"What?"
The scene before me was so unimaginable that I was speechless.
The Dark Army, the army unit led by the Crown Princess, was well known to me. In the novel, they were described as a gathering of the worst bastards and thugs, devoted to Kaena like chained dogs. Such devotion was quite justified.
In its time, only Kaena de Ronan had extended a helping hand to these "dregs of society." Criminals from all over the empire gathered under her sole command... No wonder everyone feared this gang. Even the Emperor turned a blind eye to many of their deeds, even if they contradicted the country's laws.
No, who in their right mind would want to mess with them?
Criminals who had spent years behind bars. A bunch of maniacs, thieves, and other social outcasts. In terms of cruelty and killings, the soldiers of the Dark Army were in no way "inferior" to their mistress.
Anyone who displeased the Dark Army faced an unenviable fate.
"Burnings, crucifixions, burials alive, crushings..."
Recalling the numerous methods of "punishment" used by these freaks, I involuntarily broke out in a cold sweat. This was the main reason why, until recently, I hadn't dared to go into the city myself, instead sending servants for everything I needed.
After all, a bunch of criminals, under the patronage of the heiress to the throne, thought they could get away with anything. They could arbitrarily commit robberies, murders, and violence right in the city center...
Naturally, having read all this horror in the novel, I didn't want to take any risks.
I planned to lie low and wait until the empire became completely safe. The crazy Crown Princess and her entourage would disappear into one pit. Although I didn't know what exactly happened to this organization after the villainess's death.
Had they disbanded or been sentenced to execution? I had somehow missed that moment. When reading the spoilers, I didn't delve into such details. After all, the fate of the villainess herself interested me more than secondary characters like her people.
But, in any case, I was sure that with Kaena's death, this organization should also cease to exist. Wasn't that logical? Their leader was dead.
But... Then what the hell?!
Not only were they still roaming the streets as if nothing had happened, but I had also managed to run into one of them! This scary guy in armor had chased me all the way. I didn't even know what I had done wrong... But in the end, instead of plunging his sword into my ribs, he suddenly bowed his head before me.
I was so bewildered that I could only stare at him in silence. Was this a member of the Dark Army? Those same soulless sadists with no conscience? Who wouldn't spare even a little child who appeared before them?
"L-lady, I apologize!" his voice trembled slightly as the knight still looked at the ground, "This is your wallet, isn't it?"
My tongue, which seemed to have dried up, finally regained its ability to function.
"Oh... I... Yes."
I barely managed to utter this, still afraid of his sword. But the bandit, apparently, wasn't going to kill me... Still in shock from what was happening, I extended a trembling hand and took my unfortunate wallet.
As soon as I did, the knight finally straightened up. I met his black eyes, which were as fierce as a bear's. That look could make even the bravest person swallow their saliva. My legs gave way.
But... Wait, what?!
At first absorbed only in my own feelings, I suddenly noticed a strange reaction from the knight towards me. His heartbeat was rapid, his face was covered in sweat, and he kept averting his gaze.
As if...
Not believing my eyes, I dared to part my lips to say something, when the knight suddenly started stammering fearfully:
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"Lady, is something wrong? Have I displeased you in some way?.."
He must have turned pale because I didn't answer for so long.
"I apologize! I... I... oh... My transgression deserves death. Please, spare me, lady!"
"...What?"
I was right. This feeling, which was familiar to me, I couldn't mistake for anything else.
This man was definitely afraid of me.
But why? Did I really look that intimidating? That even sounds ridiculous! That someone like me could...
"L-lady. I'm so sorry! Please, spare me!" kneeling, the knight's voice sounded genuinely sincere as he begged for leniency.
Honestly, I was bewildered. And that's putting it mildly.
Was this reality? The only organization in the empire that dared to behave arrogantly even in the face of the Emperor himself. And suddenly one of its soldiers begs for mercy from an unknown lady from an equally unknown family...
This was more like a surreal dream.
At the moment when I was in a state of complete bewilderment, I suddenly remembered those nuances that I hadn't thought about before.
"Oh, maybe they're going through a difficult time right now?"
Come to think of it, recently the Dark Army had lost its main support, which allowed them to continue their existence. The one thanks to whose help they received funds for the development of their army and the further expansion of their influence in the empire.
Such a person as the Crown Princess of this country could certainly be considered solid support, but now she was gone. No matter how dangerous these bandits were, if they didn't have the patronage of a sufficiently authoritative figure, they would turn back into an ordinary gang of criminals.
If one fine day the nobles decided to unite and destroy them, then most likely the Dark Army would cease to exist in this empire. From this perspective, one could understand why it was completely disadvantageous for them to get into trouble with nobles right now.
"So that's it."
It became clear to me why he was trying so hard, apologizing profusely — he just didn't want me to tell my father about this. Perhaps from my appearance or some other distinguishing features, he guessed that I was the daughter of Duke de Walte. One of the members of the aristocratic parliament at court.
"But I wasn't going to tell my father about this anyway, even if he hadn't tried so hard..."
Meanwhile, the knight, praying for his "sins," continued crawling at my feet and persistently begging for forgiveness.
"I'm sorry! Forgive me. Please, just once, forgive me."
Suddenly he began banging his forehead on the ground until blood appeared.
Although he was a criminal, it made me uncomfortable to see a person literally prostrating himself before me, so I hastened to say, just to get rid of him:
"It's... It's alright. You may go."
"Oh... you're an angel?"
He raised his head with tears in his eyes.
"I beg your pardon?"
His words seemed so absurd to me that I even doubted my own ears, so I asked him to express himself more clearly.
"Oh... I... I just wanted to say that you are as kind as an angel."
"Hmm... just think, a criminal calling me an angel."
This situation was so absurd that I didn't even know how to react. I wanted to tell him it was alright, for this man to finally leave, but he continued speaking in a gloomy tone. "What worried me most of all was that my thoughtless act might have offended you."
His excessive apologies were beginning to tire me.
"It's nothing, I'm really fine..."
Honestly. Although my father was a member of parliament, he wasn't such a scary person to be so feared. Even from this perspective, our family was far from the top of the hierarchy. So I saw no need for such humiliation before an ordinary lady from a noble family.
"Looking at him, it seems the Dark Army really is on the verge of collapse..."
Compared to the former greatness of their best times, what was happening now was even pitiful. I was overcome with conflicting feelings, but I came to my senses in time, reminding myself that I shouldn't feel pity for a criminal.
"Thank you for your generosity, lady..."
He couldn't finish, as he suddenly stopped mid-sentence, snapping his mouth shut. Turning pale, the knight stared somewhere behind me, where there was only a dark alley. An expression of horror was frozen on his face.
"What's wrong with him?"
I turned to follow his gaze but didn't notice anything special that could have caused such a reaction.
"Hmm?"
When I turned back, I was faced with even greater bewilderment. The knight of the Dark Army, who had just been kneeling before me, had disappeared somewhere. I looked around bewilderedly.
"What? Where did he go...?"
***
"Your Highness, my carelessness deserves death...!"
"Good that you understand that."
In a deserted alley, the knight of the Dark Army fell to his knees before his mistress.
"Do you know what exactly your transgression is?"
At the moment the knight met the icy gaze of the Crown Princess, he immediately froze.
"I... I beg... beg your par..." The knight tried to maintain his composure, but was suffocated by the deadly aura the girl emitted.
"Before addressing a noble lady, one must first ask her permission, mustn't one? And what did you do?" Kaena's voice cut sharper than a knife, "Didn't Jacob warn you all that insulting this woman would not go unpunished?"
The knight swallowed. He knew his mistake himself. At the moment he dared to address the duke's daughter without proper manners, he had deeply insulted her. No wonder the girl couldn't tolerate it and immediately ran away. The thug, repeatedly convicted of robbery, reproached himself for his carelessness. And yet...
"I... I just wanted to return the lady's wallet..." he muttered desperately.
When the knight finally squeezed out some excuse, the intangible energy surrounding him, which had been pressing on him all this time, gradually dissipated. The Crown Princess, who had been staring intently at him, sighed.
"One mistake is enough," the girl said coldly, "You're only lucky because she forgave you. But next time, there will be no such leniency."
Uttering these last words, Kaena de Ronan swiftly left the dark alley.