Chapter 52: Chapter 52 – A knight’s conception

Leon stood close to the edge of one of the terrace platforms in Rosalind's Garden, steadily keeping watch over the masses of people that were spread out around the garden. Over one of the largest gatherings of power on the whole continent. Many important deals and connections were forged here every year.

The Solar Knights were technically allowed to take part in the festivities— and he had let many of the others do so so that they could enjoy the ball with their close ones—but he himself had refrained from partaking for the moment. With Captain Crowder and a third of the knights currently absent, he was the one in command. And he felt it important to maintain some sense of conduct in his current position.

He might take some time later to go and greet Trista and her new husband if he spotted them, but he had never enjoyed these events that much to begin with. He had already neglected his mother and father when they had approached him along with his elder brother, citing his duties as an excuse.

He had a hunch that he knew what it was that they wanted to talk about, though. It had been a little amusing seeing the looks on their faces earlier. That now they were probably going to be the ones wanting to rescind the choice they'd forced upon him.

Passing his eyes over the crowds, Leon found his attention once again being drawn towards one of the higher terraces near one of the entrances. Where Scarlett had been standing by herself for most of the evening. Doing essentially nothing at all, shockingly enough.

He had considered confronting her several times now. He still had a hard time understanding her thought process today. No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn't figure out why she had done that. Whether it was part of some new scheme of hers, or if it was just pure arrogance.

It surprised him to see that Her Highness and Leandra were now speaking with Scarlett. The princess even looked to be the one to have begun the conversation.

He furrowed his forehead. After the disrespect Scarlett showed to the other nobles during the Proclamation ceremony she was still approached by a member of the imperial family? What could the princess have to talk about with Scarlett?

He observed them for a while before turning back to the crowds. While he didn't like the thought of Scarlett having the chance to spread her falsities around her, it wasn't his place to decide what the princess did. He doubted Scarlett could, or would, cause any sort of harm to the princess anyway.

His attention was caught by a group of nobles that stood on a platform adjacent to the one he was on, slightly beneath it. They were just barely within earshot of him. He recognized a couple of them, and the conversation they were having appeared to be about the Solar Knights.

"Captain Crowder wasn't the only one absent today, either," an older man with a long mustache said. "I presume I wasn't the only one that noted there were noticeably fewer of the knights present this year than the previous."

"Hmm. Yes, I did see that," another man said. "It's uncommon for all of the Captain's duties to be left to the Vice-Captain for an event such as this."

"How about you, Count Wyther? You are a patron of the Amber Knight order, aren't you? Have you heard anything through your connections?"

A tall gentleman in a red waistcoat massaged his chin. "No, I have not. But it certainly does appear as if something is brewing. It would not surprise me if we were to hear of it soon."

Leon glanced at the group with a thoughtful expression. It was only a matter of time before people started asking questions.

He wasn't informed of all the details either, but he knew enough about the situation. He would have preferred to have joined the captain if possible, but things were what they were. They all had their duties that they had to perform.

After some time, he spotted the same head of distinct dark-red hair once more, now moving amongst the crowd. Looking to where Scarlett had been before, he now noticed she was missing. His eyes returned to her. It seemed as if she was making her way towards another of the terraces that overlooked part of the venue.

He looked over at one of the other platforms for a moment, where a fellow knight was keeping watch. The prince was also only a short distance away, with Dame Iyana behind him. Things were under control.

Leon considered it for another moment, then he started moving towards where Scarlett was. This was one of the few opportunities he would have to speak with her in the coming week.

Walking through the crowd of people in front of him, he neared her as she was close to reaching another of the platforms that were relatively empty. Suddenly she paused. Her head turned toward him and she stared at him with a cold gaze. She looked around, then began moving in the same direction as before again.

Leon stopped for a moment, then started following again. While he had never considered himself an expert on Scarlett, it didn't seem like she was trying to avoid him.

His advances stopped once again though when another person unexpectedly walked up and stopped in front of Scarlett. A man with greying hair and a small pair of glasses. "Ah, Baroness Hartford. Could I have a moment of your time, perhaps? I have been intending to speak with you for a while now."

Scarlett stopped and gave the man a cool, examining look. "Was there something you wished to speak to me about?"

"Ah, yes there was, actually." The man returned her a polite smile. "I am Baron Loreno Atherton, Master Docent Wizard and dean of Fayrun Tower. I actually sent a missive to your estate two weeks back but I understand that you might have much to do. I wanted to speak to you about the Zuverian ruins discovered last month, and the artifacts found there. You see, the Fayrun Tower would be very interested in perhaps coming to some sort of agreement regarding the rights to examine and buying some of—"

"I do not mean to be impolite," Scarlett interrupted. "However, all of the matters regarding the managing of what was found in the Zuverian ruins are handled by my younger sister. If you wish to discuss it further, I would recommend speaking with her. I am certain she can be more of aid to you than I in this."

The man's eyes widened slightly. "I-I see. Your sister, you say?"

"Yes. Evelyne Hartford. She is also here today, so if you want to continue this discussion you can attempt to find her."

He slowly nodded his head. "Then I will do so. I will inform her that you directed me to her."

"Do so."

"Then I won't bother you any more than necessary. I hope you have a good evening," the man said as he left.

Scarlett only seemed to keep her eyes on him for a second before she started walking again.

Leon had observed the exchange quietly from a short distance, but he wasn't entirely sure what it was about. Had Scarlett discovered Zuverian ruins? Or maybe her younger sister had?

He thought about what was the most reasonable alternative as he began moving again, soon climbing onto the platform Scarlett had stopped on. He slowly approached her, where she now stood beside the railing next to a marble bust of one of the previous emperors. She was looking out the giant windows that made up the southern walls of the Garden, seemingly observing the waters of Rellaria Lake as the sun was beginning to lower.

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She turned to Leon with a calm expression as he stopped next to her.

"Sir Leon. It has been some time."

He blinked. Scarlett had never been a woman to show much of her emotions, except when angered, but she usually wasn't so distant as to refer to him with his knight title. Was she purposefully trying to dissociate herself from him?

"...What are you up to now, Scarlett?" he asked. He never knew what to say to her, and he'd found ages ago that it wasn't worth trying to play her games.

She raised an eyebrow. "I believe you asked me something similar the last time we spoke as well. I can only assume that your assessment of me must be rather abject, for that to always be your first assumption."

"I learn from my experiences. And I try not to repeat any mistakes."

Scarlett let out a low huff as if she found that funny. "Is that so? Well, to answer your question." She gestured around them. "I am partaking in the ball. Same as everyone else."

He looked at the mostly empty area around them. "It doesn't look that way to me."

He saw the look in Scarlett's eyes turn a little harder. "...I see no point in engaging in conversation with people who currently have no desire to speak with me. That is all."

"You expected anything less? This is your own doing."

She looked at him for a few seconds, before turning to gaze out over the rest of the garden. "That may be so," she said slowly, trailing off.

Leon stared at her, unsure what to continue with. That wasn't the kind of response he had been expecting.

"My parents spoke to me briefly. Earlier," he finally said. "They'll probably want to end the engagement after this."

Scarlett glanced at him. "Very well."

"...You've got nothing to say about that?"

"What is there to say? If one party no longer wishes for the engagement to continue then there is no point to it."

He frowned. "But you were the one that was so obsessed with it to start with."

"And I no longer am." Scarlett started tapping her finger against the railing next to her. "I would have thought this to be good news to you."

Leon stayed silent for a moment. Studying her expression. He was racking his brain for how this could be a plan for her to trick him into something, but he couldn't come up with anything reasonable.

It couldn't be that Scarlett had found someone powerful she was trying to pursue? Would that perhaps explain why she'd dared to act that way during the Proclamation?

No, the Scarlett he knew wouldn't be satisfied relying so much on someone else like that. If there was one thing Scarlett was, it was proud.

"Then what are you going to do next?" he asked, intentionally avoiding responding to her statement. "This will leave you shunned by most of noble society. And now you won't even have the family of a marquis to support you."

"It is of no matter." Scarlett's eyes seemed to be focused on a certain point that was a few terraces away from theirs. Leon looked over and saw that Scarlett's younger sister was there, talking with a small group of people.

"None of this will have any true bearing on how I proceed from hereupon," she continued. "I am not limited simply by how people perceive me."

He looked back at her. She wasn't wrong there. She'd always had a scary ability to make sure that just the right people saw her the way she wanted. Even if others saw her for how she truly was.

She turned back to him. "I imagine we will not have many more interactions in the future, should the engagement be canceled as you said. Is there something you wish to tell me, while you have the opportunity?"

He knitted his brows. She was taking all of this too casually. Even if he doubted she had ever had any strong emotions for him, Scarlett had always been obsessed with the prestige and power that came with his family name. Doubly so after he became the vice-captain of the Solar Knights — something he had suspicions she had gambled on transpiring from the beginning.

Still, he shook his head. "There is nothing."

Although he had many opinions on the matter, he didn't think it was worth bringing any of them up with her. It was doubtful she would care about it anyway, and he didn't doubt that she could try and use it as leverage against him sometime in the future.

Scarlett simply nodded. "Then I believe we have no further business with each other."

"...Yes," he slowly agreed.

She stared at him, as if she was expecting him to leave. Eventually, he turned and walked away.

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