“It’s time. Everyone, gather together!”
The shout of the village chief, Helione, filled the air of the square.
The residents of Dandelion stopped what they were doing and gathered in the square.
I also came out of the barracks. Michael was on my side to guard me, and Peony was on her side to serve me.
“Rosie?”
It was when I asked Peony, who happened to be across the street.
The barracks' entrance curtain fluttered. Rosenit was coming out, escorted by Sylvestian.
It was indeed a long time since Rosenite showed herself outside the barracks.
She frowned as if the afternoon sunlight was dazzling, and then her eyes met me.
“Hello, 7th Princess”
“Hello, 8th Princess.”
The ministers on both sides bowed their heads first and paid their respects.
Since we had met, we should have at least said hello. I spoke first, albeit dryly.
“It’s been a while, Rosie.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Are you going to the square too?”
Her retort contained a fairly sound understanding of reality.
That's right. Now our group is in Dandelion.
It was exactly three days since they had entered the city. That was the time when we decided to open the door to the Brigitte.
“This is a refreshing confirmation. Sister Betty will keep her promise.”
“Yes, she should. Who am I?”
At the mention of Brigitte, Rosenitte's eyes took on an imperial belladonna glow. It was a look that reminded me of my past life.
Sylvestian immediately looked down as if he was avoiding eye contact. Was it because of his mood? His eyes, which were always as clear as a water mirror, seemed a little cloudy and gloomy today.
I, who had been looking at Sylvestian with some uneasy feeling for a while, opened my mouth.
“You look tired, Sir Millard.”
For a moment, Sylvestian's lips opened slightly and then closed. He was choosing his words.
“It’s okay, Your Highness.”
“Well then, that’s good. Then I’ll see you later. Rosie, and Sir Millard.”
I didn't dig too far and led Michael and Peony.
I turned my back. But as soon as I got enough distance, I opened my mouth with a serious face.
“Michael.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Before the sun sets today, I will investigate the Punishment and the Knights of the White Night. I’ll check to see if anyone is having nightmares. I’ll report back to the Knight Commander individually.”
“Yes. I also conveyed it to Sir Millard. I will carry it out without any problems.”
Michael's eyes were pensive as he answered, for he, too, had seen the reddened whites of his friend's eyes and felt uneasy.
Peony seemed to notice and added her opinion.
“Your Highness, he answered without denying the question and that it was fine. As expected, the virtue of a knight is honesty.”
Sylvestian may have hidden it in his own way, but from the clever Peony's perspective, it was obvious.
It looked like it was going to happen.
And Peony noticed something about me too.
“But you are going to take care of it yourself without telling Her Highness the 8th Princess?”
“Rosie is a child who is better suited to being cared for by others than to caring for others.”
“Savior!”
As I arrived at the square, the residents of Dandelion greeted her warmly.
I raised my hand in response and looked at the gray wall.
The giant gate was firmly shut, looking down on me and everyone else.
'No matter when I look at it, the door looks like a wall.'
Time passed in silence for such a large group of people. The minute hand of the pocket watch that Peony had taken out had moved from one number to another.
Dduk dduk!
The vibration traveled up my ankles and shook my body. The crack in the door slowly began to widen.
I said as if I was surprised.
“I thought that even if you opened it, it wouldn’t match my perspective.”
“Her Highness the Third Princess is very strict about keeping appointments.”
“Well, that’s one of the few great things about Betty.”
While I and Peony were talking, the door opened wide and half of the contingent entered Dandelion.
“Pay respect to Her Royal Highness Brigitte Agnes Hadelamie and Her Royal Highness Derek Montreal Hadelamie!”
Phew!
They were all pretending to be a reforming corps while avoiding the battlefield.
I rubbed her forehead, feeling ashamed of my half-sister's arrogance.
Meanwhile, the delegation that had finished entering stopped in the middle of the square.
Brigitte scanned the village with icy eyes.
I immediately stepped forward in front of Brigitte as if to protect the residents.
“Sister Betty.”
The cold walls were fixed on me.
“Ah, Eve. You’re safe.”
“Yes. Nice to see you again.”
The greetings were reserved, but we looked at each other.
The eyes were deep and dark. It was as if we were having a conversation through our gaze. It was like this:
'As expected, trust is more important than anything else. I didn't know you would even accommodate my timing.'
'The collateral you received was quite valuable. It was a national treasure.'
'I guess I'll have to use it often.'
'Or so.'
We smiled in our own way.
It was the image of a pair of affectionate sisters who could only come out of a painting.
But before long, Brigitte lightened the mood with a cool voice.
At first glance, it sounded like it could be interpreted as a joy at having his honor restored. However, Brigitte isn't the type of person to say beautiful things without meaning to.
I interpreted Brigitte's words correctly.
It was a warning of a sinister scheme.
So Brigitte locked the door from outside.
It was not my imagination that being together felt more threatening than when I was there.
“Sister Betty.”
At that moment, Rosenite approached. Her face was full of resentment and serious, but Brigitte responded as if it was nothing.
“Welcome, Rosie. You did a great job at the outpost. Thank you for your hard work.”
Praising someone for doing nothing was tantamount to mocking Rosenite's situation.
“...I will definitely remember this incident.”
“That’s right. It must have been an impressive experience for you, who was still young and didn’t know much about the world.”
Her ruby eyes took on a poisonous glow.
'Huh? You two are fighting?'
I felt a bit strange as her enemy and arch-rival engaged in a war of nerves.
Meanwhile, Brigitte didn't spend much time with Rosenite.
“I need to hear the current situation. Take me to the staff conference room, Eve.”
“I will share the situation with you in my barracks in 20 minutes. Please give me enough time to say goodbye to Lady Luciard.”
"Good."
“My lord, you don’t know how worried I was.”
“Lady Luciard, I’m sorry for worrying you.”
“You must preserve your body for the sake of the cause. Please do not do this in the future."
“I will try my best.”
Of course, there was no definitive answer. Anais sighed.
She also exchanged greetings and conversation with Michael, who was standing next to me.
“Thank you for protecting Her Highness. I thought that with Sir Agnito’s skills, nothing bad would happen.”
“I appreciate your trust, but it is a lie to say that I protected Her Highness. Yes, it would be more accurate to say that Her Highness protected the Knights and Dandelion.”
“Yes? Your Highness?”
“You swept away the legions of demons...?”
A questionable light appeared in Anais's sky-blue eyes. I smiled as if I was embarrassed.
“Ahem, I would like to brag about my bravery, but unfortunately I don’t have time.”
“Please hurry up and finish the meeting. I’ll be waiting for you.”
“Yes. I should give the count something to do so that you don’t get bored while waiting.”
I said as I confirmed that Peony had returned after guiding the three royal families.
“There's a lot I want to show Lady Luciard, and I've sourced some wood and waterproofing locally, so I hope you'll take a look, and Peony will show you around.”
“Ah, it’s a good thing I had some regrets to resolve with Lady Granice.”
Anais smiled at Peony.
Of course, the eyes were not smiling; they were not smiling because she had followed her lord into the battlefield as her servant, and had snuck into the cart with her. Anais had a lot to say to the young girl for her risky behavior.
“Yes, Lady Granice. Come here.”
“Ugh”
“Your Highness..."
I couldn't ignore the eyes that were asking for salvation.
“I scolded her harshly, so don’t scold her, Lady Luciard.”
“How could I dare to admonish Your Highness’s maid, Lady Granice? I have no intention of doing anything presumptuous.”
“Lady Luciard..."
“Lady Granice is a precious colleague on the same boat. As a colleague, please allow me to vent my slight frustration, my lord.”
“Anais.”
“Look at my face and don't blame her too much, she's a loyal servant who was willing to take this risk for me, should I kill her instead of honoring her?”
"...All right."
Anais was secretly envious of me and Alben's relationship.
“Yeah.”
I answered with a small smile. This marked the end of the successful rescue of Peony.
“Then I’ll go to the meeting quickly and come back. Take a look around the village and the storage facility and listen to the explanation.”
“Yes, my lord.”
I and Michael headed to the barracks where the royal family was waiting.
The shout of the village chief, Helione, filled the air of the square.
The residents of Dandelion stopped what they were doing and gathered in the square.
I also came out of the barracks. Michael was on my side to guard me, and Peony was on her side to serve me.
“Rosie?”
It was when I asked Peony, who happened to be across the street.
The barracks' entrance curtain fluttered. Rosenit was coming out, escorted by Sylvestian.
It was indeed a long time since Rosenite showed herself outside the barracks.
She frowned as if the afternoon sunlight was dazzling, and then her eyes met me.
“Hello, 7th Princess”
“Hello, 8th Princess.”
The ministers on both sides bowed their heads first and paid their respects.
Since we had met, we should have at least said hello. I spoke first, albeit dryly.
“It’s been a while, Rosie.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Are you going to the square too?”
“Isn't it obvious? It's time to see how valuable I am as a hostage.”
That's right. Now our group is in Dandelion.
It was exactly three days since they had entered the city. That was the time when we decided to open the door to the Brigitte.
“This is a refreshing confirmation. Sister Betty will keep her promise.”
“Yes, she should. Who am I?”
At the mention of Brigitte, Rosenitte's eyes took on an imperial belladonna glow. It was a look that reminded me of my past life.
I looked away, feeling a slight chill run down my spine, and unintentionally made eye contact with Sylvestian, who was at Rosenit's side.
I, who had been looking at Sylvestian with some uneasy feeling for a while, opened my mouth.
“You look tired, Sir Millard.”
For a moment, Sylvestian's lips opened slightly and then closed. He was choosing his words.
“It’s okay, Your Highness.”
“Well then, that’s good. Then I’ll see you later. Rosie, and Sir Millard.”
I didn't dig too far and led Michael and Peony.
I turned my back. But as soon as I got enough distance, I opened my mouth with a serious face.
“Michael.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Before the sun sets today, I will investigate the Punishment and the Knights of the White Night. I’ll check to see if anyone is having nightmares. I’ll report back to the Knight Commander individually.”
“Yes. I also conveyed it to Sir Millard. I will carry it out without any problems.”
Michael's eyes were pensive as he answered, for he, too, had seen the reddened whites of his friend's eyes and felt uneasy.
Peony seemed to notice and added her opinion.
“Your Highness, he answered without denying the question and that it was fine. As expected, the virtue of a knight is honesty.”
Sylvestian may have hidden it in his own way, but from the clever Peony's perspective, it was obvious.
It looked like it was going to happen.
And Peony noticed something about me too.
“But you are going to take care of it yourself without telling Her Highness the 8th Princess?”
“Rosie is a child who is better suited to being cared for by others than to caring for others.”
She politely told me that she was glad I hadn't gotten Rosenita involved and upset Sylvester even more. Poeny, briefly worried about him, was quickly convinced.
As I arrived at the square, the residents of Dandelion greeted her warmly.
I raised my hand in response and looked at the gray wall.
The giant gate was firmly shut, looking down on me and everyone else.
'No matter when I look at it, the door looks like a wall.'
Time passed in silence for such a large group of people. The minute hand of the pocket watch that Peony had taken out had moved from one number to another.
Dduk dduk!
The vibration traveled up my ankles and shook my body. The crack in the door slowly began to widen.
I said as if I was surprised.
“I thought that even if you opened it, it wouldn’t match my perspective.”
“Her Highness the Third Princess is very strict about keeping appointments.”
“Well, that’s one of the few great things about Betty.”
While I and Peony were talking, the door opened wide and half of the contingent entered Dandelion.
“Pay respect to Her Royal Highness Brigitte Agnes Hadelamie and Her Royal Highness Derek Montreal Hadelamie!”
Phew!
As always, Brigitte was a force to be reckoned with wherever she went. A majestic shout and a blast of horns greeted her entrance.
I rubbed her forehead, feeling ashamed of my half-sister's arrogance.
Meanwhile, the delegation that had finished entering stopped in the middle of the square.
Brigitte stepped out of the carriage to everyone's attention. Even without explanation, the arrogant air of authority she exuded was enough to give away her identity. The inhabitants of Dandelion immediately raised the example of the commoners. It was a bow that involved kneeling on only one knee, but placing both hands on the floor and bowing the head.
Being under the watchful eye of an authoritarian who sets a frightening tone is not a good thing for the residents.
“Sister Betty.”
The cold walls were fixed on me.
“Ah, Eve. You’re safe.”
“Yes. Nice to see you again.”
The greetings were reserved, but we looked at each other.
The eyes were deep and dark. It was as if we were having a conversation through our gaze. It was like this:
'As expected, trust is more important than anything else. I didn't know you would even accommodate my timing.'
'The collateral you received was quite valuable. It was a national treasure.'
'I guess I'll have to use it often.'
'Or so.'
We smiled in our own way.
It was the image of a pair of affectionate sisters who could only come out of a painting.
But before long, Brigitte lightened the mood with a cool voice.
“I'm so glad you made it in safely. Now there will be no misunderstanding that I was trying to bury my sister with honor.”
I interpreted Brigitte's words correctly.
'Alas, this means that they really do have a plan for a quick kill, and they have a good alibi
So Brigitte locked the door from outside.
It was not my imagination that being together felt more threatening than when I was there.
“Sister Betty.”
At that moment, Rosenite approached. Her face was full of resentment and serious, but Brigitte responded as if it was nothing.
“Welcome, Rosie. You did a great job at the outpost. Thank you for your hard work.”
Praising someone for doing nothing was tantamount to mocking Rosenite's situation.
“...I will definitely remember this incident.”
“That’s right. It must have been an impressive experience for you, who was still young and didn’t know much about the world.”
Her ruby eyes took on a poisonous glow.
'Huh? You two are fighting?'
I felt a bit strange as her enemy and arch-rival engaged in a war of nerves.
Meanwhile, Brigitte didn't spend much time with Rosenite.
“I need to hear the current situation. Take me to the staff conference room, Eve.”
“I will share the situation with you in my barracks in 20 minutes. Please give me enough time to say goodbye to Lady Luciard.”
"Good."
I entrusted Peony with escorting Brigitte and Derek. It was a meeting that all royalty was expected to attend, and Rosenite was no exception. As soon as all the royalty was gone and I was alone, Anais approached.
“Lady Luciard, I’m sorry for worrying you.”
“You must preserve your body for the sake of the cause. Please do not do this in the future."
“I will try my best.”
Of course, there was no definitive answer. Anais sighed.
She also exchanged greetings and conversation with Michael, who was standing next to me.
“Thank you for protecting Her Highness. I thought that with Sir Agnito’s skills, nothing bad would happen.”
“I appreciate your trust, but it is a lie to say that I protected Her Highness. Yes, it would be more accurate to say that Her Highness protected the Knights and Dandelion.”
“Yes? Your Highness?”
“Yes. She's wiped out the demonic legions, and she's certainly won the favor of the people of Dandelion, so I'm sure they'll cooperate with your rebuilding efforts.”
A questionable light appeared in Anais's sky-blue eyes. I smiled as if I was embarrassed.
“Ahem, I would like to brag about my bravery, but unfortunately I don’t have time.”
“Please hurry up and finish the meeting. I’ll be waiting for you.”
“Yes. I should give the count something to do so that you don’t get bored while waiting.”
I said as I confirmed that Peony had returned after guiding the three royal families.
“There's a lot I want to show Lady Luciard, and I've sourced some wood and waterproofing locally, so I hope you'll take a look, and Peony will show you around.”
“Ah, it’s a good thing I had some regrets to resolve with Lady Granice.”
Anais smiled at Peony.
Of course, the eyes were not smiling; they were not smiling because she had followed her lord into the battlefield as her servant, and had snuck into the cart with her. Anais had a lot to say to the young girl for her risky behavior.
“Yes, Lady Granice. Come here.”
“Ugh”
Peony, who had been hiding behind me, avoiding eye contact, became upset. Anais was the closest thing to Philinellini the Third Empress, that Peony could think of.
I couldn't ignore the eyes that were asking for salvation.
“I scolded her harshly, so don’t scold her, Lady Luciard.”
“How could I dare to admonish Your Highness’s maid, Lady Granice? I have no intention of doing anything presumptuous.”
“Lady Luciard..."
“Lady Granice is a precious colleague on the same boat. As a colleague, please allow me to vent my slight frustration, my lord.”
Her stubbornness suggested she shouldn't just say it. I decided to use a trick I'd been hiding.
“Look at my face and don't blame her too much, she's a loyal servant who was willing to take this risk for me, should I kill her instead of honoring her?”
"...All right."
Anais backed down, pretending she couldn't win. But even in this moment, her business acumen shone through. She didn't forget to sneak on her own terms.
“Oh, in the future, you can just give me orders, and... preferably with a subordinate title, it would be more in keeping with your majesty.”
“Yeah.”
I answered with a small smile. This marked the end of the successful rescue of Peony.
“Then I’ll go to the meeting quickly and come back. Take a look around the village and the storage facility and listen to the explanation.”
“Yes, my lord.”
I and Michael headed to the barracks where the royal family was waiting.
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