(Alexandra POV)
The yard was still, except for the tension left behind. I watched the nobles leave, their gazes sharp as daggers aimed at Ophelia's back. They masked their disdain with forced composure, but the air around them was heavy with resentment.
Lord Auric, practically carried by his knights, winced with each step toward the carriage. My hand instinctively brushed the hilt of my sword as I watched, but I stayed silent. This wasn't my moment to intervene.
Ophelia stood still, spear slack in her grip. The tension around her was gurgling, though no one else seemed to notice. Her eyes dropped to her hands, staring at them as if she didn't recognize her own skin. I saw the faintest tremor ripple through her fingers before she turned on her heel and walked toward the mansion, tossing the spear aside.
I stepped forward, speaking to the Holy Knights nearby. "Resume your training. I'll check on her." They nodded, returning to their drills with Edwin leading them while I followed Ophelia inside.
It didn't take long to find her. I heard the unmistakable sound of retching from her private bathroom. My gut tightened as I rushed to the door, banging on it with the side of my fist.
"Ophelia, are you alright?" The heaving stopped, but there was no reply. Instead, the sound of running water filled the silence.
Seconds later, the door opened, and she stood there, her face calm and composed, though she looked pale under the soft light. "I'm fine," she said calmly, but I didn't believe her for a second.
"That was a nasty hit you took earlier. It must've been bad if it had you throwing up," I pressed, crossing my arms.
She avoided my gaze, brushing past me before saying, "Solar plexus. And I'm still feeling the flower's effects from last night. Showing off wasn't my best idea." She dropped onto the edge of her bed, her movements slower than usual.
I followed her, biting back a response. She was lying, I knew it. There were no tells—she'd perfected the art of deception—but something in me screamed that she wasn't being honest. It wasn't logic but instinct, honed from the little time I had known her.
Quietly, I moved to sit beside her. She had turned her face away, but I didn't push her for answers. Instead, I began stroking her hair, humming softly. Her body tensed at first, but as my fingers traced gentle patterns, I saw her eyes soften, a flicker of light breaking through the steel she kept so carefully guarded.
She grabbed my hand suddenly, her grip firm but not harsh. Lifting it to her lips, she pressed a gentle kiss to my knuckles before exhaling deeply. "Thank you… Alex."
I reached for her again as she moved to stand, pulling her back onto the bed. "No. You're not going anywhere."
"I need to get back to work," she said, her voice low but insistent. "There's too much to plan. Variables I still need to calculate for—"
I held her firmly against my chest, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "Relax. Just for an hour. How many hours of sleep have you had this week?"
She hesitated, which was enough of an answer already. "About three per night. Maybe twelve in total."
I frowned. "Baby, that's not enough. Close your eyes. You need this."
She let out a long, drawn-out sigh of surrender, and before long, her breathing slowed, signaling she'd fallen asleep. It was so instant, a soft smile couldn't help but cross my lips as I helped her under the covers, brushing a strand of silver hair from her face. "I love you," I whispered, then stood and left the room.
Veronica, the maid, was waiting outside. As I shut the door behind me, I glanced at her and ordered, "Wake her in two hours."
She tilted her head, frowning. "But you promised the Mistress only one hour. She will not be pleased."
I turned, letting my gaze sweep across the hall before locking onto hers. "A harmless lie won't hurt her. It's for her own good." My tone left no room for argument, but Veronica didn't back down entirely. Her glare lingered, though I caught the faint tremor in her hands.
"I know who you are, Veronica," I said, stepping closer, my voice lowering. "I know exactly what you've done in your past."
Her eyes flickered with a hint of anger, though she didn't respond.
"You have betrayed a lot of people to get to where you are now… but if you ever try one of your stunts now, I won't hesitate to end you. Do you understand? The only reason Ophelia doesn't deal with you now is because you're insignificant to her goals. You're only here because you are useful, not necessary. I hope you remember that."
Veronica stiffened, her glare faltering as she nodded silently. Without another word, I turned on my heel, walking down the hall as the sound of her ragged breaths faded behind me.
The yard buzzed with quiet murmurs as I returned to the courtyard, where the other Holy Knights were discussing Ophelia's display from earlier. Their strikes against training dummies and clashing swords were sharp, yet their conversations continued to carry on.
"She's something else with that spear," one of them said, wiping sweat from her brow.
"She's not bad with a longsword either, but… it doesn't feel as natural," another chimed in.
Just as I had resumed my training, I paused mid-swing and leaned against my blade. "When I first started training her with the longsword," I began, "she already had a strong foundation. Her movements told me she was originally trained with a long weapon which I assumed to be a spear. It made me wonder why she switched weapons." My voice trailed off as I glanced toward the estate. "But she's never explained, and it's not my place to question."
The group nodded in agreement, but one of them spoke up. "Well, you're close to her now. The two of you are essentially on equal grounds now… so, can't you ask? Just to satisfy our curiosity? Surely you're curious as well, right?"
I crossed my arms, considering. "I'll try, but if it's too personal, I won't push. Some things aren't meant to be shared." That seemed to appease them, and we returned to training.
Later that evening, just as the session ended, a faint, ragged sound came from outside the estate gates. Captain Edwin raised a hand to halt the group, then strode forward to investigate. I followed a few paces behind, curious yet cautious. As Edwin reached the gates, his figure stiffened.
"By God…" he murmured, bending to lift the figure slumped against the gate.
It was a woman—barely clinging to life. Her body was a patchwork of burns and lacerations. The scorch marks were unmistakably the result of holy magic, while the slashes suggested a variety of weapons. Blood seeped into her tattered clothes, her breaths shallow.
It was Tridra.
"Get her inside!" Edwin barked. Several knights moved swiftly, lifting her carefully and carrying her toward the estate.
I followed but stopped short just inside the gates. A chill ran through me as I crouched behind one of the stone pillars, suppressing my presence as best as I could. My heartbeat slowed, my breathing controlled, and I melted into the shadows. Moments later, faint voices drifted in from beyond the gates.
"Fuck… she escaped…" one whispered, anger lacing her tone between ragged breaths of exhaustion.
"Dammit," another just sighed.
"Stegertath isn't gonna be happy about this," a third said firmly. Their voices faded as they left, their words lingering in my mind.
Once I was certain they were gone, I slipped back into the estate, heading straight for Ophelia's quarters. The door was slightly ajar, and inside, I found her standing over the large map of the Empire, scattered with notes and scribbles. Her silver hair shimmered under the soft candlelight, her focus unbroken as she jotted down another mark on a piece of scrap paper.
Without a word, I approached her from behind, wrapping my arms around her waist. I pressed a kiss to her neck, and she turned slightly, her sharp silver eyes meeting mine.
"So she finally came back, huh?" she said softly.
"You knew?" I asked, my lips curving into a small smile.
"Of course." Her voice was steady, but there was a faint edge of something unspoken. "I didn't expect much from sending her out, but I needed her to confirm with what her eyes could see. Her past is severed now. Nobody survived. She will be… well… quite upset obviously."
"Will she still be useful, then?" I asked.
Ophelia's eyebrow twitched as she turned to face me fully, slightly surprised at my words. "Such a harsh thing to say, Alex." Her tone was calm, but her gaze pierced through me.
I held her gaze. "From what you've told me, risks like her are dangerous to keep around. Unlike your servants, she holds real power. She even managed to spy on the council undetected. Her charm magic isn't something to underestimate."
Ophelia's lips curved into a faint chuckle as she leaned in, her lips brushing against mine in a small peck. "I appreciate your concern," she whispered with a warm smile. "But she won't shatter from this. She'll bend, Alex, not break."
I exhaled as she stepped back, my hand lingering on her arm. She returned her attention to the map, her focus unwavering.
I wrapped my arms around Ophelia again from behind, resting my chin on her shoulder. Her body tensed for a moment, but she didn't resist. "Let's do something tonight," I whispered, letting my lips brush her ear before placing a gentle kiss there.
"Is that why you ordered for Veronica to wake me in two hours, not one? Did you want to get me riled up?"
"Hmmm… maybe~" I whispered.
"Unfortunately, I quite enjoyed that nap."
"A shame," I chuckled.
Her sharp silver eyes flicked to the map, then to me. She didn't reply, just giving me that faint smile of hers. I took it as permission and left her to her plotting, shutting the door softly behind me.
I then walked to the infirmary.
It was dimly lit, with long rows of clean hospital beds lining the walls. Soft glowing orbs floated near the ceiling, providing a warm, steady light. Two healers, both humans in simple robes, moved quickly from bed to bed. One stopped briefly to wash her hands in a basin, while the other adjusted a Holy Knight's bandages. Their faces were tired but focused.
"Can't you be any safer when training?" The human healer jokingly slapped the Holy Knight on his muscular arm.
"This was the safest we could be. Any safer and we wouldn't get anything out of the training," He chuckled in response.
I lightly shook my head with a smile at their banter before glancing at one of the nearby beds. Tridra sat propped up against the wall on her bed, her violet eyes dull and empty. The healers had done their work—her injuries were gone, but the weight of what had happened clearly hadn't left her. I let out a soft sigh, pulling a chair from one of the healer's desks and sitting beside her bed.
"Do you want to talk about it?" I asked, keeping my tone calm but gentle.
Her fists clenched, her knuckles turning white, but the tension released as quickly as it appeared. Her shoulders sagged as if the exhaustion of everything had finally caught up to her. She scanned the room quickly, her eyes darting before they landed on me. There was a flicker of anger in them, but it melted away as she suddenly lunged forward, pressing her face against my shoulder.
"They're dead," she muttered, her voice breaking. "All of them."
I exhaled, placing a hand on her back. Ophelia was right. Tridra wasn't broken. She was hurt, but not shattered. I let her cry, feeling the dampness of her tears soak into my still sweaty tight black undershirt. For a moment, I simply held her, waiting for the storm to pass.
When she pulled back, she collapsed back against the bed, throwing her arm over her eyes. Her breaths came in shaky gasps. I opened my mouth to speak, but she beat me to it.
"I was so stupid," she muttered, her voice thick with self-loathing. "I put on such a strong front in front of Ophelia, but when it came to the actual task... I failed miserably."
"It hasn't even been a day and you ended up in this state… what exactly happened?" I asked gently.
Her hand dropped slightly, revealing her tired eyes. "I… I… fuck I'm so stupid…" She paused for a bit before continuing. "I went to a guild connected to the Black Trumpet. They gave me a lead—said they knew where some survivors were. I should have known better. Should have known they'd sell me out. But I was too anxious, too desperate to see them again. When I got there, I was ambushed by Holy Knights. I barely escaped." Her voice cracked. "Because escaping… it's the only thing I'm good at."
I shook my head, leaning forward. "You're good at much more than that. Just because you're a spy doesn't make you any less valuable."
She let out a sharp, mocking laugh, sniffling as she wiped her nose. "Did Ophelia put you up to this? To cheer me up?"
I hesitated, then chose honesty. "No. I'd be lying if I said I didn't have other motives. I want to know what happened, and yes, I might need information from you, but I also can't stand to see someone like you fall apart. Someone so promising. Ophelia said you wouldn't break, and I believe her. But as a knight—someone who has fought to protect others—I feel it's my duty to help you, too."
She cracked open her lips, but I soon drooped my head as well with her muttering, "You…"
I then said something again. "Actually… I lied. I don't feel the need to protect others because I am a knight. I feel the need to protect others because that is what I want to do. Say whatever about how corny it is, but I truly believe in this fact."
Once again, her gaze softened, and a quiet sob escaped her. She pressed her arm over her eyes again, tears leaking through as her body trembled.
"I want to be a better person, Miss Holy Knight. I really do. I don't want to harm anybody else, yet... I can't stop failing lately. I hate it, Miss Holy Knight... I really do..." She sobbed.
"Maybe it is because you had such a perfect record before... but failure is something normal," I paused for a moment, letting out a small breath. "I had a mentor when I was training to become a Holy Knight. He was a great person. I failed a lot. It's not something so cliche where I was at the bottom of the class and rose to the top... no, I was average. Very average, so I still failed, over and over, but never succeeded enough to really shine. However, the reason I was still able to keep going was because of these words my late mentor said to me: Intelligence is the basis of growth and growth is the foundation of success. So do not fear failure. Fear yourself giving up after that failure."