Looking for My Fiancé’s Lover

Upon arriving in front of a relatively large door compared to other rooms, Lockherd opened the door without hesitation. 

Shouldn’t he have at least given me time to think about what lies to tell? 

I was dragged along like a product on the way to its case in the market.

“Leader, you’re in there, right? I have arrived.”

At his notice, a man, who was sitting at the desk going through the documents, raised his head.
He looked like a very sharp middle-aged man with glasses on.
The man, called the leader, did not seem pleased with Lockherd’s confident greeting, seeing as how he took off his glasses and threw them to the side of his desk.

“Lockherd, you bastard.
Didn’t you say that you would shave your head if you were late one more time? How distracted were you that you’re 40 minutes late?”

“There’s a reason for me being late today.
It’s not because I was playing around like usual.”

“I don’t need any excuse, come over here and give me your head.
I’ll shave everything off including your eyebrows.”

It was then that Lockherd grabbed my shoulders and pulled me in front of him.

Is he trying to use me as a shield? Even when considering the amount of time he has waited for me, wasn’t 40 minutes still too much time? It could not have been entirely my fault, right?

My appearance was so sudden that the man, who was busy rolling his sleeve, stopped.
As Lockherd gave a light pat on my back, I bowed reflexively.

“Hello, sir.
I am Katrina, daughter of Count Ezellot.”

What should I do next?

 After fifteen years of hard work, it felt like formal etiquette had all disappeared at that very moment.
I shook my blank head and opened my mouth.

“Can you please give me Sir Pancion Entera?”

For a moment, the Knight Commander’s office was engulfed in a heavy silence.

Screwed my damn self. Cold sweat was running down my back.
I parted my lips again, attempting to justify the nonsense I had just spouted, just to fail miserably.

“Ahaha! Oh my, I think I have made a slip of the tongue there.
I didn’t mean to ask for him.
I meant to borrow him.”

“…hold it right there.
You, stay behind me for now.”

Lockherd pulled my shoulder urgently.
He dragged me behind him while I did not resist.
The knight commander, who was as perplexed as me, or even more than me, looked at me with bewilderment.

“I’m sorry, sir.
It hasn’t been long since Katrina learned to speak.
She still has no idea how to use the appropriate words for the right situation.”

“….Have you just learned how to speak?”

The knights commander stared at me with suspicion.
His face was full of distrust and reluctance.

Lockherd! You idiot! Do you think he would believe you if you say that? 

My age might be fifteen this year, but in terms of mental maturity, I was above seventeen.
It meant that even though I was young, I would never want to hear that I was not mature enough.
Well, sure, I used to have terrible habits of living however I pleased, which had gotten me in a difficult situation like now….But frankly, claiming that I had just learned how to speak was going too far!

“Yes, she wanted to see the training ground so much that she begged me.
I couldn’t leave the child crying and screaming, so I brought her.”

“Hmm… I’ve heard a bit about Miss Katrina Ezellot.”

Contrary to my expectation, the knight commander looked convinced.
My heart, which had been pounding with tension, quickly went cold.
How many more terrible rumours would circulate now due to Lockherd’s repulsive words? I could now see that there was no good in my impulsive way of living.

“It can’t be helped.
No matter how strict the knights are, it is impossible to refuse a lady who shows interest.”

The knight commander stood up from his seat and trudged toward Lockherd.
He pushed Lockherd to the side and bent down to make eye contact with me.
He saw his reflection in my eyes and smiled.

“Nice to meet you, Lady Ezellot.
My name is Breit Taliya, I am the commander of the second Knight Division of the Imperial Guards.
May I offer my greetings?”

Unlike his harsh first impression, he was much softer and more gentle this time around.
He was using an attitude that people often used dealing with kids.

“Of course.
Please call me Katrina, Sir.”

Breit politely reached out to me, and, after a little hesitation, I gently put my hand in his.
His warm lips touch my skin.

“Unlike how it looks, the training ground is very dangerous, so milady should go down to the second floor to watch.
The training ground is clearly visible from the window inside the waiting room, that way, you won’t feel stuffy from the turmoil of the training ground.
Please keep in mind that the tallest one among the knights is Sir Pancion Entera.”

“Can I really do that? If it’s a hassle, I can always come back next time.
I have plenty of time so it’s okay.”

Actually, it was not okay at all.
It took three hours to visit the Imperial Castle, so I didn’t want to go back in vain.
Fortunately, Breit shook his head at my polite words.

Was it because he’s a knight? Even though he’s over forty, I could still feel his enthusiasm radiating from his expression.

“No.
Don’t worry about that.
The Knights always welcome someone as lovely as you.”

What kind of rumours have you heard about me that makes you this kind toward me? 

That just unnerved me.
Maybe the rumours were about me lacking as a 15-year-old rather than me being a fool.

Breit took me to the parlor, just below the knight commander’s office.
As soon as I sat down on a chair, he grabbed Lockherd’s neck with his big, bear-like hand, and the two left for the training ground.

Left alone, I immediately looked out the window.
As Breit said, the knights’ training ground in the distance was easily visible in one shrunk view.
Suddenly, a person caught my eye.
I didn’t notice when I first entered, but a girl my age had been sitting next to me, separated from me by a glass screen.

I sneaked up on her and stole a glance.
Her polychromatic silver hair, shining in like five different colours, much similar to the ones on the mermaid’s scales.
It was glistening under the sunlight.
Although her face was covered by her hair, and her detailed appearance could not be seen, I could feel that she’s great beauty from her demeanor alone.

After much thought, I cleared my throat as I stood next to the girl.
The girl, who was about a handspan taller than me, was leaning against the window, looking out at the training ground.

“Hello.”