Intruding the Dreams of a Knight - Chapter 1 - I saw it, you see

 Outside the window, the voices of cheerful young ladies laughing can be heard.

 

“Oh, oh, our beloved ‘Lord of the Golden Flower’ is quite popular again today, huh?”

 

One of her colleagues leaning against the window chuckled, drawing Irene’s attention away from her work.

 

This place is the Knight’s Order Building within the premises of the Kingdom of Flozil’s royal castle ground, where the knights who protect the kingdom carry out their activities.

 

In the past, there were two distinct roles in the military: “knights” and “soldiers.” Their roles were vastly different, with knights being of higher status, having good looks, and rarely wielding swords. On the other hand, soldiers, who were sent to battlefields, were poorly paid despite their uncertain fate.

 

However, about a hundred years ago, during a war that took place, it was the soldiers who played a significant role, while the ornamental knights were useless. As a result of various disputes arising from the situation, those who defended the Kingdom of Flozil were all given the title of “knights,” and roles were assigned to each unit accordingly.

 

Irene Lancel worked as a clerk in the Knights’ Order building, where such knights were active. Although the literacy rate had improved since the old days, among the commoner-born knights, there were many who struggled to read and write their own names or perform three-digit calculations. Even among the noble-born knights, there were those who wrote characters like wriggling worms.

 

The position of a clerk could only be held by those who are well-educated and have a family background above a certain rank. It was not their appearance that mattered, but rather their efficiency at work, the beauty of their handwriting, and the speed of their calculations. Irene, the daughter of Baron Lancel, had been taught the importance of education by her parents since childhood, and four years ago, at the age of sixteen, she passed the clerk recruitment examination.

 

The Lancel family, originally a family of commoner soldiers, gained their baron title when their ancestors excelled in the aforementioned war. Due to the modest wealth of the family, Irene, as the baron’s daughter, worked as a clerk. Although she had not yet made her social debut, it was not uncommon for a baron’s daughters to marry wealthy citizens before their debut.

 

Irene had smooth and glossy chestnut hair that reached her waist when let down, but she tied it up into a bun with a scrunchie during work as it would otherwise be inconvenient. Her green eyes had a slight slant, often described as having “clever eyes.”

 

Wearing the uniform of a clerk – a white blouse and a gray skirt – Irene stood next to her colleague, gazing outside the window down onto the courtyard of the Knights’ Order. Sweating knights who had finished their training were marching from the training grounds to the Knights’ Building. While it might be bearable during autumn, Irene imagined it would be quite stuffy in the middle of summer.

 

In that rough environment, one corner stood out exceptionally with an unusually glamorous scene. A blond knight was surrounded by young ladies in dresses. Clear voices calling out, “Sir Camille!” pierced through the glass and reached Irene’s ears.

 

The name of that blond knight surrounded by the young ladies was Camille Gresler, the eldest son of the Gresler Earl family, a charming man with a sweet demeanor that attracted many women.

 

“Look at those knights over there! They’re sulking because the ‘Lord of the Golden Flower’ is drawing all the young ladies to his side, so none of them come to them!” Irene’s colleague chuckled. She was a bit older than Irene and already married. Though usually lively and cheerful, she seemed to soften in front of her younger husband.

 

As Irene absentmindedly watched the scene below, Camille, after sending the young ladies away, unexpectedly raised his head. His soft blond hair and hazel eyes gave him a distinctive appearance. With his status as the heir of the Earl’s family and his good looks, he could easily serve as a bodyguard for royalty and nobility. However, Irene had heard that he personally chose to be part of a unit that fought in battles and got dirty doing various tasks after the previous war. He was a man with peculiar tastes.

 

Being looked up at by his tender eyes made Irene’s heart skip a beat. While she instinctively moved away from the window, her colleague, in contrast, waved at him cheerfully.

“Irene, you still don’t seem to like the ‘Lord of the Golden Flower,’ huh?” Irene’s colleague asked, and she timidly smiled in response.

 

“Yes… He’s just not my type,” Irene replied.

 

“Oh, is it because he seems like a playboy?” her colleague asked with understanding.

 

“Something like that,” Irene nodded.

 

Her colleague didn’t seem to mind much and gave a reassuring response. Irene returned to her seat and gently placed her hand on her chest.

 

Her heart was still pounding a bit.

 

But she knew it wasn’t because she was attracted to the charming knight.

 

***

 

The capital of the Flozil Kingdom was shaped like a slightly crushed circle. The city was surrounded by tall walls, and to pass through any of the gates except the one to the north, one needed proper identification. Perhaps due to these measures, the security in the castle town was very good.

 

In the past, the capital of Flozil was no stranger to pickpockets, theft, robberies, and even murder. However, with the restructuring of the Knights’ Order, the security system was revamped , and around the same time, walls were built to protect the castle town. The knights took turns on guard duty, so in the twenty years Irene had lived in the capital, she had never been involved in any crimes.

 

To the north of the capital, there were steep mountains, and the royal castle was situated in such a way as to be protected by them. Near the royal castle, noble residences lined up, and as one moved south, the size of the mansions decreased. The southern end of the capital was the area where commoners lived.

 

The Lancel Baron’s estate, Irene’s family home, was located near the center of the capital. The mansion was relatively small, and the number of servants could be counted on both hands. However, for a baron’s family who had gained their title solely through their ancestors’ military achievements, it was more than sufficient.

 

Every day, Irene commuted from her family’s home to the royal castle for work, and on her days off, she would spend time at home or explore the capital.

 

Today, as it was her day off, Irene strolled through the city in a calm, caramel-colored dress.

 

(If I were a true noble lady, I would apparently need escorts even to walk through the city… But that would feel suffocating.) 

 

To them, such arrangements might be commonplace, but for Irene, the idea of needing permission and escorts everywhere she went was unbelievable. She wouldn’t even be able to buy a snack without permission.

 

(Thinking about it, I’m content with this status after all.)

 

While enjoying a lollipop she had bought from a wagon, Irene strolled along the main street. It might be considered uncouth to eat while walking, but Irene’s appearance at the moment would, at best, be described as “a somewhat refined young lady.” Besides, she didn’t throw the stick away on the roadside after finishing the candy, so it should be fine.

 

As she wandered around, she heard someone say, “…Ah, yes. You there, the adorable young lady.”

 

“…”

 

“You, the brown-haired young lady eating candy.”

 

“…Eh, me?”

 

At first, Irene ignored the words “adorable young lady,” but it’s not every day you find someone else walking while eating candy. She stopped and turned to the side, only to see a small elderly woman sitting on the side of the main street. It was still autumn, but the woman seemed to feel the cold and was wearing a thick coat. Her face was mostly hidden by a deep hood, with only her mouth visible.

 

Though the woman had a somewhat suspicious appearance, she asked for help. “Could you lend me a hand, dear? Over there, there should be a cane. I can’t walk without it, and I seem to have accidentally let it roll away…”

 

Irene decided that she couldn’t ignore such a request. Besides, even if the person was a suspicious-looking old lady, she couldn’t just leave her be.

 

“I’ll do what I can to help.”

 

She quickly crushed the remaining candy in her mouth and held the stick in her left hand as she approached the elderly woman.

 

“Here, may I help you with this?”

 

“I’m sorry. There’s a cane over there. I can’t walk without it, but I seem to have carelessly let it roll away…”

 

“I understand. I’ll go get it for you.”

 

It was a small task. Irene promptly went to pick up the cane that had rolled next to a flower pot. It appeared to be a regular walking aid cane, but it felt surprisingly heavy for its size. What material was it made of?

 

“Here you go. Is this okay? …It’s a bit heavy, though. Are you all right with it?”

 

“Oh, thank you, dear. It’s a bit heavy, but that’s what makes it stable.”

 

After firmly placing the cane in the wrinkled hand of the elderly woman, she said, “Thank you. I should thank the kind young lady who responded to this old woman’s call.”

 

“Oh, no, it’s fine,” Irene replied, feeling a bit flustered.

 

Irene hurriedly waved her hand, and since she was still holding the candy stick, she gently wrapped it in paper and put it in her bag.

 

“It’s just that I picked up the cane.”

 

“No, no, if you hadn’t picked it up, I would have been sitting here for who knows how long. Don’t be so reserved.”

 

Though Irene felt a bit pressured by the woman’s persistence, the elderly woman leaned in and whispered as if sharing a secret.

 

“I’m actually a fortune teller. My specialty is dream interpretation.”

 

“A fortune teller…”

 

Irene blinked slowly.

 

Fortune tellers had existed for a long time. In eras when technology was not yet advanced, and superstitions were prevalent, fortune tellers were invited to the residences of nobility and royalty to predict the family’s future. Of course, there were instances where malicious fortune tellers had caused countries to falter or noble families to meet tragic ends.

 

In modern times, it had become clear that there was no basis for fortune-telling, yet many people still sought them out for comfort, diversion, or to find solace in difficult times.

 

(I don’t believe in fortune-telling, but well, if I consider it as just something to lift spirits…)

 

“If that’s the case… But you know, I don’t dream much.”

 

Irene responded with a hint of hesitation.

“Let’s see, let’s see.”

 

The elderly woman extended both hands and said, “Show me your hands.” Irene complied and held out her hands, which the old woman grasped.

 

…Despite her appearance, the woman had surprisingly resilient palms. Irene initially thought she was an old woman based on the wrinkles around her mouth and hands, but she might be younger than she seemed.

 

(Even so, the dream I had recently was about Father jumping and flying from the third-floor balcony of the mansion…)

 

Lost in thoughts of her father soaring through the morning sun, the elderly woman exclaimed, “Oh my, oh my.”

 

“You… you could see something?”

 

“Yes… It seems that there is a man who holds feelings for you.”

 

“Huh?”

 

Confused by what could possibly be deduced from a dream of her father flying through the sky, Irene let out a strange sound.

 

(…A man who holds feelings for me?)

 

“Why would you say that?”

 

“I saw it, you see.”

 

“But my dream was about my father flying in the sky.”

 

“Sometimes it happens like that.”

 

(Is that so?)

 

Still skeptical, Irene tilted her head, and the old woman provided further information.

 

“I don’t know who the man is. But… you’ll probably dream about him soon.”

 

“Oh.”

 

Her response lacked enthusiasm.

 

(Dream interpretation… This doesn’t feel quite right. Dreaming about someone I don’t even know?)

 

The old woman released Irene’s hand and chuckled softly.

 

“The man has strong feelings for you, but it seems he lacks the courage to speak up about it. Perhaps in your dreams, you might catch a glimpse of what he’s thinking.”

 

“Is that so?”

 

“Yes… Well then, young lady.”

 

The old woman turned around and swiftly departed.

 

Irene stood there for a while, dazed. She looked at her own hands, then in the direction the old woman had left.

 

“…She didn’t even use the cane to walk.”

 

Irene muttered to herself.