Episode 33. My Good Dog
The knight, who was carrying a handful of errands, dropped the bread he was holding in his mouth to the floor.
He had seen the imperial document posted on the bulletin board in the square.
< Dethronement Edict >
He didn't need to check the contents underneath.
'It's about the lady...!'
The knight gulped.
People still didn't seem particularly interested in the poster document.
In fact, defacing an imperial document was punishable by a fine.
But the knight didn't care.
He walked slowly to the side, pretending to pick up the groceries in his arms.
"Oh my. This is heavier than it looks."
Since Renisha arrived, he had become very fond of eating.
He looked forward to his daily meal.
He had worked as a chef in the Empress's palace, so he had the skills to prove it. He was happily running errands when he suddenly saw his mood turn sour.
The knight tore the poster apart, crumpled it, and stuffed it into his pocket.
“Ahem!”
He cleared his throat and attempted the perfect crime, but an imperial knight patrolling nearby spotted him.
“What are you doing! That was ordered by the Emperor himself...!”
“What? What did you see?”
The knight chewed his words with a fierce expression.
The imperial knight gripped his spear and swallowed hard.
The man was filled with a strange, murderous aura.
What on earth had he been doing? His shoulders were broad and muscular, and his posture was also poor.
His dazzling gaze seemed ready to tear apart his healthy limbs.
The imperial knight stepped back.
“...I didn’t see anything.”
He finally answered, weeping.
The knight spat on the floor and cast a murderous gaze at the imperial knight.
“Don’t post strange things, yes?”
The knight abruptly turned around.
A piece of paper bulged out of the knight's pocket as he strode forward with long strides.
The royal knight swallowed back tears of injustice, but it was best not to be caught by such a thug.
Returning to Kassius's mansion, the knight dashed to the training grounds, panting.
Of course, he had already carefully delivered the groceries to the kitchen.
"Why are you running like a horned bull? You're scaring people."
"This is what's going on outside!"
The knight didn't just encounter posters on his way.
Daily newspapers and all manner of gossip magazines were filled with articles about Renisha's dethronement.
Not only were they sensationalized, but they also portrayed her as an adulteress with a hero.
Similar stories appeared in small-time gossip magazines bought from street kids for a penny.
As he carried everything he could find, his arms were overflowing with it.
The knights' faces paled at the sights.
"Oh, oh, oh!"
One of them even wrote a novel claiming Kassius had stolen Renisha from Laxus.
Here and there, foul language erupted.
“This must never reach the lady.”
“Of course!”
The knights shouted, clenching their fists with determination.
Then they rushed outside, swarming like thugs, collecting the relevant articles here and there.
Still, they couldn’t outrun the swift horse.
Terion had also heard the news.
He stared perplexedly at the papers the knights had thrown down, claiming they had collected as kindling.
“You really ripped these off? Didn’t you get caught?”
“I got caught, but they pretended not to notice.”
He could tell the exchange of words.
Just as the knights urged them to throw them into the fireplace, Renisha came down to the first-floor hallway, walking briskly.
“What’s going on?”
The knights flinched, their massive shoulders flinching, and they turned around. Their bulky bodies obscured them.
Renisha smiled.
Their honest faces clearly had something to hide.
Behind Renisha, Lindy stood with a dignified expression.
Lindy pushed through the knights and pulled out a piece of paper.
Lindy sighed and handed it to Renisha.
Renisha slowly examined the article.
“We’ll go out and scrape up all this crap, ma’am!”
“It’s full of lies!”
“Who would believe something like this?”
Renisha seemed to be stamping her feet, perhaps feeling a little heartbroken.
Renisha let out a faint laugh.
“Pfft.”
The newspaper was expected, but the knights' reaction made Renisha laugh.
Even young Isabella knew about the workings of high society and the royal family's dark underbelly.
She had thoroughly explained Renisha and Kassius's situation to Isabella.
However, the cute knights, resembling Kassius, were worried that Renisha would be hurt.
Renisha covered her lips with the newspaper and laughed.
"...Are you okay?"
Terion asked on their behalf.
"Of course? Some of it is true. And I wasn't expecting the royal family to be so vicious. Besides, they've mellowed out quite a bit."
The knights gulped.
Renisha seemed unusual. How could she laugh at something like that?
"Are you really okay...?"
They didn't know much about Renisha, but she was now the mistress of the mansion.
Terion had told them that Renisha was smart and knowledgeable and would lead them well.
Furthermore, the food had improved, and their accommodations had also improved.
Through Terion, they said that once Hiloshine's castle was settled, they would allocate a budget for the military.
They would even pay wages.
How could anyone hate a mistress who made such promises?
The knights, knowingly or unknowingly, had already given their hearts to Renisha.
"Of course."
Renisha put down her newspaper. She was smiling like a blooming flower bud.
The knights exchanged glances and felt relieved.
Thank goodness. It seemed their mistress was far more generous than they had expected. In any case, the news of Renisha's dethronement and marriage to Kassius spread like wildfire.
Those who had followed and revered Renisha defended her.
"The mad Emperor did this. It was obvious. How could an Empress do such a thing?"
"That's what I mean. She was the one who supported this empire! What are we going to do now?"
However, some opposed her.
Those who had been jealous and envious of Renisha belittled her.
"I knew it. You said she was so vicious? So the Emperor should go out. It all depends on his wife, right?'
'Phew. Then who will take the Empress's seat now?'
And they set their eyes on the empty Empress's seat.
They were people who were interested in power.
They gathered their attention on the next Empress.
'Surely... Canary will become the Empress?'
'It's not an implausible story. Isn't she the woman who has lasted the longest in the imperial family? The Emperor might really love her!'
'Ehei. But that woman is too lowly. Wasn't she Empress Renisha's maid? It would be defilement of the imperial blood.'
And Canary began to be mentioned as a candidate for the Empress.
"Oh, are you back?"
Renisha smiled proudly.
It would have been frustrating to have to refrain from going out so as not to provoke the Emperor, but Renisha seemed rather comfortable in the mansion.
Kassius took off his outer garment and was about to drape it over his shoulder when he glanced at the old gentleman who naturally approached him, smiled, and extended his hand.
“Give it to me.”
Two nights ago, Henry, who had made an urgent visit to the mansion, ended up becoming the head butler.
General management was assigned to Lindy, who was to keep an eye on Henry.
Henry and Renisha negotiated several agreements: All contact with the palace would be censored.
Nothing beyond what had been agreed upon would be revealed.
Never reveal anything about Isabella or Renisha’s family.
There were a few other rules, but those were the main ones.
In fact, most of them were aimed at protecting Isabella.
Kassius looked at Henry disapprovingly and then held out his clothes.
“...How have you been?”
Kassius turned his head sharply and asked Renisha.
“What happened?”
“Do you think that’s a proper greeting after being out for half a day?”
Renisha laughed.
It was a visibly restrained gesture.
Kassius had been against accepting Henry.
But when Renisha said she would send someone else, he couldn’t help it.
Henry agreed, saying there would be room for negotiation since he was a sensible writer.
But even putting those things aside, Kassius still disliked Henry.
Perhaps it was because he was a vestige of Laxus.
"Nothing happened, and I'm doing well, Kassius. Come inside."
Kassius nodded.
"Like a hunting dog protecting its master."
It was a fierce flame that could have burned down the entire mansion if he'd been careful.
Henry stuck out his tongue without Kassius noticing.
Kassius, trailing behind Renisha, turned his head slightly toward Henry.
Kassius glared at Henry.
It was probably his own way of warning him.
“He asked if the Emperor would make that strange woman his Empress! That position...”
Kassius’s lips twitched, his expression unsure of what to say.
“Kassius.”
Renisha stood up and stood in front of Kassius, who was expressing his anger.
Renisha lowered her head and stroked his cheek.
Renisha whispered to Kassius, who looked surprised.
“My good puppy.”
She blurted out what she had been thinking.
Kassius blinked.
He was well over six feet tall. And yet...
A puppy, following a young lady?
Kassius's mind raced. He was going crazy...
The knight, who was carrying a handful of errands, dropped the bread he was holding in his mouth to the floor.
He had seen the imperial document posted on the bulletin board in the square.
< Dethronement Edict >
He didn't need to check the contents underneath.
'It's about the lady...!'
The knight gulped.
People still didn't seem particularly interested in the poster document.
In fact, defacing an imperial document was punishable by a fine.
But the knight didn't care.
He walked slowly to the side, pretending to pick up the groceries in his arms.
"Oh my. This is heavier than it looks."
Since Renisha arrived, he had become very fond of eating.
He looked forward to his daily meal.
He had worked as a chef in the Empress's palace, so he had the skills to prove it. He was happily running errands when he suddenly saw his mood turn sour.
The knight tore the poster apart, crumpled it, and stuffed it into his pocket.
“Ahem!”
He cleared his throat and attempted the perfect crime, but an imperial knight patrolling nearby spotted him.
“What are you doing! That was ordered by the Emperor himself...!”
“What? What did you see?”
The knight chewed his words with a fierce expression.
The imperial knight gripped his spear and swallowed hard.
The man was filled with a strange, murderous aura.
What on earth had he been doing? His shoulders were broad and muscular, and his posture was also poor.
His dazzling gaze seemed ready to tear apart his healthy limbs.
The imperial knight stepped back.
“...I didn’t see anything.”
He finally answered, weeping.
The knight spat on the floor and cast a murderous gaze at the imperial knight.
“Don’t post strange things, yes?”
The knight abruptly turned around.
A piece of paper bulged out of the knight's pocket as he strode forward with long strides.
The royal knight swallowed back tears of injustice, but it was best not to be caught by such a thug.
Returning to Kassius's mansion, the knight dashed to the training grounds, panting.
Of course, he had already carefully delivered the groceries to the kitchen.
"Why are you running like a horned bull? You're scaring people."
"This is what's going on outside!"
The knight didn't just encounter posters on his way.
Daily newspapers and all manner of gossip magazines were filled with articles about Renisha's dethronement.
Not only were they sensationalized, but they also portrayed her as an adulteress with a hero.
Similar stories appeared in small-time gossip magazines bought from street kids for a penny.
As he carried everything he could find, his arms were overflowing with it.
The knights' faces paled at the sights.
"Oh, oh, oh!"
One of them even wrote a novel claiming Kassius had stolen Renisha from Laxus.
Here and there, foul language erupted.
“This must never reach the lady.”
“Of course!”
The knights shouted, clenching their fists with determination.
Then they rushed outside, swarming like thugs, collecting the relevant articles here and there.
Still, they couldn’t outrun the swift horse.
***
Terion had also heard the news.
He stared perplexedly at the papers the knights had thrown down, claiming they had collected as kindling.
“You really ripped these off? Didn’t you get caught?”
“I got caught, but they pretended not to notice.”
He could tell the exchange of words.
Just as the knights urged them to throw them into the fireplace, Renisha came down to the first-floor hallway, walking briskly.
“What’s going on?”
The knights flinched, their massive shoulders flinching, and they turned around. Their bulky bodies obscured them.
Renisha smiled.
Their honest faces clearly had something to hide.
Behind Renisha, Lindy stood with a dignified expression.
Lindy pushed through the knights and pulled out a piece of paper.
Lindy sighed and handed it to Renisha.
Renisha slowly examined the article.
“We’ll go out and scrape up all this crap, ma’am!”
“It’s full of lies!”
“Who would believe something like this?”
Renisha seemed to be stamping her feet, perhaps feeling a little heartbroken.
Renisha let out a faint laugh.
“Pfft.”
The newspaper was expected, but the knights' reaction made Renisha laugh.
Even young Isabella knew about the workings of high society and the royal family's dark underbelly.
She had thoroughly explained Renisha and Kassius's situation to Isabella.
However, the cute knights, resembling Kassius, were worried that Renisha would be hurt.
Renisha covered her lips with the newspaper and laughed.
"...Are you okay?"
Terion asked on their behalf.
"Of course? Some of it is true. And I wasn't expecting the royal family to be so vicious. Besides, they've mellowed out quite a bit."
The knights gulped.
Renisha seemed unusual. How could she laugh at something like that?
"Are you really okay...?"
They didn't know much about Renisha, but she was now the mistress of the mansion.
Terion had told them that Renisha was smart and knowledgeable and would lead them well.
Furthermore, the food had improved, and their accommodations had also improved.
Through Terion, they said that once Hiloshine's castle was settled, they would allocate a budget for the military.
They would even pay wages.
How could anyone hate a mistress who made such promises?
The knights, knowingly or unknowingly, had already given their hearts to Renisha.
"Of course."
Renisha put down her newspaper. She was smiling like a blooming flower bud.
The knights exchanged glances and felt relieved.
Thank goodness. It seemed their mistress was far more generous than they had expected. In any case, the news of Renisha's dethronement and marriage to Kassius spread like wildfire.
Those who had followed and revered Renisha defended her.
"The mad Emperor did this. It was obvious. How could an Empress do such a thing?"
"That's what I mean. She was the one who supported this empire! What are we going to do now?"
However, some opposed her.
Those who had been jealous and envious of Renisha belittled her.
"I knew it. You said she was so vicious? So the Emperor should go out. It all depends on his wife, right?'
'Phew. Then who will take the Empress's seat now?'
And they set their eyes on the empty Empress's seat.
They were people who were interested in power.
They gathered their attention on the next Empress.
'Surely... Canary will become the Empress?'
'It's not an implausible story. Isn't she the woman who has lasted the longest in the imperial family? The Emperor might really love her!'
'Ehei. But that woman is too lowly. Wasn't she Empress Renisha's maid? It would be defilement of the imperial blood.'
And Canary began to be mentioned as a candidate for the Empress.
***
"Oh, are you back?"
Renisha smiled proudly.
It would have been frustrating to have to refrain from going out so as not to provoke the Emperor, but Renisha seemed rather comfortable in the mansion.
Kassius took off his outer garment and was about to drape it over his shoulder when he glanced at the old gentleman who naturally approached him, smiled, and extended his hand.
“Give it to me.”
Two nights ago, Henry, who had made an urgent visit to the mansion, ended up becoming the head butler.
General management was assigned to Lindy, who was to keep an eye on Henry.
Henry and Renisha negotiated several agreements: All contact with the palace would be censored.
Nothing beyond what had been agreed upon would be revealed.
Never reveal anything about Isabella or Renisha’s family.
There were a few other rules, but those were the main ones.
In fact, most of them were aimed at protecting Isabella.
Kassius looked at Henry disapprovingly and then held out his clothes.
“...How have you been?”
Kassius turned his head sharply and asked Renisha.
“What happened?”
“Do you think that’s a proper greeting after being out for half a day?”
Renisha laughed.
It was a visibly restrained gesture.
Kassius had been against accepting Henry.
But when Renisha said she would send someone else, he couldn’t help it.
Henry agreed, saying there would be room for negotiation since he was a sensible writer.
But even putting those things aside, Kassius still disliked Henry.
Perhaps it was because he was a vestige of Laxus.
"Nothing happened, and I'm doing well, Kassius. Come inside."
Kassius nodded.
"Like a hunting dog protecting its master."
It was a fierce flame that could have burned down the entire mansion if he'd been careful.
Henry stuck out his tongue without Kassius noticing.
Kassius, trailing behind Renisha, turned his head slightly toward Henry.
Kassius glared at Henry.
It was probably his own way of warning him.
"I'm watching you."
Well, that's probably what it meant.
But Henry had lived every day on edge because of Laxus.
Whenever he met Laxus' eyes, he'd hold his breath, afraid that his madness might explode in any direction.
Kassius's threats felt like nothing more than a cute joke.
Of course, that was probably because Kassius didn't truly harbor any murderous intent.
He knew that a knight who had slain men on the battlefield wouldn't be trivialized.
"Still, I feel at ease."
At least Kassius was within the range of human comprehension.
Kassius followed Renisha into the bedroom.
Renisha swallowed a laugh as she watched Kassius cast a wary gaze outward.
She wants to tell him he doesn't have to, but it's so cute how he reveals his true feelings, so she just watches.
Renisha sat down at the table.
"Kassius, who did you meet today?"
Kassius, who had been glaring outside, sat down across from Renisha.
"Kassius?"
"Oh, I met the Marquis of Danvers today. I went to the Sunrise Club like Renisha told me to."
Kassius had become the Duke of Lottera.
Whatever his former status was, he now had free passes to any social club.
People were curious about Massius.
Those who were sympathetic to Renisha easily included him in their circles, while those who weren't pointed fingers and ostracized him.
Kassius was a man of thick nerves, so he didn't mind that.
He honestly went to the club and only met with those Renisha told him to.
It was because he, still unfamiliar with such a life, was trying to avoid making mistakes.
“Finally, we’ve met. This is the third time, I think.”
Renisha’s eyes lit up.
The Marquis of Danvers wasn’t one to enjoy social clubs.
The fact that he had shown up meant that the Marquis of Danvers had heard rumors about Kassius.
Knowing that Kassius and Renisha were involved, he must have wanted to hear her opinion.
“What did he say?”
But Henry had lived every day on edge because of Laxus.
Whenever he met Laxus' eyes, he'd hold his breath, afraid that his madness might explode in any direction.
Kassius's threats felt like nothing more than a cute joke.
Of course, that was probably because Kassius didn't truly harbor any murderous intent.
He knew that a knight who had slain men on the battlefield wouldn't be trivialized.
"Still, I feel at ease."
At least Kassius was within the range of human comprehension.
***
Kassius followed Renisha into the bedroom.
Renisha swallowed a laugh as she watched Kassius cast a wary gaze outward.
She wants to tell him he doesn't have to, but it's so cute how he reveals his true feelings, so she just watches.
Renisha sat down at the table.
"Kassius, who did you meet today?"
Kassius, who had been glaring outside, sat down across from Renisha.
"Kassius?"
"Oh, I met the Marquis of Danvers today. I went to the Sunrise Club like Renisha told me to."
Kassius had become the Duke of Lottera.
Whatever his former status was, he now had free passes to any social club.
People were curious about Massius.
Those who were sympathetic to Renisha easily included him in their circles, while those who weren't pointed fingers and ostracized him.
Kassius was a man of thick nerves, so he didn't mind that.
He honestly went to the club and only met with those Renisha told him to.
It was because he, still unfamiliar with such a life, was trying to avoid making mistakes.
“Finally, we’ve met. This is the third time, I think.”
Renisha’s eyes lit up.
The Marquis of Danvers wasn’t one to enjoy social clubs.
The fact that he had shown up meant that the Marquis of Danvers had heard rumors about Kassius.
Knowing that Kassius and Renisha were involved, he must have wanted to hear her opinion.
“What did he say?”
Kassius clenched his fist.
“He asked if the Emperor would make that strange woman his Empress! That position...”
Kassius’s lips twitched, his expression unsure of what to say.
“Kassius.”
Renisha stood up and stood in front of Kassius, who was expressing his anger.
Renisha lowered her head and stroked his cheek.
Renisha whispered to Kassius, who looked surprised.
“My good puppy.”
She blurted out what she had been thinking.
Kassius blinked.
He was well over six feet tall. And yet...
A puppy, following a young lady?
Kassius's mind raced. He was going crazy...
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