Caitel’s words baffled me. What should I say? ‘Hello. Nice to meet you, my name is Ariadna! Today is a very fine day, isn’t it? Hahaha… piece of shit!’ Oh, what should I say? ‘You are very handsome. Ha ha!’


  … Let’s just knock it off.

  I hid behind Caitel again since by Assisi’s gaze towards me embarrassed me so. It was such a slight glance, but I was so embarrassed that my cheeks started burning. I was so sorry. This must be my karma because I snuck in their conversation and heard his story. Oh, I was freaking out.

  “He is my black knight.”


  Caitel pushed me forward again. I looked at my father to ask why he’s pushing me, but Caitel just smiled a little. A sneering smile still lingered on his face, but Assisi in front of us didn’t care at all about that. Yeah, I thought I was the only one who cared.

  “This is Assisi Zavaikal, the captain of the winter moon knights, and the first knight of this empire.”


  Assisi’s subdued gaze swept over me. The instantaneous eye contact sent a bottomless pit down my brain. Now that I could see him closely, I could finally manage to see his beautiful eyes up close. It’s like jewelry. It was so transparent that I felt like I was being sucked in.

  “And this here is Ariadna. She’s the daughter I had while you were away.”


  This idiot, he’s talking about me as if I was a stranger and not his daughter.

  I frowned while clasping on the hem of his cloth, but Caitel didn’t mind me at all. It seemed better now, but still, his habit of calling me his daughter showed no sign that he would soon fix that terrible habit of his.

  I didn’t know. She should just do as he pleased. Was he ashamed of his ignorance? Because I sure was.

  “So she is…”


  His unfinished word remained in his lips. I should introduce myself, but I feel embarrassed for some reason. I already knew who he was, but it felt different for them to introduce me like this.

  Caitel’s black knight, Assisi. I heard about him all the time, even before I was two years old. Since he had the nickname ‘the black knight,’ I imagined he’d be more sinister and ominous. However, the Assisi who was in front of me now… his eyes shone brightly like a transparent jewel, and his white and blue winter moon uniform suits him well. So this was the man who stood at the front line in the war for Caitel’s conquest. He’s a good friend of Ferdel and Caitel, and the strongest knight in this empire.

  I heard he’s even stronger than Caitel at sword fighting.

  “Then, I’ll be going.”


  Wait! Already? This is my first time to meet him officially though! I was too embarrassed to introduce myself properly…! Now he’s already so far away.