“It’s okay Lady Milis, as I said before, due to unavoidable circumstances I wish to avoid being known as the [Hero of Shadows].”
“I don’t really understand why, but… I remember you telling me!”
“Since Princess Nicola went out of her way to meet me, odds are it’s related to the [Hero of Shadows] business. She likely aims to squeeze every last detail out of me, back me into a corner, and finally drag me off to the royal castle.”
“Isn’t it because Phil ignored her letters?”
“I wouldn’t deny that possibility either.”
In front of the guest room Milis was first shown to, the three crouched as they talked.
No attendant-like figures were visible in the vicinity. So it seems the attendants assumed Phil would entertain the guest.
In fact, they were discussing “how to get by without interacting” but…
“If Lady Milis joins me on an outing, we’ll have ample justification! We can make excuses about being busy entertaining the Saint, and send the princess packing. With a holy woman by my side, it’ll be as easy as flipping a cup!”
“What if she says ‘I’ll wait’ though…?”
“Hic Hic…”
“Wah, I’m sorry Sir Phil! I didn’t mean to make you cry!”
“Phil’s mental state is as fragile as tofu, isn’t it? Why not go to a blacksmith and have your mental toughness forged?”
Certainly, if the Second Princess says, “I’ll wait,” Phil is at a loss.
Even though the Saintess is busy with hospitality, it’s clear to anyone that there is at least some time available in a day.
If he were to say something like, “I’m busy~,” it would inevitably be seen as, “Don’t want to meet?”
That would imply disrespect towards the royal family.
“Well, not responding to the letter probably already gave that impression.”
” No, Kahlua. It’s not that I didn’t want to write, I was just busy protecting Lady Milis. I’m not a clever guy who comes up with excuses.”
” Yeah, yeah, stop making excuses and just give up already.”
” No way! I want to live freely!”
” Gross.”
” Wow, a straight insult like a horizon. My heart, aboard the ship, is sinking.”
Despite the talk of sinking, Phil shrugs his shoulders nonchalantly.
Surprisingly calm.
“Well, we’ve confirmed that we can’t escape… so let’s stick to the original plan and try to deceive with all our might! If we continue like this, we’ll end up being the official masochistic carriage horses of the royal family.”
“What exactly do you plan to do?”
“We’ll get Lady Milis to cooperate. Specifically, by saying, ‘I thought he was the [Hero of Shadows],’ but it was a misunderstanding.”
One of the major factors contributing to the credibility of the current rumors is the “support of the Holy Maiden.”
If the Holy Maiden came all the way to meet him, it must be true─── spreading this, and hearing the rumors, Nicola probably came to check, but what if that credibility gets shattered?
It’s hard to believe that the pure Holy Maiden would lie.
That’s why those who actually heard it tend to believe it.
If Milis says it’s not true, Phil can get the recognition from the royal family that “Phil is not the [Hero of Shadows],” and lose interest.
“I don’t want to tell lies too much… but it’s Sir Phil’s request! I don’t want to cause any trouble, and to repay the favor of helping me, I’ll do my best!”
“It’s quite alright Lady Milis, don’t worry yourself over causing me trouble or owing me favors… Rather, it is I asking the favor this time, so I should be the one thanking you.”
“But, still…!”
“In the first place, I’m not doing any of this so a girl has to thank me. Rather, it’s a man’s role to provide – a favour, a thank you, a freedom.”
With a reassuring smile, Phil stroked Milis’ head as she tried interjecting.
Before the words she was about to say left her mouth, the maiden’s lips froze agape at the young man’s speech.
“Sir Phil…”
Then looking up into the face of the youth before her, her cheeks flushed ever so slightly.
Witnessing that, Kahlua thought–
(Honestly Phil… cool it with the sweet talking already.)
Kahlua let out a big sigh of envy and a little bit of jealousy.
Kahlua is closer to him than anyone else, but it doesn’t feel good to have ee someone else receive that kindness from him.
With this flirtatious man as is, she has absolutely no margin to work with.
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“Then, um…would you like to accompany me out somewhere sometime?”
“It would be my pleasure, my lady.”
Saying that, Phil slowly stood, brushing himself off.
“Kahlua, are you familiar with Nicola?”
“Well, we were close in age so somewhat familiar I guess.”
“Remember what kind of person she is?”
“True to rumor, clever and not one to let her guard down.”
“I see… well, back me up if she gets dangerous.”
“…..one lap pillow.”
“I’ll do it tonight or something, that much. Think of something else you want later on.”
Appeasing the sulking Kahlua, Phil placed his hand on the door to the guest room.
And then–
“Here’s hoping we can somehow smooth this over!”
Together with that wish, he swung the door wide open.
“Please excuse my tardiness, Lady Nicola.”
Entering the guest room, Phil’s first words were to bow his head.
A sudden unplanned visit. Lateness can’t be helped– or rather, it could be smoothed over if that were the only issue. However, the guest is royalty revered by all nobles.
Moreover, the cause of his delay was the [conversation at the entrance].
As a human being, it’s only natural he should apologize.
(Lately I haven’t been acting as rotten as usual… Could I have become a better person!? Who the hell made this good-for-nothing son grow into a fine upstanding man!?)
More the issue being so many people he’s obliged to revere coming one after another rather than him bettering himself, but either way it ultimately ends up his own fault they keep coming for him.
“Oh please, don’t worry yourself over it– Sir [Hero of Shadows].”
Brushing aside her peach-colored hair gathered at her shoulder, Nicola smiled leisurely.
An elegant posture, a curvaceous figure accentuated by her lustrous black dress that resembled the night sky, emerald eyes as the centerpiece of her lovely visage.
She seemed the type of girl one could endlessly string compliments to describe
- truly fitting to call a beauty. The princess flashed an enrapturing smile at Phil, as if to charm him.
An ordinary man would likely feel his heart race, thinking “Huh? What’s this pounding in my chest…could it be!?”
However–
“I understand you must be terribly busy, to not even respond to my letter.”
“…………”
The subsequent words would have made his cheeks cramp if they were any more sarcastic.
“(Wow, that was a preemptive jab straight to Phil’s heart… A solid blow landed, sir!)”
“(Think the next will be a straight punch? We’d better defend, or my fragile glass heart will get knocked out~)”
“(I’ll be careful not to let my guard down…) “
He distracted himself by exchanging glances with Kahlua beside him.
As always, their skill at conversing through looks alone was astounding. Small wonder they referred to each other as [partners].
“You are– “
“I-I’m Milis Almirea! P-Pleased to meet you!”
“Oh my, so you’re the rumored Saint? You really have come.”
How much information did she already grasp?
From what he could judge so far, it was that “the Saint had come” and “Phil is the [Hero of Shadows].”
Unable to excel at verbal spars, Phil wore a gloomy expression as he took his seat in time with Nicola sitting down.
“And Kahlua…it’s been awhile.”
“Yeah, it has.”
Without a hint of deference, Kahlua responded naturally.
From the lack of any rebuke, a glimpse of the closeness between the two could be seen instantly.
“While I had heard, to think you really are working as a maid…”
“Surprised, huh?”
“Of course – the daughter of a ducal family serving a single man. Not just me, anyone would be shocked. Do you know? In high society, your disappearance is still being clamored over.”
“…………”
At Nicola’s words, Kahlua fell silent.
(Well, suddenly becoming “the eldest son of an count’s attendant” would cause a commotion I guess.)
Since it’s not a normal occurrence.
Glancing at Kahlua beside him, Phil thought that much.
“Even if it’s being clamored about, my parents fine with it, so there’s no issue. Besides– no one else could understand these feelings I have, surely.”
“Fufu, indeed. Well then, we can save elaborating for a tea party invitation another time– now then,”
Nicola cut off the tangent and turned her eyes toward Phil.
They resembled those of a carnivorous beast that spotted prey.
Yet Phil switched gears to “Time to get down to business, huh” without hesitation.
“So Princess Nicola, what business brings you today?”
“The same as what I wrote in my letter.”
“I…see.”
Phil put on an understanding reaction, but having upheld his “ignore it” policy, he hadn’t actually read the letter.
He grasps it was a summons to the castle, but the purpose behind it and on what grounds they planned to summon him—without opening the letter, it goes without saying the non-esper, non-psychic Phil wouldn’t know.
In short, he doesn’t know what was written in it.
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