The Amber Knight's Vow to the Saint's Left Hand - Chapter 1.3

Quill couldn’t understand what his maid, who was like an older sister, had scolded him for, and he was lost in thought.

As he pondered, the sound of light footsteps approached him.

“Big Brother Quill! Welcome home!”

It was his younger sister, Adèle. Her golden hair was lightly curled and adorned with a ribbon, likely her attire for tonight’s dinner. Quill was impressed by how much she had grown in the time since he last saw her. It was amazing how much children changed in just six months.

Adèle ran over and Quill easily picked her up. Immediately, her face turned bright red.

“I’m not a little child anymore!”

“You’re already ten, huh? You’ve grown so much.”

“Stop! Put me down!”

Adèle was born when Quill was fifteen. With such an age gap, he tended to treat her like a little child, and she often scolded him for it.

“I was worried when I saw you looking troubled, so I ran over to check.”

Her manner of speaking was amusing, and Quill couldn’t help but smile. It was a side of Adèle that he hadn’t seen before, a little more mature than usual, and it made him smile even more. When he did, Adèle puffed up her cheeks in a cute display. She was still a child, after all.

Quill set his little lady down and gently patted her head.

“I was just thinking about something. You don’t need to worry.”

“Did something happen with the Saint?”

Instead of responding, Quill adjusted the mess of Adèle’s bangs.

His sister’s gaze was full of concern for him, and Quill could only manage a wry smile. Whether it was when he was cutting off engagement proposals left and right, or now that the engagement had been decided, his marriage issues seemed to be a constant source of worry for his family.

“I got scolded by Nicola because the vow lock wasn’t an expensive one.”

“…I can imagine what you must have chosen, Big Brother.”

“Really? You’re quite perceptive, Adèle.”

“I’m sure anyone could figure it out.”

“Hey,” Adèle called, turning to look behind her.

Just then, her brother Lars came up the stairs, smiling happily.

“Stop that, Adèle. Quill was probably just carefully considering efficiency, significance, and cost-effectiveness,” Lars said, as though trying to mediate.

Quill couldn’t agree with that. Sure, he had thought about those aspects, but when he entered the shop and quickly scanned the items, it was hardly careful consideration.

“By the way, I had no idea you had any connection with the Saint.”

Adèle, at the age when she was starting to take an interest in such things, was clearly curious about the meeting between her brother and the Saint.

The old-fashioned Count Celies family and the more modern Langbart family. There was no real connection between the two houses, and Quill was a black knight. Unlike the elegant white knights, the black knights, who focused on combat, were not well-received by the more refined noble families, especially the old-fashioned ones. They were often called barbaric or bloodthirsty, with many looking down on knights who put their bodies on the line.

So, how did a black knight like Quill end up with the Saint, Lynette? Adèle’s young heart must have been filled with romantic dreams about some fateful encounter.

“There wasn’t one.”

“There wasn’t what?”

“Not even an acquaintance.”

So, it turned out there was nothing.

When he had been chosen, Quill had assumed that there had been some conversation or an opportunity where he had spoken with the Saint, even if he didn’t remember it. After all, it was said that she recognized him.

But now, when he entered the room and faced his fiancée, Quill didn’t feel any spark of recognition or familiarity. He was still confident in his ability to recognize beauty, and even with his indifference to romance, he had immediately acknowledged her beauty. Her silver-blonde hair and blue eyes were far from common in Aikrant, and they were features that should have been unforgettable.

Such a beauty. If he had met her somewhere, Quill was sure he would remember.

“I have no recollection at all. I even wonder if there’s been some kind of mistake. I should probably confirm with her later—”

“Please, don’t say that to the Saint! You’ll have no chance of calling off the engagement after that!”

“If it’s a mistake, I’ll apologize.”

“Why are you so hesitant now that someone with eyes like Big Brother’s has finally appeared for you?!”

“Calm down, Adèle.”

Lars stepped in and covered his sister’s mouth before picking her up effortlessly.

“If you keep shouting like this, Miss Lynette will hear you.”

Adèle quickly covered her mouth with both hands, her eyebrows lowered in apology.

“Quill, bring Miss Lynette to the dining room. We’re having a family dinner tonight. Also, at least change out of your knight’s uniform. It’s a bit dull for your first meal with your fiancée.”

“I don’t think she’s the type to care about such things.”

“It’s not about what your fiancée thinks, it’s about manners. If you’ve given her the vow lock, then you must properly welcome her.”

Lars lightly pressed Adèle’s ears and whispered to Quill.

“If you think it’s too difficult, you can decline. Don’t worry about the family, just think about yourself.”

“My family may be fine, but this could spread to my sister-in-law’s family as well.”

“It’ll be fine. Hilde will say the same thing.”

Sister-in-law Hilde was very kind to both Quill and Adèle. Because Lars spoke with such sincerity, Quill couldn’t help but feel guilty.

In truth, it was embarrassing to have accepted this engagement with the mere thought of avoiding the social season.

“I’m sorry for worrying you, Adèle, and you, brother. It’ll be fine. I never expected a proposal to come my way, and… to be honest, she’s a very beautiful young lady. It feels like I don’t deserve someone like her, that’s all.”

“Big Brother, it’s okay. Not everyone in the world is as fond of handsome men as you think.”

“Yeah, Adèle. Let’s wait for them in the dining room, okay?”

Lars, with a stiff smile, carried Adèle away. As their voices grew distant, Adèle’s words lingered in the air: “Even Big Brother would look a little better if he tried to be more charming,” a comfort that didn’t quite manage to ease Quill’s discomfort.

The vase on the hallway pedestal was polished until it gleamed, and Quill’s face was reflected in it like a mirror. He had a distaste for his red eyes and usually avoided mirrors. Even if he did look, he couldn’t find anything to praise. Among his family, who had golden hair and green eyes, his black hair and red eyes stood out in contrast, making him seem out of place.

This appearance, Quill thought, could be traced back to a distant past. It led to a small, lost kingdom called Betsilaf, far from the Aikrant Kingdom. He had inherited the traits of a fallen nation.

Now, it was hard to find black-haired people in the royal capital. And with the added rarity of his dark red eyes, he was almost a curiosity—a strange creature.

Lynette’s family, the Celies family, had served the royal family since before the founding of Aikrant. Even though the old nobility had lost much of its power, they wouldn’t be struggling to find someone to marry. They certainly didn’t need to settle for someone like him.

Choosing a rare creature over a higher noble family… it was a curious decision indeed.