Chapter 23

As the man reached out his hand, Tanya stepped in front of me, shielding me. The scene unfolded in slow motion before my eyes.

"…Don't come any closer."

I didn't know when she had taken it out, but Tanya held a small knife, pressing it against the man's throat. It seemed to be just a thin layer of skin away from cutting, and a thin line of red blood trickled down his neck.

"Wh-What are you…?"

The men were taken aback by the sudden turn of events. However, the employer soon regained his composure and laughed through his nose.

"Oh, you say violence is bad, yet you resort to violence yourselves?"

"It's because of your aggressive attitude. Violence begets violence. That's all there is to it."

No, I didn't really think that… It was just an excuse in the heat of the moment. Tanya couldn't hold back. But I was grateful for her help.

Now, what should I do? It would be easy to reveal my identity and have them dealt with here. But if I could, I'd prefer the guards to catch them. It would be a good demonstration of their effectiveness in maintaining order. I want them to serve as a deterrent to prevent similar incidents in the future. The guards should protect the citizens, not just me.

"Are you okay…?"

At the perfect moment, Grandfather appeared. The men's mood gradually shifted to one of resignation as they saw this strong-looking man.

"…Let's go."

Finally, the employer made his decision and left with the two men.

"…Miss!! Why did you do such a dangerous thing?!"

"Oh, Tanya, please don't call me 'Miss.'"

"This is not the time for that! I was terrified. If Lord Gazel hadn't stopped me, I would have rushed in immediately…"

"But you were angry even before I came out, weren't you?"

"You put Miss in danger. It's only natural that I was angry."

"Being angry… wouldn't have led to a calm discussion. Grandfather's presence alone was intimidating, and it would have made the situation worse… So, I thought I was the best person to defuse the situation."

"…But…!"

"My goal, as I mentioned in the meeting, is to protect the people here. If that means I have to act, I won't hesitate."

Tanya finally fell silent, though she didn't seem entirely convinced.

"I'll bring this up when we get back. This isn't a personal matter; it's something we should address as a domain. …Come, let's go home."

We said our goodbyes to Mina, who was deeply apologetic, and the children, who had regained their spirits, and started walking again.

"…Alice."

Just as we were about to reach the main street, Grandfather suddenly called my name.

"What is it, Grandfather?"

"Run. …Tanya, you understand, right?"

"Of course."

Tanya, as if she understood everything, took my hand and started moving.

"Hey, Tanya!!"

"Alice, just run."

Tanya led me to the main street and straight to the guard station.

"Please help us!"

I watched Tanya's interaction, confused and with a question mark over my head.

"What happened?"

"Over there, some men attacked us… A passerby helped us, but I'm worried about the man because he was outnumbered…"

Tanya, who usually doesn't show much emotion, now looked genuinely scared. …Actually, the men who attacked us… could it have been Grandfather…?

"That's terrible! Let's go immediately."

Three guards came out and followed us. …Even though they were three, Grandfather looked much stronger… but we went together. Tanya and I followed, as she was needed as a guide, and I could feel the silent pressure from her hand.

I think I would have been fine alone at the station, but…

When we returned to the scene, we found over a dozen men lying on the ground. At first, I thought they were dead, but they were just unconscious.

Grandfather stood calmly in the middle of the fallen men. …To take down that many in an instant… Grandfather is truly impressive.

"Ah, you… Thank you for your hard work."

A perfect salute. I remember, he had trained all the guards in the capital yesterday and this morning, so they would recognize him.

"Yes. I was asked to guard some young ladies today. I don't know why, but they were suddenly attacked, and I had to take care of it."

I see… We're maintaining the pretense that we're just strangers. After all, only the development department of the Azuta Trading Company and some of the domain officials know that I'm the acting lord and a duchess's daughter.

"Thank you for your assistance. We'll take these men into custody."

"Then I'll take my leave. I'll escort the young ladies."

"Understood."

…From there, we returned to the duchy without any further incidents. Incidentally, the attackers were indeed from the employer's group. They had left the scene to call for reinforcements. They were involved in human trafficking, so they were immediately arrested. Human trafficking is prohibited in our domain, so there was no need for a trial.

More than that, when I got home, Lyle and Dida scolded me severely. Grandfather was laughing in the background. …However, I still plan to visit the town regularly. It's fun, and I've gained a lot. One of the things I started was selling picture books. I also began writing fairy tales for children. I donated some of the products to the orphanage and used the profits to establish a new orphanage under the domain. I decided to continue donating the profits from the picture book business to the orphanage. …Of course, this means more work for me, but I feel more fulfilled because my purpose is clearer.

There's no right or wrong in what I'm doing. …But I have the power to help those small children. No, I can help many more people. If that's the case, I will move forward with confidence. Thinking this, my doubts were dispelled, and I felt more motivated to work. …Well, let's get to work today.