I Became the Master of the Devil

“I understand, Your Royal Highness.”

 

I found those round cheeks that were leaning toward me cute, so I nodded.

 

“I’ll go see Your Royal Highness soon.”

 

“…”

 

But at that moment, I felt Ash staring at me quietly. This is not the time to be like this. The royal princess’s cuteness almost drove me out of my mind, but I couldn’t forget the person hiding behind the wall.

 

“So, I’ll say goodbye for today, Your Royal Highness. There are a lot of scary, ugly bugs here, so it’s dangerous, and the air here is bad.”

 

I winked at the gathered Felicite knights.

 

“It’s hard to move because I think I hurt my legs slightly. Please bring the carriage near the back door.”

 

I can get the carriage ready and send Redian through the emergency exit. The main door of the warehouse and the streets would be lined with the grand duke’s guards and the imperial knights. If everything goes according to my plan, there would be no encounter between them and Redian.

 

“Ah…”

 

Fortunately, my knights, who knew of Redian’s existence, seemed to have sensed my intention.

 

“Yes, I understand.”

 

Now, all I have to do is drive out Ash Benio and the imperial knights. What excuse should I make this time?

 

“Imperial knights, please take the royal princess back home. Just in case, It’d be a good idea to leave half of you to look around here.”

 

But Ash stepped up before I had time to say anything.

 

“I will take over the work here. After interrogating them, I will hand them over to the imperial knights along with the evidence, so please protect the royal princess and the princess.”

 

Not only were the kidnappers already injured, but they were overpowered and tied up by the knights who rushed in.

 

What? Is he planning on stealing all the fish I caught at the end?

 

“Thanks to the Grand Prince noticing it in advance, it ended without any major incident. I’m so glad.”

 

“The Grand Duke’s insight is amazing.”

 

“As the Grand Duke said, take care of the royal princes first!”

 

The imperial knights who accepted Ash’s proposal moved busily as if they were trying to withdraw.

 

“We will be searching for the surrounding area to find any remaining members, so please call us if anything happens.”

 

“I will.”

 

The situation was like Ash had caught the kidnapper and rescued the royal princess. Anyway, I don’t like it. I couldn’t let him take away my effort like giving a cat a dead rat. Above all, as long as Redian was in here, everyone had to get out.

 

“No. I’ve been holding onto my interest until now, so I will finish it off.”

 

“…”

 

“I want Grand Prince to go out with your knights as well.”

 

Then Ash looked at me without an answer.

 

Why is he looking at me like that? It was as if he was barely holding back his anger.

 

“Then, Princess and I can finish it together. I’ll be here to protect you so they can take care of the royal princess.”

 

Ash turned his head and said to the people. “As soon as this place is organized, I will tell you the news, so please protect the royal princess first. Let’s get out now.”

 

“I understand. Then.”

 

But it was then.

 

“Wait! Goddess! Ear!”

 

The royal princess, who was in the arms of the maid, reached out to me. As if talking about a secret, the child whispered with her hand covering her mouth. “Yu get along with my older brother.”

 

“…Yes?”

 

…Older Brother?

 

“Later on, in the same hous with Mori, Goddess, and older brother will live there!”

 

What kind of older brother are you talking about?”

 

“Goddess! Yu must come to see Mori!”

 

While repeating the same words, the royal princess waved her hand at me and disappeared.

 

Is there anyone the royal princess could call an older brother?  First of all, I should say goodbye too.

 

“Siani Felicite. Are you crazy?”

 

Ash’s voice was heard as soon as the door closed and the people disappeared.

 

“Knowing what those b*stards capable of, you should be leaving me finishing it by myself.”

 

“…”

 

“You almost got in trouble!”

 

He was showing his true self at once.

 

But the kidnappers are over there.

 

Ash had managed his image even to the servants who had been by his side for decades. He had to be a good-natured person who got praised even by the beggars on the street.

 

“Are you out of your mind? What on earth do you believe that you become this fearless? If you’re sane, you should have run away!”

 

Besides, he was really angry with me.

 

What’s wrong with him?”

 

“Where on earth did you go while wearing a robe?”

 

“…”

 

“Who are you with, and what are you doing that you even abandoned your knights and maids?”

 

As I kept watching, I felt like I knew why Ash was like that.

 

“Why are you pretending to worry about me? After all, isn’t what you want is the credit for saving me and the royal princess?”

 

I replied in a ridiculous way. “I have no intention of handing that guy over, so what should I do?”

 

“…What? Pretending to be worried/”

 

For a moment, Ash burst into a weak smile.

 

“That’s right. I’m pretending to be worried. Why would I worry about you?”

 

After checking the kidnapper, who was tied up and lying face down, he looked at me again. “Anyway, I can just put you to sleep here with the sleeping bomb and then hand that guy over to the knights.”

 

“…”

 

“Even if you were holding on to the kidnapper, in the end, I will be the one who overpowered him and saved you.”

 

“…”

 

“Do you know it?”

 

Ash bowed his head and set the eye level, narrowing the gap.

 

“His Majesty and the duke may reward me.”

 

His voice was soft as he whispered in my ear.

 

“Then, we’re getting engaged again. Ah, it would be okay to get married right away instead of getting engaged this time.”

 

What kind of nonsense is this? I didn’t know why Ash, who should be busy chasing Luna around by now, was doing this to me.

 

“Grand Prince, it’s already too late for that.”

 

“…Late?”

 

Then Ash took a step back and took something out. “No, it’s not late for anything.”

 

In an instant, bang! My eardrums rang with the sound of an explosion. Wow, this brat really detonated the sleeping bomb.

 

He covered his mouth as the smoke spread thickly. Seeing the immediate effect upon detonation, it seemed like a mere breath could cause one to lose consciousness.

 

“Come here.”

 

Ash extended his hand to me.

 

“Do you remember what happened in front of the display? How old were you and I at that time?”

 

Whatever he said, I couldn’t hear him.

 

“Just like you saved me then, I will save you today.”

 

“…”

 

“Siani, come here quickly.”

 

Only one thing came to mind in the increasingly acrid smoke. Redian. I quickly looked away.

 

Why isn’t he avoiding it? I could clearly see Redian’s robe through the wall. He knew that the emergency exit was right behind him, so why was he still there?

 

“If you keep doing this, even I could faint from the smoke. You must protect me, Siani Felicite.”

 

There’s an emergency exit behind that wall, so if I immediately hug Redian…

 

“You didn’t like me getting hurt.” Ash, who was walking to himself, tried to grab my wrist.

 

As soon as I avoid the smoke, I can escape through the connected exit. As I came to conclude my thoughts, I turned my back.

 

“Siani!”

 

Ash’s hand missed me just by the nick of time.

 

“Rere!”

 

“…!”

 

As I ran through the smoke behind the wall, there was Redian. “Are you okay? Why are you doing this instead of avoiding it?”

 

I could see through the blurry view. That Redian’s pupils, who found me, had wobbled greatly.

 

“Siani, Siani Felicite! Cough!”

 

The smoke grew thicker and thicker. In the meantime, I could feel Ash calling my name. But what bothered me more was that Redian already inhaled the smoke.

 

“Hold your breath for a moment.”

 

I took out my handkerchief and covered up Redian’s mouth first. Then, I pushed hard against the wall I had identified in advance with my foot, and a new space was revealed.

 

I knew this would happen. I rushed into it and slammed the door shut. It was an escape I had been aware of since I first entered the warehouse.

 

Ouch. Perhaps because I applied quite a bit of force, pain surged through my shoulder again.

 

“Are you okay? Did you inhale the smoke?”

 

But first, I looked at Redian.

 

“Redian?”

 

“…”

 

“Rere?”

 

Only after I called him several times did his closed eyes open. Is he very surprised? What’s wrong?

 

“You know there was an emergency exit behind your back, so why didn’t you avoid it?”

 

“…That’s.”

 

A very narrow emergency corridor, a deeper darkness, a body temperature that has been met.

 

“Because you didn’t give me an order.”

 

“What?”

 

“If there’s no order, I can only come out after completing the final mission.”

 

In the meantime, the voice from between had subsided.

 

“I was planning to finish my mission and leave when Princess leaves.”

 

“Mission?”

 

That word pierced her ear.

 

“Are you saying you would kill that kidnapper instead of me?”

 

“…”

 

“Redian, when did I give you such a mission?”

 

Still, he seemed to be familiar with the operations that were carried out in the underground guild. He couldn’t run away, and no one would help him, so he had to see the end with his own hands and eyes.

 

“I said I would never make you do those thi—”

 

“That’s why Princess.”

 

Suddenly, Redian interrupted me.

 

“Why didn’t you leave me?”

 

Of course…

 

“Because you’re here.”

 

“…Yes?”

 

“I have to take you with me.”

 

It was a very natural answer to me.

 

“So it’s really…”

 

I couldn’t see Redian’s expression hidden behind the mask.

 

“Are you here to save me?”

 

It’s just that the look in his eyes towards me became strange. 

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