Chapter 22
“Oh?”
“Yes, he sees women as rocks. No, he had no interest in any of them. He even laughed at me when I was in search of one to marry!” Adele agreed with what Philip was saying. The Noah she had seen for the past two years was a man who didn’t even bother to glance at women, much less talk to one. He only walked past through them.
“But one day, he suddenly came to me and said, ‘I’m going to get married, you will be an escort in the wedding hall’.” As he continued to think about it, the more dubious he became. “Isn’t it just too unnerving?”
It must’ve been because he had been under him for a long time, Phillip did a good job of mimicking Noah. Adele burst into laughter at his funny imitation.
“Haha, you must have been pretty flustered.”
“That is not the problem!” He quickly clarified, “I received the wedding bouquet so now I need to date. I am wasting my youth in a place with not a single woman in it! If I can’t get married in six months! I will be alone my whole life!”
About the superstition regarding the bouquet, it was exactly just that—a superstition. But Philip was clearly scared as he lamented about his misfortune and stomped his foot. Adele held back her laughter at the comical sight.
In the end, she decided to reassure him, “That won’t happen.”
“I can’t even date, the commander keeps dragging me around!” Philip pounded his chest as he felt unfairness of the situation.
“You are a sweet and kind person, so I’m sure a lot of ladies will like you.”
“Me?” Philip widened his eyes and looked back. Adele nodded her head.
“Yes. You are guiding me kindly, and you are trying your best to make me comfortable.” Then she beamed a smile at him.
Adele didn’t know much about the ranks of knights, but the first battalion commander belonged to a pretty high rank. Thus, he wasn’t in the rank where Noah could drag around as he pleased.
It was a bit suspicious though. But in any case, he had a friendly personality as he tried to make things less awkward.
“It’s just what I’m supposed to do.” Seeing Adele’s smile, Philip felt his face turn red and quickly turned his head.
Weird.
She wasn’t incredibly pretty, but her supple tone and soft smiling face were so elegant that people’s gazes were kept locked onto her.
Is that why the commander married her? Then he remembered the country’s rules regarding marriage between dead relatives. But he isn’t the kind of person to keep the rules. Philip tilted his head and realized that Adele wasn’t following him.
“Milady, why did you stop?”
Adele and Lina stood still with their heads bowed. Philip looked around to see what was going on. On the right side of the road where they were standing, the knights were training in various ways, such as swinging swords against wooden posts and doing push-ups per usual. However, they had one thing in common.
They all had their tops off.
“Oh my.” Embarrassed, Adele turned her head away. Philip, who didn’t know what Adele’s mind was thinking, looked at the knights for a moment.
Instead of being polite to the madam, the men were staring blankly at them. Aha, this must be making her uncomfortable! Philip raised his hips and spat out a few words in a loud voice.
“The lady is here!”
At Philip’s shout, the knights murmured.
“Lady? The one who got married to our commander?”
“Pretty. I want to marry a girl as pretty as her.”
“Haha, I feel conscious.”
“How did our commander let her into his heart?”
In the outsiders-forbidden area, the knights would, of course, go wild if they see a woman wearing a skirt. They looked at Adele whose face was completely flushed red. Feeling self-conscious of the knights’ gaze on her person, Adele turned her body completely in the opposite direction.
“Let’s go.”
“Wait, milady. Don’t be shy and receive our greetings. I should have prepared well.”
“Huh?”
“I should have paid my allegiance to the lady in a more proper manner.”
The knights of Astria took an oath of allegiance to protect their master’s companion. But Adele, who had never thought of such a thing, shook her head, mortified.
“Oh, no. It’s okay, you don’t have to—”
“Prepare!” His voice boomed. “Greetings to the lady!”
At Philip’s words, the knights took off their coats and drove their swords into the ground while kneeling with one knee and said in unison. “Greetings to the Lady of Maktus! Salute!”
When more than a thousand knights greeted her with their bare upper bodies, Adele couldn’t help but say in an embarrassed tone.
“You don’t have to do that. Please rise.”
Even at Adele’s words, the knights remained still with one knee bent. Whenever she felt embarrassed, she would break out in cold sweat and that was exactly what was happening now. Philip beckoned with a friendly smile.
“Milady, please receive our greetings by saying, ‘I will receive your greetings’.”
“How can I say… it’s—alright. Please stand up!”
Despite Adele’s words, the knights remained kneeling. Her face started getting redder and hotter. Finally, Adele, covering her face with her hands, ran in front of them.
There was a green tent at the end of the road and she saw Noah walking there. Adele moved her feet in a hurry and turned to him. But she couldn’t slow down and accidentally stumbled on his foot.
Adele was startled at the smell of blood and thick wood. Luckily, she didn’t fall over, but she didn’t want to be held in his embrace! Embarrassed, she tried to get out of his arms, but his tight arms wouldn’t let her go.
When Adele lifted her head, she saw his warm golden eyes. She could feel Noah’s gaze staring down at her with kindness. It was strange. She felt the heat rising on her face. Is he hugging her in front of everyone else? Adele once again tried to push him away, but to no avail.
“You’re not here because you miss me.”
She became silent.
“What is the matter?”