Volume 2 Chapter 26 Respect And Love
She thought for sure this was some kind of hideout these guys usually used.
But from what the man said, this was probably a confinement place set up by Crocus or his faction.
It was conveniently located and well-equipped, too.
They must've had their eyes on places like this from the start, getting it ready for when they needed it.
There was no evidence of that anywhere, though.
"Do you really want to trap Lady Nemophila that badly?"
"Nah, nah, what are you talking about? I'm at a loss for words if you're saying that to me."
The man smiled like he was playing dumb.
There wasn't a shred of solid evidence, but it'd be more unnatural if Crocus wasn't involved.
"You guys are the ones Sir Crocus set up, and you're doing all this roundabout stuff because you're scared of the lady's power, right?"
"...If you're talking about the First Prince, Lord Crocus, then you're way off. Our client is someone else. That person is just an intermediary who got a request from someone else, and it's pretty much impossible to trace it back to the source. It's likely the work of a faction supporting him."
"..."
So that was how they were dodging the question.
Or maybe this was all Crocus's doing.
Even if these guys got caught, they could just say they were hired by someone supporting Crocus, and Crocus wouldn't face any consequences.
They could claim it was just an overzealous supporter acting on their own, and they'd be off the hook.
It seemed like they'd made some kind of deal with Crocus.
There was also a chance that someone genuinely supporting Crocus was just going wild behind the scenes.
"I'm not sure why you want to kidnap and confine me, but I've been informed that you're deeply involved in the succession battle happening in the royal capital. I hear there was quite a commotion in the first round."
"..."
The man, who should be the one taking the biggest hit, still kept a relaxed smile.
He looked like he'd been paid a hefty sum, and he seemed to be satisfied with it.
"Looks like that sickly and timid third princess, Lady Nemophila, actually beat the second prince, Lord Hollis, in a duel? That's a huge upset, right?"
"...You sure are quick to catch on. And you seem pretty well-informed about the royal family's situation too."
"Believe it or not, I try to be diligent. The royal family and the upper class are where the money's at, you know? I make it a point to keep tabs on that kind of info."
The moment the word "money" slipped out, she could see his cheeks relax even more.
A glimpse of greed flickered in his eyes, and Kikrys felt a chill run down her spine.
She was just a servant, but she was technically connected to the royal family.
Just keeping someone like her locked up would be a serious crime, so it finally clicked why he was still smiling so confidently.
An insatiable desire for wealth.
He probably thought that as long as he got his hands on a fortune, the weight of his crimes didn't matter.
"Still, it was surprising. I didn't expect Lady Nemophila to get strong enough to overpower Lord Hollis, the Box Garden Master. I heard she went off to some rural town for training, but did something happen there?"
"..."
The green-haired guy shot her a probing look.
It seemed he didn't know about Nurturer Roezé, but he was clearly puzzled by Nemophila's rapid growth.
If you knew the power dynamics between Nemophila and Hollis, it was a fair question.
Kikrys just kept silent under the young man's gaze until he eventually shrugged in resignation.
"...Well, that's fine. Anyway, Lady Nemophila has made quite the progress, but I doubt it'll go much further. After all, her next opponent is that first prince, Lord Crocus."
"...You don't doubt that Sir Crocus will win, do you?"
"Of course. That person is a rare 'Catalyst Master' class, one of a kind in the world. I'm not really part of their faction or a supporter or anything, but I've heard a lot about their skills. It doesn't matter how strong Lady Nemophila gets."
It seemed like they were really convinced Crocus was going to win, even though they hadn't actually seen the inheritance battle.
She guessed it was understandable to think that way just from hearsay.
Only those who witnessed the recent battle knew how strong Nemophila had really become.
"Actually, let me ask you this: you don't seriously think Lady Nemophila is gonna win, do you?"
"...What do you mean?"
"Well, I apologize if my imagination is lacking, but I really can't see how that 'dim-witted' Lady Nemophila could possibly be fit to be the king of this country."
"..."
That was an insult to her master.
Something fiery ignited in Kikrys's heart.
To provoke that feeling further, the man continued with a mocking tone.
"I'm not in a position to say who should be king, being just a lowly commoner. But I can definitely say that Lady Nemophila is not fit to be a ruler."
"...Why is that?"
"I don't feel any intelligence or charisma from her at all. I've seen her before, and she's just the whiny, weak child everyone talks about."
In front of Kikrys, who clenched her small fist in silence, the man went on.
"She has no charm, and the expectations from her family are low. I really can't see how she could govern a nation. No one wants her to win. Honestly, I'd be embarrassed to have a king like that 'big doll' in the country I live in."
"..."
She shouldn't provoke the culprit.
She knew that in her head.
They were dangerous folks who'd easily commit crimes for money.
It'd be best to just brush off their nonsense.
But after hearing her beloved master being belittled, Kikrys couldn't stay silent.
"...My lady won't lose."
"...What's that?"
"My lady won't lose to Sir Crocus...! She is the one truly worthy of leading the next generation of the Compost Kingdom...! What you're saying is completely wrong!"
It had been a long time since she let out a scream.
She never thought she'd end up doing it in a place and situation like this.
The young man, upon hearing it, suddenly stopped moving, and his smile gradually faded away.
Eventually, he stood up from his chair with a blank expression and approached her.
Slap!
Before she knew it, his right hand flashed, and a burning pain shot through her left cheek.
"Ugh...!"
"I haven't heard the full story, but I understand you're an important person involved in the succession war. You seem to know that yourself. But if you think you'll be sent back unscathed because of that, you're dead wrong."
As she struggled with the pain in her cheek, the man crouched down to meet her gaze and lifted her chin sharply.
"If you make too much noise, I'm allowed to hurt you just enough to keep you alive. So it'd be wise to refrain from making reckless comments. I understand the urge to make excuses, but don't provoke us too much. You'll come back with more scars than wrinkles."
"..."
Her cheek hurt.
The rare pain made Kikrys feel fear and lose her words.
However, more than that, the anger of having her master insulted naturally moved her mouth.
"This is not an excuse. This is an undeniable fact."
"...Oh?"
"My lady is the one most suited to be the next king. She has the talent that many recognize."
"Hmm, doesn't seem that way to me. When it comes to intelligence and charisma, she doesn't even come close to Mr. Crocus or Mr. Hollis. If anything, I might be closer to being king than she is."
The green-haired man taunted Nemophila with a mocking challenge.
She knew she should hold back, but Kikrys found herself responding without thinking.
"You're right, maybe the lady still lacks both intelligence and charisma. But..."
She glared at the man in front of her, trying to resist as best as she could.
"When it comes to class, she's definitely several levels above."
"...Looks like you want to be a training dummy, huh?"
In an instant, a sharp slap flew to her left cheek.
The impact made her body tilt sideways.
He quickly got up and delivered a merciless kick right there.
It wasn't just one hit; pain shot through her face and stomach multiple times.
"After going through this, you're the one who's unlucky! Just because you ended up with a master who's not all there! Now you're stuck feeling this pain!"
"Ugh... Guh...!"
Suffering from the relentless pain, Kikrys shook her head in her mind.
No.
She had never thought of herself as unfortunate.
She was very happy to be Nemophila's servant.
A mere servant from the slums becoming a princess's attendant.
It wasn't that it had inherent value; she simply enjoyed every day spent with Nemophila.
Though she often got called cold, she knew the kindness of that person.
'Here, I'm giving this to Kikrys. I remember you said you liked this flower.'
'I might not be that good at it, but I tried knitting gloves for you. You looked cold this season.'
'I want to become king and help the slums. I want to repay Kikrys for everything.'
It's true that Nemophila still had a long way to go to become a great king.
But she was more considerate of others than anyone else and had a kind heart.
That alone was something no one could beat.
Kikrys had no doubt about Nemophila's victory.
"My master is the one most suited to be the next king! You don't understand anything!"
"...Looks like you're already losing it. It seems that an old man who can't keep his mouth shut won't learn until he feels some pain."
The man stopped kicking and lifted a sharp-edged "chair" that was next to him.
Then, he put all his strength into raising it high above his head.
...I have no regrets.
I just spoke the truth.
The one who's wrong is this guy.
"Regret your reckless words and foolishness from the bottom of your heart!!!"
"──Ugh!"
Bracing for pain, Kikrys closed her eyes.
In that instant──.
"You're the one."
A voice from someone unseen echoed through the room.
Reflexively opening her eyes, she saw a green-haired man frozen in an unnatural position.
It looked like he was being "held down" by something.
Soon, behind him, the scenery warped like a mirage, and someone emerged from the empty space.
A young man with silver hair, dressed in a simple black coat and white shirt.
"Ro, Sir Roezé...!"
Ignoring the surprised Kikrys, Roezé flashed his right hand while restraining the green-haired man.
With his left hand, he covered the man's mouth, and with the knife in his right hand, he skillfully grazed the man's neck.
"...! ...!!!"
The man, marked with a "shallow cut" on his neck, dropped the chair and struggled to scream for a while.
But even that was futile, and soon he rolled his eyes back and fell silent.
Moments later, he completely lost consciousness and collapsed weakly to the ground.
As Kikrys stood there in a daze, unsure of what had just happened, Roezé spoke up to bring her back to reality.
"Thank you for waiting, Ms. Kikrys."
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