< Running Away from the Hero! Side Stories A certain imperial princesss reminiscence (15) >
#19 Their circumstances: A certain villains circumstance.
Urgh...
While staring at a piece of white paper, I couldnt help but groan at length.
It might seem like an ordinary piece of paper to you but, in reality, its a secret letter written in code sent by the organisation.
While the first half was filled with praises for my actions, the second half was full of passionate writing about the consequences of my potential betrayal.
If I was to summarise it, itd be sothing like, Dont even think that you can live in peace in this continent
if you betray us.
Im not a fan of this type of aggroing, though...
So among the still active spies of the organisation definitely possessed noble titles. However, most of them had been a part of the organisation from the very beginning or had received its help to beco nobles later on.
A case like mine, where soone was suddenly granted a peerage, was practically unheard of in the organisations history.
Obviously, receiving peerage indicated that you have perford ritorious service for the empires cause.
However, what was the ultimate goal of the villainous organisation, Howling? Wasnt it to topple the empire and regain the lost forr glory?
Even if it was for the purpose of infiltrating the imperial court, the organisation would never do sothing that directly aided the empire.
But heres the little old , doing sothing that massively helped the empire out!
Even those oh-so-wonderful geniuses praised for the incredible discovery thatd go on to change the established paradigm of warfare, didnt they!
Thankfully, my overzealous persuasion managed to keep the organisations threats to only this much. I argued that my flabbergast-inducing theory could only be brought to reality through the Imperial Princesss genius-level intellect.
If I had failed to convince them, then I might have ended up assassinated by the organisation even though I was one of their assassins, to begin with!
Gee whiz, I wanna quit this crap as soon as possible.
So parts of the secret letter contained the evaluation of my first batch of disciples. And the results were quite eye-catching, alright.
They said that my disciples were destined to beco the greatest talents in the history of Howling! To think these kids trained for only one year were evaluated even better than the agents who had been active since the beginning!
Good going, my disciples!
Keep it up, and help to raise the evaluation of your teacher, , to much greater heights!
Only then will I be able to return and get my old job back as the instructor!
You see, your dear teacher is currently being tortured in a den of evil even more treacherous than the villainous organisation, also known as the imperial court!
-This is your couppance, sir.
-Even for the sake of your juniors, maybe you should spend the rest of your life in that place...?
...Mm?
It kinda felt like I heard the voices of my disciples just now. However, there was simply no way theyd be here with in this place.
I probably imagined hearing things since my condition lately hadnt been so good.
There was no way that my kind disciples would utter such cruel and evil-sounding things to .
Today was yet another fruitless waste of ti, huh.
After setting the letter alight to destroy all evidence, I climbed into my bed to get so shut-eye.
Being a direct subordinate of the Imperial Princess ant that every day was a pain in the neck. But my life here was made just a bit more comfortable than regular butlers as I was given a private suite and a really comfy bed. That was about it, though.
If the first bed I used right after entering the imperial court was like coffee from a vending machine, then my current bed was like Star*ucks!
Although, you shouldnt worry about the taste and just compare their pricing, which will make it easier for you to understand the comparison.
How would I have survived without this healing ti for myself~.
This bed was slightly too large for one person, but two people couldve squeezed in just fine. And rolling around on such a bed at the end of the day was my brief but important break ti.
Thats why I will not forgive anyone who dares to interrupt my well-deserved rest!
Knock, knock...
Didnt I say I wont forgive you?!
The mont I finished saying that to myself, soone knocked on my damn door. To think that soone would knock on the door of a single man in the middle of the night!
This is making really nervous, you know?
Isnt it like, they are looking for because of so unsavoury incident or sothing has happened?
Sir Ast... Are you in?
That slightly shaky voice sounded way too familiar for my liking.
No, Im not in, Da Reia.
Ah, I see. Apologies for bothering you... W-wait a minute, thats not it! Youre in your room, arent you?!
Tch.
I figured that itd be easy enough to fool Da Reia since, well, its her and all. Unfortunately for , though, she seed to have realised it was after walking away for about three steps or so.
S-sir Ast? Is it possible for you to spare a few monts of your ti?
No.
N-no hesitation whatsoever?! A-all I need is just a few monts, sir!
Snore...
Pretending to be asleep wont work, sir!
Zzzz...
I told you, it wont work! N-no, wait! Before that, if youre trying to pretend, at least do it more convincingly, will you!
Kyaaa~aahk! Help, an esteed daughter of a noble house is trying to invade a room of an unmarried man!
Sothing about that sounds all wrong, but anyway, its useless, sir! I knew Sir Ast might try sothing like this, so I already cast a soundproof barrier to ensure that no noise will leak outside!
You animal!
What do you even an by that?!
You even cut off all sounds from leaking out?!
What are you planning to do to this weak and vulnerable , Da Reia?!
E-even if I missed the right timing for my marriage, I, I still have opportunities left, Ill have you know! Besides, students educated in academies or currently serving knights do get married even past the age of 25, too! N-no, before all that!
Id rather stay single for the rest of my life instead of preying on you, Sir Ast!
Da Reia shouted back at with a voice filled with such conviction.
Excuse ?! If you say the last part with such conviction, thats gonna leave a scar in my heart, you know!
To declare so confidently that youd never prey on and all?!
...Fine. What brings you here?
Since she managed to inflict a bit of a wound on , I wanted to bully her back so more, so I opened the door a little and peeked my head outside.
Bullying soone while staring at their face was the best, after all.
Actually...
With a slightly awkward face, she pushed forward a piece of docunt-like paper. If you thought about it as this worlds A4 paper, then itd be easy enough for you to understand its size and intended purpose.
Is this supposed to be your report, maam?
Th sourc of this conte/nt n/o/v/(l)bi((n))
Y-yes...
Seeing how Da Reia was ever so sneakily avoiding my direct stare, I could more or less figure out what compelled her to show up in front of my room.
She mustve failed to solve the howork our dear First Imperial Princess gave her earlier today and sought out for my expertise.
However, why does it have to be , Da Reia?!
H-Her Highness decreed that I must not receive the assistance of other people, and thats why...
In that case, why ?
Sir Ast is an exception.
Whats this? Why was I an exception? Wait, could this be that sneaky Imperial Princesss trap?!
A trap of that princess to make work even more?
Even if thats true, I gotta teach Da Reia of all people?!
Why am I an exception, maam?
Well, Her Highness doesnt treat you like a human being, thats why.
Cough!
I almost fainted right there and then from Da Reias unexpected precision strike.
S-Sir Ast?!
What made it even more painful was that she wasnt even aiming to hurt in the first place. She was simply being honest!
Whats this? Whats up with her pure, innocent eyes looking at with such concern?!
Thats hurting even more, so stop looking at like that!
...Do your best, Da Reia.
N-no, wait a minute!
I bade her farewell and quickly tried to close the door. As expected of a swordmaster, however with a blindly-quick movent, she shoved her hand past the doors open gap and stopped from closing the door.
You might have cast a soundproof barrier to stop noises from leaking out, but people can still see you, cant they?! A grown-up lady acting this way will not leave a good impression, maam!
Well, in that case, there might soon be a huge rumour circulating, then! Sir Ast and I, as a couple! When that happens, surely my older brother will beco significantly interested in you, too. Sir Ast!
This wench!
I did feel this back when she was fighting the heavenly sword, but seriously now, why am I still getting the feeling that shes growing leaps and bounds in thewrong direction?!
As an aside, my family? Our house is a marquess household! I repeat, a marquess household!
Keu-heuk!
A marquess? Below the emperor was grand duke, then duke and right below that was marquess!
Not only that, wasnt her family one of the Ten Absolute Families, an entity as mighty as the sky itself to people like calling the imperial court their ho?!
If you obediently open this door and agree to consult , then Sir Ast, I believe no large scale calamity will befall you.
N-no large scale calamity, you say...
My house might be a family of soldiers, but my father walks a different path from the previous heads of the family. Yes, its as you have guessed it, hes the chancellor of this nation! One of the closest confidante of His Majesty, no less!
I-it cant be?!
The reason why I serve Her Highness is all because of my fathers influence! Yes, thats right. Just one letter from my father, then never mind baron, Sir Ast, you might even beco a viscount right away!
Keu-heuuuuk...
I was left with no choice but to admit my defeat.
Just by being a asly little baron, I was already under the intense scrutiny of the imperial court and the organisation. So, how awful would the trials and tribulations besieging be once I beco a viscount?
The threat of the organisation trying to assassinate would surely go up, while the nobles of the imperial court would surely start whispering behind my back whenever they see my figure.
Not only that, people who consider their political opponent or a ans to climb their career ladder would start buzzing around even more than ever!
As for that rumour circulating within the maids and butlers, the one about Viscount Ast is actually an illegitimate child of a high-ranking noble? At this rate, itd gain a few new unsavoury aspects without a doubt.
I dearly, truly did not want to deal with the aftermaths of such an event.
...Please, co inside.
But, Im already inside, Sir Ast? Da Reia quickly closed the door shut before anyone could witness her, then scanned the interior of my room with a surprised face. Unexpectedly, its a lot cleaner than I thought.
What do you an, unexpectedly? Maam, butlers have to be clean and neat at all tis.
My job was to clean up the sses left behind Her Highness as well as this woman, Da Reia.
Other mbers of the imperial family had specific maids assigned to take care of their ss. However, the Imperial Princess terrified the palaces maids so much that they had to work in monthly rotational shifts.
Alright, now... Which part has gotten you stuck, maam? I sighed softly after my only rest period had gone down the drain.
The one responsible, Da Reia, smiled sheepishly with an expression that said she was sorry. My apologies, Sir Ast. But this was so difficult and all...
Well, its you were talking about, after all.
What... what is the aning of your attitude, sir!
Da Reia, Id wager that your initial suspicion of my attitude was right on the money all along.
She tutted unhappily at my retort, but the person in a tight spot right now was Reia, not . She seed to be well aware of this fact because she quickly got down to the main topic at hand. From the beginning, Sir Ast.
Huh, huhuh...
Regardless of what, she was acknowledged as the continents youngest swordmaster, so wasnt that revelation just too irresponsible of her?!
What do you an, from the beginning?! Are you trying to tell you cant think of anything? Not even one?
Yes!
Why are you nodding your head as if its only par for the course?! A powerful migraine began assaulting my head just then. ...Ive already told Her Highness my opinion on the matter.
Yes, Im aware of that. I was there, too.
And I dont have any other opinion to offer besides that one, you see?
My opinion was based more or less on my impression of how the First World War began.
Well, sure. The event in question was different from the Sarajevo incident where the culprit was apprehended right after the brazen assassinations of the royals. However, it did bless with sothing to talk about, didnt it?
D-dont you have any other opinion on the matter, Sir Ast?
Yes, I do not.
I might be a liberal arts graduate, but my forr school didnt teach us world history. All I knew was so general knowledge-level stuff since I never dived in too deeply into this subject.
If this matter reaches the ears of my father, I... I will be too ashad to even speak to him, Sir Ast.
Oh, and you arent too ashad to speak to him now? Obviously, I couldnt say that out aloud.
This was my room. Even I couldnt tell how low the imperial courts evaluation of would fall if my bullying caused her to run out of my room in tears.
No, hang on a second. Never mind falling evaluation, every lady knight of the imperial court might gang up and beat half to death first.
As such, the best course of action right now would be to just say whatever was necessary and make her get out of here, pronto!
In that case, how about writing this and that?
This and that? Such as? Da Reia suddenly started staring at with her eyes visibly sparkling away.
Yup, as expected. Shes a... good kid.
There was a certain pleasure in stepping on the fresh pure-white snow falling in the middle of Winter that no one else had the chance to walk on just yet.
All things pure and white in existence were ant to be dyed in darkness eventually, after all.
Alright, so. Like this, this, this, and this. Aaand in here, this, this...
While feeling like a certain ten-year-old girl who was called a genius in Korean Chess, I repeated the word this multiple tis during my diligent guidance of Da Reia.
Its finished! But, uhm... wait, isnt this basically the sa thing as what you already said, Sir Ast?!
Its fine. Fine, I say. Look, the wording is all different.
No, its not fine at all! Theres no way Her Highness wouldnt notice this!
Of course she will notice it.
Id have believed you if you told that that little kid of Imperial Princess possessed the mories of her past life like .
The wording might have been changed a bit, but the contents were exactly the sa, so that kid would obviously see through the report in a heartbeat.
But Da Reia, whats important to you right now is that this report will reach your family, isnt it? As long as its good enough not to embarrass the prestige of your family, then it will be fine.
T-that is true, but still...
If I was being honest, I couldnt care any less even if I tried.
Co tomorrow, Id have to re-navigate the life in the imperial court filled with more annoying matters. So, I simply couldnt afford to give up on my precious few healing ti like this.
As such, I relied on the ti-worn technique of Talk-no-Jutsu to convince the unhappy-looking Da Reia and made her retreat from my room.
And Id co to bitterly regret my decision a few months later.
#20 Their circumstances: A certain noble familys circumstance.
This... my Reia wrote this?
Actually, she said that the exclusive butler working alongside her for Her Highness lent his aid in compiling this report, father.
Currently, two n were staring at a five-page report while racking their brains.
You fool, thats not important right now! Reia... That child, Reia, she... Even if she received outside help, she actually went and wrote up a five-page report!
Five pages!
Sniff...Yes, youre correct, father. Not just any report, but one written with comndable effort and content, too!
Sniff...
Yes, youre correct, father. Not just any report, but one written with comndable effort and content, too!
If sothing like this was possible, we wouldnt have been put through such a wringer in the first place, correct?
Yes, father. Youre correct.
Here were the head of the Areis family and his successor, tearing up emotionally while staring at Reias report. Not just any family, but one of the Ten Absolute Families that served the current emperor and his most beloved First Imperial Princess, no less!
My Reia... Reia who is basically an idiot in everything else besides swordsmanship, she...
F-father...
The head of the Areis Family, who was sotis referred to as the Iron-blooded Chancellor, started shedding thick drops of tears right there and then.
Father, this is an opportunity.
What do you an, son?
Lets use this opportunity to... get her hitched, father.
The one saying these words was Reias older brother, the successor of the Areis family.
Regel lil Areis stared at his father with a very serious expression.
Son, do you believe he will be a good match to Reias status?
He started off as a commoner. But in less than three years, his ability allowed him to reach the peerage of baron, father. And hes also the closest confidante of Her Highness the First Imperial Princess.
Even if thats the case...
He even made Reia use her head, father. May I remind you, no one in our household has managed to achieve that impossible feat, father!
Keuh-heuk...
And also... father, are you telling that you still hold hope for Reias prospects?
Keuh-euuuuk...
This is a heaven-sent opportunity, father. Since they have spent so much ti together, he must be well aware of what Reias nature is really like. As such, he probably is under no grand delusion, aning his... shock would not be as drastic. Regel continued to state his case.
As the patriarch of the Areis Family and the caring father of Reia lil Areis, the family head had to carefully weigh his options over and over again. Eventually, he...
Yes, lets get her engaged to that man.
...He decided to trust the opinion of his successor.
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