Chapter 52: A symbolic gesture
Roger’s arrival that day was somewhat unexpected, but nevertheless, I had no choice but to welcome him. Since the weather was nice, we decided to have a cup of tea in the garden.
When I saw the young man with scarlet hair, he immediately asked about my well-being with obvious concern on his face.
I slowly sipped my tea and replied that I was fine now.
"Lady Weinstein, are you really sure you’re all right? After all, that incident did look terrible..."
As he spoke, Roger looked with some concern at the steaming cup of tea in my hand.
But I wasn’t the least bit concerned about that and calmly took another sip.
After all, since that incident, Edison had become so meticulous about everything I consumed that even a simple cup of water or an apple couldn’t escape his watchful eye.
The butler personally tasted and checked every product to make sure it was not poisoned. Even the tea we were drinking now had passed his strict inspection. So I could drink it without fear.
"Yes, I understand. But I want to assure you that I have already received all the necessary help and there is no need to worry about it anymore."
"But..." Just as Roger hesitated and was about to say something else, I interrupted him.
"Sir Roger, please keep in mind that what happened is my personal business. You don’t have to continue to interfere in it."
My remark, which was reasonable, sounded rather cold at the same time, causing the guy to involuntarily flinch.
Perhaps it really did sound a little harsh, but I just wanted to set the proper boundaries between us. After all, we were complete strangers to each other, and such excessive concern might seem inappropriate.
In the end, this guy even came here in person to ask how I was feeling. I didn’t really like that.
The next second, Roger looked away. He seemed confused for a moment, but then he said to me:
"Lady Weinstein, don’t get me wrong, but what happened to you then was a real attempted murder, which is unacceptable under the laws of our empire. And as a knight of the royal guard, I only intend to uphold the law. And if you need help defending or investigating this case..."
"No, thank you," I interrupted him gently. "I appreciate your concern, but I can handle this myself."
"But...!"
"After all, you know who I am. Do you really think that investigating a case like this, as well as ensuring my safety, is beyond my capabilities?"
When I mentioned to Roger my status as the current head of the Order of the Shadow, he involuntarily fell silent.
After all, the guy was also one of the few people who knew about the true power I possessed. And since my argument in this situation seemed quite compelling, Roger really had nothing to say in response.
Finally, he just fell silent and nodded.
"Okay, I understand your position. Then from now on, I will no longer interfere in this matter."
"Excellent."
I smiled satisfactorily and brought the cup to my lips again. After this conversation ended, there was silence between us for a while. Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore and said:
"Sir Roger, if that’s all you wanted to tell me, then I won’t keep you any longer."
However, at that moment, for some reason, the guy awkwardly looked away.
"That’s not quite true..."
"What?" I frowned.
"Actually, I didn’t come here just to ask how you were feeling."
I was involuntarily puzzled.
"Then what else did you want to talk to me about?"
"It’s..." Roger swallowed. "Actually, last night I learned that due to the worsening situation at the border, the emperor has decided to send troops a few weeks earlier than planned. So I’m leaving for war tomorrow."
"Oh..."
I hesitated.
"No, of course I don’t mind that you decided to tell me about it, but couldn’t you have just done it in a letter...? Why did you have to come in person?"
However, if I had said that, it would have sounded rather rude, so I held back.
In the end, although I tried to keep my distance from the romantic interests in this game, I still didn’t want to be openly rude or discourteous to them. After all, who knows what would happen to me in that case?
In the end, playing more significant roles in this game, they clearly had their advantages. Someone like me shouldn’t cross paths with such people for the sake of my own well-being.
"I see... Well, I appreciate you coming all this way to tell me about it. In that case, I wish you luck."
"Thank you."
Roger’s lips stretched into a smile again, one that was almost imperceptible to other people, but since I was a veteran of this game and had gone through the branch with Roger to the end, I noticed it immediately. And I want to say that it wasn’t what I really wanted to see from a character like him.
Not to mention that Roger had shown very little personal emotion throughout the game, but why was he doing this now? And in front of me, no less. Of course, I wasn’t happy about it at all.
Hey, Roger, save your smiles for the main character!
I hoped that after Roger told me this news, our meeting would finally come to an end. No, really, why keep dragging it out? But to my surprise, Roger wasn’t done yet.
"Lady Weinstein, since I’m going to war soon, I’d like to ask you for a favor."
"A favor?" I asked.
"Yes..." The guy suddenly seemed embarrassed. "I don’t know if you’ve heard about this or not, but in our empire there is a long-standing tradition whereby women tie their scarves to the swords of their male acquaintances before they go to war."
When Roger suddenly mentioned this, I racked my brains and remembered that such a tradition did indeed exist.
In the Eidelman Empire, women made a similar symbol for their men, who could be husbands, brothers, fathers, or lovers. It was believed that this gesture brought soldiers good luck and was a kind of talisman on the battlefield.
In addition, it could be not only a scarf but also a hair ribbon, and some ladies, in the absence of a scarf, even tore a piece of fabric from their own dresses.
Well, in any case, why did I remember something like that at all?
It’s simple.
It was because in Roger’s storyline, when he went to war towards the end of the game, the main character, Angela, also tied her scarf to his sword. It was a symbol of her love for him, and since it was a rather important plot point in the development of their relationship, I certainly remembered it.
And yet, I couldn’t understand why Roger was talking about something like this right now. What was he getting at, after all?
But I figured it out pretty quickly.
"You see, I don’t have a single female acquaintance who could tie a scarf for me," Roger said sheepishly.
I didn’t know why Roger suddenly shared this problem with me. Well, anyway, it was not surprising that there was no one to tie his scarf.
After all, Roger’s mother had died long ago, and he was the only child in the family. Besides, because of his cold personality and attitude, practically no lady from high society would dare to approach him.
"So in the end, buddy, you were to blame for this. Maybe if you smiled a little more often, the situation would be different now!"
Well, in any case, I didn’t know why Roger asked me about it.
Did he want me to advise him? But it’s not like I have a lot of experience in such matters to give any advice...
However, just as I was thinking about this, Roger continued his line of thought and suddenly took it in a completely unexpected direction:
"Lady Weinstein, it just so happens that you are the only woman I know."
Huh? What is he trying to say?
However, before I had a chance to ask him about it, already sensing something was wrong, the guy suddenly stunned me:
"So, I would like to ask you... Would you do me a favor?"
"What?"
It seemed to me that for a moment after his words, I just froze stupidly.
"Could you please tie your scarf around my head to wish me luck in this war?" Roger concluded his words awkwardly.
To say that I was completely baffled at that moment would be an understatement.
Hey, Roger, is it just me, or did you misunderstand something...?
If this guy knew the traditions of the empire well, he should also have known that only a woman’s relatives or lovers usually had the right to tie a scarf. But I obviously didn’t fit either of those criteria.
So why the hell is this guy offering me something like that...?!