episode_0068

“A, a dagger…?”

“Yes.”

Rizi could only show a bewildered reaction to the sudden question from Lillis.

She had just made a mistake at the ball and received a forgiving smile from Lillis, who had good feelings towards her until just now.

However, Lillis’ question asking if she had a dagger attached to her was not something she could understand, as it was outside the realm of acceptable behavior.

Having more than 10 years of experience in noble social activities, Rizi thought she had a certain understanding of human nature.

But the behavior of this young lady in front of her was a completely different type of person from anyone she had encountered before.

Nevertheless, Rizi quickly racked her brain to find a similar type of person.

Recalling a few cases of people she had encountered, she cautiously continued to make guesses about Lillis.

‘Could it be…’

Perhaps the display she showed upstairs was just a facade in front of her fiancé, and maybe her current appearance was her true self.

Otherwise, she wouldn’t boldly ask for her personal dagger like this.

Feeling a chill down her spine as she handed over the hidden dagger to Lillis, she realized that all her defense mechanisms would disappear.

On the contrary, it meant that a weapon that could be used against her would come into Lillis’ hands.

“Is it possible that you don’t have it?”

‘What should I do…’

In her heart, she wanted to refuse, but she didn’t have the courage to do so.

Normally, agreeing to the request for her life-saving dagger would be strange in itself.

But after committing a rude act towards her at the evening Rose Hall upstairs, she had doubts about whether she could refuse this proposal.

If she didn’t listen to her here, what would happen to the relationship between the Auguste and Blackwood families?

She worried that her mistake would bring trouble to her family.

With these concerns, while the hesitant Rizi was hesitating, Lillis’ voice rang in her ears again.

“…Rizi?”

“Yes, yes…!”

“Really don’t have it? Something like a dagger for self-defense?”

“That, that’s…”

‘Refuse, I should refuse…’

From a young age, she was someone who had no magical talent whatsoever.

The only skills she had were making a little water when thirsty or creating a small flame to light up a dark hallway at night.

Noble ladies could at least use defensive magic, but she had no such means.

So, as soon as the dagger in her arms was taken away, she would become a helpless prey unable to resist.

In the end, as the frightened Rizi was about to express her refusal, Lillis began to move away from her first, raising her hand.

“I, I…”

“…It’s okay if you don’t have it. If you don’t have it, you can borrow it from someone else.”

“Yes, yes…?”

“Still, I asked you first because you’re someone I know. If you don’t have it, there’s nothing we can do.”

With those words, Lillis began to leave without any further hesitation, as if her departure was regrettable but not important.

It was Rizi who began to feel perplexed by her movement, which seemed to indicate that she really needed the dagger.

Initially, she thought that Lillis was trying to take the dagger to put her in a difficult situation.

But her attitude seemed to genuinely indicate that she needed the dagger, which left Rizi feeling confused.

“Could it be that all I needed was just the sword itself…?”

As Lilyss took a step back, the intense fear she had towards her just moments ago disappeared, leaving Lizzie able to assess the situation calmly.

Having been immersed in social circles from a young age, Lizzie’s body was ingrained with the art of diplomacy she had accumulated over time.

And that ingrained art of diplomacy was telling her something.

Right now, handing the sword in her arms to Lilyss might be the right choice.

“I, I have it…!”

“…Yes?”

“I’ll, lend it to you…! Lilyss, Miss…!”

Handing over her only weapon, Lizzie never imagined she would regret it in just one minute.

⁎ ⁎ ⁎

“I’ll, lend it to you…! Lilyss, Miss…!”

“……?”

As she turned to speak to someone else, a voice came from behind.

Turning her head back, Lizzie was urgently calling out to me.

In her hand was the sword I had asked for earlier, tightly clenched.

“…What, you had it.”

Seeing her hesitate as if it were non-existent, I was about to cut in and ask someone else, but it seemed she was seriously contemplating whether to lend it to me or not.

It wouldn’t be an easy decision to lend her personal weapon to a complete stranger.

Although I didn’t know the extent of Lizzie’s magical abilities, having more means of protection would be better.

Especially in a situation where Kara wasn’t by my side, it would be even more unsettling psychologically.

Perhaps she was making a big decision and lending it to me.

“Seems like she felt guilty for something she did to me before, so she might be willing to lend it to me.”

And if I were to fight with someone else’s sword, I would ultimately have to protect two people at once.

It would be quite uncomfortable if I borrowed a weapon and ended up in a bad situation.

So, I accepted the sword from Lizzie with gratitude.

“Thank you, Miss Lizzie.”

“Oh, no! Compared to my previous rudeness, this is really nothing!”

She was right. She seemed to know that well.

Of course, I had no intention of questioning her about the matter, especially since I wasn’t in a position to do so.

-Srrung.

As I took out the sword she handed me from its sheath, the gleaming silver blade shone brightly.

The blade was sharp and clean, indicating that it had been well maintained.

With just this, Lizzie and I could easily defend ourselves.

Maybe I could try leveling up by hunting a few monsters…

“L-Lilyss, Miss…?”

“Yes?”

“W-Where do you intend to use the sword you borrowed…?”

“Why?”

“You’re smiling as you draw the blade… it’s, it’s a bit scary…”

…Was I smiling?

It seemed that I had momentarily lost control of my expression due to the thought of leveling up.

I needed to be careful. Since I had a dagger on me, I didn’t want her to misunderstand and feel uneasy.

If I made her anxious, it would be troublesome to protect her when monsters attacked.

So, I made sure to explain clearly that I wouldn’t use the sword to harm her.

“Don’t worry, Miss Lizzie. I have absolutely no intention of using this to stab you or anything like that.”

“Hehe, hee hee…!”

“…?”

I tried to reassure her, but why does she seem even more scared now?

Rizi, who started to take small steps back as she listened to me.

In order to get closer to her as she moved away, I also followed Rizi’s hesitant steps with short strides.

For some reason, every time I did that, Rizi’s expression darkened little by little.

“Why, why are you getting closer?!”

“Why wouldn’t I get closer? It’s much more convenient (to protect Miss Rizi) that way, isn’t it?”

“P-please don’t come closer! Y-you wouldn’t…take advantage of this chaos to do something to me, would you…?”

“I told you not to move away. If you get hurt (by the monsters) for no reason, what will we do then?”

“Hee, hee hee…!!”

As the conversation continued, Rizi’s hesitant steps quickened and her expression grew darker.

Without understanding her reaction, I followed her movements with quick steps.

Finally, her hesitant steps came to a complete stop as she was cornered by the wall of the main hall.

-Thud.

“Ah, ahh….”

“Now you can’t take any more hesitant steps. Just stay put and…”

“I-I’m sorry, Miss Rilis…! Oh, no, Lady Rilis…! I will definitely compensate for the rudeness I showed earlier, so…”

“I told you it’s not necessary. I already accepted your apology, so why are you bringing it up again?”

“It seems like Lady Rilis’s anger hasn’t subsided yet…”

…Maybe it would have been better to just send a dress payment to Blackwood.

It was just a casual way to avoid receiving compensation, but it seemed like this woman interpreted it differently.

She seemed to think I was still angry for not accepting her apology.

…Oh well. I’ll just have to pretend to accept compensation, even if it’s just for show.

And since I happened to have a ‘suitable item’ for trading in my hand.

“…Let’s just do it this way.”

“Y-yes?”

“I will accept compensation from Miss Rizi. But there’s no need to compensate with money or clothes.”

“T-then with what…?”

“Why go through the trouble of finding something far away? Just consider this as compensation.”

“…What?”

With those words, I showed her the silver dagger I had received from her.

Pointing at the clean silver blade with my finger, I asked, “Let’s consider this as compensation for the dress payment…”

“Eeek….”

The usually composed and elegant Augusta noblewoman turned pale at the sight of the dagger.

She seemed to be about to do something, but thankfully, I didn’t misunderstand her intentions due to her scream.

-Thud!

“The Hwangung South Gate has been breached. Everyone, prepare for defense!”

“Aaah! W-what is this!”

“Screams! It’s a monster!”

Monsters suddenly rushed into the shelter, causing chaos among the nobles and soldiers.

Amidst the chaos, Rizi’s scream was drowned out.

“…A monster?!”

Confused by the situation, Augusta noblewoman Rizi screamed, but then looked around belatedly to assess the situation.

I pushed her into a corner and gripped the dagger, ready for action.

“Miss Rizi, stay still there.”

“Y-yes?!”

“If Miss Rizi tries to escape elsewhere, I might not be able to protect you then.”

It may be my first time fighting while protecting someone, but…well, it’s Rilis, so I’ll manage somehow.