When Adi, having replaced Bert, returned to the barracks, Roy Gagliardo was discovered in the hall.
Roy was writing something down in the knight's notebook. Adi also had such a notebook, but he didn’t write anything down there. Spencer Grimaldi ordered not to leave such traces.
“Doesn’t he understand that if this is taken away, everything he knows will be known?”
—Have you finished?
- What, were you waiting?
“I wanted to show you where the training ground is.”
Was it really necessary to wait until late at night for this? And a diagram would be quite enough. Roy yawned and stood up.
- Follow me quickly. There is no time. I have to work tomorrow - I need to get some sleep.
-Can't you just draw a diagram?
- When they tell you to go, go. In the Inner Palace, not far away.
— Do the knights go to train in the Inner Palace?
- It's kind of a privilege. That's why everyone wants to get into the First or Second Order of Knighthood.
Roy stretched, as if stretching his stiff body, then became serious and said: “If you try, you can attract attention.”
- Whose?
- Members of the royal family or high-ranking nobles.
- And this is why they train here?
“They just try harder.” To get noticed.
“How do you even attract attention on the training ground? It smells of sweat, it's dirty, there's a lot of dust. What is it, did they cover it with gold?” - Adi was perplexed.
The training ground was located some distance from the Duke's residence. The Duke's residence was located in the very depths of the Inner Palace, and the training ground was on the outer side of the Inner Palace, closer to the Outer Palace. A place where any nobleman could come.
- Here we are.
“They really covered it with gold.”
What was in the courtyard looked less like a training ground and more like a beautifully landscaped park. On all sides there were galleries from which everything could be viewed, decorated with marble and gold. In the very center stood a giant stone statue of a sword.
— Was it possible to cover everything with lawn?
- It's nice to watch.
Nice to watch. This is not a place for training.
“...I want to use the Northern Palace’s training ground.”
- They will think that you are starting a quarrel, why?
“You can’t even run properly here.”
“This is the place to swing a sword.”
- Where should we run then?
-...I don't particularly like endurance exercises. But if you need it, there's a basement. Down there.
- Basement?
“They used to keep animals and monsters there.” And then they were released one by one and fought. The aristocrats watched. It's rare to see something like that these days, so they just converted it into a training ground. If you go bare-chested here, sometimes noble ladies call you at night.
Adi frowned. Is this from personal experience?
“But we’re not here just to show off.” Everyone has skills. Good for fights. At dawn there will be nowhere for an apple to fall from those who want to practice. But the basement is free. Almost no one goes there.
— We'll have to use the subway.
“But members of the royal family don’t go there.”
“I’m not going to catch their eye.”
At Adi's words, Roy shrugged his shoulders. Either way, he decided that was enough. He still brought him here once, but the knights were trained to navigate the palace using maps, so returning back would not be difficult.
-Are you going to practice? I am going to sleep.
- I'm coming back too.
Adi replied. They left the training ground. The moment when they walked towards the Duke's residence without exchanging a word was awkward. Finally, Roy, unable to bear the silence, scratched the back of his head and asked:
-What did you want to say earlier?
Adi glanced at Roy and then looked straight ahead again. The corridors of the Inner Palace are deserted. No one is on guard. The path from the Outer Palace to the Inner Palace is already confusing, but perhaps in such a peaceful time as now, this is considered unnecessary.
“Just wondering if it had to be Duke Woodpecker.” There are plenty of other security positions.
“There are few high-ranking nobles and royals at this time of year.”
- Still not necessarily Woodpecker.
- Do you think I have any ulterior motives?
- Yeah.
-......
Isn’t it usually customary to talk about this in hints? There was no need to say so directly that you suspected me. Deciding that this guy must have a hard time living, Roy asked: so what?
- And if there is, what will you do?
- What to do. It's none of my business.
Adi answered indifferently. If he has second thoughts, he may as well not get caught by the Duke. But if Adi himself noticed this, then most likely the Duke also already knows everything.
- Figure it out yourself. In any case, this is a one-time protection. When this is over, I'll be guarding someone else.
There was disbelief in Roy's gaze. This look that says “it can’t be” - isn’t it because that’s exactly what he intended to do?
- Aren’t you going to?
-......
“If you asked me to give up this seat for you to follow Duke Woodpecker, I will understand.”
“So that’s why you mentioned me?”
- Not really. It would be difficult for both of us to cope.
- OK. I want to go with the Duke to Woodpecker.
Roy said. Adi looked at Roy. The voice sounded determined, and he was curious about the expression on his face now.
- This is my destination.
Everyone has their own past, but perhaps there is more behind it than they thought.
- There I will start all over again.
- I'm for you.
- ...Thank you. But Count Grimaldi knows you did it?
- Unlikely, but are my actions a problem?
— Ken Max.
- What's wrong with him?
“You don’t seem to know what kind of relationship connects Max and Grimaldi.”
Unless I didn’t know the relationship. I didn't even know the name. Roy chuckled at Adi’s reaction and said, “Tell me?”
— Max and Grimaldi served in the same knightly order.
-......
- In the current Royal Guard. Max is from Palesa, Grimaldi is from Jonad. Palesa and Jonad do not get along with each other, but when you serve in the same place, willy-nilly you find common interests.
— Interests?
— The current king was not the crown prince. Both were far from the path to the throne, but how do you think they reached their current position?
- That is?
- This does not mean that Grimaldi took his place simply thanks to the witch hunt. Your father was an outstanding man in many ways. Like a snake. The nasty Count Grimaldi.
Adi herself knew that her father’s reputation was not the best. At least on the estate there is an excuse that he cares about his subjects, and after all, he’s a lord, so they won’t say such words out loud, but to call him nasty so openly...
-Are you saying that to my face?
- Yes, and it’s clear that you are not at odds, so what’s wrong? These two were quite close, so, most likely, your transfer to Palesa was also influenced by Max.
-......
“The fact that Max didn’t include me in Duke Woodpecker’s guard means that Grimaldi didn’t want it either.” Or maybe he doesn't care at all, but what do you think?
“If you are right, then my count must be very angry.”
- Yes? So what to do now, Sir Adrian Grimaldi? Are you afraid that your father will scold you?
- Afraid. What kind of revenge will it be?
“……Are you saying this so openly?” And in general, what kind of revenge is there, even if you are his child. He’ll just scold you, won’t he?
- He’ll just scold you.
No, Spencer Grimaldi never scolded Adi. Whether it's Adrina or Adrian. But then he took revenge in such a way that he made you regret what happened. Cunningly, without causing physical harm. He turned everything into such a mess that he had to repent and fall to his knees.
“Do you really think that a man who spread rumors that his own child was cursed would be content with a simple reprimand?”
- Do you still remember this? Either way, you were born twins. Birth itself is a curse, so who cares.
-......
- Although it’s still strange. In Grimaldi’s place, they usually kill one of the twins, or lock him in a tower, or even pretend that he doesn’t exist, but he recognized you as his child and even gave you a name?
- ...because we were opposite-sex twins.
- And if you were of the same sex, wouldn’t it be an even greater tragedy?
- Outwardly - no. They would announce that only one was born, and the other would be locked in a tower or dungeon and raised as a replacement.
- Then this “other” could be you?
I am still a replacement.
On the other hand, I was tormented by the question: what would Spencer Grimaldi do if I were even a little shorter, if I had the same poor health as Adrian, or if my body were even a little weaker? Would you kill me too? Or...
“But you are still the one who survived.”
-...
Can this be called survival?
Adi didn't answer. They had already reached the Duke's Residence, and there was no need to continue the conversation. Having opened the door of the residential building, Adi first let Roy in, then she followed him into the hall and immediately stopped in front of the door of her room.
- Good night, Roy. Thanks for today.
- Rest, Adi.
Adi closes the door. Roy, instead of going into his room, sat down at the table in the common room. He glanced at the tightly closed door and sighed.
“So they didn’t trust me either.”
No, perhaps Adi is trusted even less than himself. Otherwise Bert would not have made such a demand.
“I asked you to keep an eye on me, that’s what.”
Follow Adi Grimaldi. He doesn't have any close friends and doesn't seem to date anyone much at all, so it would be easy to notice if someone tried to get close.
“I wonder if he realizes.”
If Adi Grimaldi takes this place by their will, then he, too, must surely be on his guard. But what can you do? You only have yourself to blame for your ignorance.