The Amber Knight's Vow to the Saint's Left Hand - Chapter 1.2

Quill already felt a sense of discomfort from her gentle and soft voice.

Lynette placed the knife on the vanity. After confirming that, Quill carefully unfolded his handkerchief. There was a wound on her white thumb, deep enough that it couldn’t have been an accident. Whether she had brought the knife herself or had Nicola prepare it for her, it was clear that she had intentionally tried to injure herself.

Quill attempted to wrap the handkerchief around her wound, but then, suddenly, he noticed something.

The bleeding had stopped.

When he looked again, he could see the deep cut slowly closing from the edges.

“What… is this…?”

Then, Lynette gently pulled his hand away, covering the injury with her right hand. Her reaction made it seem as though she didn’t want to be touched.

Sighing in frustration, Quill asked, “May I ask what’s going on here?”

“I was checking,” Lynette replied.

“Checking…?”

“Whether the wound would heal. When I served as the saint, even if I caused a wound like this, it would close up immediately. But now that I’ve left the temple, I wasn’t sure what would happen. I couldn’t risk not knowing how my own body reacts, or I might cause trouble for the Langbart family.”

It made some sense, Quill thought. He nodded, half in understanding, half in compromise. Then, Lynette smiled at him. Her smile, lifting the corners of her mouth softly, was as gentle as spring sunlight.

What is this, Quill thought, staring intently at his fiancée’s face.

“You have that expression…?”

The words escaped him unconsciously, and he hurriedly covered his mouth. It was an utterly rude comment. However, the confusion didn’t settle. He had never expected his fiancée to smile.

A saint doesn’t have emotions.

For two years, the Aikrant Kingdom had been protected. In exchange, the saint loses her emotions.

Without joy or sorrow, she is a mere puppet who breathes. The people cry, sympathize, and give thanks for her devotion. Regardless of her origins, it has always been accepted that the saint would marry into the royal family. Lynette, the current saint, was also loved as a living doll by the entire nation.

Yet, this doll nodded, still smiling.

Now, she placed her fingers together and gently pressed them to her lips, a gesture that seemed to show a sense of modesty. But in her eyes, there was no trace of emotion. Her cold, unreadable blue eyes were devoid of any feelings.

“I’ve practiced the expressions necessary for socializing. I haven’t lost my memory, so I believe I can behave appropriately in situations based on experience and what is expected.”

“Socializing, you say?”

Quill struggled to respond.

Had his concern shown on his face? Lynette looked at him intently and nodded again.

“I know. You don’t plan to take over the title of the count. So, you don’t intend to engage in social affairs, do you?”

“That’s right.”

The title was to go to his older brother, Lars. There were rumors that part of the territory would be divided in the future, but Quill had little interest in it. He was content to serve as a knight for as long as he could, and when he grew old, he hoped to retreat into a simple life. But since he was marrying the saint, he reluctantly agreed to at least accept part of the land, after being repeatedly persuaded by Lars.

He couldn’t bring himself to accept social obligations. If there was time to host parties and drink, he’d rather spend it swinging a sword or honing his magic.

He did feel sorry for Lynette’s efforts. However, he had no intention of forcing her into a role that required false smiles.

“Don’t worry. This is for socializing with you, Lord Quill.”

“For socializing… with me?”

“If I only interact with dolls from now on, it would be quite depressing, don’t you think?”

“You’re the one who would be depressed by sticking on a fake smile.”

“I don’t have the ‘spirit’ to feel depressed. I still have a sense of what is pleasant or unpleasant, but that feeling vanishes almost immediately, as soon as I breathe.”

Her emotionless voice echoed through the room, as though she were simply reporting to the knights’ barracks. Yet, a smile that didn’t match her words remained on her lips.

It was unsettling. Quill turned his gaze away from his fiancée. Her smiling face, despite feeling nothing, reminded him of the expressions he’d seen on noblewomen at social gatherings.

He wanted to slap the person he was a month ago, who had agreed to the Crown Prince’s proposal. He had thought that with an emotionless doll as his fiancée, he could still play the role of a fiancé. His thinking had been far too shallow.

But the situation had already progressed. If Quill were to cancel the engagement now, it wouldn’t just ruin the Langbart family’s reputation—it would destroy it.

He retrieved a thin wooden box from underneath his knight’s uniform.

Inside was a simple leather cord bracelet. In the center of the cord was a blue stone. As he had been instructed, Quill had ordered the stone to match Lynette’s eyes. The depth of the color didn’t quite match, but it wasn’t a glaring mistake either.

A Ring for Marriage, a Vow Lock for Engagement.

This is the tradition of the kingdom of Aikrant.

The vow lock is a custom in which, during an engagement, the man gives it to the woman. It doesn’t actually lock anything. Instead, a lace or leather cord is tied around the woman’s left wrist, symbolizing that a ring will eventually be placed on that hand. If the engagement is broken, the woman will cut the cord herself and return it to the man.

Because the cord may be cut, the decoration is made of gold to serve as a token of affection and sincerity. Traditionally, this item is given at the time of the engagement proposal, but Quill and Lynette’s engagement skipped those steps. That’s why it was prepared for today.

There is also a trend when it comes to vow locks. Quill, who was unfamiliar with matters of love, had received advice from the other knights in his order. It was apparently popular among young ladies to use two stones—one matching the color of the man’s eyes and one for the woman’s.

However, Quill had chosen only a blue stone. He couldn’t bring himself to imagine a stone in the dark red color of his eyes—so reminiscent of bl00d—being worn on his arm.

Fortunately, Lynette, when she looked into the box, neither rejoiced nor grew disheartened. She simply extended her left hand silently toward him.

It was quite efficient, and Quill found her manner of proceeding refreshing.

With this, the engagement would be official. There was no turning back now. Resolving himself, Quill took her left hand. He wrapped the leather cord around her slender wrist, leaving a bit of slack, and fastened the silver clasp in place.

“W-w-w-w-wait!”

A busy, anxious voice came from behind.

Turning around, Quill saw Nicola, holding the wooden box for the wound treatment. Her eyes were wide open in disbelief.

“Lord Quill! Are you in your right mind?!”

“What’s wrong?”

“Why, of all things, such a cheap—”

Cheap, she was about to say, but Nicola cut herself off, only managing to silently scold Quill with her lips.

Quill was fully aware that it was a cheap item. The owner of the jewelry store had confirmed that with him several times.

“The engagement is already a done deal. The vow lock is just a formality. There’s no point in wasting money on something extravagant.”

Nicola trembled, her shoulders shaking. She placed the wooden box on the table and then grabbed Quill’s arm, pulling him toward the door.

“You should step outside and cool your head while I tend to your fiancée!”

“I think my head is already cool enough. It’s not that hot today—”

“No! Lord Quill, you should be more considerate of a woman’s feelings!”

With a bang, the door slammed shut behind them. Quill stared, dumbfounded, as he reflected on Nicola’s words, tilting his head in confusion.

He wondered, perhaps there were no feelings involved with his fiancée.