Crest of the Strongest Knight

Chapter 55 - Confession

"One moment, Viviane. I'll get the door."

Ah... I missed the timing again... Viviane bit her lip, dropping her gaze as Medrauta headed to the door. "Oh... Um, okay..."

Medrauta turned, frowning as she noticed her lady pull back hesitantly. "Is something wrong, Viviane?"

Viviane shook her head. "N-No... Nothing's wrong, ahaha..."

"Sure doesn't look like it. Why don't you tell—"

The knocking repeated itself, this time much louder than before. "Is that you in there, Medrauta?"

"Ahh, shit!" Medrauta sighed, frustrated. She recognized that voice. "Sorry, Viviane. I have to get this."

"N-No! It's fine... It's just fine..."

The knight pursed her lips as she stood fixed in place, torn between answering the door and attending to her lady's needs. Had she the freedom to choose, she would stay by Viviane's side. Unfortunately for her, those sharp knocks echoed once more.

As a compromise, Medrauta reached out and squeezed Viviane's hand gently. "I'll be quick, okay?"

Viviane could do nothing but nod and smile. She knew that whatever this was, Medrauta could not refuse, and the last thing she wanted to be was an inconvenience to her knight.

Medrauta reached for the door which swung open to reveal a man wearing an instructor's uniform coupled with half-plate that overlaid it. He was tall and broad with a powerfully sculpted physique, and his neatly cropped brown hair gave him the appearance of an officer.

"My apologies, Knight Instructor Bradley. My lady and I were dealing with some circumstances regarding her garments."

Bradley made a dismissive gesture. "It's fine. I trust you know what I'm here for?"

"Probably. How'd you find me, anyway?"

"Bunch of students saw you walking here with your lady. Kind of hard to miss," Bradley said as he indicated the ruined dress that Viviane was still wearing. "But that's not important. Duke Rosenhall's lodged a formal complaint with us about your behavior."

"Yeah, and he can get bent. The asshole threw a knight-mercenary at me in an unsanctioned duel."

Bradley raised an eyebrow. "We'll be investigating that matter separately. I'm here to address your reportedly dishonorable conduct."

"My what? My conduct was perfectly knightly. Exemplary, even."

Bradley shook his head with a sigh. "We have multiple eyewitness reports stating otherwise."

"Oh yeah? And what'd they say?"

"That you referred to his daughter in rather vulgar terms multiple times in front of him. While you are not subject to the confines of noble etiquette, you must still treat them with respect. At least when they're present, that is."

"Wrong."

"...How so?"

"Did the reports say that I called Lady Rosenhall a bitch?"

Bradley nodded, not sure where this was going. Either way, he didn't like it.

Medrauta smirked. "'A knight must be honest with their words, for a knight who fights in the name of falsehoods is no better than a brigand.' Sir Bradley, I'm sure you're more familiar with the knight's code than I am. His daughter slighted my lady quite severely, and in all cases, we would've been able to push for a match. Instead, I merely described her in accurate terms."

"...Medrauta, you know as well as I do that such an excuse won't work. He's a duke. There is a certain protocol to these things. Something like that might've worked on a count's daughter or even a baron's but—"