"Sir Lionel, is it really true that the lady's soul had changed?"
"How was it talking to her?"
"Did she say her name?"
"What's her name, Captain?"
"She looks nicer and kind..."
Lionel was annoyed at the barrage of questions coming from his fellow knights. How many days has it been?
Right. A week.
Ever since his lord passed by the training ground followed by the lady, their mouths seemed to not cease in asking him about her. The amount of time he spent with her was only that time after the battle at Omun. But these fools kept thinking that the two of them had become closer.
This was because every time the lady would pass by on her way to the stable, she would constantly flash a smile and wave her hand at him. Doing that, she really appears very differently to the former owner of her body, so the knights have become quite curious about her. Yet they were all still hesitant and uncomfortable to approach her.
Moreover, the lady seems to only step out of her room to spend time with her horse. After that day, he hasn't seen his grace and the lady together again. Perhaps because his lord had been too busy these past days. A letter arrived from the palace addressed to him and ever since then, the lord kept asking his younger sister to open a portal for transportation every day.
"Captain, answer us!"
Lionel picked up the sword and aimed it at the knights' throwing tantrums at his silence.
"Defeat me and I will answer one of your questions." He declared.
His men gruntled at his announcement. They were probably feeling fed up with his declaration since he would always suggest it to shut their mouths. He was not someone to run his mouth, so he refused to tattle about a person without the subject's permission.
Upon his words, all knights scattered while murmuring unintelligible words. Who would dare to challenge their captain, when he wasn't even second in command if there was someone stronger than him? They just accepted the obvious refusal of their captain and continued with their own exercises.
Lionel put down his sword and slumped on his usual seat at the training grounds. He noticed a few servants from the open hallway of the mansion stopping in their tracks, and then whispering with each other after. When the posture of a familiar lady emerged behind a column, he already understood why.
Walking unbothered by the murmurs around her, the lady just threw side glances at them and rolled her eyes. She continued to walk casually, her plaid dress swaying at each step, and her long black hair was tied in a single braid. Some strands of her hair are loose on the sides, escaping and falling freely on her face. Reaching a certain point, the lady stopped and glanced his way, and upon meeting his eyes, she casually raised and waved her hand which he only answered with a nod. The lady would continue on her way after.
When the image of her disappeared from his sight, a bout of gasps and over-dramatic shrieks emerged from his side. Looking in that direction, the knights are staring at him with wide-open mouths and bulging eyes. They would then throw him the same questions he kept avoiding answering.
Lionel massaged his temple and breathed a heavy sigh. He then picked up his sword and suggested the same thing again.
He yelled, "I told you if you want an answer, defeat me first!"
The knights fell surprisingly quiet, and their expressions turned stunned and flabbergasted.
'Did I go too far?', he thought to himself, seeing how his men looked dumbfounded.
"Does the same apply to me too?"
Suddenly, a soft voice came from behind. A voice that he clearly remembers who belongs to.
His body froze instantly. And realizing the reason behind the knights' current reactions was actually her. He whipped his head and saw the lady standing a few meters behind him. Her usual smile was plastered on her face, and behind her was a maid.
Lionel cleared his throat and asked in a baffled tone. "What....are you doing here...lady Mona?"
The lady smiled and answered, "Nyx was being groomed right now, I wanted to help but the horse groom refused."
"Nyx?"
"Ah, the name of the black horse his grace gave me."
"I.....see." Lionel scratched his head and answered her former question. "Why would you ask if that applies to you, too? Is there something Lady Mona wanted to know?"
The lady fell silent. Her eyes looked down and she seemed to think of what her answer was. Even the knights obviously eavesdropping on his side are waiting for her.
Lady Mona sighed and looked at him, then inquired in a small voice. "Do you know what the lord has been doing these days?", she lightly scratched the tip of her nose and continued, "I already asked Sandra, but she had no idea. I just felt like the matter was about me since the letter he received before was about my official registration."
Lionel furrowed his eyebrows and wondered why the lady had to ask him, instead of the lord's attendant, Sir Marcus Nerville.
"You were the only person I could talk to aside from her, so...." The lady added, pointing at the maid behind her.
Of course, that could be it. Seeing that the servants were refusing to approach and even talk to her.
Lionel felt pity for the woman's situation. She was being treated with animosity, ignored, and a constant subject of gossip and unpleasant murmurs when she was already a different person. Her calm and collected attitude towards these instances is truly impressive. She seems to not pay too much attention to nonsensical matters and only focuses on what is significant.
Relieved of her inquiry, he answered, "I apologize, lady. But even I don't know the exact details of his grace's matters."
"Oh..., of course."
He felt troubled that the lady appeared dejectedly. But he can't disclose his master's business to anyone. In fact, Lionel was aware of the reason, the Grand Duke was actually busy further investigating the matters of the missing magic stones with the archmage and the marquess. And he also knew the reason why his lord was keeping the lady out of it.
He coughed and changed the subject instead. "If you have nothing to do, lady Mona, then you can just watch us train." He proclaimed, which he also regretted saying right away.
The knights were shocked at his words, and some even dropped their swords unconsciously. Few are throwing him an accusing glance. He could feel their awkwardness, but he thought it was too late to take back his words.
Above all, the lady's eyes sparkled in excitement and was obviously anticipating the moment. She then walked forward closely and bowed politely.
"Hello, my name is Mona. Please, let me train with you." Her words were delivered with a soft voice, that the knights were quite taken aback and immediately bowed at her too.
Their voices overlapped one another, and chatters became louder. They were all excited and could not believe what just happened. Probably thinking it was entirely impossible for the original lady to bow and introduce herself to them in that kind of manner. And entirely discarding the implications of her words.
Only the captain, Lionel, seemed surprised upon realizing her sentence.
Raising his hand to stop the noises, he replied carefully and in a serious tone, "Lady Mona, training with us will be quite difficult. Our knights' routines are not ordinary."
The knights were baffled at his words, but when they remembered the lady's introduction, they all gaped and looked at her in confusion.
"What was that?"
"Training with us, she said..."
"Pfft. How could a lady say that...?"
Lionel glared at the direction of the knights who spoke those words, and answered angrily, "This lady was the reason you're all alive today."
His voice thundered in the training ground, and all the knights fell in silence.
How could they have forgotten?
Standing in front of them was the woman who showed up and defeated a demon. Although they weren't able to witness it with their own eyes, they still could feel the foreboding and ominous aura approaching them that time. And even before then, they saw her clutching a sword with her wounded arm.
Lionel glanced at her arm to check if the wound had completely healed, but the sleeves of her clothes hid her arm.
"Besides, we cannot accept you without the permission of the lord." He added.
The lady frowned, and answered, "I won't be a nuisance."
"I am not implying that you will be, lady Mona."
"Sir Captain, I'm pretty good at handling swords. Besides, the Grand Duke knew how I used to train with the holy knights. So, he'll understand."
"Still, I can't allow you to...."
"Then I won't disturb your routines or join your exercises. Just allow me to visit and train here by myself." She insisted.
Lionel was speechless. He can't seem to think of another reason to refuse her. Besides, looking at the lady showing an expectant expression on her face, he thought that he could no longer deny her.
Begrudgingly, he nodded.
The lady squealed triumphantly. And flashed a wide and genuine smile at them. Even some of the knights behind him yelled cheerfully upon his approval. He thinks that this could be an opportunity for the lady to interact with other people and show herself. But his mind was now occupied with what the Grand Duke's reaction would be.
He sighed helplessly and looked at the maid standing behind the lady.
How nice it could be to be so unbothered of everything just like her, he thought.
As if sensing a patronizing gaze, the maid met his eyes and raised her eyebrows. He immediately averted his eyes and rested it on the elated lady.
Lionel could see the knighthood getting an earful from the lord if the lady was to get hurt, or they might even receive worse from his grace if the lady was to...
But what he can only do right now is to rub his aching temple, and to physically and mentally prepare himself.