Finding the Attachment Lady (4)
“Had enough fun?”
Chiron smiled warmly at Sisilia, who nodded affirmatively. In moments like this, she looked every bit the girl her age—nothing less.
If she hadn’t become a knight, she probably would’ve lived a life no different from those laughing noble ladies over there.
“Betty. Let’s do fork-throwing. Put an apple on your head and stand by that wall.”
“……”
Is she still alive…?
Chiron harbored serious doubts.
“Forks aren’t for throwing. Especially not at people. Beatrice. Don’t let Sisilia drag you around so much.”
“Y-Yes, sir!”
Beatrice, who’d been about to dash off with the apple, stopped in her tracks and let out a sigh of relief.
Sisilia protested with clear dissatisfaction.
“I’m confident.”
“……Your confidence is at least admirable.”
“Heh.”
Seeing Sisilia puff up with pride, it was impossible not to adore her.
……Still, if she actually threw a fork at an apple on someone’s head, he’d scold her.
“So, what did you take away from today?”
“Noble ladies are so cute. They treated me so warmly.”
Chiron nodded slowly, taking in the banquet hall.
“That’s because you’ve worked hard to protect people all this time.”
The famously gruff knight captain Chiron. Yet surprisingly, he enjoyed banquets. Not that he partook much himself—the weight of his position kept him from frivolity. His personality didn’t favor noisy settings either.
But the reason he enjoyed them was simple.
“Take a good look. This is our purpose. We fight to protect this peace.”
Nobles dancing under warm lights. Common folk enjoying daily life, even if absent here. It was why Chiron wielded his sword—and what he hoped Sisilia would embrace too.
“Revel in it. Most of their joy tonight stems from the truce you secured.”
The mood heated up. Soft cello notes filled the air as nobles paired off to dance.
Sisilia beamed, facing Chiron with hands behind her back.
“Might I have this dance, Captain?”
Chiron laughed in disbelief.
“That’s usually a man’s line.”
“But you’re my dad.”
“Fair enough.”
Chiron took Sisilia’s hand and led her to the floor.
“Look. It’s Sir Chiron and Lady Sisilia.”
“What a fine father-daughter pair.”
“Wonder how good Sisilia’s dancing is?”
“She’s a knight, isn’t she? Dancing’s just bodywork—surely she’s skilled.”
The nobles chatted as they watched.
Meanwhile, in the same hall but another spot—something unexpected unfolded.
“L-L-L-Lord Edward?”
“May I have the honor of the debutante’s first dance, my lady?”
Edward extended his hand with a refined smile. Bianca flushed crimson.
Sisilia, matching steps with Chiron, watched with delight. Today, she was in full Cupid Sisilia mode. The arrow seemed to have hit true.
But one person couldn’t smile.
“Ch-Charlotte. You okay?”
“……What wonderful news.”
Despite her words, Charlotte’s face was stiff.
“Lady Bianca’s debutante went so well.”
Her attendant ladies didn’t know what to do. Charlotte, kind to all, wasn’t so now.
‘Lord Edward Vice-Captain wasn’t one for dancing anyway. No big deal, right?’
Besides, today’s star was Bianca.
Sisilia grinned at Bianca, who followed Edward’s lead with shy delight. Royal blood made him a natural. But what charmed Sisilia most was the happiness peeking through Bianca’s embarrassment.
And so, happy ending for all…
“……Sisilia. I’ll assign you a dance tutor when we get back.”
“!”
Sisilia reeled in shock.
*
The day after Bianca’s debutante. Windsor Knights HQ.
Sisilia’s face glowed from all the ladylike grooming.
“Ooh, your face looks extra radiant today.”
“Yeah. You too, Betty.”
“And you seem a bit taller?”
Beatrice held her palm above Sisilia’s head.
“Not even 0.1 cm.”
“Ah.”
Regrettably, this wasSisilia’s full height. Still, no real complaints. Not quite pixie-sized, just on the small side for a knight.
“You know, up close you seem petite, but from afar, not so much. Must be the proportions. How tall are you, exactly?”
“162 cm of trust and proof.”
“……Why’s 162 the benchmark for trust and proof?”
Because it was passing grade for an idol member. The beauty standard.
“Bigger than I thought… I figured 158 or so.”
“Busy today.”
Sisilia hurried off.
“?”
Beatrice tilted her head, then chased after belatedly.
“Wait for me!”
Inside HQ, knights crowded the bulletin board. Hyter stood at the center.
Sisilia asked curiously.
“What’s up?”
“Murder in the capital last night. We’re guessing the culprit. Wanna join, Sisilia? Ten gold for the winner.”
“Pass. Busy.”
“Huh? Truce means downtime.”
As Hyter said, the Windsor Knights enjoyed unprecedented slack. Truce with demons brought back frontline knights, swelling ranks. Unless you had some wild excuse like Sisilia’s “open prep!”, no one was busy.
Thus, a murder case they’d normally ignore piqued their interest.
“I’m not a time billionaire like you, Hyter.”
“……Offensive, but I can’t argue. Infuriating.”
Hyter was brutally honest.
Sisilia briefly fantasized shaving his beard, then turned to Beatrice.
“Everything’s fine except don’t end up like Hyter, Betty.”
“Don’t teach the newbie weird stuff!”
‘Fun. Hehe.’
Teasing Hyter amused her. No real reason.
“Let’s go, Betty.”
“Yes. But Sisilia…”
Beatrice asked innocently.
“Isn’t murder the Royal Knights’ jurisdiction?”
“Yep. All capital crimes—murder, arson, terror, anything people-related—falls to them.”
Royal Knights and Windsor Knights. Terezia’s two premier orders had clear divides: Royals handled people, Windsor handled demons.
“So why are Windsor Knights on a murder…?”
But Royals could fight demons, and Windsor could handle people.
“Windsor has investigative authority too.”
“Uh, only for demons, right?”
“Not wrong, but think about it.”
Sisilia smirked.
“How do you tell?”
“……!”
“A highly evolved villain’s indistinguishable from a demon.”
‘Honestly, humans can be crueler sometimes.’
Ten years as a knight. Sisilia had seen it all—cannibals, nobles calmly butchering their own daughters. All fell to her blade, tamed.
Windsor Knights took missions, solved them. But they often made their own too.
“You’ll learn on the job, Betty. What Windsor Knights must do.”
Knights followed the code. Investigation and kill rights included—just demons took absolute priority.
“Still, best not meddle in capital cases. Super annoying.”
“Annoying how…?”
“Royals flip out.”
They already gritted teeth at “Windsor.” Encroaching on turf? No holding back.
Of course, Sisilia didn’t steal their jobs. Taking human lives, even villains’, sat uneasy with her—
And surprisingly(?), she respected the Royals.
Clop clop.
Chatting, Sisilia and Beatrice reached the top floor.
Windsor HQ was vast—three wings, four stories. Castle-sized.
Beatrice asked puzzled.
“Where are we headed?”
“My office.”
“!”
Beatrice gaped.
“You have an office too, Sisilia?”
“High knight. Duh.”
“……Never showed it before.”
“First time for me too.”
“Oh.”
Beatrice blinked later.
“Wait, what?”
“Captain said it’s here.”
Sisilia glanced around, then grinned.
“Found it.”
-Sisilia Windsor. Elegant script on the door.
Sisilia pulled out her prep: a bunny plaque.
“Cute plaque.”
Beatrice smiled, watching Sisilia tiptoe to hang it. Moments like this maxed her job satisfaction.
-Enter unauthorized: executed.
“……”
Not so cute content.
“Good enough?”
Sisilia entered.
But Beatrice stayed put. Didn’t wanna die.
“You’re fine, Betty. My squad, so use my office freely.”
“Th-Thank you.”
‘Then others really get shot…?’
Sisilia seemed the type. Scary.
‘Ugh, boomer stink. Needs decorating.’
Sisilia nodded at the bland interior. First visit, zero design points.
“This’ll be your spot, Betty.”
“……Sisilia.”
“Yeah?”
“Isn’t this your seat?”
Four desks. She’d pointed to the biggest—squad leader’s.
Beatrice eyed her uneasily.
Sisilia still smiled.
“S-Sisilia…?”
As Beatrice paled,
Sisilia reached into thin air.
Swoosh—
Thud.
Mountain of papers on the desk.
“Today’s work.”
Her backlog, FYI. Beatrice trembled at the avalanche.
‘Raised cute Betty for this day.’
Why drag her everywhere? All planned.
“Fighting!”
Sisilia fist-pumped tiny.
Beatrice sensed doom, maxed Light Blessing.
Flash!
But no spatial blessing like Chiron’s to catch Sisilia.
She vanished like wind.
Only the cracked window proved she wasn’t returning.
“Too much…!”
Beatrice collapsed, sobbing.
Meanwhile, as she sniffled over reports,
Beaming Sisilia strolled the capital.
‘Gotta bond with Bianca!’
Off to her new “friend” (Bianca unaware).
Then, an amusing sight.
“Bianca Eisenberg. You’re under arrest as prime suspect in the kidnapping of Lady Charlotte Anastasia de Belmont.”
‘Finally, time to use this.’
Sisilia tied a red ribbon solemnly.
Detective Sisilia deploys…!