Ch.100I Have a Girlfriend #3

After appointing Ellen as a knight in an informal ceremony, we boarded a carriage bound for Count Hound’s territory.

It took about three days to arrive, and we stayed at suitable accommodations as we passed through various domains.

“Perhaps it’s because I’m wearing a uniform for the first time… but it feels somewhat awkward.”

As we approached Count Hound’s mansion, Ellen, sitting across from me, spoke with an uncomfortable expression in the carriage that had been filled with only the sound of rattling wheels.

She seemed to be having trouble getting used to the feel of the black uniform that closely resembled Helena’s.

“It’s natural to feel awkward. But you’ll get used to it soon.”

“Yes. Thank you.”

There’s no need to thank me.

I nodded and patted Ellen’s shoulder, then observed Helena who was sitting quietly beside Ellen.

Though silent, she didn’t appear displeased; rather, she seemed deep in thought.

She was probably contemplating what Count Hound’s intentions were in inviting us.

Although we had decided to find out by confronting the situation directly, now that our destination was in sight, she seemed worried.

“Are you concerned?”

“Yes.”

Helena nodded quickly despite being lost in her thoughts.

One might expect a delayed response when someone is concentrating on something, but there was no such delay with her.

That’s what made her impressive, and somewhat frightening.

“But what concerns me isn’t Count Hound. It’s what Zion said.”

“What I said?”

“Yes. That one doesn’t have to wield a sword to be a knight. That statement keeps lingering in my mind.”

I remember.

I had mentioned that being a knight isn’t necessarily about wielding a sword and raising aura, but rather that many who become knights are simply those who live by the sword.

Had that statement bothered her?

“Did it… bother you?”

“Bother me? Of course not. Whatever Zion says or does, I never find it bothersome. Everything you say is right. However…”

I tilted my head as I watched Helena express her blind faith with such nonchalance.

While I was used to her overwhelming trust by now, I still hadn’t received a clear answer.

“However…?”

“It’s like something that’s almost within reach, or something I could almost touch if I just extended my hand a little… that feeling keeps bothering me.”

Something just beyond her grasp.

Perhaps she was on the verge of a moment of enlightenment like those described in martial arts novels.

If this guess was correct, I shouldn’t interrupt her unnecessarily.

I might cause her to miss a good opportunity forever.

“I understand. Let me know when your thoughts are sorted out.”

“…Thank you.”

Helena gave a lukewarm response before retreating back into her own world.

Ellen widened her eyes in surprise and was about to speak, but I pressed my index finger to her lips to prevent her from making a sound.

Normally, one should sit quietly and meditate to calm the mind, but she seemed fine for now.

There were no signs of her vital energy becoming distorted or falling into a dangerous mental state.

I thought it would be best to simply wait quietly.

.

A well-maintained garden with a pond.

I was inwardly impressed by the courtyard that reminded me of a national park, and then surprised once more by the room that resembled the royal palace’s banquet hall.

I had heard that most aristocratic faction members lived luxuriously, but this exceeded my expectations.

It was a moment that made me realize the vast difference between knowing something and seeing it firsthand.

Moreover, there were many side paths where one could easily enjoy secret rendezvous.

The structure was quite blatant in its purpose.

“It’s well decorated.”

“Indeed it is.”

While Ellen and I exchanged small talk, Helena’s lips remained firmly sealed.

Not because she was in a bad mood or something serious had happened, but because of what we had discussed in the carriage.

However, since the people walking around the Hound mansion wouldn’t know about this, I thought we should have a simple excuse ready.

“Welcome, Duchess Helena Krauser. And Grand Duke Zion Krauser.”

“Yes, thank you for your hard work. Ellen, I’ll see you later.”

“Understood.”

I sent Ellen ahead first, then waved to the butler standing at the entrance of the banquet hall before entering.

My chest felt unusually empty, perhaps because I had to surrender all weapons according to the rule that required handing over all arms before stepping into the mansion.

I was used to always carrying my dirk.

The banquet hall was already filled with many people.

Most were members of the aristocratic faction, of course, but there were also some from the neutral faction scattered among them.

Naturally, there were no members of the royal faction—except for us.

“Oh my. Duchess Krauser.”

No sooner had we found a relatively secluded spot than eyes turned toward us.

It was understandable, given that the leading noble of the royal faction had arrived.

I’m sure I would have naturally looked over too if I heard that another duke had arrived.

Though I wouldn’t have been as forward as this woman who was approaching us with excessive familiarity.

“Umm. I’m sorry. Helena is currently deep in contemplation about swordsmanship… so she’s unable to receive greetings.”

I could have simply ignored the greeting from a lower-ranking noble, but doing so might have soured the atmosphere.

That would have been an unwelcome future for me, as I wanted to observe the situation as it unfolded in a smooth atmosphere.

So I stepped in and offered a simple excuse.

It was all the more convincing because Helena was a Sword Master.

“Oh my! And yet you’ve personally come all this way…”

“We couldn’t refuse an invitation we had received, so we had to manage like this. I would appreciate your understanding.”

“Ah, I see. It’s a shame, but I’ll have to pay my respects another time. Then, please excuse me.”

The noblewoman, specifically the Countess Hound, bowed slightly before withdrawing. If her only goal had been to speak with Helena, she showed no lingering attachment as she turned away.

“Haha! Thank you all for accepting my invitation!”

From one corner, the owner of this mansion, Brown Hound, was laughing heartily as he greeted his guests and moved around.

Watching him made me reluctant to touch the lavish feast laid out before me.

Perhaps his appearance somehow spoiled my appetite.

Anyway, while Brown circulated to strengthen friendships, no one approached us.

I don’t know if it was out of fear or if they were cautious about being seen talking to members of the royal faction.

But when I enhanced my hearing with mana and listened… what I heard was quite outrageous.

—Look, is that boy really the Grand Duke? He’s cute though. I guess Duchess Krauser likes that type.

—I know, right? I heard he was originally the eldest son of a viscount without any territory. How lucky for him.

—Have you all heard that rumor? Apparently, because he’s so young, his stamina is incredible… they say he can spend almost a week in bed.

—Ah…! You mean that rumor from Baron Servan’s domain? I don’t know if it’s true, but… if it is, he must be quite delicious. Should I have a taste?

They might think I can’t hear them, but I can hear everything perfectly.

No matter how elegant these noble ladies might be, they’re just gossipy women in the end.

Every word they uttered together was extremely explicit.

Someone with strong pride might have flown into a rage upon hearing such things.

Including Helena, who couldn’t tolerate people badmouthing me.

“Oh! Grand Duke! Thank you so much for coming!”

Having finally finished attending to his people, Brown approached me with sparkling eyes.

“I should have greeted you first… but my eyes are dim and I couldn’t see well. Please forgive me.”

“Yes, that’s fine.”

Since this was someone else’s home, and seeing him bow his head as if he had committed a grave sin, it was awkward to press the issue.

So I accepted his apology and left it at that.

“By the way, I heard the Duchess is preoccupied with contemplating swordsmanship… is that correct?”

He asked a question that he couldn’t have known without having heard about Helena’s state. He must have learned it while checking on his people.

“Yes. That’s why I’m staying by her side. She would dislike having her concentration broken, and it could be a great loss for the nation as well.”

“That’s right, and it’s very admirable. Blocking the sword of Sotern would amount to treason. I’m deeply honored that you’ve made the effort to come here.”

Brown gave exaggerated examples as if he were an extremely devoted loyalist.

He might be disappointed that he couldn’t directly flatter Helena, but he seemed content to converse with me.

After all, I was officially a Grand Duke, equal in rank to a Duke.

“I think so too.”

“Of course.”

After that, we passed the time with unimportant small talk that could be heard with one ear and forgotten with the other.

Topics like how the noble ladies were these days, what was in fashion, and so on.

Such conversations naturally occurred among nobles because having a good aesthetic sense was important in their circles.

Of course, my aesthetic sense was only at the level of an ordinary person, so I just went along with the conversation.

A regular noble would have noticed this long ago and might have shown contempt.

Perhaps they would have, had I not been the Duchess’s consort.

“Haha. You’re much easier to talk to than I expected. I thought that someone so young who married such a strict Duchess might be much more rigid…”

“Thank you for your kind words. I am indeed still a novice with a long way to go.”

“A novice? Not at all. You’re certainly worthy of being the Grand Duke of the Krauser family.”

Despite his flattery and hearty laughter, his eyes were extremely sharp.

Being from one of the upper families within the aristocratic faction, he seemed very skilled at acting.

It was enough to give me chills.

“Come to think of it, I heard it was the Grand Duke’s skill that turned the elves’ attack into a great advantage. I’m truly amazed at how you could respond so calmly. If I had experienced something like that at your age, I couldn’t have made such a judgment.”

“Oh? Has the story about the elves spread this far?”

“Of course. The whole kingdom probably knows by now. An attack on the pillar of the Krauser family is a significant matter.”

Is he trying to extract information while flattering me?

He seemed eager to know in detail how I captured the elf, or what specific benefits I gained from using him.

Is it for his own sake? Or is he probing on someone else’s behalf?

Either way, it was clear he was fishing for information.

“I was just lucky. As you know, Helena is a Master, and we also have a dark elf mercenary. When we pressured them with that, it worked well.”

“Ah… yes. I forgot about the mercenary.”

I kept my answer vague, emphasizing that it was thanks to the Sword Master.

There was no need to reveal that Ellen possessed a legacy, nor did I want to.

If it became known that she could handle natural disasters, it would cause many headaches.

Judging by Brown’s disappointed expression, he didn’t get the answer he wanted, but I didn’t feel the need to improve his mood.

“By the way, from Count Hound’s perspective, Duchess Krauser must be quite uncomfortable, so what made you think of inviting us?”

“…Pardon?”

After only answering questions until now, I threw one back at him, causing him to make a dumbfounded expression.

Perhaps he hadn’t expected me to probe so directly.

“As you know, our ducal family has a peculiar relationship with the Killinear ducal family, which has strong connections to Count Hound. Furthermore, you must be well aware of what happened during the time of the previous Duke Killinear.”

“That is… true…”

“Yes. It’s natural that you would know. At that time, Helena was in a very dangerous situation where she might have had to give up her title and become a slave. And since Albus Killinear, who is now dead, was the cause…”

As I brought up the friction with Killinear, his expression of confusion grew.

Overall, it might have been subtle, but I could clearly see that he was flustered.

I thought it might be the result of his years of experience as a noble.

Deciding to shake him up even more at this point, I asked in a low voice, almost whispering:

“Yet, despite all that, it’s curious that you, a count who follows him, thought to invite us separately. Could it be… that you’re thinking of stepping out from under Duke Killinear’s shadow?”