By Zephyria 
In just one day, the knight order was turned upside down.
Commander Claude conducted a thorough investigation into the matter and managed to identify all those who had tormented Rocco.
Those who had directly harmed Rocco Maxwell included a total of nine trainee knights and three current members of the imperial knight order. There were more involved than expected.
“Therefore, all those involved will be held accountable.”
“Expel them all. No exceptions.”
Alexis issued the orders with a sharp tone. Claude, standing with his arms crossed in front of him, bit his lip in discomfort.
“Isn’t expulsion a bit excessive?”
“Are you suggesting we let it slide?”
Leaning against the window, Alexis raised his chin. His gaze was piercing as he looked down at Claude, who was opposing him. Claude struggled to endure the intense stare before finally speaking up.
“I don’t want to say this, but they were all highly skilled individuals. If we expel them all, it will cause significant disruption to the plans you have laid out, Your Highness. Moreover, even the victim does not wish for their expulsion.”
“……”
“As you know, Your Highness, same-sex relationships are quite common in the knight order. Didn’t similar incidents occur while we were in the Black Forest?”
Claude referred to past events.
The knights, trapped in the Black Forest for five years with no outlet for their long-standing desires, often tangled with their comrades. Alexis and Claude had turned a blind eye to this for the sake of the knights’ morale.
Alexis, with his arms firmly crossed, looked down at his most trusted subordinate. A sharp retort followed.
“Was it coercive back then?”
“…No.”
“Is this the Black Forest?”
Claude found himself at a loss for words. He bit down on his jaw and lowered his head.
“There are times when issues can be tolerated and times when they cannot. How can you lead the knight order if you cannot distinguish between the two? I am deeply concerned for the stability of the empire.”
“…I apologize. I misspoke.”
Claude bowed deeply. Alexis sighed inwardly as he looked down at Claude’s bowed head. He understood Claude’s concerns about the potential loss of strength in the knight order.
However, before being the commander of the knight order, he was the crown prince of the empire. He could not lose his authority over personal desires.
“The opinion of a mere trainee knight is not important. I will expel all those involved. Even if it disrupts the plans, that is a matter I will bear. I do not wish to discuss this further, so the commander will follow my orders.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Leave.”
Claude bowed and exited the office. With the chief advisor and attendants all dismissed, the office fell into a sudden silence, leaving Alexis alone.
He turned his body and cast his gaze out the window. His cold blue eyes observed the knights training in the training grounds. The difficult situation weighed heavily on his face.
Cecile only showed up at the training grounds the next day. He had no intention of training; he simply wanted to meet the commander.
He caught Claude, who was busy, and inquired in detail about how the incident was being resolved.
At first, he was shocked to learn that more than ten individuals were involved, but he felt somewhat relieved to hear that they would all face severe penalties.
With a lighter heart, Cecile went to meet Rocco. After all, Rocco was likely going through the toughest time, and he wanted to offer at least a bit of comfort.
“Why did you do that!”
However, what Cecile faced was Rocco’s anguished scream.
“Why did you tell them! Why on earth!”
Rocco shouted and cried, his voice tearing through the air. The sorrow and pain were so intense that the whites of his eyes were bloodshot.
“Why couldn’t you just pretend you didn’t know! You never cared about anyone else before!”
“……”
“You ruined everything, Cecile!”
Cecile bore the brunt of the accusations. He couldn’t understand. What exactly had he ruined?
“What are you talking about…?”
Overwhelmed with emotion, Rocco swallowed hard, struggling to catch his breath, and then spat out his words in a choked voice.
“Commander Claude knows all my secrets. He knows I’ve been passed around by the knights like a whore! Is that all? Now I’ve become a ghost in the knight order. No one talks to me; they treat me like I don’t exist! I didn’t want this! I really… I truly didn’t want this!”
Rocco was completely unraveling.
Like a madman, he lashed out at Cecile, even stomping his feet and screaming. His excessive anxiety had caused him to lose his sanity.
Cecile hesitated but then grabbed Rocco’s arm. First, he needed to calm him down.
“I didn’t know. But this is unavoidable,”
“I don’t want to hear it! Give it back! This was everything to me, and you ruined it!!”
In his agitation, Rocco pushed Cecile away. Cecile, unable to withstand the force, stumbled backward.
“Ugh!”
He collided with a haphazardly stacked crate, creating a loud noise. His palm, which had landed awkwardly, throbbed, and his elbow scraped against the ground, bleeding. The noble white clothing was stained red.
“Gah!”
Only then did Rocco realize what he had done and came to his senses. As he saw Cecile groaning on the floor, he immediately dropped to the ground.
“Gah! I’m sorry, I’m so sorry! I’ve committed a grave sin! Cecile, I… I lost my mind! I’ve committed a grave sin!”
Rocco couldn’t stop crying and repeatedly banged his head against the ground. He had dared to speak harshly to royalty and laid hands on him. Consumed by fear and self-loathing, he begged for forgiveness over and over.
“…Hah, it’s fine. Don’t worry about it…”
“What’s going on here!”
As people gathered, drawn by the commotion, Cecile looked around with a panicked expression.
The knights had already sensed the situation and were restraining Rocco, while some approached Cecile to help him up.
“You crazy bastard! You’re really out of your mind!”
“I’m sorry, ugh, I’m sorry, I’ve committed a grave sin, ugh, sniff.”
They dragged Rocco away. His sorrowful cries did not cease. Cecile was still in shock, left only to watch Rocco’s retreating figure.
“Are you hurt?”
Claude approached and examined Cecile. His slightly dazed face was pale, devoid of color, and his well-tailored clothes were now dirty with dust. Upon noticing the blood on his sleeve, he frowned.
“I will impose appropriate punishment on Rocco Maxwell. I will handle this matter, so you should get treated first.”
“It’s nothing serious. There’s no need for punishment.”
“He has harmed a member of the royal family.”
“This was my own fault. Let’s leave it at that.”
Cecile dusted off his soiled pants and palms. After seeing Rocco’s unstable state, he felt as if a heavy stone had been placed on his heart.
Cecile bit down on his lower lip and spoke.
“Do you think I did something unnecessary?”
“……”
“Should I have turned a blind eye back then?”
In response to his somewhat powerless question, Claude sighed deeply.
“It is undeniable that the knights have committed wrongs. Someone should have stopped them. It is my failure for not managing them properly, and it is a matter the knight order must take responsibility for. You, Cecile, have no reason to feel guilty.”
“But that guy seems to blame me a lot.”
Cecile raked his fingers through his hair, as if trying to sort out the complicated thoughts in his head. Even to his own eyes, the atmosphere in the knight order seemed to be in shambles.
“He said to return it.”
“That’s impossible.”
“Even after being treated like that, it means his current life is so miserable that he wishes to return to being a knight.”
Cecile let out a hollow laugh, incredulous. A slow smile crept onto his face as he wiped it with his palm.
“Lord Vandell, does His Highness know about this?”
“The decision was made by him.”
“Right, that makes sense.”
Afterward, Cecile exhaled as if releasing the pent-up frustration inside him.
“I hope you take good care of Rocco.”
With that final remark, he left the chaotic training grounds. As he headed straight for the Saint’s Palace, his expression appeared resolute.
No matter how he thought about it, the only person who could resolve this situation was Alexis.