Back at the villa’s front door once more, Floria saw Sofia’s room door slightly ajar, a warm orange-yellow light spilling out through the crack, casting a long thread of silk-like glow across the hall’s floor.
The candle flames on the walls burned quietly, and even the candle holders on the stair railing had been relit, as if the lights were left on just for Floria.
“……”
Though she knew deep down she was under soft confinement, seeing this scene still made Floria unconsciously breathe a sigh of relief, feeling a sense of safety like coming home.
Thinking that since she had already been discovered, Floria no longer sneaked around as when she came out, but strode boldly into the main hall.
Yet, even when she stepped onto the staircase, her footsteps quite audible, there was still no movement from Sofia’s room.
“…Hmm?”
Floria stubbornly stepped up a few more stairs.
The light shining through the crack of Sofia’s door seemed frozen in place, firmly stuck to the floor of the hall without a flicker.
“Sofia?”
Floria tilted her head and called softly.
Still no response.
Wasn’t she supposed to be waiting for me…?
Unable to resist curiosity, Floria tiptoed closer to Sofia’s door.
“Huu…mm…”
She heard the steady, faint sound of breathing from inside.
Floria peered through the door crack with one eye—
Sofia was slumped over her desk, sound asleep.
Two piles of documents lay before her: a larger stack already processed, and a smaller one that seemed to be the “difficult cases” singled out.
“Tch… so she fell asleep while reviewing documents… didn’t even turn off the magic crystal lamp.”
Floria pursed her lips.
“No need to work so hard… clearly, she could’ve just dealt with this tomorrow during the day…”
Floria muttered to herself, completely forgetting that when she had been in this position, she was also a “model Knight Commander” who stayed up all night if needed to finish daily paperwork and feedback on the same day.
Silently sighing, Floria lifted her foot to leave and return to her own room.
But as her round-toed boot took a step toward the stairs, it somehow froze in place.
Compelled by some inexplicable force, she fixed her gaze back on Sofia’s room, feeling a bit unsettled.
“How many times have I told you? As Holy Knight Commander, you must lead by example in practicing thrift and diligence… How can you let such a high-grade magic crystal lamp stay on all night? It’s outrageous…”
Muttering to herself, she quietly pushed the door open wider and slipped into the room like a nimble little cat, stepping closer to Sofia.
Click—
She reached out and switched off the orange-yellow magic crystal lamp on the desk.
“Mm… Sister… Commander… am I qualified yet…”
As the light dimmed, Sofia, still slumped on the desk, mumbled softly in her sleep.
“Ugh…!”
Floria was startled by the sleepy voice, almost jumping in place and quickly covering her mouth in panic.
Seeing Sofia make no other movements besides rubbing her head against her arm, Floria slowly realized it was just sleep talk, and breathed a small sigh of relief.
Taking this rare opportunity to be close to Sofia in a “safe state,” Floria found it rather refreshing—such a precious scene might never come again.
Unlike the usual image Sofia projected before Floria—brash, domineering, and lecherous—the Sofia in her sleep truly looked like a sweet, youthful girl.
Her delicate cheeks sunken in slumber, the finely sculpted brow that often furrowed during the day now smooth and relaxed.
Her eyelids shut tight, long lashes trembling lightly, a few loose strands of hair hanging down, gently swaying in the night breeze with each steady breath.
Floria leaned in a bit, quietly admiring Sofia’s charmingly innocent sleeping face.
Her slightly parted lips exhaled faint warm mist with each breath, and a glistening trail of drool hung at the corner of her mouth, as if she had dreamed of something delicious.
The girl’s slender body seemed no match for the late autumn chill, instinctively curling her legs and wrapping her arms tightly, curling into a small ball on the chair even in sleep.
…Satisfied, Floria withdrew her gaze and shifted her attention to the documents on the desk.
“Oh, right, speaking of which…
“Let me see what you’ve been up to since taking office—”
Unable to contain her curiosity, guided by the bright moonlight outside the window, Floria tiptoed to Sofia’s chair and secretly examined the pending documents.
The first thing that caught her eye was a project proposal boldly titled in red:
[Feasibility Report on Western Plains Land Ownership Decision and Diplomatic Unification Between the Two Countries]
“Uh… isn’t this the project I casually proposed during my term?”
Floria looked surprised, uncertain, and peered closely at the document, flipping open a page to read carefully.
…Indeed, it was the long-term project she had put forward following the system’s suggestion years ago.
A long-term project is like the “Main Policy” every Knight Commander must announce to the public voters during election and the Ritual of Policy Announcement.
…Of course, since the kingdom’s relations with the neighboring country had always been rocky, Floria’s project was actually extremely difficult to implement and its success probability nearly zero, purely a strategic move to appease certain groups and to satisfy inspections from above.
Yet, despite having stepped down years ago… Sofia was still earnestly pushing forward the diplomatic project she had left behind…
Floria’s expression turned complicated as she looked at the sleeping Sofia.
Should I call you foolish… or naive…
She sighed subtly and began to sift through the regular documents Sofia had stayed up processing.
[Notice: Graffiti with the phrase “Knight Commander is a fool” found on the walls of the Knight Commander’s Dormitory, severely damaging morale. Please identify the culprit and restore the walls.]
[Inquiry: How to handle trainees who accidentally broke their training swords during swordsmanship exams and claim “Sword Fate Severance,” refusing to use weapons anymore.]
[Feedback: Some knights competing in “who can look most like a ghost” during night patrols have frightened children in the city. Please clarify disciplinary regulations.]
[Strategic Planning Division Question: Proposal and risk assessment regarding transforming the Southern Dragon Habitat into a tourist attraction—does this help increase fiscal revenue?]
[Urgent Notice: Supply lines to the Extreme Northern Frontier garrison blocked by snow, causing food spoilage. Immediate drafting of winter reserves and insulated transport contingency plan required.]
[Etiquette Division Official Letter: Regarding poor formation on Knight Parade Day, some councilors accuse this of lax military discipline. The Commander is to submit a report on improvement drills within three days.]
[Regarding “A batch of newly forged longswords showing widespread defects due to metal composition during first use,” Bureau of Armaments and Alchemical Workshop passing blame. Request independent investigation results.]
[Feedback: Young trainees frequently arguing with instructors in Magical Theory Class. Need to decide whether to allocate more budget for magic courses or replace them with military drills.]
……
……
A quick glance showed mostly complaints, complicated project issues, internal problems, and some bizarre, nonsensical proposals.
Floria skimmed through and found little of real value.
“So… this is what Sofia has to deal with every day? Such a mess.”
She shook her head with a sigh and closed the documents.
…Judging by the current state of the Knight Order, it’s nowhere near as well-run as when she had been in charge.
A cold wind blew in through the window gap, causing Sofia’s body to shiver uneasily, and her previously steady breathing grew irregular.
Floria looked on at Sofia’s curled-up figure slumped over the desk, as if suddenly struck by a thought, a subtle smile curved her lips.
She chuckled softly and stepped out of the room.
Not long after, she returned holding a blanket.
“…You fool, Sofia, falling asleep at your desk and leaving the window open… no wonder you’re going to catch a cold tomorrow.”
Tiptoeing carefully, she slowly and gently wrapped the wide blanket around Sofia, thoughtfully tucking in the gaps where drafts leaked in.
Looking at her “masterpiece,” Floria clapped her hands with pride, then placed her hands on her hips and whispered with a smile:
“All right, this witch acknowledges your hard work and will grudgingly reward you with this blanket—remember this favor from your witch mistress~”
After a pause, she lowered her head and muttered sheepishly:
“Although… I’m not really concerned about you, you pervert. I’m just… afraid if you catch a cold, you’ll pass it on to little Sylvie… Yeah, that’s it—”
Nodding approvingly at her own inner justification, Floria turned to leave the room.
Clatter—
The crisp sound of a pen dropping to the floor suddenly rang behind her.
“Huh?”