Chapter 18

--- A little time rewound.

Leve left the king's bedroom and closed the door silently.

She would have liked to stay by his side and fulfill her duty of protection, but it was the king's order, and there was nothing she could do about it.

A mix of frustration and indescribable emotions welled up within her, and she felt that her face had betrayed her feelings as she exited.

This was not befitting of a royal attendant. As a royal attendant, she must always remain calm and composed. Showing her emotions was absolutely out of the question.

She deeply reflected on her actions and let out a sigh.

"Commander of the First Legion. How is our king...?"

"He has regained consciousness. He said to call if there is anything needed. Orders have been given to send messengers to the other legion commanders."

Leve relayed the king's instructions to one of the magic-armored knights—sentient full-body armors classified as inorganic monsters—waiting by the door, and entrusted the task of sending the messengers to them.

Leve herself then stood in line with the magic-armored knights along the corridor, assuming a waiting posture.

However, she felt a sense of unease.

Although the king said he would call if needed, would he really call her?

After all, she had just committed the worst possible mistake by allowing the king to die.

It was uncertain whether he would trust her enough to call her.

"By the way..."

No punishment had been handed down for her mistake.

It was said that it would be dealt with later... and Leve recalled the events that had just transpired, blushing.

Thinking back, she felt she had exposed an incredibly undignified appearance to the king. The events that befell her as she leaned close to the king were completely unexpected.

At first, she thought she would be reprimanded.

However, the hand placed on her head lacked the force of a strike, and rather, she could sense a gentleness in its movement.

It took her a few seconds to realize that her head was being stroked.

It was such an unexpected event.

The sensation of the hand brought back memories from long ago.

From the dawn of this country, when she was still weak and small.

Back then, Leve would often be patted and praised by Helian.

However, such rewards ceased after the First War of Chaos, when Leve was appointed as a royal attendant.

Instead, she received rewards in the form of pay and equipment from the king.

Indeed, her finances had improved.

She could indulge in luxuries that were unimaginable during the dawn of the country.

The new equipment she received was distributed to her subordinates, and Leve had frequently replaced her beloved weapons.

However, to Leve, being patted on the head by her lord was far more delightful than any material reward.

And then, it suddenly happened, without any warning.

It had been a hundred and thirty years since the last time.

However, Leve immediately dismissed the thought that such a reward could be earned for her actions. After all, she had just committed a fatal mistake.

Why, then, had she been granted such a pleasant experience? She tilted her head in thought, but could not find an answer.

...Still.

The king's touch had felt incredibly good.

However, she had lost herself in the sensation and ended up exposing an undignified appearance before the king she revered.

Just thinking about it made her cheeks burn.

She needed to reflect deeply to ensure she never showed such an ugly side again.

But still...

It was a wonderful experience...

"Um, Commander of the First Legion?"

"Hm? What is it?"

"Is something good happening to you? You seem to be in a very good mood."

One of the lined-up magic-armored knights spoke out of the blue.

For some reason, its gaze was directed at Leve's waist.

"...Are you still half-asleep? The country is in an unprecedented situation, and you say I look good-humored?"

"Ah, no, I'm sorry! It must have been my imagination! I just stopped moving, so, yes!"

"Movement? What are you talking about? I don't understand."

She glared at the knight.

Could such a mindless puppet be trusted with the honorable duty of guarding the king's bedroom?

The magic-armored knights were under Balan's command, so Leve had no authority to dismiss them. However, if they were under her command, she would have dismissed and kicked them out immediately, she thought with frustration.

"...Still, this time it took a long while."

She recalled the revived king.

To be honest, she was very worried.

After all, he had been asleep for more than half a day.

The king, who had been assassinated by the detestable ogre, had revived on the throne but had not regained consciousness.

This had never happened before.

Was he really going to be alright? Doubts crept into her mind.

The king treated her as if she were a disposable item.

She had gritted her teeth more than once, wishing he would take better care of himself.

The recent foreign investigation was another example.

The king himself had ventured into a forest where unknown dangers lurked.

It was a proud back.

A figure that made her think it was good to have him as the king.

But still, she wished he would take better care of himself.

And then, the brave king fell to the hands of foolish rebels.

It was all due to their lack of strength.

They needed to improve.

She truly believed this from the bottom of her heart.

"Hmm..."

...But.

But, that is.

Suppose, just suppose.

If she continued to strive,

and served the king well,

and was granted the opportunity to receive a reward.

Would he pat her head again...?

"Commander of the First Legion?"

She had already been given the best equipment.

Recently, the rewards had been mostly money, which she had no particular use for and had been accumulating.

She thought about it.

Was it possible to receive a head pat instead of money?

No, this was not for her own desire.

Given the current state of the country and the severe economic impact, it would not be feasible to release large amounts of money from the treasury as before.

Therefore, this proposal was to receive a reward that would not damage the country's economy, out of concern for the country.

"Um, Commander of the First Legion?"

She had indeed committed a grave mistake.

To make up for the king's death, it would take more than just a little effort.

It might take decades.

But she thought about what would happen if she made such a request decades later.

The king would be confused.

After all, she was no longer a child but a fully grown adult.

It would be natural for him to be suspicious if she asked to be patted on the head.

But what if her wish were granted?

It would probably be in the audience chamber.

A private room or office where no one would disturb them would be better, but she wouldn't dare ask for the king's bedroom.

The previous incident was an exception.

But it had felt good.

The sensation of her hair being tousled was something she would never forget, even after decades.

"Um, Commander of the First Legion? Your tail has been... well, hitting my feet... repeatedly."

It had been a long time since her ears were touched.

Only her right ear was touched, so the balance was off.

Would he start with her left ear next time?

She would be happy if he pinched it.

If he rubbed it between his index and middle fingers, it would be even better.

Having his hand touch her neck was a new experience.

The king, being human, had a lower body temperature than a beast person, and the moment he touched her, her body shivered from the cool sensation.

The collar with the country's emblem.

His fingers, which avoided the collar, felt pleasantly cool and soothing when she focused on them.

"...Commander of the First Legion? Can you hear me?"

But the problem was what happened after that.

The king had buried his face in her neck.

She, who had been guarding the king for a whole day, had not bathed.

She suddenly became concerned.

She had been sweating a little, but she hoped she didn't smell.

If she had known this would happen, she would have asked Eltina to cast a cleaning spell.

If there was another opportunity, she would wash her body thoroughly.

She should consult Camilla about the scent.

She was an expert in such matters, though Leve personally didn't get along with her.

Frankly, Leve, who had a good sense of smell, disliked perfumes, but she would endure them.

If necessary, she could switch to her fully human form to mask her sense of smell.

But she wanted it to happen again.

However, she should wait.

Receiving it was one thing, but what if she did it herself?

She often smelled the king, but she had never buried her face in his neck.

What would it feel like to touch her nose to the king's neck?

What if she were allowed to lick it?

The thought made her imagine a sweet taste.

Oh, what should she do?

Her head was numb.

Would such a significant achievement, one that could bring down a country, be enough to ask for it?

If there was a suitable enemy country, she would like to be the first to charge.

"Commander of the First Legion. I'm very sorry to interrupt your good mood, but could you please stop hitting my feet with your tail? It would be greatly appreciated if you could—"

--- *Chime*.

The sound of a clear bell reached her ears.

In an instant, she moved from the wall to directly in front of the door.

She took out a hand mirror from her magic pouch and checked her appearance.

Her hair had become slightly disheveled from the rapid movement, so she combed it with her fingers.

She couldn't do anything about her body odor at this point, but she decided to let it go.

Other than that, everything was fine.

Leve, who had confirmed her perfection in 1.8 seconds, knocked gently on the bedroom door.

One of the magic-armored knights was blinking its helmet's eyes in surprise, but she paid it no mind.