Guidelines for the Perfect Goodbye - Chapter 163
Nigel was still wearing his royal knight’s uniform, as if he had just come straight from the training grounds. Fortunately, he wasn’t carrying his sword, but he hadn’t managed to brush off the dirt and dust from his clothes either.
Given that he was from the Rosencrantz Marquisate, they likely would have let him in anyway. If only his clothes had been clean, they might have overlooked the uniform or whatever else he was wearing.
“No matter the circumstances, sir, in that attire…”
“It will only take a moment.”
Could he not have taken just a moment to change into proper clothes? The doorman, caught between a rock and a hard place, was sweating profusely.
The one who saved him from this predicament was none other than a member of the Rosencrantz family.
“Stop, Young Marquis.”
Ulysses, who had come down to the first floor, spotted Nigel and approached the main entrance.
“What kind of commotion is this in someone else’s house? You’re not usually one to be so reckless.”
Nigel, now blocked by Ulysses, curled his lips into a habitual sneer.
“It’s because something so reckless happened that I’m in a bit of a bind myself right now.”
“Is it urgent enough to ruin the party? Couldn’t it be resolved at least… outside?”
Nigel glared at him before turning his gaze toward the hall.
On a sofa below the staircase landing, Guinevere, who had been chatting with the other ladies, was looking in his direction, her face pale.
Guinevere is here, and this bastard Ulysses is here too.
‘That half-breed must still be inside the Duke’s mansion.’
Thankfully, he wasn’t too late. Though in his haste to arrive on time, he was now in attire that wasn’t suitable for entry.
Of course, he had his reasons.
Spring in the capital is chaotic. It’s the social season with parties happening everywhere, and it’s also the session season, with the regular assembly in full swing, making the royal palace bustling with activity.
With the presence of noblemen from the House of Lords and even commoners from the party in the palace, security had become several times more stringent than usual.
Spring is undoubtedly the busiest time of the year for the Royal Knights and their subordinate guards.
While everyone else is here laughing and toasting, they’re spending sleepless nights on patrols, preparing budgets to submit to the assembly.
When the spring flowers bloom, the knights sigh. To them, all those blooming flowers just mean more work.
A dreadful season like this, and Nigel had heard something even more dreadful.
And it was from his fiancée.
* * *
It was during a typical day when he had skipped meals and was busy reviewing overdue paperwork. He was drinking coffee like water when a lower-ranking knight approached him.
“Sir, you have a visitor.”
“A visitor?”
He asked, without putting down his pen.
“Is it a woman or a man?”
“A lady, sir.”
“Did she happen to be carrying anything?”
“Yes, she did have a basket with her, but…”
“Tell her to take it back with her.”
He said this while counting the number of cold weapons and armor he would need to purchase next year.
“But, sir…”
“Tell her that I don’t accept money or jewels either.”
Spring is also the time when the performance evaluations for the knights are conducted. Since promotions are decided by the upper ranks, Nigel, as the Vice Captain, often received requests during this time.
He sneered, guessing what might be inside the basket.
“One fool in our knight order is enough.”
“A fool, sir?”
“The one who only shows up when he feels like it.”
“Ah, Sir Christian…”
Christian had been a parting gift left to Nigel by the former Vice Captain. The man had retired in disgrace after taking bribes, but not before leaving a mess behind for Nigel to clean up.
Thanks to that, Nigel became the youngest Vice Captain, and as soon as he took the position, Christian joined the order.
Christian was already a senior knight when he joined. Seeing the traces of the disgraced predecessor’s actions daily, Nigel had resolved never to accept bribes, not even by mistake.
‘If I ever let in such an idiot willingly, I’ll change my surname…’
He was known for his strict, no-nonsense personality, so much so that he wouldn’t even share a meal with the families of the knights.
After Nigel firmly refused the meeting, the lower-ranking knight looked troubled and bowed his head.
“So, should I tell her you’re not available…”
“Wait, Sir Nigel.”
At that moment, a higher-ranking knight of noble birth who had arrived behind the lower knight spoke up.
“The woman this fool is talking about is your fiancée.”
“…Casey Heens?”
“Yes, Lady Heens, the Count’s daughter. She came because you’ve been too busy to meet with her lately.”
“…”
It was true that he had received a lot of letters. Since they were from his fiancée, he hadn’t burned them like the others, but he hadn’t had time to read them, so they had all piled up.
“Was that what she was asking for… a meeting?”
His relationship with Casey Heens was one of obligation. Due to family circumstances, they had ended up in an engagement, but both sides had clear boundaries, so they rarely crossed into each other’s territories.
But even though their families were forced to interact, there had never been a case where one side requested a private conversation like this.
