Chapter 186
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 186
Chapter Title: There's No Way Our Princess Would Be Like This?
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[Team leader, isn't that the guy?]
'Huh? Who?'
[You know, the thief who got lariated by you a few days ago.]
"......Ah, that broom-riding thief bastard?"
Only then did Rimon recognize the man and nod.
He hadn't bothered committing such a pathetic thug to memory at all, but if it was that thief from before, it made sense why he'd make that pissed-off face upon seeing him.
Realizing from that reaction that Rimon hadn't been pretending not to know him but genuinely hadn't recognized him, the man flew into a rage.
"You son of a bitch! Do you have any idea what I went through because of you!!!"
The man swung the broom he happened to be holding and charged at Rimon.
Or rather, he tried to.
"What do you think you're doing right now?"
"Hek!?"
......If not for the low voice that suddenly came from behind him at that moment.
A knight in ornate armor had appeared behind the frozen man holding the broom, as if rising from the ground.
Lucas regarded the man with cold eyes.
"What's your name?"
"I-I'm Max Powell, milord."
"Max Powell...... I see. So you're the servant who just started his sentence recently."
He nodded once.
Lucas slightly raised his gaze and continued.
"But what were you planning to do with that broom just now?"
"P-Pardon? Ah! W-Well, this is......"
Max hurriedly hid the broom behind his back only then.
But it wasn't something that could be hidden like that, and above all, his face drenched in cold sweat betrayed more truth than words ever could.
"It seems you need some additional discipline. I'll give separate instructions, so head to the reformatory right away."
"Y-Yes, sir!"
Max bowed deeply at the waist and scurried away like he was fleeing.
Watching him go, Lucas shook his head, then belatedly placed one hand over his chest and bowed politely to Rimon and Julia.
"I apologize on behalf of the servant. Our family's education was lacking, causing trouble for our guests."
"Ah, I'm fine."
Julia readily accepted the apology.
Rimon, on the other hand, narrowed his eyes.
After closely examining Lucas's armor—which was even more ornate than the other knights'—and its crest, he spoke up bluntly.
"......I don't really care either way, but in exchange, I have a few things I'd like to confirm."
"What might those be?"
"That bastard you just dealt with—he's a prisoner caught red-handed stealing, right? So why's he working as a servant here?"
"He is indeed a prisoner. He's simply serving out his sentence by doing menial tasks for the earl's family."
"Ah, that famous reformation system the Serpent Earl Family boasts about?"
"Yes. He was lacking in discipline and made a fool of himself, but once he learns properly, he'll become a fine upstanding citizen and return to society."
"That's impressive. Very befitting of the merciful Serpent Earl Family."
Rimon nodded in admiration once at Lucas, who calmly stated that one should hate the sin but not the sinner.
Then he tilted his head crookedly.
"But, knight sir. Impressive is impressive, but doesn't that ultimately mean this earl's family is crawling with ex-con servant boys and girls?"
Catching the subtle implication in those words, Lucas answered steadily.
"It's true that a good number have served sentences in the past, but most have completed their reformation and become new people."
"Even if you say so, knight sir, it's hard not to worry when I nearly got assaulted by one of those half-reformed prisoners."
"If safety is a concern, I can assign a dedicated escort."
"Nah, I hate having escorts trailing me."
Rimon shrugged.
And he muttered loudly to himself.
"This is tricky. I'm such a scaredy-cat that if things stay like this, I won't just skip practice out of fear—I might ditch the whole performance and run away."
[......Who're you calling a scaredy-cat?]
"Hold on, Ri......?"
Yuna Kyung nearly slipped off his shoulder at the absurd remark, while Julia looked flustered and about to step forward.
Rimon gave them both a subtle wink to stop them.
He'd spent the past few days investigating the earl's family, so there was no way he didn't know about the servants' backgrounds. Naturally, he hadn't given it the slightest thought.
Yet he was making such an obvious fuss now for a reason.
Anyone could tell Lucas was a high-ranking knight.
And for someone from a prestigious Blue Dragon Clan family like him, there was a standard response in situations like this.
"Then what kind of assistance can I provide to put your mind at ease?"
Seeing Lucas step forward exactly as expected, Rimon grinned.
"Ah, nothing major. Just a tiny little request......"
'I've wasted too much time.'
Lucas clicked his tongue lightly.
He'd only meant to stop by briefly to check if the gazebo was built properly.
But fulfilling Rimon's odd request had made him later than planned.
He didn't regret it particularly.
The servant's poor discipline was entirely their earl family's responsibility. If a simple request could resolve the matter, it was actually fortunate.
Still, the delay was a fact.
So as soon as he met Rose, Lucas bowed his head in apology.
"My apologies, Princess. A minor issue arose that I had to resolve, delaying my report."
"......Why now, of all times."
"Pardon?"
"Ah, no. It's nothing."
"......?"
Lucas was puzzled.
Rose usually never lost her composure or calm, as befitting the Blue Dragon Clan's princess, no matter the situation.
But today, she oddly lacked any trace of leisure.
If anything, she even seemed restless.
As if she were a girl facing an unwanted guest right before her long-awaited concert was about to start.
'Ridiculous thought.'
Shaking his head to dispel the nonsense, Lucas cleared his throat and spoke.
"How is your health?"
"Much better."
"......Really?"
"Yes, of course."
Even hearing Rose's crisp reply, Lucas couldn't erase his worried expression.
Her complexion looked utterly haggard no matter how he saw it, and there were even faint dark circles under her eyes.
Just the day before yesterday, she'd been more than fine—brimming with vitality beyond her usual.
To end up like this in a single day.
It was most likely the accumulated aftermath of not sleeping a wink during that long stretch of nonstop work catching up all at once.
"Princess. As I mentioned before, no matter how busy you are, you must at least get proper sleep......?"
Lucas blinked suddenly.
Mid-conversation, he'd glimpsed something poking out from behind Rose's back.
"......A pillow?"
"......!"
Why was there a pillow—a neck pillow, no less—in Rose's office?
Hearing Lucas's inadvertent mutter, Rose flinched and straightened her back rigidly to completely hide the pillow behind her.
Then, with a cough, she said,
"I've rested plenty already. Especially today, I plan to get a deep sleep, so no need to worry about me."
"Is that so......?"
Lucas nodded dubiously.
Normally, he'd think she was just saying that and would overwork herself anyway.
But with that pillow, plus chamomile tea good for sleep, softly burning scented candles, and so on.
The office looked less like a place for work and more like one fully prepared for an afternoon nap, lending it an odd persuasiveness.
Of course, their diligent princess would never nap during work hours.
"Then I'll give my report. Through connections to the royal family, I've heard that Count Carl's movements are......"
"I see. We'll need to be more vigilant."
"As for the witch from Magic Tome 27, we're continuing the pursuit, but it seems......"
"Understood. Keep up the search."
"And preparations for the event are......"
"Proceed as planned."
"......"
Lucas suddenly wore a strange expression.
She was listening to the report with a serious face and issuing steady instructions.
Yet oddly, it felt like Rose wasn't concentrating on work—like she was anxious about something.
Especially from how she kept glancing subtly toward the window.
'Normally she'd have started by now, so why today......? No, that's a good thing. Still......'
"Princess, may I continue the report?"
"Of course."
Despite her mind clearly elsewhere, Rose's unwavering reply made Lucas press on with the report.
They'd gone through the major items and were on minor matters.
"Next, regarding the gazebo you instructed yesterday."
"How was it?"
"I checked in the garden, and it fits the surroundings nicely. There was just a small issue there."
"......A small issue?"
"Yes. An undisciplined servant attempted violence against one of this time's invited performers......"
"The performer was injured?!"
BAM!!!!!
At that moment.
Lucas froze.
It wasn't just because of the desk splintered like matchsticks or the massive psionic burst exploding outward.
It was Rose's action slamming the desk and rising abruptly, her face filled with anxiety and agitation.
"Answer me, Sir Lucas! What happened to the performer? Are they badly hurt? What did the doctor say? If they need a healer, right now......!"
"P-Please calm down, Princess. The performer is unharmed."
"Didn't you say a servant used violence against the performer!"
"I intervened before it happened."
"......So the performer is fine?"
"Not a scratch on them. Rest assured."
Lucas answered as calmly as he could, sweat beading on his brow.
Thanks to that, Rose seemed to finally settle her agitation, sighing in relief.
But only for a moment.
This time, her face turned icy cold.
"What happened to that servant?"
"He's receiving additional discipline in the reformatory now."
"He committed the grave crime of harming a guest of the family, and that's all? Just discipline?"
"It ended as an attempt, after all. No need for aggravated punishment, so we handled it by procedure."
Rose's pupils trembled.
As if holding something back, or conflicted.
She closed her eyes tightly, then finally nodded and spoke softly.
"Very well, then."
"......Are you sure?"
"Yes. It's outrageous he tried to harm a family guest, but adding further punishment to one who's already received due penalty wouldn't be right."
'That's not what I meant by asking, Princess.'
Lucas thought to himself.
Even he, who had served her for over a decade, had never seen her like this.
Not her initial subtle restlessness, nor the overt chill she exuded, nor even her still-clenched fist.
But he didn't point it out.
He merely watched the outwardly composed Rose with uneasy eyes.
"Then the performers' practice must be delayed because of that commotion."
"Ah, they've likely started by now."
"What do you mean?"
No sounds were coming from outside the window yet, so how had practice already begun?
To her puzzled look, Lucas explained steadily.
"They requested to move to the main building for safety, so I permitted using the reception room for practice while at it."
"......Isn't the main building's reception room extremely well soundproofed?"
"Yes. It's quiet enough that we use it even for salons, so no need to worry about noise in the main building."
"......"
And shortly after.
Lucas couldn't help thinking to himself as Rose stared at him with what seemed like reproach.
I have no idea what's going on with our perfect princess.