The Pure White Knight (5)
Until just a minute ago, the Black Lady had been in a rather decent mood.
What pleased her most was the transformed cityscape. The buildings painted in every color and the freshly cleaned streets suited her tastes far more than she had expected. The citizens' attitudes, warmer and more open than before, struck her as a clear improvement as well.
As a result, most of the places Claus led her to were equally agreeable. A pretty park. A shoreline thick with birds. The city square overflowing with the melodies of street musicians.
Even the playful smile of the young man who struck up conversation whenever boredom threatened.
Perhaps some longing for the ordinary still lingered in a heart tempered by blood and slaughter. The thought never rose fully into focus, yet it must have been drifting faintly through her mind. As if to prove it, the distance between the girl and Claus was unmistakably closing.
That is, until she suddenly spotted some random girl waving from the meeting place.
"Claus!"
"..."
Skin paler than a crescent moon, eyes soft and inviting. Not a woman she knew. The face appeared on neither her list of people to watch nor her list of potential threats.
So who, exactly, was this? From the moment their eyes met, that was the only question that mattered. Yet a single, sharp irritation crushed every rational consideration beneath it.
Lia found the sensation of having to share this time with anyone else utterly repulsive.
"..."
"..."
Ru felt much the same. After all, he had broken their agreement to meet alone by bringing another woman. But curiosity outpaced her displeasure.
A close subordinate of the Black Lady—and an assassin intimate enough with that man to walk at his side. Ru ran through the candidates who might fit. Perhaps the Black Lady herself, or another of her highest lieutenants.
Of course, the girl could just as easily be an ordinary civilian with no connection to the organization at all—someone bound to the man by a private history. For instance...
...
His little sister, held hostage by the Black Lady to force his cooperation.
She didn't seriously believe it, yet the hypothesis was entertaining. The man hardly had the temperament of an assassin. There had to be a reason he worked with the Black Lady at all.
Imagination strengthened the theory and shortened the path to certainty. Whatever conclusion she reached, learning the girl's identity remained the priority.
"Hello, Claus. I see you brought company."
"Ah—yeah."
"I thought you'd be coming alone."
Ru offered the usual pleasantries to open the conversation, certain that kingdom etiquette would compel him to apologize and introduce his companion.
But before he could open his mouth, Lia tugged on the arm she held and whispered.
"I was under the impression this outing was just the two of us."
"Uh... yeah."
"So what happened, Claus?"
Calm tone, anything but calm content. Lia considered it a clear hint—the sort every assassin understood. He was supposed to apologize to her and brush the other girl off.
Claus, however, was a country bumpkin ignorant of court etiquette and a complete civilian who knew nothing of assassin signals. The only wisdom he could fall back on was the advice his master had drilled into him.
That old man with a famously colorful history with women had hammered one conviction into his skull until his ears rang.
Listen up, you idiot. When it comes to women—
...
No matter the situation, more is always better.
"Hmm. How about we sit down and talk first?"
Even I don't take Master's advice completely at face value. Still, the situation had turned too awkward to walk past, so I figured I'd ask politely and leave if the reaction was bad.
Unexpectedly, both of them nodded without protest and took their seats. Ru even took the initiative and asked for an introduction.
"So, Claus—who's the young lady with you? Would you mind introducing us?"
"Oh, right. Lia, this is Louise. You know—the representative of the city's immigrants. That's her."
"..."
"And Ru, this is—"
"Lia."
Before I could finish, Lia supplied her own name. Then she fixed the other woman with her trademark dead-eyed stare.
"I'm Lia."
"Ah, yes. I just expected Claus would introduce you."
"Sorry. I'm a bit shy around strangers, so I got nervous."
People don't usually say that about themselves, but Lia tossed it out the way socially inept kids always do and latched onto my arm again. Explaining fell entirely to me.
"Please understand. She's not great with people."
"It's fine. It's cute, actually. She must really like you, Claus."
"Something like that. Anyway, Ru—what brings you here...?"
"..."
The moment I tried to steer the conversation, Lia yanked my arm again and asked in a voice completely devoid of inflection.
"You said her name was Louise."
"Yeah. I did."
"Then why call her Ru?"
"Uh... that's..."
I hadn't expected the question and trailed off. A faint, unreadable smile touched Lia's lips.
"Why so tense? I was just curious."
"For 'just curious,' you look pretty unhappy."
"Unhappy? You know I'm always like this. So why that name? A nickname? Or is it something else?"
"Well, I mean..."
Somehow I was the one scrambling for an explanation, and my mouth went dry. Just as the air grew thick, Ru smoothly stepped in.
"I asked him to call me that. Everyone around me uses Ru—it's more comfortable. Please do the same if you don't mind, Miss Lia."
"Then please call me Miss Lia, not just Lia."
"Ah... I may have been a little rude there. You look so young—"
"Thank you for understanding, Miss Louise."
Anyone listening could hear the wariness dripping from every word. Even so, Ru never stopped probing.
"So, Miss Lia—what exactly is your relationship with Claus? How should I put it... it doesn't seem like an ordinary one."
"That's right."
"Have you known each other a long time? Or is it more like... hmm..."
"You certainly have a lot of questions."
"Well, Claus is the most famous man in this city. Naturally I'm curious about the person accompanying him."
Ru's gaze flicked toward me for a brief instant. In that split second I caught a glint of caution.
Was she wondering if Lia was connected to those bandit types? Not entirely wrong, but I didn't want to damage Lia's reputation, so I painted the picture as kindly as I could.
"Ah, Lia has nothing to do with any of that. She stays home so much she barely knows what's happening in the city."
"Stays... home so much..."
"Today's a rare outing for her. You could almost call it house arrest until now."
"House... arrest..."
"Something like that. If I hadn't dragged her out, she probably never would have left."
"...I see."
It was just idle chatter, yet Ru nodded as though she'd just received critical intelligence. The way she responded so earnestly to every little thing made her seem like someone who lived life at full throttle.
Lia, meanwhile, continued staring at her with a face of stone. I figured she was thoroughly sulking over having their private outing interrupted, so I quietly prepared to leave the café.
"Ru, we'll be heading out. We've got things to do..."
"Leaving already? We don't have anything particular planned, Claus."
"Huh? Oh... right?"
"It's been ages since I was outside. I don't feel like rushing."
Lia's fingers tugged my forearm once more. Even with that expression, maybe she really was enjoying the rare chance to be out.
And since we were already in a café, it seemed only proper to order at least one slice of cake. I raised my hand at once.
"All right. Let's grab something then. Excuse me—one carrot cake, please..."
"Wait. Can I choose?"
"Hm?"
"I want to look around slowly and see what they have. Stay here and rest. I'll take a quick look inside the shop while I'm at it."
For the first time, Lia let go of me and strode confidently toward the interior. Even though she'd said she wanted to browse, a little worry tugged at me and I half-rose from my seat.
That was when Ru brushed my fingertips. With her characteristic pale complexion and a fragile smile, she spoke.
"I'll take a look inside as well. While I'm there I can help Miss Lia choose. That should be fine, right?"
Spy.
Uninvited guest. Demon. Assassin from a rival group.
Or a knight of the Order.
Possibilities whirled through Lia's mind. The candidates were many, yet they all pointed to the same conclusion: that woman was definitely hiding something.
She didn't even need to awaken her long-honed assassin's instincts. The fact that the woman kept digging for her identity was suspicion enough. So who was behind her? The Knights of the Round Table, most likely.
That seemed the highest probability. Clumsy as tin cans, and her acting was equally amateurish. Just as we planted spies inside the Order, they had probably thrown this girl in as a disposable piece.
Had Claus noticed? Of course he had. He wasn't quite her equal, but he was clever enough...
...
"...Annoying."
Lia muttered without meaning to, then immediately shut her mouth. Heat had been rising in her head for a while now, making rational thought difficult.
That sensation she had been chewing over—the necessity of sharing this time with someone else.
It was far more unpleasant than she had anticipated. Because she had always been the one who took. The concept of having her time stolen by another person felt so alien it grated on her nerves.
Even knowing she should identify the woman first, she simply wanted her gone from her sight. Clinging to the last thread of reason, she scanned the surroundings for any organization members she could use for tailing.
Instead, her eyes locked with the irritating woman stepping inside.
"Ah, Miss Lia."
"...Miss Louise."
"Ru. I asked you to call me Ru."
Ru, for her part, found herself face-to-face with the pitiful girl who had been under house arrest until Claus finally allowed her outside. She wasn't certain yet, so she kept her tone as gentle as possible.
"You came to order cake, right? They have quite a few good ones. Let me help you pick—"
"Here. One carrot cake, please."
"Ah... ha. Not fond of sweets, I take it. Same as me."
"..."
"Mmm... the weather's quite hot, isn't it?"
Ru tested the waters with a banal remark. Lia regarded her with an inscrutable gaze.
Within that gaze burned a hostility beyond words. She had been struggling to maintain composure against this unfamiliar irritation; confronting its source made the last thread of reason feel ready to snap.
And whether intentional or not, the other woman kept doing exactly the things that scraped her nerves raw. Their locked stares broke only when the clerk spoke, both pairs of eyes swinging toward the counter at once.
"Your cake is ready. I'll include a knife."
"..."
Just as Claus had said, the cake looked excellent. But Lia's gaze went straight to the knife. It had been made for cutting bread, yet the edge was keen enough.
And Lia knew several places that would silence a person without spilling a single drop of blood. She also knew places that would leave someone bedridden for a week without ever understanding what had gone wrong. Hoping the unpleasantness would vanish with it, she reached for the knife.
"Just a moment."
Ru's hand suddenly blocked hers. With a faintly downturned mouth, she looked at Lia.
"I'll take the knife. It's dangerous."
...
"Ah. Is that so."
In contrast, Lia's lips curved upward the slightest bit. Heat began to rise, just a little, in the eyes that locked once more.