<span>It was a strange thought that I never had before. Even if it was possible, Kyle was not suitable as an escort.
<span><em>‘It’s like trusting a cat with a fish.’</em>
<span>I shook my head.
<span><strong><em>“It’s not that I don’t like it, but you’re busy enough with the Great Duchy, and I don’t want to disturb you. I’ll just take the sentiment.”</em></strong>
<span>Ho… Ho… Ho… I thought I shouldugh, but I didn’t. It was too pretentious for me to think of it.
<span><strong><em>“You don’t have to just appreciate the sentiment. I’ll do it if you want.”</em></strong>
<span>Oh, my God. Kyle refused my refusal, even though I refused politely.
<span>My head suddenly started pounding, because of Kyle’s personality, it was obvious that he would somehow stick to this as a once-in-a-lifetime job.
<span>If I didn’t solve this…
<span><em>‘For the first time in the Empire’s history, we may enjoy the luxury of an Archduke escorting an Archduchess as a guard.’</em>
<span>Perhaps it will find its way in the history books. No, that could not happen, I would rather die that find it recorded for everyone to see.
<span>With those ominous and sinister thoughts, I hurried to settle down the conversation with Kyle.
<span><strong><em>“No, I’m really fine. I’m really, really good.”</em></strong>
<span><strong><em>“…”</em></strong>
<span><strong><em>“Also, I’ve already concluded my conversation with Sejan, it’s not something I can go back to.”</em></strong>
<span><strong><em>“I don’t care…”</em></strong>
<span><strong><em>“Oh, how about this? What if the Archduke teach me swordsmanship?”</em></strong>
<span><strong><em>“Swordsmanship?”</em></strong>
<span>This is it.
<span>I didn’t miss Kyle’s subtle reaction, slightly different from my first refusal.
<span><strong><em>“Yes, swordsmanship. The biggest reason I asked Sejan to escort me was because I wanted to learn swordsmanship from him. I thought I should be able to protect myself.”</em></strong>
<span><strong><em>“…”</em></strong>
<span><strong><em>“But if you teach me swordsmanship, I’ll ask Sejan to escort me from time to time, except when we’re all moving together, only on special asions, what do you think?”</em></strong>
<span>I corrected “from time to time” to “special asion” while speaking, because Kyle frowned at the first part.
<span><em>‘Do you hate that I’m using Sejan as my escort?’</em>
<span>Anyway, that would reduce the time spent with Sejan, so there would be nothing to be ufortable about. Furthermore, I also urged the point of learning swordsmanship, which would be a good reason.
<span>Lastly, one more thing.
<span><strong><em>“I think improving my sword skills is the biggest thing I wanted from having an escort. So, it would be nice if the Archduke could take over it.”</em></strong>
<span>I was told that the purpose of having an escort was to learn swordsmanship. In some other words, Kyle was asked to y the most important role of being my escort.
<span>After spilling out words like a mastermind, I took a quick look at him.
<span><em>‘I’d like you to move on from this now. Please move on. Move on. Move on.’</em>
<span>Unintentionally, I was chanting in my mind. Did my earnest wishese to reality? Fortunately, his irritated expression disappeared without a trace.
<span><strong><em>“That’s fine.”</em></strong>
<span>As I was able to finish the conversation with his words of permission, I was so relieved that I could control my fast beating heart.
<span><strong><em>“Okay. So, when we reach the temple, would you be able to start teaching me swordsmanship?”</em></strong>
<span>Kyle looked puzzled when I reached out my little finger at him while talking.
<span><em>‘Do you not know the meaning?’</em>
<span>I almostughed out loud. He looked like a child at times like this.
<span>I opened my mouth while smiling.
<span><strong><em>“It means, to make a promise.”</em></strong>
<span><strong><em>“A promise?”</em></strong>
<span><strong><em>“Yes, so I’ll show you how to do it. Give me your little finger.”</em></strong>
<span><strong><em>“…”</em></strong>
<span><strong><em>“Well, look at me. Come on.”</em></strong>
<span>Kyle hesitated and slipped his little finger out. I gently cross my little finger on Kyle’s. As soon as our finger touched, he showed signs of flinching and tried to untie his finger from mine.
<span><strong><em>“Cold…”</em></strong>
<span><strong><em>“…It’s fine, so stay still.”</em></strong>
<span>It’s cold, but tolerable for the moment. For some reason, Kyle immediately fell silent. I murmured quietly at the rare sight of a gentle Kyle.
<span><strong><em>“When you put your little finger with mine, it means you’re promising.”</em></strong> I immediately added an exnation.
<span>In fact, I wanted to tell him the 4 steps of making a promise in Korea; pinky promise, stamp, signature and copy, but I decided to give up. I was already feeling embarrassed.
<span><strong><em>“…Okay, I promise.”</em></strong>
<span>Kyle, who was curiously looking at his little finger, quickly epted.
<span>After the promise, I took off my little finger. Silence came. A little ticklish silence.
<span><em>‘As a result, I couldn’t tell you about the shortcut.’</em>
<span>I thought about talking about it, but I gave up again. Somehow, I didn’t mind this silence.
<span>***
<span>After our talk, the carriage ran for a long time. As the sun began to set, we moved to a nearby vi. Once we reached the vi, I scanned the surrounding through the window, it looked like a cabin.
<span><em>‘It’s cutepared to the Great Duchy, but it’s bigger than I thought.’</em>
<span>One could say it was the top quality cabin. The vi was quite elegant, blending harmoniously with the trees and grass that grew thickly around it.
<span><em>‘Huh?’</em>
<span>Now that I could see up ahead, there were knights in front of us ready to meet with our party. It seemed they had been waiting for us to arrive.
<span><strong><em>“Stop, let’s get off here.” </em></strong>Kyle said dryly.
<span>As soon as we stop, Kyle who saw the scene, got out of the carriage. I looked at Kyle’s back and found the coachmaning this way, while I was getting ready to get off.
<span><em>‘What?’</em>
<span>Suddenly, someone’s hand popped out in front of the carriage door. It was Sejan’.
<span><strong><em>“Sejan, what’s this hand?”</em></strong> I asked rather bluntly.
<span><strong><em>“What? It’s only natural as your escort.” </em></strong>Sejan’s eyes didn’t waver while his hand was still waiting for me.
<span><em>‘What a strange and lively escort is he?’</em>
<span>Well, there are times when the escort would do that, but Sejan, was not that kind of person, was he?
<span>I looked at Sejan’s hand quietly, wondering what he was up to. His gloves, which must have been white, were red colored.
<span><em>‘If someone sees you, they might think we’re going to die together.’</em>
<span>This might suit Sejan.
<span><em>‘You don’t really mean that.’</em>
<span>Speaking of, whose blood always covered Sejan’s clothes and body?
<span>It seems like I would like to know but didn’t really want to know, the curiosity seems to end with more curiosity…
<span>A hand popped out from the other side of Sejan, deepening my doubts.
<span>It was Kyle.
<span><em>‘Huh? Why did youe back? Didn’t you go first?’</em>
<span>I wanted to ask with a rather absurd look.
<span><strong><em>“Archduke, what are you doing?”</em></strong>
<span><strong><em>“… Get off.”</em></strong>
<span><strong><em>“What?”</em></strong>
<span><strong><em>“Take my hand and get off.”</em></strong>
<span>What’s wrong with him all of a sudden? Last time, he didn’t say much when the coachman dropped me off.
<span><strong><em>“Huh? What happened to your noble Highness? You’re not supposed to be doing this.”</em></strong> It was Sejan’s voice.
<span>I think he had a simr idea to me, but it was obviously more sarcastic than what I would have said.
<span>Kyle frowned at Sejan’s words.
<span><strong><em>“I’ll do it from now on, so don’t worry, guard.”</em></strong>
<span><strong><em>“It’s not a guard, it’s a personal escort, your Highness, and this is what the escort is supposed to do. I don’t think even a dragon doesn’t know about it.”</em></strong>
<span><strong><em>“That’s ridiculous. Do you think it makes sense to have an escort do such thing? And why does “dragon”e out of your mouth?”</em></strong>
<span><strong><em>“Surely. I hope the word “dragon” would note out of my mouth. I don’t really like it.”</em></strong>
<span><strong><em>“Sejan, do you think I can’t kill you?”</em></strong>
<span><strong><em>“No. No way. Oh, but are you trying to kill me? I’d be honored if you’d kill me by yourself, your noble Dragon Highness.”</em></strong>
<span><strong><em>“… Have you finally gone mad?”</em></strong>
<span><strong><em>“What do you mean? Didn’t you know that I was crazy?”</em></strong>
<span>In a crisply frozen atmosphere, sparks erupted from the eyes of the two, Kyle and Sejan turned to me without missing a moment. Then again, they stretched their hands toward me.
<span><strong><em>“Hold on.”</em></strong>
<span><strong><em>“Hold on.”</em></strong>
<span>Moreover, the two even made simr remarks at the same time.
<span><em>‘Do you like this situation?’</em>
<span>The two red at each other again in a terrible mood, and then, both turned at the same and looked at me.
<span><em>‘Kyle’s expression of unspoken ckmail and Sejan’s smile of unspoken temptation.’</em>
<span>It was clear that I was being asked to choose between the two. Each other’s order meaning to vote for them in ast attempt.
<span><em>‘What the hell are they doing?’</em>
<span>That was enough, I was full of it. Honestly, I wanted to grab the back of my pounding head.
<span>The knights, my maid Lily, and the employees from the vi were all looking this way.
<span><em>‘I don’t think we should take any more time here.’</em>
<span>I recited with a calm and cold expression as much as I could to prevent the situation from getting worse.
<span><strong><em>“… I’m not going to hang onto either of them.”</em></strong>
<span>Instead of giving them time to refute, I turned my eyes and nce towards the coachman, Matthias, who was rolling his feet from behind.
<span><strong><em>“Then Matthias, can I ask you to escort me as usual?”</em></strong>
<span><strong><em>“Yes? Oh, yes! I got you, your Highness.”</em></strong>
<span>Matthias, stuttering, rushed to me. He was probably really nervous at this situation.
<span>When Kyle and Sejan saw him, they stared at the coachman’s approaching steps. Matthias was sweating from the vicious looks of the Archduke and the Knight Captain.
<span><em>‘I’m sorry about that.’</em>
<span>However, there was no better way.
<span>Iughed and said to Matthias. <strong><em>“Matthias, help me get out of the carriage.”</em></strong>
<span><strong><em>“Oh… Yes, your Highness.”</em></strong>
<span>Matthias’ face turned into a deathbed because he couldn’t cry.
<span><em>‘I think we should raise Matthias’ hourly wage, most likely double it.’</em>
<span>No, I’m going to have to put up much more looking at Mathias’ expression. So, he does not run away.