The Guardian Knight of Affection-Starved Young Ladies

39 – The Meaning of a Bottle of Traditional Liquor Handed Over by a Northern Woman (01)

040.

“…Selfish person.”

Azkal’s reflection on his own unspoken feelings towards Selassie is harsh.

Azkal fell in love with a girl at first sight, but had to let go due to the circumstances.

Could it be called unfortunate?

If it were a pure and unfortunate tragedy, it could certainly be called that.

But unfortunately.

That tragedy gave birth to another victim.

Humans, at times, are like that.

When pushed to the brink of their mental limits, they lose their sanity.

Selassie erased the truth called faith from the world.

Azkal, even while hurting his own daughter, wanted to keep her by his side.

A tragic love story might evoke pity from people.

But to only one person in the world.

To Selassie, it was nothing more than a disgusting excuse of a runaway.

“I did not expect understanding. I told you I was prepared.”

To keep his daughter by his side, he abandoned his parental affection.

He resolved to remain indifferent to any resentment.

But the difference between thinking and experiencing it was as vast as the sky and the earth.

When he actually heard Selassie’s words of resentment, he couldn’t control his heart.

“You say you don’t expect understanding?”

A calm but composed voice, breaking off somewhere.

It was like a struggle just before an explosion.

Selassie looked at her father, whom she was disgusted to the point of madness, and said clearly.

“No, you were just scared and ran away.”

If that was his true feeling.

What was he supposed to do?

Love?

Does loving someone mean it’s okay to let them get hurt?

“The daughter you claimed to love so much was only seven years old.”

He loved his wife but had to let go due to his position.

He loved his daughter but had to ignore her because of his position.

To Selassie, that was.

Just an excuse made for convenience.

“If you loved her so much, you should have let go of something else. The position of head instead of mother, the North instead of me!”

Selassie’s father, Azkal Hiatt, was a promising prince of the Hiatt family.

The North and Hiatt were his home, and undoubtedly something precious he had to protect.

So, he had to choose.

Between his mother and the position of head.

Between the North and his side.

If both were precious but couldn’t coexist.

It was only natural to abandon one.

At the crossroads of choice.

Azkal chose the North and the family.

That was all.

“You should have never married mother.”

Selassie decided to accept it all.

The Grand Duke of the North, called father.

Was more important to the North and the family than to her and her mother.

Because of some boy.

Behind the mask that showed no sign of being fixed,

A victim of a tragic sacrifice was crying.

So coldly.

She spoke in a voice befitting the eldest daughter of the Northern family.

“In the end, because of father’s stubbornness, mother and I, who couldn’t escape the shackles of love.”

Your love is just an excuse distorted at will.

“It’s so pitiful.”

At the same time, Selassie.

Vividly recalled Kallen’s face.

In a way, it didn’t seem much different from her father.

In the end, it’s a choice.

Azkal couldn’t withstand the external pressures, like the traditions of the North, and let go of his mother and himself.

Kallen was different.

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No matter how the fog and monsters surrounded them, in a situation where escape was impossible.

Even though he couldn’t help, he willingly carried the burden of someone who only brought up personal wounds and became a burden.

How could one forget that sight?

One arm to the monster.

The other to himself.

He must have hated it.

It must have been a hindrance.

No matter who in the world you bring, it is only natural to abandon oneself in that situation.

Just like the man called father abandoned his mother and himself.

“The man called father neglected his daughter, who was so lonely she wanted to die.”

At the weakest moment, he willingly became a place to lean on.

He whispered the promises and hopes he longed for into his ear.

Even though they spent a short time together, more than anyone else,

They became the only ones who could promise trust to each other because of that.

The ideal he so desired is right there.

How could he not reach out?

…How could any woman not fall for him?

“…Selassie.”

“As you promised, I will take the position of head of the family. Your Grace. Keep your word that you will hold it until I am of appropriate age.”

Facing the completely collapsed wall of her heart, Selassie met the overwhelming wave of emotions.

The wave she thought would be terrifying was, surprisingly, filled with warmth.

She felt more at ease than before accepting it.

Just like that time at the top of Mount Hiatt with Kallen.

Her heart, lightly dyed in crimson, began to change everything towards one person.

The knights who were entrusted with her protection but soon betrayed her.

The utterly disgusting Thorn.

“`

Because it was the oldest, it was even more shocking with Makbel.

Imagining a pitiful past, the father who actually abandoned his daughter.

All those false relationships with everyone are erased.

Only the promise with one person remains.

Hooking pinkies,

Pressing thumbs together to make a promise.

There was no grand oath.

But because of that, it was the most trustworthy.

Even now, the promise made with a boy who would be guarding him outside the door.

The expression “Your Grace” instead of “Father” would be an indelible scar for Azkal.

The Duke, who thought he was doing it for his daughter, but was actually doing it for himself.

He was abandoned by both his beloved wife and daughter.

It was an irreversible regret that would never be erased.

Selassie roughly wiped her tear-soaked eyes, glared at Azkal, and left the room.

“Your Grace…”

If only he had abandoned everything and chosen his family.

Would something have changed?

Azkal endlessly repeated Selassie’s words.

He could only stare at the firmly closed door.

*

Bang!

“Ah. You came out,”

Suddenly-

Wondering if there was someone targeting Selassie.

Just as he was getting a little tired of guarding the head’s room.

Kallen unintentionally overheard the voices inside.

He couldn’t hear Azkal’s words well, but Selassie’s agitated cry echoed beyond the head’s room to his ears.

It seemed that there was a complicated story between the father and daughter.

Because of that, Kallen, who was thinking of comforting Selassie when she came out, was caught off guard by the unexpected situation.

Selassie, who came out roughly opening the door, hugged him tightly.

“`

“`

“Just a moment…”

A murmuring voice from within the embrace.

That voice, soaked with emotion, was so pitiful.

It was trembling as if terrified.

“I’ll stay like this for just a moment…”

As if not used to hugging someone,

Selassia held Kallen tightly, fearing he might run away.

Kallen, feeling a bit suffocated, scratched his chin.

He loosened Selassia’s arms and hugged her comfortably.

“If you hold me that tight, I can’t breathe.”

“…”

That remark seemed to trigger something.

Selassia’s murmuring voice became even more soaked.

“I, I… I’ve never hugged anyone before… I’m a woman, but I’m tall…”

Selassia, who despised her own body.

She was tall, with curvy chest and hips.

Neither as a woman nor as a knight.

Her body was inadequate for either role.

Remembering Selassia’s words, Kallen hugged her even more gently.

Somehow, it felt like the right thing to do.

“Kallen.”

After holding each other for a while, Selassia’s breathing stabilized.

However, she spoke without pulling away from the embrace.

“You won’t leave, right?”

Inside, she had heard the words that her mother and herself had been abandoned.

Was it a question born from that anxiety?

The guard duty was practically over, so saying ‘I will leave’ would have been the correct answer.

Of course, that was the right thing to say, but.

Even if he was clueless, it didn’t seem like the answer Selassia wanted.

Fortunately, Kallen was quick-witted, and instead of answering, he patted her back.

“`

Thus.

The civil war, the biggest event in the North,

ended in an unexpected victory for Selassie Hyatt.

Everyone applauded Selassie in amazement.

But the fact that the one who had the greatest impact on the victory was a boy, and not even a Northerner,

remained a secret known only to those who were on Mount Hyatt that day.

*

Prince Thorn was imprisoned for a while.

To execute the sentence according to imperial law, many complicated procedures had to be followed.

It was natural that it would take a long time.

Until someone from the imperial family arrived, Thorn Hyatt could not escape being confined to his family’s basement.

The imperial family that currently ruled the Claire Empire wanted to concentrate power.

The fact that a prince from the troublesome North was involved in the strictly forbidden slave trade was not something that could be overlooked.

Thanks to the swift actions of Azkal and Selassie, Prince Thorn had to bear the full brunt of his sins alone.

Roughly, such days were passing by.

“A festival?”

“Yes. A festival.”

Having safely completed the promised escort duty,

it was Selassie’s suggestion that caught Kallen, who was preparing to leave.

A traditional festival of the North.

The hand that Selassie extended took such a form.

“To call it a festival is a bit much, it’s more like a traditional large-scale bonfire viewing…”

Selassie slightly lowered her head.

She mumbled with her hands clasped behind her back.

“If you really don’t want to, you can just rest…”

If she showed that she would be disappointed if he didn’t come, it would be hard to refuse.

The North was said to value tradition very much, so he was curious about what it would be like.

“…Do they have bets or something? Games with a lot of luck involved.”

“Huh? Bets?”

If it was a festival, there would naturally be traditional games, wouldn’t there?

Kallen asked with a slightly excited heart.

“Well… I don’t think there’s anything that could be called a bet.”

Seeing Kallen’s sad expression, Selassie quickly added.

“Well, if you look carefully, there might be something! Something I want to give you… or… something…”

Slightly.

Was it just my imagination, or did Kallen’s lips curl up a little?

“I will go.”

Fortunately, Kallen said he would join the northern traditional festival.