I Tried To Be Her Loyal Sword

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Chapter 54

My seat was right next to the host, Lewellen Bar. Traditionally, the seats on either side of the host are the best ones. Since there was no princess in the Imperial Palace, it was only fitting that the highest-ranking young lady in the Empire—namely me—would sit here.

I secretly breathed a sigh of relief that I wasn’t being teased about my seat.

“Thank you for accepting the invitation, Princess of Crisis. Thanks to you, this gathering will surely shine today.”

“That’s too kind of you.”

A brief exchange of formal greetings passed between the host and me as guests. Normally, these pleasantries would be filled with flattery, making the exchange longer, but neither Lewellen nor I valued frivolous courtesies, so it was short.

I had already checked the list of invitees, but I still slowly surveyed the young ladies seated before me at the table.

There was a feeling of pride in realizing that all the young ladies here were wearing body chains.

‘The young lady right in front of me is from Count Hanel’s family. The others are from count or baron families.’

Of course, none of them were of a higher rank than me.

However, social circles were not solely defined by status, so the most powerful young lady in the social world was undoubtedly Lewellen.

The young ladies who briefly exchanged greetings with me peeked at me while chatting amongst themselves.

What I saw in their eyes was mostly curiosity, or maybe a bit of competitive spirit, wondering if they could poke me just a little. And then there was malice.

‘……This is going to be a bit tiring.’

As this was my first social outing since my debut, I understood that all eyes would be on me and that I would be faced with conflict, but it was indeed bothersome when it actually happened.

I took a sip of the steaming milk tea and sighed inwardly.

‘……I wonder if Lewellen dislikes me too?’

I wasn’t concerned with what the other young ladies thought of me. I was well aware of their malice, and none of them were necessary for my plans.

However, it would be somewhat disappointing if Lewellen harbored ill feelings towards me.

I slowly turned my eyes to Lewellen, who was seated beside me, and was slightly taken aback.

Lewellen was staring at me intently.

Her green eyes gleamed with sharp observation, a hint of doubt, and wild excitement.

Instead of looking away when our eyes met, Lewellen widened her eyes and scrutinized me even harder. It was such an intense gaze that, involuntarily, I found myself avoiding her stare.

‘It seems she doesn’t dislike me, but…

Her gaze is quite overwhelming. Still, it seems she can’t fully believe that I am the Sword Master.

She seems to have some doubts about me.

Though her glances kept coming, none of the young ladies dared to speak directly to me. Thanks to that, I managed to drink three cups of tea and munch on a variety of not overly sweet desserts fitting for Deckardo’s high status without any troublesome incidents.

“Cough! By the way, the Young Lady of Crisis… your outfit looks very comfortable.”

A young lady dressed in a cute lavender dress gingerly spoke to me.

‘I was wondering when someone would point that out.’

At this point, I didn’t even sigh anymore. I blinked my eyes in boredom and looked down at myself.

A white shirt under a deep purple vest. A black harness crossing over the vest. Half-palm black leather gloves that revealed about half of my palms. Tight-fitting high-waisted black riding pants. A black coat draped over my shoulders.

It was a completely ordinary outfit that a man would not have been criticized for.

If I were a man.

“Yes, it is very comfortable. I tend to prioritize convenience and ease of wear.”

I replied nonchalantly, pretending not to catch the sarcasm in her words.

Having not been very active in social circles, but having to meet nobles since being adopted into the House of Crisis, I had learned when to twist words and when to take them at face value.

“Ahem! Still, the Young Lady of Deckardo has graciously invited us to such a beautiful garden, and I worry it may be impolite to wear male attire.”

When faced with such criticisms, it was better to take their words at face value rather than digging up hidden intentions.

Just waiting patiently until they reveal their true intentions.

Since becoming Crisis, I had been bored out of my mind every time I wore pants and received incessant criticisms. It was deemed improper for a woman to wear trousers.

‘But no one dared to criticize my sword when it was matching my outfit and I was out at the same place.’

If the sword were to wander the streets dressed in nothing but underwear, everyone would fear to say a word, yet here I was, treated with disdain seemingly solely because I am a woman.

What I could not choose, and what I could not change through effort.

With a blank expression, I slightly tightened my grip on the glass I was holding. The glass trembled under the force of my grip, enhanced by the strength of the Sword Master.

‘Well, what does it matter? They will need me soon enough.’

Some clever person once said that if the world turns its back on you, you should turn your back on the world as well.

I was a bit different.

The world had never truly embraced me. If the world did not want me, I would become a being that the world could not afford to lose. Thus, the world would kiss my feet and yearn for my existence.

So, the whispers of those who were trying to trip me only tickled me.

“Lady Deckardo. Did my attire offend your tea party in any way?”

I directly asked Lewellen, disregarding the chatting young ladies behind me.

Since it had been a roundabout way of confronting the issue, I preferred to settle it all at once.

Lewellen looked at me. Though she did not seem to dislike me, it was unlikely that she would stand up for me in front of most young ladies around who were showing hostility towards me.

If I received an answer indicating that I was indeed impolite, I would gracefully apologize and put an end to it. It was easier to bow once over some trivial matter.

“No.”

And the answer I received took me by surprise.

“You seem to wear it well. I don’t understand why everyone is commenting on it.”

Lewellen spoke while smiling faintly at me.

I was taken aback by the sight of her smiling for the first time, and my eyes widened in surprise as she quickly erased her smile.

“Ah, but still, it is male attire…

“Is there even a gender associated with clothing? It’s not as if you came in your pajamas, so I don’t see a reason this should even be an issue. The dark purple vest you’re wearing looks stunning on you.”

Lewellen cut off the words of the criticizing young lady with conviction and even praised me.

I blinked rapidly, unsure of how to respond.

“Uh… thank you for the compliment. The design of Lady Deckardo’s dress is really well done, too.”

As I awkwardly complimented her, Lewellen turned her head away, acting aloof as usual.

‘Lewellen… wasn’t supposed to be like this?’

In the original story, Lewellen was a stereotypical villainess character, overly obsessed with femininity, decorum, and beauty.

In fact, I had worried whether she would berate me over my outfit, but it turned out that such worries were completely unnecessary.

‘It seems the fairy night will be considered garbage.’

I decided not to dwell on the original work and scolded myself for assuming people’s behavior based on their original portrayals, wiping the original Lewellen from my mind. From now on, I’d only consider the Lewellen I was seeing now as the real one.

“……If Lady Lewellen thinks so, then it must be so.”

Seeing that Lewellen had stood up for me, the young lady who had previously shown disappointment reluctantly backed off.

Though I was not particularly active in social circles, it seemed that even a shred of my background intimidated Lewellen.

I felt a bit unsettled, but I decided to have a generous mindset, considering that the youngsters might simply be immature.

The tea party was dull. I didn’t really know any of the young ladies, so I mostly sat quietly sipping tea and occasionally chiming in a couple of times.

Interestingly, Lewellen was quite reserved as well. Despite being approached by others, she responded with only short answers, yet she kept stealing glances at me. It was a little overwhelming.

“It’s getting late, so I think it’s best that everyone head home now.”

Lewellen, who had been watching me for a while, finally spoke. A wave of confusion swept over the young ladies around us. Surprised by Lewellen’s gaze, I looked back at her.

“But we’ve only been here for an hour…

“It’s still cold outside, and the sun sets quickly. It’s best for everyone to return home early.”

Cutting off a young lady who was trying to propose an alternative, Lewellen stated decisively. That was clearly a dismissal order.

“If that’s what you’re saying… then I suppose I should stand up.”

There was no one in this place who could refuse Lewellen’s dismissal order, the owner of this venue and the ultimate power in social circles.

‘I couldn’t ask the questions I wanted to… but it can’t be helped.’

As everyone stood up hesitantly, I thought I should probably take my leave too. While dragging out my chair, Lewellen’s focused gaze turned towards me.

“Lady of Crisis, if it’s not too much trouble, could you stay behind for a moment? I have something I’d like to ask you.”

I was slightly taken aback, but I nodded right away.

“Of course. It’s no trouble at all.”

I had something to say as well, so if she were going to create a moment for us to be alone, I would appreciate it. The young ladies, who had been looking at me with envy, vacated the scene in an instant.

In the beautiful rose garden, only Lewellen and I remained. I savored the quiet surroundings as I took another sip of tea.

“What would you like to ask me?”

“Will you answer me if I say I’m curious?”

“If you also answer my questions, then I’ll be happy to reply to yours.”

A battle of wits commenced between Lewellen and me. It was a light skirmish. Lewellen, with her eyes narrowed slightly in an enigmatic manner, nodded her head little by little.

“Well, give-and-take is the very basic of business. I’m not someone who lacks basic etiquette, so you need not worry. However, you will grant me the right to remain silent, correct?”

“Of course. It’s not exactly a difficult question anyway.”

“The questions will be exchanged one by one, and each response must be true. If I have to lie, I will invoke my right to remain silent. You have my noble honor at stake. Do you understand?”

“Yes.”

Lewellen was thorough in her negotiations. After short discussions that satisfied both our conditions, a proper dialogue began.

“Alright. Then let me ask first. Lady of Crisis, we have met before, have we not? Before your debut.”

A blunt and rather direct question flew at me. Since I had come intending to be blunt myself, I nodded without hesitation.

“Yes. We have met.”

The depth of Lewellen’s eyes filled with a swirling intrigue. She looked like she was contemplating something deeply, so I gave her a moment and threw in my own question.

“I heard that whenever Lady Lewellen meets my younger sister Aria, you ask her a question. Why was that?”

At that, Lewellen’s face flushed a deep red, matching the vibrant color of her hair.