Virgin Knight Who Is the Frontier Lord in the Gender Switched World

Queen Liesenlotte was intentionally scattering her wrath.

Thus, she managed to silence the clergy nobility, lords, and their emissaries.

Yet, her mind was calm.

The conclusion from her cool-headed deliberations was dissolution.

The adversary was a regional lord; after all, the Bösel lands belonged to the Bösel family.

But that was of no consequence to her.

Their compounded negligence nearly brought my daughter, Valiere, to death’s door.

Following that, Valiere seemed to have shown unexpected growth in her first battle.

But that is irrelevant now.

My daughter’s situation does not matter at this moment.

Here, I stand as Queen Liesenlotte, reigning over the Kingdom of Anhalt.

The only consideration is how our royal house can dissolve the Bösel territory and integrate it as a direct domain.

That was the challenge to be addressed.

But now, achieving that goal seems trivially easy.

Foolish, indeed.

Thus, the Bösel family will be dissolved.

That was the conclusion reached by Liesenlotte.

“It shall not be.”

She uttered those words.

“Caroline has committed a crime. Her child is equally guilty. I was surprised that the child was not already hanged. The child, Martina, was it? To make her the next heir to the Bösel territory? Such foolishness should be given a rest.”

“As you can see, due to my frail health, which is shameful to admit, I have kept it hidden within the territory. Although I have a husband, the child I bore when my body was still somewhat better was stillborn. With my body now ravaged by illness, it is unlikely I will ever conceive again.”

Herma once again spoke out of turn.

Had she disclosed this within the territory, such a situation could have been avoided.

Eventually, Caroline’s child, Martina, would be confirmed as the heir.

Had she known that, Caroline would not have rebelled.

“The Bösel family has no other blood relatives to succeed it other than Martina.”

There’s no need to worry about that anymore.

Your concerns are meaningless.

The Bösel family will be dissolved.

I thought coldly in my heart.

“Let me conclude, the Bösel territory, the Bösel family…”

The lords and their representatives might oppose, but under these circumstances, it would be easy to suppress them.

Let’s finish this quickly.

“Please wait, Queen Liesenlotte. Before you make a decision, there is one more person I would like you to meet.”

The voice of Duchess Astarte, who stood by my right side, resonated in the royal chamber.

Her expression was utterly serious, but in this context, it was nothing but an unnecessary complication.

“A person you want me to meet?”

“We have brought Caroline’s child, Martina. Please, meet with her once.”

What’s the point now?

A child of the rebellious, who plotted exile, deserves nothing but the gallows.

What would meeting now accomplish?

But, since it’s Astarte’s request.

It might be interesting to see.

“Very well. Call her. Will it take time?”

“She is already waiting in the antechamber. It will not take long.”

Whispering so, Astarte instructed the guards to bring Martina, who seemed to have been waiting in the antechamber.

Well, what kind of child she might be.

As I pondered this, considering Astarte’s personality…

A girl of about 8 or 9 years old, handcuffed, was brought into the royal chamber by the guards.

Her eyes exuded wisdom, making it clear why Astarte took an interest in her.

That talent-obsessed Duchess seems to be pleading for this child’s life alone.

Yet, why is this child silent?

Won’t she plead for her life? I wondered for a moment before realizing.

“I forgive. You may speak, Martina.”

“Thank you, Queen Liesenlotte.”

Kneeling, still in handcuffs, but arranging her courtesy, Martina spoke to me, waiting for permission to speak.

A truly wise child, indeed.

“Queen Liesenlotte, forgive my boldness, but I have a plea.”

“What is it?”

This made me consider sparing the child’s life alone.

Demoting her to a commoner, stripping her of any power, and providing minimal support for her livelihood wouldn’t be much of a hassle.

It wouldn’t take much effort.

However, the words that came from Martina were astonishing.

“I desire my execution to be by decapitation at the hands of Sir Faust von Polydoro.”

“…What?”

I inadvertently dropped my queenly facade, letting out a raw expression of surprise.

“The transgressions of my mother are manifest. She stands as a traitor to the crown and a conspirator of exile. In light of this, my execution is but a matter of course. However, a parent is still a parent, even if they are a criminal. I wish to die in the same manner as my parent. I want to meet my end with the dignity of our blue blood. While hanging is a disgrace, being struck down by the Knight of Wrath, Sir Faust von Polydoro, and sharing the same fate as my mother would not be shameful.”

It may even be shameful to wish for such an end.

Yet, Martina, not even nine years old, murmured so.

She is a wise child.

Truly wise.

It would be a pity to kill her.

Astarte, your love for talent has shown through your bad habits.

“Perhaps, by dying in the same manner, I might reunite with my mother on the path to the underworld. Please, I beg for your mercy.”

Somewhere in her heart, Astarte must be hoping for me to spare this child’s life, as a noble of blue blood.

But, could things really go so smoothly?

This child is too clever for her own good.

She poses a risk of rising again and rebelling against the royal family.

It is my principle to eliminate all risks.

“Guard. Grant Sir Polydoro permission to bear his greatsword. Fetch it at once.”

“Yes! Understood.”

Do not underestimate me, Astarte.

I will protect this child’s honor as a noble of blue blood.

But I will kill her.

It is best for the child.

That was what Liesenlotte thought.

That was her gravest error.

Liesenlotte was obsessed with Faust’s appearance but did not fully understand his character.

She only knew of the heroic epics that depicted the Knight of Wrath’s brave and valiant figure on the battlefield, and through battle reports.

However, Astarte, having shared the Virendorf campaign and monitored his life in the lower residence in the capital, understood his character thoroughly.

That difference made itself known in this moment.

※

“Don’t joke with me.”

“Sir Polydoro, although we are in the royal chamber, you are permitted to carry your greatsword.”

Truly, don’t joke with me.

Faust von Polydoro was quietly furious.

He was asked to behead a child of 8 or 9 years old.

If it were someone else’s matter, it might have been fine.

Faust von Polydoro could have remained a bystander.

To speak frankly, Faust was far from ordinary.

With a muscular body honed to perfection and knightly education received from his late mother.

Though not popular among the women of the Anhalt Kingdom, he was the embodiment of the honor of blue blood.

However, there were some mixed feelings about his origin.

He couldn’t completely shake off the remnants of his past life.

If this were merely a matter concerning someone else, Faust might have been able to endure it.

He could have abandoned it as someone else’s problem.

As a noble of blue blood, while feeling a profound pity for the girl, a criminal’s child, from the bottom of his heart, he might have suggested ensuring a peaceful rest for her body after death.

That might have sufficed.

But now, being directly involved, the matter was entirely different.

Blood boiled in Faust’s brain.

Don’t joke with me, Queen Liesenlotte.

“I vehemently refuse. Are you asking me, Faust von Polydoro, to behead this stubborn child?!”

He was furious.

The guards trembled in fear, nearly dropping the greatsword onto the carpet due to his rage.

Faust’s face was as red as the name of the Knight of Wrath implied.

Everyone present.

Queen Liesenlotte, the clergy nobility, the lords and their representatives.

Anastasia and Valiere, Helma and Martina.

All wore faces of shock.

Only Duchess Astarte, with an expression unsuitable for the situation, whistled.

Are you joking, Duchess Astarte?

You must have known I would be enraged.

“Queen Liesenlotte, I vehemently refuse. No, that is not enough! I will not allow anyone else to kill this child either!”

Faust was stubborn.

The knightly education he received from his late mother as a noble of blue blood and the moral values from his past life maintained a strange balance.

The barely held line of patience completely shattered.

Now, in this world of blue blood, he had turned into a Knight of Wrath, stubborn beyond comprehension.

“Sir Polydoro! Calm yourself!”

One of the lords shouted.

“How can I be calm?! Why does no one save this child?! Why, when this stubborn child is about to be beheaded, does no one try to stop it?!”

It was complete madness.

Faust knew this, even though he had been ready to abandon her himself.

Spewing such insane words, different from his cold, bystander self, these words were not of reason but of emotion.

“What crime has this child, Martina, committed? She is but a pitiful girl who mistakes her mother’s crimes as her own and seeks atonement! As a noble of blue blood, I cannot allow this!”

Yes, this was about honor.

The diluted moral sense of his past life mixed with his noble blood, turning into a distorted honor.

Allowing it to be tarnished further would shake the very existence of Faust von Polydoro.

Faust walked.

Towards the guard holding his ancestral magic greatsword.

Ignoring Valiere who was nearby, he walked straight to Martina, still in handcuffs, and tore them off with his superhuman strength.

“Faust!”

Valiere’s scream of surprise echoed as she regained her senses.

I’m sorry, Lady Valiere.

I cannot remain as I am any longer.

That’s what he apologized for in his heart.

What he wanted to do now, he didn’t even understand.

But his odd sense of noble honor was displayed right there.

Kneeling, arranging his courtesy, Faust made his plea to Queen Liesenlotte.

“Queen Liesenlotte.”

“What is it, Faust? Do you have an objection to my decision?”

“As I have just stated. I request a plea for Martina’s clemency.”

Queen Liesenlotte was frozen.

What she was thinking at that moment was unknown.

But what had been done—what had been done was irrevocable.

“Faust, no, Faust von Polydoro. Do you realize what you have done? You have defied my royal command.”

“If it concerns my honor, even if it is against my sovereign, I will firmly refuse.”

He replied calmly.

Queen Liesenlotte murmured.

“Do you think happiness awaits this child? A traitor and a traitor’s daughter to the territory. She might not even be able to hope for the happiness of a commoner, let alone as a noble of blue blood. Living while being pointed at is certain from now on. Perhaps killing her with honor would have been her happiness.”

“I believe, as a noble of blue blood, not being able to die when one should in this life is a lifelong disgrace. Yet, living on, there might still be possibilities. …Is my answer insufficient?”

Such unreasonable words.

Could such words persuade Queen Liesenlotte?

“That child, Martina, might grow to resent you in the future. ‘Why didn’t you kill me then?’ She might confront you with words of resentment. What will you do?”

“I don’t know. Whether I will cut down Martina or silently accept her blade. I don’t even know that.”

He returned vague answers.

Honest in his uncertainty.

“What if—just if, Martina succeeds the Bösel territory. The resentment towards Caroline’s child, who caused over a hundred deaths, won’t disappear. Can she govern properly? What do you think about that?”

“…”

He was at a loss for words.

His governance judgment was beyond Faust’s reach.

Yes, he could return any pretentious words, but that would be dishonest, touching upon the honor of blue blood.

Queen Liesenlotte’s words were consistently correct.

Faust thought so.

Such logic, Faust was well aware of it when he spoke.

However, Faust was no longer able to control himself.

If only he could remain a bystander.

But once a cornered bird takes refuge, Faust could no longer abandon Martina.

“Faust von Polydoro. Your honor is ever so pure. Dazzlingly so. But know this, the world does not settle with honor alone.”

Queen Liesenlotte concluded her words.