Chapter 84

Nicolas stared indifferently at the trembling back of his secretary, then looked back at the list in his hand.

Gerard Schmidt.

He was obviously a Dos...

Cheshire.

He already knew a lot about this boy.

The illegitimate son of the Duke Onyx.

And a boy taken in and tutored by Enock.

Enock must have seen that the boy had some talent and that’s why he brought him in.

So, he wasn’t an ordinary one, as Nicolas had already expected. Though he didn’t think it would be a Dos.

But, what’s important now isn’t these people.

“Do I have to wait for your answer for so long?”

“Your Majesty...”

At Nicolas’s urging, the secretary carefully got up and took out a list from the file, handing it over.

His hands were trembling.

‘It’s fine even if it’s not a Dos.’

Sometimes a child can be less capable than their parents. It’s a rare occurrence.

‘It’s fine even if it’s a Quarto or a Septima.’

As long as it’s a rank that can be mobilized at the emperor’s discretion, up to the third rank, which is mandatory for the imperial army by military law.

Nicolas calmed his tense heart.

Lilith Rubinstein

Rank: 4th, Octava

But his expectations were cruelly crushed.

“...What is this?”

“...”

“What is it!!!”

Nicolas shouted.

Clang, Clang, Clang—!

The windows in the office shattered from the momentum of his roar, his eyes blazing.

“Gah! Huh!”

The secretary, crouching and choking, hastily surrounded himself with mana.

When the emperor was this angry, many who were near him died from the power that was recklessly released.

“Your, Your Majesty. Please calm down. It has been determined that the rank of Lady Rubinstein is 4th, Octava.”

“Did I ask for such an answer?”

“Yes, yes! I apologize... All the researchers in the training facility observed the measurement, and her rank was measured three times with mana formers.”

“...”

“I was also surprised after receiving the report, so I went to confirm it myself. I am truly sorry, but the lady...”

The secretary, closing his eyes tightly, added.

“...is indeed 4th, Octava.”

Nicolas’s hand fell weakly.

This was a variable he had never considered.

That Enock Rubinstein’s daughter, just a 4th rank.

“This, this...”

Nicolas, who had risen shakily, rubbed his aching head.

It’s unbelievable.

It was a leash he had spent years crafting for Enock Rubinstein.

‘How do I deal with this situation...’

Nicolas’s eyes turned to the map hanging on the wall again.

Enock, who had promised to become a dog to exempt his daughter from military service, would now change his mind.

Just like in the old days, when he was a reckless young boy...

He would always speak his mind and put obstacles in my path to becoming the Conqueror King.

Damn, useless woman...

“Aaaaaah!!!”

Nicolas, muttering Lilith’s face, soon shouted in a fit of rage.

* * *

“Huh?”

A sudden chill ran through me. My body shivered involuntarily.

‘Has my rank reached the emperor’s ears by now?’

He might be cursing me out right now.

How beautiful was I to the emperor? I was the only leash on my father.

The emperor, who came to the training facility himself and put on a performance to pamper me...

‘To seduce me!’

I covered my mouth and giggled.

“Ugh, don’t go...”

“Lilith, we won’t see you anymore?”

“Can’t I just skip classes and stay here for another month? Hmmm.”

Alicia, Diane, and Michelle hugged me as I packed my bags, tears streaming down their faces.

“I’m so sad to say goodbye to you guys too.”

The reactions of the training facility kids to my 4th, Octava green badge were varied.

Those who always clung to me closely suddenly changed their attitude 180 degrees...

Those who hesitated to talk to me, only to approach me cautiously when they realized my rank was lower than expected...

‘It might be similar outside too.’

It was fortunate that I could filter people by how they treated me.

The kids in my room were initially surprised by my rank but soon felt only regret at the thought of parting ways.

They were good friends.

“I hope you all graduate soon. When you come out, I’ll invite you to my house. Will you come?”

“Of course!”

Alicia sniffled and hugged me.

“I’ll buy lots of pretty gifts and come. You must invite me.”

“Me too, me too!”

“Me too~!”

“Yay, sure!”

Alicia, who was packing her things, asked Gem.

“Are you coming too?”

“Huh?”

“Lilith, are you inviting Gem too?”

I nodded with a laugh at the cute question from Alicia, who was reluctant to see Gem leave.

“Of course! We’ll all get together, eat delicious food, go out, and buy pretty things and see fun things! What do you think?”

“Sounds good!”

“I like it too!”

“Yay, I’m looking forward to it!”

Gem, seeing her friends chirping like baby birds, smiled and rubbed her nose.

“We’ll have to graduate quickly to do that!”

“Hmph, I just need to collect 200 more points to graduate!”

The bickering between Gem and Alicia was affectionate.

It was a warm last day at the training facility.

* * *

I ate two bowls of dinner and patted my full belly as I walked with Cheshire.

The last meal...

It was good...

The training facility food, which I thought would be terribly tasteless, wasn’t bad when I think about it now.

“Take off the badge. Why do you wear it?”

Cheshire, who had been showing off the green badge I wore all day, asked.

“Why? It’s pretty.”

“Everyone is staring at you.”

Indeed.

I could see the kids passing by glancing at me.

I was the hot topic of the day at the training facility.

A kid who was supposed to be a Dos was wearing an Octava badge and wandering around.

“Cheshire.”

“Yeah.”

“Did you, by any chance, feel a bit disappointed that my rank was a bit lower?”

“What?”

Cheshire rarely showed any expression on his face.

This is rare. Cheshire, who usually has no expression, is frowning.

“Do you think I would?”

“No, I was just asking... Why are you making such a scary face?”

At my comment that he looked scary, Cheshire quickly relaxed his expression.

And then he said,

“To be honest, I felt relieved.”

“Huh?”

“Uncle was always worried. He would sigh whenever you were mentioned.”

“Oh, Dad?”

“Yeah. He felt it was all his fault. He felt sorry that you had to be a Dos and live as a soldier, even though you didn’t choose your parents.”

“It’s not Dad’s fault...”

“I told him that too, but his mind didn’t change.”

That makes sense.

As I nodded, Cheshire added,

“Uncle will be the happiest. You won’t have to go to the battlefield, so you won’t get hurt or die. You’ll be safe.”

“Hehe, that’s true. But what about you? You have to go out and hunt monsters. Are you okay with that?”

“I’m fine. No, I’m really happy. Being a Dos.”

“You’re happy?”

...Unexpected ambition?

I found it interesting, and Cheshire stared at me intently.

“Now I can be by your side without it being strange. At least people won’t insult you for hanging out with someone like me.”

“...”

I was speechless and stunned.

Why does Cheshire keep surprising me with unexpected comments?

‘Is this a confession?’

To be happy about receiving a Dos badge because it means he can be by my side.

“Let’s stay together. Always.”

“Huh?”

“I’ll always be by your side. If anyone tries to bully you, I’ll protect you.”

I swallowed hard at Cheshire’s serious words.

‘Hey, get a grip!’

Cheshire is just saying this purely and without any ulterior motives...

I felt embarrassed for interpreting it through a romantic filter.

‘Sigh, what should I do?’

Stop it.

I glanced at Cheshire’s face and pressed down on my racing heart.

‘This is a bit too complicated...’

Cheshire will soon be officially adopted into our family as my father’s adopted son.

He has received his rank, but he is still a young eleven-year-old.

He has a long way to go before he can establish a major and receive a title, and he needs a solid fence until then.

‘Cheshire will soon be my older brother, and I can’t have such sinister thoughts. Stop it!’

I quickly changed the subject.

“Ah! But will everyone at home think the same way? Bruce said that when I go back, my family will treat me like a bug, right?”

“Why do you care about such talk? Don’t you know your family yet?”

Of course, I don’t care at all. I just brought it up to change the topic.

“Yeah, Bruce’s silly talk...”

That’s when it happened.

Someone in the distance spotted me and approached with a shocked look.

It was my uncle.

“Wow! Hello, Uncle!”

I greeted him warmly, but my uncle, who approached me in a flash, didn’t respond.

He just burst into a hollow laugh and stared at the green badge on my chest.

“U-Uncle...?”

His expression didn’t seem pleased, and I was suddenly afraid.

My uncle pointed to my badge and said coldly.

“...What is this?”