The Dawn’s Eye has touched the nature of the Lyard family!
This news quickly spread far and wide, within half a day, causing their presence to resurface.
In fact, the Dawn’s Eye, as a group, was not particularly well-known in the Empire.
Of course, considering the deeds they have committed, they are notorious for mocking and assassinating the Emperor’s great-grandfather, and even attempting to swallow the entire Empire, making them one of the most infamous villains in history.
However, they were always elusive, and even when some of the Dawn’s Eye members were caught, they would either commit suicide to prevent any information from leaking or engage in concealment schemes, hiding in the darkness.
As a result, their influence quietly spread throughout the Empire, but it was difficult for the Empire to fully eradicate them.
Considering that even the previous head of the Drake family, who rose to the position of the Tower Master, was a member of the Dawn’s Eye, it is uncertain how far their influence actually reached.
For this reason, from the Emperor’s great-grandfather to the previous Emperor, they were reluctant to take direct action against the Dawn’s Eye and merely let them fade into the annals of history.
At that time, this decision was not entirely wrong.
The movements of the Dawn’s Eye had indeed slowed down, and though the previous Emperor sought revenge, it was naturally hesitant to plunge the Empire into the chaos of war.
However, the current Emperor, Oswell Shride Coppen Hespiya, was a hardliner, quite different from the previous Emperors.
“Those damn traitors… How dare they rise against the Empire again?”
“Ah, Your Majesty, I regret to inform you, but it seems so.”
The minister who brought this urgent news bent deeply in respect as Oswell, sitting on the throne, slammed his trembling fist on the armrest.
Oswell had a much stronger desire for revenge and anger against the Dawn’s Eye compared to the previous Emperors.
This was partly because, since the beginning of his reign, the Dawn’s Eye’s actions had become more intense, resulting in frequent clashes, but the biggest reason was simply his love for the Empire.
Because of this, when rumors spread that the Drake family had made contact with the Dawn’s Eye, whether true or just conspiracy theories, he even summoned the current head of the Drake family for an interrogation disguised as a meeting.
To him, traitors who sought to defile the Empire were nothing more than pests that needed to be swept away without mercy.
“Moreover, the Lyard family… Are there people who dare to touch the Empire’s Three Swords?”
“It seems that they took advantage of the absence of the eldest son, Prince Hassel, and attempted an assassination.”
“Hassel Lyard… Yes, he was quite a promising man.”
Oswell’s eyes gleamed at the name of a promising man who was said to have been enough to carry on the reputation of the Lyard family.
But then, he narrowed his eyes as if something seemed off.
“However, it’s strange. I heard recently that there was a rumor about a change in the next head of the Lyard family.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. You must be aware of the long-standing traditions of the Lyard family.”
“I know well.”
It was such a famous tradition that most nobles knew about it.
To determine the next head of the family, they would have their children fight each other like warriors thrown into an arena to choose the strongest one as the heir.
Some might say this was too barbaric, but it was a tradition that demonstrated the Lyard family as one of the Empire’s sharpest swords.
Only the strongest would be chosen to represent the family, and their bloodline would continue to lead the family forward.
Oswell was rather favorable to this approach.
“It is said that the one who stopped their surprise attack was the current heir to the Lyard family, Prince Kyle.”
“Kyle? Hmm, I’ve heard of him. He used to have a pretty bad reputation, especially in terms of his talent with a sword.”
For someone born into one of the Empire’s Three Swords families, this would have been an irremediable flaw.
Oswell, who still remembered the disgraceful name of Kyle, was well aware of how poorly he had been regarded by the public.
“Yes, but recently, it is said that he has shown overwhelming talent in magic. He seems to have entered the path of a mage, utilizing the vast magical power he was born with.”
“Oh, magic, you say? Now, that’s an interesting piece of news.”
The man, who had been spewing anger just moments ago, now brightened his eyes and sat up properly at the new information.
This was understandable, for the Lyard family, true to the name of the Empire’s Three Swords, had always cultivated exceptional martial artists.
Even the current head of the family, Dver, was well-known, and the previous head was an outstanding figure often mentioned when discussing the greatest swordsmen in the Empire’s history.
Yet, now the next head of the Lyard family was a promising mage? This was something to be truly surprised about.
Especially since there had always been a subtle competitive spirit between martial artists and mages, often leading to mutual disdain or belittling.
Generally, martial artists would grumble that those who only read books in their rooms and neglected their physical training couldn’t know anything, while mages criticized martial artists as outdated losers who couldn’t even handle magic.
Therefore, it was not uncommon for families that had produced great martial artists to subtly exclude mages, but now, the Lyard family’s next head was a mage.
‘Then again, Dver is not the kind of man who would care about such things.’
Although it was surprising, Oswell accepted it once he realized the person in question was Dver.
Though he wasn’t deeply familiar with Dver, it was enough to gather an understanding of the man from public stories and a few encounters.
Dver was fundamentally loyal and unyielding, bending only when absolutely necessary.
He had great respect for the strong, regardless of whether they were mages or martial artists.
In other words, he valued capable individuals over status or appearances.
For Dver, a son who was an outstanding mage, someone the family had never produced before, would have been a welcomed existence, not a cause for regret.
‘Now that this is brought up, I want to meet him in person.’
And so, Oswell, now intrigued, wanted to meet the person chosen by Dver to be the next head of the Lyard family.
“Galian.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Send a letter to the Lyard family immediately. I wish to meet this Kyle Lyard in person.”
“As you command, Your Majesty. However, considering the current tense atmosphere in the Lyard family, it may take some time. Is that acceptable?”
“That’s fine. Just follow their schedule.”
“Yes!”
Despite being at the peak of the Empire, Oswell’s down-to-earth nature was one of the reasons for his high reputation.
Galian bowed again and quickly left to carry out the Emperor’s orders.
Meanwhile, night had fallen on the Kaintreche Castle, which had quieted down a bit after Roxanne woke up and extinguished the urgent flames.
Knock knock.
“Kyle, it’s me. May I come in?”
“Yes, please come in.”
Despite the rather late hour, Sylvia carefully opened the door and stepped into Kyle’s room as soon as he gave his permission.
Kyle, who had been sitting blankly on his bed, lost in thought, didn’t want to show her his vulnerable side.
So, he hurriedly tried to stand up, but the moment their eyes met, he hesitated.
It somehow felt like he was a mischievous child caught in the act of doing something bad.
“With all the lights turned off… I suppose you’re feeling unsettled?”
Noticing that only a small desk lamp was dimly lighting the room, Sylvia turned on another light and approached him.
“I suppose so, a little.”
“I don’t think the reason for your distress is just the snowfall at dawn.”
“Really now. You always go silent when things aren’t in your favor.”
As Kyle lowered his gaze and remained silent at her sharp remark, Sylvia let out a wry smile and carefully took a seat next to him.
“You heard the conversation I had with your mother, didn’t you?”
“……!”
When she voiced the suspicion he had only kept in his mind, Kyle’s body trembled faintly.
As he looked at her with an expression that asked how she knew, Sylvia simply shrugged.
“Heh, I expected as much.”
“Weren’t you angry?”
“Not really. It’s not like Kyle did anything shady to me. I know he did it to protect me.”
“Although, I do wonder what it feels like to eavesdrop on women’s secret conversations.”
Adding that extra comment on purpose, she made Kyle scratch his cheek awkwardly and avoid her gaze.
Finding his reaction rather cute, Sylvia unconsciously smiled and took one of his hands in hers.
“Is it still hard to forgive your mother?”
“…I don’t know. I can’t tell if I want to forgive her or if I just wanted her to be the villain I believed she was.”
“I think that’s natural. Once you’ve decided someone is a villain, it’s easier on the heart if they remain that way.”
Kyle had expected Sylvia to say something more positive, like, ‘At least she wasn’t truly evil, right?’ So, her response took him by surprise.
“So, what brings you here?”
“I figured you might be struggling.”
“So, you came to comfort me?”
“No, I didn’t plan to comfort you. After all, I’m not you, Kyle. I can’t possibly know how you feel, so I wouldn’t dare offer meaningless comfort.”
She smiled bitterly as she softly stroked the hand she was holding.
“But people tend to feel comforted just by having someone by their side when they’re struggling. Just like how you were there for me, Kyle.”
“…And yet you acted so distant before. Are you dropping the act now?”
“Well, you were the one being mischievous first, so I just responded in kind. Who told you to abandon me and leave so coldly?”
“…I’m sorry. I have no excuse.”
Kyle, realizing he had brought that scolding upon himself, awkwardly tried to pull his hand away but flinched.
Not only was Sylvia still holding his hand, but now she had interlocked their fingers. She gazed up at him silently.
“Are you trying to escape again? So, you’re saying that scolding just now meant nothing?”
“N-No, that’s not what I meant.”
“Then stay still. I was barely holding back from giving you a big hug, you know.”
“I am deeply grateful for your mercy.”
If she had actually hugged him, his heart might have exploded.
Compared to that, simply holding hands was nothing.
“Hehe, speaking of which, should I let you use my lap as a pillow again, like when we returned from the duchy? Feeling someone’s warmth might help you calm down a bit.”
Noticing his embarrassment, Sylvia mischievously threw out the suggestion, intending to tease him further.
If he refused, she could make fun of him for backing down.
But she had forgotten one thing—this man always defied her expectations.
“…Then, I’ll take you up on that offer.”
“I tried to sleep earlier, but for some reason, I just couldn’t. Just for tonight, I’d like to borrow the lady’s lap.”
“……H-Huh!?”
“Huh? Ah, um, well, I-I mean…”
People who are used to attacking often forget to prepare for counterattacks.
And Kyle’s counterattack was extremely effective.
If he had simply smirked and nodded to tease her, Sylvia would have realized and retaliated.
But Kyle was completely serious.
At the same time, the eyes that always seemed strong now looked uncharacteristically weary and fragile.
That alone was enough to leave Sylvia speechless.
“Ah… Alright. I did say it myself, so… go ahead.”
Pat, pat.
Blushing, Sylvia patted her lap, and Kyle, without a moment’s hesitation, rested his head there.
His thoughts were too much of a mess.
Right now, more than feeling embarrassed, all he wanted was to clear his mind.
“You really are… so unfair.”
“…Did you say something, Sylvia?”
“Hmph, nothing. Just close your eyes and get some sleep, Kyle.”
“Yes, but now that I think about it, won’t this keep you from sleeping?”
Now that his rationality was returning, he started worrying about her.
Resting on her lap was fine, but it was already deep into the night.
If he fell asleep like this, Sylvia wouldn’t be able to return to her room and would be stuck here.
But to Sylvia, that thought was actually frustrating.
No, rather than frustrating, it was even more unfair.
‘Why does he always have to worry about me, even at times like this?!’
If he was just going to close his eyes, then he should’ve done so without saying anything.
Why did he have to say something that made her heart waver again?
At this rate, for the peace of women everywhere, she really should just keep him locked up.
Squeeze.
“It’s fine. I already owe you a lot, so I’ll stay by your side for just this one night.”
“…Thank you, Sylvia.”
Pressing a finger against his forehead to stop him from sitting up, she spoke curtly.
Only then did Kyle finally close his eyes and exhale a soft sigh.
As Sylvia gazed down at him, her eyes landed on his slightly chapped lips.
Part of her wanted to get revenge—she wanted to steal those lips right then and there.
But just for today, she decided to hold back.
After all, revenge doesn’t work if the target doesn’t even realize it.
‘I’ll wait for the day you get flustered instead.’
But… surely, a small victory wouldn’t hurt, right?
Unable to resist, she placed a hand on his lips before slowly bringing it to her own.
She couldn’t tell what was burning hotter—his lips, her fingers, or her own.