She had barely put any strength into her grip, yet the glass shattered.
Questioning a knight's faith was something to do only if prepared for death.
"I'll pretend I didn't hear that. I apologize for breaking the glass."
"That's fine. It's just a cheap glassware anyway. Clean your hand."
"Thank you."
Adonis wiped her hand with a handkerchief from her pocket and looked back at Reed.
"As for your question,"
The atmosphere had subtly changed.
Her cold expression now contained an icy sharpness.
As if standing up against Reed's authority.
Adonis sighed softly and said,
"I also trust His Majesty. I sincerely request that you refrain from further questions."
"Alright."
Adonis then faithfully performed the mission on behalf of King Morgan Huper.
Two things were confirmed:
First, treat the Starfall Village incident as if it had never happened.
Second, buy the carrots for 1,500 YUPI.
Lastly, Reed will no longer cause any incidents within the Huper Kingdom territory.
It went smoothly.
From the outset, Reed hadn't aimed to fan the flames, so there was no further conflict.
"Then, I will report the meeting results to His Majesty."
With that, Adonis stood up and left the reception room.
"Adonis Huper."
Just as she was about to leave the room, Reed spoke up again.
Adonis halted in place.
"Yes, what is it?"
"Would you, as a knight, be able to remain one forever?"
"…"
At that question, Adonis turned her head to look at Reed.
What was his intention in asking such a question?
She stared at him silently for a moment before finally uttering her answer.
"I am a knight who has set foot in the martial arts. Being able to serve beside His Majesty as a sword is something I am always grateful for."
"I wanted to see that knightly spirit, so I asked. Thank you for giving such a clear answer."
"Thank you."
Adonis then bowed and left the reception room.
Reed quietly sipped the remaining tea and muttered,
"She doesn't even blink."
Her face, like a blooming ice flower on a snowy field, showed no movement.
It seemed she could have been a high-level poker player, given her consistent expression as she left the room.
However, that didn't mean he couldn't see through her lies.
- I trust His Majesty.
- I am always grateful to serve by His Majesty's side.
Adonis Huper was lying.
* * *
The eldest princess of the Huper family, Adonis Huper.
Captain of the 3rd Knight Order, Adonis Huper.
But a few years later, she would be called by a different name.
The Third Disaster, Adonis.
Codename: Adonis. She would become known as the most malicious magic swordsman.
Just with her swordsmanship, she reached the level of 「Sword Expert」, and in a few years, she would acquire the title of 「Sword Master」.
With the swordsmanship imbued with mana, body reinforcement magic, and even the creation of projectiles using mana, it was not strange for her to be ranked third among the Seven Disasters.
'She is really a desirable woman.'
Possessing martial arts skills and showing respect for discipline, she was not lacking as a wise king's successor.
She also had expectations, and she strictly dealt with her own behavior to maintain the honor of the royal family.
However, Adonis would never become a queen.
During a banquet, she accidentally killed a noble who tried to rudely assault her.
Even if she were not a princess, a person who has become a knight commander should have been able to easily subdue a noble.
As the issue surfaced, the incident involving the princess unfolded unfavorably.
In the end, the wise king dismissed her from the position of the knight commander and decisively designated Morgan the 2nd as the next king, putting an end to this situation.
She was completely buried in society.
Adonis, who had been dismissed, met Reed and participated in the <Project: Flower Garden>.
She fell into corruption.
She began to hate her father who had given birth to her.
She envied her younger brother.
She broke her own beliefs.
'I had decided to think about Rosaria first for a while, but…'
Was this something called fate?
He never thought he would see Adonis as a representative of the king.
'Adonis Huper…'
Reed, who saw her untainted self, felt a surge of emotion in his heart.
He began to be attracted to her, who was destined to become a villain.
* * *
In the capital city of Huper Kingdom, Cohen.
As the night deepened, darkness descended.
While everyone was waiting for dawn to break, the king's office was still lit by candlelight.
The wise king, Morgan Huper.
Born with a long beard and droopy eyes, he was an elderly man with a kind expression suited to the reputation of a wise king.
Due to his recent onset of presbyopia, tears fell when he worked under candlelight, but he never stopped wielding his pen.
[T/N: Presbyopia is a common condition that occurs when the eyes lose their ability to focus on nearby objects.]
Knock knock.
"Come in."
As the door opened, a minister entered.
"Your Majesty, the princess has returned after meeting with the Tower Master of Silence Tower."
"What was the outcome?"
"It seems it ended without any issue."
"Hmm… I see. You may rest for today. I'll continue working."
Although the minister said, "How can I rest when Your Majesty is not sleeping?", Morgan smiled at his loyalty and allowed him to leave early for the day.
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
The minister bowed politely and left the room.
Morgan lowered his head and resumed his work.
Although he was spellbound, his work didn't stop even when tears fell.
Knock knock.
It was at that moment.
Something knocked on Morgan's window.
The minister had entered and yet Morgan's pen didn't stop.
But now, it stopped.
A dim figure appeared before Morgan's eyes, covering the moonlit night.
"Who's there?"
Morgan asked, but no answer came from beyond the door.
Deciding that there was no one there, Morgan stood up and opened the window.
It was a crow.
No, it was a corpse made to look like a crow.
One side of its head was intact, but on the other side, the skull was exposed, giving it a bizarre appearance.
Morgan knew the mage who possessed such a repulsive taste.
The Tower Master of Black Sky, Freesia Vulcan Darkrider.
Morgan opened the letter that the crow had in its mouth.
- I've found what you've been looking for.
Let's meet again soon to talk about it.
P.S. Are you truly a wise king? I've never seen anyone as cold-blooded as you.
