Ch.263EP.59 – The Knight Fear Humans More Than Ghosts (1)

Leira Winter is like sunshine.

She’s a bit clumsy and makes frequent mistakes, but she’s so innocent, warm, and radiates such positive energy that those flaws seem trivial.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call her a “human vitamin” in old-fashioned terms, and many people at the royal palace where she worked adored her.

Although the royal palace was a place where even subordinates were preoccupied with power struggles, Leira Winter, who didn’t even know the concept of power struggles, was not guarded against even by the maids—she could be called a “human capybara” without exaggeration.

Perhaps because of this, Leira was loved regardless of gender, and even the most cautious people tended to relax around her.

Just like now—

“Leira! It’s been so long!”

“Hehe, we saw each other not too long ago.”

“That was three months ago! Ah, the smell of sunshine after so long…”

“Huh? Do I smell?”

“Yes, it’s such a comforting scent.”

“What kind of smell is that?”

She had been away from the royal palace on a temporary assignment, and her fellow maids were delighted to welcome her back to the palace.

Could this be like the scent of warm spring sunshine, or perhaps like being in a rose garden with a cool breeze blowing?

Just being near her made one feel as warm as being in such an environment, endlessly healing the heart.

“Leira, how long will your assignment continue?”

“Nothing serious is happening, right?”

“Everything’s okay?”

“Yes, nothing’s happening.”

“That’s good to hear.”

“The royal palace is really…”

As the saying goes, daytime words are heard by birds, and nighttime words are heard by mice. It’s common sense not to speak carelessly in the royal palace.

Especially, gossiping about what happened in the royal palace would be a mistake worthy of immediate beheading.

Yet the maids willingly revealed their true feelings to Leira.

Because they trusted she wouldn’t go around talking about them.

…Or perhaps they trusted her poor memory.

In fact.

“Huh? When did the head maid retire? Wasn’t it someone else?”

“…She didn’t retire.”

“She’s the same person.”

“Ah! I see!”

“You really haven’t changed at all…”

Her memory—or rather, her mind—was still clumsy, and the maids once again showed their trust in her.

Therefore.

“Oh, right. I have a question.”

“What is it?”

“What is Modred?”

“…Leira, are you really a citizen of Pendragon?”

“??”

“How can you not know the Modred family?”

“Oh, Modred is a family?”

“…This is unbelievable.”

Whether they should be surprised that she didn’t know about Modred, or that she didn’t know Modred was a family name…

Either way, the maids were flabbergasted, and they showed off their knowledge to their clueless colleague.

“Modred is one of the great noble families of the kingdom.”

“They’re not only prestigious, but also have a long history.”

“And that’s not all. When we talk about Modred…”

People have a unique desire to show off, and one can gain great satisfaction not only from displaying luxurious jewels or bags but also from flaunting knowledge.

Proving this point, the maids freely displayed their knowledge, reciting everything about Modred’s history, present situation, and personal details.

They would never have done this in front of anyone else, but they judged it harmless since it was only Leira, and at some point, truly confidential information began to spill from the maids’ lips.

“My cousin who works for the Modred family told me that their third child caused trouble again.”

“I sometimes hear stories from a senior who works there, and apparently their youngest daughter is being severely bullied…”

“Ah, I know that story too. What a knight from our family who studied there told me is similar to…”

Since most royal maids were daughters of nobles, the noble society was small, and they often knew the inside stories of other families that others would never know.

Thanks to this, various pieces of information continued to pour out even though Leira hadn’t specifically asked for them, and throughout it all, Leira just smiled brightly.

After about an hour, the maids finally stopped talking and bid a reluctant farewell to Leira.

Making sure to say they would see her again soon.

“Goodbye!”

Leira remained cheerful with them until the end, waving her hand until the maids disappeared.

“~♪.”

After everyone else was out of sight, she skipped to the ash tree where the maids had been chatting and leaned against it.

Thud!

Without hesitation, she sat down under the ash tree.

Even though the southern winter was as mild as autumn, it seemed too careless to sit so unprotected, and to her…

“—You shouldn’t sit like this, Miss Maid. The weather is chilly.”

Swish.

The ash tree spoke—no, the man who had blended in with the ash tree took off his coat.

“I’m not cold, Sir Knight.”

“I’m concerned. At least use it as a cushion.”

“Don’t do that, let’s go home. I prefer resting at home!”

“…Yes, let’s go home.”

Flop.

Ihan naturally turned his back, and she climbed onto his back without hesitation.

“Hold on tight.”

“Yes!”

Whoosh!

The moment Ihan lightly kicked off, he began climbing a 30-meter high wall in one go.

Well, to be precise…

Thud!

He was walking on air.

“Wow…!”

She seemed incredibly excited by this situation, her eyes sparkling like a child’s.

The sunset view from the back of a knight was beautiful, and seeing it from the sky made it even more special.

Leira was infinitely happy and cherished this moment.

Then.

“…I’m sorry for making such a strange request.”

“What do you mean?”

Leira tilted her head at his sudden apology.

After all.

“When did you make a strange request, Sir Knight?”

As far as she knew, the knight had never made any strange requests.

“I just had a chat with my friends, that’s all.”

“……”

“Hehe, you’re strange, Sir Knight.”

“…Is that so.”

Leira just buried her face in his back with a bright smile, and his back flinched.

Feeling his consideration as he treated her carefully and preciously, Leira’s eyes gradually closed.

The cool breeze and warm, sturdy back naturally gave her a sense of security.

“…Sleep well, Miss Maid.”

Though she wanted to reply “yes,” she had already fallen asleep.

With a smile full of happiness—.

*

*

*

Ihan looked at his team and made a confident judgment.

“—Thanks to the maid, it’s confirmed.”

Thud!

“Modred, these guys are the most suspicious.”

As soon as he grabbed one of the papers laid out like options, people swallowed hard.

“Of all places, such a great family…”

“Are you really certain? Not just a hunch?”

Intense reactions poured out immediately.

It was understandable.

After all, it wasn’t just any family, but a prestigious great family even within Pendragon.

“Is there no possibility it could be Conrad or Beatrice? Their rumors are quite ominous too.”

“They’re just common dysfunctional families.”

The two families Simon mentioned were not great families but still prestigious enough to be considered distinguished.

Recently, they had become quite chaotic with the emergence of many illegitimate children of the family heads…

They were literally dysfunctional families plagued by husbands’ infidelities.

However, illegitimate children resulting from nobles’ affairs were hardly considered a flaw among the nobility.

Rather, having at least one illegitimate child was considered normal for many nobles.

Therefore…

“The focus shouldn’t be on dysfunctional families, but on places where ‘strange things’ are happening.”

In that sense.

Tap tap.

“Modred fulfills all those conditions.”

“……”

“Haven’t you heard ‘what’s dropped can’t be picked up’?”

“…Sigh, I’ve never heard that before, but somehow I get the meaning.”

Simon rubbed his face, wondering how things had come to this.

‘Why did I burn with such petty sense of justice…?’

Simon was filled with regret.

* * *

Four days ago, Simon had precisely understood and interpreted the twins’ language that Ihan couldn’t comprehend.

– Young master and miss are saying there’s a legendary mystical race of vampires still hiding within the royal capital.

– You can understand that?

– If you visit the orphanage run by the guild often enough to play, you pick up skills like this. More importantly, vampires… I’m truly amazed such legends actually exist.

– I’m more amazed by you. Perhaps the position of Haomun-ju really wasn’t won through gambling, but through special talents.

– It’s Guild Master, not Haomun-ju.

He had heard a lot.

The existence of heretics causing a stir in the royal capital and the legendary vampire who seemed to belong to the heretics.

But what was most shocking was that a legendary vampire was hiding within the royal capital.

…Incredibly.

– I suppose I have to believe it.

Simon had to believe.

He might not know others, but this was Ihan after all.

Though they hadn’t met enough to build a trusting relationship, Simon was convinced this person wasn’t the type to tell lies.

He had experienced the path this man had walked, if only through text.

…Also.

– If you want to back out now, just say so. The deeper we dig, the more dangerous it will get.

– ……

– It’s not just you in danger. Your entire guild could be at risk. The enemy we’re fighting is that dangerous.

– …How can I back out when you put it that way?

– Huh?

The knight’s sincere concern and urging to back out gave him confidence.

If he backed out now, he would never be able to face this knight proudly again.

It would mean their connection ended here.

And that was…

‘Unacceptable…!’

Simon decided to take the gamble of his life.

– What the hell, let’s fight, why not.

– Simon?!

– The guild can’t always be treated as villains, sometimes we need to be seen as heroes too! This is all about image-making!

– …What nonsense is that?

– Right here!

It was Simon’s determined decision, and his secretary (reluctantly?) decided to follow.

For the next four days, the guild used all its resources and information network, relying on the twins to narrow down the list of suspects and…!!

“…We’re screwed.”

“You just realized that now?”

…They ended up in tears seeing the great family that had emerged as the prime suspect.

Regret always comes too late.

“Mister, why are those two like that?”

“Why are they like that?”

“…They’re moved to tears.”

“Moved?”

“Why are they crying if they’re moved?”

“…You’ll understand when you’re older.”

“?”

“…That’s difficult.”

“……”

Ihan said nothing more and just patted the two children’s heads.