Still, Rudrick didn’t seem to have any intention of shooing them away— not that he seemed to mind them at all, exactly, but he let out a grunt, a grimace, and then gave up.
“It’s just like you heard. I thought you were heading up north, so I thought I’d come with you…” (Dahlia)
“Huh, really?”
“Oh, my goodness.”
Then, as if by design, an exclamation leaked between them.
It felt increasingly weird to watch them gawk at me in a group, not like it was some kind of hidden camera, but as a group.
Now even Rudrick was just staring at me with a confused, nuanced expression.
‘What the hell?’
No, I’m the one who’s been speaking, but why couldn’t I get my head around what was going on? Was I this clueless?
As I grew more and more confused, Ruth Fedex, the most rational of the division commanders— but this guy was just as bad, cleared his throat.
Then, in a polite tone, he nudged and asked me.
“If you don’t mind me asking… Why?”
I swallowed hard as I realized that every eye in the room was on me again, the kind of stare that says, ‘The answer is already given, and you’re just supposed to say it.’
‘I don’t think it’s the answer they want.’
But I had no idea what they wanted either, so I decided to just tell them the truth.
“Well, it might not seem like a big deal, but it’s kind of important to me.”
“What can I do for you…?”
Dahlia answered straight away, “Well, it’s a family business.”
“Oh.”
“Ugh…”
I shrugged at the simultaneous sigh of disappointment.
No, I was just telling him the truth, so why am I feeling sorry for myself?
Still, their stares were waiting for me to explain the details, so I didn’t have time to react before I spoke again.
“To be precise, it’s because of something I had to do to solidify my position in the family…” (Dahlia)
The circumstances that led to that story were actually quite sketchy.
To become the Duke of Averine, I have to go through a family ritual, and it involves business.
That I, as the heir apparent, had been given a top to raise, and that there was an item in the north that was essential to raising that top and gaining recognition.
“Demonic worms?”
“Yes, have you heard of it?”
Thinking that I should at least take a hint from this, I gave them the same expectant gaze as they had earlier.
But the division commanders were not pleased.
“I know it’s a rare creature, but I’ve never seen one, and I’m not familiar with the Dark Forest as its habitat in the first place.”
“I didn’t even know such a thing existed.”
“Umm… I’ve never seen it either, but I think I vaguely heard a story about my grandfather seeing it.”
“Is that true?” (Dahlia)
I snapped my head up and looked at the man who had spoken.
He was Michel Dimitri, the leader of the Sixth Division of the Knights of Bouser, with the most gentle face of any division leader.
“Yes, yes. My grandfather lived in a village near the Dark Forest at the time.”
“Oh, I know. The village that’s gone now?”
“The area of the Dark Forest has expanded, so it couldn’t be helped.”
Of course, if I were to go to the North, I would have met the family myself, but since Rudrick won’t go, I have no choice.
But before I could feel disappointed, another voice spoke up.
“But… there’s no reason for you to go there yourself, is there?”
It was Ethan Miller, the leader of the Fourth Division of the Knights of Bouser, who stood by and listened.
“What the hell is that guy saying…!”
“Somebody shut his mouth…!”
And the division leaders went ballistic.
They were all on their knees now, looking so nervous that if they had free limbs, they’d be clamping his mouth shut right now.
As I watched them, I remembered a fact.
I remembered that the 4th Division commander’s nickname was Ethan Miller, who was ‘brilliant, but a little too clueless’.
I hadn’t talked to him much, but from what I could tell, he didn’t seem to be too sharp.
‘No, I think he’s rather quick.’
Because he’d picked up on exactly what I was trying to hide.
“It’s just weird if that’s the reason, I think it’d be better to have someone else look into it, but the fact that you’re going there yourself…… just makes me wonder if there’s more to it.”
With that, he glanced at the other division commanders, and they exchanged a puzzled glance as if they’d suddenly realized something.
Then, as a group, they chuckled at me.
“Oh, you too, Princess. You don’t have to hide it from us.”
What am I supposed to be hiding?
“I see. Like Ethan said, you can leave it to us, but the fact that you’re willing to do it yourself means…”
“Honestly, isn’t it a little too obvious that you have an ulterior motive…”
“Speaking of which, Princess, you seem to be on a bit of a rampage lately. Is that a good thing?”
“Oh, that’s right, you seem to have gotten prettier, and you seem to be wearing more makeup than before…”
I felt an uneasy sense of foreboding creep up on me as I watched them suddenly begin to fidget, Sir Ethan’s last words caught me off guard and I blurted out in surprise.
“By any chance, what… You’re not following someone you have your heart set on?”
“Uh, how did you know?” (Dahlia)
“What?”
“Huh?”
Still, Rudrick didn’t seem to have any intention of shooing them away— not that he seemed to mind them at all, exactly, but he let out a grunt, a grimace, and then gave up.
“It’s just like you heard. I thought you were heading up north, so I thought I’d come with you…” (Dahlia)
“Huh, really?”
“Oh, my goodness.”
Then, as if by design, an exclamation leaked between them.
It felt increasingly weird to watch them gawk at me in a group, not like it was some kind of hidden camera, but as a group.
Now even Rudrick was just staring at me with a confused, nuanced expression.
‘What the hell?’
No, I’m the one who’s been speaking, but why couldn’t I get my head around what was going on? Was I this clueless?
As I grew more and more confused, Ruth Fedex, the most rational of the division commanders— but this guy was just as bad, cleared his throat.
Then, in a polite tone, he nudged and asked me.
“If you don’t mind me asking… Why?”
I swallowed hard as I realized that every eye in the room was on me again, the kind of stare that says, ‘The answer is already given, and you’re just supposed to say it.’
‘I don’t think it’s the answer they want.’
But I had no idea what they wanted either, so I decided to just tell them the truth.
“Well, it might not seem like a big deal, but it’s kind of important to me.”
“What can I do for you…?”
Dahlia answered straight away, “Well, it’s a family business.”
“Oh.”
“Ugh…”
I shrugged at the simultaneous sigh of disappointment.
No, I was just telling him the truth, so why am I feeling sorry for myself?
Still, their stares were waiting for me to explain the details, so I didn’t have time to react before I spoke again.
“To be precise, it’s because of something I had to do to solidify my position in the family…” (Dahlia)
The circumstances that led to that story were actually quite sketchy.
To become the Duke of Averine, I have to go through a family ritual, and it involves business.
That I, as the heir apparent, had been given a top to raise, and that there was an item in the north that was essential to raising that top and gaining recognition.
“Demonic worms?”
“Yes, have you heard of it?”
Thinking that I should at least take a hint from this, I gave them the same expectant gaze as they had earlier.
But the division commanders were not pleased.
“I know it’s a rare creature, but I’ve never seen one, and I’m not familiar with the Dark Forest as its habitat in the first place.”
“I didn’t even know such a thing existed.”
“Umm… I’ve never seen it either, but I think I vaguely heard a story about my grandfather seeing it.”
“Is that true?” (Dahlia)
I snapped my head up and looked at the man who had spoken.
He was Michel Dimitri, the leader of the Sixth Division of the Knights of Bouser, with the most gentle face of any division leader.
“Yes, yes. My grandfather lived in a village near the Dark Forest at the time.”
“Oh, I know. The village that’s gone now?”
“The area of the Dark Forest has expanded, so it couldn’t be helped.”
Of course, if I were to go to the North, I would have met the family myself, but since Rudrick won’t go, I have no choice.
But before I could feel disappointed, another voice spoke up.
“But… there’s no reason for you to go there yourself, is there?”
It was Ethan Miller, the leader of the Fourth Division of the Knights of Bouser, who stood by and listened.
“What the hell is that guy saying…!”
“Somebody shut his mouth…!”
And the division leaders went ballistic.
They were all on their knees now, looking so nervous that if they had free limbs, they’d be clamping his mouth shut right now.
As I watched them, I remembered a fact.
I remembered that the 4th Division commander’s nickname was Ethan Miller, who was ‘brilliant, but a little too clueless’.
I hadn’t talked to him much, but from what I could tell, he didn’t seem to be too sharp.
‘No, I think he’s rather quick.’
Because he’d picked up on exactly what I was trying to hide.
“It’s just weird if that’s the reason, I think it’d be better to have someone else look into it, but the fact that you’re going there yourself…… just makes me wonder if there’s more to it.”
With that, he glanced at the other division commanders, and they exchanged a puzzled glance as if they’d suddenly realized something.
Then, as a group, they chuckled at me.
“Oh, you too, Princess. You don’t have to hide it from us.”
What am I supposed to be hiding?
“I see. Like Ethan said, you can leave it to us, but the fact that you’re willing to do it yourself means…”
“Honestly, isn’t it a little too obvious that you have an ulterior motive…”
“Speaking of which, Princess, you seem to be on a bit of a rampage lately. Is that a good thing?”
“Oh, that’s right, you seem to have gotten prettier, and you seem to be wearing more makeup than before…”
I felt an uneasy sense of foreboding creep up on me as I watched them suddenly begin to fidget, Sir Ethan’s last words caught me off guard and I blurted out in surprise.
“By any chance, what… You’re not following someone you have your heart set on?”
“Uh, how did you know?” (Dahlia)
“What?”
“Huh?”
