Count was pacing in the hall. When he saw me, he quickly looked away and searched for Lisa.
“Youāre late,” he said sharply, not even trying to hide his annoyed attitude.
“We had a lot to talk about. Time flew by,” I replied.
I turned a little so that the Count would clearly see Theodore behind me. The mansion still belonged to the Count, and unless he officially welcomed Theodore, the knight would be treated as an uninvited guest. I quickly spoke before the Count could complain.
“His Majesty was worried about me and sent this knight.”
The Count frowned at Theodore. He was openly showing dislikeāso obvious it was almost funny. He looked very uneasy.
“His Majesty sent him?”
The Count didnāt look pleased. But he couldnāt go against the kingās orders or treat the knight badly. I pretended not to notice the way he twitched his lips and simply answered:
“Yes.”
I spoke slowly and tilted my head to the side like Lisa often did. When I tilted my head like a curious bird, the Count looked away as if he saw something gross.
“Fine. Iāll tell the butler to take care of him.”
That meant the Count was officially accepting Theodore as a guest. But then, he added a sarcastic comment.
“His Majesty must have a lot of free time.”
“It just means things are peaceful.”
I replied with a smirk of my own. I even wondered if I could get him arrested for that comment. But then I glanced at Theodore.
His calm face helped cool my irritation. After all, even the king hadnāt gotten rid of the Count yet. If it were possible, the king wouldāve done so when I first announced the marriage.
Since I didnāt react, the Count decided to bother Theodore instead.
“His Majesty is too kind, sending a knight to such a boring place.”
“Oh dear, our gardener might cry if he heard that,” I said.
“Haha, our garden is nice, but there are more exciting places than here. Prettier ones too,” the Count said while smirking and looking me up and down. So this was how he wanted to play.
I acted like I didnāt understand anything and started to speak.
“My eyes are dedicated to God, so I donāt chase after personal pleasures.”
Theodore answered first, his voice stiff. The Countās eyebrows twitchedāhe looked surprised, like, Wait, is he a holy knight?
Still, the Count didnāt give up.
“Surely the temple rules arenāt that strictā¦ A young knight should be allowed to dream. Protecting a beautiful lady is part of your duty, isnāt it?”
He was clearly trying to insult me, but Theodore didnāt react. He didnāt even seem to notice it was a battle of pride.
“My duty is to follow His Majestyās orders.”
“Tch. Youāre quite stiff,” the Count said, annoyed that Theodore wasnāt playing along.
Whether he meant to or not, Theodore had clearly frustrated him.
I secretly praised the serious knight in my mind. I didnāt need to say anything moreāTheodore had already done enough.
Then he added,
“Is that so? This is my first time guarding someone so beautiful, so I must be nervous.”
He even scratched his neck innocently, as if he had no idea what was going on.
The Count had basically said, Too bad sheās not pretty, but Theodore had answered by calling me beautiful. There was no way the Count could argue with that. His face twisted with anger.
“Sir Theodore, you speak well. Iām so full from the compliment, I might skip meals for a few days,” I said, smiling with pride.
“Isnāt that right, Count?”
The Count just snorted.
“You must be tired. Go rest.”
He forgot all about flirting with Lisa and stormed off to his room like a sulking child. It was funny to watch. It felt like I had won without lifting a finger.
I turned to look at Theodore, still smiling. He blinked, clearly not understanding what he had done.
“Sir Theodore.”
“Yes?”
“I have a feeling weāll get along well.”
He didnāt answer, but I hadnāt expected one. As I got ready to leave, Bell and Lisa came over to fix my outfit.
“Bell, please help Sir Theodore settle into his room.”
“Yes, madam.”
“Um, madam, I could assist the knight instead…” Lisa said quietly, looking up at me. But Bell pinched her arm, giving her a warning. Lisa flinched and shut her mouth.
It was disrespectful to complain about the lady of the houseās orders. She pouted but didnāt say anything else. She gently rubbed her armāshe didnāt want to get pinched again.
“See you tomorrow.”
“May the great one watch over Lady Carla tonight.”
Theodore bowed politely, then followed Bell into the mansion.
For some reason, I felt strange. Maybe it was his long, formal way of speakingāit made my arm feel tingly.
I didnāt leave the hallway until he disappeared into the darkness of the corridor.
The next morning, Theodore came to see me early.
It was just when Bell was fixing my hair. Theodore stood straight and politely asked how far he could enter the room.
He couldnāt go near the bed, but the vanity by the door was fine.
“Iāll wait nearby and match my schedule to yours,” he said seriously.
As expected of someone who guarded the king, he was very punctual. Still, seeing such a handsome man first thing in the morning wasnāt great for my mental health.
“I donāt wake up at a fixed time.”
“Then may I wait at your door until you wake?”
I had tried to politely say no, but this stubborn knight didnāt get it.
“Thatās too much,” I said directly.
Bell kept working on my hair while secretly glancing at Theodore through the mirror. He stood straight and only looked at meānot Bell, not the mirror.
“This isnāt the palace. His Majesty gave the order, but you donāt have to be so stiff.”
“Iām your guard, Lady Carla. I canāt be relaxed.”
Theodore was really rigid. I gave up trying to convince him and ordered him instead.
“Then only from sunrise to when I go to bed. You need to sleep too, right, holy knight?”
I was clearly teasing him, but Theodore just nodded seriously.
Poor Bell got dragged into it.
“Bell, letās have breakfast in the garden today.”
Bell paused for a moment but answered with a smile.
“Shall I bring a shawl? It might still be cold with morning dew.”
“Yes, and bring one for Sir Theodore as well.”
“Yes, madam.”
Theodore looked surprised.
“Lady Carla, guards donāt eat during their watch.”
“Why not?”
“We must stay alert. Eating could distract us.”
“Is that palace rule?”
“Yes.”
I stared at him through the mirror. Only then did Theodore realize what I was implying. He bowed his head.
Treating me like royalty was practically an act of treason. I wasnāt the king.
“I misspoke.”
“Like I said yesterday, our gardener is quite talented. The chef too.”
I smoothly changed the topic as if nothing had happened. I knew I was being difficult, but it was better to treat someone whoād follow me around all day with kindness. Theodore smiled with his eyes.
“Iām looking forward to it.”
His bright smile was like a flower blooming.
I couldnāt speak. My cheeks suddenly felt hot, and I quickly looked away.
I stood up abruptlyānot proper behavior, but better than showing him my red face.
Carla was a married woman. She shouldn’t admire a man like that.
Bell watched me, sensing that something had changed in my mood.
