The Emperor and the Knightess

Chapter 198

Both Lady Stra and Lady Tory replied to Poliana, “Don’t say that, Marquess Winter, we know how hard you work to keep us safe. We feel safe because of you.”

Lady Stra added as she put her hand on Poliana’s, “And just a few days ago, you saved me, remember? Without you, I might be dead by now.”

Their kindness made Poliana feel even worse. She almost felt suicidal from shame. Whenever she felt angry or frustrated, she used to kick and punch the furniture or the trees, and now, Poliana felt like she was the one who should be punished.

Even though she was a patient, not many people visited her. Was it because people now knew how awful she has been behaving lately? Other than Lady Bika visiting her a few times, no one else came to see her.

Poliana needed to get out of this emotional spiral. She clenched her teeth and tried to think of a way to fix the problem. She knew hitting herself was a stupid idea. The best thing she should do at the moment was to get better as quickly as possible.

Ribs were fragile bones that broke easily. Fortunately, there weren’t many long term side effects upon breaking it, but broken ribs take a very long time to heal. Her doctors told her she needed to stay in her bed for the next two months, but Poliana left in only a month.

Her torso was still badly bruised and painful, but it was endurable. It wasn’t like the pain from her period; the pain from the broken ribs was sharper, which helped her become more alert. It almost made her feel like she was back on the battlefield; it reminded her that she was a knight and she will always be one.

As soon as she was able to leave her bed, Poliana went to visit Lady Tory and Stra. She needed to ask them for a favor.

If she returned to Yapa with the two ladies, it would take about the same amount of time as when they traveled to Nanaba. The emperor ordered her to take care of Lady Tory and Lady Stra, but Poliana was desperate to get back home as quickly as possible.

She was becoming more and more worried as time passed because there haven’t been any messages from Nanaba. If Lady Rebecca was fine, they would’ve sent words by now. No news didn’t always mean good news, and Poliana thought anxiously, ‘Even if they are busy, they could’ve still sent a letter… Something must’ve happened.’

Lucius the First was a very thoughtful person. He cared about those around us, especially his wives, so if Lady Rebecca was better, he would’ve sent a message so those in Nanaba wouldn’t worry.

Poliana needed to get back to the capital immediately but leaving Lady Stra and Lady Tory would mean that she was disobeying the emperor’s order. She said to the ladies, “I will leave all of my men here. I can go alone, so you needn’t worry about your safety.”

“Don’t be silly, Marquess Winter, you need to realize that you are just as important as us. To be honest, I am certain his highness worries more about you than his own wives. It is easy to find new wives and bear more children, but it is very hard to find a loyal knight.”

It hurt her pride to say it, but Lady Tory knew it was the truth. Besides, it was more important to stop Poliana from leaving alone than trying to protect her own feelings.

It would be impossible for Lucius the First to replace Poliana, a truly loyal and talented knight. The one and only knightess who helped him conquer the world.

In addition, Poliana was the symbol of what the new Acreia represented. She showed how a foreigner could become successful.

Compared to Poliana, Lady Tory knew she was useless. She was going to be the easiest to replace among all the emperor’s wives. It was saddening to admit it, but Lady Tory wasn’t afraid to accept it.

Even though Lady Tory begged her, Poliana refused to take her advice. Poliana knew her emperor might become furious at her for disobeying him, but it couldn’t be helped. If necessary, she was willing to give up her position. She was ready to give up her blue uniform with the golden strip.

When it was obvious that Poliana wasn’t going to give in, Lady Tory suggested a compromise.

“Then please take at least one knight with you. Someone who can protect you if necessary on the road. We will take the rest of the guards and follow you at our own pace.”

“But Lady Tory, the royal guards exist to protect the royal members. I cannot take one of them for my own protection. It would be considered treason.”

Only

“That can’t be. They are the royal guards, which means they have the duty to protect their leader, which is you. Besides, I have asked Duke Luzo to lend us his knights to make up for those who will go with you.”

Poliana was surprised to hear this. It sounded like Lady Tory already had a conversation with the duke about this. Lady Stra, who has been listening quietly, held Poliana’s hands gently and smiled. Lady Tory continued, “We knew you would insist on going alone, Marquess Winter, so we already asked the duke for help. I understand how you must feel since you are so close to Lady Rebecca. Five of the royal guards have already volunteered to escort you back to Nanaba.”

“Thank you so much. Both of you.”

Lady Tory replied, “It is our pleasure. We both know that if it was one of us and not Lady Rebecca, you would’ve done the same for us too.”

Lady Stra said as well, “We are so thankful for you, Marquess Winter, for always being honest with us.”

What Poliana had with Lady Rebecca was a friendship. What she had with Lady Tory and Lady Stra was more like loyalty, but it was true that Poliana treated all of them with utmost sincerity. The ladies believed that no other knight could’ve done the job of protecting them better than Sir Poliana.

Poliana’s eyes welled up from the two ladies’ kindness. It was true that the wife and the husband often grow to resemble each other. Both Lucius the First and all of his wives were all such kind people.