Chapter 319
Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Fox and Cat
There were currently seven women in the empire who held the highest status.
The emperor was at the top of that list, of course, but the other six were quite famous in their own right.
That said, when a man had multiple wives, people inevitably started ranking them in secret.
It was a favorite pastime among the high-society ladies.
"Oh my, Lady Miya. Aren't you eating just a bit too much meat?"
"The seafood here is delicious too, you know."
Miya, my wife with her black bob haircut and elegant dress.
Unlike her usual self, she had dressed up for the banquet.
Her characteristically healthy, beautiful figure was wrapped in white velvet.
"Ah, I was just eating... Thank you for your concern."
"Right? I figured knights like you must have it tough, so you'd only go for meat."
The four women seated on either side of her.
Among them, the two closest to Miya were especially fond of this ranking game.
Lauren, wife of the Northern Duke.
Titania, wife of the Western Duke.
"Knight life isn't as bad as you might think. No need to worry."
Miya answered the two middle-aged women matter-of-factly.
She let out a deep internal sigh, enduring the party she'd been dragged to against her will.
There was a specific reason she'd been forced to attend this gathering.
「Lady Miya. It's good to be diligent in your knightly duties, but you should show your face in high society from time to time.」
Advice from Leah, who had become emperor.
Outwardly, she seemed indifferent to others, but she cared quite a bit about Miya.
「You're no longer just a simple knight, after all.」
Miya agreed with the emperor's words.
No matter how renowned she became as a knight, if she wanted to navigate high society later, she'd need to build rapport with them.
And so, she'd reluctantly shown up at this uncomfortable event.
"But every time I see you wandering the palace, it seems like you're never with His Highness Veil."
"Yeah, you're always with the other wives, it feels like."
As expected, high society's fake concern laced with backhanded jabs was brutally cutting.
They smiled sweetly at Miya on the surface, but underneath, it was like they were asking, 'Aren't you the lowest-ranked among his wives?'
Even if it wasn't true, it was deeply unpleasant.
"Well, I'm working during the day. We're always together at night."
Miya forced a calm expression as she replied to them.
However, the mole under her eye trembled faintly.
"Is that so? Well, that's a relief then."
"Lately, I've seen His Highness Veil showering Lady Lydia with affection in the gardens."
The middle-aged women's words drew agreement from the other ladies.
"Yeah, having her lie on his thigh like that—it was quite the sight."
"Lady Lydia's no slouch either. I thought she'd be awkward with that air of authority she always has."
Miya closed her eyes at their conversation.
At first, it hadn't bothered her, but now she was starting to feel uneasy.
'Come to think of it, today was supposed to be my day with him...'
She'd actually planned a date with Veil, but he'd had unavoidable business and left, so she'd ended up at the party.
The dress she wore now was meant for that date.
"Oh dear, have we been talking about other things right in front of Lady Miya?"
"Sorry, I have such a big mouth."
Miya forced a beautiful smile.
She took a sip of champagne, letting the buzz dull her gloomy mood.
"It's fine. It's not bad for the other wives to be close."
"As expected of the Vice Commander—such a big heart."
Time passed like that until the sunset painted the horizon.
Miya had spent the whole day unwantedly drinking with these middle-aged women.
Her nose was slightly flushed as she tuned them out.
Then, like a proper knight, she fell silent on her own, regaining control.
But.
"Speaking of which, Lady Titania, isn't that a new bag today?"
"My husband got it for me for my birthday."
The Western Duke's wife replied in her chic tone.
"Oh my, isn't this from the Kingdom of Bacal? He put some thought into it."
"He probably picked it out himself? Nah, he just had his subordinates grab something trendy."
Lauren, the Northern Duke's wife, waved it off like it was nothing.
"Pfft, my husband doesn't even remember my birthday."
"Well, we've been married over twenty years, so that's normal."
Titania glanced at Miya as she spoke.
With a sly, persistent glint in her eyes.
"It's only during the sweet newlywed phase that someone like Lady Miya gets spoiled."
"True, our husbands showered us with gifts in the early days too."
The two middle-aged women were probing Miya.
If she were truly loved, surely she'd have received some special gift, right?
"Ah, we haven't exchanged gifts yet."
The women showed tepid reactions to Miya's bland response.
"Well, His Highness Veil doesn't seem the thoughtful type."
"Right? He's too busy rotating through the other wives every day."
Miya clasped her hands neatly on her lap.
Otherwise, her clenched fists might give away their trembling.
"I'll step out for a moment..."
But she couldn't exactly argue back.
It was true—they hadn't exchanged gifts since getting married.
She didn't particularly crave gifts from him.
She was just anxious that maybe she really was low on the priority list among his wives.
"Oh, off to the restroom?"
"You're not familiar with the palace, shall we send a servant with you?"
Miya ignored their words.
She just wanted to leave this place as quickly as possible, one step at a time.
Otherwise...
She might snap at them in a burst of anger.
But that would cause trouble for Veil, so she absolutely didn't want to.
――――――.
High heels were as awkward as ever, then or now.
She stumbled out of the banquet hall in her clumsy steps when—
"......!"
Miya had no choice but to stop.
A man had appeared in the corridor she was heading toward.
"Senior Miya."
The sunset cast shadows over the corridor.
From that dim darkness, I approached her.
"Veil, didn't you say you were busy today?"
Miya's eyes widened like a cat's when she saw me.
A mix of joy and surprise in her gaze.
"Sorry, illegal sorcerers showed up in the capital, so I had to coordinate for a bit."
Senior stared blankly at me, black blood smeared on my forehead.
Her sparkling black eyes peered from beneath my disheveled hair.
"Oh my god... What happened to your face? Are you hurt?"
Miya hurried toward me in her unsteady steps.
I quickly waved it off, saying I was fine.
"It's okay. This isn't my blood—it's the sorcerers'."
I stepped back, worried she'd get the dirty blood on her.
Hiding something in one hand.
"But are you okay, Senior?"
At my question, Miya halted abruptly.
She stared at me intently before asking back.
"Why wouldn't I be...?"
I pointed at Senior's face.
More precisely, the hot tears pooling at the corners of her eyes.
"Your eyes are shaking."
Miya followed my finger, slowly touching her cheek.
She caressed the burning tears.
"Ah... This is..."
I brushed past Miya, who stood speechless for a moment.
Then I looked at the middle-aged women chattering noisily at the table.
"Y-Your Highness Veil...?"
"Oh my, what brings you all the way here?!"
The dukes' wives jumped up in alarm at the sight of me with blood on my forehead.
But their fear wasn't just from the blood.
"Excuse me, but may I ask what happened here today?"
My chilling gaze pierced right through them.
"My wife doesn't look too happy, you see."
The women couldn't answer my question.
They just exchanged glances, at a loss.
"W-We didn't do anything..."
"Yeah, that's right. Isn't it, everyone?"
The other women, who had been chatting along with them, now clamped their mouths shut.
As if they knew nothing.
"Ladies, say something to His Highness. Surely...!!"
"Surely what."
I quietly set down the hidden item under a chair.
Then I fixed a menacing glare on the two middle-aged women who dared make Senior cry.
"It seems the dukes have been taking me far too lightly lately?"
My loaded words made them scramble out of their chairs.
"What do you mean?"
"We respect Your Highness Veil so much...!!"
The women instinctively shrank back, as if they'd touched something they shouldn't have.
My eyes, which had been lazily dozing until now, reflected the souls of thousands I'd slain.
"Otherwise, how could you badmouth my wife right in front of her? Right?"
Like dogs fearing the ragman, the pitiful women understood.
"How about we round up all the dukes for some defense drills while we're at it?"
The authority of the empire's guardian and Grand Master.
If I deemed it necessary, I could summon every lord in the empire for training.
No exceptions, even for the middle-aged dukes—by force if needed.
"We're sorry, Your Highness...!!"
"We'll never displease Lady Miya again!!"
Now they called Miya 'Lady.'
But I wasn't satisfied in the least.
Miya's strong eyes had welled with tears.
"Why apologize to me? Do it to my wife directly."
I turned my head slightly, clearing a path to Miya.
The women, who had always held their heads high even before me, now scurried about.
Stumbling as their legs gave out.
"We're sorry, Lady Miya. We spoke out of turn...!!"
"We'll never make you uncomfortable again!!"
The superior-inferior dynamic flipped in an instant.
But Miya showed no reaction to their apologies.
Instead...
Her gaze was fixed on me.
The absentminded look she'd had while pondering how I napped all day was gone.
Her eyes sharpened like in the old days.
She watched those eyes that terrified others with a chest-full-of-emotion expression.
"Veil, I'm fine... I was just happy."
Miya smiled brightly at me.
The tears at her eyes finally spilled, trailing down her cheeks.
"I missed you so much today..."
The Imperial Vice Commander shed tears.
Like a pitiful maiden.
At that, I hurriedly picked up the item from under the chair.
A bouquet I'd prepared to give her today.
"Sorry, I'm so late."
I rushed to her side.
With the boyish expression from my defense knight days, not as Grand Marshal.
"I stopped to buy this on the way back."
I carefully placed it in her empty arms.
She looked up at me blankly, hands full.
"Wh-What is this...?"
I'd given her various gifts right after marriage, but this was the first in a while.
"It's not even my birthday today..."
Miya gazed up at me with a cute face like a cat in boots.
I gently wiped the tears from her eyes and said.
"It's that day today."
Even if she'd forgotten, I could never.
Today was the day I first met Senior Miya.
"The day I was commissioned and first met you in the office."
Only then did it all come back to her—her red lips parted.
Revealing her sharp cat-like fangs.
"Ahh..."
"Do you remember what you said to me that first day?"
Miya shook her head, saying she didn't.
I chuckled and turned to the middle-aged women.
Then I bellowed at them in a loud voice.
「Ha, fuck!!」
My shout made the noblewomen flinch in shock.
They bowed their heads deeply, hiding their faces.
Senior's reaction was the opposite.
The sadness from moments ago vanished; her face flushed hot.
"What the heck...!! When did I ever say that!!"
Miya turned into a flustered cat from our defense knight days.
Her under-eye mole shook as she wriggled about.
A faint rose scent wafted from the bouquet she held.
"Now that's more like you, Senior."
I chuckled, shaking my head slyly like a fox.
Then we strolled out of the banquet hall together down the palace corridor.
Leaving the stunned high-society women behind.
"......"
Miya stared down at the bouquet I'd given her the whole way out of the corridor.
Like a cat seeing roses for the first time, full of wonder.
"You like it that much?"
"Wh-What... I just never got a bouquet before, so it's novel."
I smirked and poked her cheek with my index finger.
The soft skin yielded like dough.
"Still, you were a little cool for once after so long."
Miya smirked like back when we gossiped about Looper together.
Then she gently rested her face on my damp shoulder.
"I'm filthy. Sweating buckets."
"Yeah...?"
Miya closed her eyes softly.
She rolled her face, burying her nose in my chest.
Like a female cat addicted to a scent.
"I actually like it. You were cool like the old Veil for once."
Miya reached out and hugged me lightly.
She looked up at me with her signature sultry gaze.
"I just came from fighting—shouldn't I wash up first..."
Miya blocked my lips with her index finger.
She pressed her voluptuous curves against my chest and said.
"Now we're both wet."
Miya flashed a sly eye-smile.
As we stepped into the shadows together, she added.
"So it doesn't matter, right?"
The bouquet slipped from her hand, landing softly on the floor.
Miya half-closed her beautiful eyes and whispered.
"You left me lonely, so stay with me all night."