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Benfork made a fuss with a desperate expression.

“Besides, there is another thing. Have you ever heard of the Blue Handkerchief Pact?

At the time we were engaged in concluding a trade agreement with the prince state of Johanles decades ago, we couldn’t settle the pending issue of the Montrafi tariffs, which still remains a painful failure of diplomacy even today. At that time, our diplomatic negotiators were wearing light blue handkerchiefs. Since then, sky color was avoided because it was regarded as ominous in negotiations with other countries, ” he said, frowning like the soot of a fireplace.

“I don’t know what you are talking about?…” she asked, still unable to figure out what he was trying to tell her.

Looking at her face with a sigh, he said, “What I mean is that sky color is ominous.”

He glanced at a bunch of sky-blue flowers shining brightly in the sunlight. He narrowed his eyebrows again.

‘Why are the flowers sky blue of all colors?’

“So, do you mean this flower is ominous? You don’t have to take the color of the flowers too seriously…”

“No, sister. As an apprentice knight, I can tell you that this flower is ominous. Nothing is as ominous as sky blue! ”

Benfork looked up at Lard with blind loyalty to him. She stared at Benfor who went as far as to say he would pluck out all the sky blue flowers then looked at Lard silently.

But he kept silent, with knitted eyebrows.

“Hydrangea flowers change their color over time, so wouldn’t it be okay? If I mix clamshells powder in the soil, the color of the flowers may change quickly. If I see any ominous signs, let me do so,” said she with an embarrassed look, feeling he was displeased with the blue color of hydrangea. She clicked her tongue, secretly blaming him for believing the groundless talk.

“…Okay. Then, finish what you were doing. I’m leaving now. ”

Lard didn’t ask her further as if he gave up persuading her.

She couldn’t shake off an uncomfortable feeling until he left her front yard and disappeared.

In the meantime, Lard returned home and stood by the window wearing a thin shirt after putting his uniform jacket on his bed.

He saw Wendy and Benfork out of the window. While unbuttoning his shirt, he thought about the knight with the 2nd Knights Division that he had seen a few days ago at the training field, Dylan Lennox. He couldn’t forget his name.

He knew that Wendy’s tears he saw the other day were related to him, so he felt more heartbroken. Now, it was impossible for him to look at this junior knight without a grudge.

He felt ashamed that his personal feelings affected his personal matters, but the principles and beliefs that he kept strictly until now crumbled when it came to matters related to Wendy.

Dylan, who was busy with training, found Lard coming towards him and stiffened. The young knight quickly focused back on training as if he was ignoring his presence, but Lard didn’t miss his subtle change in his mood. In fact, he couldn’t.

He took off his shirt and sat in a soft chair.

‘Since when did I become a person swayed by emotions? Did I mention the Blue Handkerchief Pact to her?’ He couldn’t help but smile bitterly.

“Haa…”

He closed his eyes with a long sigh.

Even when he closed his eyes, Wendy’s face came to his mind.

That evening Lard had an unexpected guest. It was Jean Jacques Simuan, deputy captain of the 1st Imperial Knights, who knocked on his room, escorted by Benfork.

After stepping into the room, Jean looked around the room with his eyes wide open as if he were admiring his boss’s secret private life. He looked at his boss mischievously as if he already figured out Lard’s wicked intention to move here.

“Hoh…”

He exclaimed with a sigh, frowned and hastily cleared his throat when his eyes met Lard’s.

“Hahaha, I’m coming here after I stopped by your mansion and found you were not there. Your butler wouldn’t tell me about your relocation, but I had to find out because I have something to tell you urgently. So, don’t punish him, please.”

“…So, what’s the matter that has brought you here?”

In fact, Lard saw him in the palace today. Like he said, he would not come here unless it was urgent.

“The Crown Prince is looking for you urgently.”

“Crown Prince?”

“Yes.”

Thinking about something for a moment, he picked up a small bottle of water on the table and walked to the window.

“Maybe it’s because of the political meeting tomorrow,” he said, watering the flower pot by the window. As he was so sincere in watering, Jean pulled a face at his unusual actions.

Just like a stranger who experienced culture shock, Jean said awkwardly, “I have never known you to be such a delicate person. How can I imagine that as the best knight of the Imperial Knights groups, you have been cultivating the flowers so preciously? ”

“…This is not just an ordinary plant. ”

“Really? What is it then? ”

“It’s called an ash tree.”

“… Ah yes. Ash tree…”

Jean opened his mouth widely and repeated the name slowly. The young plant that Wendy created under Lard’s collar was growing well in the corner of his room, boasting vivid green leaves, under his intensive care, as if he had been born again as a gardener.

Walking near the closet, he put on his uniform again, “Any updates on the movement of the Scholters family?”

Jean patted his cheeks as if to come to his senses at his question, and opened his mouth, “…Well, Earl Scholters suddenly began to meet Duke Auguste Engre frequently. Although they are disguising their meetings as a light family gathering or a wine party among the aristocrats, they look suspicious. As you know, Duke Engre doesn’t like to go outside.”

“Engre and Scholters…They’re not a desirable mix. Let me check out the list of those who attended their meetings. We need to pay attention, so tell my men to watch out for them.”

Auguste Engre was a hidden power who moved the Benyahan Empire behind the imperial family. He was widely admired by the aristocrats because he had no greed for power, but Lard was always wary of his hidden ambitions.

“What! That’s Wendy!”

Suddenly, Jean stood at the side window and shook his hands toward her outside the window. But the woman with yellow hair frowned and pulled the curtains roughly. As if she just took a bath, she was holding a towel wrapped around her hair. Her wet hair looked very fresh.

“Oh, you aren’t surprised by things like that, right?” Jean asked with an embarrassed look.

Lard looked at him with a disgusted expression then left the room alone without replying.

When they arrived at the imperial palace, they secretly headed to the crown prince’s residence.

The prince sat in an old maple chair in his room, wiping his violin with a dry cloth. He was very careful in clearing the pine resin. After carrying out his mission, Jean bowed to the prince and went out to stand outside.

“Oh, come on in, Sir Schroder.”

Prince Isaac welcomed him, turning his mouth up slightly.

“I have something important to tell you, so I’ve asked to see you,” he said, sweeping down the strings of the violin.

“Originally I was going to do it more slowly, but somebody already smelled a rat and began to suspect me. So, I called you urgently. ”

Lard silently waited for what he had to say next.

“I want you to be on my side at the political meeting tomorrow.”

Isaac looked straight at his face before putting the cloth on the table.

Lard looked into his brown eyes silently as if trying to figure out the prince’s motivation.

“I’m going to install another hiring system called the Yinungkwa in addition to the Parisot and Sinuel. So, I would like to let those who pass the Jesolin apply for the new system, so that I can appoint the best possible candidates for key government positions, be they civilians or technocrats.”

Lard’s face hardened at his unexpected initiative.

‘How can he create a new hiring system for those who pass the Jesolin?’

The danger lurking in the prince’s words made him feel dizzy.

“You know that. Currently, the Jesolin is a nominal hiring system. Under the current system only a few commoners end up serving as junior officials throughout their service with no promotion.”

The Jesolin was the only official hiring system for the common people, while the Parisot was reserved for the civilian nobles and the Sinuel for the noble candidates for knights. According to the prince’s plan, any commoner who passed the Jesolin could now apply for either the Parisot or the Sinuel.

So far, only the aristocrats with official ranks were guaranteed political participation without having to pass the Parisot or the Sinuel, but passing both tests was honorable for the nobles involved.