Morning leisure seemed rare. Adi went to the outer palace official. She wanted to check if any letters had arrived during this time, but she was told that they had already been left in her room. Apparently, not in the guard barracks at the Duke's residence, but in the barracks of the Second Order of Knighthood. For the first time in days, Adi returned to her original room.
As soon as she opened the door, she saw a pile of letters on the floor. She was counting on one or two, but not such a pile. Otherwise the room was unchanged.
Having picked up the letters, Adi checked the senders and went to the bed. Sitting down on the edge and looking out the window, she suddenly sank heavily onto the bed. I didn't want to think about anything. Just kill time like this, closing your eyes... But not even a few moments had passed before she got up again.
A letter from Spencer Grimaldi and a letter from his mother. The addressee is not Adrina, but Adrian. Like a living Adrian, with gentle, loving phrases and flowers. Having opened and read it a couple of times, I never looked again. This time too. Useless letters.
Stuffing her message into her desk drawer, Adi opened the envelope from Spencer Grimaldi.
The count's letter was in the same spirit. Words expressing concern and feigned wishes for all sorts of well-being hid a different meaning. Having lit the candle, Adi brought the paper to the fire. Indifferently watching the letters become charred, she read the count's message and frowned.
“The Woodpecker King. Murderer. Prevent."
How does he know there's a killer heading there? And what does it mean to prevent?
Spencer Grimaldi didn't like questions, though. All he wanted was a “yes, got it” answer and an occasional bit of originality to amuse him.
Adi burned the letter to the ground. Charred shreds fell under the wide candlestick. Turning them into ashes, Adi stood up and left the room.
As soon as she returned to the living quarters at the residence, she heard Bert snoring. At times he snored so sharply that it seemed as if he was breathing at all.
Maybe I should have washed there? Everything is good in the residence, except for one thing: there is one bathroom for three people. When it was just her and Bert, it was impossible to collide, but now, with a new person, she had to be more careful.
Adi unfastened the leather armor on her chest and walked into her room. Here, in the inner palace, for some reason laughter was constantly heard.
Looking out the window, she saw aristocrats sitting right on the grass and children frolicking. There is no royal family in Pales now, so they are probably noble families with royal blood.
“Do children at this age usually laugh and run around like that?” - thought Adi, until her gaze lingered on the only boy who, unlike the others, brought a table and chairs and sat.
The young Duke, with a calm face, sat with a noble lady. Although the woman was clearly younger, it seemed that the Duke was communicating with a woman who was older than him. Probably because of the curse.
Every time Adi encountered manifestations of this curse, she had questions.
If the Duke received a curse that prevented him from growing, what curse did she and Adrian receive?
At this moment the Duke looked up. At the same time, Roy Gallardo, who was standing behind the Duke, also raised his head, following his gaze.
Their gazes met Adi Grimaldi's. Adi, instead of looking away, stood looking at them for a moment and then closed the curtains. Adi’s shadow was reflected on the thin curtains. Soon the shadow disappeared, as if it had retreated from the window.
* * *The training place for knights is located in the northern palace. The outer palace, enveloping the inner one, half resembled a fortress wall. After all, it was also an old fortress wall. The northern palace also housed the Third Order of Knighthood, so it had the most knights. Adi spent several years here.
“So what, you got kicked out?”
And here it was...
"Why are you here?"
...Adi has many enemies.
“I came to train.”
"So why are you here..."
“I don’t know why he looks like there’s nothing special about me coming here. Adi looked at him with a questioning expression, and he answered, grimacing with displeasure.
As if he had done something wrong himself.
- Why are you so interested in this? Maybe we can fight? - Adi asked.
- What?
- Shall we get along without shoulder straps?
To be honest, even before they did not meet on equal terms. It was just a normal insubordination. But no one would dare stand up for non-locals if Adi took liberties. Looking at the silent page, Adi grinned.
- Don't worry. Today I will only do basic training.
Standing at the post all day did not give time to warm up. She was more worried not about losing her sword skills, but about losing her stamina. Still, there was a difference between her and the men, and she had to train more than others. But when Bert and I had to stand guard, we were sorely short of time.
Having put on a leather bib over her shemiz, Adi warmed up and began to run around the parade ground. Ignoring the gazes following her, she ran, when suddenly someone started running next to her.
Adi glanced sideways and continued the circle. Just a few days of break, and my lungs were already giving in - breathing became difficult. Increasingly loud panting could also be heard nearby. Glancing to the side again, Adi felt something like pity for his desperate run.
Looking at the boy page, as tall as she was, for some reason she remembered Adrian. But Adrian wasn't that strong. Not like running - getting from the entrance to the estate to his room was a test for him, after which he was out of breath.
Finally, after running a few more laps, Adi stopped, and the page also stopped, breathing heavily. She deliberately moved away from the others, but he still tagged along with her, as if he wanted to say something. Adi stood in front of the page.
- Do you want to say something?
- Ha... what?
- You followed me all the time. I thought maybe you wanted to talk about something.
- No!
“So no.” Then there is no need to linger here, Adi thought, wiping sweat with the sleeve of her shemiz and getting ready to leave, but they pulled her clothes from behind. Adi looked at the page in bewilderment.
- ...Do you have a patron in Pales?
-What are you talking about?
— How did you even get into the Second Order of Knights?
So, I still wanted to say something. Adi was about to ignore him and walk past, but noticing the despair on his face, she sighed and turned around. Their gazes crossed at the same height. Adi carefully examined the page who was still catching his breath. Judging by his clenched fists, there was something she didn't know.
- Is it so important?
Adi asked. The page was silent for a while. Adi took a beer from her pocket
This made him even more suspicious.
“Has your attitude changed because they hit you between your legs?”
- No!
This is true. Then what is the reason? Adi looked the page up and down in bewilderment. He, as if feeling a pang of conscience, hastily stepped back and exclaimed:
- And nothing was broken! Everything is fine!
Although she didn’t look there...
Apparently there were a lot of rumors. Well, of course - what broke, what no longer works, and so on. Scandal. And even for the heir of a noble family.
- I believe you.
Adi said sincerely. But there must have been a lack of trust, because the page, overwhelmed with emotion, screamed into the void. Adi walked past him. The page grabbed her shoulder as she walked away and said:
- And don't come here again. Or do you only know how to look for fights?
-What are you talking about?
“The Second and First Orders of Knighthood have their own training ground, so don’t interfere here.”
Was that really the case? Nobody warned her. Adi silently looked at the page, and an expression of annoyance flashed across his face. Judging by how poorly she got along in the Third Order, it’s unlikely that things will work out for her here either.
- Yes, you were there... you probably got along very well.
For some reason there was sympathy in this phrase. Adi shook off his hand and walked away. People parted in front of her, as if in front of a dangerous weapon that it was better not to touch.
This means that the Second Order of Knights has its own training ground. “Maybe Roy will tell me where he is,” Adi thought as she left the Training Hall.