“My Lady? Why are you eating so little today?”
In the early morning, as the night’s chill began to fade,
Ariel Elrond was having her breakfast, with just an hour left until the Grand Duchy’s Library opened.
At her maid’s question, Ariel’s face took on an apologetic expression.
“Oh, I meant to mention it earlier, but I’ve decided to have a light breakfast from now on. Sorry about that.”
“Really? Why?”
“Hehe, I don’t need to stuff myself anymore.”
“Is that so?”
“Actually, I ran into a classmate from the Royal Academy yesterday at the library.”
“Oh my!”
The maid, who looked to be about Ariel’s age, instantly perked up and sat down quickly across from her, her eyes wide with curiosity.
Those sparkling eyes were filled with a burning desire for a juicy story.
That classmate from the Royal Academy had to be one of the finalists in the Grand Duchy’s Betrothal Contest.
“W-Who did you meet, My Lady?”
“I met Elden Raphelion.”
“Whaat—?!”
The maid’s reaction was one of utter shock, as if she had seen a ghost.
And understandably so.
Unlike the other three candidates, whose reputations were decent, Elden Raphelion’s reputation was truly in the dumps.
He had openly flaunted his bad qualities unlike others who hid their malice behind a veneer of civility, making it perfectly reasonable for the maid to react with astonishment.
Among the maids who often debated the this year’s potential contest winners, Elden Raphelion had never once been mentioned.
The maid looked worried as she asked,
“Are you alright? You didn’t have some horrible encounter with him that’s left you unable to eat properly, did you?”
“No, no! If anything, thanks to Elden, I no longer feel the need to overeat!”
“What?”
“Elden invited me to have lunch together. In the Great Hall of the Grand Duchy!”
“R-Really? But why would he do that?”
“He mentioned that since he usually eats alone, we might as well eat together. Plus, he asked me to recommend some Pure Literature books, so I gave him a huge list!”
The maid perked up her ears.
Though this tale was hard to believe, it was still quite a revelation.
Even if Elden’s chances of winning were teetering at zero, he was still competing in the Betrothal Contest to win the heart of the Third Northern Duchess.
It didn’t quite add up for him to have a private lunch with another woman, especially in a bustling place like the Great Hall.
“My Lady, I think it might be better if you didn’t dine with Lord Elden…”
“Why? Because I shouldn’t overeat?”
“N-Nah, it’s not that. I’m just worried about the possible consequences with the Third Northern Duchess if she finds out you’re spending time with a finalist, My Lady.”
The maid’s genuine concern prompted a beaming smile from Ariel.
“Don’t worry about that.”
“Huh?”
“Elden withdrew from the contest.”
“W-What?!”
This morning, the maid was reeling from an onslaught of shocking news.
“Oh no! It’s almost time for the library to open. I have to go!”
Ariel sprang up and quickly gathered the books she had borrowed, hurrying out of her room.
Her steps were light and quick today, possibly due to not feeling bloated from overeating or perhaps because she was excited to hear Elden’s feedback on the novels she had recommended.
She felt anticipation,
About what his thoughts would be.
And anxiety,
About what his thoughts would be.
The mix of excitement and nervousness had her gliding over the damp streets of the Northern Regions.
Clatter-clack.
Ariel’s golden bun bounced cheerfully in the crisp morning air.
Arriving an impressive five minutes early, Ariel was the first to line up in front of the library.
She hurriedly exchanged the books she had read overnight, then picked out new ones and took her seat in the very spot she had promised to meet Elden.
Worried someone might steal her seat, she moved quickly.
“Hmm-hmmm~”
As Ariel hummed a cheerful tune softly, her feet tapping under the table, she began to read.
Glance—
Flip—
Glance—
Flip—
Glance—
With each turn of the page, her eyes wandered toward the entrance, making it hard to stay focused.
Considering her lack of sleep due to the anticipation, it was no surprise that she might not meet her reading goal if she kept this up. She began to slap her cheeks to regain focus.
There was no exact time they agreed upon.
Since they planned to have lunch together, it was natural to think Elden would arrive before then.
Thinking this helped Ariel concentrate on her reading, and she quickly became engrossed in the thrilling story until her head snapped up.
“…….”
The library that had been tranquil not long ago was now crowded with noise.
Distracted by her novel, she finally registered that it was lunchtime, and people were gathering.
Yet, there was still no sign of Elden.
Did he forget their agreement?
Or had something come up?
‘Ah… but he promised he would come…’
Her stomach, flat from just a light breakfast, began to grumble.
Ariel rubbed her empty stomach with a sigh.
Fortunately, her maid had packed two small rolls for her pocket before she left, thinking ahead in case of any unforeseen events.
Though they wouldn’t fill her up completely, they would stave off her hunger for a while.
‘Something must have happened…’
As lunchtime rolled around and Elden wasn’t there, Ariel slipped her hand into her pocket.
Cautiously checking her surroundings, she quickly covered her mouth with one hand and secretively popped one of the rolls into her mouth.
Although eating was acceptable in the library, the thought of eating alone felt a bit embarrassing.
Munch-munch.
As expected, Miya’s rolls were delicious.
Surely no one would notice her sneaking a snack, right?
Proud of her stealthy snacking skills, Ariel surveyed her surroundings with a satisfied look.
Ariel, acknowledging that she had been a perfect thief, looked around with a proud gaze.
As if her skills, honed since academy days, had not rusted one bit, that look of hers was indeed a boastful one.
And then, she spotted Elden approaching with his black hair fluttering in the breeze.
“Oh! Eld…!”
Gulp!
Ariel quickly clamped her hands over her mouth.
She almost choked on the bread she had been chewing.
She was just about to break into a huge grin.
She almost revealed how eagerly she had been waiting for him.
Knowing that could be a burden to him, Ariel hurriedly chewed and swallowed the bread and waved her hand with her other hand.
“Wow, you came?”
“Yeah. I got a bit late because I was reading the book you recommended yesterday.”
Finally, the moment had come.
The novel he promised to finish was [The Great Knight Order].
It was one of the top picks from her recommendations.
“…How was it?”
Ariel asked cautiously, her heart racing.
She was more thrilled about having a reading partner to share her thoughts on the book than simply having someone to eat with.
Hence, with a face as anxious as a drenched puppy, she waited for his response and thankfully, she could breathe a sigh of relief when his feedback didn’t change from yesterday.
“It was really fun! The truth is, I was late because I had to re-read the last volume.”
“Really!?”
Gulp!
In this space where silence was a must and loud voices were frowned upon, Ariel had to stifle her voice once more.
Today, it was tougher than usual to keep her instincts in check.
Elden smiled and began to share the scene that had impressed him.
“Especially at the end, when Lancelot tells the Duchess, ‘I’ll go ahead. Please take your time coming.’ before charging alone into the enemy camp. I almost cried. It hit me right in the feels.”
Ariel fervently nodded in agreement, trying her best to lower her voice as her excitement bubbled over.
“Oh! That scene, I remember it too! I was sobbing uncontrollably during that part. I knew you’d like it.”
“Do you happen to know another book similar to that one?”
“Of course! Should I recommend another one?”
If happiness could take form, it would definitely be Ariel’s face right now.
Like a fresh flower blooming, Ariel wore a bright smile and began to think of a list of books to recommend as fireworks went off in her head.
Then, she noticed a woman standing beside Elden.
“Uh?”
The woman stood diagonal behind Elden.
She wore a knight’s uniform that resembled her own spot in the academy days.
With black leather pauldrons on her shoulders and a crest indicating she was a noble guard, the overall aura she emanated was quite shadowy with her long brown leather boots and a brown cloak flowing down to her waist.
What drew attention was the contrast of her deep black eyes with her vibrant purple hair shining in the light.
It was striking.
Realizing she was Elden’s escort, Ariel, who hadn’t seen her yesterday, couldn’t help but ask.
“Who is…?”
“Oh, she’s my escort knight.”
“Escort?”
“Yeah. Rachel? Say hello! This is Lady Ariel Elrond from the Count Elrond’s family.”
At Elden’s introduction, Rachel stepped forward and bowed her head.
“It’s an honor to meet you, My Lady. I’m Rachel.”
“Oh… Nice to meet you. But…?”
Ariel had only ever met male escort knights before.
They were typically rugged, sporting rough beards and carrying distinct bodily scents.
There were a few female knights here and there, but they were just as burly and tough as their male counterparts.
Some even shaved their heads or donned fake beards to pass as men.
So seeing someone like Rachel was a new experience for her, and it reminded her of a character from a novel.
The character named ‘Rachel’ from [The Path Walked by the Purple Knight].
If categorized, it would be modern [Fanfiction].
From the physical description to the name, everything matched perfectly.
The story was about a female knight, and it had been popular among readers, especially women. For Ariel, who read it with deep admiration, this moment felt like meeting a celebrity.
“C-Could it be… You’re the Purple Knight, Rachel?”
Surprised by her question, Elden replied.
“Hm? Are you two acquainted?”
“N-No. It’s our first meeting. Or is it? Actually, in reality, this is our first meet.”
Rachel looked puzzled, staring at Ariel as if she were from outer space.
“Do you… know me? I believe this is our first time meeting today.”
“I know! I know you very well!”
“Huh?”
“You’re the Purple Knight, Rachel! The gallant warrior, the genius arcane knight, a lady skilled with every weapon, the hope for women, and the hero who rose to the top while being delicate in this rigid world! I’ve read the novel about your adventures three times already~”
“…Excuse me? There’s… a book about me?”
Rachel’s face went blank, realizing a biography about her had been published without her knowledge.
This was particularly interesting news to Elden.
A fanfic featuring his own escort knight as the protagonist.
This was just too good to resist.
“Ariel, is there a chance that book is here?”
“Yep! It’s in the Pure Literature section. Do you want to read it?”
“Absolutely.”
“Then I’ll go get it-!”
Ariel dashed off towards the Pure Literature section, her skirt flowing behind her as Rachel watched in a daze, unable to stop her.
“Oh… What’s she doing…?”
And then, all of a sudden,
Rachel felt a thrilling anticipation for today’s training session.
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