Chapter 15
Chapter 15
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: A Secret Deal (4)
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"Understood...."
In the end, Toliso ended up bowing his head even to the maid.
The moment his shiny forehead got coated in mud.
Only then did I let the bastard go.
Unlike when I'd first seen him, the merchant couldn't lift his head.
But I knew.
There wouldn't be a shred of remorse on that lowered face.
It would be filled with rage.
That's the kind of scum Toliso had always been.
"...."
After the apology, he left for the back alley with his cart.
The whole way, he glared at the mercenaries he'd hired, his eyes burning with fury.
But they shook their heads, their gazes saying they had no choice.
Who would want to clash with an imperial public knight?
Do that, and you'd get hit with a nationwide wanted order, hunted down relentlessly.
In cases like this, it was better to deal with a princess's escort.
At least they'd only be chased by the forces of a single royal.
Ironically, right now, being a Water Guard knight was proving helpful.
Thanks to that, the back alley quieted down again, and I could finally confront the rogue in question and the princess.
"Thank you...."
The golden-haired Irina.
Disguised as she was, she expressed her gratitude, fidgeting with her fingers.
"No trouble at all."
I looked down at her curiously.
'Up close like this, she looks a bit like Princess Leah.'
Of course, her vibe was far more refined and pure.
"No, no—if it weren't for you, my family would have been in real trouble."
She thanked me in awkward formal speech, convinced her disguise was perfect.
It would have been trouble, sure.
Her family owned the damn empire, after all.
"No big deal. If something goes down in my jurisdiction, it's a headache for me too."
"I'm sorry for worrying you...."
She clamped her lips shut, looking utterly deflated.
The cold, expressionless demeanor she'd had just moments ago, when she'd been ready to punish Toliso, was long gone.
I grinned and patted her head.
The princess, disguised as a noble lady, went wide-eyed.
"Please be more thorough with background checks on private deals from now on—"
Soon, the princess fiddled with the spot on her head I'd stroked.
I looked down at her playfully.
When was the last time she'd had a chance like this, playing the part of a lowly lady?
It was just a little payback for nearly getting someone killed in my turf.
I left the malfunctioning lady be and turned away.
Then I eyed the maid, who was avoiding my gaze like she'd been caught red-handed.
"And you there, miss maid."
"Y-Yes...?"
She startled at my call, like her feet were numb.
I strode right up to her.
"Don't we know each other?"
"Well.... My memory's been shot lately...."
I whispered firmly into the ear of the maid, who was making excuses.
"Come with me for a sec? I've got a lot of questions."
Dasha swallowed hard.
She glanced at Irina, then followed me into a shadowy nook.
"W-What is it...?"
She tried to sound brave.
I cut straight through her voice.
"Who's your backer?"
"P-Pardon...?"
For the benefit of the girl who wasn't getting it, I pinned her against the wall.
Then slammed my palm down hard next to her face.
"What, you got comprehension issues like that merchant?"
Dasha broke into a cold sweat at my anger, even fiercer than it'd been with Toliso.
She knew I meant business and muttered in a serious tone.
"There really isn't one.... It was all my own call."
The maid placed a hand on her chest.
She toyed with her collar.
"Your own call?"
"Yes, actually...."
Dasha looked up at me with her violet eyes.
With a face too refined to pass for a spy, she said,
"I was just curious if you were fit to be Lady Irina's knight captain...."
'Knight captain...?'
Her unexpected answer made me furrow my brow.
Dasha rushed to explain, trying to convince me.
"A-As you can see... Her Highness is working hard to build her own independent knight order."
I knew that.
That's why she'd attempted this reckless deal.
"So I asked who she had in mind for captain, and she said you."
The maid glanced up at me, sizing up my looks.
"Honestly, you're... just a rookie knight from the guard corps."
"And?"
When I shot back firmly, the maid averted her eyes again.
She heaved for breath, her maid uniform buttons straining, and cried out.
"I couldn't believe it...!"
My lips twitched into a smirk at that.
"Couldn't believe it?"
"Yes... His Majesty the Emperor ordered me to serve Her Highness Irina for life. And then suddenly you're shoved into the knight order—and as captain, a total newbie!"
The maid grumbled, her face full of grievance.
"To report everything to His Majesty, I needed solid intel on you."
Fair enough.
If something happened to the royal she served, the maid or secretary bore the full blame.
"So I checked myself. Your skills...."
Dasha bowed her head.
She let out a deep, heavy sigh.
"I'm sorry.... I wanted to come clean when you caught me, but with the imperial command, it felt off to spill right away."
The spy disguised as a maid looked up.
With her wavering violet eyes, she poured out her sincerity.
"Haa...."
Only after hearing her honest confession did my expression soften.
Now my suspicions about Dasha were mostly cleared.
She was a substitute who'd stepped in after I turned down escorting the princess.
Plus, in her position, she had to report everything about Irina to the Emperor....
She'd been anxious about my sudden appearance too.
But....
"Still, last night was a bit much, don't you think?"
I cornered Dasha as she tried to slip away.
She avoided my eyes and apologized.
"Yes, I'm sorry...."
"I'll let yesterday and today slide, pretend it never happened."
"Really...?"
The maid's lips parted at my easy forgiveness.
I replied to the maid with a sinister smile.
"Yeah, you're Black Moon material. Debts like this, you'll pay back 'big' someday."
Dasha shivered down her spine for a moment.
"Understood.... How should I repay it?"
"You'll figure that out. Should I teach you how to pay up too?"
I grinned and let her go.
By then, the princess was getting suspicious of us huddled in the corner.
"What are you two doing over there?"
The golden-haired, blue-eyed lady in disguise.
She stared at us two with a chilly blank expression.
"Oh, nothing at all, milady!"
"Yes, just getting the rundown on what happened today."
Like Leah, she shot us an empress's glare.
We both turned to her with excuses in unison.
"Is that so? It sure took a while for 'that'...."
Irina approached leisurely, arms crossed by herself.
Then she beamed at me.
"Surely Sir Bale isn't interested in my maid?"
"No way!"
I put some serious distance between me and Dasha, whom I'd been grilling.
"I don't go for bodies that dull-looking at all—"
To dodge the princess's suspicion, I denied it on instinct.
Dasha hurriedly chimed in with her own denial.
"I can't stand scrawny gigolos like that either!"
Only after our vehement rejections did Irina dial back her killing intent.
She clasped her hands with a grin.
"Good, I'm glad you both know you wouldn't suit each other at all!"
The princess was failing spectacularly at hiding her identity with that disguise.
Soon embarrassed by her emotional outburst, she cleared her throat.
"Ahem, right. Sir Bale? Anyway, thank you truly for today."
Irina reverted to her dignified tone.
"We'll be on our way now. I've taken up too much of your time."
She dipped her head lightly to me in thanks.
"Yes, please take care on your way, milady."
After the exchange, Irina headed toward the bright market with her maid.
I kept my head bowed until she vanished from sight.
The footsteps of the princess and maid faded.
Only when their voices were completely gone could I finally lift my head.
"Haa...."
Was it because I'd been dragged into such a massive incident since morning?
Fatigue settled in automatically.
Still, my mind felt much lighter.
Irina was starting to stand on her own, and by her side was a reliable rogue....
No, a maid too.
Thanks to that, I could finally set aside my worries about her.
―――.
The disguised lady and maid parted ways with the knight.
The lady rounded the corner and slipped into a dim shadow.
Then the camouflage magic over her eyes unraveled.
In the darkness, her emerald eyes gleamed once more.
The lady turned those eyes on her maid.
"Dasha."
"Yes, Your Highness."
"You didn't let it slip to Bale, did you?"
Irina peered at her face in a hand mirror.
She closely examined her radiant golden hair and the sharper-than-usual edge to her eyes.
"Our intelligence unit's disguise magic is flawless."
"Ugh...."
The Second Imperial Princess gnawed her lip, mortified that Bale might have seen through her blunder.
Her plan—to welcome Bale with a splendid knight order and recruit him with a benevolent smile—had shattered completely.
"So annoying...."
The princess yanked off her wig and tossed it to Dasha.
"Everything that happened today is top secret, got it?"
"Of course. I'll keep it in mind."
The princess and maid quietly exited the back alley.
What had happened today kept nagging at Irina.
She scanned her surroundings the whole way out, but luckily, no suspicious people in sight.
But.
There were no suspicious 'people.'
Atop a building they passed stood a highly dubious messenger bird.
Its black eyes, having witnessed everything, swirled faintly with blue mana.
The messenger bird soon flapped its wings.
It soared through the sky, back to the imperial palace.