“Damn it! To think that she was the cause!”

Eirlys was furious after hearing Estelle’s story, as were the other knights in the room. The tale that Estelle recounted was brief, but it was still one that stoked the flames of anger in all four knights’ hearts.

“...How dare she...!” Leticia’s hands balled into fists.

“...She sure was a bitch, but I never thought she would do something so horrible...” Medrauta murmured.

Rosette’s eyes were filled with rage, but there was also a strange hint of disbelief mixed within her emotions. “I... I can’t believe it. I just can’t, Lady Estelle. You told me that Lady Isabella had stolen your knight, but... She killed him? I just can’t imagine Lady Isabella being that kind of person...”

“D-Dame Rosette... I suppose you wouldn’t believe me, huh...?” Estelle smiled sadly despite the knight’s words that made light of the pain she felt. It wasn’t a smile that held any humor. Rather, it seemed to be a smile of understanding. “...I thought not. You’ll just have to hear it from her yourself, won’t you?”

Rosette nodded. “...Yeah.”

“You know Isabella or something, Dame Rosette?” Medrauta raised an eyebrow.

“Something like that.” Rosette replied evasively. Though Medrauta normally would’ve pressed for more information, she had a feeling that it would be pointless with Rosette.

Instead, the silver-haired knight just shook her head. “Aluvsha save me, just what the fuck is wrong with people these days?”

“...In any case, your desire to accompany Dame Rosette is approved, Lady Estelle. We were always wondering what the reason behind Sir Damien’s death was, but we never thought it would be something like that. We thought he’d been bullied repeatedly by other knights after inspecting his body and finding countless scars on his back.”

“...Huh. Is that why Sir Bradley came in during the first few weeks and kept checking on everyone?” Medrauta asked. “I remember him asking whether we knew any knights who used whips as their weapon of choice.”

Eirlys nodded. “Indeed. The thought that a noble would dare raise a hand against a knight hadn’t even passed our minds. In the first place, the oath we swear as knights aren’t binding in the same way that vows of marriage are, so normally a knight should have no problem retaliating against their noble if something like this occurs.”

“...Normally.” Medrauta repeated, her voice dropping in volume. “I didn’t know Sir Damien very well since he... left us so quickly, but to think that this was why he did so... Everyone at the dorm was quite shocked at the time.”

“But still,” Rosette frowned. “Even if this is all true, why didn’t he say something about it or defend himself? I find it difficult to believe that a knight would allow themselves to be struck repeatedly and not resist.”

“Because he was in love.” This time, it was Rosaline who spoke. While she had remained silent for the majority of the discussion, she now found it necessary to insert her into the conversation seeing as Rosette’s most recent remarks had made everyone bristle.

“People who are in love can do very stupid things. Irrational things that defy logic and confound even the brightest of minds. I, myself, have not only bore witness to such things, but also been a victim.”

“Is that so? Care to provide an example?” Rosette raised an eyebrow.

“Well, let me ask you this, Dame Rosette. Would it seem normal to you for someone to meticulously plan out their day, down to the very route that they take through the campus grounds just to avoid seeing someone? Keep in mind that this requires extensive preparation and knowledge of the other person’s day-to-day activities.”

“Well... No? What is this... A reverse stalker?”

Rosaline nodded. “A very apt term, but correct nonetheless.”

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

“No offense, but that’s pretty insane, Lady Rosaline. Who were you even avoiding?”

Rosaline smirked, wrapping her arm around the shoulders of a suitably abashed Leticia. “Oh, it wasn’t me who was doing all this. It was my beloved Lettie right here.”

“I-It’s true, Dame Rosette... As embarrassing as it may be to admit, I was hopelessly in love with Rosie, but I had no idea of knowing whether she would return my feelings. All I knew was that she had taken a knight during the brief period of time when we had been apart and my foolish brain began thinking of all sorts of things...” Leticia begrudgingly admitted.

Rosette squinted in disbelief. “You... Are you an idiot!? Why didn’t you just approach her and ask her about it instead of avoiding her!?”

“Well... Like Rosie said, people who’re in love do stupid things.” Leticia shrugged. “And with Sir Damien’s case... Well, I think what Lady Estelle said speaks for itself.”

Estelle nodded. “Yes... Although I was his lady, he was quite taken by Lady Isabella at the time. I suppose it was because he was my first knight, but I didn’t want him to be unhappy, so I allowed him to pursue Lady Isabella despite seeing him return with injuries. I... I am not innocent in this, but I truly wished for Sir Damien’s happiness...”

“Don’t blame yourself, Lady Estelle. It’s not your fault Isabella is a crazy bitch,” Medrauta shrugged.

“N-No... I should’ve stopped him the first time he returned with a bloody nose, but he... He was so happy. I didn’t want to take that away from him... I don’t know what exactly happened every time he went there, but he told me that all of this suffering was merely a test of his love.”

“I believe that is enough on that topic, everyone.” Eirlys interrupted, speaking with an even tone. “There is no need to delve into the specifics of Sir Damien’s plight at the moment. He was deceived by Isabella, tortured, and then took his own life. That was all that needed to be said. Now then, as I have approved Lady Estelle as Dame Rosette’s partner for her mission, you are all dismissed.”

“Yes, ma’am!” All three knights saluted in unison while the noblewomen curtsied.

“As you all know, the six of you have only been conscripted for these missions because we are sorely lacking in manpower. It’s embarrassing to admit, but we cannot shy away from the truth if we are to win this war while also taking care of our internal disputes. Because of that, you must strive to complete your missions as quickly as possible, meaning that you will have this evening to pack and get ready. You all leave in the morning.”

Once the three pairs departed from the office and split off in different directions to prepare for their coming journeys, Eirlys slumped in her chair, wearing a look of utter defeat on her face.

Dark circles had formed under her eyes thanks to the overbearing amount of work she’d had to take on ever since Amelia’s betrayal, and now she’d just been hit with the fact that both she and the other knight-instructors had been incompetent.

Even if Isabella was the daughter of Duke Rosenhall, her influence wouldn’t have been able to cover up a murder on campus grounds. But she didn’t commit murder. Not directly, at least.

...To think that Sir Damien committed suicide because of Isabella. The mere thought was like a dagger driving itself into Eirlys’ mind and staying lodged there.

Suicide was almost foreign to a knight. To take one’s own life was unthinkable and considered one of the most dishonorable things a knight could do. After all, a knight was defined by their resolve and dedication, always moving forward and becoming better than who they were yesterday. Giving up simply wasn’t something that a knight was conditioned to do, so Sir Damien’s suicide had been something that had shocked both students and staff alike.

Spurred on by a sudden fit of rage, Eirlys shot up in her seat and slammed her fist on the desk before her, shattering it into splinters and sending dozens of documents flying into the air.

“Fuck!” She shouted. “Fuck! Why the hell did we just assume it was bullying!? Are we... Am I really that stupid...?”

Neither Eirlys nor the other knight-instructors had even considered for a second that there could’ve been another cause for Damien’s suicide other than bullying amongst peers, but in hindsight, the signs were all there. They had just chosen to ignore them because it didn’t seem real.

Those injuries were so shallow, and it was clear that he wouldn’t have died from them... Eirlys grit her teeth in frustration. I doubt most of them even took longer than a day to heal... Thinking back, there’s just no way they could’ve been inflicted by a knight, but... We never even considered that back then.

Despite her regrets, there was nothing that she could do now other than hope that Rosette and Estelle managed to drag Isabella back so the rogue noblewoman could be properly tried for her crimes. In fact, now that Eirlys thought about it, Isabella’s actions had probably been covered up by using her family’s influence which was why the initial investigation didn’t turn up anything.

Though Eirlys never knew Damien personally, the late knight had still been a student at the academy, and he had even attended one of her classes. To the senior knight, this was more than just a matter of pride. It had been her duty to protect her students, but she had failed. She hadn’t even managed to discover the true reason behind Damien’s death until now.

If I had perhaps tried harder... If I had reached out to him during one of our classes... Would he still be here today?

Left with that single thought, Eirlys buried her face in her hands...

...and wept.