Piles of documents loomed before her.
When was the last time she had slept?
Rubbing her swollen eyes, she pondered the question.
There was an immense amount of work to be done.
It was a situation she had brought upon herself.
“Knight Order application forms go here… armor requisition documents over there…”
Adelia had recently established a new Knight Order, and the sudden creation had unleashed a torrent of tasks.
The sheer number of candidates for the Knight Order ran into the hundreds, requiring her to meticulously verify each one’s noble affiliations, financial standing, personal character, and combat prowess.
“Ugh, no more… no more paperwork…”
As one hand signed documents, the other absently rubbed the hilt of her sword.
It was one of her few means of stress relief.
‘I wonder if I’ve rubbed it too much; the hilt feels more worn than before.’
Ever since she had been separated from Lily, Adelia would embrace the blade whenever the thought crossed her mind.
Through this ritual, she found an endless sense of solace.
It was her sole remaining connection to Lily, the very thing sustaining her now.
Adelia suddenly lifted her head, her gaze falling upon the blade.
‘Come to think of it, despite being a renowned sword, no one seems to know its true name or origin.’
The blade was beautiful, seemingly wreathed in flames, with intricate patterns so delicate they defied belief that they could have been carved by hand.
Even after seeing countless famous swords and blades within the royal palace, she couldn’t recall anything comparable to it.
Lightly, she touched the blade, drawing blood.
In this ritualistic act, the countless repetitions of which she had lost count, she found a perverse pleasure.
Her fingers were already covered in old wounds, repeatedly cut and healed.
“Haa… h-hnn…”
Again, a drop of blood fell from her finger, staining the blade an even deeper crimson.
****
The door to the office creaked open, admitting a knight in armor carrying a stack of documents.
“Your Royal Highness, Princess. I have brought the documents you requested.”
“Elena. Place those on this pile here. And what progress has been made on the investigation?”
“Regarding the sword, I could only gather that no one could identify it without seeing it in person. If it wouldn’t be too much trouble…”
“That again? They claim to be dwarven artisans, yet they know nothing?”
“Well, they would naturally respond that way if we only provided a picture and asked them.”
“Enough. I’ll have to find other artisans.”
Adelia was curious about the sword’s true identity and had been trying to uncover it on her own.
Yet, her unwavering refusal to part with the sword, even for a moment, only served to impede the investigation.
She was so consumed by this obsession that she refused to separate from the sword, even for the sake of an investigation.
Even if it were not a sword but a deadly poison or a magical explosive, as long as it was a gift from Lily, she would cling to it indefinitely.
“If I lose even this trying to learn more, I truly will go mad. As for the Knight Order recruitment, didn’t you say you’d gone this morning?”
“Uh… I don’t fully understand the meaning, but I will convey exactly what I heard.
[I won’t fall for voice phishing!]
That was the reply I received. No matter what was said, they refused to believe it, so if Your Royal Highness has a personal acquaintance with the Lily Knight, it might be best to meet them directly…”
“Silence!”
Adelia’s head throbbed.
She knew that if she tried to meet Lily directly, Lily would undoubtedly try to avoid her for some inexplicable reason.
The mere thought of such a scenario brought her immense pain.
Yet, if Lily did not accept her proposal, everything Adelia had prepared thus far would be rendered meaningless.
Adelia had to persuade Lily, no matter the cost.
After a moment of contemplation, she touched the approval documents and spoke.
“The paperwork is already complete, isn’t it? Then just register them as the Commander.”
“Pardon?”
“Did you not hear me? I said, just put their name down.”
“But the kingdom’s laws…”
Adelia lightly licked the hand that had been stroking the sword.
Elena couldn’t discern if it was a reflexive action born of stress or merely a display of dominance, but she knew it couldn’t taste good.
“It’s as good as if I’ve already secured their consent. Why shouldn’t I be able to command my own retainer as I please?”
Elena felt her mind go blank at the sheer impudence of the Princess’s order.
Even if the individual in question was young, unilaterally registering a formally titled knight into a knight order without their consent could spark serious political turmoil.
Elena sensed Princess Adelia’s hysteria was worsening, but she refrained from voicing her thoughts.
Adelia murmured with a faint smile.
“Yes… I should have done this from the beginning.”
If Lily were to join her personal Knight Order, she would be removed from the kingdom’s noble hierarchy and become wholly subservient to Adelia alone.
Thus, any command Adelia issued to Lily—even, for instance, confining her to a room all day—would be a legal and justifiable exercise of her authority.
“Of course, it would be impossible by convention. But aren’t conventions merely things for me to change?”
Adelia stroked the blade, a blissful expression on her face as she indulged in her delusions.
****
Late at night, a man secretly visited Adelia’s office.
He spoke in a low voice to her, still working into the evening.
“Adelia. I heard you’re forming a new personal Knight Order. And the commander is the Lily Knight, is that right?”
“Brother. To what do I owe the honor of your visit to this humble place?”
“Don’t you know what you’re doing? Let me tell you plainly: stop this at once.”
Until now, Adelia had been free from the complexities of royal succession precisely because she had shown no political ambition.
However, by suddenly acquiring the powerful ‘military force’ of a Knight Order, she could no longer be politically ignored, especially since its commander was a rising star known for discovering ancient ruins.
Thus, Mae-stro, the Second Prince and her half-brother, was deeply concerned for her.
Those vying for the throne would react sensitively to even a whisper of political maneuvering.
Moreover, the recent discovery of ancient ruins had already thrown the royal palace into disarray, making the situation even more volatile.
“Don’t needlessly draw the attention of our elder brother and sister. The palace is still shrouded in darkness.”
“But it is already too late. The documents have left my hands and will soon be signed by the administrative officials before being submitted to Father.”
She was well-versed in administrative procedures and knew perfectly well that if she withdrew the proposal now, it would be as if it had never happened.
Yet, she was compulsively pushing it forward, as if driven by some unseen force.
To Adelia, who spoke without even lifting her head, he said with a hint of sorrow.
“What on earth has driven you to this? If only you had lived as if dead for another ten, no, just five years, you could have lived freely, doing as you pleased. Why now, of all times?”
“If not now, it holds no meaning, Brother. In just three years, let alone five, she will graduate from school and leave my side forever.”
Three years of school. After that, it was uncertain whether Lily would even remain in the royal capital.
Adelia cautiously and slowly recalled Lily’s face, and the red-haired girl who stood beside her.
It was a deeply painful process, yet that girl was the Marquis Sanguinaire’s daughter, meaning there was a possibility she could forcefully take Lily to the Marquisate.
Of course, due to her psychological defense mechanisms, Adelia couldn’t even entertain the thought that Lily might willingly follow the other girl.
Unaware of these intricate circumstances, he spoke to Adelia with an air of bewilderment.
“Her? You mean that knight? Whatever you desire is irrelevant. You are in no position to desire anything.”
“Brother, she is mine. In this kingdom, where I possess nothing, she is the only thing I can truly claim.”
“Did you not learn about the duties of royalty when you were young, Adelia? In this kingdom, there is nothing that is yours, nor mine, nor even Father’s. That is the essence of being royal.”
“Are you going to preach the same words as Father, Brother? I’ve heard enough.”
Adelia did not lift her head until he had departed.
****
In the school garden stood a black-haired girl, surrounded by several knights.
The girl was flustered.
“Eh?”
“An order of summons has been issued. Commander.”
“Commander? I am not such a person.”
“Her Royal Highness, the Princess, is calling for you. Please come at once.”
The knights seized the girl by both her hands and feet, escorting her away as if apprehending a criminal.
The Royal Historians recorded this incident as follows:
On November 30th, the first year of Adelia’s reign, the Knight Commander requested resignation, stating, ‘I have not signed such an unfair contract! I am resigning!’, but the resignation was not granted.
