Chapter 14

Standing in the training ground where the armored knights gathered, I strongly felt like an outsider.

However, the request to train them came from the prince, who is the de facto leader of the country, and it was not something I could simply refuse, even if I knew it was just a pretext.

"Next, please."

At Elaine's call, a knight stepped forward.

"Please."

They bowed to each other and took up their practice swords.

A few moments later, the same result as the previous knight occurred.

The moment the opponent tried to swing his sword, Elaine took the initiative to stop his movement.

"Ugh!"

The knight, whose wrist was struck, could not withstand the impact and dropped his sword.

Since the area was protected by a gauntlet, he was unlikely to be injured.

"I yield."

Despite the lingering numbness, the knight managed to pick up the dropped sword and left.

After seeing him off, Elaine called out again:

"Next."

"Milady Elaine, it's almost time."

The response did not come from a knight but from the prince's secretary, who was also Elaine's guide.

Beside him stood the captain of the knights, whom Elaine had come to recognize over the past year.

"Thank you for today."

After giving a few words of advice to the knights she had sparred with, Elaine headed toward the castle with her guide.

"Truly, Milady Elaine. To defeat the knights without a single hit today..."

"Enough with the flattery."

Shrugging, she walked toward her destination.

After training, she had a meal with the prince.

It was the same schedule as always.

It was a little past lunchtime.

When she arrived at the castle's dining hall, the prince was among the scattered figures eating their meals.

The prince was a down-to-earth person who ate with everyone in the dining hall.

Elaine appreciated that it wasn't a formal setting.

"I'm sorry to keep you waiting."

"Ah, Elaine. You look beautiful today."

With an ambiguous smile at the prince's flattery, she sat down across from him.

She didn't need to ask for permission to sit, as she had been told.

The prince's secretary prepared meals for both of them and then waited at a distance, likely to give them space to talk. However, Elaine didn't want him to go to such lengths.

Due to the war with the Demon King's army, the country couldn't afford lavish meals, even for the royal family and their guests.

Still, the menu included precious meat, soft bread, and a hearty soup, showing the utmost consideration.

As they ate, the prince asked:

"So, Elaine. Have you thought about it?"

Though she thought it was the same topic again, she kept her expression neutral and replied calmly.

"Yes, I'm still thinking about it. In other words... I haven't reached a decision yet. I'm sorry."

In truth, she hadn't thought much about it, except for how to keep delaying the decision.

Elaine's response made the prince smile wryly.

"It's understandable. Deciding to marry someone a decade older isn't something you can do quickly."

"No, it's not about your age..."

A year had passed since the defeat of the Demon King, and the situation had changed.

First, the support from neighboring countries had stopped.

On the surface, the kingdom was respected as the leader who defeated the Demon King, but the future was bleak.

Agriculture was devastated by the black clouds.

Restoring the fields to their pre-Demon King state was not a simple task.

Twenty years had passed, and many people had lost the knowledge of how to cultivate crops.

The kingdom was offering land to foreign settlers to increase the population and recover lost knowledge, but it would take time to bear fruit.

Most importantly, the citizens of the kingdom felt proud of their role in the fight.

If only the settlers were favored, it would stir up national sentiment.

Even without the Demon King, the country was exhausted.

In such a situation, the prince, who had to make difficult decisions, wanted to use any means to improve the situation. Elaine understood that much.

(But to be proposed as a bright topic, my marriage to the prince...)

Elaine respected the prince as an individual.

During the war with the Demon King's army, the prince's skill "Leadership" guided the soldiers to victory in many tough defensive battles, a different kind of hero from Elaine.

After the war, he took over the practical management of the country when the king, exhausted from the stress, fell ill.

If Elaine, who defeated the Demon King, were to marry the prince, it would be widely celebrated, except by some stubborn nobles.

The country had nothing to offer its citizens now.

So, a bright and hopeful topic was understandable.

However, for Elaine, it was a matter of personal feeling.

Despite defeating the Demon King, she felt she had nothing left.

She thought she had finally reached the starting line, but she couldn't do what she truly wanted to do.

This confusion still lingered, and she hadn't recovered.

But her surroundings were pushing her to move forward, not content with just defeating the Demon King.

They demanded more service from her, saying, "You're a hero who defeated the Demon King," without any hesitation.

Honestly, she felt "constrained."

"Prince, please give me more time to think."

In the end, she gave the same response as always and left the scene.

Returning to the house the country had provided for her, she was preparing for bed when a visitor arrived.

"Here it is."

"Thank you."

After a brief exchange, the visitor left.

The visitor had brought a report on the investigation she had requested.

Reading the report, she found the location of the person she was looking for.

The next day, she canceled her scheduled appointments and visited the person.

This person was the wife of the man who had saved the lives of Elaine and the villagers, and the mother of Elyus.

She prepared as much wealth as she could and went to visit her.

"Are you Elaine? Thank you for coming."

She was greeted with a smile, which surprised her.

She had been concerned about surprising the woman with her sudden visit, but the atmosphere felt welcoming.

She was led inside the house.

Everything she saw was well-worn, indicating a simple lifestyle.

Despite this, Elyus's mother went out of her way to make tea.

"I had heard you defeated the Demon King... I imagined someone more imposing. I didn't expect such a delicate young lady."

"Hehe, no, not really. I was always scolded by my parents for being a tomboy... Thank you."

As a child, she was often teased by her friends about being "boyish."

As an adult, she received compliments on her appearance, but she still wasn't used to it.

She sipped the tea to hide her embarrassment.

During this time, she felt a sharp pain in her chest at the gentle gaze of Elyus's mother.

After taking a breath, she brought up the main topic.

"I came today... to apologize."

"Apologize?"

"Yes."

There was no more tea in her mouth.

But Elaine cleared her throat and spoke the words of apology.

"I... I caused the death of Elyus... your son."

After a moment of thought, Elyus's mother asked:

"Why do you think that? The person who killed him was caught and executed, wasn't he?"

"..."

The former party member, Lena, was found guilty of Elyus's murder and executed.

She had turned herself in, and based on her testimony, Elyus's body was found in a well.

The execution of the holy maiden was quickly spread among the people.

Rumors about motives like grudges and infidelity circulated, but they naturally faded after a year.

So, Elyus's mother was right.

However, Elaine had felt guilty for the past year... no, since the time she was in "Dragon Fang's Bite," always feeling that she was a burden, as Lena had said.

She had tried not to show her inner feelings.

"Would you like to talk about why you feel this way? I would like to know more about my son."

Encouraged by Elyus's mother, Elaine began to confess her past.