"—Your Highness, are you sure about leaving like this?"
[What is it?]
"...I am not sure if it is right that there is a strange man by the young lady's side."
[Anyone would think you are that child's father. You worry more than I do.]
"...I apologize."
Lak lowered his head.
He was a man of strong pride, but also a man who would readily lay down his life for the Duke he revered.
That was Lak.
Because of that, to him, Irene Windler was not simply a genius mage, but a 'benefactor'.
'Her Highness has changed since she came.'
-In a good way.
He was a man who had suffered from madness after losing his Madam.
Where had his wise past gone? Infected by the madness of the Demon Sword, he gradually became cruel—how heartbreaking that was.
Fortunately, he did not reveal his cruelty to the innocent, only showing such tendencies to criminals. However, because of that cruelty, the scent of blood never disappeared from the Ducal House.
But then, she appeared.
A beauty like a fairy.
She, bearing a smile like the warm sunlight, as if the Madam had come back to life.
After she appeared, His Highness smiled warmly as if he had never suffered from madness, and returned to the wise lord they once knew.
It could only be the great fortune and blessing of the Ducal House.
And she herself was a gift and a grace.
Therefore, Lak was determined to defeat anyone who threatened her, even if it meant risking his life.
......And above all, the reason he had to protect her was.
[It is fine. He is a better man than I thought. He will not threaten that child.]
"……."
[You still look displeased.]
"...Isn't she possibly Your Highness's, the Madam's daughter?"
[...You are crossing the line.]
"......I apologize."
However, it was something that had to be said.
Yes, she, Irene Windler, was the Duke's...
The possibility of her being Blake's 'biological child' was high.
Duke Blake himself felt this the most, and it was an open secret that several people in the Ducal House already knew, though they didn't speak of it.
It meant that, just as the Pendragon royal family had noticed it, Galahad already knew as well.
Yet, the reason he did not announce it was.
[Nothing is certain yet. So, restrain yourself.]
"……."
[Hmph, what an insolent fellow. Come to think of it, you seem to have worse manners than 'that guy'.]
"...Your Highness is too thorough."
[Yes, I am 'Your Highness'. Therefore, I must be cold-hearted, and even with a child who might be my own flesh and blood, I cannot embrace her.]
"...Ugh!"
Duke Blake's statement was a valid point.
There was a possibility that Irene was his biological child, but he couldn't simply be convinced of it.
She resembled 'her', but where was the proof that she was his biological child?
What if she was just someone who looked like her?
...Later, Duke Blake had no confidence he could handle the aftermath.
Both politically, ......and emotionally.
Thus, Duke Blake hid everything and merely accepted her as his adopted daughter.
He also needed time to restore the Ducal House, which had been devastated by his madness, to its original state, so he probably wouldn't have enough time to look into her for a while.
[Hence, that man is necessary. Isis, I don't know what relationship that man has with that child, but he surely must have received an order from my nephew to monitor Irene. Truly a fitting selection befitting my nephew.]
He was surprised even while investigating.
To think such talent was in the knight order.
The White Silver Lion had started to decline after Sir Balthar, so it was a great fortune for the royal family.
And this was also Galahad's fortune.
[Monitoring means that man can also take responsibility for Irene's safety. If it's him, I can trust and leave it to him.]
Isis, the nephew, felt no displeasure at his adopted daughter being monitored.
Because even he would have done the same.
No, he would have dealt with it even more ruthlessly.
Seeing this, he was still a 'soft child'.
"...Even so, he is weaker than me. Please send me instead."
However, Lak still seemed unable to accept it.
He looked full of dissatisfaction.
And looking at such Lak, his disciple, the Duke chuckled.
[For a guy who looks like he'll collapse at any moment, you only have your mouth left.]
"I, I won't collapse."
[Sure you won't.]
The Duke and the other knights shook their heads as if they couldn't stop him.
Lak de Durand.
They had seen how much the limbs of this young knight—a promising talent of Galahad and certain to become the next-generation Aura User—were trembling.
Trembling like an aspen tree, it was an unsightly sight.
He pretended to be fine out of pride, but his insides must be a mess.
[Drink a potion quickly, you pathetic fool.]
"I, I'm fine."
[...Blood is flowing from your mouth, you idiot.]
"...Keuk."
Gulp.
Lak had gone as pale as could be, and seeing this, the Duke clicked his tongue.
What a pathetic fellow.
[This is why knights...]
That guy, and this guy too.
There's nothing but immature ones.
Well.
[Better than the sinister 'bastards', I suppose.]
A cold chill lingered in Blake's eyes.
It was not a coldness directed at the knights.
None other than.
[Is the Grand Ducal House raising rats?]
It was a coldness directed at the 'rats' who mistakenly thought they were hiding secretly at the scene where they were.
And the ones called rats were.
"The Duke speaks harshly. Don't you think, Jack?"
"What do you mean?"
"Just something like that."
"...You know it's strange sometimes, right?"
"I know too."
The young lion of the Grand Ducal House, whom black hair suited well, nodded nonchalantly, and his confidant muttered, 'Why is he acting like that again?' and shook his head.
Even though he served him, he said it was hard to understand him sometimes.
* * *
"...What are you doing?"
Meanwhile, when Ihan entered the house, fortunately, the two women didn't notice the sign that something big had happened outside.
Partly because he had told them in advance that he would chop firewood, they understood even when they heard loud noises from outside.
Since they were at a considerable distance, they probably wouldn't have heard the voices either.
Also because, thanks to the potion, he was unharmed and fine.
Perhaps it was a relief.
Since he hadn't shown a humiliating appearance.
However, Ihan, who came into the house, felt baffled by the actions of the two women.
And the one whose actions were caught also.
"Oh, you're here."
Was equally baffled.
She was startled as if she were a child caught doing something bad.
"...Cadet Irene. What are you doing?"
"Th, that is, I was talking with the maid and somehow..."
"...Somehow you ended up wearing a dress? No, more than that, did we have a dress in our house?"
"Hehe, this is mine! How is it, Sir Knight? Beautiful, right?"
"...Yeah, it is gorgeous."
"Hehe, I also rarely wear it because it's too gorgeous."
"...And you made me wear something like that?"
"Because I thought it would suit Lady Irene!"
"!!?"
They were holding a fashion show.
Having been engaged in such serious matters outside and now seeing such a different sight, Ihan almost felt his mind scatter, making his recent resolve seem in vain.
Yet, his gaze chased after Irene, definitely.
'She's pretty.'
He felt the pure and vibrant freshness fitting for her blooming age.
Her characteristic blonde hair and blue eyes exuded a mysterious beauty.
The dress she wore was excessively flashy, but Irene Windler, an excellent clothes hanger, was a vessel enough to fully pull off even an excessive dress.
However, if one asked if it was beautiful enough to make his heart pound.
'I wish I had a younger sister just like that.'
Unfortunately, Ihan was at an age where his romance cells were slowly dying out, and he wasn't a guy who felt attracted to a kid much younger than him.
The feeling of an uncle fan feeling proud seeing an idol work hard?
It was just about that level.
But Irene, not knowing this, seemed to feel shy under Ihan's gaze and bowed her head deeply.
It somehow seemed like the smell of misunderstanding was deepening.
But then.
"My lady, don't do that and show that. You practiced hard, didn't you?"
"Th, that's a bit..."
"Come on, when else would you do it?"
"St, still."
"...Practice?"
What could that be?
The next moment, the hesitating girl slightly lifted the hem of her dress, slightly bent her knees, and tilted her head.
...What is that?
"Sir Knight, that's a curtsey. It's like a greeting method for nobles. How is it, a beautiful posture, right?"
"...Beau-tiful?"
To him, it looked somewhat like a creaking doll.
"Ah, I'm still not used to it."
Having become a noble not long ago, Irene was completely unaccustomed to the greeting methods of nobles.
No, why was she doing that without even eating because of that?
Anyway, the culture of nobles is really...
"Hehe, that's because you're not used to it yet. Once you get used to it, it becomes natural like this, like this."
Swish.
Leira, just like Irene had done earlier, lifted her skirt just enough to slightly reveal her ankle, bent her knees, and tilted her head.
But, how should I describe that posture.
"……."
It was pristine and upright.
It was so neat and flowed like water that he was momentarily speechless.
"Ha..."
Surprisingly, Ihan looked at her and even felt a refreshing sensation as if the displeasure that had built up today vanished at once.
Yes, right at this moment.
'...She's pretty.'
Clearly, this thought of 'pretty' would be an emotional expression of a completely different concept from the feeling he had toward Irene just a moment ago.
Like that, Ihan realized for the first time in his life that the culture of the high-born wasn't just a pointless act.
"...It's worth practicing without eating."
To the point where he spat out such words himself.
Ihan recognized that the maid lady, whom he had thought was naive until now, was a lady comparable to a fully bloomed rose.
...And, the heroine who suffered such a humiliating defeat.
[......Irene, let's practice the curtsey a lot from today on, okay?]
'...Yeah.'
She swallowed her tears along with the humiliation, and promised herself revenge.