At that moment, I was truly grateful Diana wasn’t present. Although it was meddlesome, what he did for her sake wasn’t in vain. Good deeds done for others will eventually return as good things for oneself…truly an embodiment of the phrase “Compassion is its own reward.” Then, Farah, who had been watching and listening to our exchange, addressed Raycis coldly and dismissively.
“Brother. Lord Reed is here to deepen his relationship with me as a potential marriage candidate. If it’s about apologizing for the other day’s discourtesy, I have no objections. However, if it’s about your romantic affairs, I would appreciate it if you brought it up another time. For today, I suggest you excuse yourself.”
Raycis seemed to sense something from Farah’s overwhelmingly cold aura. He faltered and cleared his throat.
“Ah, you’re right. My apologies. Then I shall take my leave now. Lord Reed, I once again apologize for my rudeness the other day.”
Raycis gave a slight bow as he spoke.
“No, no. I really am alright now, so…”
As I shook my head lightly in response, Raycis smiled and continued.
“I’m relieved to hear you say so. Also, please do look into the matter with Tia…”
“Brother!? That’s enough!!”
However, at that moment, Farah raised her angry voice over his words. She immediately stood up, pushed Raycis’ back, and forced him out of the room. Then, as if telling him not to stop her, she coldly told the dumbfounded Raycis outside:
“Please do not come here again today. If you do, I may come to hate you, Brother!!”
“Farah!? That’s going too far…”
Before Raycis’ agonizing voice could reach them, the room’s sliding door was shut with a “pishyari” sound by Farah. She returned to where she had been sitting earlier, plopped down, and cleared her throat while gazing at me.
“Ah, I will absolutely never hand over Lord Reed to someone like my brother…!!”
“Wha…?! Let me be clear, I’m devoted solely to Farah, and have no interest in anyone else!!”
“Eh…?!”
Suddenly, Farah’s face turned red with a “bon!!” sound, and she lowered her head while twitching her ears up and down.
“Ah…”
Realizing the meaning of what I had just said, I let out a surprised breath and lowered my reddening face. After a brief silence, Asna, who had been watching our exchange, muttered softly.
“…That’s quite a feast.”
For a little while after that, Farah and I both had flushed red faces. But if this kept up, the conversation wouldn’t progress. Clearing my throat with an intentional “ahem”, I gazed at her gently.
“Farah…shall we get the conversation back on track?”
“Eh? Y-Yes!! You’re right…”
Earlier, our talk about Eltia had been derailed when Raycis barged in partway through. Just as we were trying to steer it back, a soldier’s voice could be heard from outside the room.
“Excuse me. A member of the Baldia Knight Order named Nels has arrived to guard Lord Reed. How shall we proceed?”
Nels…now who might that be? Unfortunately, I can’t quite recall the faces of everyone in the Baldia knights. So far, my only real connections are Reubens and Diana. But he must be Diana’s replacement. As Farah looked at me for confirmation, I nodded, and she instructed the soldier to let Nels in. Shortly after, a voice echoed from outside the room.
“Pardon my intrusion. I am Knight Nels of the Baldia Knight Order. I have been tasked by Lord Reiner to guard Lord Reed. May I enter Lady Farah’s chambers?”
The voice was unmistakably male. At that moment, I was struck by the realization – that’s right, aside from Diana, all the knights were men. I turned to Farah and Asna and inquired,
“Sorry, I think all the knights except Diana are male. Is it okay if he comes in?”
After exchanging glances and nodding, Farah responded to Nels outside.
“Knight Nels of the Baldia Knight Order, you are permitted to enter.”
“Very well, excuse me.”
As Nels entered through the open sliding door, his height seemed around Reubens’. With brown hair, blue eyes, and a strikingly slender gaze, there was something vaguely familiar about him. I felt like I had seen him interacting frequently with Reubens and Diana on our way to Renalute. Slowly approaching us, he spoke in a polite tone.
“As I mentioned earlier, I have been instructed by Lord Reiner to guard Lord Reed. Please allow me to stand nearby until Diana returns.”
Nels bowed towards the three of us. As he lifted his head, I smiled and nodded back at him.
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT GADGETIZEDPANDA.COM
“Got it. Nels, nice to meet you. And no need to be so formal – I’ve seen you joking around merrily with Reubens and Diana before, right?”
“Thank you, I am honored that Lord Reed would say such a thing. And…”
“And…?”
Nels glanced sideways at Farah and Asna before smiling gently.
“I had heard that Lady Farah is exceedingly lovely, and that she and Lord Reed make quite the perfect couple. So I had hoped for a chance to meet her, which makes this guarding duty a great honor.”
“Cough cough!? Nels, what are you saying so suddenly?”
Taken aback by his unexpected words, I coughed out a warning. Farah’s face had reddened and her ears were twitching, while Asna’s expression remained unchanged though she seemed to be observing Nels intently. Taking a deep breath with my hand on my forehead, I fixed Nels with a stern gaze.
“That ‘perfect couple’ and ‘great honor’ stuff is nice to hear. But being told that to our faces is, well, embarrassing for Farah and me. Could you maybe restrain yourself a little there…?”
Seeing our reddened faces, Nels seemed to realize something and bowed again.
“My sincerest apologies, that was improper of me. It seems the two of you have already connected deeply, which is wonderful. The truth is, I know a pair who have been excruciatingly slow in progressing…”
“Ahaha…I see…”
I forced a laugh to brush off his words, though I muttered internally, (Saying unnecessary things again…) Still, I had an inkling of who these slow progressors might be – likely those two.
“I had been worried Lord Reed might be influenced by them…but no, that was terribly presumptuous of me. My deepest apologies.”
Despite Nels’ breezy delivery, there was an odd lack of offense in his words. If Reubens had said the same, I might have snapped “Who are you to talk?!” But from Nels, I sensed not anger, but more a feeling of bemused exasperation – the quintessential ‘lovable fool’, if you will. I let out a sigh.
“It’s fine, but please watch what you say from now on, especially here in the heart of another nation.”
“Understood.”
Nels nodded with a smile, then turned his gaze to Farah and Asna.
“Lady Farah, Lady Asna. I have overstepped terribly. Please accept my apologies.”
After politely apologizing and bowing, Nels received a slightly bashful response from Farah.
“N-No, please don’t worry about it. But, um…are people in the knight order really talking about…that?”
Hearing her words, Nels broke into a broad grin.
“Indeed. Ever since Lord Reiner and Lord Reed met you, Lady Farah, their smiles have increased tremendously. Diana has also mentioned how close the two of you seem. As such, there is nonstop chatter in the order about how perfectly matched you and Lord Reed are.”
“Is that so…Lord Reed and I are a perfect match…”
Farah smiled happily, her face reddening as she cupped her cheeks with both hands and lowered her gaze. Her twitching ears suggested she was about to squeal with delight – no doubt pleased that others were gossiping about their closeness. Her adorable demeanor brought a slight flush to my own cheeks.
Yet whether Nels was being intentionally brazen or just delightfully oblivious, I had to admire how easily he could speak such teeth-grittingly candid words. In a way, it might be worth learning from him. Just as I thought that, Asna, who had been silent until now, addressed Nels in a firm tone.
“Sir Nels, I have been observing you, and your movements betray no openings. If I may ask boldly, what is your level of strength compared to others in the knight order?”
“Hm…?”
I was taken aback by Asna’s question, but Nels casually responded.
“My strength, you ask? Well, to put it plainly for you, Lady Asna, above Diana’s level. Around equal to Reubens, or perhaps a tad below.”
“I see, so you possess remarkable skill. If Lord Reed and the princess permit it, I would propose a mock battle with Sir Nels.”
As she spoke, Asna’s eyes sparkled as she turned that radiant gaze towards us. Nels, however, maintained his nonchalant composure despite the talk of sparring. Farah seemed oblivious, still smiling with a reddened face as her ears flicked up and down. Meanwhile, I took a deep breath with my hand on my forehead and firmly addressed Asna and Nels.
“A mock battle is absolutely out of the question!!”
As the conversation kept getting derailed again and again, preventing any progress with Farah, I could only bury my face in my hands.
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