The Emperor and the Knightess

Chapter 100

Poliana followed Sir Rabi into the main house. As she walked up the stairs and passed the hallway, she began to feel nervous. The wallpaper color changed and the carpet on her feet felt much softer. She passed by fewer and fewer servants and she was guided to a quiet place.

The area she entered seemed to belong to Sir Rabi’s daughters.

The lady’s quarters.

Poliana asked, “Isn’t this where your daughters stay?”

“Yes. When I told my wife about you, she prepared a room in this area for you.”

Sir Rabi seemed just as awkward as Poliana. His two daughters were already there, ready to greet her. Even Sir Rabi’s wife was there, and the three women looked curious and interested in her.

Sir Rabi’s wife said to Poliana, “You may be a soldier, but you are still an unmarried noble lady and I cannot have you sleeping with the other knights in the guest house. My home is your home, so I hope your stay here would be comfortable.”

“T-t-t-t-this isn’t necessary. You are too kind.”

The two daughters greeted her as well, “Please let us know if you need anything. You can treat us as your little sisters.”

Sir Rabi’s daughters had very lively and loud voices, especially for women. Now that she saw them in closer proximity, Poliana finally realized the sisters were twins. They were dressed differently, and their hairstyle was very different too and that was why she didn’t notice it before.

Sir Rabi used to talk of them like they were little girls, but these women were all grown up. The oldest daughter was named Vaxi, while the younger sister was Vanessa. Like their fathers, they were very slim.

‘Such loud voices from slim ladies…’

They resembled their father in terms of their slimness, they thankfully didn’t take on Sir Rabi’s sneakiness.

Sir Rabi’s wife was surprisingly sturdy, especially for a woman. Vaxi and Vanessa had their mother’s face, which was round and plump, and their body shapes resemble their father, which was slim.

When the twins smiled at her brightly, Poliana felt pressured to smile back. Sir Rabi and his wife left Poliana and the twins in the room. Poliana didn’t know what to do, so she stood there awkwardly.

The sisters offered, “We will show you where your room is.”

“Only women can enter this area so you can relax.”

“The windows also only faced a private garden, so there is no need for you to worry about anything.”

Poliana sat down with them quietly. She was given the best seat, which was right next to the fireplace. Fancy snacks and mulled wine were served to her as well. Poliana glanced at the twins and the room nervously. Expensive curtains and wallpapers, luxurious carpet, instruments, books, and knitting and sewing gears decorated the room. It was a perfect lady’s quarters.

A place where no man, except for their father, was allowed.

And Poliana was invited to this sacred place…

Poliana couldn’t relax or think clearly. Such a drastic change in her surroundings was causing her so much stress.

Any other woman would have felt comfortable and calm in this place, but Poliana was much more used to the outdoors and open spaces. She felt more comfortable walking on dirt than on expensive carpets.

Well, at least the air was cleaner here. She felt out of place here, but she had to admit that it was indeed a nice place. Would anyone hate to be in such a beautiful space? She didn’t think so.

“You must be tired, so you’re welcome to retire to bed any time you wish.”

“We heard you will be staying at our place for a while.”

“So we have a lot of time to chat later if you want to sleep now.”

“We rarely get female guests, so we are so excited to have you. We hope your stay here would be comfortable.”

Unmarried women rarely traveled alone, and it was even rarer for them to stay at a place that did not belong to a family member or a relative. It was the women’s job to greet and take care of their guests, but it was rare for them to have a woman as a guest.

This was why the current situation was unique. Poliana was also Sir Rabi’s guest, not the twin’s or his wife’s, but she was also a woman. Vaxi and Vanessa have never entertained long-term guests before. This was an unusual and exciting experience for them.

On top of that, this wasn’t just any female guest. This was Poliana Winter, the infamous knightess who had served Lucius the First during his entire conquest.

The story of Poliana was now a legend. A woman who became a knight captured by the enemy to be executed only to become one of the most trusted knights in the emperor’s army… The female knight who became the head of the guard division…

The twins’ eyes shined excitedly as they explained what they heard on the streets about Poliana. Poliana was shocked, realizing that these ladies saw her as their heroes and idols.

And in a blink of an eye, she found herself in the guest bed. Even the bed felt soft and comfortable, probably because it was filled with cotton, not straws. The blanket was filled with feathers and there even was a comforter made of soft animal hide.

She should have fallen asleep immediately, but Poliana remained wide awake.

‘How strange.’

She knew her life better than anyone, but when she heard about it from another person, it felt like a fairy tale.

Lucius the First’s conquest was definitely worth telling, but Poliana had no idea that there would be people talking about her too. Compared to Lucius the First’s legendary story, her life was boring and not worthy. She was certain there would be plenty of people who would laugh at her story.

Suddenly, Poliana wondered how her story would end. Everyone died in the end and so would she. Poliana was born, she lived her life, and she would die.

She lived her life as best as she could. She worked every day like her life depended on it, and this was how she survived. Even the emperor himself admired her effort and resilience. There was nothing one couldn’t accomplish if they put their mind to it.

Well, except maybe love.

And perhaps death too, one could not avoid death even if one tried.

Until she met Lucius the First, Poliana never really thought about herself being old but now, she could see herself as an old woman. In romance stories, the legendary knightess often ended up dying a hero’s death. A knightess getting married, retiring from her military life, and having a family was not a good or exciting enough story to sell.

‘So what about me?’

How would Poliana’s story end?

Sir Baufallo once warned her that as soon as she got married, the knightess Poliana Winter would be no more, but Sir Donau told her that it would be possible if she married a good man who was understanding. Her emperor Lucius the First also told her that he would make sure that she could remain a knight, so she should find a good man and get married if she wished.

Poliana realized that her situation had improved greatly. In the last 10 years, she was acknowledged and accepted as a knight. She was certain that if she got married, her men and the other knights would still accept her as one of their own.

Of course, the only problem was finding this imaginary good and understanding man, an idiot who would be stupid enough to marry her.

‘It would be so much nicer if I could just get a nice wife.’

It wasn’t that she liked women, she just needed a person who would greet her warmly when she returns home. Only

Poliana had no family and the easiest way to make one was to get married. But would there be someone for her in this world? And even if there was, would she want to get married? Poliana thought that at this point, she would prefer to just get a dog.

‘Sir Rabi has so many dogs…’

Indeed, there were many dogs in the Bika house. They were barking excitedly when the guests arrived today. The dogs that used to be puppies when Sir Rabi left were now over 10 years old. They wagged their tails and cried when they saw Sir Rabi. One dog, which was over 22 years old, almost died of a heart attack from getting overexcited. Poliana had no idea that a dog could live for over 20 years.

Rosy the deer was placed in the private garden so the dogs couldn’t get to her.

‘Dammit.’

She couldn’t get to sleep because her mind was racing with useless thoughts. One thing she felt for sure was envy. She was envious of Sir Rabi, who had such a beautiful wife, pretty daughters, and a cute son. On top of that, he had many dogs who loved him as well as a pet deer.

There was no doubt his life was a huge success.