A knight and a ring is all I need

Sneaking out the room was easy. How? Balcony. Thank you to my one-night stand for the lovely idea.

Yes, I am stupid, okay? But then again, when I opened the door, I glanced at the dozens of maids and knights standing guard like I am some rare treasure (which I am, thank you).

I stepped out and they questioned where I was going, what was I going to do, do you need an escort. Like seriously, did they think I was going to kill another or kill myself?

However, the area under my balcony was left unguarded. Maybe they thought that with all the injuries that I have, I wouldn’t be able to jump again. Besides who jumps twice?

That’s where you are all wrong. Thanks to the beloved knight of Rozalia who caught me, there were only sores left behind, no broken bones. And all my life, I’ve worked with sores to complete my tasks and deadlines.

I stared down at the dark land. Morning it was better to look at thanks to the sunlight that brightened the ground with those lush green grass. But now? It was as if the dark void was waiting for my death.

“It’s okay. You won’t die just because you jumped.” And I jumped after praying to the gods and successfully landed on my feet without breaking a bone. Power of a villainess whose plot armour was still active before the blossoming love of the main characters?

Nah, it was all thanks to the many parkour attempts me and my cousins did back on the rooftops of the houses in our grandparents’ village.

“Shit, it’s cold!” I shivered, wrapping my arms around me. It was stupid of me not to change my nightgown to something warmer.

Now why was I out?

To find my knight.

Before leaving he did mention that if I needed him, I was to call him. But how? I don’t know his name. I did say, ‘Sir Knight’ out aloud, but no one came.

In the end, I decided it was best for me to go and hunt for my knight. Besides, it was important to notice the surrounding areas and see what’s it like in the new world; except this new world was currently hidden in darkness. Should’ve scrounged the area when the sun was still up.

Anyways, I walked towards this sanded area that had wooden dolls, slashed boards, broken debris of the once wooden dolls and a stack of wooden swords as well as polished metal that glowed under the hidden moonlight. This must be the training area for the knights.

It was currently after dinner, so the family had retired to the room. That’s at least what I know from the whispering maids outside. That would mean it was safe to roam out and not get caught by any of them. It would be an ugly fight if we met with the father.

“—but sire, that’s an insane decision!” A person?

I looked to my left and spotted amongst the trees a light. It was shining from a lantern held up by a man whose features I couldn’t quite decipher. However, there was another person before him. This body’s father. Did I seriously call for the devil?

“Sending her to such a place would only worsen her condition,” the man continued to speak to the marquess whose face morphed into an evil frown from the shadows of the lantern. I hid behind a tree to hear more clearly on what two men were doing outside late night in such a suspicious forest, “You wouldn’t want the name of Sordredei to be sullied because you wish to send the lady to that hell, do you, sire?”

Hell? Are they talking about me? The only lady they’ll send to hell would be me, of course.

“The previous winter’s hunt was the last time I saw a glimpse of what was supposed to be a daughter. Now she’s nothing but a monster who has possessed that already born evil creature. Her presence in this house is ending the lives of so many innocents. For such evil creatures, the Goron Asylum is the best place.”

Goron Asylum? Hey, are they thinking of sending me to a fricking asylum?! I am evil, yes, but I am perfectly sane. They don’t send sane serial killers to asylum. They send them to jail. Now which would be a better hell?

“It’s best you think about this a bit more, sire,” I identified the voice as the doctor who examined me in the morning, “I’m sure she’ll change after what happened—”

“If she doesn’t repent for her sins before the heavenly being, then the asylum is where she will go. Don’t question me any more now. I must go to my study and finish my work. Talking about that evil is wasting every bit of my energy.” And thinking about this man’s cruel, unnecessary behaviour was wrecking every braincells of mine.

With that final nod from the doctor, the marquess turned around to the mansion. The doctor stayed back, his eyes on the back of his sire who then disappeared behind the closed doors.

“Sir Daveen,” he mumbled.

Suddenly from the canopy of the trees, a figure fell to the ground. I almost screamed my heart out, but all that came was a gaping mouth and a heart attack. I survived the heart attack.

Oh my god! What was that?!

“Yes, doctor.” Hey, that guy. It’s my knight!

He straightened out his shirt and dusted his pants as he conversed with the doctor. “I heard everything.”

The doctor sighed. “Then you must know what should be done. We must convince the lady to visit the temple, else that asylum is all she’ll get in the end.”

“I’ll try my best,” my knight nodded. What did the maid call him? Dean? “I’m sure this time she’ll be willing to go.”

“I highly doubt that,” he sighed, shaking his head, “But all we can do now is pray that she does go. I’ll be leaving now,” he let out a groan as he pressed on his shoulder, “I should start thinking about my retirement.”

The doctor left with a wave of his hand as he went in the opposite direction. In the distant was a building that had windows that were lit from the presence of people. Could that be where the staff stayed? But isn’t it too far from the mansion?

“My lady.”

I once again almost screamed out my heart when my knight appeared before me. “What are you doing here, my lady?” he asked.

“I…” What was I doing actually? Eavesdropping? Yeah, that’s—Ah! “I came to see you.”

“Me?” he seemed concerned. Or was that surprise. “Why? You could’ve just called me.”

“How do I call for you?”

“Just say my name.”

“What’s your name?”

His already dull face dulled as his eyes stared into a void. “My lady, it hurts me you don’t even remember my name. I get that you have lost your memories, but you said my name would be engraved in your soul and even in your next life you shall remember me. You have called out my name more times than you have cursed out your father. It hurts that it—”

“Daveen!” I panicked and blabbered the name I remember hearing from the doctor, “I was simply joking.” Why are you lying, girl? Be quiet! I can’t bear to see this guy cry.

Now he looked annoyed, “You are seriously giving me this urge to just punch you. But I wish not to ruin my master’s pretty face.”

“Heh, perks of having a pretty face,” I chuckled. He didn’t seem to be amused, “So if I call for your name, you would come immediately, is that it?” I asked.

He nodded. “How long does it take you to come?”

“Two seconds.”

“Huh?” That’s too fast. “What if you were present like in another country when I called for you? How long will it take?”

“Two seconds.”

“Seriously?”

“With the ring, it will take—my lady, where’s your ring?” he suddenly panicked as he grabbed my hand and looked at my fingers that were bare, “The ring? Where’s the ring?!”

His eyes were wide with panic and there was a tremble in his hands as he held my slender fingers. He tried to keep his face composed, but his tight-lipped face refused to comply.

Wow! He looks cute.

“I lost it.”

“You did what?!” he whispered-yelled at me, grabbing onto my hand too tight. His eyes held a fear so unknown and an expression so-out of place. “I swear to you, I’ll kill you in the name—”

“Ah! I forgot. I left it in the drawers,” I said before my head was chopped off.

“My lady, I apologize.”

“Huh? For wha—”

He lifted me up in his arms, one under my thighs and the other round my shoulder. Hey, hey, hey, hey!! “What are you doing?!”

There was a gust of wind that whipped my hair around like a fricking helicopter blade. I almost died choking on the luscious black hair of this body that stuffed itself in my mouth.

The wind died down and we were….in my room?

“What…?” I whispered to myself as he gently set me down on my feet. “How…? Oh my gosh! My hair!!”

It was a bird’s nest. Tangled up into a tower of mess. If a bird was roaming around looking for its home, it would definitely look at my hair and settle itself cozy.

“I apologize, my lady,” the knight mumbled as he walked towards the dresser. He pulled at the drawer, searching for something—oh right, the ring.

“It’s not there.” I said, as I bent before the night stand and pulled at the last drawer. In that empty compartment was a silver ring that had carvings in a language I wasn’t familiar with. I had kept it there because I wanted a gold one. It didn’t look new and fancy like the rest of the rings; it was dulled by the many years of scratches and wearing out.

He grabbed the ring from my hand and took my left hand. He slid the ring on my middle finger and let out a sigh. “Never remove this ring at any cost, my lady.”

“Uh…okay?”

He touched his forehead to the ring—oh my fantasy heart! This was straight out of a drama! —and whispered. “As long as the ring is on your finger, I shall always be by your side, my lady.” He kissed the ring before letting out a sigh of relief.

I couldn’t say a word because his loyalty to this body was beyond anything I saw or read. He was really devoted to her as his knight despite her killing a puppy. Even now, as he held my fingers, his hands trembled, his body shivered and his heart beat too fast. Was he worried for her or for himself?

“What’s with the ring?” I asked.

He looked over at my face before turning his attention to the simple ring. “It’s what you gifted me on the day you chose me as your knight. You said to me on that day, swear your loyalty to me and your loyalty shall be engraved on this very ring.”

Then those carvings on the ring must be his pledge to her as her knight. Wait, how did it carve—?

“It is no ordinary ring. That ring has the ability to summon the speaker of the carvings to the one who wields it. For the ring holds my pledge to the wielder and inside it flows our blood. It isn’t just a summoning device, but a bond that showcases my loyalty to you.”

Magic? Does this world have magic? And damn, this loyalty bonding is sending butterflies all over my body.

“I was already gifted the power of teleportation from a young age,” he got up, his hands still on mine, “However it wasn’t a powerful magic; they called it the coward’s magic because I couldn’t teleport more than two people. It was a waste of mana in the eyes of the marquess and the rest of the soldiers. I was a dead weight in the army. But my lady pushed me, torture me into embracing it. She showed me the beauty of it and…”

“Run away then,” Rozalia laughed, as I knelt before her. She was seated on a man who sniffed her neck like a dog. “If they say your power gives you the ability to run, then run. They are just jealous that the powers they have can’t help them to do so. Powerful magics are meant to be upfront, that means there’s no running away. But to those kept to the sides, they have a lovely choice to run away. It doesn’t hurt to be selfish about yourself and your master, because seriously who cares about the rest. Not all humans are kind and sweet. They are just as wicked as the rest of us evil doers.

“But if you were to run away when I’m in distress or don’t respond to when I call, even the hells below and the heavens above can’t keep me back from ripping you to pieces, Daveen.” She smiled sinisterly.

Then this magic has the ability to summon my knight to my side in seconds. Rozalia is so cool for making that ring. I suddenly found myself admiring her abilities.

“Does it have any limitations?” I asked, admiring the ring with a newfound likeness.

He shook his head. “When my master created it, it was built to perfection. For her needs, it worked perfectly.”

“So now how many people can you teleport if you’ve become stronger than before.”

“This whole mansion.”

Damn! Rozalia shaped a great magic user better than those marquess’ men could do. Magic…this world has magic!

“Yes,” it seemed as if he read my mind, “I am cool.”

Gross. “Seriously? That’s what you think of yourself?”

“That’s what you were going to say.”

“In your dreams,” I rolled my eyes as I sat down on my bed, “Does magic exist in this world?”

“Of course, it does,” he nodded. “This kingdom is heavily concentrated in mana. At least one of three people in the kingdom have magic powers.”

“Do I have one?” I asked, sparkling at the idea of having a—

“No.”

“Fuck you.”

“Huh?”

“Why?”

“Though you don’t have a strong mana core, you have a residue. Some people’s body don’t have the ability to hold cores of a mana and are hence, left with residues. For such people, they specialize only in creating mana spells and carvings, such as this ring.”

“So, I am like a creator of mana devices?”

“Yes.”

“Tell me about the incident,” I said. There was a sudden shock in his eyes by the unexpected question. Well, I was deliberating when to ask and grew impatient. So, I asked away and now we are just sitting in silence.

He stared at the floor, inspecting every line on it while I glared a hole at his pretty face. He sighed and sat down on the bed opposite to me, making himself comfortable by having his legs crossed.

“It’s a long story,” he said, “And it’s not the prettiest.”

“I need to know. Else, I would be looking like a fool.”

“I need my snacks. Else, I would be starving as I narrate.”

I rolled my eyes. “Call for the maid.”