Chapter 3

Parsed with an automated reader. The content accuracy is not guranteed.

Part 1

When we met, His Majesty the King Aveyn was twenty-three and I was nineteen.

His Majesty, as he was called, did not have many people who called him by his name. So when I was asked to call him by his name, I wasn’t sure, but I eventually agreed.

It was the time when Aveyn’s fiancée, Duchess Katrina, turned sixteen and went to the palace to prepare for her wedding.

It was not unusual for the three of us to have a private tea party if the timing was right, so Katrina was like the first friend of the opposite sex that I had ever made. Even after she became the queen and mother of two children, this did not change.

「You are brilliant in spite of your foolishness.」(Aveyn)

「Huh. I’m not sure if you’re complimenting me or putting me down.」(Albright)

It was when I was twenty-five years old that I had such a conversation with Aveyn.

No longer was the tea party, called on a whim, a secret between the two of us, and by this time, we were rarely called out to and mistreated by those who saw us, and when they saw my face, some were polite enough to show me around.

Katrina, who had become queen, was busy raising her two sons, aged four and two, in addition to her official duties. At the men-only tea party hosted by Avein, there was a wide range of topics, from casual conversation to the exchange of information related to political and military affairs.

Again, there were only two of them, Aveyn and I. He said this as soon as I arrived, taking a sip of his tea.

「For better or worse, the more power you have, the more enemies you will have. Truth be told, I’d want you to have more power, but I know you’re too much of a fool to conspire and scheme.」(Aveyn)

「It’s true I’m not very good at figuring things out, but I don’t think I’m a fool.」(Albright)

When I heard the word “fool”, the face that came to my mind was that of eighteen-year-old Vanlet. He was a genuine idiot who had been by my side for a year as my assistant and still couldn’t learn the ways of the royal palace.

Then Aveyn narrowed his eyes and smiled thinly.

「You’ve always been very straightforward, and I like that about you. You should keep on being you and keep rampaging on the front stage.」(Aveyn)

「It’s business as usual, right? After all, I’m always in the front lines.」(Albright)

「That’s what makes you a fool, you dullard.」(Aveyn)

For some reason, he glared at me vexingly.

It was a terrible thing to hear. Although I was regarded as a capable man, for some reason, I was often belittled for no reason by my friends and acquaintances, which I found hard to understand.

「I never thought I’d regret so much that you’re not a nobleman. You’re not thinking clearly. I even went to the trouble of giving you a checklist, so why were you approached by Lord Macbeth and Lord Sepplai the very next day?」(Aveyn)

「Huh. I’m sorry, I’m not very good at remembering faces and names. But they were very nice people, they even went out of their way to teach me manners.」(Albright)

「That vague lack of a sense of urgency really annoys me… Should I force you to bestow a noble title?」(Aveyn)

Please don’t do that. The cramped and rigid world of the aristocracy does not suit me.

As I stared back in annoyance, Aveyn leaned back in his chair, exhaling tiredly. 「It’s a good thing we have them for that,」 he muttered, looking up as if remembering.

「Speaking of which, there’s a woman who’s been hanging around you lately. You’d better watch out for her.」(Aveyn)

「A woman?」(Albright)

Was there such a person?

For me, the only female friend I had was Katrina. The number of acquaintances had increased, but if it was a woman serving him personally, I have no idea.

「You’re an idiot. Listen, you foolish soldier. You see, there was an exotic woman with rare black hair. She’s a prostitute of sorts, packed with sex appeal.」(Aveyn)

「Sex appeal? –Oh, Teresa, you mean. If you ask me, she’s in the beautiful category. I think General Raymond was making such a fuss about her. Or rather, isn’t it cruel to be called foolish twice?」(Albright)

I asked, but Aveyn was not listening, looking troubled and in deep thought.

「Is this guy’s sex drive made up of steel, or has his entire brain been replaced by muscle? Huh, If your hobby is into developing sweet –no, don’t think about it. Umm, just look at my sons and tell you that they’re angels, and you’ll never think that they reek of evil.」(Aveyn)

Thinking he was talking to himself, Aveyn gave a single cough and turned to me.

「It’s not every day you get to know a man of your stature. Where did you meet her from?」(Aveyn)

「………What do you think?」(Albright)

「I’m glad to hear that no one was hurt. The owner was in a panic, but I compensated him generously because I don’t have a chance to spend money and the store seemed to be decrepit.」(Aveyn)

Aveyn then just told me, exhaustedly, that I should stay out of it as much as possible. I told him I had some things to think about, and I left his room.

After walking for a while, choosing a deserted road, I saw Raymond, the cavalry general, and Vanlet. The slightly older Raymond was a childhood friend of Aveyn’s, and a friend of mine who was not so caught up in the aristocratic ideology as one would not expect from a Count.

Raymond, who had noticed me, shouted, 「You’re a godsend!」

「Albright, you’ve come at the right time! Please take this man with you, he’s driving me crazy!」(Raymond)

「Huh. I have a feeling I don’t want to hear what’s going on– Vanlet, why are you here?」(Albright)

When I asked with an exhale, Vanlet, an eighteen year old with a large body, slowly tilted his grizzled head to the right with a puzzled look on his face.

「General Raymond seemed troubled, so I was hoping to help him, I think.」(Vanlet)

The way you said it is already wrong. When you say, 「I was hoping to help,」 I can point out that you weren’t really helping him.

As I hesitated, the insufferable Raymond snapped out of it.

「No way! I saved you when you nearly went into the division commander’s office! That Division Commander boy who looks like the son of the Great Demon King, the incarnation of malice, is there now!」(Raymond)

「Son of the Great Demon King? Ah, isn’t he the new duke’s son? Though he’s been nicknamed the Demon King because he collects books on torture. He was also my junior at knight school. We’re so close that every time we meet, he tries to break my joints. He’s also good friends with Albright-san, isn’t he?」(Vanlet)

「What’s with the chumminess? What’s going on with your thought process? His striking strength is off the charts! He’s got his eye on Albright for that one incident where you messed with him, you know!」(Raymond)

At the age of 16, he was appointed as the Division Commander of the First Silver Chivalric Order under the direct control of His Majesty the King, and just as he was about to do so, he was asked by his allies to join the war effort and won a great victory.

He is rumored to be the closest thing to a future grand marshal in terms of both brains and swordsmanship, and is also known to be an eccentric who custom-made his own uniform in jet black.

He is a young man with a lot of courage, and he has the capacity to be a natural dictator. His ability to consolidate his power so quickly had even the older military leaders talking about him.

His Majesty the King, Aveyn, had found him to be an interesting, yet outrageous asset.

He was truly the Demon King. The juvenile amusement of a boy of his age was on a scale that could not be described as amusing, and for four months after he became the division commander, the people of the royal palace had no time to relax.

Recently, in the office of the Third Court’s Kingsguard, which was blown up, I was wondering what had touched the Demon King’s crosshairs.

However, even if I tried to talk to the people of the Third Court’s Kingsguard, the men who had been interfering with me the other day, saying that 「those disposable mercenaries」 and 「the castle is becoming polluted,」 for some reason, fled as soon as I showed my face, so I couldn’t talk to them.

It doesn’t make any sense at all. Why are you running away?

The knights of the Third Court’s Kingsguard, whom I had thought hated me until just a few days ago, ran away from me as if they had seen a ghost, 「Don’t approach!」 I had mixed feelings. It was the boy Demon King who knocked them down, so I didn’t do anything to them…

At any rate, it is certain that if that division commander boy gets involved, it will be a disaster. I, who has been on his radar since the moment he took office, has been trying to stay out of his range as much as possible.

「All right. Let’s go, Vanlet! Let’s get back to the office now.」(Albright)

I’m sorry, but I don’t want to be a part of this disaster. The division commander’s office was not far from here. I announced to Raymond that I was going to leave as soon as possible.

「I’ll see you later, Raymond.」(Albright)

「Oh, and don’t forget that we’re meeting at Cuffy’s liquor store today. I’ll have Renault disguise His Majesty as usual, so it shouldn’t be a problem. Until then, I’ll run to the farthest place in the training grounds at the most.」(Raymond)

As we turned on our heels to wish each other good luck, a chill ran down our spines and our bodies went rigid at the same time.

When I looked over my shoulder at the familiar presence, I saw a boy with neutral good looks and a fresh smile on his face, who looked like he was in the middle of growing up.

His hair, which was almost as black as his jet-black uniform, and his indigo eyes caught my attention.

As soon as Raymond caught sight of the young boy, who was too young to be wearing a military uniform, he let out an 「oof」. When I saw that Vanlet was about to open his mouth with a puzzled expression, I quickly covered Vanlet’s mouth.

「It’s a lively day again, isn’t it, Albright-dono, the general rank captain from the mercenaries? No, I should call you by the title of [Black Knight] here. I didn’t expect my work to be so lax that I would be bored here, but as you can see, I’m a rookie with little experience. I’m sure you’ll be able to find something that works for you.」(Lloyd)

The boy smiled coldly, narrowing his eyes as if he had already killed several people. It is a well known fact that he does not need a mentor to teach him how to use a sword as he is the [Instant Kill Knight].

Apparently, he is also deeply rooted in the fact that I stopped his sword when he went on a rampage on his first day in office. I think it was a bit of a… bad idea to advise him that he was a child and that he should use his discretion in using disrespectful language with his superiors in order to avoid making enemies.

Or rather, as soon as you utter “murderous rivalry” while radiating an unconcealed killing intent, he will immediately decline.

Even the sword with a crushed blade that this division commander boy carries for his personal use unleashes a slash so heavy that it is hard to believe it is the power of a sixteen-year-old boy. He can easily break marble with it, so I can only say that he is amazing.

My hand left Vanlet’s mouth as he became conscious of his own thoughts.

Immediately, Vanlet called out to the boy demon lord, 「Hey,」 without reading the mood.

「Since it’s always a draw, do you want to get sword training from Albright-san again today? I’m not sure who the most powerful knight is. I think it’s Albright-san, but the knights in the royal palace are of a very high level, even Albright-san said so, so I think it would be more efficient to have him teach you how to use your sword.」(Vanlet)

Instantly, the mood of the place froze.

Everyone understood that Vanlet had no ill intentions at all, and that he was genuinely trying to advise Lloyd, who he mistakenly believed was seeking a mentor to help him become the strongest.

But that’s why his nature is so bad. The situation and the timing of his words are the worst, and for the perfectionist demon king boy who doesn’t accept even the lightest joke, Vanlet, the idiot senpai knight, is one of his opponents.

By the time Raymond and I thought, 「Oh, you idiot,」 it was too late.

The moment I thought I heard a low murmur crawling on the ground, 「I am the strongest,」 the division commander boy stepped in with astonishing instantaneous force. It took less than a second from the time he drew his sword to the time he was able to close the gap.

I was tempted to look up to the heavens at the recent situation at the royal palace, thinking that I had gotten into trouble again, as I caught the violent tip of the division commander’s sword with the sheath of the sword I had quickly pulled out.

The almost black, stagnant indigo eyes of the boy, who was much slimmer than I was, smiled wickedly…

Part 2

At the memory of the past that I hadn’t seen in a long time, I swallowed the scream that was about to come out and jumped up.

Today is the day of Lilina’s arranged meeting. I should have slept well last night with no worries, but waking up was a disaster so I took a cold shower than usual to work up a sweat.

That memory must have been jogged by my reunion with Vanlet the other day.

I feel that the years since I met Vanlet have been particularly turbulent. Among them, the boy division commander, who had been appointed two years before Albright’s death and who was the worst asshole in the royal palace, was extremely violent.

His Majesty laughed and laughed and laughed at the many incidents he caused. His vassals ran around to clean up the mess, and the Prime Minister collapsed several times with stomach ulcers, according to rumors…

No matter how many times I think back on it, the last two years following the age of twenty-five were really tough.

In addition to Vanlet, there were other problematic newcomers in the Black Knight Corps, and on the knight side, apart from the boy division leader, there were also newcomers with unique personalities and many issues with their characters that stood out. I feel like I didn’t have enough time to spend alone, like I didn’t know what a holiday meant.

For better or worse, the area near Albright was always noisy with friends and acquaintances gathering there.

They were dragged around to royal court events, thrown into the fray when they accompanied the anti-king faction’s absolution farce, and even though they belonged to different units, they were all chased around by the boy demon king, who told them that he would purge them, including the useless recruits.

I adjusted my clothes first and picked up a light blue ribbon with a honey-colored outline.

This ribbon was of the color that Lilina liked the most, saying that it was the color of my eyes. I didn’t think anything of it when I had those cloudy red eyes, but the sky blue color I saw at the end of my life was so impressive that I don’t feel bad about “Maria’s eyes” now.

Sitting in front of the makeup table, which I have become accustomed to through my daily routine, I swept my hair to the side and pinned it up with a ribbon to make my face look neat. Brushing my dark brown hair with my hand, I stood up, feeling the soft movement of my hair against my waist.

No matter how many times I looked at the girl in the mirror, there was no trace of Albright in her.

Still, when I look at her like this, I can vividly remember her clear nose, long slit eyes, and her slightly long, light brownish-gray hair.

Perhaps it’s because I know that Maria is Albright.

Both are me, and I don’t intend to deny either.

No matter how much my appearance changes, my heart will always be set free.

※※※

It was my usual wake-up time, even though it was early in the morning before the sun had even risen, but strangely I didn’t see anyone until I arrived at the mansion.

Curiously, I opened the front door of the mansion and was blindsided by the scene that unfolded there.

A simple table had been set up in the hall, and a large amount of apple pie was lined up on it. All the servants except me had already gathered there and were eating the cake that had been transferred to small plates.

The thoughts that had been making me jittery all morning were blown away before my appetite. When Guise noticed me, he gave me a look that said, 「Ah, you came」.

「Eh, what is this? What happened? Can I eat that?」(Maria)

「You’re finally here.」(Gaspar)

Gaspar, rolling up the sleeves of his cook’s uniform, muttered and beckoned me to come.

「Good morning. Here’s some apple pie to cheer you up. Since everyone was busy with preparations until yesterday, I thought I’d bring you some. The Master has given me permission, so eat as much as you can before the first thirty minutes of work.」(Gaspar)

Gaspar then grinned wryly and patted my head.

Oh, my God! Are you a Godsend?!

My mood quickly recovered. Rather, the worst of my mood after the nightmare was completely wiped away. The apple pie was freshly baked and warm, which was a treat for me as I went to work in the chilly early morning autumn breeze.

As a result of eating in a good mood, I consumed a whole piece and a half piece in thirty minutes. Matthew, who doesn’t usually spend much time at the mansion due to his role as Albert’s chamberlain, looked at the scene and blurted out with a pale face, 「This is the most shocking thing I’ve seen in a long time… I’m going to throw up.」

After we had all cleaned up quickly, Head Butler Forrest gave the signal for us to take our places.

For a few hours or so before the fourth prince’s visit, the work is mainly done in-house, so the peak of the workday is before he arrives. Since the servants don’t work openly when guests are invited, during that time the representatives, Elena, Karen, Margaret, and Forrest, are mostly on standby.

In the few hours when Lilina was not around, I was to work with Mark to weed the large field that was hidden from the guests.

◆

Just before several luxurious carriages announcing the visit slid in, Forrest called all the servants together and warned them, 「Please be careful not to startle His Highness and if you dare to jump out of hiding, His Highness will hear about it from the master,」 he warned Maria and the others.

Well, it seems that the fourth prince really is shy, I thought.

Dressed in a peach-colored dress, Lilina stood in the doorway, escorted by the Marquis of Urband. Sally was standing by her side, with Elena, Karen, and Margaret standing by to support her.

Margaret is a ladylike woman with a baby face that does not look thirty years old. Despite her young face, she has a feminine body and is the most affectionate of all the maids. Because of her motherly softness, she also acted as a nanny for Lilina when she was young.

In addition to them and Maria, the Marquises of Urband had only four other maids in their twenties who were in their prime. From cleaning the house to taking care of the masters, a total of eight people, led by Elena, the Head Maid, were in charge of the house.

It was an unusually small number for the size of the mansion.

Externally, the mansion is blurted out as “a little less than other mansions,” and no outsider has been made to know the actual number of people. The battle maids are physically capable of moving through the vast mansion several times faster than normal people in their custom-made, weaponized, sturdy, almost military boots.

When the carriage arrived, I was on my way to the field with Mark.

Unfortunately, we would not be able to see the young prince on our schedule. Since I didn’t want to see the escorting knights, that includes Vanlet, I felt a mixed feeling of relief and disappointment.

I counted the number of people who had arrived at the house and found that there were more than twenty in total.

The sound of cavalry clops were also present, so Mark and I guessed that the prince’s guards had arrived in addition to the escorting knights.

「Oh wow, as expected of royalty. You’ve got a huge number of them for one little boy.」(Mark)

Mark, who had been searching for an indication as well, let out a breath that was neither admiration nor dismay.

「There’s only a handful of us here, isn’t there? This doesn’t feel like a private visit, does it?」(Maria)

「That’s what royalty is all about. If it’s a big event, it can easily exceed the size of a platoon. Some of them seem to be quite capable, and His Majesty has thought about their placement.」(Mark)

I, who couldn’t even read the strength of the enemy, tilted my head and said, 「I see」. Mark glanced down at me and raised one eyebrow.

「It’s strange, isn’t it? You have a habit of being able to read subtle signals, but you can’t read your opponent’s strength at all, don’t you think that’s unusual?」(Mark)

「I wonder. I never even thought about it.」(Maria)

「You always were a weird kid. You’re the first person I’ve ever seen who didn’t mind smiling and fighting back when the Head Butler was trying to hurt you even though it was just a training exercise. You must have a malfunction in your sense of fear.」(Mark)

Mark’s light brown eyes wavered slightly as he smiled mischievously. Maria didn’t notice, but the words reminded me of the old past.

Since my time as Albright, I’ve often been told that I’m insensitive to fear.

As soon as I met His Majesty the King, Aveyn, he said to me, 「You don’t know fear, do you?」 This was a shortcoming of my own that Albright had never considered before.

Still, I am not quite sure what to make of others’ assessment that my range of perceived emotions is narrow and dull.

You are a good knight if you are not afraid of exchanging lives. But knights are not disposable pawns, Aveyn had warned him. Such people instinctively don’t value their own lives, so they tend to die early.

While fear functions as a subjective sense to measure strength, if it is absent, they don’t realize it until they are actually in a dangerous situation with a sword.

We decided to start by pulling weeds in the vegetable patch.

There was no hurry, so we put on our work gloves and pulled out the weeds at our own pace.

「Did he say if there’s a ‘rat’, keep one alive?」(Mark)

As he proceeded with his hand, Mark mentioned it in a small voice.

If there is anyone who turns on His Majesty the King, we have to cut off the root of the problem. If it was an uninvited guest of the Marquis of Urband, there would be no problem, but this time it was a little different.

「He said to leave them in the dungeon.」(Maria)

「Just so long as they talk, right?」(Mark)

「Yeah, I wonder if a *mineuchi would suffice.」(Maria)

TL/N: Mineuchi is a way to strike an opponent with the back of a sword/katana/blade mainly in a non-lethal way that makes for more opportunities to attack based on speed. If google is right.

「Don’t let them make too much noise. I’m not good at quiet work, you know. It’s too much work.」(Mark)

「That is, if you’re available. Nick and the others are all on guard duty today, and that’s why Albert-sama left Matthew behind.」(Maria)

Still, I’m curious about the fourth prince, who is said to be like an angel.

I looked up at the blue sky above her.

Forrest told me that if things went well with Lilina, I might see her again in the future, but I vaguely hoped that I would have at least seen a portrait of her.

Part 3

*Beluano’s POV*

Visiting the Marquis of Urband’s residence was the fourth prince, His Highness Prince Christopher, complete with golden hair and lovely golden-green eyes.

The young fourth prince, though nervous, greeted the Marquis of Urband in a manner that was impressive for a ten-year-old. The Marquis of Urband, who had been watching over him from afar, bowed deeply and said, 「It is an honor to meet you.」

This time, Christopher was accompanied by two knights of his bodyguard, three knights of his bodyguard who were usually in his private quarters, the Prime Minister who had been instructed by his father to take care of him as the person in charge, and a platoon of cavalry guards who would escort him along the way.

Christopher and Lilina’s first greeting to each other seemed to have made a good impression on both of them. While Prime Minister Beluano, who was also their representative, was greeting Lord Urband on behalf of the adults, the two youngsters were looking at each other with great interest.

The Prime Minister, Beluano, is a large man, fifty-two years old this year, with silvery-white hair that is beginning to fade a bit. He has never been friends with the Marquis of Urband, and this is the first time he has met [The King’s Sword], and he was terribly nervous.

Of course, other people do not know the real situation of the Marquis of Urband, so Beluano was trying to keep an amiable smile on his hard-working face to avoid being recognized.

Beluano was acquainted with Albert, who was to succeed the Marquis of Urband, to the extent that they met face to face at the royal palace. Albert is the vice-captain of the Third Court’s Kingsguard. A handsome young man without any of the inner ugliness of a genuine aristocrat, he is also very popular with women because of his soft, fragile and well-groomed face.

For better or worse, his abilities were average, but he was about thirty years younger and gentler in appearance, and yet he was the most frightening person Beluano had ever met. Anyone who was aware of the truth would be in awe of his ability to adjust himself so as not to appear inferior or superior.

However, in the presence of the actual head of the family, the Marquis of Urband, Beluano’s assessment was quickly overturned.

He is a man of his own age who makes me feel ‘nothing’ at all, and he scares me to the point of trembling.

The Marquis of Urband’s thoughtless, glass-ball-like gaze instinctively filled him with awe. He shuddered when he saw the expression on his face, which showed not the slightest hint of murderous intent or cleverness, and realized that real evil could be transformed into something so human.

His Majesty the King laughed and told us that he was a brilliant and funny man, but I found that absurd.

He had pried into the minds of many different people and confronted several plots for the good of his country, but Beluano instantly realized that he could not do that kind of thing with him.

From Beluano’s point of view, the look of compassion that the Marquis of Urband cast on Christopher was genuine. The moment he recognized him, the softened eyes showed a slight hint of infatuation with the absolute monarch.

It was for this reason that he knew once again that His Majesty the King was able to see him off without a care in the world, even with a small escort.

Christopher, who knew nothing about it, walked hand in hand with Lilina, urged by the Marquis of Urband. He looked at the furniture and paintings of the Marquis’s mansion, which was not as luxurious and unusually uncluttered, as if he were curious about them. The two of them began to get to know each other very quickly.

As the Marquis of Urband was rumored to be very fond of Lilina, she was as lovely and beautiful as any other young lady in the eyes of Beluano and his men. In a few more years, she would be an absolute beauty that could be mistaken for a fairy.

When the two young people stood side by side, the prince’s lustrous golden hair and the marquise’s soft honey-colored hair caught my attention. The profile of the two talking to each other from the same point of view was so adorable that it made me feel as if they were blood relatives.

The little prince and the little girl were accompanied by their respective knights.

Sally, a slender and fragile-looking boy who was introduced as a chamberlain, was standing near Lilina, and next to her was Vanlet and another guard knight.

While he was guiding him throughout the mansion, Christopher’s eyes had turned to stare at Lilina for a long time.

As if excited by her new friend, Lilina forgot about her father’s approval and said, 「I’m proud of our family,」 with her uplifted cheeks and a pretty bird-like voice. Christopher, too, replied, 「Yes,」 with a rare, tension-free smile.

「This– looks good, doesn’t it.」

One of the knights of the Kingsguard whispered to his colleague in the last row. It is said that the fourth prince is very shy, but the truth is that he is shy because he is sensitive to the malice and calculating thoughts of others as discomfort.

In the past, when gathered with the younger ladies, they had always averted their gazes and shrugged their shoulders in fear.

So even Beluano, who had been slow to notice the Marquis’ presence, was inwardly surprised by Christopher’s lack of caution. He also realized that, apparently, Lilina knew nothing about her own household.

Seeing Christopher’s happy face, Beluano suddenly remembered something that His Majesty the King had asked him to do. At the very least, please don’t be afraid of him. If you are not an enemy, the Marquis of Urband is your strongest and most reassuring ally, he had said…

[The King’s Sword] is the power behind the scenes of a country that is feared by those who know it as the origin of absolute evil and death.

Speaking of the strongest, Beluano remembered that His Majesty the King once had an eccentric friend. Perhaps very few people knew about it.

He was a fearless, foolish and kind man, His Majesty the King had always said proudly and happily. After setting the scene, he had been thinking of making a friend of the Marquis of Urband, and on the first anniversary of his death, he spilled his true feelings, which he rarely spoke of.

He was a man who wasn’t accepted by many nobles, so Beluano was going to be introduced to him later, and only saw him from afar.

When the days of running around worrying about the troubles they cause suddenly ended, I felt an indescribable sense of loss, thinking that the King always seemed to be enjoying himself. I had been told that he would eventually become [The King’s Front Sword], and that he and the promising young division commander would do well together.

It was sixteen years ago. A man who was said to be the strongest and the deadliest, a man who wore a mysterious aura that could hardly be seen as a demon, died.

The strongest of the [Black Knights] of all time, who had never known defeat, passed away without a trace.

Just as Beluano was thinking that he would be able to control the troublesome people once this war was over, the smile disappeared from the King’s face, as if he had foreseen his death. According to his subordinates, he had received a certain letter…

He was about to turn his attention to the grizzled grass head that was always by the side of the King’s friend, when a sudden voice called out to him and he was startled.

「Since we’re here, I’ll leave you two alone, even though we’re a little earlier than planned.」(Urband)

The Marquis of Urband suddenly spoke to him, and Beluano turned his head toward him, making as calm an expression as possible.

He smiles fondly back at Marquis Urband, shoving the memory of the time he was disappointed when he realized that the future he had envisioned with the [Black Knight], a figure he had seen from afar, would not come to fruition and that they would eventually complain about government affairs and His Majesty the King, into the depths of his heart.

「I think that’s a good idea.」(Beluano)

As Beluano answered the Marquis of Urband in a whisper, so as not to be noticed by the two young children, he became aware of one fact.

I was so nervous that I completely forgot about it, but up to this point, my escort knight, Vanlet, has not opened his mouth at all. And he hasn’t caused any problems. In addition to that, the rest of the problem children have been quiet as well.

Good. It really helps to be quiet, even if it’s just in front of the kids…!

The presence of the man who came with him as his escort knight may also be a stopper for Vanlet to some extent. In the case of Vanlet, the fact that he had been sent as a messenger to the Marquis’s residence earlier, and that he was less likely to run off on his second visit, seemed to have helped.

At the same time, Vanlet’s presence helped to keep the other escort knight from behaving in a problematic manner. I was wondering if this combination was really safe, but I could easily imagine that it would fail if it were anyone else, so I had no other choice.

The Head Butler and one of the maids urged Christopher and Lillina to take a seat on the terrace in the garden leading from the large drawing room, saying, 「Why don’t you two take some time to talk alone?」 The children, who had become good friends, affirmed happily and ran off hand in hand.

Before I knew it, there was another young maid waiting for me on the terrace. Tea and cookies for the two of them were also prepared on the table. Underneath her skirt, which was slightly shorter than the usual maid’s uniform, there was a glimpse of sturdy military boots, something not seen on other maids in the mansion.

A Combat Maid… His Majesty says, is more than a mere common soldier, which should be enough for an escort.

Not wanting to look too closely at the woman’s footwear, Beluano casually averted his gaze. Now that they were alone, he wondered troublingly what he should do.

Currently, there are no other subordinates besides Beluano who know the true identity of the Marquis of Urband.

Normally, even if it is just the two of you, it is normal for you to have an escort knight, but unfortunately, among the fourth prince’s escort knights, there is no one decent today.

Beluano’s true desire was for a captain of the Kingsguard named Allaux, who would also take care of Christopher’s education if there was an opening. If he had to leave Vanlet and the other man with Christopher, he was not sure if he could take care of the young man.

No, if I take my eyes off him, His Highness will surely be inconvenienced.

In the morning, he had just been reminded by Christopher’s father, His Majesty the King, 「Don’t leave the three of them alone, will you?」 He grinned like a man under pressure.

Then, as if the Marquis of Urband had realized what he was doing, he said in a soft voice, 「It’s all right, Prime Minister-dono.」

「I’ll have Sally, my daughter’s bodyguard, nearby, so you won’t be alone with her. My maids, Elena, Karen and Margaret will be standing by where you can see them, so please don’t worry.」(Urband)

It was a not-so-natural way to start the conversation, considering that it did not create a situation where two unmarried individuals, albeit young, were alone. It’s not that I’m not a fan of the idea.

The terrace seating was also very close to the location of the guards that were on standby on the grounds. There would be no need to have unfamiliar and strong knights of the royal palace guards in this Marquis’ residence, which Lilina would occasionally look back at with concern.

I would rather feel bad about leaving these two escort knights behind, the strong Vanlet, with his unnecessarily large body that would slightly frighten a young girl, and the cold expression on these two men’s faces, like blades without any affection whatsoever.

I mean, these guys have personality problems, so I can never leave them behind.

Beluano, taking advantage of the Marquis of Urband’s suggestion, mentioned that he would have the men other than the escort knights rest and wait in the guest room where they could see the two youngsters. My men seemed to agree, and the young-looking maid led me into the guest room with a smile.

At the invitation of the Marquis of Urband, Beluano and the two escorting knights were led further into the mansion.

「That is our pride and joy, the blue rose.」(Urband)

「Wow, it’s stunning.」(Beluano)

When he went upstairs, he could clearly see the blue rose garden from the window, and he couldn’t help but let out a gasp of admiration. It was larger than the one at the Duke Gavin’s residence, and the flowers were more magnificent, and he had never seen such a lustrous blue.

A multi-colored rose garden was also set up next to the garden, and it was easy for Beluano to see that the gardener was very skillful.

The Marquis of Urband’s mansion has several elaborate ornamental gardens to entertain guests in its vast grounds, which are comparable to those of the five great dukes, but on the other hand, it is surprising to see that the Marquis of Urband’s mansion also has fields that can provide for its own needs.

「I would like to experience it for myself.」(Beluano)

「Hmm, I would be happy to show you around.」(Maid)

In the middle of this exchange, one of the maids walking down the corridor noticed Beluano and the others and stopped at the edge and bowed her head.

She was younger than the maid I had met earlier, but she seemed to have a strong spirit that was not afraid of the messenger from the royal palace. Her posture was beautifully arranged down to the tips of her fingers, and I could see that she had been well educated.

The other escort knight next to Vanlet turned his sharp, slitted eyes behind his silver-rimmed glasses to the maid with interest, and narrowed his brilliant blue eyes that seemed to be stern.

「There are only a few servants here. I thought there would be more, but everywhere I look it’s quiet.」(Bespectacled Knight)

「Haha, our servants are all ‘excellent’, so we have as many as we possibly need.」(Maid)

「Is their training that good?」(Bespectacled Knight)

「The servants are trained by the Head Butler and the Head Maid, so I’m sure our training is very effective. As you can see, he’s a man of few solemnities, so we tend to be a little indulgent.」(Maid)

Is that so, said the escort knight, lifting the side of his silver-rimmed glasses with the aligned fingertips of his right hand. Vanlet, who must have been here once, had just turned his eyes to the right and left, occasionally throwing a coy glance out the window as well.

The Marquis of Urband, noticing Vanlet’s condition, smiled happily.

「Our house is safe, so you are free to look around, Guard Knight-dono. You were only missing for about thirty minutes the other day, so I’m sure you didn’t get enough time to explore.」(Urband)

Although he had expected it, Beluano’s head immediately started to hurt.

I knew from His Majesty the King that the servants of the Marquis of Urband were excellent, so I guessed that they would not be inconvenienced by a major hassle of being searched, but I still think they did in fact do it.

As far as Beluano knew, Vanlet was a man with a somewhat screwed up personality. He couldn’t concentrate, he didn’t read the room, he was extremely lost, and to top it off, he didn’t know what he was thinking, which was a big problem.

However, thirty minutes is an extremely short record time. The servants of the Marquis family are truly excellent, and I am impressed.

Vanlet has a habit of wandering here and there, drawn by curiosity when he is new to a place.

I tried to persuade him to come back, but he wouldn’t talk to me, and time dragged on without me knowing what he wanted, and like a young child, he kept asking me 「What’s that」 and 「What’s this」 about everything that caught his attention.

The Marquis of Urband’s generosity in making such a kind offer, despite the inconvenience of Vanlet’s temporary disappearance when he first arrived as a messenger, touched Beluano, who had been exhausted by his recent busy schedule.

Since most of the nobles are proud, they are usually in a bad mood and will mercilessly hurt Beluano’s head with sarcasm and complaints. Even when it came to subordinates and vassals with whom he was not directly involved, he would say whatever he wanted with the unreasonable pretext that he was the Prime Minister.

As His Majesty the King said, the Marquis of Urband may be a good man. Maybe he is one father who has a critical role to play but is a good human being…

The Marquis of Urband’s residence is a seamless and completely safe zone.

Rather than bothering the Marquis of Urband himself, Beluano felt that it would be better to leave these guarding knights, whose behavior was notable for their problematic nature, away from him and let the servants take care of them while the fourth prince, Christopher, was having a good time.

「The Marquis suggested that, but what about you two?」(Beluano)

In order not to let such a calculated idea be known, Beluano suggested it in his usual curt manner.

Then, despite the thoughtful expression on the face of the bespectacled escort knight, Vanlet’s eyes lit up and he said without pause, 「I will do that.」

The bespectacled guard knight, who was good at his job, frowned slightly as he realized that he would be kept company to prevent him from getting lost. There was little change in his expression, but the slight change showed obvious dissatisfaction.

It would be unbearable if the usual exchange started here. The bespectacled man looked like an excellent knight if he kept his mouth shut, so Beluano hurriedly told him before he could open his mouth.

「I have to talk to the Marquis, so you guys are free to go for a while. Now, go on and get going.」(Beluano)

「Are you angry? Then strike me–*」(Bespectacled Knight)

*TL/N: I think we know which character trope this is. Take your guesses now.

「Ahhhhhh, Vanlet! You’ve been here once, now guide him.」(Beluano)

Beluano forced himself to interrupt the bespectacled knight’s dialogue with a shout and shoved Vanlet.

「What’s the rush, Prime Minister? Come to think of it, you said that your stomach has been aching lately, is it the usual diarrhea? Yes, I think I’ll guide you.」(Vanlet)

「Hmm, you want me to be guided by your destructive lack of direction? If you were the bringer of bad fortune, I’d be happy to follow you, but I’m afraid I can’t even be left in your company…」(Bespectacled Knight)

「Ahhhh, Vanlet! For God’s sake, get a move on!」(Beluano)

Beluano had not parted with the fact that the Marquis was watching, but he was no longer ashamed and sent them away as he usually did.

Vanlet dodged a kick that didn’t go up from Beluano, who was conscious of his zero combat ability. The bespectacled guard knight turned his disappointed gaze to Beluano’s leg and shook his head, 「Good grief.」They neither looked at each other nor at the other, and together they turned back the way they had come.

The Marquis of Urband, who was standing behind me, said in a gentle tone, 「It seems to be quite a task,」 with a rare hardening of his smile.

「Do you understand?」 Beluano blankly stated and hung up as if he had given up.

Part 4

I wondered how long it had been since then.

The three intruding killing intents quickly disappeared, and after some time spent pulling weeds in the field, Mark and I lost our concentration.

In the process of clearing away all the weeds that had been gathered, Mark noticed the gaze of the newly emerged sniper and quickly shot him with his pistol, killing him! The fallen corpse vanishes with the shadow that momentarily crosses it.

「What to do next? The Head Butler has appointed me to prepare Maria’s work.」(Mark)

It wasn’t that he didn’t have anything to do, but as far as Mark was concerned, working in the fields should be done with a good break in between, and he didn’t like the idea of having to do one laborious task after another. In other words, he was in a fierce mood to slack off.

But I, on the other hand, have been fidgeting for a while now.

I’m very curious about Lilina. And I’m also furiously curious about the rumored “The Angelic Fourth Prince”.

Even though Sally and Elena were standing by the young Lilina’s side, what if she was nervous and troubled in front of the fourth prince, whom she had never met before? Would they be able to get along well with each other?

To tell you the truth, I want to see and burn the sight of two angels together with my own eyes.

Yeah. I want to see it so badly.

After a few minutes of struggle, I couldn’t take it anymore and dragged Mark forcibly in a roundabout way to the mansion.

To take a peek at the terrace where Lilina was planning to have a tea party, I carefully crossed from shadow to shadow of the building, checking to see if there were any guards or visitors in the area.

「Maria, your personal desire, or meddling, is on a level that you shouldn’t be doing. –Why don’t we turn back?」(Mark)

If we get caught, we’ll be seen as neglecting our work, Mark said, his voice unenthusiastic.

I stretched my head out from the shadows of the building, checking to make sure there were no people from the royal palace ahead of me, and said crisply, 「What are you talking about?」

「I’m going to secretly enjoy the angelic way Lilina-sama looks at the angelic prince’s face! Two angels, isn’t that the best kind of situation!」(Maria)

「Well, I don’t think I’m going to get too deep into your hobbies now, yeah. I’m sure that nobody will be upset with you, but I’m sure I’d get a lot of cold stares. I can only see a dreary future where all the ladies will look at me and say, “You old fart, that’s messed up,” and I’ll be emotionally damaged…」(Mark)

Isn’t it a little sad that Maria is allowed to do this and I get the blame?

Although Mark thought that he was being overly patronizing, he was troubled by the thoughts of these women, who he found hard to understand, and wondered if there was any justice in being pretty on the outside and pretty on the inside.

Already filled with anticipation, I did not hear the slightest bit of Mark’s monologue. When I was sure that there were no people in front of me, I looked back over my shoulder at Mark and gave him the signal with my right hand that I had grown accustomed to since my days as Albright.

「No excuses, Mark. A woman’s gotta have balls*. Let’s go. Follow me!」(Maria)

TL/N: “Take my advice, Rookie. You ever fall for a woman, make sure she’s got balls” – Buck to Rookie (Halo 3: ODST) It reminded me of this quote.

「Wow, you already don’t sound like a girl. What should I do? I’m really starting to adore that kind of manliness of yours.」(Mark)

A grin of amusement appeared on Mark’s lips. It was also in his nature to welcome a pleasant nuisance rather than be lulled to sleep by a boring job.

As I walked forward, I heard the voice of a pretty little girl and a young voice that could not be identified as either.

We gently peeked around the corner of the building and saw two beautiful children of about the same height sitting on the terrace, neither of their feet reaching the ground.

「……!」(Mark)

「Hey, don’t yell here. Just calm down for now, okay?」(Maria)

I held his mouth as quickly as I could. What an angel!

The fourth prince had the appearance of a legitimate angel. He had the lustrous blond hair of his father and large, bright golden-green eyes. In spite of his young plump face, his beauty already stood out, and the expression on his face with a big smile resembled that of the queen, who was an extremely beautiful girl.

Facing each other across the table, Lilina and Christopher reminded me of siblings from a distance, perhaps because of their beautiful appearance, their almost equal height, or their similar gentle temperament and innocent nature.

I mean, I want a picture, a picture of the two of them together, side by side!

I managed to keep hold of my legs, which were on the verge of collapsing. I am glad to be alive.

Compared to the first and second princes, what a cute prince with a vague-looking gender. In addition, Lilina, whose cheeks are dyed and who seems to be truly enjoying herself, looks the most radiant and lovely today. Sally, sitting on the chair beside her, also looks good.

Now I want them to be engaged to each other. And I really want to love them from up close.

「Hey, Maria. It’s all coming out of your mouth. You’re leaking a dangerous amount of your true feelings, and it’s scaring me.」(Mark)

「Ara. No way. Oh-ho-ho-ho-ho… Even Mark would think that it’s dangerously, extremely cute」(Maria)

「No, no, I’m not a pervert, okay? Ah… Karen and Margaret look like they’re in a state of anguish, too.」(Mark)

Glancing at the maid standing just off the terrace, Mark scratched his head with mixed feelings. At first glance, both Karen and Margaret had perfect smiles on their faces, but their hands, clasped in front of their stomachs, were clenched tighter than necessary.

If I looked closely, I could see Elena, the Head Maid, in the back, looking coolly at the two young children. She was a woman with little change in expression, but in truth, she had a stronger maternal tenderness than anyone else, and from Mark’s point of view, it was exactly the same as that of the “feast for the eyes” gaze he saw when watching over the combination of Maria and Lilina.

Karen and the others, who were already aware of our presence, smiled coercively at the same time, as if they had read Mark’s mind.

Horrifying, her eyes aren’t smiling at all.

They didn’t seem to be mad at him for bringing Maria, but they seemed to realize that Mark, in his mind, had objected to their taste in having Sally dress as a woman.

Their gazes continued to tell me that their engagement will definitely go well, so please be quiet and stay back today. As for Elena, even though she is aware of us, she continues to watch over Lilina and Christopher, as if she can’t take her eyes off them.

I grabbed Mark’s sleeve and began to shake it forcefully, seemingly without losing excitement.

「It’s going to be okay! Look, they both have a good atmosphere!」(Maria)

「…They’re crafty too, aren’t they? It’s a godsend that they can send you accurate words with just their eyes. No, maybe it’s just Maria being dull?」(Mark)

「What are you mumbling about?」(Maria)

I felt a new killing intent touch the grounds of the mansion, and in an instant it was gone. As expected of royalty, it seems that things get noisy.

I don’t know if it was aimed directly at Christopher or if someone who didn’t want him to be connected to the royal family wanted to dig up the Marquis of Urband’s blunder, but couldn’t they think it was reckless with so many of Christopher’s guards present?

「Well, now that you’re satisfied. Let them take care of that, and we’ll go about our business. Oh, yeah, the fruit tomatoes need to have their lower leaves shaved off, so let’s do that, too.」(Mark)

「If Guise was free, I’d ask him to join us, but I don’t think he’s available right now.」(Maria)

The chores in the field are always tackled by the three of us, which is standard. Mark thought for a moment and muttered softly, 「Right,」 as if he didn’t care either way.

They stopped by the warehouse once and prepared special scissors and a small basket to put the dropped leaves in.

Mark and I, who were walking around the back of the mansion after getting ready, suddenly tilted their heads when they noticed two presences from a nearby direction.

「I think we have a visitor.」(Maria)

「Maybe. Well, we’re safe here, and even though he is a knight, he is a nobleman. Maybe they’re just letting them loose.」(Mark)

So they are just taking it easy and strolling around.

Nevertheless, the recent incident with the Vanlet came to mind, and I had a feeling that it would be troublesome, so I suggested to Mark, 「Let’s change course…」

The moment I took the next step, I felt a sense of déjà vu as I touched inside the detection circle of my opponent, and I froze with a faint smile on my face.

It is usually a kind of sensory alert field that is put up during a battle, but a foolish man walking around with it unconsciously came to my mind. I was so accustomed to feeling the air on my skin that I couldn’t believe it.

No, that unwieldy pervert is the man who served the prickly boy demon king with an unconcerned face. I don’t think he’d make a guard for the young fourth prince, and even if he did, he’d have enough sense to consider his position and not act out of the blue like he did in the past.

Mark is just a gardener, and Maria herself is just a girl who could be anywhere. I don’t think I’ll be flying like I used to.

Thinking about this for a moment, I was startled by the slash that suddenly came at me.

As Mark raised his voice in a rare panic, 「Maria!」 I quickly threw away the tool in my hand and dodged.

The sword was thrust out right beside me, and I could see my long hair swooshing to the edge of my vision from the gust of wind. My skirt rippled wildly.

The man who suddenly appeared in front of me was dressed in a dark blue knight’s uniform, with a beautiful, nervous-looking face, thin silver-rimmed glasses, and frosty, sharp eyes. His skin was as white as a woman’s, and his shapely lips were closed without a hitch in his breathing.

For a brief moment, from a close distance, mine and the man’s gazes met.

The lustrous blue eyes that were pointed at me narrowed quickly. When he acknowledged the girl’s reflection, his beautiful eyebrows did not show any agitation or hesitation.

Their eye contact lasted only a short time. But I saw the look in the man’s eyes that I hadn’t seen in sixteen years and knew what to do next, and I had to move instantly to my next action.

Goddammit. Look at this pretty little girl’s face, and then carry on and visit the second group of people, you idiot!

I held my breath and arched my back as hard as I could, then dodged the trajectory of the sword that was swept to the side. A sense of abhorrence rose up in me as the sword crossed my face, and I swung my leg up towards the clean hands of the soldier who clutched the sword, adding a load of twisting to my whole body and kicking as hard as I could.

As if frightened by the counterattack, the man’s movements slowed slightly. I can appreciate as a knight that he did not let go of his sword, even though its power was reduced by the girl’s body. But…

But…

Bastard, would you normally attack a weak girl without hesitation?

My judgment was impaired by anger. I couldn’t make any hesitations or calm judgments about his beautiful face, which was still youthful for someone in the middle of his thirties, or about his original problematic behavior.

With a coarse feeling, I leaped on the spot. I continued to drive my knee into the other side of the man’s body, then jumped up again using his chest plate as a springboard and drove both feet into his face as hard as I could.

The man with the glasses slowly collapsed after a series of violent attacks.

Vanlet, who had always been slow to understand, looked at his friend and colleague lying on the ground for a while with a relaxed expression, as if he wasn’t worried, and then asked, 「Are you okay?」

After irritably brushing my messy hair back with my hand, I glared down at my former knight companion who had attacked me without warning.

Maltz Monterey, a year older than Vanlet.

He is slender for a soldier, with a cool, pointed, blade-like impression, and a neat face that is unnecessarily beautiful. His slightly grown out, almost black hair is brushed to the side to keep it out of the way, and he wears a crisp military uniform that doesn’t have a single wrinkle.

He was a brilliant man who could handle everything from paperwork to combat with dexterity, but he was also one of the most famous madmen among the knights.

No, he is not a madman, but rather an extremely annoying pervert.

After all, the problematic behavior of seeking a fight is for the ridiculously trivial reason that it is being caused only to satisfy his own pleasure.

As I stared at him silently, Maltz stood up, put his sword back in its sheath, and stared back at me. He had always had a face with little change in expression, as if he had no facial muscles, but even looking at him again from the front, he still had the same cold, expressionless face.

Compared to sixteen years ago, when he was just twenty years old, he was tighter and had a more sensible appearance. His current good looks, which did not show his age of thirty-seven, made him look as young as he was in his late twenties, and I could feel that his appearance had become even more fraudulent than before.

The more I looked at him, the more annoying his face became. It should not be possible to attack a girl with such a pretty face.

I brushed my hair back from my shoulders as I thought. Mark glanced back and forth between the two, 「What, what does this mean?」

That’s what I want to know.

Normally, in a combination of Maria and Mark, it would be natural to attack the male, Mark.

In fact, Mark was a teenager who had attained S-rank in the Assassins’ Guild, and his skills as a sniper were solid. As for me, I didn’t know why Maltz hadn’t hesitated to point his sword at me.

「If I may ask, what is the grudge of the knight on your side that led him to commit such a heinous act? Don’t you think it’s unchivalrous of him to suddenly attack me?」(Maria)

I opened my mouth resentfully. My face almost convulsed with anger, but I made it out with a smile, remembering to be sarcastic.

Then Maltz lifted his chin in disdain and looked down at me.

「You’re probably stronger than him. I could feel the fighting spirit you wore on your body clearing the line in my sensors.」(Maltz)

「The line… Is that why you attacked me, to test me?」(Maria)

「Yes.」(Maltz)

Dumbass, what the hell are you doing! You’re saying “yes” as a matter of course, because if it was someone who couldn’t see through that action, they’d surely be seriously injured or dead!

I cleared my throat, chanting an epithet in my mind.

At any rate, I made a smiling, affectionate smile and tilted my head to a mocking angle that made me look cute.

Jesus, if I keep talking to him, I’m going to lose my patience.

I have to leave before I hear from him the reason for the attempted murder, which is a fucking joke I don’t want to hear.

「Oh-ho-ho-ho. I don’t like the idea that you think I’m strong. I just happened to slip on a muddy patch of dirt and accidentally used self-defense to knock you out. Ladies don’t like it when you act rudely. Please, we have urgent business. So, we don’t have time to sell you this kind of trouble. Now, if you’ll excuse me, we have to go.」(Maria)

「I see. So you’re a master of the Art of Self-Defense.」(Maltz)

「……」(Maria)

「Maria, you…」(Mark)

Mark’s pensive look said that he was still a simple and combative fool. I also knew that he wasn’t smart, so I held his forehead and said, 「Don’t say anything.」

Unfortunately, unlike Vanlet, Maltz is not a fool who can be fooled by childish tricks. As a military man, he is also a terribly smart man.

As much as I hated to admit it, Albright had never been able to match the diplomatic skills of his younger colleague.

Think, you gotta think.

I, who had gone into a careful rubbing of my eyes, heard my own little grunt, a gulp in the back of her throat. While Mark, who could not move to the right or left, began to introduce himself in a distracted voice, as if he was somehow stalling for time, I felt the gaze of the two knights on my profile and could not concentrate well, which irritated me.

Mark introduced us as 「just a gardener and a maid,」 and Vanlet walked over to me and tapped me on the shoulder in a friendly manner.

「Good to see you again, little maid. Your brow is wrinkled. Do you have diarrhea?」(Vanlet)

「Just shut up for a second, please.」(Maria)

Every time I think about it, why do you tie all your ailments to something toilet-related? It’s out of line as a topic of conversation for women. And you’ve already forgotten my name. Your memory is as bad as ever!

I took my hand away from my eyes and stared up at him, and Vanlet looked somewhat pleased with himself.

My brow furrowed more and more as I wondered why I was making such a face, but I came to my senses when I heard Maltz, who was staring at me with a cool face, take a step forward.

「What a powerful kick.」(Maltz)

The moment he looked back at her and their gazes intertwined, Maltz told me plainly, as if he was reporting for business. With that one voice, the air froze as he left Vanlet behind.

Mark, who had been strangely distant from Maltz since a while ago, gulped and said, 「My ability to instinctively sense danger is not something to be thrown away.」

Wait, wait, wait. He knew that if he challenged me seriously, I would fight back with all my strength, but I don’t think he should include some stranger’s teenage maid in that category! Dumbass!

「Uh, sir? I don’t know what’s going on, but could you please stay away from me? If you can, please direct your attention to Mark.」(Maria)

「Why? If I don’t approach you, we won’t be able to talk.」(Maltz)

「Hey Maria, don’t drag me into this. I’ll help you if you’re in a dangerous situation but this is probably the type of thing where the opposite sex would be happy to step on you. I have absolutely zero interest in that!」(Mark)

From the outside, that may be true, but it’s not. Maltz’s taste in women is normal, and he is not the type of person who feels pain as sexual excitement.

His is the kind of thing that hovers on the edge of danger, so one wrong move and he could be awakening to a new sexual desire, but the Maltz that I know is genuinely looking for a strong person, regardless of gender.

I have a very bad feeling about this.

I remember that Maltz had strict criteria for judging personal taste, so I’d like to think that he wouldn’t do that with Maria’s body.

「W-w-what is it…?」(Maria)

While she was pondering, he stood in front of her, and Maria couldn’t help but ask Maltz, who was looking down at her with a strong gaze, as if to stall for time. The bright blue eyes, which were thought to have no temperature, seemed to have a horrible glint in them that she had often seen when she was Albright.

Surely it’s just my imagination, I’d like to think. With a wishful thought in my mind, I took a step back.

「You may be a maid, but you also serve as a form of bodyguard. I think you know how to use your small body efficiently in self-defense. I had no intention of killing you, but let me apologize to you just in case.」(Maltz)

「Well, thank you for that… My name is Maria, Lilina-sama’s personal maid. I certainly do accept your apology.」(Maria)

It’s too much trouble. I do not want to pry into anything else.

In order to get out of this situation as quickly as possible, I promised myself not to respond to Maltz’s sarcastic comments about why things are going that way. But…

「I am Maltz Monterey, Second in Command of the First Silver Chivalric Order under the direct command of His Majesty the King. I have received an order as a temporary guard for the Fourth Prince. –So please kick me as hard as you can.」(Maltz)

「You brute, why would I do that? Right after we introduced ourselves again and made amends?」(Maria)

「I’m sorry if this is late but, I am a masochist in a non-sexual way, please kick me!」(Maltz)

「Ahhhh, you fool! Besides, I don’t care what you mean!」(Maria)

I couldn’t help but clench my fists and stomp my feet. To end this ridiculous charade, I slammed my right fist with all my might into his unguarded abdomen.

Sixteen years have passed, and I am deeply disappointed in Maltz. I think he used to be slightly better than he is now, just because he used to say and do things with a toxic tone.

Honestly, this is not the way to introduce yourself to a lady.

I mean, what kind of imbecile kicks when asked to kick! A fist would be enough!

Maltz is a very good military man. In addition to his physical abilities and good brains, his well-trained body is unusually sturdy. He was also the most calm and collected of all the knights I knew at the time.

Perhaps that is why Maltz spent his childhood with a complex about his lack of emotional richness, and what he discovered as an act to satisfy his complex was the enlightenment of suffering physical and emotional pain.

For Albright, Maltz is the most disgusting type of pervert he has ever seen in his own gender. On top of everything else, he’s a knight. He was surrounded by strong colleagues, and the thought of Maltz closing in on the men who could give him the pain he liked was now simply agonizing.

A masochist in the sense of taste, except for sexual desire, which was what this pervert named Maltz was all about.

Sadly, Albright was recognized by Maltz as one of the few members of the “people who can inflict pain without hesitation”.

「Oh, that was a manly blow. As expected of Maria.」(Mark)

Mark, who had been completely on the sidelines, said his evaluation without hesitation, as if he were someone else.

Maltz, who was in pain and unable to speak, let out a short exhalation and fell to his knees. Unable to moan or shake, Vanlet raised an unusually concerned eyebrow at him and asked, 「Are you okay?」 But he didn’t seem to understand what he was doing.

I struck him in the most painful way possible, so it was no surprise that he was in agony.

I adjusted my skirt and brushed my slightly disheveled hair down my back. Despite being much weaker as a girl than I was as Albright, I was amazed that I was able to strike the pain point of Maltz without error, possibly because of my memories as Albright.

「Listen, knight-sama. I acquired self-defense skills in order to protect Lilina-sama. If anyone finds out about it, my effectiveness as a guard will be diminished, so I ask that you keep it a secret from Lilina-sama.」(Maria)

「Nice punch…」(Maltz)

「Don’t get me wrong. Anyone can do something as easy as that.」(Maria)

「There are few people who can give me a blow as undeterred as you.」(Maltz)

Of course. Because what I just did was a stroke of physiological disgust, the result of denial at all costs!

Before being a knight, Maltz was also a nobleman. This is a barbaric act that an ordinary maid would never commit, but perhaps it was my experience as Albright, or perhaps it was my special position as a servant of the Marquis of Urband, but I did not hesitate to hit him.

Of course, I have no regrets. I’m sure I felt better after punching and yelling.

I took a glance at Maltz, who had lowered his eyes to me, as if it were an incident. But as soon as I saw the bright blue eyes with a suspicious glint of light shining through the top of the glasses that had slipped down a little, I was taken aback.

When I think about it, I remember the first time I punched him, he looked at me in a similar way, but the way he probed me more relentlessly than he did back then was a little more intimidating because it seemed to be filled with an unfathomable obsession.

I felt the corners of my mouth lift awkwardly as if it were a reflex condition.

As if sensing this physiological rejection, Maltz blinked slowly and suppressed the odd pressure.

「…It’s been a while since I’ve seen anything like that. Like Vanlet said, you sure are interesting.」(Maltz)

「…….」(Maria)

Hey, Vanlet. It’s your fault. I mean, what the hell did you say? I don’t remember doing anything to you to make anything interesting.

…Come to think of it, these guys are the type of people who are useless to speak to.

I remembered that and breathed as if I had given up. Picking up the small basket and scissors lying at my feet, I turned on my heel and walked away, calling out plainly, 「Let’s go, Mark.」

Mark, who had been watching the scene with interest, told me, 「I’m your senpai,」 but then slapped his knee and tried to follow me.

But he stopped in his tracks suspiciously when he noticed that Vanlet, who had gotten down on one knee to help Maltz stand up, looked up and gave him a slightly envious and somewhat hurt look, as if in response to Maria’s remark.

The man, who was probably a little older than he was, looked so young and sad, like a dog with drooping ears and tail, that Mark called out to him out of kindness.

「I’m sorry about that, big knight-san. I think Maria is in a bad mood because she’s a little rambunctious at times and is being separated from Lilina-sama. No, it seems?」

This is not good. I can’t think of any other words of respect for my senpais and superiors other than the ones I recognize.

Mark was originally a freelance assassin. When he was scratching his head with a bitter look on his face, remembering that he couldn’t hold any dignity for the other person, Vanlet, who had been silent, averted his gaze and said in a small voice, 「I’m sorry.」

「…Not that I mind.」(Mark)

「Huh. I see.」(Vanlet)

Nothing else seems to be happening, I wonder what’s going on.

Mark twisted his head, but eventually concluded that he was not a person to get involved with and walked away.

He ran towards the back of Maria’s modest walk and was relieved that she was not injured for now.

Part 5

During the day of the visit by the fourth prince, Christopher, Lilina’s engagement was finalized.

After taking the young couple for a walk around the grounds of the mansion, the Marquis and the Prime Minister asked them directly about the engagement, although this was not part of their plan. The two ten-year-olds looked at each other and, although their cheeks were stained with embarrassment, they nodded their approval.

The Marquis of Urband seemed to have formed a friendship with the Prime Minister, Beluano, and when he announced his decision, he looked unusually satisfied and interjected, 「There are some interesting people here.」 I was more paranoid about the two juveniles’ main roles.

I would have loved to have witnessed that scene. Why didn’t you invite me?

According to what the Marquis of Urband said, the young couple will begin their education to move on to the next step when they come to the castle at a later date and take the official oath of engagement from both families. Especially for Lilina, as the fourth prince’s fiancée, a suitable but strict education awaits her.

「I’ll do my best. Because Chris is trying, too.」(Lilina)

She was already calling him by a nickname on the first day.

At the dinner table where all the family members, including Albert who was able to come home early again this day, were gathered, Lilina announced this to all the servants of the mansion, making me writhe once again.

It seems that beautiful girls become even prettier when they fall in love. Lilina was the best, her cheeks dyed with rose and her eyes moist with recollection. The hands of Margaret and Karen, who were trying to remain calm, were also trembling.

While Albert was successfully luring Lilina to his private chambers, saying, 「Tell me more about what happened with His Highness?」 I and the other servants were gathered in one room while Albert successfully lured Lilina to his private quarters, and they were told by Forrest about the future.

Once they are officially engaged, they will be able to visit each other’s homes and meet as they wish, depending on their individual circumstances and opinions.

We are also intended as guards, so we will never leave the two of them alone in a secret room, even if they are engaged, and they will always taste for any poison in the royal palace. As far as Sally is concerned, he should know who the fourth prince is and make a connection with him.

Forrest explained the instructions and cautions in detail. The number of illegal visitors to the Marquis’s mansion would probably increase, but for now, he said, it would be fine to continue to kill them all unless further instructions were given.

After the meeting with the fourth prince, Lilina, who was tired, went to bed early, and I also did my last task of the day.

I thought about the Marquis of Urband taking Lilina to the royal palace tomorrow to perform the marriage ceremony with His Majesty the King, and I also thought about going to sleep as soon as this was over to prepare for tomorrow.

Yes, I was definitely thinking about it, but I wasn’t going to be able to sleep any time soon.

◆

At the time when the house was quiet, I, who had finished my work, was sitting in the “Play Room” for some reason, holding a glass of liquor in one hand and sitting on one of the wide chairs that did not fit my body size.

It is a soundproofed room located in a hidden room that leads from the study room, and it is also the room where the head of the Marquis of Urband works as [The King’s Sword].

It was a room where alcohol and cigarettes would be allowed to be used, something that Lilina was never allowed to see.

It is said that the Marquis of Urband often uses it for negotiations with his close business associates, but I have never seen any of those people.

The Marquis of Urband sat in a plush chair drinking whiskey and chatting with Forrest, who sat in the chair across from him. Albert and Gaspar, blowing tobacco, put aside their own glasses of liquor and played billiards, while teasing Matthew.

For a long time now, the members of the group have mostly gathered together to chat and laugh. However, I have always been unable to shake off my doubts.

Why was I being invited to a playroom that seemed to be strictly forbidden to women?

To begin with, the age limit for participating in the gathering was supposed to be eighteen years old, but I had already become one of the regular members by the time I was over ten-years-old. On my first day of participation, I was speechless when Forrest, who was supposed to be strict about the rules, handed me a drink with a smile and said, 「Here you go.」

I don’t know if I’d be comfortable encouraging age-defying adult pleasures without a care in the world.

I’ve never shown up to a party on my own. Every time, Albert, Gaspar, Mark, the Marquis of Urband, and Forrest, who were already in high spirits from drinking, would charge at me like a surprise attack and carry me around like a piece of luggage.

They would always take me by a storm, just as I was finishing my work.

I can’t help but wonder why they never looked at me as if trying to get me to swoon for a drink, something I used to enjoy during my days as Albright.

「Why am I here?」(Maria)

「The sweet one is no good, huh? Let’s try this one next.」(Gaspar)

After finishing his turn at billiards, Gaspar took a new glass from the glass cabinet and poured himself a drink.

That’s not what I meant… Well, it’s good, I guess.

The thick, clear liquor suited my taste buds. There was no particular brand that I liked, so basically anything was welcome as long as it wasn’t too sweet.

Since everyone present here is a macaque*, there are no noticeable symptoms other than slight reddening of the cheeks and a good mood.

TL/N: ザル = a Japanese macaque, which is a snow monkey with a red face. Could replace it with synonyms for drunkard.

Mark, who had cleaned up the ‘pests’ outside, returned to the playroom. The Marquis of Urband smiled at him and said, 「Good work,」 and he said, 「Thanks,」 his cheeks relaxed and he stirred his drink in the jar.

「Well, nothing beats a free drink.」(Mark)

Mark said and took one of the chairs against the wall, placed it near me and sat down. Gaspar looked back at him, blowing on his cigarette.

「You want to play some billiards?」(Gaspar)

「No thanks, Head Chef. Wouldn’t that be an overwhelming victory for Albert-bochan?」(Mark)

The only ones who were familiar with the game were the older generations, including Albert and Gaspar. Guise was so weak that he was always beaten at poker and darts.

Albert, who aimed for his billiard balls, licked his lips, which were colored by alcohol.

「Fufu, a man of the Marquis family must be strong in both gambling and competition.」(Albert)

After a good game and a big score, Albert pulled himself up, and Forrest rose from his seat, put a cigarette in his mouth and carefully lit it.

Albert smoked a cigarette and exhaled a couple of mouthfuls of comfortable tobacco smoke and turned to look at the flowing smoke.

「I’m glad that my sweet Lilina is with the Fourth Prince. He is not one to get involved in the ‘underworld’. In fact, it’s quite unusual for royalty.」(Albert)

「Isn’t there a chance it could distort her growth?」(Mark)

When Mark pursed his lips in a scowl, Matthew said thoughtfully, 「The chances of that are slim to none.」

「I think it’s safe to say that the Fourth Prince’s personality is already almost complete. In fact, His Majesty has decided to keep him away from intrigue, and he has done so thoroughly. And I’m sure that His Highness won’t let his personality be distorted in a misguided manner while there is a young lady next to him… Well, I’m afraid that if that were to happen, you guys would be the first to go off the deep end.」(Matthew)

Gaspar, who was the first one to look at Matthew, shrugged his shoulders and smiled.

「I don’t know. As the Head Chef, I’m personally requested by the Marquise, and I love the young lady very much. I won’t do anything to make her cry, okay?」(Gaspar)

「We are [The King’s Sword], we will not harm the royal family. In addition, if there was even the slightest hint that you were going to distort it, neither you nor I would entrust our lovely Lilina to you blindly.」(Albert)

In a pleasant voice, Albert said as if he were singing. He leaned his back against the billiard table and smiled, but the deep indigo eyes that stared at us all were not smiling.

Strangely, I didn’t feel fear. I didn’t know if it was my familiarity with them or my sense as Albright that made me feel that way.

「The fourth prince is a completely different person from me, so I can leave Lilina in his care without any worries. We’re going to put the fourth prince under primary protection from now on, so his movements will probably be a little different from now on, okay?」(Urband)

At that moment, I felt the gaze of the Marquis of Urband and looked up. The smile that was pointed straight at me made me realize that he was waiting for some kind of question, and I thought a little while holding the glass in with both hands.

They all quieted down and looked at each other as if to say, 「Now it’s Mary’s turn.」

Lilina will be ten years old soon. I remembered that there was a question that I had always felt would be a milestone, and I looked straight back at him.

「Is it safe to say that you will not tell Lilina about our affairs?」(Maria)

「I’m glad you asked, Maria. Yes, she is a person who cannot survive in the shadows. That’s why I won’t let her bear the karma of the Marquis family.」(Urband)

I simply didn’t ask because I had a hunch, but now I was convinced that the Marquis of Urband is a proverbial conversationalist, so I am satisfied.

Albert shrugged happily and interjected, 「You’re so different compared to Aunt Isabella.」

I heard that she was a warrior princess who married an archduke from a neighboring country, but I was curious about her personality because Gaspar would make a wry face whenever her name was mentioned. However, I have never been given any details about her.

「Oh, by the way, that strange knight was here again today. The one who declared that he wanted a wife, do you remember him?」(Forrest)

As Forrest poured a drink into the Marquis of Urband’s glass, he casually diverted the conversation.

Immediately, Gaspar spewed out his drink as if he remembered and began to laugh heartily.

「I heard it from the person who he said it to. It’s too funny to make Elena nee-chan look so bitter.」(Gaspar)

「You’re laughing too much, Head Chef. The guy he had with him was also quite unique, but I wonder if the knights of the royal palace are really up to the task.」(Mark)

As he said this, Mark glanced over at Albert.

「…What is it, Mark?」(Albert)

「No, it’s nothing. I was just curious how you were planning on handling it?」(Mark)

「I’ve been very careful to eliminate anyone I thought was a bad match, and of course I’ve been very selective about what I’ve done. You know that, don’t you?」(Albert)

Albert smiled smugly. Mark also gave a humble smile and relaxed his expression, 「We are all overprotective, aren’t we?」

Matthew, who was standing between the billiard table and the young master, let out a shallow sigh. 「So, what do you think?」 He waved a curious look at me.

Even if you ask me what I think, I can’t mix in my knowledge from my time as Albright, so it’s difficult for me to be objective about it.

「The royal palace knights may have their quirks, but I feel like they get the job done.」(Maria)

「He looked like a ‘can do’ knight, that’s for sure. The spectacled knight seemed to be someone who could move faster than all of us, so I was nervous. I was seriously impressed when Maria fought him off with her bare hands.」(Matthew? Albert?)

「I’m sorry I made you feel so nervous, I know, but if it had been dangerous, I would have seriously stopped him, okay? It’s not like my skills weren’t up to the task.」(Mark)

「We know that, and rightly so.」(Maria)

Matthew stared back at them coolly, and Mark blurted out unconvincingly, 「I am still your senpai.」

「There are some interesting knights nowadays. I’ve always wondered what it would be like to see someone who was a masochist with a sadistic face.」(Gaspar)

「Gaspar-san, I’m sure you’ll be begged to punch or kick him the moment you meet, is that okay with you?」(Maria)

「What? Are they the type that have no boundaries? I thought only women were like that.」(Gaspar)

「…Well, you know, it could go either way, I guess…. Yeah, that’s it. Pure warrior idiocy? That’s right.」(Maria)

I slurred my words and quenched my thirst with liquor. I wanted some of the whiskey that the Marquis of Urband was drinking, so I asked Forrest if I could have some, and he said, 「Here you go,」 and poured some more into my empty glass.

The men, with the exception of Forrest, each blurted out a thoughtful 「warrior idiocy.」 They glanced back at the warrior idiot with the largest stomach in the Marquis’ house who had crossed their minds. The Marquis of Urband’s shoulders began to shake first, and he finally turned his face away as if he couldn’t stand it any longer, and he burst into a hearty laugh.

「Maria is more like that, too. She’s always been more of a front-runner than a behind-the-scenes fighter.」(Urband)

「Sir, I think my image of you as a young girl has deviated from that of a young man who takes the initiative and lashes out. I do my work smartly, and I’m proud to say that I’m a bit competent.」(Maria)

「Fufufu, funny you should say that. You’re right, Maria is capable and brilliant. She’s too brave and too straight-laced to be wasted.」(Urband)

Was it my imagination that I was being complimented, but at the same time, I felt that they were amused by it?

The Marquis of Urband continued to choke back his laughter, shaking his shoulders as he fell on his face, wondering what had hit the nail on his head. Forrest took the glass from his hand and began to prepare a cigarette for the occasion.

I don’t know what the hell is so funny.

I tied my mouth into a knot, unconvinced. Albert slurped down a glass of liquor with an amused 「Father, you seem to be enjoying yourself,」 while Gaspar and Mark smiled and sipped their drinks. Matthew also just smiled and didn’t say anything, but sipped his watered-down drink.

I didn’t understand what was going on, but since they seemed to be having a good time, I decided to leave them alone, and I also drank some alcohol. They seemed to be enjoying themselves for no apparent reason, probably because of the alcohol. Maybe they are just enjoying themselves right now.

Mark, who had emptied the liquor bottle, said, 「And yet,」 and rested his cheek on the armrest to peer at the unfaithful Maria.

「In front of Maria, the master becomes nothing more than a drinking buddy, isn’t that amazing kiddo?」(Mark)

「What is?」(Maria)

「Call it fearlessness or something. Like whether someone was a former assassin, a soldier, an executioner or a homicidal maniac, it’s all just fancy labels to you, yeah?」(Mark)

Mark, who raised the category to which his friends had formerly belonged, muttered, 「You guys are great, I can’t do what you do.」

I don’t understand. What does that have to do with anything?

When I tilted my head quizzically, Albert let out a laughing exhale, 「Pfft.」

「Maria, I can see the ‘I don’t understand’ on your face.」(Albert)

「Eh, did it all come out, Albert-sama?」(Maria)

No way, seriously. No, they are all drunk, so it must be a joke and…?

I thought seriously for a few seconds, then looked at the men staring at me in turn. Their expressions were so clear that there was not the slightest doubt, and they affirmed Albert’s opinion. Even the Marquis of Urband stopped laughing and said with his eyes, 「Isn’t that right?」

I couldn’t help but turn my head to Mark.

「Wait… Is my expression really that obvious? Seriously?」(Maria)

「Hey, kiddo, girls don’t use the word ‘seriously.’」(Mark)

Mark grinned, clear-eyed and deliberately attentive.

The Marquis of Urband clapped his hands on his knees to get everyone’s attention and then said in a good mood, 「A toast to my dear friend.」

I got really lazy translating and editing part 5, so there may be more errors than usual. If you notice an error, tell me. I start school in July so expect translations to be even slower than ever.