9 Judgement Day (2/2)

”Levi, I trust you would not be as useless as Chalice's previous knight. You better make sure she does not suffer any form difficulties there.”

Alaric sternly directed to the effeminate man in front him.

”My Lord, I doubt that anyone could make the Princess suffer any grievance. These times that I have been with her, though short, it is enough to prove that it is her who makes other people suffer.”

Levi answered, though his words may sound disrespectful there was a tone of adoration in his seductive voice.

”Hmp. It is only right that my daughter is the one who makes people suffer. She has every right to. Whoever questions her would face the entire House of Amaranth. Still, I want you to make sure that she is safe and protected at all times. Don't even let a bug near her. Whoever offends her or hurt her in any way, kill them immediately.”

Black lines coloured Levi's face. He should have known. Where else could that little she-devil get her ruthlessness from if not from her overprotective, great devil of a father. Levi cleared his throat.

”If you're that worried about her my Lord, why are you still allowing her to go?” he asked.

The duke glanced at him before answering.

”She said she wanted to change. I guess in a way it is her form of redemption. Sigh. My daughter has grown up.”

Levi looked at this man in front of him. A man who was beneath to only one and above all others. In the end, in the matters of family he was the same as any other.

”If that's the case, then you should trust her my Lord. I, for one, is sure that she would be capable if not more. There are a lot of rumours going on about her outside. Most of them are unpleasant. I doubted her too, in the beginning. I was indignant when you assigned me to her. But she proved me otherwise.”

”When I first reported to her, do you know what she said to me my Lord?

'You look like a girl. Are you sure you can protect me?'

I was furious and insulted But what she said next had shaken my heart until now.

'It doesn't matter. I do not care about how good your abilities are as a knight. What I want from you is loyalty. I can't possibly entrust my life to a fickle man. And I can't expect a disloyal man to give the best of his abilities to serve me either. So which one are you? Skilled or Loyal?'

I couldn't answer her, my Lord. Until now, I'm still pondering that question. But that was enough for me to realise that I would not go wrong in serving her.”

Alaric was silent. Levi bid his respects and left him to his thoughts.