Chapter 8

Immediately, the maid assigned to me came to the room.

"Did you call for me, Your Highness?"

Sasha, who has been my personal maid for half a year, tied her blonde hair into a single bundle and wrapped her curvaceous body in a maid's uniform that doubles as a dress. She is eighteen years old. Her air of purity only enhances the allure that emanates from her. She is more of a beauty than a cute girl.

If I were a man, I would be trying to woo her.

"It's rather urgent—"

I began, then stopped as I looked at Sasha's face.

Oh no!

I almost screamed.

Sasha's eyes looked even more like those of a dead fish than usual! They had evolved into the eyes of a fish that had been left to rot!

Sasha—no, the maids who have been baptized by the royal castle—become like this for one reason.

"......Sasha, I'm sorry. Did I call you suddenly and make you see something you shouldn't have?"

"It's not at all your fault, Your Highness. ...It's just that today, the encounters were more frequent."

Sasha patted her face, seemingly trying to relax her facial muscles.

"That's what happened..."

"Yes..."

---When maids first start working at the royal castle, their eyes are uniformly bright. They come from various backgrounds, having been appointed through examinations. The pay is good here, and they can form various connections and networks. It's the best place for a woman to work.

Of course, they also get excited about the prospect of love!

The castle is full of handsome men, even among the common soldiers. And they fall in love. Because they are so gentlemanly, the maids get their hopes up...

He's being so kind to me, maybe... there's a chance? They talk frequently, time their breaks, and occasionally bring snacks... The unbaptized maids get excited and chatter together.

The maids who have already been baptized say nothing out of kindness and from their own experience.

It's hard to believe something you hear from others. People don't believe what they don't want to. Besides, if you can keep dreaming, it's better to do so...

But the day the dream ends will come.

One day, they might encounter their love interests in intimate scenes, steamy moments, or dramatic confrontations...

Between men...

They come to know the harsh reality of love...

The rival is not a woman! It's a man!

---Eventually, most of them (especially those looking for good marriages) end up with dead fish eyes. If you're looking for a husband, it's actually better to go to the countryside...

Every time they witness lovers' trysts, the darkness in the maids' eyes deepens.

And the maids who continue to work with dead fish eyes become super competent. The current head maid is one of them.

Sasha cried a lot on the day she found out...

"---Your Highness, what do you need?"

I could sense Sasha's firm resolve not to talk about this anymore.

"I need you to go to the head maid and bring me the selection documents for my guard knight, Alderton, as quickly as possible."

"As you wish."

She bowed and left the room. She returned quickly, and I got what I wanted.

Let's read it, shall we?

Clifford Alderton.

Twenty-five years old. About a year ago, at the strong request of the noble family of Alderton and the Earl of Alderton himself, who was known for his martial prowess, he was adopted into the Alderton family. Originally a commoner from Targen. He became a candidate for a guard knight due to the Earl of Alderton's recommendation and guarantee of his abilities. However, during the final practical exam for the selection, he ranked last.

After rereading the documents on Alderton, this is what I gathered.

I see. So that's what it says...

Aleks might have called Alderton "you" because he knew this background.

Especially the part about being a commoner from Targen.

Targen is a land that borders the neighboring country of Kagnia and was part of Kagnia's territory until about a hundred years ago. It became part of Esfia due to a war. Apparently, the Esfian side did some pretty ruthless things.

Because of this, it is said that anti-Esfian sentiment is strong among the people of Targen.

I learned this during my princess education. "They are no longer Esfians, they might as well be called Targenians," my teacher whispered.

Targen, huh...

I was reading "The King of Integrity" and had just reached the Targen chapter when I died in my previous life. I was eagerly waiting for the release of the new volume, and the Targen chapter featured a keyword, "Ongarnu," which I was really looking forward to seeing how it would develop...

By the way, this "Ongarnu" turned out to have a meaning when I became Octavia. It's a kind of hell in a certain religion, I think.

And that's what I thought.

---So?

What?

In the end, it's still unclear what "Ongarnu" was in the original novel. I think it has some other meaning. Even if it's a name for a type of hell, you can't go there unless you die! I died once, though!

...I sighed.

Hmm. Still, this is a problem.

I wanted to gather as much information as possible about Alderton before our personal meeting.

Instead, I found some negative information.

Not only is he from Targen...

...but he ranked last in the practical exam.

I don't think Alderton would rank last. The Earl of Alderton vouched for him, so his abilities must be considerable. If the rumors about his stepson were false, it would damage the Earl's position and family name.

Of course, all the candidates were strong. But for Alderton to rank last?

It doesn't make sense, even from my experience of being guarded for three months.

It would be more natural for him to be in the top ranks.

So,

"He deliberately ranked last..."

This makes the most sense.

In other words, Alderton didn't want to be chosen as a guard knight and slacked off.

But he was chosen anyway.

...Is that what happened?

---Knock, knock, the sound of a knock echoed.

"It's Clifford Alderton. I have come at the request of Lady Octavia, as I was informed by the maid."

He's here!

Because of the shocking fact I discovered, I feel like I'm about to face the final boss...

I swallowed hard.

I flipped the documents on the desk over and grabbed my fan.

This fan—holding it makes me feel at ease. It blocks out the other person's gaze and hides my expression.

"I'll allow you to enter. Please come in."

Alderton entered. He glanced around the room briefly, careful not to be disrespectful, and furrowed his brow slightly. His gestures are so perfect that he could easily be paired with someone (a man) tomorrow.

Standing near the entrance, Alderton spoke.

"---Your Highness, may I ask if your personal maid is not here? It's just you and me?"

That's right.

"......?"

At first, I didn't understand what Alderton was getting at.

Personal maid? Sasha? Just me and you...

Huh?

---Oh! I get it!

I couldn't help but smile.

"It's fine. Alderton."

I nodded firmly.

Even if the suspicion that he didn't want to be a guard knight is strong, Alderton is, after all, a diligent guard knight.

Being alone with me in my private room must have been a concern for him as a guard knight.

I used the tea set that Sasha had prepared to make two cups of tea. I arranged the ceramic cups on the table, let go of the fan for a moment, and once everything was ready, I picked it up again.

Alderton observed my movements expressionlessly.

"What do you mean by 'it's fine'?"

"I trust you."

Being alone in a princess's private room with an unmarried man, even if he is her guard knight, is something that wouldn't happen in a typical fantasy.

A personal maid who keeps a watchful eye to prevent any dishonor to the princess would always be present in the room.

But—our history tells a different story.

For a princess, a guard knight is someone who can be trusted and relied upon!

Even if they shared a bed at night, nothing would happen, I think!

So far, no guard knight has ever had a relationship with a princess!

As far as I've investigated, not a single one! When I was in love with a guard knight, I searched the literature and spent days in the castle's library to find a case where a princess and a knight ended up together. There was none!

What I found were the raw diaries passed down by my female ancestors.

Page after page of heartbreak stories where they made advances and were rejected. One ancestor even hugged a guard knight while naked. The result? She was coldly rejected. The page had tear stains... My ancestor...

A guard knight is impenetrable. A princess has ironclad rationality.

A princess is safe.

...But a prince—my brother Sil is not a concern, but Aleks is dangerous. If a prince and a guard knight are alone in a room, something might happen. It's written in the records. Really, Aleks is more dangerous than me. Ten times more. ...Maybe even more.

"Do you trust me...?"

Hmm? His voice had a sarcastic tone, even though his face was expressionless.

"Yes."

"You say some interesting things, Your Highness."

A slight distortion of his lips. The smile I thought I saw at the training ground.

"Is that so?"

I'm serious!

"......"

"......"

The silence is killing me!

In situations like this—time for the fan. I snapped it open. Actually, I'm particular about my fan. It has to open with one snap!

At first, I thought I would carry a fan like the Octavia in the original novel. In the novel, she always had a high-quality, pure white feather fan.

But it was incredibly hard to use. It was heavy and had a strong smell!

So, my favorite fan is a custom-made one. It uses feathers from a bird that sheds a lot during molting. The feathers are black, light, and fluffy. They feel amazing to touch. When I asked a merchant to make a custom one with these feathers, he gave me a strange look and said, "Black? From this bird? Are you serious?" But I don't care!

It opens with one snap! And when it's open, it's so fluffy. Sometimes I rub my face against it.

"Please sit down, Alderton."

Feeling calmer with the fan open, I gestured to the chair across from me. The tea is ready. I made it, but I don't think it's bad... I can do this much, being raised as a princess. There are tea parties and such.

"---Yes."

Alderton finally moved from the entrance, but instead of sitting in the chair I offered, he stood right behind it.

"Please forgive me for this."

He bowed politely.

My attempt to be friendly and soften the atmosphere failed!

I guess I have to be direct...

I'm nervous...

I switched the fan to my left hand, took a sip of my tea with my right hand, and brought the fan to my face.

I looked up at Alderton.

"---Do you plan to resign?"

Do you have someone you like?