Yerin managed to settle the issue between the two men, having returned the necklace to the baron and the baron on the other hand helping the baker out after thrashing his home in search of the necklace. She stayed behind to help a little and discovered that the woman who tended the flower stall earlier was actually the baker’s daughter. Wanting to somehow appease the maiden’s worries, she asked to buy a bunch of red roses and a single lavender rose from her, of course not forgetting to give her one of the reds, and began handing out the rest to every maiden that came within her sight.

 

And with the lavender rose left and the black rose in her hands, she is now on her way back to her living quarters in the castle grounds, which they referred to as the barracks that was located right next to the castle’s training grounds.

 

She eyes the black rose in her hands once more, thankful that it was devoid of thorns, and plays with it gently with a small smile on her face. She has always been fond of flowers, any color, shape, kind, she liked them all, but this particular flower stood out to her the most, not only because of its uniqueness but also because of the meaning behind it.

 

Most roses had different meanings behind it, but the black rose in particular was nonexistent, that’s why it was quite an enigma of sorts. However, after a bit of reading, she found out that they symbolized dishonor. Once she found out, it was easy to understand a little of the Black Rose’s actions.

 

Upon arriving at the barracks, she proceeds directly to her captain’s quarters, knowing that the woman would most likely be there dealing with papers that involves everything that happens in the kingdom. It wasn’t that long of a walk and upon reaching the door to the captain’s room, she didn’t bother to knock and just entered uncaringly.

 

“Sojung, is th—“ Yerin begins to say only to stop in her tracks at the sight before her, “I’m sorry, was I interrupting something?”

 

Sojung just offers her a stiff smile from her seat behind her desk, “Yes… Yes you were. Now get out.”

 

Yerin just shrugs, doing just that but once more opens the door and peeks her head in relay something to the other presence in the room, “By the way Eunha, I saw the princess looking for you just now.”

 

“Get out!”

 

When Yerin finally saw Eunha, the adorable head maid of the princess, rush out of the captain’s quarters, she took that as her cue to enter, just in time to see her captain just finishing in fixing herself up.

 

“You better have a good reason for interrupting at a bad time.”

 

“You seemed to be having a good time though.”

 

She laughs when Sojung levels a glare at her, but nonetheless approaches, “Well, lucky me it is important.” she tells her, showing her the black rose that she’s been holding onto. The effect of the rose was immediate as the captain’s expression shifts immediately from annoyance to seriousness as she eyes the object carefully.

 

“Where did you get this?”

 

“Is this the reason why you told me to take a break today?” Yerin tosses the rose onto her desk and approaches with arms fold across her chest, “To keep her appearance today a secret?”

 

“You and I both know how obsessed you get when it comes to the person behind this.” Sojung points out.

 

“You know so why are you trying to keep me away from it?”

 

“We have more important duties Yerin.”

 

“We both know that’s not the real reason.” the knight points out and at Sojung’s silence, she just sighs, “This one’s from the baron from the east.”

 

“Did you forget to get a name again?”

 

Yerin just shrugs, “I don’t bother. They all look the same to me anyway. Baron of the east, Baron of the south, Baron of the fancy house in the mountains, it doesn’t make a difference.”

 

Sojung can only pinch the bridge of her nose at her knight’s antics, knowing how carefree she was, but at the same time a little lazy when it came to her duties as a knight.

 

“Yerin, your father’s a baron too.”

 

“Exactly.”

 

The captain decides to just drop the subject, knowing that she was going nowhere with their conversation and pulls open her desk drawer before taking out a similar black rose to the one Yerin just showed her. She could tell how the knight’s gaze immediately focused on the item.

 

“This one was two nights ago.” Sojung explains, “And I assume the one you brought me was from last night?”

 

Yerin nods, “I was doing a casual stroll around the town and witnessed a commotion at the baker’s.” she explains, “It looks like one of the jewels was found in his possession.”

 

“’One’?” Sojung repeats.

 

“The baron said that multiple jewelry were stolen from his daughter’s room.”

 

Sojung’s eyes furrowed at the bit of information, “That doesn’t sound right. The Black Rose never takes more than one piece of jewelry. Did the baron mention a duel of any sort?”

 

“I know, that’s why I will be heading over to his place tomorrow to check.” Yerin says, “I came over to inform you about it.” the chevalière pauses for a bit, “I will still go even if you tell me not to.”

 

Sojung heaves out a sigh, knowing that once her subordinate wished to do something, not even her with her authority as the captain had the power to stop the woman.

 

“I’ll be going with you then.” Sojung decides, earning a raised brow from the knight, “To keep you in line.”

 

“I’m flattered you trust me so much.”

 

“This is the Black Rose we’re talking about.” Sojung points out to her, “I have to be there to keep you out of trouble.”

 

Yerin huffs, “Alright…”

 

“Don’t ‘alright’ me. I’m your captain, I’m not asking for your permission.”

 

“Okay captain.”

 

Sojung feels herself getting tired. Of course, she wasn’t listening.

 

Meanwhile, having done her purpose for that day, Yerin bids her captain farewell and goes off heading straight to her own quarters to rest. Despite just roaming about and having only one significant event that happened for that day, she feels herself getting drained with the knowledge that the Black Rose has struck again.

 

No one knew who the Black Rose really was, but there were rumors that she was a woman, yet there was no proof to support it as no one has really gotten a good look at the person. However, the entire town knew who he or she was. Most know of her as a mere thief. Normally, that wouldn’t have gotten her that much attention if it wasn’t for the stolen goods to be found in some commoner’s home the day after the theft.

 

The person would steal at night, which was typical of a thief, but did the unusual act of leaving a black rose wherever they went, as if making sure that people knew. And so the town has dubbed her as the Black Rose, a friend to the poor and enemy to the rich. Somewhat like a vigilante who has problems with the current system.

 

However, the Black Rose was more than just a thief. There was more to the vigilante’s actions than just mere thievery, however this information was privy to the King’s Guard who decided to withhold the facts from the general public so they would know if what they were dealing with were the actual criminal or just a mere impostor.

 

Besides stealing, the Black Rose tended to challenge any male in the household to a duel before making off with a jewelry of their choice. As if they considered it as a reward for winning. They then would leave a single black rose before disappearing into the night. The following day, that certain jewelry would be found in a commoner’s home which starts up the rumor mills once more.

 

Yerin wouldn’t normally be invested in such trivial things. To her, the Black Rose was nothing more than a thief who just happens to dislike the rich for unknown reasons. There were a lot of thieves in the city and so she didn’t really think the certain person was too different.

 

If not for the fact that she herself experienced a close encounter with the person, then she wouldn’t be so invested.

 

She hasn’t told anyone about it, not even Sojung. They never understood the reason why she was so focused in catching the Black Rose, thankfully her captain wasn’t one to ask too many questions and just considered it as Yerin being active about her duties for once. But it wasn’t the case.

 

It was a night went Yerin felt like taking a leisure stroll into the town. She decided to roam around under the guise of making sure that the area was safe. She needed the breath of fresh air and to clear her mind about various things. At that time, all she worried about was making sure she didn’t stay out too late.

 

The streets were a stark contrast to how they were during the daytime. Shops and stalls were closed, food markets were deathly silent and some homes were lit up while most weren’t. It was no surprise to Yerin that she wouldn’t meet anyone on the way.

 

Yerin was born a noble. Her father was a baron who preferred living in the city as opposed to other nobles who preferred staying in their respective lands and so amidst her walking, she didn’t realize that she’s already reached her home.

 

Her house’s state was just as she expected. The lights were off, the gates were closed and it was deathly silent. She assumes everyone but her father would have been asleep by that time.

 

Thinking that she’s done enough strolling for that night, she was about to head back when she hears the sound of a window opening and a rustle of bushes. Wondering what caused such sound, she backtracks and follows the direction of the source, walking along the walls encompassing the property and noticing that she was headed to the backyard where she could see her room’s balcony doors wide open. Yerin thought it could have been just a stray animal but then again, can they open doors like that?

 

Their maids wouldn’t be so careless to keep them open either, especially since she wasn’t at home.

 

She could only assume that someone has broken in.

 

Now despite her laziness in fulfilling her duties as a chevalière, she wasn’t about to let a criminal escape, especially one who has the audacity to invade her home.

 

She quickly rushes forward just in time to see a silhouette of someone gracefully descending the tree of their backyard, its branches were large enough to arch over the walls of their home and thus would be a perfect place for anyone to escape without using the gates. The figure was quick to run away and Yerin didn’t hesitate to follow in pursuit.

 

Unfortunately, the figure seems to have noticed her presence and made an effort to lose her by passing through narrow alleys and making sudden turns. If it weren’t for the hellish training that Yerin goes through every morning, she would most likely have lost this person a long time ago.

 

Yerin knew it was useless, but she called for the figure to stop, which of course they didn’t do and continued to push on. The knight lets out an annoyed grunt and pushes her legs further in order to catch up.

 

It was when they finally reach a dead end does Yerin realize that the person doesn’t seem to be familiar with the streets as much as she does. If they did, they would have known that there was no path here.

 

The figure then turns around to face her, and Yerin immediately stops in her tracks for two reasons.

 

One was the sight of the weapon on the person’s hip.

 

The other reason being that the thief was actually a woman.

 

Despite the darkness of their surroundings, the light the moon provided was enough to illuminate the person before her for her to take a good look.

 

The first thing she took notice of was the way her eyes were covered by a pitch black lace blindfold which covered just enough for her not to determine how her eyes look. And her blond hair was thrown in a low ponytail.

 

Yerin was almost sure that a beautiful person was hiding under that blindfold. A shame that she hides it all under that black clothing.

 

Black blindfold, black cloak, black pants, even her shoes were black. She was trying her hardest to blend into the night. Though she could catch a glimpse of a white shirt underneath the cloak, it was pretty much useless to see any other color besides it.

 

The woman must have perceived her as a threat as she drew out her rapier, one that Yerin could tell at a glance was forged from the highest quality of metals one could find. The hilt was beautifully made, the blade furnished so well that it gleamed under the moonlight with little effort. She would have taken time to admire the weapon more, but the threat to her safety was imminent and she would be a fool to not respond in any way.

 

Yerin draws her rapier as well, placing her left foot back and points her blade downward, trying to get a read on her opponent’s stance. She furrows her brows when the person points her sword towards her in response. The intention behind the action was clear. She was going to end this duel swiftly and make a run for it. It didn’t matter if she hit her or not, she just wanted to gain momentum just enough to catch her off guard.

 

And that was proven true when the blindfolded woman takes a few quick short strides towards her and doesn’t hesitate to jab the weapon towards her chest. Taken aback by the aggressiveness, Yerin leans back and raises her sword just enough to deflect the blade a few centimeters from its intended target.

 

She adjusts her grip and wrist accordingly, returning the attack and the momentum that the woman caught her into and made an attack of her own, aiming the tip of her blade towards her left shoulder, but that proved to be useless as she deflects the aim by a few centimeters as well with a quick move of her wrist.

 

Seeing that they have both missed their marks, they both took a few quick steps back, but this time Yerin didn’t hesitate and quickly shifts her footing and s towards her shoulder once more.

 

“Wh—“ Yerin jumps back suddenly, creating a large distance between them, her eyes wide in surprise. Just a few seconds before her blade would have pierced her shoulder, she didn’t realize that the woman’s blade was already right in front of her face, causing her to retreat immediately.

 

She didn’t even see her move. Everything was so sudden, it practically took a few seconds for Yerin to actually register what just happened but the few seconds was more than enough for the person to turn tail and escape, swiftly rushing past her and into the street.

 

“Hey! Come back here!” Yerin sheathes her rapier, since the weapon will only hinder her running and tries to pursue but upon going out to the street, said figure was gone and not a soul was in sight. There was nothing that even indicated her presence or that she was there, as if she just disappeared into the night. It was almost enough for Yerin to believe that she had imagined the whole thing.

 

If it wasn’t for a single black rose placed right at the mouth of the alley where they had their duel, she would have thought she had somehow fallen asleep on the street. Yerin wasn’t sure if she left it there on purpose or she dropped it accidentally, but she understood that the rose was a message. A message she still doesn’t understand, but she was sure to find out once they meet again.

 

The following day, she found out that the woman had dueled her father and took off with a single piece of jewelry. A necklace that belonged to her late sister. It was a treasured possession, and she had left it at home fearing that she might lose it if she takes with her to the barracks but it turned to be a wrong decision on her part.

 

And so she scoured the entire town just to retrieve it, not taking a rest for even a day until a jewel maker informs her that a citizen had sold the jewelry to him. The jeweler was more than willing to return it to her for free, but she refused, saying that she will pay for it since he was just caught up in the schemes of a thief. She didn’t forget to ask who sold it to him, but further investigation and she realizes that the thief only wanted to steal the jewel to help the family with whom she left it to.

 

Nevertheless, she was just glad that it was returned safely to her and in one piece, but their duel has never left her mind ever since. The blindfolded woman invaded her dreams, and every time she would remember the way she moved, how swiftly her sword would always go for its intended mark and how she was caught off guard with that one attack that actually made her retreat.

 

Needless to say, for Yerin, she has never found swordplay as beautiful as how the Black Rose did it and she feels an urge to want to witness that swordplay one more time.

 

None of her fellow knights could execute it the way she did. It was… like a dance. A dance that she would no doubt want to see being performed one more time. Yerin has always had a thing with anything that she finds beautiful and perhaps to her, it would only be a normal reaction to want to go back again and again to beauty when she sees it.

 

And besides, the identity behind the mask intrigues her just as much. Who was she? What does she do? Where does she live? How can she execute such perfect swordplay like that?

 

Unfortunately, all her attempts have been futile. All leads that she’s followed only showed her dead ends. It felt like the woman lead her in circles, placed her inside a labyrinth and making sure she never got out. But this only made her want to find her more.

 

Yerin sighs, fiddling absentmindedly with the necklace around her neck. Now back in the present, she decides to make a detour and go out to town again. She doubts she will be able to sleep well tonight so she may as well use that time to clear her head once more.

 

The sun had already set and night was beginning to set in. The streets were still a little crowded but not much compared to the day. Most of the people she saw were just ones on the way home from work, while others were mostly spending their time at the tavern or the food market.

 

As for Yerin, her reminiscing brought her to that one particular alley. The alley where she fought with the swordswoman whose entire being was ingrained into her mind. There was just no way that she would forget or get over such a thing so easily.

 

It wasn’t even a while when she finally reached her destination and as she expected, the streets were empty and the alley was pitch black. It was a part of the city that wasn’t frequented as there was nothing but houses that encompassed it and it was a distance from the busy areas, and so there was just silence that met her upon her arrival.

 

That was fine for Yerin. After all, it would be better if no one was there to question her presence in that particular area.

 

She fiddles gently with the lavender rose in her hands. She had bought the red roses as an impulse and gifted it to any woman that she saw, but she realized she hasn’t given one for the woman who really mattered and so she bought a different rose in hopes that she would be able to give it to her, the particular color holding a meaning that she hoped would be able to convey what she wished for her to know. And so a part of her wished, as she stood in that alleyway, for said woman to appear, but of course her wish wasn’t answered despite standing there for a while.

 

Sighing, she questions herself what she was doing. Of course there was no way the Black Rose would appear before her.

 

Yerin looks up, noticing that it was getting late and finally makes the decision to leave. She squats down, gently placing the rose at a corner. She didn’t even know what in the world she was doing, but at that point she was just indulging her own childish whims. They might not meet now, but if they ever do then Yerin will be ready with a fresh rose next time.

 

Yerin mulls over the meaning of the black rose that she received that night.

 

Dishonor.

 

Perhaps she leaves the rose as a message to those that she defeats. In terms of the sword, nobles and knights are said to be the most skilled because of the training they receive when they were children. Because they are nobles, they shouldn’t be defeated by a mere thief like her, because she is a knight, she shouldn’t have been defeated that easily.

 

So they brought dishonor to their names by not being skilled enough.

 

At least that’s what Yerin thinks the meaning behind the black rose is and the message that she’s trying to relay to everyone.

 

And so the next time they meet, Yerin is determined to prove her wrong.

 

One day. There will come one day when they will meet again.

 

---

 

A silhouetted figure finally steps out of her hiding place, eyeing the chevalière curiously as the knight finally walks away from the mouth of the alley where she was hiding in. Once she was assured that the coast was clear of anyone, she pulls down the hood of her cloak and takes tentative steps towards that one spot where the knight idled for too long. She was wondering what it could be that the knight was doing in that part and so she approached, curious, and immediately stopped in her tracks at the sight of the lavender rose carefully placed down in that particular corner.

Brows furrowed, a ton of questions begin to run through her head, but all of them were sure to remain as unanswered.

She lifts her blindfolded gaze from the flower to the direction where the knight walked off to. She was unable to see that well due to the lack of lights, but the bright red cloak that she sees as the woman walks away finally makes her realize who it was.

She would never forget that cloak.

And she knew only one particular knight who wore it that way which begs the question of what she was doing there.

Stooping a little to retrieve the rose, she eyes the flower for a bit in slight wonder. Was she giving this to someone? Were they supposed to rendezvous at that spot but was stood up? Nevertheless, whoever that person the knight was waiting for, it doesn’t seem that they would be coming. It would be a shame to just leave the rose there. Should she take it with her?

She shakes her head, deciding not to. In the first place, she has no time for things like this.

Pulling her hood up once more, she takes her leave, heading to her destination for that night.

At the back of her mind she wonders, why a lavender rose in the first place?