The Third Story – Unexpected Reunion

Note: So I’m pretty sure wordpress destroyed my spacing for sentences/paragraphs in the last two posts but it’s too much work to go back and fix them, so sorry. I’ll try to keep future posts properly spaced, though.

TL Note: I forgot about the existence of the word, “soiree,” so I’ll be using that to describe “夜会 (evening party)” from now on. Maybe I’ll go back and fix the past posts some day far in the future…

Agnes Le Verges would never be involved with his life again – or so Bernard thought, until an unexpected reunion happened.

It would be fine to say it was a fateful encounter.

◇◇◇

That day, after finishing work, Bernard was changing from his knight’s garb to his civilian clothes in the dressing room.
He put on a wrinkleless dress shirt and wound his tie around, and though it wasn’t the latest fashion, he put a jacket around his neatly maintained padded undershirt and then put on his trousers. To finish it off, he wore an overcoat on top.

From when he was a child, Bernard faithfully obeyed his parents’ statement, “In the Imperial City, pay attention to your attire.”
Among the knights, there were many who wore livery during commute, and it was even permitted. But, thinking it would be unbearable to get caught up in something troublesome outside of his working hours in a place he wasn’t familiar with, he came and went in civilian clothes.

After he finished changing, while walking down the corridor of the barracks, he encountered his superior officer, Lazare.

“Hey, good work.”
“Good work to you too, sir.”
“What, are you going on a date right now?”
“No, that’s not it.”

Lazare, who was not aware of the obsession of Bernard, who had just been transferred to the barracks, had, upon seeing him dressed neatly for a knight, misunderstood him to be going out to see a woman.
He denied it immediately.

The thirty-five year old Lazare was the second son of a certain noble and was married with children. He said his family was living quietly and comfortably.

“Anyhow, that said, that was a good chat.”
“It’s not something like that.”

Human relations at the workplace were important. In passing, he was relayed an invitation to please attend the squad’s drinking party on the weekend.

“Well, I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Alright.”

Waiting for his superior to get going, he once again started to go home.

Holding his copper bracelet that was the proof of his knighthood in one hand, he tried to pass the guardhouse, but–.

“I beg you! Somehow, even if it’s just one glimpse.”
“No, no! Meeting with anyone outside of the family is prohibited!”

For some reason, a woman who wanted to visit a knight was arguing. However, as far as Bernard was concerned, it was just something trivial.
So this kind of thing happened from time to time.
After soirees and such, people like women who fell in love with good-looking knights at first sight would come to see them.
Though it was obvious, private meetings and the like were not allowed during working hours.

While thinking that it was pitiful, he passed while flashing his bracelet that served as proof of knighthood and quickly passed by the woman and the knight.

But, an unexpected situation unfolded.

“Mr. Orlellian!!”

For some reason, the knight who drove away the woman restrained Bernard.

“Sorry, but the woman said she wanted to talk with you-”
“Huh?”

The one she longed to meet was Bernard.
While thinking what in the world she liked about him, he saw the woman peeping out behind the knight’s back.

Concealing herself with a brown handkerchief, she was wearing a worn out one piece.
Though the north wind seemed to pierce her skin, the only thing that was covering her shoulders was a thin overcoat.
In her hand was a basket. While it was covered with a cloth, he knew it contained alcohol.
At a glance, she was dressed like a country girl, so he was startled when he looked at her face.

She had hair that glittered like gold, eyes that were blue like jewels, and white skin.
Additionally, she was a startlingly beautiful woman.

–Agnes Le Verges.

Bernard became dumbfounded at the figure in front of him that shouldn’t be there.

“U-Um, it seems like your working hours are over, so from now on…”

Saying that, the knight on guardhouse duty went back to his post.

Tilting his head while contemplating what exactly she came here for, he realized it.
Bernard had gone to seize her house. Thus, she must be resenting him, he thought.

Whenever he glimpsed at Agnes, she glared at him with an intense look.
He had confidence that, like he thought, she had come all the way here just to complain.

Even so, his mind was in turmoil.
Is it alright to tell the arrogant Agnes off, or should he pity her unfortunate circumstances?
Looking at her current appearance, she looked way too different from when he had met her in soirees and such.

Agnes, who had stopped glaring, started to talk in an almost inaudible voice.

“U-Um, a-are you not Sir Bernard Orlellian?”

He wanted to say she had the wrong person.
But Bernard, who did not like to lie to others, told her that it was so.

“Please pardon me for coming with such an appearance.”

Well I guess that’s what happened, Bernard thought.
They had taken out all of the expensive articles inside the mansion.
Thus, out of all of Agnes’ many dresses, she only had that one dress left.

Once again, Agnes squinted a little. Upon seeing that, Bernard remembered his irritation.
What the heck was her business with him.
He restrained himself from clicking his tongue.

“I-I, um, don’t have anyone to rely on, or anywhere to go…”

He noticed her shoulders trembling.
Thinking that maybe she had come seeking revenge after all, he let out a huge sigh.
He thought that it would be nice if she would just complain or hit him already. However, as if she were choking on her words, she hung her head in shame.

The silence hung over them.

Bernard was thinking about staying silent and going home when he had an epiphany.
It was modest revenge against Agnes, who had possessed a harsh attitude.

Today was very cold.
He thought that they should settle this quickly.

“Hey”
“!”

Agnes, upon hearing his voice, quickly raised her downcast head.
While her reliant face momentarily gave him a pang of conscience, he continued to talk to her in those conditions.

“–If you have nowhere to go, I’ll hire you as a servant at my house. I’ll provide all of the necessities.”

Bernard’s epiphany was to make the natural born noble girl Agnes do servant work.
Though even he himself thought that it was spiteful, here his resentment of many years finally exploded.

Being pitied by a poor noble would surely humiliate her.
While scoffing at her, he looked down at the woman who had pitiful circumstances.

On the other side was Agnes, who looked at Bernard’s words with a flabbergasted expression.
It was a listless face that the always resolutely spirited woman would absolutely not show other people.

For him, just seeing that was success enough in getting revenge.

Bernard proceeded to press Agnes further against the wall.

“Decide right here, right now. Because even if you come back later, I’m not going to hire you.”
“!”

With a thud, Agnes dropped the basket she was holding. From inside, bread and baked sweets and such came out.
As all of the goods were cheap things that were sold in the poorer parts of town, Bernard thought it was unusual.
Without stopping to worry about the dropped basket, she just continued to look up at Bernard’s eyes dumbfoundedly.

It became tougher to continue to look at Agnes as her eyes clouded up with tears of sadness.
Bernard could not become a villain.
Thinking that this was unpleasant, he was going to apologize by saying that from now on, he would not bring this up, but–.

“Hey, after all-”
“I-Is that the truth?”
“Huh?”
“That, you would hire me.”

Bernard could not quite comprehend what in the world she was talking about.

“After this, I was going to take my mother’s memento to a pawnshop.”
“Memento…?”
“Yes. It’s shameful to say, but I have run out of money.”

It turned out, Agnes’ circumstances had driven her further into a corner than Bernard had thought.
She had said that she was happy that she did not have to part with her mother’s memento.

Bernard became more and more confused.

“I-In the first place, what did you come here for?”
“Ah!”

At that time, Agnes noticed the scattered about contents of the basket that she had dropped.
She squatted and started to pick them up in a panic.

“I’m sorry. Today, I wished to give Sir Orlellian my gratitude.”
“Huuh?”

Seeing Bernard’s reaction, Agnes tightly held the basket against her chest.

“Even if you say it’s your gratitude, to only bring bread, pastries, and alcohol…”

She had spent what little money she had left to buy this to show her gratitude to Bernard.
Continuing, she murmured that she was very sorry that this was the best she could do.

Whatever could this gratitude be for, was the question rising in the back of his mind, but with a crash, the next thing he heard extinguished those thoughts.

“–This favor, I will definitely pay back with all my might.”
“!?”

Agnes suddenly burst into tears after saying that.
Bernard was unable to process this development that he could not have even imagined, and he just looked down at her with his eyes wide open.

–Why did this happen!!

While he thought that in that way.

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The Second Story – Ruined Lives Are No Concern of Mine

He wanted to go and leave her just like that. She was the Agnes Le Verges who he just could not stomach.

But even so, she had requested help from “Sir Knight” Bernard.

Assisting the weak, honoring courtesy, defeating evil.

To Bernard, who had the spirit of chivalry ingrained in his body, ignoring a voice seeking help was impossible.

Upon asking, he discovered that Agnes was in the middle of being troubled by a certain nobleman.

The voice of a man that was slowly coming closer and closer.

Agnes, with an expression marked with fear, had requested Bernard’s assistance.

“Kitty~ are you here?”

“!”

As Agnes started to catch her breath, Bernard grabbed her slender hand and began to run.

The garden he had patrolled time and time again as a bodyguard was a place that he was experienced with.

Before the garden became like a labyrinth, there was a refuge-like arbor. He thought that to be safe, they had to run until they made it there.

However, a situation beyond expectations occurred before them.

The woman wearing a dress and high-heels could not run.

Within a moment, the distance between the man and them had narrowed and in front of them was the perimeter.

They ran into the man at the corner, and Bernard thought his heart would burst.

“Kit~ty, wait you’re not!!”

The man’s sweet smile instantly turned into a serious look, displaying an expression of pure revulsion.

And then he immediately discovered the figure of Agnes.

“K-Kitty, you were in this kind of place, huh.”

He smiled at Agnes, who was avoiding Bernard with her hand, but the young lady in question was casting her eyes down while in tears.

“Let’s slowly go back. It’s time for the pastries to be cooked.”

While the man extended his hand to invite her back to the plaza, Agnes hid behind Bernard as if he were a shield.

She was refusing in such an easy to understand fashion, why was he forcefully drawing close, Bernard could not believe it.

As there was no progress, he forced his way through.

“Oi, can’t you see that she doesn’t like it.”

“You have nothing to do with it, right? Moreover, she’s just being bashful right now.”

The moment those words came out, Agnes’ grip on Bernard’s coat tightened.

She obviously hated this situation.

Bernard had recollections of this guy. Ernesto Barthelemon. The second son of the Marquis family, he was an imperial guard of the prince who was hosting today’s tea party.

“Is it okay to neglect your duties and chase the tail of a woman.”

“What are you saying?”

At Bernard’s rash remark, the atmosphere of the place turned sour. Even though it wasn’t good until now, either.

“Anyway, release Kitty at once!”

As Ernesto determinedly started taking big strides to come closer, Bernard stuck out his foot.

He was splendidly caught in the surprise attack of the stuck out leg. With a loud rumbling, the atrocious figure went tumbling down right then and there.

In that moment, Bernard, hoisting Agnes up like luggage, sprinted from that place with all his might.

He knew that Ernesto was coming to pursue him with a loud bellow, but in the meandering garden, he could not catch up.

Upon arriving at the arbor, he let Agnes down.

“…I think it’s better if you don’t return to where we just were.”

“R-Right?”

Because she was yet unable to regain her composure, she placed her hand on her chest and her eyes were glistening with tears.

Behind the arbor, there was a small gardener’s shed. To go back, she would have to request help from the old couple.

Conveying the message that, because he was on duty, he could not remain there any longer, he left that place.

“Um!”

When he turned his head to look at the person who had called him back, he saw Agnes narrowing her eyes, looking at Bernard with a grim face.

Thinking that he was being looked at with those eyes yet again, his irritation grew.

Nevertheless, while he had on his knight’s clothes, he could not allow his personal feelings to take hold.

Once again, telling her to rely on the gardener couple if she was in trouble, he quickly marched away from that place.

This was his second meeting with Agnes Le Verges.

The third time was once again one year after this story.

To raise his social status, instead of attending evening parties, Bernard had taken on the duty of an assembly hall guard.

His colleague, Djibril, was stunned that he never took the opportunity to let loose.

“Hey Bernard, do you not wanna get married?”

“Who knows.”

It was not that he had no interest.

However, if he were to get married, he did not believe that it would be with a noble’s daughter.

Thus, he thought that attending evening parties was a pointless endeavor.

The place Bernard was entrusted with was a garden of the night.

The duty that nobody wanted to be stuck with was the simple task of escorting the excited men and women back.

Bernard, killing his emotions, blocked the paths of the people assigned to each other.

At that place, there was yet another reunion.

When he went to a check on some vegetation that made a rustling noise, he ran into the figure of Agnes Le Verges.

“Ah.”

“…”

Agnes made a surprised face.

Bernard guessed that she had an appointment with someone there.

“Are you, possibly-”

“This area is off-limits. Return to the assembly hall.”

“U-Um!”

“It’s useless. I won’t listen to any excuses.”

Before her marriage, a woman was not to meet with anyone who was not her partner or fiancee.

He drove a stupefied Agnes back to the assembly hall.

While he heard a voice behind him that was confusedly trying to smooth things over, he left that place posthaste.

In the following year, he did not meet Agnes. However, whenever he heard gossip from Djibril, his stomach felt full.

Such as that she fell in love with the second prince at first sight, that she married the duke’s eldest son, all of the stories were without a doubt invariably brilliant.

Bernard took the news that she was still fastidious with marriage partners even though she had become of marriageable age stupefied.

“You know, it’s gonna get pretty bad if you don’t get married sometime soon?”

“Yeah…”

For this country’s great nobles, the marriageable age of a noble’s daughter was from fifteen to eighteen years of age.

Because Agnes was eighteen years of age, this year was absolutely the last year she could marry – was the rumor that somebody had said.

However, even after several months had passed, no news of talks of her marriage surfaced.

Bernard, who had turned twenty, had his habitual attitude towards duty and the fruits of his labor recognized, and he had been entrusted with the role of the lieutenant of a platoon.

Due to his considerable raise in wages, he was considering giving the servants of his estate a monetary reward when he was caught up in a convening.

It was late at night. It happened during his night shift.

While he was wondering why he was summoned so suddenly, he heard a discussion about finding an assistant for the execution of a certain noble.

When he asked his superior officer, Lazare Serie, what the heck was going on, he was told something astonishing.

For multiple years, the prime minister, Sherard Le Verges, had submitted false political fund balance reports. It had been established that his expenditures amounted to unreal costs.

As a matter of course, not only was the prime minister forced to resign, but the historied great noble family of La Verges had also fallen into ruin.

It was said that from now on, all of the assets inside their estate would be seized.

At the location were an enforcement officer who was giving directions and ten knights.

The estate was devoid of people, and without delay, the operation willingly proceeded.

It took around three hours to withdraw.

Staring at the bright horizon at dawn, Lazare spoke as he took a look at the situation.

“It’s a shame. Their daughter, too.”

Because she had not quickly married, she had lost her remaining marriage prospects. He muttered that this situation was heartrending.

A month had passed since that day.

People were still spreading the seeds of the rumor surrounding the scandal of the prime minister and major event of the fall of the house of Le Verges.

When Djibril, who had been assigned to a different squad, met Bernard in the mess hall, he offered this subject.

“Man, things got pretty crazy.”

“I’ve heard enough about it.”

Even with that said, they still came to talk about it. Their discussion shifted into one about Agnes.

“I hear that since she has no relatives, she’s living in an inn.”

That everyday, she came and went, dropping off provisions for her father in prison, and how he went on and on about the situation inside.

While listening to a surprisingly talkative Djibril, Bernard went deep into thought as he dipped his cut bread into his soup.

“Sure is awful, that even though there were that many people around her, nobody’s saving her.”

That was something that couldn’t be helped. Nobody would think about even associating with a house that had come to ruin due to a scandal. Bernard listened to Djibril’s story as if it were somebody else’s business.

“I wonder what Miss Agnes will do.”

“Wouldn’t it be fine if you took her in as your wife?”

“That’s a bit…”

It was such a situation that even Djibril, who was that engrossed with Agnes, had suddenly cooled down with his interest in her.

Thinking that it was a tough world, he drank up his soup.

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The First Story – The Humiliating Meeting

The meeting of the fifth son of the viscount’s family, Bernard Orlellian, and the daughter of the earl’s family, Agnes Le Verges, dates back five years ago.

Coincidentally, that was the very day Agnes made her debut into high society.

Having shining golden hair, blue eyes that were like jewels, and clear white porcelain skin, Agnes enraptured those who looked at her.

She was an unparalleled beauty.

Though she garnered plenty of attention with her looks alone, Agnes was the only daughter of the great noble family of Le Verges, which had a long history.

For second sons of families who did not have prospects of peerage and those of lower status, she was a woman who was very desperately desired as a partner.

Surrounded by many friends and acquaintances, Agnes was a like a jewel stored in a treasure box.

Being blessed in her high society debut, she was at the peak of happiness.

However, there was a man who looked at that Earl’s daughter with an eye devoid of emotion.

Bernard Orlellian. One year older than Agnes at sixteen years of age.

He was also attending the evening party to find a partner.

Bernard was Viscount Orlellian’s fifth child.

His father, believing that “Names reveal the person,” gave his children names with meaning.

From the oldest, ‘brilliant fame’ (Robert), ‘one who attains victory’ (Victor), ‘strong soldier’ (Matilde), ‘famous warrior’ (Louis).

However, the fifth was also a son, and the father who ran out of meaningful names gave him the name “Bernard.”

The meaning was ‘a man who was strong like a bear.’ In short, ‘bear man.’

With light brown hair, light brown eyes, and quirky hair, when he was a child, he was as lovely as a stuffed toy.

While his mother affectionately called him “Bear Cub,” when he grew older, that became depressing, and the year he joined the Order of the Knights, he tied his hair together into one long mass and cut his hair short. At present, nobody outside of his family knew that Bernard had frizzy hair.

Though his figure had not grown firmly like a bear, he still steadily grew tall.

Last year, that person was safely recognized as an adult and has been doing simple activities in the Order of the Knights.

Ever since Bernard had joined the Order of the Knights the previous year, he had been receiving written invitations to evening parties.

Occurring once a year, the evening party sponsored by the King was an occasion of large-scale social intercourse.

There, nobles would look for partners.

That said, to the young Bernard, marriage was not a realistic consideration.

A knight’s salary was meager, and being the fifth son, he did not have much from the distribution of property.

In terms of assets, the only thing he had was a modest white walled mansion in the outskirts of town.

The place Bernard was born, the Orlellian residence, was located in a rural area separated from the Imperial City.

The mansion in the Imperial City was from the start just a townhouse to live in during the time period of social intercourse. The year he became a knight, he inherited the mansion as proof of adulthood.

Living there was Bernard’s wet nurse’s family.

In the estate managed by the former wet nurse were the husband who managed the garden, the eldest son who was the steward, the second son who managed the kitchen, and the second and third daughters who were maids. The eldest daughter had gotten married two months prior.

Bernard lived together with that family.

The former wet nurse, Gigile, saw Bernard off with an expectant look that implored him to pick a great wife.

Last year, he tried hard in his own way.

He danced with his father’s acquaintances and noble daughters who seemed easy to talk to.

However, after hearing of Bernard’s living environment and circumstances, their attendants would always brusquely cut off their exchanges.

After that repeated a few times, even Bernard, who wasn’t clever, realized.

Assets were important for marriage.

For that reason, even with the beauty Agnes in front of him, Bernard was calm.

His colleague, Djibril Noailles, was inviting her to dance.

Djibril’s annual income and assets were not all that different from his.

Even though Bernard had told him that it was a worthless endeavor, he did not have ears to listen.

While she was forcibly dragged off by Djibril, Bernard had gone into the midst of Agnes’ entourage.

After continuing to wait for a long time, finally someone called out. But, that anticipated call was an attendant who had gotten information about Bernard and Djibril. After the attendant finished whispering into Agnes’ ear, Agnes scornfully glanced at them.

Bernard, seeing those eyes, turned around right then and there and rushed out of the evening party assembly hall.

Why did he have to be looked at with such eyes by a person he had just met!!

From when he was eleven years old, he had been separated from his parents, living alone in the Imperial City and exerting his body to become a knight.

In his life and in his birth, there was nothing to be ashamed of.

He had pride in himself, who was a knight.

That’s why being looked at with those eyes, he remembered his burning rage.

In that state, he headed straight back to his house and, without entering the bath, confined himself in his room.

Seething like a blaze, his rage did not abate easily.

The following year, whenever he went out for social intercourse, he would hear the rumor about Agnes time and time again.

He heard from a colleague that her father, being the prime minister, would scrutinize her marriage partner prospects.

“As I thought, will she pick a husband from civil officials who have future prospects…? Hey, Bernard, what do you think?”

“How should I know.”

A happy daughter of a nobleman.

To Bernard, she was an existence that he would never have a relation with in his life.

After one year had passed, he had forgotten his feeling of rage. Even he was happy and relieved at his bear like simplicity.

However, he encountered her in a peculiar place.

It was while Bernard was on patrol duty in the royal palace garden.

The second prince had called a large number of women to a grand tea party.

Just to be sure, many knights were stationed as bodyguards. Even Bernard, who was usually a bodyguard in the inner palace, was recruited.

Though it was called a tea party, it was not a conversation enjoyed on one table.

It was a large scale social gathering, more like a garden party.

Bernard was making a round around the maze-like rose garden.

As he was doing so, he heard a man yelling softly.

“Agnes~, fufufu, what a tomboy you are~”

A man and a woman running out in a race, Bernard clicked his tongue at the thought.

Preferring not to run into them, he went far off from the voice.

Even so, he encountered the girl at the turn.

The girl who was fluffy, soft, and sweet like a sugar pastry leaped into Bernard’s chest.

“Kyaa!”

“!?”

At once, he caught the body that was about to tumble onto the ground.

He noticed the faint shivering of her shoulder and hastily let go.

Then, he looked at the girl he had just come across and was startled.

Silklike blonde hair, blue eyes that were as clear as a jewel, and clear white porcelain skin.

Agnes Le Verges.

A year had passed, and she was wearing an innocent and sensual scent that rose from her body.

In that short time, he looked at her as if she could have changed that much.

At that same time, he also perceived a disaster.

She was breathing on his shoulder.

That she had forcefully flown out of nowhere, that her breathing had become rough, he realized that she had been running until now.

He thought, maybe she was one part of the man and woman who were racing.

That she was doing something dull in the unpopular rose garden – he sighed deeply.

During that time, Agnes’ eyes, upon meeting Bernard’s, suddenly narrowed.

That was the same despising look of the previous year.

Bernard’s whole body flared up into a rage, and he recalled his furious emotions.

He took a step forward, as if saying, say your complaints, and his sword on his waist made a clanging sound.

There, he noticed. It was that he was on duty, and he couldn’t let his personal feelings interfere at this time.

He quickly curbed his anger.

She wasn’t to blame.

He persuaded himself that what was to blame was the environment surrounding her, and naturally, he separated himself from the situation.

However, there was an unexpected development.

“Agne~s, where might you be~, little kitten~”

At the same time he heard that voice, the girl who was in the back, Agnes, grasped Bernard’s jacket tightly and entreated him.

“Sir Knight, please, save me!”

At that improbable request, Bernard’s eyes opened widely.

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