A Rose Wrapped Around A Broken Blade

Adora stared at a piece of white paper for a long time. To be honest, the words were starting to run together. While skimming the contents, she only really paid attention when the letter proudly demanded the transfer of her family’s rights.

Adora glared at the thickly stacked letters on the table.

Bouquets of flowers covered the table next to it. These were the things the vassals, who came to see her early this morning, respectfully handed over.

John didn’t need to track down a marriage partner. That was because all the letters piled up on the table were marriage proposals. Those who were in a hurry had already sent portraits. The more rude people wrote down what to exchange between houses in the event of a marriage. They were very detailed demands, and they expected their proposal would be accepted.

This all happened less than a few days after John decided to find a potential partner on his own.

“There are a lot of flowers.”

It was the same with the bouquets of flowers that were piled up. There were many elaborately wrapped flowers, but some took it a step further and brought vases with colorful patterns. She had never seen so many flowers in her life. If she wanted, she could make a garden with how many different types of flowers she had.

“They also sent valuable items such as jewelry, but I sent them back because I thought you wouldn’t want them.”

“Yes, you did a good job.”

Adora was inwardly embarrassed.

She was now 27 years old. Although she was still young for a knight, she was long past her marriageable age as a lady. She had left the knighthood, the only thing she could offer, so she honestly thought it would be difficult to find a partner… She didn’t know the reaction would be this intense. It was said that the news of her wedding had spread to other kingdoms.

Adora thought they were overly interested, but decided to think positively. Having a lot of options was not a bad thing.

But that thought changed the next day.

As soon as the morning dawned, a visitor came. It was the beginning of a day of visitors. John came running to Adora, who had just returned from light morning exercise. After washing her face in a hurry, she changed and headed to the drawing room.

In the drawing room, a middle-aged couple and a young man were sitting.

They showed their interest by introducing their family to Adora. They even showed sincerity by presenting expensive items.

And those kinds of visits continued all day.

Adora soon realized. There were families who sent marriage proposals through a vassal, and there were families who visited in person to express their intention to marry.

So Adora spent her days receiving incoming proposals and visitors. People made the soonest appointment possible and raced to see her. They pushed suitors upon her recklessly, regardless of age. Some of Adora’s suitors were far older than her.

And, as if to win her favor, they always gave her presents. From large bouquets of flowers to jewels, from decorations that contained sentimentality to sacred objects that had been airlifted across the sea. When all items other than flowers were sent back, some pulled out flowers, as if they had prepared for every possibility.

Adora, who had spent her time serving her guests since early morning, finally had free time, so she sat on the sofa in her office. But the table was still covered with proposals for her to look at, making her rest anything but leisurely.

Adora sighed deeply as she read a letter that smelled good.

“When am I going to read all of this…?”

“Get some rest. I’ll do it.”

John said without taking his eyes off of a letter. Even so, John had been looking at proposals on her behalf already, while she was busy entertaining guests.

Adora tried to help him read them, but after wandering around the battlefield for a long time, she did not know much about marriage. In that respect, John was more competent.

“Still, the families are generally not bad.”

“Really?”

But Adora was not interested in the families.

Adora looked at John again, throwing away the fragrant letter. Unlike Adora, he read the proposals carefully, one by one. Adora leaned forward, chin in palm, and watched John work.

“How do you feel, John? Which family would you like?”

“I like the family that my master likes the most.”

“The family that John picks out will be my favorite.”

Adora smiled at John as she responded to his words equally. If anyone in this world wished for her happiness the most, it was John.

The man who was blunt when she was a child no longer had a young face. As he grew older, he became Adora’s stand-in parent.

Adora spoke, still staring at John.

“I don’t care who it is, as long as we’re on the same page.”

“That’s important, too. But since you’re going to be with him for the rest of your life, you have to weigh this and that and make a careful decision. Do you have someone in mind?”

Adora shook her head.

“I don’t.”

“Then, is there anything that you think is important for a partner?”

“The important thing is… I don’t know…”

Adora leaned back into the sofa, thinking. She couldn’t be on the battlefield, but when she was with John, she felt relaxed.

Noticing her yawning from languid fatigue, John asked again. He needed to hear her opinion.

Adora pondered for a moment, and replied lightly.

“A good sleeper?”

One time, a married colleague said, ‘You can be happy for a long time if you sleep well together.’ Another colleague sincerely told her about the discord that could occur if they didn’t fit. Adora, who remembered each word, replied without much thought. 

But John looked back at Adora with a gentle look, and nodded very solemnly.

“That’s very important, too.”

It was a joke, but he unexpectedly took it seriously. Adora jumped up in fear that he would really look for a man with that qualification. Her tiredness faded away.

“I’ll read some too.”

“Are you sure?”

Adora nodded and reached out to the pile of letters. And, unfortunately, what she got was another scented letter.

The scent was too strong and sickly sweet. It was also familiar. It was a perfume that aristocratic women liked, but unfortunately, it was not to Adora’s taste.

When she read the contents, she felt confused; it used kind expressions. Adora calmly put the letter down and picked up another one. It was written more neatly, but the contents were similar.

Adora opened letters one after another and skimmed them. When she reached the tenth, the content was the same. Reading the boring contents tailored to the formalities of aristocracy, someone knocked on the door as soon as she thought she should end the marriage search entirely.

A maid came in and bowed.

“What’s going on?”

“It’s- you have a guest.”

Adora was fed up with the word ‘guest’. She didn’t want to meet any more people today. Besides, she didn’t think there were any more appointments for the day. However, it was no wonder that there were rude people who came without calling ahead.

Adora waved her hand and refused to meet. However, instead of going back, the maid hesitated.

When she looked up, the maid’s face was red. On behalf of Adora, John approached and asked who was there.

After talking to the maid for a moment, he looked at Adora.

“I think you should go.”

‘Who the hell is it?’

Adora got up from the sofa, annoyed. Then she followed the maid out of the office and went down to the entrance hall.

The entrance hall was filled with every type of flower that existed in the world. They were all the flowers that she received with proposals. She told John to put them in a nice spot, so he put them in the front hall, almost as a warning to potential suitors. When the flowers gathered together, it looked like a small field of flowers.

In the middle of the flower garden stood a guest, of whom the maid had spoken.

Silver hair drenched in sunlight swayed transparently, and the remnants of light stuck to the thick eyebrows and long, dense eyelashes that curled beneath them. 

A carefully crafted nose and red lips harmonized beautifully, and an adam’s apple, seen between the thick fur that hung from his shoulders, was white and clean, drawing attention. 

The gold pattern embroidered on his neat black coat shimmered.

Under the fur, his long fingers held a cane with a silver handle. The bouquet of roses in his arms made him more beautiful.

Adora stopped walking when she saw the man who seemed to have been sculpted with God’s heart and soul, down to the fingernail. Only then did she understand why the maid refused to leave after telling her she had a guest.

Their eyes collided. 

At the same time, the man’s hard face loosened and formed a bright smile.

“Miss Adora Alfred.”