On his way back to the mansion, Tale felt irritated because his sweat-soaked clothes clung uncomfortably to his skin. He had already trained the knights to stay on high alert, so lining them up under the scorching sun annoyed him even more.
As he greeted the servants with a nod and entered the mansion smoothly, he tried to complain to Rail through the communication channel.
“Hey, you slug. Since you’re so slow, I had no choice but to—”
[Hang up.]
“What?”
Tale stopped in his tracks, staring at the device in disbelief at the abrupt response.
“This bastard.”
[A knight should have more patience. Just wait a little longer.]
“What’s keeping you so busy? Tell me.”
[The master is with Countess Buell.]
So what? Tale immediately frowned. Was it an important conversation? As he pondered, Rail’s shocking words hit his eardrums.
[Since you’re at the mansion now, it’s time you found out. The master has feelings for the Countess. I don’t want to disturb their time together, so just be patient for a little longer.]
Tale’s face slowly twisted in disbelief.
Had Rail lost his mind? The master had indeed shown rare mercy to Countess Buell, but not long ago, she was someone he had considered executing. The only reason she was forgiven was that she was Lady Lilien’s close friend. There couldn’t be any deeper feelings beyond that.
In fact, when Tale had previously mentioned something he had seen in the vineyard, his workload had increased significantly.
‘What nonsense.’
Irritated, Tale ended the call and asked the servants where Rail was. Soon, he spotted him standing in the second-floor hallway with his arms crossed. His anger flared.
‘That bastard—so he’s been slacking off here the whole time?’
As soon as that thought crossed his mind, Tales cowled and strode toward him. Rail, noticing Tale, widened his eyes, glanced at the terrace, and quickly approached him.
‘What’s with that overreaction?’
Curious, Tale glanced toward the terrace and was stunned.
There, he saw his master’s broad, bare back. Nestled against him was a head of red hair.
“What the—mph!”
Just as he pointed and tried to speak, Rail covered his mouth. With a silent gesture to keep quiet, Rail dragged him into the shadows.
“Pwah!”
Tale shoved Rail’s hand away and spat in disgust. Wiping his mouth with a look of disgust, he glared at Rail.
“What the hell are you doing?”
“You idiot. You saw it too. Don’t get yourself in trouble with the master. Just stay quiet.”
“Hah! Do you really think the master is interested in that woman? And even if he were, you of all people shouldn’t be saying such nonsense about Countess Buell—she tried to kill you!”
“She’s not as bad as you think.”
“What? What are you—”
“Rail? Rail?”
Hearing Etricia’s voice from the hallway, both men froze. Rail quickly dusted off his clothes, straightened his expression, and stepped out, perfectly imitating a dignified butler.
Tale scoffed at his act but said nothing. Before leaving with Etricia, Rail shot Tale a warning glance, gesturing with two fingers to his own eyes—”I’m watching you.”
After Rail and Etricia left for the annex, Tale scratched the back of his head and stepped into the hallway.
‘For a moment, Rail’s words almost shook me. But no, that was definitely nonsense…’
Then, he felt a chilling presence behind him and flinched.
Edmund was standing there, hands in his pockets, staring at him with an icy gaze.
“Wh-what is it?”
Without a word, Edmund kept staring at him, then abruptly turned away.
“Stay out of my sight for a while.”
With that, he clicked his tongue in annoyance.
Tale instantly understood—he had somehow angered the master.
The previous evening, when he had returned and greeted the master, he had at least received a nod in response. Now, things were different.
Tale racked his brain.
‘What did I do wrong?’
As he followed the master to the training grounds, he tried to figure it out. But when they arrived, he almost fainted.
The master, who never spared a glance at the sighing noblewomen in the capital, who had dismissed even the advances of a princess from the western kingdom, was now…
Helping Countess Buell down a short flight of stairs.
He even walked closely behind her, as if protecting her from tripping on the dirt and sand.
Arriving before the knights, the master casually acknowledged their presence, then positioned himself right behind Etricia like a personal bodyguard.
Tale rubbed his eyes.
He wasn’t the only one in shock. The knights exchanged confused glances.
The master’s gaze toward Etricia was… unusually soft.
Sensing the knights’ bewilderment, Etricia hesitated.
“Um, Sir? I think the knights are confused about our positions. Wouldn’t it be better if you stepped forward?”
“It’s fine. Please continue.”
“…Alright.”
At Edmund’s firm response, Etricia reluctantly nodded and addressed the knights. She explained that she needed their measurements and individual consultations for business purposes.
The knights murmured among themselves.
“Measurements? Consultations? Is she starting a jewelry business?”
But the biggest mystery was still the relationship between their master and Countess Buell.
The more perceptive knights exchanged knowing looks.
“Are you listening to me?”
Etricia’s words went unheard as the knights kept whispering. Then, all at once, they fell silent.
Edmund, standing behind Etricia, was now staring at them with a cold, unyielding expression.
“Answer.” His lips moved lazily, yet the command was absolute.
The knights immediately nodded—enthusiastically.
Seeing their exaggerated head movements, Etricia turned to Edmund in confusion.
“They said yes. Starting tomorrow, they will meet with you one by one.”
That way, he could ensure she only interacted with his own knights.
“Thank you.”
Etricia smiled gently.
“Thank you all for cooperating.”
As she smiled softly, a few knights sighed in admiration.
Some blushed and averted their eyes, while others gawked.
All of them were instantly met with their master’s lethal glare.
That day, the knights learned an unspoken rule: never make eye contact with Countess Buell.
Meanwhile, Edmund, now looking far more relaxed, turned to Etricia.
“Countess, now that the discussion is over, please return to the mansion with Rail. I have work to do.”
“As the head of the household, I suppose you have responsibilities. Alright.”
As she left, Rail followed naturally.
Before exiting, he shot Tale a smug, victorious grin.
The training ground fell eerily silent.
Edmund scanned the knights expressionlessly, then gestured for Tale to step forward.
Tale, shaking off his daze, hurriedly obeyed, kneeling in front of his master. Whatever this was about, it had to be serious.
The other knights straightened, ready for orders.
But then…
Edmund leaned in slightly and said something brief before walking away without looking back.
Tale remained kneeling, dumbfounded.
A knight finally asked, “Vice-Captain, what did His Grace say?”
Tale, still in shock, muttered,
“All of you…”
“All of us?” The knights tilted their heads.
Tale let out a hollow laugh.
“If you walk around shirtless in the training grounds… he’ll kill you.”
“…What?”
As the knights stared in disbelief, Tale ruffled his hair.
‘So, Rail was right all along?’
Did he get in trouble for disturbing the master’s time with Countess Buell?
“Hah… Ha… Haha.”
Tale let out a bitter laugh, staring at the entrance where his master had disappeared.
It was the first day visiting the knights.
I brought along one staff member from the salon to take measurements, and we headed to the knights’ quarters together.
The fitting would take place in the office on the first floor of the building.
Just as we arrived at the training ground, I was startled.
The knights were lined up just like the day before.
