If one’s own principles and determination were to go too far, they would spill into the territory of stubborn and obstinate adherence. And if one were to give up on individual judgment to the precedence of the crowd’s voices, then those original characteristics would soon transform once more into ignorance.

Zylo was well-acquainted with one such person who’s like that.

He closed his eyes, recalling what Violet said the first time they met.

“There won’t be much to do here for knights like you. Since you’ll have a lot of time on your hands, you can do whatever you wish to do.”

When Violet said this, there was a serene expression on her face. However, the rising connotation behind her words was different.

‘You wouldn’t want to protect me sincerely anyway, so just do as you please.’

Her words had been twisted as such from another person’s perspective.

The people around her were so blinded by prejudice, to the point that they wouldn’t believe the truth even if it was laid bare right in front of their own eyes, and they continuously accused an ordinary person like her of being a witch.

One after another, she received such malice and spite. How then could she be able to survive?

“Sir Benthel?”

“…Raise your sword.”

The cure to insolence was a good lashing.

* * *

Zylo raised his sword several times as he reprimanded Alec for his impertinence, but the latter man’s rude words and actions would not let up easily.

Even when the lady was only doing something easygoing, Alec constantly suspected her of being a witch who was concocting an evil scheme. Seeing the guy run wild like that, Zylo’s sighs only deepened further.

What was he to do with this blockhead. It would be a problem if he’d report it to their superiors, but it would also be a problem if he would not.

Surely enough, however, he was serious when it came to the chivalric order. Zylo spent more than half the day beating up Alec.

But still, Alec refused to admit his mistakes. He denied his willful ignorance.

For as strong one’s principles could be, the collapse of such would consequently endanger one’s own ego.

It was so tiring to deal with just one person like this. How worse could it possibly feel if anyone and everyone were to look at you with such a prejudiced perception?

Malicious rumors could break a person ever so easily.

For a person whose spirit had been broken in that way to smile again, they would have to recover themselves once more, tend to their wounds and overcome all that they experienced.

In reality, Violet’s fabricated smile was not just detached—it was empty. She looked so lonely even as she was smiling.

Zylo thought of Violet, then thought of Mikhail, the liege who he would be serving in the future. For as long as he could remember, Mikhail had always regarded Violet with hostility.

Mikhail’s disposition was similar to Alec’s.

But, no. Zylo corrected his own thoughts, shaking his head vigorously. He mustn’t compare a dukedom’s heir to a commoner.

Right now, what he’s meant to do was not to ruminate.

.

.

.

Meanwhile, Violet was already aware that Alec had been talking nonsense about her. She knew, and yet she did not enforce any punishment onto the young man.

She just smiled quietly as if she was used to it. And this was an established fact—this always happened, after all.

“…Good grief.”

“I shall correct his impertinence.”

“He’s not even saying anything untrue. Why don’t you just let it go?”

Zylo felt frustrated. In contrast, Violet was calm. She had long since learned not to waste any more time and energy on unnecessary emotions.

She did not bother to point out the knight’s insolence, did not bother to get angry, and did not bother to order for him to receive lashings. Although punishing the knight was something an ordinary noble would have naturally done, all she did was pay him no mind. She didn’t want to deal with someone who detested her to that degree.

“…I shall correct his impertinence.”

The upright knight repeated the same words. Even if Violet had chosen to sit still about this matter, as a knight of this ducal household, he could not find it in him to leave that unruly guy undisciplined.

Alec’s ‘loyalty’ was in direct contrast to the ‘order’ he had been given and with ‘justice’ in itself. Nevertheless, he’d still argue that his actions were brought about by his own principles.

In the first place, his definition of ‘justice’ was not righteous.

It’s true that what Violet had done in the past could clearly be considered immoderate. Still, it was also the righteous punishment based on the law, which she had an obligation to uphold as a noble.

Under that pretext, would it still be right to pour such criticism onto a ducal lady—no, onto a human being?

Yet in the end, these were all futile concerns.

Whether or not Alec’s impertinence would rise to the sky, Violet actually just drew and painted without giving him a second of her time.

Besides that, even if Alec were to run wild, no one would stand by him. At least, not here.

With Alec being especially hostile towards Violet, the employees of the annex did not like him one bit.

As a natural result, he’d become ostracized at the annex. The more isolated he became, the more his hostility against Violet burned. However, that flame burned only by itself.

Sometimes, during the days that he had to go back to the chivalric order at the main mansion, Alec worked busily to proliferate Violet’s ‘misdeeds’.

He even started saying that she had entered a contract with a demon that was conveniently hiding away at the annex, and that she was using that demon’s power to brainwash people.

People sometimes needed a common enemy in order to band together. And if that common enemy was someone who they could not directly confront, then their imaginary notion of that person was bound to swell out of control.

Without fail, time marched on.

And all the while, various stories and rumors about Violet were exchanged.