I'm Not the Hero. (3)
Not long after, the interior of the room I stayed in changed abruptly.
A luxurious bed and desk suddenly appeared.
The furnishings were overly extravagant for the size of the room.
The bedroom I was in was comfortable, so they simply swapped out the furniture.
If they had given me gems instead, I could have sold them later for money.
Was that greedy?
I had visited the training grounds several times after that, but I was forbidden from entering.
It was embarrassing to admit, but the reason was surprisingly absurd.
“No, the reason the military discipline is lax is because of me…”
It was ridiculous.
I was the one suffering the mental impact.
The mere presence of a young man in the training camp was causing their focus to waver.
Of course, the world.
I recalled my own military days back then.
If a young woman had been in a space where only men lived.
“…they’d at least have glances.”
But recently there were many female soldiers.
Even the captain was a woman.
Here, though, male knights and soldiers didn’t stand out at all.
Even outdated minds wouldn’t be completely gone.
They probably kept men and women separate.
Especially since high-status men needed escorts of their own gender.
If that was the case, I had no choice but to make time to meet Yu Inna.
What was her schedule like again?
“My lord, do you require anything?”
The butler placed a fruit basket on the table and asked me.
The new butler treated me with proper respect.
Of course, someone working in the palace had to be skilled in etiquette.
But since I couldn’t give him anything in return.
I picked a grape and put it in my mouth.
“No. And I’ll go somewhere for a short while.”
“M-my lord, please don’t.”
Her Highness the Crown Princess will arrive any moment…”
“She won’t.”
I have things to discuss with Yu Inna, the hero.
As fellow countrymen.
The butler’s face stiffened slightly.
After a moment of hesitation, he nodded and agreed.
“Um…!”
“Yes, my lord.”
“What happened to the butler I had before?”
“Ah. He was reassigned elsewhere.
Because he failed to properly welcome a guest of the imperial family.”
The butler’s expression darkened abruptly.
It seemed he was moved to a harsh post.
“……”
“Still. Thanks to that, I get to serve my lord, and I’m happy.”
It was a lie, but I didn’t care at all.
I wasn’t a noble or a royal.
I was just an insect.
“Um, what’s your name?”
“Ah. I-I’m Yuse Calento. Just call me Yuse.”
He had neatly arranged navy hair, a gentle face, and an ordinary build, but he seemed eager to please.
If he were a woman, he would have been wearing a maid uniform instead of a suit.
Having a family name, he was likely a lower noble.
Still, why was someone from a noble house being so kind to me?
Even if he had ulterior motives, thinking that far was too exhausting.
“Yeah. Yuse, take care of me from now on. Want some fruit?”
“I-I would be honored.”
I held out the bowl of fruit to Yuse.
The boy hesitated, but when I urged him, he quickly popped a piece into his mouth.
“Then I’m heading out now.”
“I-I’ll prepare everything. Just a moment.”
Yuse gave orders to the servants below.
They quickly brought in clothes for me to change into.
⁕⁕⁕
“Hey, Inna!”
“Whoa. I was just about to leave anyway. Oppa, I have so much to tell you.”
Yu Inna’s room and mine were quite far apart.
As if our hearts were connected, we luckily ran into each other in the hallway.
Since her room was much closer, we headed there.
The servants passing by in the hallway whispered as they saw us, but none of that mattered.
“How’s my room? Coming into a lady’s room, you’re quite something, oppa.
It looks like you dressed up just to meet me. You look even more handsome than last time. Don’t tell me you’re on a diet?”
“Dress up, my ass. I’ve been eating plenty. The imperial food is amazing. You should eat more than me.”
Her room was, how to put it, definitely spacious and comfortable.
A nice fragrance wafted in, so I sniffed lightly.
Just as a slight self-loathing crept in, a maid who had approached spoke to Yu Inna.
“Hero, this is troublesome. Bringing a young man into your quarters?! We don’t know what consequences there will be if others find out.”
“Are you threatening me? This is my choice. Don’t interfere with my every move. If you keep this up, I won’t defeat the Demon King!”
The maid’s face flushed slightly as she withdrew without even bowing.
Yu Inna only muttered something, not taking any particular action.
“Ah. Sorry, oppa. Don’t mind it. She’s just like that because there are no men around. She’s probably jealous. She’s not a bad person.”
“…You’re pretty tough.”
“You’re just realizing that?”
Yu Inna winked cutely with one eye.
The corners of her cute puppy-like eyes folded lovingly.
While I stared at her blankly, my gaze landed somewhere.
“You’re hurt here?”
“Hng.”
I stroked her wrist.
Seeing her flustered expression, I felt sorry for touching her so carelessly.
“Ah… I-I just got a little scratch. I can ask the Saintess to heal it later.”
The Saintess was generally the healer of the hero’s party.
She had a sacred and noble aura, and was thought of as kind.
“The Saintess?”
“Yeah. But she’s kind of rude.”
Yu Inna lowered her voice as if sharing a secret and whispered in my ear.
I couldn’t help but laugh at her honest evaluation of the Saintess.
“No. Hehe. Oppa, why are you laughing?”
“Puhaha. You’re laughing too.”
Yu Inna made strange choking sounds as she tried to hold back her laughter.
I rested my chin on my hand and gazed at her quietly.
“Training, is it going okay?”
“It’s not that hard. My trait is hero, after all. This is a secret, but I’m probably stronger than most knights in the palace now.”
“Really?”
I widened my eyes in surprise and clapped.
The way her lips twitched was a little cute.
At the same time, I thought it was amazing.
A Korean girl who had been an ordinary modern person had quickly become the empire’s strongest.
Of course, I didn’t deny that she had put in persistent effort.
But without a trait, I only felt like I truly had no ability.
“I’m glad you’re doing well. Then I’ll head out first.”
“Eh. Already? Stay a little longer. We’re just getting started?”
I stood up from the chair.
The fragrant candle reached my nose.
Leaving behind her reluctant voice, I left Yu Inna’s room.
⁕⁕⁕
I walked quickly down the hallway and looked out the window.
I realized quite a bit of time had passed.
“Ugh. Yuse must be waiting a lot.”
I had stopped him from following, but now I regretted it a little.
After all, rather than having him follow and serve me, it would be better to let him rest.
Honestly, I didn’t even know the way well.
How long had I walked?
Just as I finally left the palace where Yu Inna stayed, I encountered an unexpected person.
“…I greet the empire’s little moon.”
Karsen Arita, the prince of the Aritina Empire.
His brilliant golden hair and wall-like eyes, the same as Elina’s, stood out.
His wall-like eyes looked down at me with a sharp gaze.
I bowed my head, but he said nothing in particular.
Only when a person of high status accepted the greeting could I finish mine.
With my knees slightly bent, my legs trembled.
The act of not accepting the greeting felt deliberate.
“What is that? A servant?”
“Your Highness, he appears to be someone from another world who was caught up in the previous summoning ritual.”
At the servant’s words, Prince Karsen’s eyes narrowed like threads.
Though his face was that of a handsome man, his tone carried considerable spite and rudeness.
When I slightly raised my eyes, the gaze that met mine was as if looking at an insect.
Who the hell was he to look at me like that? Ah. A royal.
“Ah. That guy?”
“Your Highness, even so, as a guest of the imperial family, it would be better to accept his greeting…”
“Ah. Fine, fine. Stand up.”
Convinced by his servant’s words, Karsen flicked his finger annoyingly.
I nodded slightly and straightened my posture.
Just as I was about to hurry away.
“By the way, where are you wandering alone at this late hour? And a man at that. Even if you’re a foreigner, aren’t you ashamed?”
Look who’s talking, a man himself. In this strange world, a rude boy was spouting unfunny words.
I lowered my head and took one step.
Then, as if issuing a command, Karsen raised his voice loudly.
“I asked you a question. Where are you going?”
“…I’m trying to return to my quarters.”
At my words, he tilted his head and added more.
His voice carried some kind of rebuke and interrogation.
“Don’t tell me you went to see the hero, Yu Inna. You don’t think someone like you, who is nothing, is worthy of associating with someone who will become a hero, do you? Know your place.”
I didn’t know what misunderstanding he had, but I felt no need to keep engaging with him.
I nodded roughly and replied.
“Understood, Your Highness. Then I’ll take my leave.”
“Wait. Right there!!”
What now. Why is he like this. I just want to go back to my room and lie down.
“What kind of attitude is that? Fix your expression!”
I really wanted to say those words back to him.
When I looked at him quietly, the angry prince’s voice rang out.
“If it weren’t for my sister, I would have already killed you. A worthless piece of trash wandering the imperial palace alone as if it were his own home.”
It wasn’t to that extent. I had mostly stayed in my room and only went to see Yu Inna occasionally.
“Your Highness, even so, he is a guest from the same world as the hero. Your words are too excessive.”
At Karsen’s words, his servant spoke as if to admonish him.
Then he added defensively.
“Hmph. He’s an unwanted guest anyway. Same with the hero… and my sister. And you, a foreigner with no trait at that.”
Wow. Sorry for having no trait. Really sorry for being a foreigner.
I couldn’t speak to the empire’s prince like that.
In the end, I offered him words of apology.
I would have to act suitably servile.
“Your Highness, I apologize if I offended you. I’ll be careful not to cause any more disturbance.”
“If you’re really sorry, why don’t you kneel? Then I’ll believe you.”
“……”
Holding back a sigh inside, I tightly closed my eyes.
Not wanting to make things bigger, I slowly knelt on one knee.
Karsen’s brow twitched.
He looked down at me with a very satisfied expression.
If he liked it that much, then so be it.
Thud, thud.
“What are you doing right now?”
A familiar woman’s voice.
At Elina’s voice, my heart pounded in surprise.
“Sister!!”
Karsen greeted Elina with a bright expression.
I hesitated and clenched my fists tightly.
For some reason, I didn’t want her to see me like this.
“Why is this person kneeling before you?”
I wasn’t sure if it was my imagination, but Elina’s voice seemed to carry anger.
Without realizing it, Karsen answered proudly.
“He committed a mistake, so I was scolding him. You don’t need to worry, sister. Hey, you, if you’ve reflected enough, go back now.”
“…Thank you.”
I quickly stood up and headed toward my quarters.
Fearing he might grab me again, I quickened my pace even more.