PEDC Chapter 19

Chapter 19  

I felt like I was becoming closer to Latryne because we seemed to get along so well.

Even though I knew I shouldn’t, I found myself becoming attached to Sertien as well. I couldn’t help but feel that the bond between us was growing stronger.

‘…Could Latryne really betray Phaedris?’

Of course, he had plenty of reasons to betray him.

But right now, Sertien was by his side.

If Latryne tried to betray and ended up losing his life, wouldn’t Sertien be left alone?

Moreover, according to the story, Latryne was destined to die.

Given that Sertien was already being mistreated at home, I couldn’t help but think that if his father disappeared too, Sertien wouldn’t be able to live well.

As I thought about it more, I realized that I couldn’t just let Latryne continue like this.

Not only because I had grown personally attached to him, but also because, for Sertien’s sake, I had to prevent Latryne from eventually betraying Phaedris.

But how?

For now, I took out a pen and paper to reply to Latryne.

I had been resting with nothing to do, so having something to occupy me now was actually a relief.

Just as I was about to start writing, someone knocked on the door of my room.

“Who could it be?”

I paused, setting the letter down.

I wondered if someone from the palace had come to visit me, worrying over my condition and causing another commotion.

“…Come in.”

I briefly considered pretending I wasn’t there and not answering at all.

But if I didn’t respond, they would probably come in to check anyway. And if I disappeared, it would surely cause more than a small panic.

In the end, the only thing I could do was resign myself and let them in.

Sure enough, the one who entered my room as soon as I gave permission was one of my lower-ranked knights.

“Captain…”

The knight started to speak, but I was so startled that I cut him off mid-sentence.

“I’m fine! I’ll be better in a month if I rest! So please, don’t start scolding me!”

“…What are you talking about?”

The knight looked confused, tilting his head at my words.

Wait, wasn’t he here to check on my condition?

Seeing my puzzled expression, the knight, who now seemed unsure of how to respond, finally asked me with a concerned look.

“Is something wrong, Captain? Are you feeling unwell…?”

I was so fed up with the constant questions about my health that I quickly waved my hand and replied.

“No, no, I’m not unwell at all, so don’t worry! Anyway, why are you here? You’re not here to check on me, right?”

At my question, the knight finally calmed down and answered with a composed expression.

“Yes, of course, I know it’s proper to visit you first for a health check, but I’ve come for work this time, and I apologize for the inconvenience.”

What a polite knight.

Work… Well, I did have a lot of responsibilities, but since I had been injured, Phaedris had ordered me to step away from most of them, leaving things in the hands of Vice-Captain Shun for now.

‘Is there something I need to handle personally? I thought I’d entrusted everything to Shun for the time being.’

Did something happen to Shun?

As I wondered, the knight quickly explained.

“Yes, I’m aware of that. However, I was told that this is something you personally ordered to handle, Captain.”

I had given an order?

Then, I remembered.

“Ah, could it be about that matter?”

I hadn’t expected a knight from the palace to personally come and deliver this news, though.

“Has the maid from the duke’s household arrived?”

“Yes, she has.”

It was the same maid who had looked down on me and disrespected Sertien.

“She didn’t come alone, did she? Who came with her?”

“A man who says he’s the family’s butler came along as well.”

“Thank you. Please take them to the room I mentioned earlier. Then, when I give the word, bring the maid to my office and have the butler wait outside.”

“Understood. But, Captain… Are you sure it’s okay for you to be moving around like this? You’re still recovering…”

The knight seemed anxious as he watched me hurriedly going to change into my palace knight uniform.

I felt a slight pang of guilt, knowing I’d likely get scolded later by the doctor or Phaedris, but I tried to brush it off.

“What do you think I am? I’m the captain of the knight order. Of course, I’m fine.”

“Apologies. I’ll take them to the designated room, then.”

I’d deal with the consequences later.

I specifically changed into my uniform to project authority when facing the maid.

There was a reason I had summoned the maid to the palace.

---

It happened while I was in the carriage with Latryne, on our way to the palace.

Sertien, exhausted, had fallen asleep with his head resting on Latryne’s lap, while I, not feeling well, was silently gazing out of the window.

At some point, I sensed that Latryne seemed to be deep in thought, so I asked him.

“Is something bothering you?”

Latryne blinked a few times, as if regaining his senses, then looked at me and spoke.

“Did you happen to properly see the maid from our household back then?”

“Huh?”

I was surprised by the sudden mention of the maid.

Back then? What time was he referring to? I thought he might be talking about when I mentioned the maid in front of Sertien, so I asked again.

“Are you talking about when I opened the window in front of Sertien?”

“No… Not then. Right before we fell down the mountain.”

What had happened back then?

Trying to recall, I thought about the details from that time.

I hadn’t been in good condition, so even though I knew a landslide was happening, I couldn’t avoid it.

And then…

I suddenly remembered the maid, who had coldly watched me get caught in the landslide, even though she could have helped me.

“Oh… now that I think about it, she just stood there and watched me get caught in the landslide.”

Latryne sighed softly.

“I knew it. I wasn’t seeing things. …I’m sorry. I’ll make sure to punish her as soon as we return to the royal palace.”

“No, you don’t really have to do that…”

Of course, after what she did to Sertien, I wanted to fire her immediately, but as for what she did to me, I didn’t care as much.

Honestly, even if she didn’t help me in that situation, I could understand.

But Latryne insisted.

“No, it’s not just about what she did. She also spoke rudely to you… One of the duties of the Grand Duke is to maintain good relations with the Imperial Knight Commander. I’ll handle it properly to make sure nothing disturbs your peace of mind.”

“If you punish her, what would the punishment be?”

“I’ll make sure she can never work for our household again. Once she’s expelled from our family, it’s unlikely any other noble family will take her in.”

The Priscillia family had such a prestigious reputation and lineage that other families would likely avoid hiring someone who had been expelled by them.

“That’s quite a severe punishment…”

“She insulted the captain of the royal guard… There’s more than enough reason for it.”

I was surprised.

From what I knew about Latryne, he seemed more like a pacifist, so I thought he would let things slide without causing much trouble.

“I thought you would just let this go, Latryne.”

“Why did you think that?”

“Well, even though we haven’t known each other long, I just got the feeling that you wouldn’t want to make things bigger than they are… even if it meant a bit of a disadvantage for yourself.”

Latryne seemed to be lost in thought with a complicated expression.

“…If it had been me in that situation instead of you, I might have just let it go, so I can’t deny what you said.”

“Is it because it happened to me? You’re really kind, Latryne.”

I said it without thinking.

As soon as the words slipped out, I realized it might have embarrassed him, so I shut my mouth. But instead of looking embarrassed, Latrine’s expression turned a bit bitter.

“Thank you for seeing me that way… Though I’m not really as kind as you think.”

“…”

I wasn’t sure why Latryn looked so sad, but I decided to ask him something that came to mind.

“Could I punish the maid myself, then?”

When I said that, Latryne looked at me with surprise in his eyes.

“Of course. In fact, if you wish to, it’s only right that you personally hand down the punishment.”

“Thank you. Then, I’d like you to send the maid to me. Oh, and could you also send another servant from your household to accompany her as a guardian?”

I smiled as I said this, and though Latryne seemed a bit confused, he agreed.

He probably couldn’t refuse my request, even if he found it strange.

From Latryn’s perspective, it might have seemed odd that I wanted to bring another servant along.

If it were just about what the maid had done to me, I might have let it go.

The maid was rude, but I didn’t want to put Latryne in a difficult position over something that only affected me.

However, since the maid had treated Sertien badly, I couldn’t let it slide.

As I’d mentioned before, I had become very attached to Sertien.

I had come to see him almost like my own child.

Sertien was not only cute and good-looking, but there was something about him that didn’t feel like I was just looking at someone else’s child.

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