TSPGD 09

Chapter 9

In the end, since he didn’t take my hand, I awkwardly withdrew it.

Yure stared at my hand for a moment before speaking in a perfectly normal manner, without a hint of his usual perverted behavior.

“It is rare for a commoner to have business at the Grand Duke’s castle. They don’t even hire servants very often.”

Come to think of it, he was probably right.

Apparently, I’d made a mistake.

So I needed to at least make it clear that I wasn’t someone with malicious intentions who meant to harm the Grand Duke.

“Don’t worry. I’m not going there to harm His Grace the Grand Duke.”

“Is your target the Grand Duke?”

I tilted my head in surprise at his words.

It was strange how casually he referred to the lord he supposedly served.

It’s like my department manager saying, ‘Our director, you know……’

As I frowned at the contradiction, he clicked his tongue.

“Are you perhaps going there to take revenge on the Grand Duke?”

“What?”

Once again, I couldn’t understand what Yure meant, so I tilted my head.

Revenge? Revenge against a Sword Master?

Just as I was thinking that, Yure answered on his own.

“There are occasionally people who come to take revenge on the Grand Duke for their sisters or daughters.”

“Oh.”

Only then did I understand what Yure meant.

So his promiscuous private life has caused him plenty of trouble afterward.

Apparently, he’d had to deal with the families of the women he’d discarded.

Well…… I suppose that’s understandable.

Nobles valued their honor above all else, so even if they didn’t want to, there were times when they had to step forward for the sake of their family’s honor.

Later, I realized that they were actually just demanding more money, but what could I do about having misunderstood them because I didn’t know?

Anyway, what a troublesome curse.

I clicked my tongue and shrugged, and he gave a faint chuckle.

“It would be best if you didn’t pick a fight with the Grand Duke.”

To clear up his serious misunderstanding, I carefully explained.

“I’m not trying to get revenge on His Grace the Grand Duke.”

“Then what business do you have there?”

“I don’t think I have any reason to tell you that.”

“I am a knight of the Grand Duchy of Brüllhardt.”

“Does being a knight mean you have to know everything?”

“At least something like this.”

I let out a long sigh.

I was at a disadvantage right now, so I gave up on saying anything more.

Besides, I was starving.

“Ugh. I’m hungry, so let’s eat first and talk.”

I didn’t know whether mealtime was already over, but I felt like I needed to go outside and find something—anything—to eat.

As I awkwardly got to my feet and tried to leave the room, Yure stopped me.

“Mealtime is probably over.”

“Then we can just make something ourselves.”

“This is a place used by the general public. You can’t walk around outside the designated hours.”

“Ah…… but I’m so hungry.”

“The rule is meant to prevent possible crimes. You’ll have to endure it.”

Breakfast was the only thing I’d eaten.

On top of that, I’d burned a tremendous number of calories running around like crazy.

This isn’t the kind of hunger I can just endure.

Even if mealtime was over, I felt like I needed to find even a few crumbs of bread to survive.

My intense hunger was gradually beginning to overpower my reason.

“Ah, whatever.”

Ignoring Yure’s warning, I left the room.

Naturally, Yure followed behind me.

“Why are you following me?”

“Because you’re going.”

“Be quiet.”

“Your voice is louder.”

“Ugh.”

In fact, Yure made surprisingly little noise when he walked despite his enormous build.

Do knights practice things like that too?

I gave him a casual sideways glance and went down to the first floor.

The interior was similar to an inn.

There appeared to be a dining area on the first floor, while the rooms seemed to begin from the second floor.

“Wow. All the lights really are off.”

As I looked around the empty interior, I suddenly heard someone approaching.

“Huh!”

Startled by the unexpected presence, I grabbed Yure’s arm and pulled him along.

Then I hurried behind the counter and crouched down.

Of course, I wrapped both arms around Yure’s head and forced him down as well because of his enormous size.

Thump, thump.

I didn’t know why I was hiding, but I felt like we absolutely couldn’t get caught.

They say this place is managed by Brüllhardt knights…….

Come to think of it, there was no reason for me to hide.

Wasn’t Yure himself a knight?

If so, my identity was already vouched for.

I was just about to stand up when—

Grab! Whoosh!

A sudden pulling force dragged me along, and I ended up falling straight into Yure’s arms.

“Huh?”

My face slammed into his warm chest, which was bare except for a single shirt, and I involuntarily made a sound.

Yure immediately covered my mouth.

“Mmph!”

“Shh.”

Still held in Yure’s arms, I struggled with his hand covering my mouth.

“Mmph, mmph.”

As I struggled, my face was squashed against his firm chest.

Thump, thump, thump.

His heart was pounding rapidly.

When I squirmed at the sound, Yure pulled me even more tightly against him.

Wait! He said he was a knight too! So why is he hiding?!

I couldn’t understand it, but I eventually stopped struggling because I had no strength left.

I let my body go limp and breathed softly.

“Haa……”

When my hot breath filled his palm, Yure seemed startled and removed his hand from my lips.

As soon as his hand moved away, I hurriedly gulped in the air I had been deprived of.

“Haaah.”

Thump, thump, thump.

Even then, Yure’s heart continued pounding rapidly.

With my head hazy from lack of air, I began seriously questioning him.

Is he actually not a knight?

Maybe that was possible.

Perhaps he’d caused a commotion at the Grand Duchy of Brüllhardt, been kicked out, and was now wanted because he couldn’t pay compensation.

The wild speculation began to bloom in my mind, and somehow it seemed plausible.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

Meanwhile, the footsteps gradually grew farther away, followed by the sound of the door opening and closing.

The moment the strength in Yure’s arms relaxed, I looked up sharply and spoke.

“Yure. You’re not a knight, are you?”

“Huh?”

Yure’s blue eyes widened in surprise, and both of his ears turned red.

Using his firm chest for support, I pressed against him and leaned my face closer.

“If you’re a knight too, why are you hiding? This place is managed by the Grand Duchy’s knights.”

“W-wait. Move away.”

“Answer me first.”

When I grabbed the front of Yure’s shirt and held on, his cheeks turned red.

“L-let go.”

“Answer me.”

“……Ugh.”

“Hurry up. Are you a knight?”

At my question, Yure lowered his head.

Looking closely, even the back of his neck had turned red.

He was trembling beneath me.

What’s wrong with him?

Before I could figure it out, he suddenly answered.

“I’m not a knight.”

“What? You’re really not a knight?”

“……That’s right.”

“Then why did you say you were one?”

“It’s…… I’m going to become a knight eventually, so isn’t it basically the same thing?”

So he wasn’t even a knight-in-training.

Even with that level of skill?

I couldn’t understand it, but at that moment, my stomach began to rumble.

Grrrrrrrrr.

It was an enormous sound.

My face turned red with embarrassment, and I quickly slipped out of his arms.

“Ahem. Let’s eat something first.”

I immediately went into the kitchen and rummaged through everything.

Fortunately, there was still some bread and soup left.

“Ooh.”

I divided them onto two plates and handed one to Yure.

Then I devoured my portion in an instant.

“Wow…… The soup is cold, but it’s still delicious.”

The bread had hardened a little too, but I didn’t really care.

I was eating mindlessly for quite some time when—

“Sugar.”

“Mm?”

“Eat slowly. If it’s not enough, you can have mine too.”

I looked at the food he hadn’t even touched and pursed my lips.

Why isn’t he eating?

We’d probably have a difficult day tomorrow too, so I decided that he must simply think he’d already eaten enough and took his plate.

He smiled faintly and spoke.

“Sugar. How old are you?”

“Twenty.”

“Have you ever heard the rumors about the Grand Duke of Brüllhardt?”

“What rumors? That he’s a womanizer and a pervert?”

“……Yes. Even so, do you still have business with the Grand Duke?”

“Hmm.”

I eventually put down the spoon I was holding and let out a long sigh.

If I didn’t tell him something, I felt like he would keep asking me why all the way to the Grand Duke’s castle.

So I decided to simply tell him the truth.

“Yes. I’m going to seduce His Grace the Grand Duke.”

“Cough—W-what?”

“He changes lovers every month, right? There’s nothing saying his lover can’t be a man, is there?”

“No.”

“How do you know that when you’re not even a knight?”

“Ahem. I have my ways of knowing. Anyway, no.”

“What are you talking about? I’m going anyway.”

“He’s a scumbag who changes his mistress every month, and you want to become one?”

“Yes, yes. That’s what I’m saying.”

I answered casually and picked up my spoon again.

Yure seemed more concerned about me becoming a mistress than about the fact that I was a man.

“I hear he calls them his concubines and does all sorts of strange things to them.”

“Yep.”

“I’ve also heard that he walks around the Grand Duke’s castle naked. And that he gets involved with every woman inside the castle.”

“Wow. What a philanthropist.”

“Huh? Is that all? Even though he plays around so disgustingly, he throws them away like toys afterward?”

“……Yure. Did the Grand Duke do something to you?”

Otherwise, I couldn’t understand how I was supposed to interpret the things he was saying.

At my question, Yure finally fell silent.

Then he turned slightly toward me and spoke.

“……Never mind. If that’s what you want, then so be it.”

“Yes. Well. That’s how it is.”

He gave me a wistful look.

“When you’ve finished eating, wash up and go to sleep. Tomorrow will be a long journey.”

“……Okay.”

Yure, who seemed to have a lot on his mind, stood up and headed toward the second floor.

I stared at him and tilted my head.

Does he really have some kind of story behind him?

Strangely, the uneasy feeling wouldn’t go away.

Still, I finished every last bit of the remaining food.

After eating, I stood up feeling pleasantly full.

But then I ran into a small problem.

It happened when I stood in front of the communal showers to wash up.

I encountered Yure at the fork where the paths divided into men’s and women’s areas.

“……”

“……”

“Going to wash?”

“No. You go first.”

I was about to quietly step back and turn around when—

Tap.

Yure suddenly grabbed my wrist.

Then he curled the corner of his mouth into a grin.

“Why don’t we wash together?”

“No. I’m fine.”

“Why? Is it because you’re a woman?”