“Very well. I’ll take the girl’s place.”
I have decided to stand in for the bride until they find her. The knights seem troubled by my decision, but in the end they relent and accept it.
“Mayor, she will only stand in for the girl until we find her,” Lute said. “Is that understood?”
“Of course,” the mayor replied. “But sooner you find her, the better… Because the wedding will be held this evening at the Count’s mansion.”
“W-Wedding?!”
I glance at the clock and see it’s only a few hours until evening.
“That doesn’t give us much time,” Shion sighed. “…What a pain…”
“We have to find that girl,” Haku stated. “For Sophie’s sake. So once we finish this task, you’d better give us a sweet reward!”
“What…?!”
“Just leave it to us,” Kenny said.
“Okay.”
“Please don’t push yourself, Milady Sophie,” Gaia implied.
“I won’t.”
Gaia looks at the rest of the knights.
“Lute, you will continue to guard Milady Sophie,” Gaia added, “and the rest of us will search for the runaway bride. Understood?”
“Yes, Commander,” Lute replied.
“Thank you, everyone,” I said. “Please find her.”
The knights split up and begin searching the town, leaving Lute and me at the mayor’s house.
The mayor excuses himself and leaves Lute and me alone together.
Please let then find the girl soon…
I sit down on the sofa, clasp my hands together, and close my eyes. Even though I volunteered to stand in for the bride, I’m just now feeling anxiety over the graveness of this situation.
“Milady Sophie,” Lute said.
“Yes?”
I open my eyes to see Lute gazing quietly at me.
“Since it is something Your Highness decided, I did not say anything… But if you really don’t want to do this, I shall take you away from here at once,” Lute implied.
His voice is so serious. His eyes are so sincere. Lute’s feelings resound in my heart.
“Lute…”
Just then, the door opens with a bang.
“It’s terrible! The Count has come!!” the mayor shouted.
“What?”
I was surprised.
“He says he can’t wait until evening and wants to see his bride at once!” the mayor informed.
“W-What should we do?!”
“We don’t know how long it will take the knights to find the real bride,” Lute said. “So we cannot stall any longer.”
Lute scans the room. “Milady Sophie, let us hide in the closet.”
“But…”
“Mayor, please tell him that his bride is not here yet,” Lute stated.
“O-Okay!” the mayor replied.
“Come, Milady Sophie!”
Lute takes my hand and beckons me inside the closet.
YOU ARE READING
A Knight's Devotion (On Hold)
Romance"I pledge my loyalty to you, Your Royal Highness!" -------------------------- It's the Middle Ages, and Sophie lives in the countryside. One day, Sophie suddenly find herself attacked by a group of men dressed in black... and five royal knights save...
