Traitor!!
“~ ♪”
Emma hummed a little tune as she made her way toward the room of the young master she served.
Ever since that incident, her kind young master had grown far more generous with the people around him.
No—it would be more accurate to say he had always been a generous person.
In the past he had forced himself to scowl, to snap and show irritation at every turn. Now he wore an easy expression and treated people with a certain… softness of his own.
He must have felt guilty for the trouble he had caused those around him, and so he was trying not to be harsh with anyone, even a little.
You don’t have to do that at all… Young Master, you’re far too soft-hearted…
Having attended him for so many years—if not always at his side, then always nearby—Emma knew perfectly well that Edward was a tender-hearted man, weak to affection, with a gentle masculine nature.
He had always been careful never to show weakness, forcing himself to keep his distance from people (especially women) and weighing every single action. Lately, though, he had been tearing down those walls and trying to get along with everyone around him.
And because of that, the people who worked for House Frigid—the women—were over the moon.
Kyaa! His Grace remembered my name!
His Grace actually thanked me!
If I’m lucky, maybe I’ll even get to see that legendary smile of his—the one they say only men ever get to see?
Aww, come on… I wouldn’t dare hope for that much. But if I somehow did… I’d die happy…
Tch.
“Emma? What’s the matter?”
“Ah, nothing at all, hehe…”
The sight of them had been so repulsive she had nearly let her true nature slip.
These were the same people who used to coo about how cute he was even when he was snappish and irritable. She could hardly blame them for losing their minds now that he was being kind—but still.
After that incident, Edward’s change had shifted the entire atmosphere of the Frigid Grand Ducal Castle along with him.
But this won’t last long…
Because guilt alone was not the reason Edward had changed.
He had not softened toward the people around him—specifically the people of House Frigid—simply because he felt sorry.
He’s being nice because these are people he’s about to leave behind…
She couldn’t be certain, but ever since the young master had proposed to that lewd imperial princess, everything seemed to be racing forward at breakneck speed.
And so—
I’ll buy as much time as I can and look for a way. So for now, Emma, you…
Keep Edward and that woman from getting any closer.
Emma recalled Lirith’s words.
Just as the young lady had said, the young master must not be allowed to fall any deeper for the imperial princess.
That was why Emma was constantly hovering around Edward, doing everything she could to keep them apart.
But the moment she reached his door, she heard a man and a woman talking inside.
“Edward! Would you take a look at this catalog?”
“This is…”
“Yes—these are the wedding dresses I’m considering for the ceremony!”
While Emma had stepped away for a moment on other business, that lewd princess must have slipped into the young master’s room alone.
Wedding dresses…
Barely any time had passed, and already she was preparing for the wedding.
It was far too fast.
Which was exactly why Emma kept trying to stall her—and why she had an ally helping her do it…
“Lady Grace? Why did you let the princess in so easily?”
That ally was Grace, the escort knight currently standing guard at the door.
Emma stared at her in disbelief and demanded an answer.
“You should have stopped her! Or at least stalled for as long as you could! I was only gone for a little while—”
“…”
“Lady Grace?”
Even when Emma raised her voice, Grace gave no reply. She simply stood there in silence.
Don’t tell me…
Emma realized it in an instant.
“Lady Grace?”
“…”
“You’re not…?”
“…”
Once again Grace did not answer. Instead she turned her head slightly, as if something pricked at her conscience.
“Lady Grace…?”
“Ahem…”
Emma was certain now.
This woman had betrayed them. She must have struck some kind of deal with the princess.
“Haha… so that’s how it is. Well then, I’ll just go in myself…”
Emma was appalled, but she could not simply leave the young master and the princess alone to build their cozy little atmosphere. She moved to enter the room.
But—
Grace thrust out one arm and barred her way.
“Lady Grace? I think you’re crossing a line here…”
“Ahem… Emma. It would be improper to barge in while your betters are speaking.”
“Since when have any of us cared about propriety—”
“Ahem…”
“If you keep this up, I might start thinking—”
“Are you planning to make a scene?”
“If it’s for the young master’s sake…”
Emma kept trying to push past Grace, who was still coughing and looking away. She began drawing Aura into her body, ready to force her way through with sheer strength if she had to.
“After the last incident, His Grace has become extremely sensitive to Aura. Are you sure that’s wise?”
“Th-that’s…”
At Grace’s words, Emma had no choice but to let the power drain from her body.
Edward had been so proud of the faint Aura he could finally produce—so proud of growing stronger—only to learn that the women of the household, Emma included, could conjure Aura with ease. The shock of that discovery still lingered.
“And… do you really think you can get past me?”
“…”
It was galling, but the truth was that Grace was stronger than Emma.
Emma specialized in assassination and ambush; Grace excelled in open combat. Charging her head-on here would leave almost no chance of winning.
“Ahem…”
Grace, perhaps feeling a twinge of conscience after all, coughed again and looked away from the silent Emma.
Emma glared at her with pure resentment and opened her mouth.
“I’m going to tell the young lady… no, the Grand Duke.”
“I am His Grace’s person. And as I understand it, the Grand Duke himself has already given his approval.”
Emma had played her final card—threatening to tattle—but Grace’s reply contained not a single falsehood.
“Ugh!! Traitor!!”
“Ahem…”
The usually innocent-seeming Emma finally lost her temper and spat the accusation, but Grace knew full well she had no right to stand tall. Once again she coughed and turned her head.
Unable to defeat Grace by force or by words, Emma had no choice but to storm off alone, seething.
I’m sorry… Emma…
Grace watched her leave and quietly apologized in her heart.
Because the last thing Emma had called her was not wrong.
The reason she had turned her back was…
It had been a matter concerning the master she served—and one that included her as well. At the princess’s invitation, Grace had decided she might as well hear her out, and so she had agreed to meet.
“To be honest, the three of you working together has been rather troublesome.”
The moment she sat down, Charlotte went straight to the point.
“But all you’re doing is delaying things a little. You know you can’t actually stop this in the end, don’t you?”
She wasn’t wrong.
In all of House Frigid, only the three of them opposed Edward and Charlotte’s marriage.
“Unless you’re planning to start swinging a sword like that madwoman of a Hero?”
“I would never do such a thing!”
Grace, who had been listening in silence, shot to her feet in anger.
No matter how deeply she loved Edward…
She never wanted to cause him even the slightest harm.
Honestly, even the act of obstructing the princess felt, to Grace, like an excessive indulgence of her own selfishness.
“Exactly. If any of you ever did something like that, Edward would be deeply wounded—and he would come to hate you for it.”
“…”
Why was she stating something so obvious?
Was she simply saying that since she was going to marry Edward anyway, they should stop interfering and get lost?
Grace glared at Charlotte, wondering why she was bothering to spell out such a self-evident truth.
“Don’t look at me like that. I know perfectly well how much all of you love Edward.”
“L-love?!…”
“Hehe… the way you get flustered is rather cute.”
“Do not mock me!”
Grace was hopelessly clumsy at everything that wasn’t swordsmanship—and the subject of love in particular made her burn with embarrassment. She couldn’t help but panic.
Charlotte watched her with an amused smile.
“Yes, yes. Let me get to the point. You are Edward’s person, aren’t you?”
“Of course I am.”
What kind of question was that?
From the moment Edward had freed her from that iron cage, Grace had sworn her loyalty—not to House Frigid, but to Edward alone.
“Then you’ll simply continue to follow him even after he and I are married, won’t you?”
“What…?”
Grace was thrown completely off balance.
She had only ever thought about obstructing Edward and Charlotte’s marriage. She had never once considered what would become of her after the two of them were wed.
Come to think of it, the imperial court was the very heart of the empire she despised.
It ranked high among the places she never wanted to set foot in…
But if Edward married Charlotte as things stood, he would inevitably go to the imperial court.
Then what was she supposed to do…?
Charlotte left Grace to her fretting and pressed on.
“As a knight, you’re stronger than even the captain of the Imperial Guard. Someone like you absolutely must keep protecting Edward!”
“…”
Was she trying to win her over with flattery?
Grace listened in silence.
But Charlotte’s next question made silence impossible.
“Surely you aren’t planning to cut ties with Edward the moment he marries me?”
“Of course not!”
How could she?
Even if her master cast her aside, she would never abandon him.
And if that day ever came…
She would still watch over him from afar—secretly, from the greatest distance—just to keep him safe.
“I believed that would be your answer. And… to be honest, I’m quite confident in a fight myself.”
Grace already knew that much.
The imperial princess was no weakling.
The strong could roughly gauge one another’s level, and from what Grace had observed, Charlotte fell a little short of her own strength—but she still ranked among the powerful.
She was more than capable of protecting Edward on her own.
“But once I ascend the throne… sadly, I won’t be able to stay at Edward’s side every hour of the day. And there is a dangerous presence that threatens him…”
No one needed to ask who that “dangerous presence” was.
The Hero—the madwoman who had not only ruined their beloved master’s debutante ball but had gone on to rampage through the night as well.
Grace wanted to eliminate her, but she had been interfered with.
She wanted another chance to erase her, but the Goddess made the woman an untouchable, enormous threat.
“And you know the Hero isn’t the only one who poses a danger to Edward, don’t you?”
“Who else would dare threaten His Grace?”
The Hero alone was already more than enough. Who else would dare make his life difficult?
“You know how beautiful Edward is, don’t you?”
“What? Of course I do.”
Grace could only look puzzled at yet another statement of the obvious.
Even when she had first been dragged to House Frigid and barely knew anything about Edward, she had been drawn to him from the very first meeting—by his face alone.
“Then more madwomen are bound to keep flocking to him!”
“Ah…”
“That’s why I need someone in the imperial court who will protect Edward with me!”
“And that someone is me?”
“Yes, exactly! And if you help me, I’ll make a concession for you as well!”
“A concession? What on earth do you mean?”
“After Edward and I are married and safely have a child…”
“M-Master’s child?!”
Grace shouted in agitation.
She really was a lewd woman.
Already thinking about bearing the master’s child…
Doing that kind of thing… how dare she!!
“You shameless—!!”
“Please don’t get so worked up—hear me out to the end! And shameless? Really!”
“…Fine. Finish what you were saying.”
Depending on what came out of that lewd mouth next, Grace was fully prepared to draw her sword right there—even if it meant being dragged away for treason.
“After Edward and I have a child… once a little time has passed… I’ll allow it.”
“…?”
Grace could not understand.
Allow what?
“If Edward permits it… if he wants it… you may have his child as well.”
“!!!”
“Of course, having several women share one man will cause a great deal of talk—but I’ll handle all of that with my own power, so you needn’t worry.”
“…”
“So will you accept my proposal, Sir Knight? …Sir Knight?”
“I… I… M-M-M-Master’s child… child… child…”
Having heard Charlotte out to the very end, Grace was thrown into complete disarray.
Charlotte called her name several times, waiting for an answer from the flustered knight—
but Grace had frozen solid, murmuring to herself for a long, long time.
Child, child, child, child, child, child…
And so…
Grace promised Charlotte her cooperation.
She would no longer interfere when Edward and Charlotte spent time together.
She would no longer work with the young lady and Emma.
Even if Edward and Charlotte were joined…
her place at his side would still be left open.
And then…
“There is still one thing I must clear up, Your Highness.”
“Yes?”
“Do you intend to take any other husbands besides His Grace?”
“What kind of insane nonsense is that?”
“I was certain Your Highness had been living a… lewd life with men ever since you were young…”
“What the hell are you talking about!!”
Having been thoroughly slandered, Charlotte apparently set the record straight by telling Grace the truth about her past—and so their mutual misunderstandings were resolved.
“Grace, is something wrong?”
Perhaps he had heard the argument with Emma.
Edward’s voice came from inside the room.
“No, nothing at all, Your Grace!”
“Edward~ With such a reliable person standing guard, what could possibly go wrong?”
“No, that wasn’t what I meant—”
“Come on! Look at the next item for me.”
“Ah—yes, of course, Charlotte…”
Fortunately, it seemed Edward had not noticed anything amiss.
And their new collaborator, Charlotte, did not forget to slip in a little praise for Grace while she was at it.
I’m sorry, Emma.
Recalling her conversation with the princess, Grace apologized to Emma once more in her heart.
Because of Grace’s betrayal…
the alliance of the three women of the Grand Ducal house did not last long before it fractured.