Simoren Lindel. The Emperor's First Knight and now the one responsible for guarding Sheyan Palace, he was a rare breed of person with a straight-laced upbringing. One could say he was naive, but those who fit so well into regimented lifestyles were few and far between.
Simoren's life had always followed a structured path, from his upbringing in a well-regulated environment to private schooling and then joining the knighthood. Naturally, wherever he went, he excelled. He had never felt boredom in his studies or his duties.
But since becoming a guard at Sheyan Palace a few days ago...
"...It's boring."
For the first time in his life, Simoren experienced what boredom truly felt like.
The reason was simple. His duty was to guard—more accurately, to surveil—and he always had to accompany Annette.
The problem was that while Annette was busy running around, she never actually did anything that required surveillance.
"...But I can't neglect my surveillance duties, so I have to follow her around, but..."
It was truly dull. At first, Simoren thought he was here to protect Annette.
"Mabel, has there been any change in Lady Annette's schedule?"
"Oh, no, sir. It's the original plan."
"...Really?"
For the past few days, Annette had been busy buying clothes, taking a stroll around the palace, and then getting stuck in the library. She brought loads of books and stacked them up so high that it almost formed walls around her, and she sat there reading without moving.
"Is this really the behavior of someone plotting something?"
He had applied to be her guard to figure out Annette's intentions, but all he had learned over the past few days was that she liked wearing neutral-colored clothes and surprisingly enjoyed novels. If someone observed this daily routine, they would question the purpose of surveillance.
'I didn't expect this...'
Despite coming with a firm resolve, Simoren found himself reminiscing about what happened a few days ago.
The encounter with Annette. And the incident that led him to decide to take charge of Annette's protection.
Just yesterday, as Simoren was leaving the central palace, he spotted a black-haired woman passing through the hall.
The combination of elegant attire and black hair provided a straightforward answer. So, he approached her immediately.
"Lady Annette, unauthorized individuals are not permitted in this area. Please leave."
The face of the woman he saw for the first time was peculiar.
It might seem impolite to find someone strange at first sight, but there was no other way to express it. Annette, the noble lady who had always kept her appearance hidden due to her frailty since childhood, was peculiar.
With mysterious black eyes and pale skin untouched by blemishes.
The contrast between black and white was strikingly static yet incredibly captivating. It wasn't just because she was a noticeably beautiful woman. Even if she had covered her face, the impression wouldn't have been much different.
There was something about her that evoked thoughts of death.
The moment Simoren felt this, the enigmatic black eyes turned and met his gaze.
Although the woman's face remained expressionless, for some reason, Simoren felt like she was smiling.
"Do you know me?"
It was really strange. And therefore, even more unsettling.
To be considered someone who evoked thoughts of death. Simoren now found her to be somewhat sinister.
And so, Simoren forgot to respond altogether. It wasn't a long lapse.
"Answer."
"...Yes?"
"I asked if you knew me. It's my first time seeing you."
With a reproachful, almost hostile gaze, the woman turned her attention towards Simoren.
Only then did Simoren realize that he had forgotten the woman's question. He hastily replied,
"I'm well aware. Do you think there would be two noblewomen with black hair in the palace?"
"I don't know. Today is my first time venturing out into the palace."
Simoren's brow furrowed at the nonchalant, almost flippant response.
"Annette Martinek."
"You're wrong."
"What?"
"That's not my name. How rude of you."
"But that can't be...!"
Simoren's eyes, filled with confusion, quickly scanned the woman. She perfectly matched the description of Annette Martinek that he had heard somewhere. But what mattered now wasn't how she looked.
"You assumed I'm Annette Martinek just because I have black hair without asking anything else. I'll let you owe me for your rudeness."
"Really, aren't you Lady Martinek?"
"Do palace knights come with a clause about obedience?"
With a calm rebuttal, Simoren eventually wore an expression of defeat.
Her words were undeniably true. Despite the protocols that must be followed, Simoren had indeed judged her solely based on her black hair.
Thus, he politely bowed.
"I apologize for my rudeness. I am Simoren Lindel, serving as Her Majesty's First Knight."
But behind his regained composure, his gaze was filled with even sharper resentment than before.
"However, may I inquire why an unauthorized person is entering the palace? Could you please state your identity?"
"Shayen Palace."
The woman responded smoothly, flashing a bright smile.
"You may call me Rowell."
At the sound of her name, Simoren's face immediately twisted in frustration. He realized he had been played.
"Are you lying to me now?"
"I am not lying."
Of course, she was innocent. But no one would believe that.
"I was just curious about the name of the knight who stopped me from entering abruptly."
"That's not an excuse. Why were you curious about my name?"
"I am looking for Simoren Lindel, and despite knowing that he has gray eyes, I possess enough intellect not to jump to the conclusion that every knight with gray eyes is Simoren Lindel."
Naturally, the truth should have come first. Simoren felt a bit embarrassed by the additional remark.
It was astonishing for him, who had never felt inadequate in speech, to find himself unable to refute her words.
As Simoren struggled to respond, Annette continued.
"I just wanted an answer. I asked His Majesty, but he didn't answer me."
She smiled slyly before asking another question.
"If Rowell Hessen were alive, would His Majesty seek her out?"
Naturally, Simoren couldn't answer.
'Why did I feel that way back then?'
Peering into the face of someone who is perfectly alive while foreseeing death, does that make any sense? But after hearing Noah's story, Simoren found his answer. It was because Annette had nothing to lose other than her life that such an atmosphere prevailed.
"A capable individual with nothing to lose."
If there's nothing to lose, one doesn't lose recklessness in any situation, nor compromise with anything. That alone is enough, and even more so if they are adept at handling others.
Is there anyone as dangerous as such a person? As he pondered, emergency lights flashed in Simoren's mind.
In fact, considering Noah's advice not to approach Annette, it had completely backfired.
‘...That's why I came here.’
With no achievements to speak of, Simoren was beginning to doubt if his decision was correct as meaningless time continued to pass.
While he was lost in thought, the sun had already begun to tilt outside the window.
Annette, who had been sitting quietly, also rose from her seat.
"It's already this late, so let's head back."
It was unexpected news. Simoren followed her without a word.
However, contrary to expectations, Annette's destination wasn't the path from the library to Shayenne Palace.
"Lady Annette, weren't we supposed to return to the palace?"
"That's right. It's a bit faster this way. Haven't you ever used this shortcut?"
"Of course..."
He hadn't.
Leaving perfectly fine hallways and corridors, why would they need to use a shortcut? He had never even considered the concept of using a shortcut, so he was a bit shocked. Annette noticed it clearly, and as Simoren turned to look at her, she let out a small laugh.
"I heard you've been in the palace for a long time, but now I understand the palace better."
"...It's not funny. I should be familiar with all the palace's geography, yet I didn't know a single path."
"Oh, don't worry about that. Since it seems like I'm the only one who thought of using this shortcut."
At Annette's words, Simoren's brow furrowed slightly. If it was Annette's first time considering the shortcut, didn't that mean she had created a new path?
Despite having followed her closely all this time, when did this happen?
"Now that you know this path, the number of people who know it has increased by two."
"That's our little secret, between Sir Lindel and me."
Annette said so with a mischievous smile. Softly curved lips and almond-shaped eyes with deep blue irises. The trees planted for landscaping swayed in the breeze, scattering the sunset through the leaves.
If death had a loved one, they would surely have a face like that.
Simoren found himself inexplicably tongue-tied. Before he could grasp what sensation it was or why he had lost his words, Annette turned on her heel again.
"Let's stop here. Mabel must be waiting..."
And at that moment, a voice came from beyond the wall where they stood.
"It's Lady Annette, right? With the black hair, but she's a noble, isn't she?"
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