Ch.24EP.7 – Irene Windler Is the Next-Door Neighbor (5)

“Your Excellency, is it alright to leave like this?”

[What is it?]

“…I’m not sure if it’s right that there’s a strange person by the young lady’s side.”

[Anyone would think you’re the child’s father, worrying even more than I do.]

“…I apologize.”

Lac bowed his head.

Though a man of strong pride, he was also one who would readily give his life for the Duke he revered.

That was Lac.

For him, Irene Windler wasn’t merely a genius magician but a ‘benefactor.’

‘Since her arrival, Your Excellency has changed.’

-For the better.

After losing his lady, the Duke had suffered from madness.

Where had his past brilliance gone? How painful it was to watch him gradually become cruel, infected by the madness of the magic sword.

Fortunately, he never showed cruelty to innocent people, only displaying such tendencies toward criminals, but because of such brutality, the scent of blood never disappeared from the Duke’s residence.

But then she appeared.

A fairy-like beauty.

With a warm smile like sunshine, as if the lady had returned to life.

Since her appearance, His Excellency began to smile warmly as if he had never suffered from madness, returning to the brilliant lord they once knew.

She was truly a blessing and good fortune for the Duke’s household.

And she herself was a gift and grace.

That’s why Lac was determined to risk his life to defeat anyone who threatened her.

…And above all, the reason he needed to protect her even more was.

[It’s fine. He’s better than I expected. He won’t threaten that child.]

“……”

[You still look dissatisfied.]

“…She might be Your Excellency’s daughter, the lady’s child.”

[…You’re crossing the line.]

“…I apologize.”

But it had to be said.

Yes, she, Irene Windler, was likely the Duke’s…

Blake’s ‘biological child.’

This was something the Duke himself felt most strongly, and though unspoken, it was already an open secret known to several people in the Duke’s household.

Just as the Pendragon royal family had noticed, Galahad already knew this as well.

Yet the reason it wasn’t publicly announced was.

[Nothing is certain yet. So watch yourself.]

“……”

[Hmph, such an impertinent fellow. Now that I look at you, you seem to have even worse manners than ‘that man.’]

“…Your Excellency is too thorough.”

[Yes, I am ‘Your Excellency.’ Therefore, I must remain cold, unable to embrace a child who might be my own.]

“…Mmm!”

Duke Blake’s statement was correct.

There was a possibility that Irene was his biological child, but he couldn’t be completely certain of this.

She resembled ‘her,’ but what proof was there that she was his biological child?

What if she was just someone who looked similar?

…Duke Blake wasn’t confident he could handle the aftermath later.

Politically, and…emotionally.

So Duke Blake concealed everything and merely accepted her as his adopted daughter.

He also needed time to restore the Duke’s household, which had become desolate from his madness, so there would likely be insufficient time to investigate her for a while.

[That’s why that man is necessary. I don’t know what relationship he has with Isis, but he surely received orders from my niece to watch over Irene. Like my niece, it’s truly an appropriate selection.]

He was surprised during his investigation.

To think such talent existed in the knighthood.

The Order of the Silver Lion had started to deteriorate after Lord Baltar, yet this was remarkable fortune for the royal family.

And it was also fortune for Galahad.

[To monitor means that he can also be responsible for Irene’s safety. I can trust him with this task.]

Isis, his niece, felt no displeasure about having her adopted daughter monitored.

He would have done the same.

No, he would have been even more strict.

In this regard, she was still a ‘soft child.’

“…But he’s weaker than me. You should send me instead.”

However, Lac still seemed unable to accept it.

His expression was full of dissatisfaction.

Looking at Lac, his disciple, the Duke smirked.

[A man who looks like he might collapse at any moment has quite the mouth on him.]

“Ah, I won’t collapse.”

[Won’t collapse, you say.]

The Duke and the knights shook their heads as if they couldn’t help it.

Lac de Duron.

They had seen how much the limbs of this young knight, Galahad’s rising star and certain to become the next Aura user, were trembling.

Shaking like a quaking aspen, it was quite unsightly.

Though he pretended to be fine out of pride, he was clearly shaken inside.

[Drink a potion quickly, you pathetic fellow.]

“I-I’m fine.”

[…Blood is flowing from your mouth, you fool.]

“…Kuhup.”

Drip.

Lac had turned deathly pale, and seeing this, the Duke clicked his tongue.

What a pathetic fellow.

[This is why knights are…]

That one and this one too.

None of them are mature at all.

Well.

[Still better than those ‘lecherous ones,’ I suppose.]

A cold gleam appeared in Blake’s eyes.

This coldness wasn’t directed at the knights.

Rather, it was directed at.

[Is the Grand Duke’s household raising rats?]

The ‘rats’ who thought they were hiding secretly at the scene.

And those referred to as rats.

“The Duke speaks harshly. Don’t you think, Jack?”

“What do you mean, sir?”

“Just saying there’s something like that.”

“…Do you sometimes realize you’re strange?”

“I know that too.”

The young lion of the Grand Duke’s household with well-suited black hair nodded calmly, while his loyal subordinate muttered, ‘Why is he acting like this again?’ and shook his head.

Though he served this person, sometimes he was difficult to understand.

* * *

“…What are you doing?”

Meanwhile, when Ihan entered the house, fortunately, the two women had no idea about the major incident that had occurred outside.

He had mentioned beforehand that he would be chopping wood, so they understood the loud noises from outside.

And they were at quite a distance, so they wouldn’t have heard the voices.

Thanks to the potion, he had no wounds and looked perfectly fine.

Perhaps it was fortunate.

For him, not showing a humiliating appearance.

However, Ihan was perplexed by what the two women were doing.

And the one caught in the act.

“Oh, you’re back.”

She was equally embarrassed.

She was startled like a child caught doing something wrong.

“…Student Irene. What are you doing?”

“W-well, I was talking with the maid and somehow…”

“…Somehow you ended up wearing a dress? More importantly, did we even have a dress in our house?”

“Hehe, this is mine! How is it, Sir Knight? Isn’t she beautiful!”

“…Yes, it’s certainly elaborate.”

“Hehe, it’s so elaborate that I rarely wear it myself.”

“…And you made me wear something like this?”

“I thought it would suit Miss Irene well!”

“!!?”

They were having a fashion show.

Having just gone through something serious outside, seeing such a different scene almost made Ihan’s resolve waver.

Nevertheless, his gaze followed Irene, and indeed.

‘She’s pretty.’

She exuded a purity and freshness befitting her youthful age.

Her distinctive blonde hair and blue eyes emitted a somewhat mysterious beauty.

The dress she wore was excessively elaborate, but Irene Windler was an excellent clothes hanger, more than capable of pulling off even an excessive dress.

However, if asked whether this was beautiful enough to make his heart race.

‘I wish I had a little sister like her.’

Unfortunately, Ihan was at an age where his romantic cells were gradually dying, and he wasn’t the type to be attracted to someone much younger.

Like an uncle fan feeling proud watching an idol work hard?

That was about the extent of it.

But not knowing this, Irene seemed to feel embarrassed by Ihan’s gaze and lowered her head.

The scent of misunderstanding seemed to be growing stronger.

But then.

“Miss, don’t be like that and show him. You practiced hard.”

“T-that’s a bit…”

“Come on, when else would you do it?”

“B-but still.”

“…Practice?”

What could that mean?

The next moment, the hesitating girl slightly lifted the hem of her dress, bent her knees slightly, and tilted her head.

…What was that?

“Sir Knight, that’s a curtsey. It’s like a noble’s greeting, isn’t it beautiful?”

“…Beau-tiful?”

From what he saw, it looked somewhat like a doll creaking.

“I-I’m not used to it yet.”

Having become a noble not long ago, Irene wasn’t accustomed to noble greetings.

Why would she skip meals to practice something like that?

These noble cultures really…

“Hehe, that’s because she’s not used to it yet. When you get used to it, it becomes natural like this, like this.”

Swoosh.

Leira, just like Irene had done earlier, slightly lifted her skirt just enough to show her ankles, bent her knees, and tilted her head.

But that posture was, how to put it.

“……”

It was clean and upright.

It was so neat and flowed so smoothly that it left him speechless for a moment.

“Ha….”

Surprisingly, Ihan felt as if all the unpleasantness accumulated today had vanished, replaced by a refreshing feeling as he watched her.

Yes, at this moment.

‘…She’s pretty.’

Clearly, this thought of ‘pretty’ was an emotional expression completely different from the feeling he had toward Irene just moments ago.

Thus, Ihan realized for the first time that the culture of the high-born wasn’t entirely pointless.

“…Worth skipping meals to practice.”

To the extent that he would utter such words.

For the first time, he recognized that the maid he had thought was plain was a lady comparable to a fully bloomed rose.

…And thus, the female protagonist who suffered such a humiliating defeat.

[…Arin, from today, let’s practice curtseying a lot more, okay?]

‘…Yes.’

She swallowed her tears along with the humiliation and vowed revenge.