Chapter 116
Chapter 116
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 116
Chapter Title: Toys and the Hidden Knight
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The servants gathered one by one, each clutching something in their arms, and began chiming in with their suggestions.
"I brought the book for flower pressing."
"I'll set up the parasol!"
"Your Highness, how about some drawing?"
"I packed a little dessert in case you get hungry later at the market!"
"I brought cards and board games!"
"Your Highness! What about blocks?"
"It's the bear doll Poofu that Your Highness loves!"
"We have a doll play set too!"
"How about playing the violin outdoors on this fine day?"
The garden bustled with activity in an instant.
Lianus stared blankly at the servants crowding around him, their faces flushed with excitement.
He hadn't even realized he had so many toys. Then again, before Nihil arrived, he had never laid a hand on any of them. Occasionally playing strategy games like chess alone had been the extent of it, just to maintain the basics.
Lianus started to ask his dear friend if there was anything he wanted to play with, but then remembered that Nihil never spoke in front of others. He was about to dismiss the servants.
"Young master, do you like dolls?"
At that moment, a maid crouched down in front of Nihil and held out a white rabbit doll.
"It reminded me of how you carry around His Highness's bear doll, so I prepared this."
Nihil took the white rabbit doll and stared at it intently for a moment before turning his gaze to the maid.
"I made it myself by sewing, so it's a bit rough..."
That was when it happened. Nihil's hand rose.
Slap-
The maid's head turned slightly, and a heavy silence fell over the once-noisy garden. No one had expected Nihil's action, and everyone froze in place.
The slapped maid asked in a trembling voice, clearly shocked.
"Y-Young master? Why... why did you..."
Slap-
Before she could finish, her head snapped lightly to the other side.
Lianus found this side of Nihil—striking someone—so utterly unfamiliar that his trembling hand tugged at his friend's clothes. At that small, timid gesture, Nihil turned his head toward Lianus.
Lianus gently lifted Nihil's hood to check his eyes. They weren't black, but white, gazing calmly at Lianus.
'The eyes he gets when seeing mana...'
Lianus regained his composure. His dear friend must have seen something to act this way. Besides, it hadn't even looked painful. If Nihil had struck with real intent, the maid's mouth would be a bloody mess.
"Shall I fire her?"
Lianus didn't ask why Nihil had hit the maid. There had to be a good reason. And it didn't seem like it hurt much anyway.
The maid flinched at the casual mention of dismissal, then looked up at Lianus with a face full of betrayal.
"Y-Your Highness..."
She called out to him desperately, her face on the verge of tears, but Lianus didn't spare her a glance. He simply waited for his friend's response.
Nihil glanced at the maid, shook his head, and pulled something from his pocket.
It was a dagger.
"What do you think you're doing?"
Sir Evan tensed at the sight of the dagger and scooped Nihil into his arms—not to protect the maid, but to shield the boy. He didn't know how she might react to seeing the blade.
Nihil, suddenly lifted without warning, stayed meek as ever, clearly with no intention of stabbing anyone.
The maid trembled, bowing her head to the ground and begging forgiveness over and over.
Nihil poked Evan's cheek repeatedly with the dagger's hilt, as if demanding to be put down. But Evan, still wary, shook his head. So Nihil began pressing the rabbit doll against Evan's face instead.
"Agh, just stay still."
After enduring about thirty-seven rabbit doll smooches, Evan snapped irritably and grabbed Nihil's cheeks with one hand. A reaction came from below.
"Don't bully Nil!"
"Your Highness, I'm the one being bullied here..."
"It's... fine."
"..."
"Sir Evan, put Nil down."
"What if this kid does something with that blade?"
"If he wanted to do something, he would've already."
He was right. Nihil had the skill to slip from his arms in an instant and kill one or two people with that dagger. The fact that he was just smooshing the rabbit doll against his face instead of breaking free by force was probably to show he meant no harm.
With a sigh, Evan finally set Nihil down.
Once on the ground, Nihil used the dagger tip to lift his hood slightly, then grabbed the maid's chin and locked eyes with her.
"...?"
The maid stared at him, mesmerized despite her confusion. She was so entranced by his face that she didn't notice until Nihil withdrew the dagger and pressed it to her throat.
Her trembling eyes flicked down to the blade at her neck. The other servants, watching in horror, tried desperately to divert Nihil's attention.
"Y-Young master, please put the sword down first..."
"Y-Yes! If you don't like the rabbit doll..."
"Dolls should be bear dolls after all!"
"There are plenty of other toys here! How about stacking blocks? They're all colorful and pretty, right?"
"The young master is scared of Poofu and crying. Waaah~"
"..."
Nihil glanced once at the ridiculously crying Poofu making "waaah" noises, then fixed his gaze back on the maid's trembling eyes. Slowly, he lowered the dagger.
As the servants sighed in relief, the dagger's direction shifted, claiming a new hostage.
"...?"
Question marks appeared on the servants' faces. The new hostage, the rabbit doll, dangled limply in Nihil's hand, its long ears drooping pathetically. Everyone wondered what was going on, but only that one maid turned ghastly pale in horror.
"W-Wait, young master! If, if you don't like it, I-I'll fix it, no, I'll get it fixed! Please don't hurt the rabbit doll!"
Despite her desperate pleas, Nihil squished the doll's face even harder, threatening it more intensely. The maid fidgeted anxiously as the doll crumpled, terrified it might break.
"Y-Young master, hit my cheek instead!"
Unaware her speech had changed, the maid dropped to her knees and begged. Nihil stared at her blankly before mouthing toward Lianus.
'Rian, dismiss the servants.'
Lianus nodded at the request and addressed the servants, who were still clutching their toys and watching the hostage situation in a daze.
"Everyone leave except this maid. I'll call if we need anything."
"What about the toys?"
"For now... leave them."
'Nil might want to play with something there!'
Once the servants had all left his sight, Nihil spoke to the maid still kneeling before him.
"Whose subordinate are you?"
"...!"
The maid froze at the sudden question. Sir Evan immediately drew his sword and pressed the blade to the neck of the kneeling maid.
Nihil spoke again, calmly.
"I asked whose subordinate you are."
The maid sweated coldly as she eyed the sword at her nape, its golden aura rippling. Evan stayed alert, unsure when she might lunge.
Under Nihil's quiet gaze, the maid's lips trembled. She lowered her head further and forced out the words.
"...His Majesty's... His Majesty's subordinate."
"..."
Nihil's face crumpled. Evan withdrew his sword with a subtle expression but kept it unsheathed, still on guard.
Only then did the maid breathe deeply, as if her airway had cleared. But the next question choked her again.
"Did your master tell you to test me like this?"
"Pardon? N-No, not at all! Test? It was my own decision! My fellow knights had all met the young master, so I was just too curious! I'm sorry!"
The maid slammed her forehead into the ground with all her might. Her forehead split slightly, blood showing, but Nihil remained expressionless and spoke coldly.
"What's your relation to that maid?"
"Sh-She's my sister..."
"Your sister will be punished for your pathetic curiosity."
"Pardon?!"
The maid paled in shock and crawled forward on her knees, clutching Nihil's pant leg as she pleaded.
"No, young master! My sister did nothing wrong! Punish me, me instead!"
"I'll leave your punishment to your master. Go to him and report everything."
"I begged her insistently! My sister really did nothing wrong. We had no intention of harming Your Highness or the young master! Please, please forgive us!"
"Go."
"Young master! Please..."
"Do you need me to tear apart the rabbit doll your sister made right in front of her?"
"N-No, I'll go right now... Agh!"
Rip-, flop.
As she scrambled to stand, the maid stepped on her own skirt and face-planted again. The long, torn hem looked utterly pitiful.
"..."
"..."
Evan's pride stung at realizing this knight before him was stronger than he was. Watching Lianus let out a small sigh.
"...Release the magic and show yourself to your master like that."
"...Yes."
The maid rose unsteadily. She started to brush off her skirt but stopped, remembering the order, and left with the dirt still caked on, offering a silent bow.
"...I didn't mean go with the dirt on."
"..."
"..."
Evan sheathed his sword, filled with a sense of emptiness.
The click echoed alone in the silence.
"..."
King Sedes couldn't fathom why his shadow knight was kneeling in his office dressed as a maid, covered in dirt with a tattered hem.
She looked ridiculous, but her serious expression killed any urge to laugh.
"...I'm sorry."
"Explain... yourself."
"I'm sorry!"
"So what did you do wrong..."
"I'm so sorry!!!"
The knight in maid's clothes slammed her forehead into the floor. The thud was so loud it felt like the office shook.
"My lord, it was all my fault! Punish me however you want, just please save my sister!"
"...Explain the situation properly so I can help."
"I..."
The shadow knight in the maid's outfit began recounting every detail meticulously, not missing a single word of her conversation with Nihil.
"...So please help so my sister doesn't get punished."
"In short, you snuck in out of curiosity about the boy, got caught, and came back chewed out."
"Yes."
"Haa..."
Should I just beat her?