Chapter 4:
Felt’s Camp Formation Story Starting from Zero

1

The first thing I noticed was the unbelievably soft sensation wrapping around my whole body.

“Buah?!” A pig-like sound escaped my mouth in response to the unknown sensation. Waking up to my own voice, I opened my heavy eyelids, scratching my head. Covering my blurry vision was a pillow soaked in saliva—or so at least I thought. It’s gotta be a pillow. It’s hard to tell since it’s so pristinely white, as if it was just cleaned, and has an unbelievable silky texture, but it’s under my head, so it’s definitely a pillow, right?

Confirming the existence of the pillow my drowsy head was resting on, I noticed the anomaly wrapped around me wasn’t limited to just that. The pillow wasn’t the only thing with a ridiculously silky texture. The thin blanket covering my body did, too. Since there’s a pillow and a blanket, I must be on a bed.

As I suspected, there was a bed underneath me that nearly pushed my hand back when I pushed down on it. I pushed it several more times to check its resistance. It went without saying, but the hovel I usually stayed at didn’t have beds like this one. All I had was the discarded sofa I brought back and cleaned up. So what kinda magic was involved to turn that piece of junk into such a wonderful—

“Alright, that’s enough playin’ around.”

Not to brag or anything, but I’ve never had trouble waking up. Having been raised in the slums from a young age, having a good sense of danger was crucial. This was especially the case for me since I had a bunch of enemies due to my bad habits. I wasn’t even safe in my own resting place.

Still pushing on the bed, I turned my attention away from the pillow and scanned my surroundings. Looking up and down at the place I was in, I frowned. I reached a conclusion without much contemplation.

“Where the hell am I?”

Along with the soft texture of the pillow and blanket, I found myself in a room oozing with extravagance. It was somewhere a mere orphan from the slums could never have access to in a million years.

My usual-balled up rag was now a pristine pillow; the blanket that never lost its odor no matter how many times I washed it was now a clean, silky one; and the sofa that was infested with bugs was now a bed as soft as freshly baked bread.

Conclusion: This must be a dream.

“Ha!” I snickered at myself for having such an unfitting dream.

Well, in that case. I wrapped myself in the silky blanket again. It was refreshing not having to endure the stench of garbage in the cold morning air, but there was no point anymore as I already knew it was nothing more than a dream. It’s better to hurry up and wake up.

I would rather wake up to the desolate back alley I was used to than continue having a dream like this one. I was never fond of my life in the slums, nor was I attached to the people living there, but it was far better than this dream.

My goal was to one day escape my low quality life. I even formed a plan to achieve this by sharpening my thieving skills and setting aside a sum of money for savings everyday out of my measly income. I never wished to skip all the steps to get a life like this dream is showing me. That’s nothing but an insult to my plan.

It pissed me off that I was even having this dream. Hurry up and wake up, me. I wasn’t sure if sleeping in my dream would help me wake up in real life, but that was the only method I could come up with.

Then an unfamiliar voice hit my ears. “I thought you had woken up, but are you still resting?”

“—!” Startled, I instinctively reached for my waist only to notice my knife was nowhere to be found. Instead, my hand simply brushed past my ass and swung behind me. In fact, this was when I finally realized I wasn’t wearing anything. There was nothing for me to cover myself with other than the blanket.

Clenching my teeth at my predicament, I grabbed the pillow near me and stood up as I glared at the person who spoke to me. When I turned around, the person had just opened the door to enter the room. The man who entered the white, extravagant room was a red-haired bastard.

Upon realizing I was glaring at him, he furrowed his brows as though he was taken aback. “Your clothes were conspicuously soiled and noticeably worn out, so our maids are repairing them. Your substitute clothes are on the way. If you would wait momentarily…”

“Wait just a minute,” I said, stopping him in his tracks by raising my palm.

“—?” The bastard with eyes as blue as a bright sky showed a confused expression on his ridiculously handsome face, which irritated me even further.

As stated earlier, I wasn’t bad at waking up. So, as soon as I saw this bastard’s face, I started to remember everything that happened to me and how I ended up in this situation. And how this was not a dream, after all.

“Nevermind my clothes for now. That’s not to say that I don’t wonder why the hell you decided to strip me, but we can leave that aside for now. For now. Can you guess what I want to ask?” I said, scowling at him.

“I can think of a few possibilities, but I am not certain as to which one is correct. Will you give me the answer?” The red-haired bastard—known as the Sword Saint by everybody in the royal capital—Reinhard answered back with a question.

Feeling my blood boil at his oblivious attitude, I yelled, “Where the hell am I! And you! Why the hell did you have to knock me out?!”

Accidentally exposing myself in the heat of the moment, I hastily grabbed the blanket to hide. I must have looked like an idiot. A chuckle escaped Reinhard’s lips, and in response, I shot him a threatening glare, my fang on full display.

“Apologies for my insolent actions,” Reinhard responded nonchalantly to my apparent anger. “Please allow me to explain my reasoning behind my actions. Lady Felt,” he said, kneeling before me, piercing straight through me with those blue eyes.

2

I sat with my legs crossed on the bed, wrapping myself with the blanket while shaking my leg in irritation. As soon as I saw Reinhard’s face, I remembered everything that had happened up until I passed out.

The thieving request from the woman in black who promised a hefty reward; the insignia the dim-witted-looking silver half-devil had; the young guy with intimidating eyes I encountered after successfully stealing the insignia; and the events following after rendezvousing with Old Man Rom at the loot house. I remembered everything. Even Reinhard’s anxious look at the time.

He placed his hand over my face and everything went pitch black after that. Next thing I know, here I am.

Although I didn’t like the idea I was in another person’s control, I told myself there was no point in whining about it. Remember what Old Man Rom said: It’s important to be ready for anything, and keep a level head.

“Talk,” I said. “I’ll refrain from condemning the great knight for kidnapping a young girl until then.”

“Well then,” he said, smiling bitterly. “In that case, I must do my best and explain myself to resolve any misunderstandings.”

He’s smiling, this bastard. I clicked my tongue. And when will the damn clothes be here?

Paying no heed to my irritation, Reinhard searched his breast pocket while keeping his ever so soft expression. He was no longer wearing the conspicuous white knight uniform he had on when I had approached him in the slums. Nevertheless, the plain top and bottom he wore were unquestionably expensive, and added with his naturally handsome appearance, they looked ridiculously good on him.

“First of all, we are in House Astrea’s second mansion located in the royal capital’s upper level area known as the Nobles’ District,” Reinhard explained. “The room we’re in right now is a rarely-used guest room. So please forgive us if you feel cramped.”

“I can only take that as sarcasm. I can fit ten of my bedrooms in here.”

Although I spoke with as much hostility as possible, he replied with a simple sorry. He then pulled something out of his breast pocket and placed it on his palm for me to see, to which I groaned. “I believe you’ve seen this before, my lady?”

“That’s the thing I stole.”

“Technically, no. The insignia you’re talking about was returned to its rightful owner: Lady Emilia,” Reinhard explained, the insignia with an emblem of a dragon still placed on his palm. “The one here is a different one of the same kind. One I have been entrusted with.”

After hearing his explanation, I noticed there were in fact a few minor differences from the one the half-devil chick possessed. The differences were small details like the shape of the dragon’s wings and the jewel it held in its mouth, but that was the extent of it.

“So, what of it? I don’t want that thing anymore,” I dismissed.

“Please hold it once and you’ll know what I’m talking about,” Reinhard insisted, without any explanation.

Unable to come up with any retort, I reached for the insignia as told. I picked it up with my fingers, rolled it on my palm, and noticed it emanating light in my hand.

“I’m holding it,” I said. “But I don’t get it. It’s just glowing.”

“Just glowing…is the important part,” Reinhard explained. “The dragon jewel won’t light up in my hand, nor will it in any other person’s hand. No one else, other than you, Lady Felt, and a handful of chosen individuals.”

“Chosen? By a rock?” I snickered, believing he was just messing with me.

Some rock chose me? Who the hell does this rock think it is acting so high and mighty?

However, without changing his expression, Reinhard looked at me intently before continuing. “No, not by the rock. You’ve been chosen by the dragon… No, by fate.”

“Fate…” Instead of just snickering, this time I bursted out laughing. “Fate! Ha! Fate, you say?! How stupid!” I continued laughing, slapping my knee, showing my fang. And to wonder what he was gonna say with such a serious look on his face. “Listen up, Reinhard. Fate is a word losers who love to give up always use as an excuse. They justify their failure by blaming this thing called fate. It’s a perfect word for excuses. But I have no use for it.”

“───”

“Screw fate. It’s nothing but a word to get pity and make excuses. I don’t know what a bastard like you is so happy about, but leave me out of it.”

I swear, the biggest losers who have a habit of running away always resort to the word fate every time they fail. Whether it be their lack of strength, intelligence, luck, money, dreams, it’s all because of fate to them. Screw that. I make my own choices. How I turn out in my life is my own responsibility.

Reinhard remained silent, wearing a solemn expression. Wish he would solemnly let me go.

“Lady Felt,” he finally spoke. “No one can escape fate. The ones who can are only those blessed with certain qualities, possessing great resolve and courage.”

“Shut up. Are you tryna brag about how you are one of them? I’ll beat you up.”

“Unfortunately, just like everyone else, I’m not blessed with such a quality.” Reinhard responded to my hostility as he softened his expression, laughing.

It was a wimpy, bitter smile. Of all the expressions he had shown me up until this point, it, along with his response, irritated me the most.

“Whatever, we’re done.” I said. “I don’t want to talk to a bastard like you. So what if the rock glows? I’m going back to the slums. Just give me back my clothes.”

Yelling was no use, and I had no chance in a fight, so I had nothing more to say to this man. But I had no intention to walk around buck naked. They might have been worn out, but my clothes were some of my meager possessions. I wasn’t going to let them go. However—

“I am afraid I cannot fulfill that request. I have an obligation to inform the royal castle about those who can make the dragon jewel shine. You must be under surveillance for now—a duty you must oblige if you are a citizen of the kingdom.”

“What?! Screw that! If I’m a citizen, you say? This country hasn’t done a thing for me!”

“Even in poverty, living in the royal capital means you are under the protection of the kingdom. However small it may have been, you must have received its blessing. I cannot accept your defiance.”

“It’s not like I wanted to live here! I just didn’t have the money to get out! If you want, I’ll leave immediately. Just throw me out!”

“I cannot agree to that request. Please understand.”

“—!”

My patience was reaching its limit listening to this stubborn bastard. Reinhard, on the other hand, stayed composed the entire time. I was the only one turning red.

With my eyes bloodshot, I took a few deep breaths. Be ready for anything, and keep a level head. “F-Fine, bastard… I’ll take your words into consideration. I will. So just hear me out for a sec.”

“I’m ready to compromise as best as I can. But I must report you to the royal castle and keep you in our house until I get further instructions from the higher-ups. This is non-negotiable. So…”

“Not about that. Something more fundamental…about my clothes. How long are you intending on keeping me stripped, Mr. Great Knight?” I said as sarcastically as possible.

Reinhard widened his eyes. It was the first human-like expression I saw on him.

He gave a rather elegant bow. “My apologies,” he said, before turning his back to me. “I will call the maids now. You may choose from a number of options…”

“And sike! As if I’ll do as you say!”

You can’t be so careless, you idiot!

I grabbed the pillow behind me and threw it at him. He was facing away from me as planned. Without waiting for it to reach him, I jumped back, landing on the floor with my bare feet, and accelerated.

Reinhard moved swiftly before the pillow made contact, catching it in the blink of an eye. It seemed as though my plan failed, but it was all going according to plan.

“Take this!” I threw the sheets I had removed from the bed, covering his field of vision, making him lose sight of me for a split second. I took this chance to make an attempt for the door—would be something an idiot would think of doing. “Later!” I yelled, sticking out my tongue.

Using my momentum from jumping backwards, I pushed the window open with my back, as I held onto the curtain to prevent myself from falling.

I had scoured the room during our conversation. From the view outside the window, I speculated we were on the second floor. As long as I killed the momentum with the curtain, I should have been able to land safely on my feet.

I outsmarted the Sword Saint. That thought crossed my mind when—

“What?” The curtain that was supposed to be supporting me was severed in a flash. The horizontal slash was clean. It would have been impossible to replicate such a feat even with a pair of scissors or a blade. To accomplish this with only his hand made him more than a master. He was a monster.

“You, damn monster!” I exclaimed as I fell.

“This is the second time in the past two days that I’ve been insulted by that word,” Reinhard said, now falling alongside me after jumping out the window in pursuit.

He quickly passed me, reaching the ground first. I, on the other hand, felt sick, not being able to recover from the shock that the curtain was sliced in such a fashion.

“Pardon me,” Reinhard said as he caught me when I finally reached the ground.

Using the pillow in his hand to soften the impact, I fell into his arms like a puzzle piece falling into its place. The blanket I had wrapped myself in fluttered in the wind, making it feel like I was wearing a dress. What am I, a princess being carried by a handsome prince? This ain’t funny at all.

“You may not have known this, as I still haven’t given you a tour of the mansion, but we have stairs for moving between floors.”

“Don’t sass me! Hurry up and let me down! How long are you intending on holding a naked girl?!” I yelled as I floundered in his arms, which he masterfully controlled with simple maneuvering. I get that he doesn’t want to let me escape, but why hasn’t this bastard let me down?

“If I let you down now, your feet would get dirty. However, I understand your wishes, Lady Felt. So allow me to propose a compromise.”

“Compromise?”

“I will meet you halfway. If you can successfully escape from this mansion without getting caught by the people here, then you are free to leave. In return, while you are living here, I would like you to listen to me as much as possible.”

“Is that right?! I can run away? No take backs!”

“So do you agree to these terms?”

“You better keep your word, you bastard. If I can escape, I win. Got it?!” I said with a big smile, pointing a finger at him.

He said he’s meeting me halfway, but he just dug his own grave. I’m gonna win this for sure. In these sorts of wagers, there’s the aggressor and the defender. And the aggressor almost always had the advantage. In this case, I’m the aggressor. I win.

Reinhard let out a smile at my words. It was neither a bitter smile nor a polite smile. It was one that made it hard to tell what he was thinking. It was a normal smile.

Then he looked up at the window we fell out of. “Seems like the maids have noticed the commotion. We should head back to the room.”

I clicked my tongue. “Just carry me safely, Mr. Great Knight!”

3

An old couple was waiting for us when we returned to the room. Reinhard explained that they were chamberlains of the mansion and were in charge of managing the giant building. In other words, these are the three people I gotta avoid getting caught by to escape. This is good. I have to be cautious of Reinhard, but it should be easy to get past this old man and old lady.

However, my good mood didn’t last long.

“Hey, man,” I said in a trembling voice.

“Yes ma’am?” Reinhard responded nonchalantly. “I think it suits you very well, my lady.”

Standing next to Reinhard was the old lady, smiling gently, carrying a load of bright colored dresses in her arms. They’d made me wear a yellow one.

“W-Where are my usual clothes?”

“They’re safe and secure in our possession,” answered Reinhard. “Please feel free to choose any dress you like. We’ve prepared enough to last a whole month.”

“But why, though?! Why can’t I just wear my regular clothes…”

“As we agreed earlier, it’s a compromise. I will meet you halfway with your wishes, so you must listen to my requests.”

I groaned as I was lost for words. He did. This bastard did mention something like that. So, while I was getting happy about my assured win, this bastard was plotting his own agenda.

Reinhard closed one eye before continuing, as if to taunt me. “And you agreed to this, did you not, Lady Felt?”

“You bastard! I’m gonna escape this damn place before you know it! Just watch me!” I yelled in a voice loud enough to make the whole mansion tremble.

4

And thus, my sad, pathetic, pitiful attempt at escaping had begun.

In retrospect, I still believe my initial assumption was correct. I was allowed to plan my escape as much as I wanted; there was no shortage of methods, and I had every advantage in that I could choose when and how often I made an attempt. Even back at the royal capital, when I was making a living as a thief, the aggressor always had the advantage. The defender had no means of anticipating when their opponent would make a move. In fact, they usually didn’t even know if their opponent would make a move. There’s no way for them to prepare, so I just have to find an opening and move swiftly.

Regardless of the time of the day or where I was in the mansion, I made an attempt at every chance I thought I saw. Whether it was against the old lady, the old man, Reinhard, or even all three at the same time, I carefully observed the situation, made preparations, and executed my plans. As a result, I came to one conclusion: Everyone in the mansion was a monster.

“───”

I gotchu this time! I clenched my fist as I jumped over the red-haired head.

I kicked the wall, jumped towards the ceiling, and grabbed onto the chandelier. Using the chandelier like a swing, I let myself go in a forward motion. Creating distance between myself and the chaser, I accelerated as soon as I landed, running away faster than the wind.

“Alright! It’s my win today! Take that you…gya?!”

Before I could finish my parting remarks, my collar was grabbed from behind, lifting my feet off the ground. “Ugeah,” I gagged upon having my neck constricted, due to being picked up like a cat.

“Lady Felt, I don’t think it’s very lady-like to gag like that,” Reinhard said.

“Ugeah, ugeah, it’s not very lady-like, is it? Ugeah,” I repeated, looking straight at Reinhard, who was still holding me by the collar.

“What a troublesome person,” Reinhard exasperated, smiling bitterly, which ticked me off even more. Oblivious to my irritation, he looked up as he continued. “But to think that you would get past me in a matter of a few days. It’s quite impressive.”

“Like hell that makes me happy, shit! Also, I’m not some stray cat! Let me down!” I said, flapping my feet.

“If so, may I take it that I win today as well?” Reinhard directed a normal smile at me that wasn’t bitter, to which I only looked away. He remained unperturbed, however, as if that was enough for him. “Then, from now on, I would be very happy if you would refrain from saying ‘shit’. It doesn’t sound very…”

“Shit,” I said to let him know I was listening.

I saw his smile turn bitter again in the corner of my eyes.

After dozens of interactions like that, my life under surveillance continued. Even after a week passed since our agreement, all my attempts were thwarted with ease. The bastard appeared out of nowhere every time I tried to make a move, as if he had eyes everywhere in the mansion.

However, he wasn’t the only problem.

“Come on, Lady Felt. Pouting like that ruins that cute face of yours,” said the person responsible for my last failed attempt. We were in the canteen, where I had been dragged.

A plate exuding a sweet aroma was placed in front of me as I sat sulking. My stomach growled at the warm, sweet smell of the pastry. The old lady let out a gentle smile when I instinctively placed my hand on my stomach.

The old lady—who Reinhard calls ‘Auntie’—was one of the people managing the mansion. She was tall and slender with faint blonde hair. I called her Granny, but she still looked young, and it was easy to imagine she was quite the looker in her younger days. Despite this, I was uneasy around her for different reasons than Reinhard. It might be because she’s always smiling and looks so kind.

“We’ve prepared pastries for snack time today. They’re your favorite, right, Lady Felt?” Granny said eagerly with a faint smile, seeing me look back and forth between the plate and her.

Well, since she’s insisting. Still somewhat hesitant, I grabbed the hot pastry and began pushing it in my mouth.

As I bit into the crusty surface, the sweet filling melted in my mouth. The hot, sweet taste danced on my tastebuds, giving me a braingasm.

“Mmmm,” I let out. This is too good. I can’t help smiling.

I hated being in the mansion. I also didn’t care for the pretty clothes or the soft bed, but it was impossible to not like the food. They were incomparable to the ones in the slums.

“Can I take you with me when I make my escape?”

Granny chuckled. “I’m very flattered. But I’m afraid my husband will starve to death if I leave. Although, I’m sure the Young Master can fend for himself.”

“That’s a no then, huh?” I said, clicking my tongue.

Granny’s husband—who Reinhard called Uncle and I called Gramps—was a man of few words in charge of tending the garden and going shopping. He had a full set of white hair and a wrinkly face, but there was a glimmer of kindness in his eyes. In other words, he was the type of person I was uneasy around. I speculated his muteness had something to do with the giant white scar on his neck, but that wasn’t important. The important thing was that he was also my enemy. Even the day before yesterday, when I tried escaping while we went shopping together… “He anticipated all of my movements and dragged me back here.”

“He and I are both old now. We can’t move like we used to. So don’t be so mean to this old couple. It makes me so, so sad.”

“Says the person who throws me around like it’s nothing.”

Even without Reinhard, Granny and Gramps’ defenses were impenetrable. The term monster was not an exaggeration. These threes’ abilities far exceeded any other humans’ I had seen up to this point. Well, I guess that scary knife lady and the half-devil chick were also something else. Although now that I think about it, that intimidating looking bro was pretty normal. That’s kind of a relief.

“By the way, why are you two so amazing? Is it because you’re Reinhard’s associates? Or are all rich people like you?”

“Please, please, you’re overestimating me. I’m just a tad experienced in martial arts due to my upbringing… The truly exceptional one is my husband. He was so cool when he was young… No, actually, he’s still very cool even today.”

“Granny, Granny, get back to the point.”

“Oh my, how embarrassing,” she said, blushing. She must have gotten embarrassed for suddenly bragging about her own husband.

She must really love him. But that’s not what I’m interested in.

“I didn’t see Reinhard for lunch. Is he out on an errand?” Seeing Granny still blushing, I forcefully changed the topic.

“Yes,” she answered, hands still on her blushing cheeks. “The Young Master had an urgent matter to attend to. He should be coming home shortly. I know you miss him, so please kill some time talking to this old lady.”

“First of all, no one’s missing him. And second, I’m done eating so I’m out of here.” I stood up while licking the sweet jam on my finger. Truth be told, I wanted to lick the plate as well, but when I did once, Granny yelled at me like it was the end of the world. I don’t want to go through that again.

“I have to clean up and prepare for dinner, so I won’t be able to tend to you, but please don’t do anything reckless, okay? Otherwise, the Young Master will get mad.”

“I ain’t a kid, you know? Although, I do want to see Reinhard get mad. Anyways, thanks for the food.” I left the canteen, waving Granny goodbye.

I decided to prance around the mansion, but it had been a week since I arrived and there was nothing else left for me to see. Also, if I tried to make a run for it, Gramps or Granny would definitely catch me in no time. I don’t know why, but I can tell.

“But I will definitely escape one of these days.”

I feel like I’m slowly getting pulled in by Granny’s cooking, but I refuse to let myself get comfortable here. I have to escape. I have reason to go back to where I belong.

“I hope Old Man Rom is doing fine,” I muttered the name of my sole family back in the slums.

Although we aren’t related by blood, that never mattered. Old Man Rom was and always will be my one and only family. One week prior, I got him involved in my mess because of the mistake I made and even got him injured. To make matters worse, I hadn’t been able to check up on him since I was captured by Reinhard. Although the half-devil chick seemed to have tended to his injury, and he wasn’t one to die so easily, Reinhard never gave any clear answers whenever I brought it up.

“That bastard’s never straight with me when it’s about something he doesn’t want to talk about. I’m definitely gonna escape from this damn place.”

I felt my blood start boiling as I thought aloud before I came to a halt. The door in the back of the hallway I was walking in caught my attention. It looked like it led to an ordinary room, but it grabbed my interest for some reason.

“Wasn’t that door usually locked?”

There was usually an imposing lock preventing anyone from entering, but this time the lock was open. I approached the door that was freed from its shackles and turned the knob, opening it with ease.

“───”

Looking around to check that there was no one watching, I entered the room. The cold floor greeted the sole of my foot as I tiptoed my way in.

It was a dimly lit room. Despite it being daytime, the thick curtains shut out any light coming in from the window, which also contributed to the cool temperature. The room was also empty. Although there was a bed in the middle like all the rest of the other rooms in the mansion, that was all. There was nothing that explained why the door was usually under lock and key. And it’s not like there’s an exit I can use.

“How boring. And here I thought there’d be some hidden treasure or something…huh?”

Before I could finish expressing my disappointment, I caught sight of something that nearly stopped my heart. It was something that took me completely by surprise. There was a woman sleeping in the bed.

What startled me the most was the fact that I had never seen this woman before, and also that I didn’t notice her presence at all. I mean, it’s like she isn’t even there.

“W-What the hell is wrong with this woman?”

I cautiously approached the bed. However, no matter how close I got, I couldn’t feel any life coming from her. Despite this, I could tell she wasn’t dead or just a mannequin. There were features of a living person on this woman. Her cheeks and lips were tinged in red as proof of the blood flowing through her veins, and her chest was moving up and down from breathing, albeit slightly. She’s alive. But she has no presence.

“What the hell? Who is she anyway?”

I scratched my head, attempting to calm my nerves. As my heartbeat stabilized, I regained my composure, allowing me to organize my thoughts.

A woman I’ve never seen before, a locked room, and me. I soon reached a conclusion.

“I see, so that bastard Reinhard’s been keeping a different woman other than me.”

“You’re gravely mistaken.”

“Gyah!” I exclaimed, startled by the sudden voice that came from behind me.

Placing my hand on the bed, I jumped to the other side, and turned around to see who was at the door. It was Reinhard. He was leaning on the door frame with a contemplative expression on his face. It was a look I had never seen on him before.

“I don’t think I was out for very long, but…” Reinhard started. “I suppose this is my mistake.”

“It’s unlike you. Why don’t ya tell me who this woman is while you’re at it. Right now, you’re nothin’ more than a creep who likes to kidnap women and keep them locked up in my eyes.”

At this point, I was seriously wondering if all the women in this country were locked up inside the rooms of this mansion that I hadn’t entered yet.

Reinhard let out a small sigh as I stared at him suspiciously. “She’s my mother.”

“What?” I said after a brief moment to take in what he had just said.

I glanced back at the woman on the bed. She was an incredible beauty with long blonde hair. She looked no more than twenty-years-old. It would have made more sense if I was told she was Reinhard’s sister. If he’s lying, it’s a really bad one.

“You just added being a liar on top of being a woman snatcher.”

“It may be hard to believe, but it’s the truth. My mother—Louanna Astrea—is afflicted with a condition known as ‘Sleeping Beauty’. She’s remained in the same state ever since she first went to sleep. She’s been asleep for about seventeen years now.”

“Seven…?!” At a loss for words, I gasped at the number of years I just heard. If what he’s saying is true, I’m fourteen right now, so she’s been asleep since before I was even born. Wait, more importantly… “Reinhard, how old are you?”

“I’m turning nineteen this year… I was only able to spend time with her for the first two years of my life,” Reinhard said, shrugging his shoulders as he glanced at his mother, smiling bitterly.

He’s making that bitter smile again. It was the bitter smile that made my stomach churn in irritation.

“So you have your sick mother locked up in a corner of your mansion? You’re a noble. You have money, don’t ya? Why don’t you fix her?”

“You’re absolutely right. However, it’s a disease without a known cause. That’s not to say I won’t be willing to give her the treatment she needs as soon as they find a cure for it. Such is the reason we have her kept in this mansion located in the royal capital.”

“Don’t smooth-talk me like that.”

He didn’t stammer even once. He must be used to giving this explanation. He’s had this conversation a lot, huh?

Annoyed by his generic rhetoric, my patience reached its limit. “It’s your family! Of course you’re doing everything you can! And I criticized you in spite of this! Why won’t you get mad at me, you bastard?!”

“There’s no point. Your questions were understandable, and I believe my explanation was sufficient.”

“Yeah, whatever then!”

Talking to this stubborn bastard’s gonna make me go insane.

Reinhard’s mother remained fast asleep, despite shouting so loudly in her vicinity. Etching her beautiful face in my mind, I went for the door. Reinhard was standing there, but that didn’t matter. I stomped my way past him.

“Lady Felt,” he said, pulling me by the arm. I thought about biting him, but he continued. “Please don’t say a word about my mother to anybody. Sleeping Beauty is a rare condition, and I don’t want to cause any trouble. Also, I would really appreciate it if you would refrain from entering this room.”

“Just how…” nonchalant can you be. But before I could utter those words, he showed a faint smile.

“And thank you for considering my feelings.”

My mind went blank, unable to comprehend his words. However, I quickly processed them and nearly exploded in anger at his despicableness. This bastard knows why I was so angry, and why I wanted him to get mad at me.

“Reinhard, you’re a real bastard!”

Tearing my arm loose, I left the room. Reinhard quickly followed me after closing the door and locking it behind him. As he walked alongside me, I could tell that he had a faint smile on his face without even looking. So I refused to look his way.

“By the way, Lady Felt, I went to the guard station earlier.”

“...So what?”

“Seems like the old gentleman you were with left the station during his treatment and has disappeared. They’ve lost his tracks. I’m very sorry.”

“───” I came to a halt.

“I’ve been trying to locate him ever since you asked about him,” Reinhard continued his report, looking down. “I’m unsure if it’s because they didn’t want to make the fact that they lost him public, but the person in charge of the station kept his mouth shut for a while. I’m very sorry for my belated repor…”

“Of course he won’t stay at the station…” I said, smiling. “But if he can run away, it means he’s doing well.”

Reinhard raised his face, furrowing his shapely brows. “I wanted to take him into custody before reporting to you.”

“Ha, no need for that. My family can’t be stopped so easily. People from the slums are tenacious. You wouldn’t understand.” I laughed, lightly punching his chest, and began walking again.

Reinhard continued walking next to me without my permission. He looked relieved.

“You know, you do look like your mother,” I pointed out, seeing the resemblance after getting a look at him.

“Really?” Reinhard said ecstatically, turning his face towards me.

Taken aback by his enthusiasm a little, I nodded. “Yeah, your eyes and nose are identical. I’m still a bit skeptical about whether she’s your mother or not, but I don’t doubt she’s related to you.”

“Are you still suspecting that I’m a woman snatcher?” he asked with a dumbfounded look on his face.

“You might not be a serial kidnapper, but you still kidnapped me and have me locked up!” I spat, picking up my pace.

I’m in a good mood today. Guess I’ll spend the rest of the day planning for tomorrow’s escape. I’m also hungrier than usual.

5

So Old Man Rom is doing well. Although I had no new information about him other than the fact that he ran away from the guard station, I was elated just by this fact alone. That ain’t to say I’m gonna stop tryin’ to escape outta here. I was enthusiastic as ever, or perhaps even more so, to escape from the kidnapping knight. I tried the hardest I’ve ever tried to accomplish this goal. And the result of my efforts, you ask? Well, this is how it all ended.

After two months had gone by since I was captured by Reinhard, and had failed my 300th attempt (the bastard was counting), he said to me, “Please get ready. We are going to the castle now.”

All my efforts ended in utter failure.

“Please stop pouting like that,” he said as I sat across from him, looking out at the scenery that rhythmically moved up and down.

Exhaling sharply out my nose, I turned my pouting face forward. Reinhard was sitting there with his usual annoying smile. I was sick of seeing that face. I admit he’s good looking, but no matter how good his appearance may be, none of that matters if his personality is despicable. What’s worse is that he’s really annoying.

What annoyed me the most was his smile. It creeped the hell out of me. I wouldn’t go as far as to say he secretly looked down on me, but it was definitely a face that didn’t reflect his true feelings. It’s as if he was wearing a mask. However, as rare as it was, there were moments when he flashed a smile that showed his true nature. This was the smile he was showing me as he sat in front of me. One of his rare smiles. The smile of a victor.

“Don’t get so cocky just cuz you have one up on me and have me on a leash. You’ve just been gettin’ lucky for now.”

“I have no intention of being cocky, let alone keeping you on a leash,” he responded coolly. “I’m just sincerely asking you to listen to my request.”

I snickered and crossed my arms. “Good at twistin’ words, aren’t ya?”

To annoy him with bad etiquette, I started throwing my back against the seat, making it creak. However, for some reason, Reinhard didn’t try to stop me. Does he see me as some naughty kid and tryna be the bigger person? How annoying.

“I don’t like it one bit,” I said as I threw a kick at him, attempting to leave a footprint on his uniform.

I should have got him in surprise, but he blocked it with ease, letting out a simple, “Whoa.” There was barely any surprise on his face. Only his usual smile.

He had blocked and pushed my leg aside with his own. Even this movement alone seemed elegant, making me furrow my brows. He was still directing a smile at me, which ticked me off even more.

“Take this, and this, and this, and this,” I said for each kick I threw at him.

He blocked each one using only the tip of his feet, letting out a gentle grunt each time. I should know by now that I can’t get through his defense without any forethought. I decided to devise a strategy to etch my footprint on this bastard. But before I had the chance to execute it, a voice rained down on our parade.

“You two, we are about to arrive at our destination. Stop playing around,” Granny said from the front seat, beyond the screen divider. I looked at her. Her long blond hair was tied in a ponytail. She continued. “Please behave yourself, Lady Felt. And you too, Young Master. You’re making this old lady nervous. It makes me so, so sad.”

“I can’t argue with you, Auntie,” Reinhard said. “Lady Felt, can we call it a truce for now?”

I clicked my tongue. “Fine, whatever.”

I didn’t care for Reinhard’s wishes, but I couldn’t defy Granny either. Also, even though she sounded like her usual self, there was a tinge of unease in her voice. Now that I think about it, she seemed more uptight than usual when we left the mansion. After realizing something was off with Granny, I came to think Reinhard was acting a little different as well. It’s also my first time seeing him in his knight’s uniform in a while. I looked him up and down.

Noticing my stare, Reinhard tilted his head with a faint smile. “Is something the matter, Lady Felt?”

His demeanor just then looked incredibly innocent, as if I was looking at a child.

“Take this,” I said as I threw another kick at him to divert away from the topic.

He blocked it, yet again, further dampening my mood.

We were riding on a dragon carriage: a means of transportation often used by nobles and merchants, where they had an earth dragon draw the carriage. You may think, as a person from the slums, I wasn’t acquainted with such a vehicle, but that’s not entirely true. The ones carrying cargo often had hoods on the carriage, allowing me to sneak in quite easily when I wanted to rummage through the loaded goods. I also took advantage of the ones that were parked in warehouses as a place to sleep for the night during cold seasons. So, I was well acquainted with this vehicle.

Nevertheless, I had never formally ridden one as a passenger—let alone in an extravagant one. It was all my first time.

“Well, now that I’m on it, it ain’t that big a deal,” I commented on my first ride. “I was more excited before getting on.”

“Which means you were looking forward to riding one, I take it? In that case, I deeply apologize for not being able to meet your expectations.”

“Stop takin’ my words out of context. Jeez.”

Reinhard kept a solemn look for a while, before lifting up his face with a bright smile. “If you’d like, would you like to try dragonback riding next time instead of taking a dragon carriage? I have some experience with earth dragons. I may be able to teach you.”

“By dragonback riding, you mean riding them on their back?”

“Yes.” Reinhard nodded, still smiling.

I was honestly tempted by his proposal.

It’s hard to explain, but I’ve always liked jumping and running around. At one point, it was my habit to navigate the vast royal capital by traversing the roofs of the buildings. Although part of it was to get familiar with the layout of the city (as Old Man Rom advised me to do), it had also become a sort of a hobby to kill time. The wind, the view, and the thrill from jumping off from there were all amazing. And when I’m on a high place, I—

“You must really like high places,” Reinhard commented.

“Wait a minute! When you put it like that, it just makes me sound like some idiot who likes to climb on high things! I also like to run fast! So what I’m tryna say is that…” It must feel good to ride on a galloping earth dragon. Even though I was quite confident when it came to running, I wasn’t arrogant enough to think that I could beat an earth dragon in speed or stamina. Running was their main job, after all. But before I mouthed these thoughts, I noticed something. “Wait, was I talking out loud about me liking high places?”

“You have a rich variety of facial expressions, Lady Felt.” Reinhard responded. “I never get tired of watching you.”

“Quit it with the leering! Imma make you pay for it!”

As embarrassing as it was for me to make such a face, it was also creepy of Reinhard to be able to discern its meaning so accurately. Is he really some sorta monster?

“───”

The point was that the invitation to ride an earth dragon was tempting. Although for a brief moment, it felt like one of his more normal proposals. However, I quickly steeled myself, remembering my current predicament. It’s already been two months and I’m still not able to get past Reinhard’s defenses, and Granny’s been dragging me in with her cooking.

“There’s no way I’m gonna let you have your way anymore,” I said. “If I wanna ride an earth dragon, I will on my own. I don’t want your help.”

“How unfortunate,” Reinhard said with a chuckle. “If you change your mind, please let me know.”

“Shut up,” I retorted, clicking my tongue.

I proceeded to throw my legs on the seat. He stared at me disapprovingly, but I ignored it. I’m wearing a dress I don’t even want to, as he requested. He’s gotta let me do at least this much.

“By the way, will you tell me why we’re heading to the castle already?” I asked.

“Let’s see…” Reinhard responded. “How about we keep it a surprise?”

“How about I beat you up? You may be good at blocking my kicks, but when I set my mind to something, I don’t stop ‘til I get it done. Even if I have to assault you in your sleep.”

“No need to threaten me in such a way. I’ll tell you,” Reinhard replied, raising both of his arms as if to convey his surrender. “Do you remember our conversation about the insignia?”

That’s the conversation we had two months ago. I nodded in response without saying a word. He was talking about the insignia with a gem that lights up when I hold it. Now that I think about it, my life’s been messed up because of that stupid thing.

“I reported it to the royal castle, and here we are today. I’m sure it’ll cause you great stress, but I’ll be by your side if you need anything.”

“Give! Me! More! Specifics!”

Don’t give me the ‘if you need anything’ crap! Can’t you explain it better?! However, Reinhard only smiled bitterly and didn’t even attempt to give me any more information. What is it with this guy’s attitude? Should I just jump out of the carriage now? Looking back at it now, I should have followed my instincts and attempted an escape. Instead, I obediently remained seated for some reason. Maybe I had been somewhat tamed in the past two months. By Granny’s cooking, of course, and not by Reinhard. I clenched my teeth. There’d been way too many things I needed to reflect upon ever since I was caught by Reinhard.

“Lady Felt, the long awaited royal castle is in view,” Reinhard said.

As I was reflecting on my current self, I couldn’t help but get curious by Reinhard’s announcement and leaned forward in my seat. Beyond the divider was Granny in the passenger seat, and the ever so quiet Gramps holding the reins next to her. As I popped my head between them, the landscape in front of the carriage suddenly jumped into view.

“───”

I gulped at the sight I should have been used to by now.

As I mentioned earlier, I liked high places. The elevation of the royal capital rose incrementally as you made your way towards the middle. And right in the middle, at the highest point, was the castle where the king lived. Surrounding it was the Nobles’ District where the nobles lived, then the Commoners’ and Merchants’ Districts, and lastly the slums. I would sometimes sneak into dragon carriages and smuggle myself into the Nobles’ District, a place a commoner usually would never have access to. Not to steal, but to enjoy the view from the top. Nevertheless, it was my first time being as high as I was at this moment.

The very center of the royal capital. The highest point where I can take in the cleanest air in the country.

“This is the center and highest level in the capital of the Dragon Kingdom of Lugunica—Lugunica Castle,” Reinhard explained as I stared, lost for words.

He was on his knee next to me, gazing at me as I leaned forward to get a better view. He was so close I could almost feel his breath. My face reflected in his blue eyes, and not the castle.

“Take this!”

I attempted a headbutt to his nose, which he evaded with a simple “Whoops.” I clicked my tongue.

6

“Gyaaaahhh! It hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts!” I screamed in a voice that sounded like a chicken getting strangled, tears in my eyes, in a room that was neither too big nor too small. But no matter how desperately I cried and called out, the people behind me showed no mercy. They continued to squeeze my body like a wet rag.

“Stop, stop! You’re killing meeee!”

“Endure it a little longer. This is necessary. It is a duty you must abide as a lady.”

I never considered myself one, nor do I intend to become one in the future!

I wanted to run away, but seeing as Granny was standing by the door, that was out of the question.

The women who call themselves servants of the castle continued to grab me from behind and squeeze my body into some kind of clothing called a corset. The only explanation they kept spouting was that it was necessary and that I had to endure it. I was forced out of the dress I didn’t even want to wear in the first place, and now I was handled like some kind of a doll. There were six servants in total. I couldn’t even get past Granny, so my chances of escaping were nonexistent. I should’ve taken my chances while we were still in the dragon carriage.

After taking me into the castle, Reinhard rendezvoused with another knight at the entrance and went on his way. That other knight was also handsome. Are Reinhard’s acquaintances all good looking or monsters? I tilted my head in wonder as Granny dragged me into the room we were in, where I had been a subject of abuse ever since. I was mentally and physically exhausted.

“Abuse, you say?” Granny exclaimed. “Do you really see me as such a heartless monster, Lady Felt? How sad. You make me so, so sad.”

“S-Says the person laughing at me getting my body squeezed.”

I had already gotten used to seeing Granny’s fake crying. Seeing as it didn’t affect me anymore, she quickly dropped her act and stuck out her tongue. How cute.

The dress the servants prepared and were trying to make me wear was a yellow one. As much as I wanted to say I couldn’t tell the difference from the ones I usually wore, having been forced to wear all kinds of dresses every day for the past two months, I was able to distinguish between them. The one they prepared was unbelievably expensive. From the way it was tailored to the fabric it used, it was eye-catching.

“Which means it’s something I hate…” I was exasperated. “Ugh, my stomach hurts, and the texture of the clothes sucks; what the hell is all this? What is that bastard tryna make me do?”

“Please reserve your complaints for the Young Master,” Granny said. “Besides, you look splendid, Lady Felt. You look like a princess.”

“Please don’t call me that. You’re making me cringe.”

Granny’s exaggerated compliment was reminiscent of Reinhard’s. Could it be that Reinhard learned to make compliments from Granny? I began to wonder if he learned how to talk from Granny, and his handling of earth dragons from Gramps. Actually, I know his mother is sick in bed, but I’ve never heard him talk about his father. Well, it’s not like he would have mentioned his mother if not for my intrusion. Maybe he just doesn’t wanna talk about his family. We don’t need to if he doesn’t want to. It’s not like we’re pals or anything.

“Sorry to intrude. Is Mr. Sword Saint around?” came a raspy voice as the door to the room opened.

Even though the servants were done putting the corset on me, I was still in the middle of changing. As they shrunk back at the sudden intruder, I turned my attention to the door to examine the man. His unshaved face was red from liquor and exuded an air of depravity. The way he stumbled in his strut reminded me of drunkards in the slums who were frequently seen with a bottle in their hand. If he had been wearing old, worn out clothes, and shown a beer belly, it would have been a perfect depiction. But the clothes he had on, as wrinkled as they were, were still of fine quality. In addition, he wore steel boots and had an impressive knight’s sword equipped to his belt. Upon closer observation, I noticed, even though they were soiled, he was wearing the same white knight uniform as Reinhard. It’s hard to believe, but this old man is also a knight.

As I examined him, he looked around the room. He then tilted his head as if he couldn’t find what he was looking for.

“Huh, that’s weird,” he said, scratching his unkempt red hair. “I heard people from House Astrea were usin’ this room.”

“How insolent of you to walk into a room a lady is using to get dressed!” yelled Granny, who had been quiet until this point.

Granny glared at the man with anger incomparable to when I licked the plate back in the mansion, almost on the verge of killing intent. No, maybe not killing intent. It’s something else. But it’s something serious, for sure. As I couldn’t make out the situation, I was quickly given the answer by the man’s next words.

“Hey, it’s you, Auntie. Thought ya were an old piece of furniture that’s seen better days. Don’t surprise me like that.”

“How sad. To think that mockery would come out of your mouth before an apology. If you no longer have a shred of the noble qualities required to be a knight, kindly lay down that sword you have hanging at your side.”

“Harsh as usual, aren’t ya.” The man smirked. “But shouldn’t you also be careful how you speak to me, Granny? Have you forgotten your place?”

“Master Heinkel…” Granny said, seemingly hurt.

From the way she called out his name, I was able to figure out that they knew each other. A knight with dirty red hair and clouded blue eyes—I see. I’m startin’ to get it. I started to get the whole picture, but I was also starting to reach my limits.

“Hey old man, aren’t ya being a bit arrogant for a guy who just walked into a room I was getting changed in? Where’s my ‘sorry’ or ‘excuse me’?” I said as hostile as I could.

“Wha?” He turned his attention towards me as if he just noticed me. He had a derisive expression on his face, to which I glared back. He then placed his hand on his forehead and began laughing, showing his yellow teeth. “Oh I see, I see, missy! My bad for that. I didn’t know there was a little kid getting changed. You were so small, I didn’t even notice you.”

“Want me to etch a mark on your face with my foot, so you’ll never forget about me? You piece of shit,” I spat at the yellow-toothed man as I lifted my dress, ready to throw a kick at him at any moment.

Tensions were high. I was about to kick him across the face.

Then Granny put herself between the man and me.

“Vice Captain Heinkel,” she spoke. “Are you not aware of the event taking place here in the royal castle today? If you are, you should be able to tell who this lady is.”

I couldn’t discern the meaning behind Granny’s words. The man also didn’t seem to understand what she was saying.

He sucked his teeth in annoyance. “Sorry to tell you, but I don’t have a clue about what you’re talkin’ about. I’ve been workin’ real hard slackin’ off at the office today, as usual. I haven’t heard anything from Marcos…”

“The royal selection,” Granny muttered.

The man quickly went silent at her words. His expression visibly hardened, then turned it into a giant frown. His derisive countenance was no longer there. He turned his serious eyes towards me and looked me up and down, as if to examine me like I did him earlier. As I started getting irritated, he looked right up at the ceiling, covered his face with his hands, opened his mouth wide—and started laughing.

“I see, I see. So that’s what this is about! That red-headed brat chose this brat to be the sacrificial lamb this time! How perfect! Ain’t this just perfect! How can I not laugh about this?!”

He suddenly kicked the bookshelf by the wall, scattering all the books on the floor. Amidst the scattered books, he continued laughing like a madman. The lady servants yelped. I took a step towards the man, who was still laughing hysterically. I didn’t know what he was talking about, but I could tell he was making fun of me. I’ve always hated it when people made fun of me. Don’t screw with me.

The man was covering his face with his hand and wasn’t paying attention to me. He’s full of openings. I imagined how hilarious it would be to sweep this drunkard’s legs and knock him to the ground. I shifted my weight and got ready to—

“That’s enough,” said the man. Right as I was about to go for a leg sweep, he closed the distance to the point where I could smell the liquor on his breath. “Even though I may just be a drunkard, you won’t be able to do anything to me with those clothes on.”

Taken aback, I instinctively jumped backward, landing right in Granny’s arms.

“You should be embarrassed,” she told the man, her voice bitter.

The man laughed derisively. “I thought you would realize that that was out of kindness and you would commend me.” He turned his condescending eyes towards me. “You’ll realize it soon, too, Missy. You and I are just toys fated to be played around with by the same monster. I can’t wait til the time comes when we’ll be lickin’ each other's wounds.”

He licked his lips disgustingly and turned his back as if to say he had said what he wanted to say. Then, without looking back or cleaning up after himself, he left the room.

After the madman left, the lady servants hurriedly closed the door. Things finally started to settle down after that.

“Lady Felt, are you alright?” Granny asked. I felt my shoulders loosen up as she held me from behind. She took out a handkerchief and gently wiped my forehead with it. It tickled a little.

“Don’t worry, Granny. It’s not like he did anythin’ to me.”

“Still, please allow me to apologize. If I had acted sooner, you wouldn’t have had to go through such an unpleasant experience. I wish I could cut him down.”

Sensing her strong emotions in her voice, I let out a huff. The corners of my mouth started to rise. I was making a bitter smile. It felt like Reinhard’s personality had rubbed off on me, which irritated me a little.

“Don’t say what you don’t mean, Granny,” I said. “If you cut that guy down… Sure, it might feel good, but it’s gonna cause a lotta trouble, right?”

“Lady Felt…”

“That’s Reinhard’s dad, right?”

Even though she didn’t make any noise, I could sense Granny gasp right behind me as she heard my words. I might be stupid, but with so many glaring similarities, added with their awkward interaction, it doesn’t take a genius to put two and two together. It’s true that Reinhard shared similar features with his sleeping mother, but if I had to answer who he resembled more, I’d have to say his father. Their similarities went beyond just their eye and hair color. They had similar facial structures and even similar stances. As someone who had spent a lot of time observing Reinhard to plot an escape, I was able to pick up on the fact that the man was his father.

“Like father, like son, they both piss me off.”

“I am deeply sorry to hear that,” Granny apologized, looking genuinely depressed.

Due to her position, she could neither agree nor disagree with my sentiment.

I decided to drop the topic. There was no reason for her to feel sorry. She did nothing wrong. If that guy turned out to have such a terrible personality because of his upbringing, that would be his parents’ fault and not Granny’s.

Granny maintained her silence, and the lady servants, too, seemed to be influenced by the somber atmosphere in the room.

“Well, that’s enough about what’s done. Let’s clean this mess up,” I said rather loudly, clapping my hands. I wanted to liven up the atmosphere of the room. “It'd be dangerous if someone stepped on the shattered glass, and ya’ll are still in the middle of dressin’ me up, aren't ya? My sides are all out in the open. Ya better not say this is how it’s supposed to look.”

I raised my arms up sideways to let the lady servants see the state of my dress. I suddenly became embarrassed when I realized I’d tried to pick a fight in such a state. The dress was still only clipped on, and as for my upper body, all I had on was a corset that was tough enough to possibly stop a knife from getting through.

The lady servants looked at each other and seemed to be hesitant at first, but soon broke into two groups and went back to work. One group helped me get dressed and the other cleaned up the mess. Although, the nature of their job was just squeezing me into my clothes.

I groaned and moaned as they continued to constrict me. Then I noticed Granny looking at me with a soft—no, a softer-than-usual expression. “Granny? Why are you makin’ that face?”

“No, it’s nothing,” Granny said, shaking her head. “It’s just that, I was reflecting on the fact that the Young Master’s judgment was right as usual.”

I snickered. “Don’t bring that guy up. Just thinkin’ about the guy pisses me off.” The despicable face of the redhead popped up in my mind then overlapped with the man from earlier. I shook my head to erase the man’s face, leaving only Reinhard’s face remaining. Sure, the dude’s despicable, but he’s much better than that other guy… wait, wait, why am I even thinkin’ about Reinhard? Old Man Rom and Gramps are way more of my type.

“If you weren’t here, Granny, I’d totally have tried to catch Gramps’s eye.”

“My, you shouldn’t say things like that, Lady Felt. Grimm… I mean, my husband is mine. You may not have him,” Granny said, her tone sounding scarier than usual.

“I know, I know. I was just kidding,” I said, bursting into laughter.

Granny nodded satisfactorily.

The lady servants finished dressing me up and dragged me in front of the mirror. It’s a dress. I’m wearing a dress.

“You look beautiful, Lady Felt,” Granny commented.

I decided not to deny her, as I usually would have. Not only would she have been troubled with a response, I was also rather surprised with the way I looked. I knew it was a bit more expensive than the dresses I usually wore, but these types of clothes only looked good on a particular type of person. The prime example would be the royal guards’ uniform. It looked good on Reinhard, but looked like old rags on that old man. That’s why I was against wearing this dress. But as I saw myself in the mirror wearing it, I was surprised to see it fit rather well.

For the past two months, Granny treated my hair and fed me three times a day to my content everyday, I was able to sleep well at night due to all the energy I used trying to escape, and I even got the hang of moving smoothly while wearing a dress due to having to wear them everyday. Suddenly, I started to realize the meaning of the past two months.

As I was reminiscing about the time I spent in the mansion, a pair of people entered the room.

“Excuse us, Grandmother. We are here to escort you to the throne room.”

When I turned around, pink-haired twin girls—or so I thought because of their identical faces—jumped into my view.

“Leaving aside the fact that I don’t know who you two are, what did you just say? Did ya just call Granny Grandmother? And what’s this about the throne room?”

Wait, actually, even I can tell that’s where the King is. I knew from the moment I was brought to this castle I was in for a headache, but what’s this about going to a room where the King is? Furthermore, aren’t all the royals already dead—

“Flam, Grassis, introduce yourselves to Lady Felt,” Granny instructed the twins.

So, you’re just gonna ignore my questions, huh?

The twins stepped forward and bowed their small heads. They were short. I’m quite small myself, but these girls were even smaller. They also looked younger than me.

“I’m Flam Remendis.”

“Grassis Remendis.”

They said, still bowing their heads.

So, their last name’s Remendis, huh? It’s kinda tricky to tell ‘em apart just by looking. I think maybe their bangs are a tiny bit different?

“I’m embarrassed to say, but they are my granddaughters,” Granny said, as she took a bow alongside the twins. “They shall take you to the throne room.”

“Wow, granddaughters? There’s a surprise. So, about the answers for my earlier questions…”

“You’ll have all the answers you need once you get to the throne room. The Young Master should be there as well.”

So they ignored my questions on purpose. I made a big frown to express my discontent, but Granny kept bowing and wouldn’t explain any further. So stubborn. I always thought I was pretty stubborn myself, but I had to concede to Granny this time.

“So, I just have to follow these two?”

“Yes, my husband and I will be waiting here for the Young Master and you to return.”

“Don’t pair us up like that,” I said, laughing.

I turned around and faced the twins. They wouldn’t even flash a smile, which made me think they must have undergone rigorous training to become first-class chamberlains. I’m gonna follow them and go to the throne room where Reinhard is waiting, huh? I had no clue what awaited me there, or how it had anything to do with the glowing stone, but it didn’t seem like I had much of a choice.

“Whatever, bring it on. Being looked down on is the last thing I want.”

If I backed down now, people’ll think I ran away with my tail between my legs. My pride won’t allow that. I crossed my arms, pumped out my chest to make myself look bigger, and followed behind the twins as they began walking. Granny and the lady servants saw me out. I took each of my steps as firmly as I could on the red rug laid in the hallway. Whatever’s ahead, bring it on. I prepared myself for whatever laid ahead.

7

“Well, there was no point in preparing myself.”

Such was my reaction a few hours later, feeling like a large amount of smoke was coming out of my head. I was slouching on the sofa in the anteroom I had been brought to. I was exhausted. There was so much stuff that happened, it stressed me out to even think about it. First, I had to sort out the good things and the bad things.

“Although I was relieved to see Old Man Rom was there,” I muttered. “What is this about makin’ me a queen? Are they nuts?”

So this is what Reinhard and all the rest of the people wanted to do at the throne room, just because I can make some stone glow up, huh? They’re all so stupid.

“I don’t know anything about a dragon or qualification.”

Placing my chin on the back rest, I rolled the insignia in my hand. The stone inside it remained glowing, as if it was trying to aggressively prove a point, then would completely fade whenever I let it out of my hand. When I hold it, it lights up. When I let go, the light fades. Apparently, that’s all it takes for them to drag me into a competition to become the queen.

“Not that there’s any point in complaining, now that I decided to do it.”

Knowing that there was nobody around, I scratched my head, messing up my hair. Reinhard and Granny both hated it when I did this. They often said I’ll damage my hair or that it’ll lose its beautiful color, but I hated worrying about such small things. If anything, I wanted to take off my dress and change into a more relaxing outfit as well.

“But I guess I’ll just have to wait ‘til I get back to the mansion. And there’s also Old Man Rom!” I said, raising my tone at the last bit of the sentence.

Old Man Rom was my one and only family. Although I wasn’t too sure about all the details, he was captured by the guards for trying to save me. He was in some real trouble, so I agreed to enter this thing called the royal selection in exchange for his release. As long as he was safe, I had no regrets about it.

Now that we were done talking with all the other candidates of the royal selection, (including the half-devil lady I met before) Reinhard went to pick up Old Man Rom. The plan was to wait for their return, and then we would all go back—or rather, dragged back—to the mansion.

“I suppose it isn’t realistic to successfully escape now.”

Considering the gravity of the situation, even I understood I was now in a position where I couldn’t just easily run away. I couldn’t even escape from the mansion. If I couldn’t run away from three people, how can I run from an entire country?

Also, if I’m being honest, I was in a rather good mood. This wasn’t because I was admired as a candidate participating in the royal selection. I mean, I made an enemy out of all of ‘em by pickin’ a fight with ‘em. But the mere fact that I got to pick a fight with them was exactly what put me in such a good mood. I finally had the chance to say everything I wanted to say to everyone I wanted to say it to. This alone made me ecstatic.

“I’ll worry about everything else later,” I said to myself, as I lounged on the sofa, before I noticed someone was at the door. “Huh?”

“Lady Felt, is this a good time?”

It was one of Granny’s granddaughters, Flam or Grassis, but I couldn’t tell which. They were right behind me in a room full of important figures earlier, which helped me. So, she was already someone I felt like I could relax around.

“Yeah sure, come in,” I said.

“There’s someone who would like to see you. It’s Miklotov McMahon from the Council of Wise Men.”

“Whoa, there’s a guest?!” I swung my legs down and stood upright from a lying position. The door opened and a person I recognized entered. “Hey, aren’t ya the most important old man in that other place from earlier?”

“Hmm, the-most-important is a bit of a stretch,” said the white-bearded old man named Miklotov. “People tend to give me a little more respect due to my age, but that’s all. If we’re talking solely about our positions, Lady Felt, you will be way above me from now on.”

I laughed. “Give me a break already. You’re gonna make my head explode.”

“That would be a problem,” Miklotov said, laughing. “The commencement of the royal selection was just declared with the five of you present.”

If I remember correctly, he’s the representative of the gathering of the most important figures in the country called the Council of Wise Men. He was in the throne room earlier. Out of all the people who were yelling and whining, he was the only person who was easy on me. There was also a sense of kindness in his eyes and voice, so I had a good impression of him.

“But now that you’re here, are you planning on doin’ somethin’ nefarious to me?” I asked about his intentions.

“No, I would never think of doing such a thing,” responded Miklotov. “I simply wanted to have a talk with you, Lady Felt, outside of a place such as the one we were in earlier. Of course, however, I’m not the only one who wished for this.”

I tilted my head at the old man’s cryptic words. However, I figured out what the old man meant as soon as I tilted my head: There was another man of small stature with a cunning countenance hiding behind him.

“Whoa, there was another one here?! Don’t frighten me like that! Why didn’t you say anythin’?!”

“It’s a little complicated to explain, but we had our reasons,” Miklotov answered. “Rickert, introduce yourself to Lady Felt.”

“Yes, sir,” said the man as he stepped forward.

I recognized his face as well. He was also in the other room earlier, though not on the stage, but among the rest of the lined-up people. He was the one criticizin’ the other candidates and me, actin’ haughty.

“Apologies for my earlier behavior. My name is Rickert Hoffman.”

“Ah, yeah, sure. Although, I can’t say I’m confident I’ll remember it.”

I was introduced to too many faces and names I had to remember in the past few hours. I was already having a hard time remembering the faces of the other candidates, there wasn’t enough room in my brain to store the face of some guy who was on the fringes.

The man who called himself Rickert, however, didn’t say anything about my standoffish response. I was a little surprised by his lack of reaction. Considering his earlier behavior, I would’ve expected him to start making a fuss about how I’m not fit to be a queen. Instead, he quietly stared at me.

“What are you lookin’ at me like that for?” I asked.

He remained quiet and kept looking at me up and down. If I thought he was trying to size me up I would have kicked him in his shin. However, I didn’t feel any ill intentions or ulterior motives in his gaze.

“Is she really your blood, Your Highness?” he muttered.

“What’d you say?” I asked back.

“Nothing, I just wanted to apologize for my rude behavior earlier, which is why I asked Lord Miklotov to set up this meeting. I thank you for your time,” he said, bowing and talking quickly.

He says he’s here to apologize for his behavior, but I don’t like how he’s suddenly changing his attitude. Furthermore, is that really his only reason for being here? Ever since I came to this castle—no, ever since I was captured by Reinhard, I’ve had no choice but to let other people control my actions. People are also keeping secrets way too much. Honestly, I’m not loving this situation at all.

“However, aside from apologizing,” said Rickert, “there is something I’d like to ask you, Lady Felt.”

“Oh?”

“As I mentioned in the other room, you will be exposed to countless hardships. From the story about you being raised in the slums, to proving your royal lineage… These will all present themselves as thorns on the path you’re about to take. Do you truly have the resolve to walk down such a path, and weren’t just being boastful earlier?”

I snickered. “Looks like you’re finally being your true self.”

His diplomatic attitude was gone. In its place was the gleam in his eyes I saw earlier. I wasn’t particularly happy about this, but it was much better than him trying to act polite. After all, if he wants to bite, I can bite back too.

“First of all, let me make this clear for you,” I started. “I haven’t the faintest idea of this path full of thorns you or the old man here are talkin’ about. Isn’t that obvious?”

“Wha—”

“I haven’t heard about any of these things until today. I was suddenly thrown into this situation I’ve never even thought that I would be in. And all of you want to ask me if I’m ready to take on the responsibility or whatnot. It’s hysterical to the point of absurdity.” Rickert was taken aback, and the old man widened his eyes, but I had no intention of stopping. My coming hardships? Path full of thorns? These lot really don’t get it, do they? “There’s never been a single day or moment where I wasn't risking my life. Forget about tomorrow, or the future. If such things scare you, ya might as well just close your eyes, ears, and even your mouth, and go to sleep. But if you do, you’ll only be wasting your time, and the tomorrow you fear so much will arrive before you know it.”

“───”

“If you want to make someone happy by using phony words like fate or resolve, leave that for Reinhard. Cuz I sure as hell don’t need ‘em. So you can ask me the same question all you want, but I’m not givin’ you an answer. That’s my resolve.”

Having blurted out everything I wanted to say, I crossed my arms and puffed out my chest. There was no telling how they felt about my speech. The old man nodded as he kept playing with his beard, and Rickert cast his gaze downward with his knuckles clenched.

“So, you’re willing to be the next Lion King?” Rickert asked.

“The Lion King?” I said. “The hell is that? I thought I’m just supposed to be a normal queen. Sounds like a real pain in the ass.”

“Yes, a path full of thorns tends to be a real pain in the ass.”

I see, thanks for the clarification, man.

As I frowned to express my discontent, Rickert let out a small sigh. This small sigh might have been his way of saying he didn’t have any more questions. He bowed once again, and went behind the old man.

“Thanks for talking with Rickert,” the old man said.

“I don’t mind that. But it left me with a bunch of new questions. I can’t say I’m exactly satisfied.”

“However, we were relieved from the many questions that we had,” said the old man. “You were able to put two people at ease within the few hours since the royal selection even began. Don’t you think this is a step…no, two steps forward?”

“You know, for a significant figure, you sure come off as sly,” I remarked.

Maybe this old man isn’t kind, but just a sly guy.

The old man simply gave an old-person laugh at my remark. He kept playing with his long white beard as he gave a bow. Looks like he’s done with his business here.

“It would be a great honor to speak with you again if the opportunity ever presents itself, Lady Felt. I am looking forward to what you will be…achieving, in the upcoming royal selection.”

“Yeah, yeah, thanks for the very ambiguous support.”

He laughed. “Oh? But it might not be as ambiguous as you think.”

Sounds suspicious. I didn’t respond, but my face said it all as the old man and Rickert left the anteroom. Rickert kept a bow until the very end, but I was still skeptical about his intentions. Whatever they were, however, the arrival of the two guests while I was already exhausted made me even more tired. I was at my limit.

“Yo,” I yelled at the entrance. “Flam or Grassis, or whoever you are!”

“I’m Flam, Lady Felt,” answered the chamberlain who was by the door. “Grassis is the aloof one.”

I dismissed her statement with a wave of a hand.

“Don’t let anyone else in. I’m tired, and my back’s killin’ me from having to wear this tight dress,” I said, tapping my back like an old woman.

“Understood, I won’t let anyone in,” she answered. “So, please take your leave.”

The last part of her sentence caught my attention. Was there another guest here to see me? Maybe they were someone who wanted to suck up to me now that I’m a candidate to be queen. Such suspicions arose from my past in the slums when people acted nice to me whenever I began making money.

“So, a rat was here to see me, huh?” I muttered. “Hey, who was that just now?” I asked.

“It was the Young Master and a very large old man.”

“You didn’t need to turn them away!!”

I jumped up and raced to the door.

Why the hell would she turn away Old Man Rom, and even Reinhard for that matter? Couldn’t she be a little more flexible?

“Old Man Rom! I missed you so much!” I exclaimed, as I jumped into my one and only family’s arms.

8

I didn’t tell Reinhard the old man and Rickert came to see me in the anteroom. One reason was because I didn’t think it was necessary, and the other was because I was reminded of how frustrated I was at him for tricking me when I saw the bastard’s face. Sure, I meant everything I said in the throne room. That’s why I was able to give that speech to the old man and Rickert. I’m not about to run away from a fight, and there’s also people I gotta get back, like that arrogant red-woman! But all that aside, everything boils down to one thing. It’s that—

“All of this has been going exactly how you’ve planned, right?” I said, leaning back in my seat as I glared at Reinhard, who was sitting in front of me.

The dragon carriage we were in slowly descended the hill, heading for Reinhard’s mansion in the Nobles’ District. The carriage was barely moving inside, which supposedly had something to do with this thing called a Divine Protection, but I didn’t know what that was. All I understood about it was that no matter how much the carriage itself may rock for whatever reason—like when it’s on rocky terrain, for example—the inside didn’t get affected. This convenient power allowed me to focus all my energy on denouncing Reinhard.

As for the man himself, he simply stared at me and said, “My lady, the hem of your skirt is rolled up. Even though there isn’t anyone around, you should not allow yourself to look like that. A lady is defined by the behavior she shows when there are only close acquaintances watching.”

“Don’t give me that lady crap,” I said bitterly. “And who are you calling close acquaintances? You better not have included yourself in that category, cuz we’re for sure not close.”

Despite my reluctance, I fixed my skirt like he wanted. I wanted to take it off in the anteroom before leaving, but Reinhard kept whining, so I had to keep it on until we got back to the mansion.

“My stomach is killin’ me…” I complained. “How do nobles even eat in these things? I don’t think I’d be able to eat pretty much anything in this.”

“It’s rather uncommon to witness individuals indulging in a full meal at social gatherings, especially when they’re wearing dresses. These occasions are typically meant for relishing the company of others and engaging in delightful conversations. Admiring the elegant outfits of fellow attendees is also an integral aspect of such events. On that note, Lady Felt, you look exceptionally lovely.”

“Did you stop me from getting changed because you wanted to say that?” I intensified my glare at him.

He said nothing, only smiling faintly. I’ll take that as a yes.

“I’m taking it off.”

“We don’t have a change of clothes ready. Please keep it on.”

“Then I’ll stay in my underwear. It’s better than looking at your creepy smile,” I said, but he didn’t look like he was taking me seriously, which made me seriously contemplate taking off the dress. However, I decided against it, realizing how dumb that would be.

I turned my attention away from Reinhard, and clicked my tongue in a way so that it wouldn’t sound like I was sulking.

“I mistakenly let myself go with the flow earlier,” I said, “but I should’ve been more careful in choosing my partner. What the hell was I thinking choosing someone who’s caused me nothing but grief?”

“I hate to disagree with you, but I believe it would have been difficult to find another knight to serve you,” responded Reinhard. “Considering your ambiguous lineage, there isn’t a better house to support you than ours. Also, this is a personal reason, but at this point, I don’t really want to serve anyone other than you, Lady Felt.”

“Don’t say that as if you were ever subservient to me. When have you ever listened to me?! Keep talkin’ nonsense and I’ll beat ya to a pulp!”

As I yelled and screamed, another voice that wasn’t Reinhard spoke inside the carriage. “That’s enough, Felt. I know it may not be easy to be calm right now, but yelling won’t solve anything.”

The man who spoke was the giant sitting next to me, who had to squeeze into his seat despite the carriage being rather large. It was Old Man Rom. I’m happy I finally reunited with him, but that statement just now didn’t sound like he was on my side.

“Fine, whatever, I don’t wanna make any excuses so I’ll stop,” I said.

“I said to calm down, but I didn’t say you can’t feel down. At least don’t hesitate to confide in me when you do.”

“I appreciate that, but maybe another time, when I really feel down. I can’t be dependent on you so early on.”

Old Man Rom patted my head with his giant hand. Truth be told, he hurt my neck everytime he did this as he was bad at controlling his strength, but I was never able to resist him. It gave me a sense of nostalgia every time. However, I knew I couldn’t cling onto this nostalgia forever. This was a resolve I made in the anteroom.

“So, the Sword Saint Reinhard, huh?” Old Man Rom said in a dignified voice with his hand still on my head.

Reinhard and Old Man Rom exchanged looks. There were only the three of us in the carriage. Granny and Gramps were in the driver’s seat. They volunteered to sit separately from us so we’ll have time to catch up, but the atmosphere is kinda heavy.

“I heard she was in your care while I was away,” Old Man Rom began.

“In my care is an overstatement,” Reinhard responded. “If it weren’t for your guardianship, Lady Felt might not have been able to stay at our house, and today might not have happened. If there’s anyone who should be expressing gratitude, it’s me.”

“Yeah, about that. Are you serious about making this girl the queen?” Old Man Rom asked without changing his tone. The atmosphere was tense as ever.

Old Man Rom moved his hand from my head to my back. With his size and strength, he could have easily grabbed me and run away. In fact, I genuinely thought he was going to do just that for a split second. And if I noticed it, Reinhard must have noticed it as well. In spite of this, he showed no signs of doing anything. There wasn’t even a slight change in his expression. He simply nodded.

“Yes, of course. Lady Felt was chosen by the dragon jewel, and she herself decided to participate in the royal selection. And I am her knight. I am determined to serve and help my mistress achieve her goal with everything I’ve got.”

“I must say, it’s a surprise to hear that the Sword Saint of all people is so attracted to her,” Old Man Rom said. “Although I shouldn’t be the one to say this, I can’t say I empathize with your judgment. This girl is only half the size of kids around her age.”

“Old Man Rom!” I exclaimed. What the hell does that have to do with anything!

However, Old Man Rom didn’t flinch at my loud voice. “I’m not making fun of you. This is an important discussion. As the royal selection progresses, things will only get harder and harder. We can’t afford a shred of uncertainty in our team if we’re really going to throw ourselves into such a tidal wave. We must discuss everything with full transparency, right?”

“Absolutely,” answered Reinhard. “May I call you Mr. Rom?”

“I go by Old Man Rom, but I suppose you won’t comply. You can call me whatever you want for now. Right now, I want to know your true intentions.”

With his bulky arms crossed, Old Man Rom fidgeted in his seat, causing the carriage to creak. He glared directly at Reinhard with an intensity as if to monitor every movement he makes. Even though I was their subject of discussion, I started to feel out of the loop. Then, Reinhard made his move. He removed his sheathed sword from his belt and handed it to me.

“What is this about?” I asked.

“I’m proving my loyalty to you, Lady Felt. I am prepared to serve you my sword both literally and figuratively,” Reinhard explained. “We cannot move forward with this discussion without doing so first. At least, both Sir Rom and I can’t.”

I said nothing. Being lost at words, I glanced at Old Man Rom. I wasn’t sure if I should accept his offering. His words sound exaggerated, and felt like it might trigger a bigger problem. Old Man Rom, however, wiped away my anxiety with a nod.

“The youngster’s got a point,” he said. “Take it, Felt.”

“Even though you never let me hold it in the past when I wanted to steal it from you,” I said, as I received the sword reluctantly.

The sheath was white, and everything about it was remarkably built; I’d never seen anything like it. Reinhard always had this heavy sword with him. Knowing that it was that precious to him, I even tried to steal it from him several times in the past as a form of payback for not being able to escape. Obviously, I failed every time, so I had mixed feelings about it being handed to me so easily.

“There’s a large nick on it even though it’s your precious sword,” I commented.

I repositioned the giant sword with both hands and traced the groove on the sheath with my fingertip. It looked like the claw mark of a stupidly large creature.

“That’s the claw mark of a dragon,” explained Reinhard. “According to legend, it was etched by the Divine Dragon Volcanica.”

“When you say the Divine Dragon…you mean that really famous dragon? You’re kidding.”

Even though I didn’t know the details about the event, I knew that it must have taken place a few hundred years ago. There’s no way a sword that old would be around today completely intact. Despite such thoughts, the eerie dignifying air the sword emanated made me consider otherwise. As absurd as it may sound, it was as if the sword was talking to me, saying: “I am the Dragon Sword Reid. I have slayed the Witch, and am still awaiting a worthy opponent.”

“The Dragon Sword Reid, huh?” Old Man Rom muttered. “How surprising to see that you are willing to lend such a legendary sword to Felt.”

“This sword is exclusively reserved for the inheritor of the title of Sword Saint. The Dragon Sword itself chooses its opponent and its place of battle. Its true power is capable of altering the core principles of the world. It’s that powerful.”

As I held the sword in my hand, I couldn’t say Reinhard was exaggerating. I’ve held many swords in my days (albeit, they were all stolen) but none of them were anything like this one.

I looked at Reinhard. “So, now that you’ve handed me the sword, what are you gonna talk about?”

“Right,” said Reinhard. “We were talking about why I believe you, Lady Felt, are suited to be the queen, yes?”

“She might’ve met the requirement to be a candidate since the dragon jewel glows in her hand,” said Old Man Rom, “but it’s far too early to associate her with the perished royal family based solely on her hair and eye color. You must have some sort of evidence before making such speculations…”

“I know why the last Royal Guard disbanded.”

I didn’t know what Reinhard meant, but Old Man Rom was visibly shaken.

His eyes were widened, and his voice shaky. “W-Why… Do you know about that…”

“I’m sure you of all people know the answer to that question, Mr. Cromwell.”

“I see, so you know about me too. That person’s wish will go in vain.”

“If that’s how it’s meant to be,” responded Reinhard, to which Old Man Rom grimaced.

His expression was that of the one he made whenever he admitted defeat to someone, but I didn’t know why he was making such a face. Even though this whole discussion was supposed to be about me, I had no idea what they were talking about.

“Felt, this youngster won’t betray you,” said Old Man Rom. “No, he can’t betray you. I’ll vouch for that.”

“W-Wha? What were you two even talking about just now? Explain it to me so that I can understand too. Otherwise I can’t…”

Before I could finish my thought, Old Man Rom placed his hand over my mouth, shutting me up.

“Felt,” he said, as he patted my head with his giant hand, knowing full well I wouldn’t be able to talk back whenever he did that. “You are my one and only family. So I want you to trust me.”

“That’s unfair,” I complained. You won’t tell me anything, nor will you let me say anything.

As a sign of my protest, the least I could do was to glare at him as intensely as I could. For some reason, tears started to fill my eyes, but I clenched my teeth and held them in. Through my blurry vision, I saw Old Man Rom make the gentlest smile of the day.

“How envious.”

Such were the words I thought I heard him say, but I wasn’t sure since I made a loud noise when I inhaled through my congested nose.

9

“There’s really nothing left,” I said, as I stood in front of the rubble.

“Nothing at all,” Old Man Rom said next to me. “But if there was even a little left, we might’ve not been able to completely give up. It’s better that it was wiped out without a trace.”

“As the one responsible, I’m happy to hear that,” Reinhard commented next to Old Man Rom.

“He didn’t say it to console you,” I spat at him.

The three of us, Reinhard, Old Man Rom, and I stood in that order, in front of what used to be the abandoned warehouse that was once our loot house.

We were supposed to go straight back to the mansion, but I made them change the carriage’s course to see the remainder of the loot house. I was curious about this place since I wasn’t able to come see what happened to it ever since Reinhard captured me, and it wasn’t a stretch to say this was where it all began.

“What’s gonna happen to this place?” I asked.

“At the moment, the public work sector is stagnating in the lower districts,” responded Reinhard. “One of the main reasons is said to be the economic problem the kingdom is facing, but I doubt that’s the only reason.”

“I see, so they wanna have a place where all the dirty low-class commoners can gather in one spot, huh,” I said. “Sounds like something people who watch over us from their ivory tower come up with. Makes me sick.”

I kicked a pebble, trying to compose myself at the sickening structure of the world. Reinhard looked away. For a moment, I thought he looked away because the topic made him feel uncomfortable, which would have been a rather unseemingly childish attitude. However, that was not the case.

“Who’s there?” Reinhard asked, as he stepped forward still looking away from us.

Old Man Rom and I followed his gaze, which was directed at the street next to us. Three men were standing there in the shadows. They were all differently sized: big, average, and small. They looked like nothing more than dingy delinquents, but their apparent filthiness wasn’t solely because they were residents of the slums. They were all bruised and covered in wounds that appeared to have been inflicted on them recently. Noticing their bruises, Reinhard dropped his guard and instead furrowed his brows in worry.

“Are you hurt? If you are in need of help…”

“Shut up,” yelled one of them, cutting off Reinhard’s offer, as he stepped forward. “Just give us all your valuables! We won’t take your life if we don’t hafta!”

He had a dagger in his hand. What a violent guy.

“Hey, Rachins, we don’t have time to be doing this…” another one exclaimed, but the man who held the dagger and was called Rachins paid no heed to his comrade’s warning.

“Idiot! This is exactly the time we need to be doing this! We messed up using Russell’s name. We’ll be killed if we stay here! We need money to run away!” As he yelled these words, the man brought the dagger closer to his waist, and began slowly approaching us. The other two behind him didn’t try to stop their comrade anymore.

I guess I gotta stop him. As I began to have such thoughts…

“That’s enough.”

Reinhard moved faster than I could utter a word. He struck the man on the neck with a knife-hand. Remembering how he sliced a curtain with the same technique, I got worried that he’d chopped the man’s head off, but fortunately it didn’t come to that. The man simply lost consciousness and collapsed on the spot.

“Wha—?”

Taken aback by their comrade suddenly getting knocked out, the remaining two gasped. Reinhard played with the dagger he’d taken from the man who was now on the floor. As he turned around to face them, they finally realized who they’d picked a fight with.

“R-Red hair and blue eyes… Are you the Sword Saint Reinhard van Astrea?!”

“You’re kiddin’! What are the odds we encounter such a guy right here right now?!”

“I’m glad both of you’ve recognized me,” said Reinhard. “Your friend is unconscious, but he’s still alive. If you retreat now, I promise we will not go after you. Do we have a deal?”

The two men’s legs were shaking. Even though it seemed like Reinhard was giving them a choice, in actuality, it was more of a threat. However, he didn’t seem to be aware of what he was doing. In fact, there was a good chance that he thought he was doing the right thing. As I watched his obliviousness, I began to get irritated. It was like watching the epitome of this kingdom’s treatment of the slums.

“Wait Reinhard,” I said from the side.

“Lady Felt?” Reinhard said, surprised by my interruption, amidst the unconscious man by his feet and two others standing scared.

Ignoring him, I glared at the two men. “You bastards said you had to run away, right? Did ya’ll screw somethin’ up?”

The men groaned and made a pitiful face at my question. It was evident by their reactions that they were stuck in a rut, unable to get out of the mess they found themselves in. And it’s none other than the structure of this country that caused them to be in such a predicament.

“Look Reinhard, this is the slums. You were ready to let them go out of kindness, but that’ll just be a waste. The price of a life here is as cheap as a grain of rice. I’ll bet you anything, they’ll be dead this time tomorrow.”

“I don’t think it’s appropriate to make a bet based on someone’s life,” Reinhard commented.

“Are you serious?” I said as I pointed a finger at him for trying to change the subject. “That’s not the important part.”

He gazed at my fingertip for a moment.

“I understand what you want to say,” he said. “But then, what do you propose we do…”

“I told you before, Reinhard. I hate the way this kingdom is right now, so I’m gonna tear it all down. And I didn’t mean just up there, but also down here,” I said, as I pointed to the castle, then down at the remainder of the loot house. Lastly, I turned my attention to the men making pitiful faces behind me, and pointed at them as I puffed out my chest. “You lot, come with me. I’ll turn the tables on this shitty situation.”

“Lady Felt?!” Reinhard exclaimed, breaking his voice, which I enjoyed listening to.

However, he wasn’t the only one surprised, but also the men. I quickly realized my proposal was out of the blue, and decided to explain my thoughts in detail.

“My plan is to tear this whole country down and recreate it. If I can’t even save some delinquents I just met on the street, how the hell will I be able to achieve such a grand goal? Am I wrong?”

Reinhard and the rest were lost for words. I didn’t regret for a second what I suggested, however. And I wasn’t going to go back on my words, either. After all, my family who’s been listening the whole time hasn’t tried to stop me.

Then, my one and only family stepped forward.

“There’s no persuading her, youngster,” Old Man Rom said, backing me up. “She’s stubborn once she sets her mind to something. Besides, it’s amusing, isn’t it?”

He tapped Reinhard on the shoulder, and carried the unconscious man on his.

“Amusing, you say?” Reinhard asked, staring at Old Man Rom.

“She’s an orphan from the slums, the blemish of society! And who does she choose as her first vassals? Some hoodlums from the slums. How can I not laugh at this? How is this not amusing?”

“Hey, hey, Old Man Rom, you don’t hafta put it that way,” I said with my hands crossed behind my head, chuckling along with him. “Although, you’re not entirely wrong.”

Old Man Rom turned his attention towards the other two.

“C’mon, you two. Even if you just wanna run away from Russell, you’d have a better chance with us. Beyond that… Well, you can decide after spending some time with this girl,” he said, gesturing at me with his chin.

He then began walking toward the outskirts of the slums—the main road, where the dragon carriage was parked. Granny and Gramps should be waiting for us there, but how should I explain this to them?

“W-Wait, what in the world is happening right now?”

“I don’t know, but we can’t leave Rachins! I’m going!”

The big one and the small one hastily ran after Old Man Rom. Watching them run from behind made me feel happy for some reason.

“You look happy,” commented Reinhard next to me.

I closed one eye and looked up at him. I thought I picked up a certain tone in his voice.

“Wait, could it be that you’re a little irritated?” I asked.

Reinhard widened his eyes and shook his head. “I’m not upset at all. I’m just a little taken aback, since this was all unexpected. Honestly, it was an idea I wouldn’t have been able to come up with.”

“Why don’t you be more honest with yourself and scold me for doing something so stupid?”

“If I do, will you listen?”

I sneered. “No way in hell.”

Reinhard showed his usual bitter smile. The bitter smile he showed whenever he wanted to avoid confrontation. I swear, this guy may be handsome, but his smile sure irritates the hell out of me.

“Why don’t you just say it,” I muttered.

“Say what?”

“Just say that I did something stupid. Leave aside whether I’ll listen or not, and just say it. It’s a matter of whether you want to say it or not.”

He asked me if I would’ve listened to him. Once I answered I wouldn’t have, he proceeded to stay quiet. Instead, he just made the troubled look that I so despised. Whenever you smile like that, it’s when there’s something you’re not telling me. “And that’s what I hate about you the most, you bastard.”

I let out all my pent up feelings. Having heard my words, Reinhard opened his mouth in disbelief. That’s a rare look. Whenever I was around, he always had a bitter smile or a look of shock. The face he was making at the moment was closer to the latter.

“Nobody has said that to me before,” he said.

I snickered. “Is that so? Can’t imagine a world like that.”

He’s never been insulted in his life before?

As I smiled sarcastically, he shook his head, “No. To be precise, I’ve never been told that by anyone other than my family before.”

“Don’t say things like that so suddenly! You’re killin’ the mood!”

I wasn’t sure if he was joking, but I couldn’t laugh at it, especially after having met his father. It’s hard to empathize with him. Old Man Rom is my only family and we rarely ever get into an argument.

Casting my gaze away, I kicked a pebble again. I thought we should get going so we could catch up to Old Man Rom and the others. However, Reinhard wouldn’t budge, so I stood there with him.

“Lady Felt, you called me a bastard,” he said suddenly.

“Huh? yeah, maybe I did,” I said, frowning at his sudden accusation. “Don’t tell me you wanna fix my language. Although I agreed to participate in the royal selection or whatever, I don’t intend on changing the way I talk.”

“That’s not it,” he responded. “Although I’d like to have a word with you about that in the future… I’m not sure if I’ll have the chance to.”

“The hell is that supposed to mean?”

“Lady Felt, you often address me with ‘bastard’ instead of ‘you’,” he commented. “However, you stopped addressing me like that a few days ago. I believe it was at about the same time you found my mother.”

I said nothing. I wasn’t conscious of his observation. I couldn’t keep track of whether I addressed someone as ‘bastard’ or ‘you’. However, if his observation was correct—

“Are you tryna say that I address people as ‘bastard’ when I consider ‘em my enemy?”

“Yes,” he answered. “And if such is the case, I must have truly disappointed you just now. I’m beginning to doubt if I’m even fit to be your knight…”

“You really are creepy, you know.”

“What?”

I was dumbfounded that he was contemplating such a pointless thing. However, he seemed to have been shocked by my response and stood motionlessly. In that instant, I threw a kick at his shin. My kick that kept missing in the carriage on the way to the castle finally landed, leaving a footprint on his pants.

“Finally I got you,” I said. “Although I feel bad for Granny since she has to wash them, it feels good to get one in on you.”

“Is this your answer, my lady?”

“What? There’s no meaning to this. I just wanted to kick you.” Does this guy think there’s a meaning to everything in the world? How hard-headed can he be? I stuck my tongue out at him. “Just like this kick, I call you a bastard in the heat of the moment, when I feel like it. It’s creepy you even keep track of such a thing. Don’t tell me you’re keepin’ track of other things too.”

“I won’t deny that.”

“That’s what I’m callin’ creepy! But do you get what I’m sayin’? You’re worrying about nothin’.” He was still looking at me all confused, so I pointed at the footprint on his pretty white pants and continued. “Haven’t you been listening to me? I’m gonna change everything I don’t like. Your pretty little pants were the first thing. Just as I predicted, it felt good doin’ it.”

He said nothing.

“No matter what’s goin’ on in that little head of yours, I’m not changing who I am or how I live for anyone. There’s no point if I did. You want me to be the queen, no?” Whether that has somethin’ to do with my lineage isn’t my concern. Frankly, I don’t even care. What matters is who I am right now. “Reinhard, it’s up to you whether you’re my ally or just another bastard. The choice is yours. Otherwise, I’ll just leave you behind.”

I don’t care if he’s hailed as the Knight Among Knights or the Sword Saint. No matter what people call him, I will assess and evaluate him myself. And right now, he’s just a pain in the ass with an irritating smile, who also happens to be my knight.

“Look at that,” I said. “That’s a better look on you.”

“What?”

“It’s the first time you’ve smiled like that ever since we got here,” I said, gesturing at his face with my chin.

He touched his face. The corners of his mouth were upturned, and his eyes had closed the gap with his cheeks. In other words, he was smiling. The only other times I’ve seen his face like that was when I told him he looked like his mother and when I gave him an order in the throne room. Well, it’s definitely an improvement.

“You sure surprise me all the time, my lady.”

“Alright, you’re smiling a bit too much now.”

“I’m sorry, I’m remembering the declaration you gave back in the throne room… Of all the things you said you will tear down and change, I’m just honored that I was your first.”

“What?! Don’t get cocky! Besides, you can easily wash off that footprint!”

“No, I’ll ask Auntie to keep it as it is to commemorate this day.”

“You’re really creepy, you know that?!” I screeched, running towards where Old Man Rom was waiting.

Reinhard stood still, watching me run off. I stopped and turned around. And I pointed at him, who was smiling faintly.

“What are you doin’? You’re my servant, aren’t ya? Hurry up and follow me.”

“I am your knight, Lady Felt. No one else’s.”

“Ah, shut up,” I said, flashing my fang as I smiled.

As I stood with my hands on my waist, he began to walk towards me. He extended his hand to offer escort, but I snickered and slapped it away. Walking away from him, I knew he was making a bitter smile without even looking. However, I could tell it wasn’t out of pure bitterness. Ah well, it’s not like I wanna see his genuine smile so much. I guess I’ll let this one slide.

The main street came into view. I saw Old Man Rom squeezed inside the carriage through the window, and though I couldn’t see them, I suspected the three delinquents were on it as well. Gramps and Granny, who were waiting for our return by the carriage, looked confused, longing for an explanation for the new faces. I scratched my head. Looks like the path full of thorns I’m about to take really is gonna be a pain in the ass.

“Opening up such a path,” said Reinhard, as if reading my mind, “that will be my job.”

“And my job will be to stomp through it, huh?” I laughed aloud. “Sounds fun.”

Reinhard also smiled. “Yes, it does.”

END