Heroine On Strike

“Me?” repeated Ella.

“Yes.” Vylun bluntly answered Ella’s question. Then, he stopped as he was waiting for her to come up with the answer.

Every knight’s lady. Ella looked at Vylun, who was watching her with an intrigued look and thought about the meaning of that. Then, she responded, “Well, I am the only lady of the family after all.”

Ella suddenly had a narcissistic answer but quickly disregarded it and interpreted Vylun’s words. Her response seemed to be the middle ground. Vylun then narrowed his eyes and glanced at Ella. It almost looked as if he was asking her if she was being serious.

“Do you truly not know?”

“Of what?” questioned Ella.

“That you are the madonna of all the knights within the family?”

Madonna, meaning “my lady” in French, had the same meaning in this world. It symbolizes the woman, who everyone wishes to give all honor to in the most glorious moment.

Unlike young Luciella who had spent her life with these knights, Ella only had met two of the knights yesterday, and some of the knights this morning, so she couldn’t understand Vylun’s words for a slight second. Then she was reminded of the younger days of Ella. There were people who would do anything if Luciella requested it. Even if it was sometimes pranking Evan, who would be their master in the future, they did everything they could if it was Luciella who asked for it. She couldn’t help but smile at these knights who would gladly grin while digging up the ground.

‘Ella was truly loved by her people.’ She realized it once again.

“So, you knew,” said Vylun with a gentle grin, followed by Ella’s smile spreading over her face. He became proud that their love towards her was recognized, even if it never seemed like he was the same as these knights.

“I knew they looked after me. I was always thankful for that. But I never thought they would consider me their madonna.”

“Even the married ones have you as the top of their priority, so they would be really glad to know that you recognize it,” said Vylun.

“No way,” commented Ella. She looked at Vylun with disbelief, but he nodded. The brainwashing was real, and he was certainly a knight of Constance, so he considered it very normal.

“All knights should be that way. A madonna doesn’t change that easily.”

“But those knights in the morning were so rude in contrast to what you’re saying,” said Ella.

Vylun quickly took Ella’s rant and explained, “That’s a rookie’s mistake. They haven’t even gone through formal training. They’re so inexperienced that they don’t know what it means when the Associate Butler asks them, unlike the trained knights.” He spoke proudly, believing that his trained knights would never have made the same mistakes.

‘I guess the cold knight lieutenant I saw in the morning wasn’t Vylun,’ thought Ella. She wanted to point it out, but that was only going to defame her own family’s knight.

“So, am I your madonna as well? Since every knights’ madonna is me?”

The question came back to when Vylun fell in love with Ella. He looked at the emerald eyes gazing at him and gave it a thought. “It wasn’t at first. When I heard the other knights’ stories, I always thought that such women could never exist in this world. I believed their madonna was made up. I believed it was a fantasy that will crumble once they experience the real you.”

That was quite often the case in usual noble families. Even in Vylun’s family, some knights fell in love, fantasizing about a certain image, only to be disappointed after experiencing the truth, and some even quit after that. Vylun shook his head, reminding himself of his own sister, who could hardly be considered an ordinary lady.