7 – A Blind Woman in the Eyes of Men (2)
Generally, the eldest son or daughter stays in the family to inherit the title. The second son or daughter takes up a position as an advisor, enters a monastery or convent, becomes a scholar, or joins the knighthood. This is to prevent unnecessary succession disputes that may arise if they were to remain on the estate.
However, if the eldest son or daughter is deemed unfit for inheritance, the head of the family can designate a separate successor. The Hohenburg Duke sent his eldest son off to become a government official
And Cain soon decided to quit, so he decided not to respect the same rank director. In fact, he hadn’t respected Godfrey before.
“Director Godfrey. You seem to have some free time?”
“We’ve finished our work. We’ve already filled our performance. We didn’t have to chase after one person until the end of the month like some others.”
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The members of the Second Division chuckled.
Arresting rogue knights was the top priority of the Security Bureau. But that didn’t mean Director Bernice assigned quotas to each department. Yet each division competed for performance by counting who had arrested more. It was a kind of pride fight.
The Security Bureau was like a gathering of self-proclaimed nobles. And nobles liked to show off. A noble who couldn’t explain their importance was as good as being in decline, which meant they were on the path to oblivion.
The Security Bureau shouldn’t reveal their noble status, but that nature itself didn’t change. After all, they had been educated as heirs of noble households. However, competition was something that couldn’t be done due to the nature of the Security Bureau, where each department did different tasks.
However, arresting rogue knights was a field where objective figures could prove competition.
“We caught six this month alone. Did the Fourth Division only catch one?”
Lily’s expression hardened. Cain snorted.
“Is it so proud to catch six hungry rogue knights who only eat a piece of bread every two days?”
“We’re smart. We don’t waste a month trying to catch one stupid rogue knight. We have to think about efficiency in relation to deployment.”
“That’s something you can say when the efficiency is the same.” Cain calmly accepted it. “The harm caused by one stupid rogue knight is bigger than the six knights you caught. And the reason you didn’t go after the rogue knight wasn’t because of performance, right?”
“What?”
“Weren’t you scared? If you’re so proud of your efficiency in relation to deployment, why didn’t you catch Gots when Director Bernice even put a bounty on him?”
“How much is that bounty?” Godfrey remained nonchalant. His thick chin trembled. “I don’t waste the Security Bureau’s budget like some others. I don’t dare to beat knights with a stick like a bastard. Ah, I guess you don’t know about that dignity because you’re from the commoners?”
Cain stopped walking. He couldn’t just let that comment slide.
“That guy is a knight?”
“Gots von Haringen is a knight. He even established a martial art. He wasn’t stripped of his knighthood. He was a noble since birth and acted like a knight. And the Security Bureau isn’t a group that catches livestock or uses swords, but beats them with sticks?”
“Why. Is that a problem?”
“It’s a problem,” Godfrey sang solo. “Rumors that the fourth-ranking Cain supervisor doesn’t use a sword, I don’t believe it. In reality, is it because he lacks confidence that he can’t use it?”
Cain thought he shouldn’t get excited and ended up making a mistake. He bit his lip. Seeing Cain’s reaction, Godfrey smirked and went further.
“Or perhaps, is it still because of that incident in the East long ago that you’re afraid to draw a sword?”
The guys from the second division laughed while grabbing their bellies. Cain smiled, but the veins in the hand holding the staff bulged.
“The knife used for hunting dogs and the knife used for cattle are different. In that sense, Duke Wilhelm Hohenburg is truly wise. Parents find it difficult to be objective about their own children. He saw through the eldest son’s talent accurately, truly wise.”
In response to the suggestion that he’s more suited for street brawls than being a regional ruler, Godfrey naturally tried to step forward. The guys from the second division held him back and whispered something in his ear.
“Are you resigning?”
Godfrey looked at Cain with vacant eyes.
“Yes, I’m leaving.”
“I thought you’d hold on until you meet your doom. It’s quite an honor for a commoner like you. I’ll advise you, don’t act as recklessly outside as you do now. Your neck will be on the line immediately. If you can’t even use a sword, it’ll be even worse, won’t it?”
Cain ignored him disdainfully. Since Lily didn’t follow, he subtly pulled her arm. His face was unusually rigid.
“The fourth division will be fine now. Where can a commoner like you grab a supervisor position? Where can a lady beat up and get sponsorship, huh?”
Lily regained her breath. “Hey, what are you doing?” Ignoring Cain’s words, she turned around and walked away. The guys from the second division were still laughing.
“Godfrey, second division supervisor.”
“Oh, right. Lily, Agent.”
Lily politely took something out of her pocket. It was a white handkerchief. Before the second division agents could even stiffen their faces, it was thrown at Godfrey’s feet.
“I challenge you to a duel according to the Empire’s duel regulations.”
The second division agents opened their mouths wide, frozen. Lily calmly explained the procedure.
“According to Imperial Decree No. 33, you may hire someone to fight on your behalf. You can separately determine the time, method, procedure, and rules of the duel by agreement. Also…”
“Hey, hey, hey! Hold on. A duel challenge? From you? To me?” Godfrey waved his hand.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because you insulted our department and the security bureau. Calling a commoner ‘a brat’ sitting in an executive position and saying ‘hit the lady of the house and take her place’ is not only an insult to Director Kain but also a disgrace to the superiors who appointed him to that position and a mockery of the reputation of the Fourth Division as a whole. I cannot let it go unanswered.”
Godfrey’s face contorted. Lily tried to continue speaking calmly. If it weren’t for Kain whispering next to her, she might have done so.
“K-Kain… No.”
“No, Lily.” Lily’s expression was resolute. “He is still my superior. I can’t just…”
“No. It doesn’t meet the requirements for a duel under Imperial Decree No. 33.”
“What?”
Lily was genuinely taken aback. Kain wanted to smack his own forehead.
“Harming the honor of the imperial family, affiliated noble houses, or individuals is a valid reason for a duel, but insulting a public institution’s honor doesn’t make you a duel target. So, as irritating as that dog’s barking about the Fourth Division’s honor and the superiors may be, it doesn’t meet the requirements for a duel.”
Lily seemed lost, not knowing where to look. Fortunately, both Godfrey and the Second Division guys were focused on Kain’s words, so it seemed they were just as clueless.
“It’s better that they don’t know.” Kain sighed in relief. “No one wants to duel over something like this.”
“No, damn it.” Godfrey, who had finally grasped the situation, spat out in frustration. Kain chuckled.
“Don’t be so thankful, Godfrey. It’s a duel with a beloved one from the White Knights. It’s an honor too great for you, isn’t it?”
A duel with his second daughter, born into a family of knights who staked their lives on their swords. It would be difficult to win, but if he could cut even a single strand of Lily’s hair, it would be a problem for Godfrey.
Of course, duels were about the parties’ understanding and obeying the results, but that was a matter of principle and legal logic. The scales of the heart were not so rational.
So, Cain’s words meant that the masked White Knights could conveniently tweak the Honenburg Duchy’s proclamation. If their child, who had already been offered from the household, had a dispute with the national hero’s household, the Honenburg Duke would have had his hands full.
That was what Kain meant. Seizing the moment of confusion among the Second Division guys, Kain discreetly grabbed Lily and pulled her away. If Godfrey was going to be humiliated, he would be the one to bear it, and he could hide Lily’s embarrassment. Kain picked up Lily’s handkerchief for her.
“Let’s go. It’s too late.”
“…Yes.”
However, the Duke of Hohenburg’s insight was truly accurate. Godfrey couldn’t suppress his nature.
“Because the commander is stubborn, the subordinates are also stubborn. Didn’t I say? The intelligence of subordinates can’t surpass the intelligence of the commander.”
It was impossible to ignore the openly heard words from behind. Both Cain and Lily stopped in their tracks.
“Yes. That’s an insult to you personally, enough for a duel.”
Lily snatched a handkerchief from Cain’s grip. Godfrey, realizing his mistake, turned pale.
“Second Commander Godfrey, a duel…!”
Trum-trum-trum!
The piercing sound of trumpets echoed in the park.
Lily pulled Cain’s hand. Women hurriedly brought children. People enjoying a picnic stood up. Servants hastily set up carriages by the roadside, and knights dismounted from their horses.
Trum-trum-trum! Along with the sound of hooves, a knight in golden armor appeared on the other side of the park. A member of the Imperial Guard.
“Show respect! Show respect!”
Everyone, including Cain, lined up by the road. The disrespectful Second Department guys were no exception. It was a law that they couldn’t dare to look directly at the sun.
Trum-trum-trum!
Everyone knelt. Those who couldn’t kneel sat down. Even the noisy children were startled and silenced.
However, curiosity is always powerful. People subtly raised their heads and opened their eyes. A large and fierce warhorse was visible. On the saddle, a goblet with a delicate engraving was drawn, and the liquid inside was so full that it overflowed.
The Holy Grail Knights. The emblem of the knights of the clergy. And it was strange. Why did the Holy Grail Knights pass after the Imperial Guard? The knights of the clergy are only affiliated with the clergy and the Pope, not the Emperor.
If you think about the relationship where the Pope and the Emperor torture each other with smiles on their faces, it’s even more bizarre. But imagination stops there.
When a rather dull-looking knightly order passed, a procession of knights, dazzlingly splendid, followed. But the background color was crimson.
A color allowed only for the Emperor and the Imperial family. Even the most curious couldn’t lift their heads. Curiosity is important, but life is more important than curiosity.
When the procession suddenly stopped, everyone was confused and embarrassed. ‘My knees hurt to death.’ ‘How long should I bow my head? Why aren’t they going?’
Cain also grumbled inwardly. Before someone tapped him on the shoulder. He was a royal guard with a magnificent mustache.
The guard signaled for Cain to rise. Another guard helped Lily to her feet. The guard pointed to Cain and Lily, then to himself. It was a signal to follow in silence.
It was a massive carriage pulled by six specially chosen horses. It was adorned with gold and filled with dazzling jewels. The inscription on the carriage door depicted a double-headed eagle, with the left head dead and the right one holding its head high. It wore a crown, held the king’s orb in one talon, and a sword in the other.
The windows were open but the curtains were drawn. A woman’s silhouette could be seen behind them.
“Guardian.”
A bitter voice accompanied it.
“I distinctly recall discussing the burden of excessive precedents.”
“His Majesty’s orders.”
“Is my brother’s word frightening and mine amusing?”
“…Not at all.”
A clear laughter. The carriage door opened. Astonishingly, the lady herself opened the door. A petite woman in her mid-forties. But she possessed the beauty of a twenty-year-old, the composure of a forty-year-old, and the gaze of a sixty-year-old woman.
“No, let’s dispense with formality. Both of you, get in. Right away.”
There was a slight struggle. The guardian pointed to Cain’s briefcase and cane. Cain attempted to offer them politely, but the lady pressed her finger against his forehead.
“I’m quite sure I said ‘right away.’ Just get in with them.”
The guardian forcibly pushed the two into the carriage.
When Cain’s briefcase slipped from his side, Lily swiftly picked it up. She clutched it against her body like a hen protecting her eggs. Then she turned away from Cain’s bewildered gaze. The lady irritably closed the door, and only then did they seem to relax.
“During my father’s time, people didn’t seem like this. Has the world slowed down, or have I become impatient?”
Neither Cain nor Lily could easily answer. The lady asked slyly,
“Or perhaps even my disciples now find the royal court amusing? Cain. Is that what they call you now? What do you think?”
“I humbly greet you, Your Highness.”
“You seem to have lost your touch. You’re getting old too.” The woman chuckled as if finding it amusing. “You used to call me ‘master’, didn’t you? It would be better if you addressed me by my official title now.”
“Understood… Professor.”
“Now we can have a more relaxed conversation.” The woman tilted her head. “And, um. You still go by Lily, right?”
“Yes!”
“That way of speaking hasn’t changed even after graduation. Could it be because of Cain’s unbearable influence?”
“No, it’s not!”
The delicate lady opposite them adjusted her silk dress and picked up a fan, lightly poking Cain’s knee.
“Aren’t you being too harsh on the cute and lovely child, Cain?”
Cain chuckled quietly.
Professor of history at the Imperial Academy, wife of a minister, sister of the emperor. And traitor, Anna Commodus.
* * * * *
The procession passed by. People scattered. A subordinate from the Second Division asked the officer.
“The lady who was scolded by the Fourth Officer…”
Godefrey glared at the subordinate with livid eyes. The subordinate fell silent. Fortunately, Godefrey redirected his hatred towards the receding procession.