The Knight Commander of the Second Male Lead [Novel] Chapter 1

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 1

Chapter Title: I'm the Knight Order Captain of the Sub-Male Lead

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The inside of the castle was quiet.

Everything was shrouded in black.

Black curtains and drapes, black dresses.

Whispers from beyond the draped black veils.

Nina muttered under her breath.

"Everyone's talking bullshit."

Adrian, who had been reading a book by the window, looked up.

"Nina, you gonna keep talking like Jin?"

"But they are all talking bullshit."

Every time she spoke, her breath came out in visible puffs even inside the room. Their assigned quarters were a drafty corner room, and they hadn't been given so much as a single log of firewood.

Adrian smiled faintly.

"It is true that I'm a bastard born out of wedlock."

"Sure, but you don't have to harp on it just because it's true. Besides, is it our fault that lady's son kicked the bucket?"

Nina grumbled.

Her hair was neatly trimmed thanks to Adrian, but that was the extent of it.

It fell just shy of a bob cut, and with her loose uniform folded over crudely, she looked every bit the poor boy squire.

They were attending a funeral.

Or rather, "attending" was too generous a word. They'd been complete outsiders throughout the entire ceremony.

They'd nearly been barred from even the family seating area.

The Rubaenu Duke had three sons.

The bastard Adrian, and Gerald and Jayden, born to the Duchess.

He might be a bastard, but since the duke had acknowledged him, Adrian did hold some claim to succession rights.

Of course, only after Gerald and Jayden.

Today was Gerald's funeral. Nina knew full well what the duchess—who had lost her eldest son—would pull.

That was the whole reason she was here: to stop it.

Her childhood friend and Knight Order Captain Adrian remained steadfast, for reasons she couldn't fathom.

She knew it was one of his strengths, but it still worried her.

How's he supposed to survive in this harsh world like this?

She'd sent back her comrades—Jin, Kiril, and Deputy Knight Order Captain Lui—yesterday.

The excuse was that they couldn't leave the Violet Forest border unattended for too long. Adrian had tried to send Nina packing too, but she'd thrown herself flat on the floor in protest.

With a look of resignation, Adrian had permitted her to stay.

Knock knock.

"Come in."

At Adrian's words, Nina approached and opened the door.

A servant was standing there—what a surprise.

They hadn't shown so much as their faces since day one, forcing them to inquire about schedules and wander the castle on their own.

The hot-tempered mercenary Jin had nearly decked one of them.

And now a servant shows up?

"The Duchess invites you to tea."

It was an invitation they couldn't refuse.

Nina snorted.

Servants who were nowhere to be found until now suddenly appeared when it suited them.

"Got it. Give me a moment to prepare—"

"She summons you at once."

Nina's eyes narrowed.

She planted her feet wide apart, ready to give the servant a piece of her mind, but Adrian closed his book and stood.

"If she's in such a hurry, we should see her right away. Nina, stay here..."

Adrian gave a wry smile at Nina's expression.

"Yeah, that won't fly. Alright."

He nodded. Nina stuck close behind Adrian as they followed, but the servant said nothing.

The deeper they went into the castle, the brighter it became. It had been far too long since Nina had last visited Silver Lake Castle, and she was starting to lose her way a little.

Her breath no longer fogged the air.

By the time they entered the duchess's tea room, it was even a touch warm.

The Duchess didn't rise from her seat to greet them.

Clad in black mourning garb with a necklace of black pearls around her neck, her skin was deathly pale. Yet her expression was serene by contrast.

"My greetings to you, Duchess."

Adrian bowed politely. His black hair cascaded softly.

"Sit."

As Adrian took his seat, the Duchess poured the tea herself.

Nina stepped forward. As always, she intended to perform the taste test.

"It's fine, Nina."

With a voice soft as a lullaby, Adrian stopped her and accepted the cup.

The Duchess spoke.

"I've been thinking these past few days. About us. Gerald was such a clever and beautiful boy."

The Duchess's words fell on deaf ears for Nina. Her gaze was locked solely on Adrian's cup.

This is it.

This was it. No doubt about it.

Even if it wasn't—no matter.

Nothing gets past my lips before it goes into Adrian's!

The moment Adrian lifted the cup, Nina snatched it from his hand. Lukewarm tea splashed onto her skin.

Nina downed it in one gulp.

A fishy scent lingered at the back of her nose.

"Nina!!"

Adrian blanched and shot to his feet. His chair toppled backward with a crash.

In that instant, it felt like flames were igniting inside her stomach and throat.

Nina hurriedly clamped her hand over her mouth.

She couldn't stand up straight. Blood kept pouring from between her fingers.

It hurts.

Her insides felt like they were melting away. She collapsed onto the spot.

"Nina, Nina!"

No beast dragged to the slaughterhouse would scream like Adrian was now.

"Gahk... hack..."

As she spat up blood laced with clumps, Nina felt incredulous.

Wait, how the hell did Adrian survive eating this stuff?

Adrian scooped up the fallen Nina and scanned their surroundings.

The lined-up servants stood with impassive faces, as if nothing had happened.

A servant by his side placed a fresh cup on the table. The Duchess languidly refilled it.

"Come now, leave the rude escort be and have another cup."

Soldiers gripped Adrian's shoulders with brute force. A clear intent to force him back into his seat.

Adrian ground his teeth and clutched Nina tighter.

He could feel her ragged breaths slowing in his arms, and terror gripped him.

He had never been this afraid before.

He had never been this furious before.

He bolted to his feet. At the same moment, the shadows rose with him. The soldiers screamed.

Darkness pooled at his feet, confronting the enemies of its own volition. It was a bizarre sight.

The smile that always graced his face had vanished entirely.

"Get lost."

His words were an act of mercy, not a threat—but those present failed to comprehend.

Instead, the soldiers drew their swords. Brandishing blades at Adrian, who openly held succession rights, was tantamount to treason.

But no one thought of it that way. Not even Adrian. Ignoring them entirely, he began to run.

"Darkness, tear all my enemies to shreds."

The spirit of darkness faithfully carried out his incantation.

Screams and shouts mingled in the air. Their foe took no damage from thrusts or slashes; the spirit's touch held neither emotion nor mercy.

Leaving the stench of blood behind, Adrian simply ran. He descended in a flash, dragged a horse from the stables by force, and spurred it into a gallop.

To Nina, cooling in his arms, he pleaded desperately.

"Nina, don't do this to me. Please... I beg you, please."

Nina wanted to see his face, but her eyes wouldn't open.

She couldn't even twitch a finger.

Flames and ice warred within her body. Everything grew cold. Everything slowed.

Nina had no will to resist. The ice within her struggled desperately to shield her from the flames seeking to consume her.

Her spirits, North Wind and Frost, were fighting to slow the poison's spread.

As she savored the sensation of sinking slowly beneath a glacier, Nina dreamily recalled a certain scene.

The moment when memories of an "other world" had surfaced within her.