There's Something I'd Like to Ask For
"My Lady, there is something I find difficult to understand due to my own shortcomings, and I wish to inquire about it."
Alphonse had served the Merdelia Ducal House with unwavering conviction for nearly twenty years. That devotion had earned him the position of head butler, overseeing the entire estate. For the first time, he allowed a hint of dissatisfaction toward his master to surface.
"Understand?"
Her violet eyes swept over him, as if to say outright, Do I really need to make you understand?
The faint frost and chill in Viviana's voice made Alphonse flinch by instinct. Yet the years he had poured into the Merdelia Ducal House ran far too deep for him to yield over something so minor.
"Yes. You did say you were bringing the young lady of House Bland here to keep as a pet."
"Mm, that's right. I happened to get a massage from her yesterday—quite refreshing, actually. I didn't know she had that kind of talent."
"...I'll set aside the matter of confining a proper noblewoman to the estate. I know full well that once something catches Your Ladyship's interest, you make certain it ends up in your hands."
He also knew how quickly that interest cooled, so he had not fretted over it much. No matter how adorable the rumored Pet Young Lady might be, Viviana's fascination would burn out within three months at most.
What he truly could not accept was something else entirely.
"Why did you assign one of the Fangs as her escort?"
The Merdelia Ducal House had spread its renown as a family of overwhelming swordsmanship. When people spoke of the house's military might, every mouth named the Moonlight Knights in unison.
The Moonlight Knights, who thundered across the land with iron will and ferocious momentum. Their blades never broke; their horses never halted until every enemy lay annihilated.
In particular, the Moonlight Knights who rode at the head under the Merdelia Lady herself were said to be the strongest of all—a reputation they wore with pride.
That was the story the world told.
Yet within the Merdelia Ducal estate existed monsters the Moonlight Knights themselves could never hope to match.
Merdelia's Fang.
An elite unit of only eight.
Even the Imperial Family remained unaware of their existence. They operated solely in the deepest shadows, leaving not the faintest trace behind. Only three people in the world knew of them.
The current head of the Merdelia Ducal House, who stood on the front lines defending the Empire. His daughter—the Lady Viviana whom Alphonse now served. And finally, himself, who had devoted twenty years to the house.
Anyone who had ever properly faced a Fang even once would understand: the Moonlight Knights, so praised and admired by the masses, were nothing more than prey before those teeth.
Of course, they did not serve the Merdelia Ducal House out of mere loyalty. The sole reason such monstrous individuals could form a single group was this: an overwhelmingly powerful master, and a fortune so vast that none dared voice complaint.
The amount of estate wealth that vanished into the Fangs' pockets each year was enough to make anyone's eyes bulge. Even Alphonse, upon first seeing the figures, had briefly suspected the Duke of embezzlement. The pay for a single Fang exceeded ten times the average salary of a Moonlight Knight.
And now his master had attached one of those Fangs to the daughter of a barony already sliding toward ruin.
"Not an escort. Surveillance."
"...Pardon?"
Alphonse blinked blankly at Viviana's calm voice.
"If I leave her alone, there's no telling what she might do. I needed someone to keep watch, so I assigned one."
"But what could that young lady possibly do...? If you're truly concerned, a couple of ordinary soldiers would suffice. Why attach a Fang?"
He had heard the rumors of the Pet Young Lady well enough. A pure-hearted, harmless, utterly adorable young lady, they said. Her delicate frame stirred protective instincts, and one glance at her bright, smiling eyes made people reach out to stroke her hair without realizing it.
But that was all. That was the end of it, was it not?
What possible threat could warrant assigning one of the Merdelia Ducal House's greatest assets—and the most ruthless and merciless among them, no less?
"You don't need to know. In fact, it's better if you don't."
Viviana's sharp tone warned him not to press the matter any further.
Even so, for the sake of the pride he had cultivated through twenty years of service to the Merdelia Ducal House, Alphonse had to grasp the state of his master's well-being.
"...Then this insolent servant will ask just one more question."
"Speak."
Fortunately, Viviana granted him permission. Alphonse met her violet eyes for a long moment, then spoke in a grave voice.
"Are you certain that what Your Ladyship feels toward that young lady is nothing more than interest?"
Viviana let out a short snort of laughter. Resting her chin in her hand, she shrugged as she looked at him.
"What else would it be?"
"Welcome back, Master."
"…."
Faced with my bright voice and the smile blooming across my face, Viviana offered no reply. She stood in the doorway watching me for a while, then let out a short sigh and approached.
"You waited quietly again today. I thought you might show a little discontent."
With a smile that held a touch of mockery, Viviana untied the ropes binding my arms to the bed. I flexed my newly freed hands once, then immediately reached out and seized her by the collar.
I had meant it half as a playful scare, but Viviana only looked at me with quiet eyes, showing no real reaction. Having spent so much time on the battlefield, she probably found this sort of thing completely unremarkable.
"What do you think you're doing, Tina?"
At her calm voice, I gently loosened my grip.
"I was going to help you change, Master."
With a bashful smile, I carefully removed her outer coat. Beneath my light touch, the heavy garment slipped slowly onto the bed. Undoing a few of the upper buttons on her shirt, I whispered in a soft, coaxing tone.
"You've worked hard all day. If it wouldn't trouble you, Master, shall I give you a massage?"
"…."
The familiar silence. But I was quick enough to read her completely. She clearly wanted a massage yet could not bring herself to say the words aloud.
Yesterday she had been thoroughly satisfied with my massage. For someone as stingy with praise as Viviana to call it "quite decent" said everything.
She probably wanted one right this second, didn't she?
But that towering pride of hers would never let her ask. Thinking of it that way, even Viviana had her cute side.
No helping it. In moments like this, the adult—me—had to take the lead.
"You don't have to feel embarrassed, Master. Just lie down here and I'll take care of the massage. I'm sure you also—"
Flick!
"Hiek?!"
A sudden flick to the forehead sent a sharp sting ringing through my skull. At the unexpected pain I clutched my brow without thinking.
"Ow…."
Through the tears that had pricked up, I looked ahead to find Viviana's eyes—eyes I had expected to be flustered—gazing at me with a cold, settled stillness.
"You've been getting more and more insolent since yesterday."
"V-Viviana…?"
This was not the reaction I had anticipated. I had fully expected her to accept my offer reluctantly, receive the massage, and then—while she was still enjoying it—I would slip in a personal request….
"Didn't you say you wouldn't put on an act with me?"
What came back instead was Viviana's voice, chilled through. Her pointed remark struck the mark so cleanly that I fell silent for a long moment, unable to answer.
"Th-that's…."
She was right. I had promised not to put on airs in front of her. Yet here I was, pouring every ounce of effort into acting cute so I could earn a reward.
Still, I had my own grievances.
How am I supposed to act cute without putting on an act…
Putting on an act is a kind of magic for me.
It is the magic that lets someone like me—someone with not even a speck of real ability, someone whose nature is every bit as ugly and vicious as my lack of talent—produce a bright smile capable of drawing every eye in the room.
If even that mask is taken from me, what remains? Nothing but a wretched body better off dead.
To act cute while wearing that hideous, dreadful face… I would rather be told to show kindness to a demon.
"Tina."
Viviana had already drawn close, looking down at me with violet eyes that gleamed unnervingly. Unable to force a smile onto my face, I could not meet her gaze and lowered my head.
"I've seen more than enough people who smile while hiding filthy intentions. Are you going to give me that kind of smile too?"
"…."
"Answer me."
"I… I won't…."
"Really?"
Viviana lowered herself onto one knee so that our eyes were level. With her face so close, there was no longer any way to look away.
"I… I'll try…."
In the end I turned my eyes aside and answered timidly. My voice was drained of all life. Yet Viviana only smiled in satisfaction and stroked my hair.
"Good. Tell me what you want."
"…Huh?"
"That was a satisfactory answer. You pleased your master, so I'll grant you one request."
"R-really?"
"Mm. But nothing unreasonable."
I wouldn't dream of it. I had never expected to receive a reward so suddenly in the first place. And since there happened to be one thing I wanted to ask of Viviana, this worked out perfectly for me.
"Um… actually, there's one thing I'd like to ask for."
"Go on."
Viviana waited quietly for my answer. I suppressed the awkward upward twitch of my lips and spoke in a small voice.
"I'd like to write some letters…."
"Letters?"
My words must have caught her off guard; Viviana raised one eyebrow in mild surprise. From her perspective, she had probably expected me to ask for money or jewels—something material.
"Letters? Well, fine. To your mother, I assume?"
"Ah… no."
"Hm?"
Of course I wanted to write to Mother as well, but there were people I needed to contact first.
"Um… to Lady Shari-one… and Lady Versha… and also Lord Mardian…."
"…What?"
In an instant, Viviana's violet eyes turned ice-cold.