episode_0008

The office renovation has been completed.

However, we waited in the hallway for a while.

The architect asked us to ventilate for 30 minutes before leaving.

While waiting, Seniors took out a cigarette case.

And casually tapping it, she asked me.

“Vale, tell me straight. Are you really spineless?”

Mia squinted her eyes thinly.

A gaze full of suspicion.

“Yes, I am. If I had money, would I have come as a bodyguard?”

“Hmm…”

She tapped the cigarette case against her lips.

“Well… if you were a noble, there would be no reason for you to come here. It would be much more comfortable to guard the princess.”

Even though it’s not comfortable at all.

Not only do I have to find books to read, but I also have to accompany her to the market occasionally.

I wanted to tell this fact to the young knight, but I just smiled and kept it to myself.

“Ugh, who would choose me? I’m putting in quite an effort too.”

Mia leaned her head back deeply.

Then, she muttered at the sound coming from the first floor.

“There are a lot of guests in remote places today.”

She soon lifted her head with a puzzled expression.

However, the Senior’s expression soon turned contemplative.

The guests coming up from the first floor.

They were all employees of Lydia, the ruler of the East.

“Even the Third Princess’s secretary…?!”

Mia hurriedly hid the cigarette case behind her back.

And quickly bowed to them.

But because of bowing, her back was fully exposed.

In the end, the carefully hidden cigarette case was exposed proudly.

“Vale Mikhail, right?”

A splendidly embroidered jewel tunic.

Below it, a middle-aged man with deep wrinkles asked me.

He didn’t even care about Mia’s cigarette.

“Yes, that’s me.”

As he confirmed my identity, he approached calmly.

And pulled out an exquisitely sealed document from his pocket.

“Please sign here.”

I accepted the luxurious paper unexpectedly.

“A receipt…?”

I frowned at the man.

“It’s a certificate that you received Lady Lydia’s gift.”

The secretary stepped aside confidently.

Then, strange luxury items from the East filled the hallway.

The desert tyrant, Samid leopard skin.

Even a stuffed bear from the Eastern Mountains.

Strange items that are absolutely useless in practical terms.

“Why give such gifts…?”

Mia, who was watching beside me.

She forced a smile and poked my side.

“Come on, smile…”

Thanks to her, I forced a smile too.

Lydia.

Her gifts are as eccentric as her personality.

“I’m sorry, but can I dare to accept such precious items? Maybe returning them would be…”

“Are you refusing the gift that Her Highness the Princess carefully chose after much deliberation?”

The secretary was clearly smiling.

However, it was almost a smile close to coercion.

“No, I will gratefully accept it.”

In the end, I signed the document.

After barely escaping from Irina… I feel like things are getting more complicated.

“Sigh…”

I opened the office door holding the rare bear.

And as I entered, taking a deep breath.

“What in the world is this…?”

My eyes widened at the completely transformed office.

A chandelier so grand that it’s hard to see in a knight’s office.

Even a golden table fit for a commander’s room.

“They even put flowers.”

I chuckled looking at the vase on the table.

Inside were golden roses.

The moment I saw those roses, a chill ran down my spine.

Golden roses were Lea’s symbol.

It feels like a strange signal as if she marked me.

Mia entered the office, dragging the leopard skin, and sat down leisurely on the luxurious sofa.

“Hey- isn’t this treatment a bit excessive for a patriot?”

The Senior laughed as he toyed with the leopard’s paw.

“That’s true. Ha… where should I put this.”

I carefully placed the bear down to prevent the marble tiles from breaking.

Taking in the overwhelming sight, I let out a deep sigh.

“Should we just stick it in the warehouse?” I muttered with a puzzled expression.

In response, Miya shook her head with wide eyes.

“You can’t stash the princess’s belongings in the warehouse!”

Confidently, Miya rose from the sofa.

“Give it here. I’ll decorate it myself as your senior.”

She grasped the bear’s waist as if commanding authority.

Attempting to display her seniority, she strained to lift it with all her might.

“….”

However, the bear remained motionless.

Eventually, Miya turned back to me with a smug expression.

“Don’t you see your senior struggling alone right now?”

I chuckled in disbelief.

Approaching calmly, I placed my hand on the bear’s waist.

“Where should we put it?”

“Let’s place it near the leather sofa. Guests can admire it while waiting, right?”

I lifted the bear effortlessly.

Before long, even the petite senior was lifted alongside.

“Eek…!”

Miya clung to the bear’s leg like a cat.

Swinging back and forth, she glanced up briefly.

“Could you… lower me down a bit?”

I gently lowered her down.

Blushing, the senior covered her mouth with a fist, clearing her throat.

“Ahem. This time it’s leopard skin.”

Miya headed towards the office entrance, carrying the leather like a cloak.

She spread it on the floor like handling a carpet.

“Well, how is it?”

“Is it okay to walk on the princess’s belongings like that?”

I inquired, to which Miya half-closed her eyes.

Flicking her finger confidently, she explained, “You don’t know much about the East, do you?”

As I looked puzzled, Miya exited boldly.

Stepping lightly on the leather, she returned inside.

“The precious leopard skin you step on when entering. It makes guests feel like they’ve become rulers of the East, doesn’t it?”

Imitating the Third Princess, she placed her hand on her hip.

“Moreover, Samid leopard skin has mana-reflecting properties.”

New information for me.

“That’s why the Eastern royal family lays it at the entrance to prevent intruders’ concealment magic-.”

“How do you know all this?” I asked, interrupting her flow.

Her smile faded, replaced by a somber expression.

“I studied in advance. Originally, I was chosen as Lady Lydia’s guard.”

She shrugged calmly.

Glancing at the bear standing beside the sofa, Miya stared intently.

“But I was soon pushed aside. There was a duke’s son among my peers.”

She closed her eyes, smiling faintly.

Now seemingly indifferent.

“But it’s okay. Since I stayed in the capital, I avoided the worst, right?”

But I know.

The reality of a fallen noble who can neither weep nor rage.

Her smile, a fake one crafted to adapt to such a reality.

I approached her.

Perhaps due to my approach, I naturally knelt down and removed a strand of leopard fur stuck to her forehead.

“You must have had a hard time.”

A closer distance.

She looked up at me pensively.

“Uh…?”

Her black eyes wavering.

She seemed flustered, wearing a blank expression.

“You don’t have to force a smile in front of me. I understand everything.”

My shadow cast over her offering comfort.

Thanks to it, Miya’s black eyes sparkled even more.

Soon, she lightly bit her lip.

Then, she casually patted my bowed head.

“Don’t worry. Focus on being a new recruit.”

Hurriedly, Miya stood up.

While about to attend to remaining tasks.

She gazed towards the office entrance as if entranced.

“Who’s there? Why…?”

Turning my head following her gaze.

Finally, I realized.

The reason for Miya’s troubled expression.

“What are you guys doing right now?”

Rufus.

He stood staring blankly at us, stepping on the leopard skin.

His thick eyebrows furrowed slightly, perhaps having observed our earlier situation.

“Ah, Senior… He removed the veil that was stuck to my head.”

Mia, seemingly well aware of Luper’s jealousy, quickly praised me.

However, such a display only led to unintended consequences.

From Luper’s perspective, it seemed like Mia was enveloping me.

“Why is that brat removing it?”

He glared at me fiercely.

Somehow, the situation was becoming increasingly awkward.

“I’m sorry. Growing up with a younger sister all my life, I unconsciously…”

In reality, she was not a younger sister but a princess.

“Is your senior your younger sister? Isn’t this guy completely insane?”

While Mia remained silent, I couldn’t understand why he was reacting this way.

“And what’s with the office decor? Daring to gild the lily on a minor theme?”

He snorted while looking at the bear cub bowing in front of him.

Moreover, decorating the office so extravagantly for a common theme was simply unbearable.

“Well, I tried to let it go since it’s the first day, but you’re really getting on my nerves.”

Luper rolled up his uniform sleeves.

Then, he began to channel mana through his body.

“S-Senior…”

Seeing his actions, Mia desperately tried to stop him.

But at that moment…

“You shut up too. Where do you get off acting lovey-dovey as a first-year knight!”

Luper shouted, focusing mana on his legs.

Filled with anger, he forcefully stomped the ground with his military boots.

And right there…

There was a leopard skin known for reflecting mana.

―――!

Luper’s mana made contact with the skin.

Instantly, reflected mana surged towards us with incredible speed.

If an ordinary person were hit, it would be instant death.

Even for a knight, it would be a fatal blow.

Just before razor-sharp mana shards could touch Mia’s face, in a split second decision, I instinctively focused mana on my left arm.

Instead of Mia, who couldn’t react in time…

I grabbed the shards right in front of my face.

Crackling―――!

Our mana clashed fiercely as they met in mid-air.

I calmly absorbed his out-of-control mana into my palm.

“Are you okay, Senior?”

In a situation where she could have died, Mia lost her composure.

She weakly slumped onto the table.

“Uh…”

Brushing off my hand, I glared at Luper.

Seemingly unaware of his actions, he had a vacant expression.

I approached him.

Soon, Luper stared blankly at the dark shadow looming over him.

“Did you say Luper?”

With just one short word, the shaken man stuttered out a response.

“W-What, what’s this? Are you speaking informally to me right now?”

Instead of answering, I grabbed him by the collar.

Pushing my face close to his, I spoke.

“Should I call someone who can’t control their mana or emotions properly ‘Senior’?”

Even the soles of his feet were lifted off the ground.

I keenly felt his trembling through my clenched hand.

“Even like this, do you think you can live the life of a knight? Move your hand away right now!”

I lifted the trembling man high and forcefully slammed him down on the floor.

The tiles cracked under the impact.

“Ah, why is this knight so noisy.”

I sat down next to the subdued man.

Gazing at the shattered leopard skin beneath him, I smirked subtly.

“Do you think you can survive by destroying the belongings of Her Highness the Princess?”

At the mention of ‘Princess,’ he quickly raised his head.

“W-What…? Prin, Princess?”

He looked down at the torn leopard skin he had created.

Coolly ripped leather.

His black boot marks were clearly visible on the leather.

“A-are you saying this belongs to Her Highness the Princess…?”