As the communication ended, I let out the breath I had been holding.
“Is it a bad person?”
Judy, who had been listening quietly from the side, blinked innocently and asked. I smiled bitterly and patted her head.
“Just someone I don’t get along with very well. As for being a bad person Judy…. I don’t think he’s particularly bad.”
“I see…”
“Judy, I’m sorry, but that guy is coming to the knights’ office right now. I need to work until he arrives, so can you play by yourself?”
“Yes! I will sit quietly!”
“Thank you.”
I began to organize through the documents to be sent to the Knights Templar. It was almost time for the quarterly submission of work records.
‘In the first place, he could have just ordered his subordinates to do this, but seeing he’s personally going around…. Gustav must have made up an excuse to meet me.’
He had said he would contact me after the tea party because he had something to discuss, so I suspected he was coming to have that damned ‘conversation’ again.
My head throbbed at the thought of hearing him repeating the same outrageous tale I had heard last time.
It was fortunate that Judy was present; he wouldn’t let himself say anything crazy with a child beside me.
Just as I finished organizing the documents, the door to the knights’ office swung open.
“Hello, Clara.”
He smiled, looking much better than he had yesterday, when he had appeared somewhat haggard.
I stood up, picked up the folder, and handed it to him.
“Here are the documents you required, Sir Gustav. Please take them and leave.”
“Huh? Why is there a child here?”
Gustav didn’t even think to accept the documents and instead turned his attention to Judy. Judy blinked and nodded in a polite greeting.
“She is a family member of one of our knights. Don’t worry about it. Just take this and leave.”
“I have something to tell you.”
“….”
I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. I couldn’t hit this brat in front of a child.
“…What is it? Keep it short.”
“I know that Clara…. is in a difficult situation.”
“What?”
“That’s what I wanted to inform you in advance…. but you refused yesterday.”
My eyes widened. If he knew I was in trouble, there could only be one reason.
Paul Rudelman.
The blood ties lawsuit that he mentioned and the political marriage.
There was no evidence for it, but as soon as Gustav spoke those words, everything clicked into place.
“That’s ridiculous. Gustav is such a good person. Why are you doubting him?”
“It has nothing to do with Gustav. Do you have a victim mentality or something?”
“There’s truly no one as upright as Sir Gustav. He is a respectable young man.”
Words I had heard before in the past echoed in my mind.
Each time I tried to connect my petty suspicions with unfounded doubts and no concrete evidence, people around me would criticize me.
It’s just your victim mentality, Gustav Mayr isn’t a bad person.
There’s no one as devoted and good to you as he is.
So, whenever I had doubts, I would scold myself. How could I imagine such nonsense when I had such a good friend?
But in fact, all those suspicions were valid.
That’s why I was sure now.
“You… You, are you the one who incited that brat Paul?”
I had sensed something strange. Wasn’t it odd that my blood-related braty Brother, with the mind like a blank piece of paper, was trying to tie me up with a law that wasn’t even being used?
Before I realized it, I had Gustav by the collar. However, he merely smiled, as if pleased with our close contact.
“Incited? That’s a bit misleading. It was just a ‘coincidence’.”
It’s a coincidence, Clara. You don’t believe me?
The words Gustav said in the past echoed in my head.
Sparks flew from my eyes. Anger surged all the way to the top of my head, enough for me to release my Spirit without realizing it.
Gustav still wore a good-natured smile as he deflected my Spirit with his shield.
“You bastard… You’re nothing but a worthless little brat. What have I done to deserve this? How long do you have to torment me before you feel satisfied?”
“Oh no… I told you it was just a misunderstanding. I just came to let you know in advance because I was concerned.”
“……”
“Our Clara would like to continue living as a knight… Isn’t it sad that Clara’s older brother is forcing her into a political marriage?”
I felt nauseated. My heart burned with anger.
“So what if the other party is the Earl of Hammond? He might be a sadistic pervert twice our Clara’s age. Perhaps…. he also prefers a Spirit user as his wife because she’s ‘strong’?”
I couldn’t take it anymore and punched Gustav in the chest.
Gustav, as if he anticipated my actions due to my anger, tried to skillfully dodged the attack. But it was no use.
Smack!
I kicked the bastard this time. With a loud thud, Gustav was pushed back and pinned against the wall.
Gustav laughed and coughed, even blood started to spill out. How could he laugh after being so badly injured, to the point of vomiting blood? This guy is seriously insane.
“Clara, you should be careful. It’s not good for the child’s education.”
“Ugh….”
Only then did I calm down and look back. Judy was frozen, gripping onto her chair with a shocked expression on her face.
“Ju, Judy… I’m sorry, I was just….”
“I’m fine!”
She responded cheerfully.
“So, keep going!”
“…That, that’s not it. Haa.”
It was fortunate that Judy was stronger than expected, but I needed to come to my senses.
I rubbed my forehead. This wasn’t a challenged duel, and beating up the Vice Captain of another knight faction in private would typically be considered a disciplinary issue. I shouldn’t have fallen for that bastard’s provocation.
“I’ve known all along that you’re a loser, and today’s incident has made me even more aware of it, so get out of here. Report this to your superiors and have them punish me if you want.”
“No way. I’m glad that you did that, it feels like we’ve had a duel after such a long time.”
“….”
Gustav staggered to his feet and walked toward me.
“Anyway, that’s not the main point, Clara.”
“….?”
“The important thing is that you don’t want to marry that perverted nobleman, right?”
“What nonsense are you talking about…….”
“According to imperial law, there is only one way to prevent a marriage ordered by the head of a household.”
“No way…”
“A marriage or engagement which is registered by a temple.”
Gustav flashed a bright, carefree smile. It was the same cheerful expression I had once mistaken for innocence during the days we spent together in the Knight Templar.
“Marry me, Clara.”
“……What?”
“I will save you.”
The fuse in my head blew.
When I came to my senses, I was on the verge of turning Gustav into a blood clot. Luckily, I only ended up just punching that bastard hard on his face and nothing more.
I guess the fact that Judy was watching helped me regain my composure.
Gustav chuckled, his lips chapped and his face swollen.
“Well, that was the expected reaction, but it’s disappointing. There’s nothing I can do about it.”
“….”
“But Clara… you will definitely crawl back to me again.”
“Get out.”
Gustav waved his hand casually at Judy before turning to leave.
This…. I really couldn’t understand his obsession.
‘If this ends with overseas exile, I’ll stab that bastard in the back of the head before leaving for good, yes.’
I gritted my teeth in frustration and picked up the scattered documents that had fallen to the ground. There were remnants of Gustav being thrown against the wall.
Judy, who had been watching us with bated breath, ran towards me.
“Sister! You’re awesome! You’re so cool!”
“….”
Hearing this, my conscience pricked me. I had let myself be provoked and resorted to violence and lost control of my composure.
“That… The situation wasn’t good for me. Sorry, it’s not right for a knight to behave like this so personally….”
“No! That guy is a bad person!”
“…Did it look like that?”
“Sister hates him!”
As soon as I heard those words, I hugged Judy tightly without realizing it.
“Sister?”
“…No. No.”
Perhaps deep down, those were the words that I wanted to hear from someone.
It was not my delusion that Gustav Mayr is a terrible person; I wished I could hear it from someone else.
“Thank you for your concern, Judy.”
“Sister, you look so sad…”
“I think I’m fine.”
Judy reached out and patted my head as she comforted me.
“Sister, are you being forced to marry a strange person because your family told you to?”
“…Hmm, I guess so. I’ll resist as much as I can.”
“Resist?”
“It means that I will try my best to avoid that from happening.”
“Oh….”
“And Judy, can you keep this story a secret from your Dad? It’s a personal matter after all.”
“Okay! I will keep it a secret from Dad!”
Judy nodded firmly.
Of course, since she’s a child, it was possible for her to reveal it by mistake or unintentionally…. Well, there was nothing I could do about that.
I swallowed a sigh and got up from my seat.
‘At least it’s fortunate that the desk didn’t break.’
Even in this situation, I was worried that I couldn’t lose my temper too much and had to consider the budget issues.
***
Just as the interior of the room was being restored to its original condition, Sir Sein burst through the door, panting heavily.
