Chapter 66: By any chance, Angelica, have you ever seen one? A commoner?
Chapter 66: By any chance, Angelica, have you ever seen one? A commoner?
“Judging by your letters and your behavior now, you seem quite concerned about commoners.”
Nekane asked the Imperial Princess, her voice trailing off as if testing the waters.
While there were several reasons for her inquiry, it was mostly driven by simple curiosity. She wondered why the Princess, who had surely never laid eyes on a commoner in her life, was suddenly so fixated on them.
“…….”
“Is there a reason?”
“It doesn't mean anything special. I am simply curious about what kind of existence an 'Untouchable Commoner' truly is,” the Princess replied, sounding more composed than expected. “I just wanted to see one for myself. A commoner, that is.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. Even if they are commoners, they are still strictly my subjects.”
Her mindset was certainly different from other noble ladies, who were usually too busy fleeing in disgust or looking down their noses at the mere mention of a commoner.
Is this the difference between royalty and nobility?
‘You raised your daughter well,’ Nekane thought to herself, as if speaking to her former pupil, the Emperor.
However...
The Princess’s obsession still felt strangely excessive. Nekane hadn't missed how the girl’s body flinched ever so slightly every time the word ‘commoner’ was mentioned.
“But if you wanted to see a commoner that badly, you didn't need to come all the way here. You could have just visited the slums.”
“…….”
“It was quite the trend once. The ‘Slum Tour.’ A tourist package where noble daughters would take their guards and go gawk at the poor.”
“…I have no desire to do something so vulgar as treating human beings like spectacles.”
“Hoho… is that so?”
She spoke coldly, but it was clearly an excuse. Nekane could sense immediately that the Princess was hiding her true feelings.
“If you wish, why don't we call one here right now?”
“Call what?”
“A commoner. I can have one brought here.”
Thud.
The Princess’s footsteps came to a halt.
“……I-Is that true?”
*
“I… am to guard the Imperial Princess?”
Angelica Pedeia was stunned by the words of the maid who had suddenly sought her out.
For starters, this was no ordinary maid. The crest on her shoulder indicated her affiliation—a symbol Angelica had seen a few times when accompanying her mother to the Imperial Palace. It meant she belonged to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, directly under the Imperial Family.
“Yes. I heard you are the daughter of the Sword of the Empire. I also understand you are the Captain of the St. Fellatio Female Knight Order. Is that correct, Lady Angelica Pedeia?”
“That is correct.”
“Then there should be no problem. We wanted to entrust her protection to someone within the Academy if possible. Her Highness emphasized maintaining the Academy's status quo.”
The cold-faced maid flipped through some documents, glancing at Angelica occasionally. Her gaze felt like she was evaluating whether Angelica was truly qualified.
“We are well aware that this Academy is safe enough that there shouldn't be any issues, but one can never be too careful. Lady Angelica, can you handle this?”
“……Well……”
“If you complete this task successfully, it will be a significant addition to your career as a knight. Perhaps Her Highness might even keep you by her side permanently.”
Becoming the Princess’s direct guard meant that, in time, one would naturally become the Sword of the Empire. It was the same path her mother had walked.
Angelica swallowed hard.
“……Understood. I will do it.”
“Good.”
The maid extended her hand.
“I am Citre, the Princess’s personal maid. I expect we’ll be seeing quite a bit of each other.”
Angelica took Citre’s hand and shook it.
Afterward, she received a briefing on various matters—things to watch out for while on guard duty and several reminders regarding the Princess. Since she already had experience with security missions, it felt more like a review of things she already knew.
As they walked and talked, they eventually arrived in front of a certain room.
“Her Highness is inside.”
“……Yes.”
“I will say this again: do not harbor any doubts about anything Her Highness does. Simply do as you are told.”
“I will keep that in mind.”
Citre repeated the warning she had given earlier. Angelica etched the words into her heart and cautiously entered the room where the Princess waited.
“Ah……! You’re her—”
The Princess’s face brightened as if she had been expecting someone specific, but upon seeing Angelica’s face, her expression flattened back into a mask of indifference.
“Ah……”
“It is an honor to meet you, Your Imperial Highness. I am Angelica Pedeia, Captain of the St. Fellatio Female Knight Order, assigned to your protection within the Academy.”
“……It is a pleasure, Lady Pedeia.”
Her voice and expression suggested it was anything but a pleasure.
Angelica immediately did a mental check to see if she had done anything wrong—her posture, her tone, or if there was anything out of place. But her first impression was perfect, the kind other nobles would have showered with praise.
As expected… is the Princess just difficult to please?
Angelica felt a flicker of unease.
“Would you come this way, Lady Pedeia?”
“Ah, yes, Your Highness.”
They engaged in a brief exchange of pleasantries. The usual questions about her family, her mother, and so on. However, the Princess’s questions felt perfunctory, as if her soul wasn't really in it. She had a cold aura, as if her mind was in another world entirely.
I never heard that she was like this.
Angelica was puzzled. From what she had heard, the Princess was supposed to be a model of proactive and excellent character.
Still, as the conversation continued, the atmosphere seemed to thaw slightly.
“Pedeia…… no, I’ll call you Angelica. I heard the ‘Sword of the Empire’ is also a professor at this school.”
“Yes. Please, call me as you wish, Your Highness.”
“You don’t need to be so stiff, Angelica. We’ll be spending time together from now on, won't we?”
“……Yes, Your Highness.”
Perhaps she had misread the situation. As the rumors suggested, the Princess was treating her subordinate with kindness. Maybe she had just been overwhelmed by her recent arrival at the Academy.
“By the way, Angelica. May I ask you one thing?”
“Yes. If it is about the Academy, I will answer to the best of my knowledge.”
“By any chance…… have you ever seen a…… commoner?”
“……!”
Angelica was momentarily flustered. The moment she heard the word ‘commoner,’ the image of herself serving her ‘Lord’ flashed through her mind. Her body heated up instantly as the memories began to resurface.
C-Calm down…… Angelica.
She was on an important mission, meeting the Princess for the first time! She couldn't afford to think about such things!
“A-A commoner…… you say?”
“Yes. I heard there is one at this school…. By any chance, Angelica, have you ever seen one? A commoner?”
“W-Why do you ask so suddenly……?”
“……Answer the question.”
Angelica tried to deflect, but she swallowed hard when she saw the Princess’s eyes turn cold.
— Do not harbor any doubts about anything Her Highness does. Simply do as you are told.
Citre’s warning echoed in her mind.
Oh no…… did I make a mistake?
It seemed she had touched a sore spot.
“I have…… seen one.”
“R-Really!!?”
Bang!
The Princess slammed the table and stood up abruptly.
“W-W-What was he like? Is he tall? Is he big? Does he have a deep voice and a playful way of speaking? Is he handsome, with black hair? Does he have a lot of muscle? And…… and……”
“Y-Your Highness?”
“Ah…… I-I’m sorry. I started talking too fast.”
The Princess sat back down. Angelica couldn't help but remain utterly confused.
What was wrong with this Princess?
She couldn't understand it, but one thing was certain: the moment the topic of the commoner came up, Angelica’s own body had grown slightly flushed.
“Regarding the commoner…… I will tell you everything I know.”
“Yes! Quickly!”
“He is……”
As Angelica spoke while thinking of the commoner, her face grew redder and redder. The Princess was no different.
Neither of them realized yet that they were both picturing the exact same man.
*
“M-Mr. 6.9. I have a message for you.”
“Huh? Can’t you see I’m resting?”
I was trying to get some decent sleep in the stable for once. Maybe check on my unicorn, too.
But I’d barely laid down when the maid, Tia, suddenly appeared. Looking at her face, she seemed to be in a huge rush.
“Did you come here because you want to be fucked that badly?”
“T-T-That’s not it……!”
“Don’t lie, it’s written all over your face.”
I immediately lifted the maid’s skirt.
“Your panties are already soaking wet.”
“T-That’s true, but…… but…… there’s something more important.”
“Something more important than me taking you?”
Does such a thing even exist in this world? I started getting things moving by gently stroking her ass.
“N-No, Mr. 6.9…… This is serious.”
“Just how serious?”
“The Imperial Princess is looking for you. You have to go right now.”
My hand, which had been fondling her ass, stopped.
“……The Imperial Princess?”
If it’s the Princess... it’s the one I know, right?
I reached into my pocket.
The Princess’s panties were still gripped firmly in my hand.