A Knight Who Protects His Enemies

“Okay, okay, please take good care of me!”

Joan, the newly appointed apprentice maid at Rondore Castle, bent deeply at the waist and greeted her seniors.

Thanks to the fact that Vivian Rondore’s birthday was just around the corner, the castle was in urgent need of extra hands, and Joan had fortunately managed to seize that opportunity.

She couldn’t express how delighted her family had been when she told them she would be working as a maid in the castle.

After all, she would be serving none other than Vivian Rondore.

There was no need to speak at length about all the accomplishments Vivian Rondore had achieved.

In Roktana, she was a figure revered by everyone.

Joan felt the same way.

She held infinite respect for Vivian, who single-handedly restored Roktana’s wealth.

It was hard to believe that all of that had been accomplished by someone in a woman’s body.

Her family celebrated joyfully in their cramped, old house, and in those moments, Joan felt her heart swell with pride.

She would never think of disappointing her family’s expectations.

After all, the world outside was far more perilous.

Washing clothes, sweeping, and mopping the floor were tasks that were far too simple for her.

Even if the lord of Rondore Castle was a man and demanded her body, Joan would endure it.

What was there that she couldn’t handle, especially when it was the Rondore family and not some lowly clan?

She would rather face the lord of Rondore than deal with dirty, stinky men at a brothel.

However, in this Rondore Castle, there were no such worries.

The lord, the baron, the noble was only Vivian Rondore… and she was a woman.

A woman who had built achievements that all other women admired.

Could there be another paradise like this?

Joan was certain there wasn’t.

When she opened her mouth to say that she would be working as a maid at Rondore Castle, it was clear just by the jealous glares of her friends.

Her senior nodded in satisfaction at Joan’s spirited response.

“Joan, understood. I’m also an apprentice, so don’t be too nervous. Still, it’s better to familiarize yourself with the faces of the people here as quickly as possible.”

“Yes, understood!”

As Joan started working, her busy days flowed by.

Without a chance to become accustomed to the castle, she was thrown straight into her duties.

Joan woke up early in the morning, cleaning the castle, where not even a speck of dust was allowed.

She organized the important guest rooms, reception areas, hallways, and even the servant quarters to shine.

There wasn’t a single chair, curtain, or candlestick on a bookshelf that her hands hadn’t touched.

While arranging the guest beds with Lia, she replaced the pillowcases with new ones and prepared flower petals to be sprinkled on the beds from the moment the guests arrived.

The kitchen, preparing for the feast, was bustling with energy.

Joan continued with her chores at the call of the kitchen maids.

Still, she followed the head maid and kitchen maids, glancing at how feasts were prepared, which turned into a fun daily routine for her.

The head maid tasted the alcohol from the basement storage one by one to check for spoilage, and when guests arrived, they prepared a plump animal to butcher.

It was her first time witnessing the preparation for such a large gathering, so even just watching made Joan’s heart flutter.

It seemed that every girl had an inevitable yearning for banquets.

She found herself anxious about potential new encounters.

And she also had the opportunity to catch sight of the centerpiece of it all from a distance.

When Vivian Rondore had marched through the streets of Roktana, she had seen her from afar, but the Vivian Rondore she saw now was much closer, radiating light.

“…Wow.”

There was an overwhelming beauty that almost made her stare blankly.

She doubted whether someone like her could be of the same species as Vivian.

Graceful and stately, Vivian Rondore oversaw the banquet preparation, and if anything was lacking, she commanded changes in a cold tone.

As the rumors said, she was a beautiful, ice-like person.

Only then did Joan truly realize how captivating a woman in power could be.

Moreover, she was just turning into adulthood.

A woman who was just beginning to bloom.

At 24, Joan felt miserable thinking about what she had accomplished until now.

At night, when the day’s work was done, Joan shared quiet stories with the other maids in their quarters.

About ten of them gathered in the quarters. There were three more rooms like this.

Though she struggled to find her voice due to her discomfort, as soon as the topic of Vivian Rondore came up, she found herself talking naturally.

“…So, I really think Vivian is incredibly beautiful. This is the first time I’ve seen her up close… I understand now why Uncle Thomas next door praised her until his mouth dried out.”

Lia joked in response to Joan’s enthusiasm.

“Don’t fall in love, okay?”

“How could I possibly… Besides, she’s a woman. I don’t have such inclinations. I like manly men.”

“Then that’s a relief. Many people have fallen for her.”

“I—I haven’t fallen in love… but it would be an honor to serve Lady Vivian directly. That’s the truth.”

Lia nodded.

“Try your best. Someday, it might be possible.”

To serve the much-lauded Vivian Rondore.

Could there really be such a turnaround in life?

Joan’s heart was swelling with anticipation.

As she smiled while reflecting on the things Vivian had created, she suddenly remembered someone and lightly asked,

“Oh, speaking of which, isn’t that person always beside Vivian?”

“Who?”

“That dark figure… the black-haired one… Ah, I mean Kyle Allen.”

A complete silence descended upon the maid’s quarters at Joan’s innocent question.

“…?”

Feeling as if she had done something wrong, Joan didn’t know what to do.

Suddenly, a heavy atmosphere seemed to envelop the place.

“…Joan.”

Lia whispered in a serious tone close to Joan’s ear.

“…In this castle, there is one taboo for maids.”

“…Yes?”

“Kyle Allen doesn’t exist for us. Got it?”

“W—What do you mean…?”

“When you see the black-haired giant, pretend you didn’t see and look away. Got it?”

Thinking it was a joke, Joan tried to smile playfully, but the chilly gazes of the nine others quickly drained away her courage.

In the end, Joan had no choice but to nod without understanding.

“Ah, understood.”

However, even this didn’t need to concern her too much.

The black-haired giant that the maids were worried about was nowhere to be found.

When they said not to think about it, the more she did, and unconsciously, from the next day onward, she started searching with her eyes for such a presence… but found nothing.

It was as if he were a monster from a fairy tale, a non-existent figure.

After all, Vivian herself was rarely seen, so it might be natural, she thought.

“Is the work going well?”

As she continued her busy daily routine sweeping the yard, one day someone asked her.

Thinking it might be the head maid with a noble voice, Joan turned her head, but the unexpected figure standing there was none other than Vivian Rondore herself.

The being she had only watched from afar was now standing within reach.

Joan held back a feeling as if her heart were about to jump out and quickly bowed her head.

“Lady—Vivian! A, uh, yes! Yes! Everything is going well! Thanks to everyone…!!”

Did she remember that she had just joined as a maid?

The unexpected kindness nearly brought tears to her eyes.

This must be why the people beneath her were so loyal to her.

“Good. Thank you for your hard work.”

Vivian finished the conversation crisply and passed by.

Following her was a number of retainers that proved her power.

There were so many people approaching that Joan couldn’t believe she hadn’t noticed.

The head maid, passing by together, shot her a stern look as if to scold her for standing there.

However, Joan had only been diligently doing her work.

She felt wronged but had no words to say.

As she watched the departing figure of Vivian Rondore, she also looked at the soldiers guarding her.

Among them was a tall figure, whose helmet obscured the color of his hair.

…Could that be Kyle Allen? If so, he was smaller than the rumors had said.

That night, after finishing her work early and resting alone in her quarters, some maids rushed in.

“Do you have an empty hand? We need to bring warm water to Lady Vivian’s room, and there are no people right now…!”

As the youngest, and also since opportunities to meet Vivian Rondore up close were rare, Joan raised her hand excitedly.

Although her senior Lia was absent, she didn’t mind.

“I—I will help!”

“Come on, hurry out!”

Joan suppressed her excitement and ran alongside the maid.

Perhaps this could be a day to make a deep impression on Vivian Rondore.

How would she even express her desire to serve her?

If she could wash the body of Vivian Rondore, there would be no greater honor.

She was the master of this vast territory.

When standing before her, one naturally wanted to bow their head.

Joan entered the backyard and filled the basket with warmly heated water.

Three or four senior maids were behaving likewise.

“What’s your name?”

A senior maid asked, quite far removed from her.

“I’m Joan.”

“Okay, Joan. You know the rules for entering Lady Vivian’s room, right?”

Rules?

She wasn’t exactly sure, but she felt she couldn’t admit that she didn’t know.

She didn’t want to miss this opportunity.

“Ah, yes, I know.”

“Good. Just don’t make any mistakes.”

Wasn’t it enough to ensure that they didn’t offend Vivian’s mood?

Joan decided to temporarily set aside thoughts of what it meant to be a maid or making a bold statement.

Initially, it was priority number one to act without making mistakes, as her senior suggested.

Well, she thought there shouldn’t be any major issue.

Vivian Rondore was outwardly an overwhelming figure of charm and dignity, but up close, she seemed delicate enough to realize that an insignificant maid had entered the castle.

What a kind person.

It was said that noble reputations often tended to sound scarier when they spread.

Joan, while straining with the heavy water, arrived in front of Vivian’s door.

Just thinking that Vivian might be behind that door made her heart race.

The senior maid took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

“…Lady Vivian, we’ve prepared warm water.”

A refined voice replied.

“Come in.”

At those words, the senior maid looked back at Joan.

“…Keep your eyes to yourself.”

“Yes?”

Throwing out an incomprehensible phrase, the senior opened the door.

Joan lowered her gaze and stepped into the room.

A peculiar tension hung in the air inside the room.

Warm air and the scent of flowers, the sound of wood burning and the presence of an ornate carpet.

Joan felt the sweat beading on her hand that held the basin and walked behind her senior.

Her eyes were fixated just on her heels.

But at that moment, Vivian’s voice echoed through the room.

“…Are you really not going to eat?”

Joan questioned her ears.

That was Vivian’s voice, but surprisingly soft and affectionate, unlike her usual chill.

It was a voice that brimmed with various emotions.

Who could Vivian Rondore, who could lord over everyone if she weren’t a queen, be speaking to in such a manner?

Before she knew it, Joan lifted her head slightly.

“…Huh?”

What entered her eyes was a shocking sight.

She could see a massive man shackled to the bed, losing his freedom.

And beside that man, Vivian was clinging close, as if to seduce him.

In a room she thought would only have Vivian, there was indeed a man.

With black hair and black eyes.

Broad shoulders and a muscular chest clearly exposed.

A body covered in scars.

And… a handsome face that perfectly matched Joan’s taste.

Without needing to be told, she realized.

It was Kyle Allen.

A man known as famous as Vivian Rondore.

He emanated a heavy atmosphere with his intense charm and dangerous presence.

He had been captured in this room; that was why she hadn’t been able to see him until now.

…But why was he here?

Joan’s mind failed to keep up with the situation.

It was hard to believe that there was a man in Vivian’s room.

Joan’s breath quickened in the presence of such a heavy crime scene.

It felt as if she were catching a glimpse of Vivian Rondore’s darker side.

She had always believed that Vivian, who seemed so noble, was pure.

Wasn’t it the case that nobles were very cautious about scandal?

Especially for women, wasn’t purity important?

Initially, Vivian Rondore had seemed like a symbol of nobility.

She had heard that there were many distinguished noblemen rejected by her.

Even the men who were touted in the kingdom as the most eligible suitors had been famously turned down by Vivian Rondore after their proposals.

It was said that she kept her distance from men for the sake of her family and domain.

Having overcome numerous brushes with death, Vivian was a warrior who had kept her purity. She was not someone close to men.

That belief had anchored itself firmly in her mind.

“…I cut it up so it’s easy for you to eat. It’s the lamb you love.”

“…”

“Or is the smell bad? Should I go get a fresh one?”

But what is this?

Joan’s head turned blank at the shocking sight.

What surprised her most was Vivian’s demeanor.

She appeared anxious, trying to please the man.

She gazed at him with mixed feelings of affection and obsession.

It was only then that she realized how someone could look at another with such longing.

And it was hard to believe that Kyle Allen, who was rejecting such beauty, was also sublime beyond imagination.

Could a person genuinely refuse such beauty and attraction by sheer will?

Moreover, Kyle Allen and Vivian Rondore clearly…

“…”

As her thoughts froze, Kyle Allen’s gaze shifted towards Joan.

Possibly because he was restrained, the lewd way he stared at her made Joan unconsciously blush.

Was it because he had always been referred to as a dangerous man that her heart instinctively raced?

She really shouldn’t be thinking like this… he was handsome. He was cool.

She even found herself contemplating the forbidden fantasies she might share with him.

However, as Kyle’s gaze left Vivian and moved towards Joan, Vivian’s gaze also shifted from Kyle to Joan.

In Vivian’s eyes, which had just shown affection for Kyle, there now lay a dangerous jealousy.

As though she had just read Joan’s impure thoughts.

“…Who are you?”

Vivian whispered.

Her demeanor conveyed that she looked down on Joan as if to say, “Are you treating me as a fool for speaking to Kyle?”

The senior maid seized Joan’s arm in a panic, trembling.

“…Huh!”

Although Joan hurriedly suppressed her gaze, it was already too late.

“…Ha.”

Vivian let out a hollow laugh, as if exasperated.

“…I guess the maids these days aren’t being trained properly?”

Vivian asked the senior maid. The senior could not respond and merely trembled.

Vivian extricated herself from Kyle’s embrace and approached Joan.

Joan bent in half as she felt immense dread with every step Vivian took towards her.

Vivian’s small foot hovered at the end of Joan’s view.

With a cold sneer, she remarked,

“…Isn’t my man handsome?”

Though the question was posed with pride, jealousy and anger intermingled within her words.

Was she angry that Kyle had even looked at Joan once?

“…But I never said you could look.”

“Lady—Vivian…”

Seeing Vivian display a jealousy so deep it seemed immeasurable, the fantasy she had held for her slowly shattered.

“I-I’m sorry…”

“…Does an apology make it all right? You’ve seen everything, haven’t you?”

Chilled by the weight of her pressure, Joan felt crushed.

In her life, it was the first time she had felt such fear.

Her former desire to serve Vivian seemed foolish.

Now she understood why she had been told to treat Kyle Allen as if he didn’t exist.

“…Vivian.”

At that moment, the male voice of the man called for Vivian.

With a sigh, Vivian asked back,

“…Don’t tell me you’re siding with a maid you’ve never seen before.”

“Stop being so annoying. What did you do to provoke her to react so sensitively?”

“…If you ignore me and stare at another woman, am I supposed to be calm?”

Kyle Allen acted as though he was not afraid of such a Vivian.

Even in chains, a sense of unyielding spirit emanated from him.

Vivian slowly calmed her emotions in response to his words.

She looked at Joan and said,

“…Get out. I’m giving you a chance just this once.”

As hard as it was to believe, Vivian was yielding to Kyle.

If she weren’t, she wouldn’t have changed her tone so quickly.

“Y-Yes… Thank you.”

“If this happens twice… then I won’t forgive you.”

Joan nodded quickly and poured the warm water into the prepared tub.

She wanted to escape this place quickly.

“Ah, did you say your name was Joan?”

As Joan attempted to leave the room, Vivian called out to her.

She never imagined how terrifying it would feel for someone to call her name.

“Y-Yes.”

“Joan, you know that guests will be visiting Rondore Castle soon, right?”

“Y-Yes. I know well.”

“Look up and answer me.”

At the frazzled tone of her voice, Joan flinched and lifted her head.

“Y-Yes…!”

Joan met Vivian’s gaze, her ruby eyes sparkling.

Her hand trembled involuntarily against her will.

In that moment, there was not a trace of the ruler portraying consideration for a newly joined maid.

Only a woman utterly obsessed with her lover stood there.

Vivian said,

“What you just saw cannot reach the guests who will arrive…”

She placed her finger over her lips.

The smile she wore was elegant, but it was also filled with pointed warning.

Joan quickly nodded.

“I-I didn’t see anything.”

“How lovely it is to hear you say that.”

Vivian smiled, satisfied.

“…Then get out, now. Don’t disturb my good time.”

At once, Joan exited the room.

As the door closed behind her, she collapsed at the spot.

She was so shocked and scared that tears flowed uncontrollably.

“Ugh…! Hicc!”

It felt as though she had returned from death.

The senior maid panicked beside her while soldiers calmed her down and consoled Joan.

Joan thought that she might be working in a place far more dangerous than she had anticipated.

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