After the contract with Zion yesterday, the day had completely changed.
First of all, the attitude of the maids was different. They used to be busy leaving as soon as they delivered the meal, but they stayed and mumbled next to me even after delivering the meal.
“Huh? Do you have something to say?”
Arundel muttered while eating. The face of the head maid looked red as if she was nervous.
Arundel tilted her head at the maids’ inexplicable attitude.
“I’m sorry for all this time!”
The head maid bowed her head and said.
At the sudden action of the head maid, Arundel who was swallowing water choked. Then the maids rushed over and hit Arundel’s back.
Arundel asked with a bewildered expression at the suddenly burdensome attitude of the girls.
“…Why are you suddenly like this?”
“Although it was the Emperor’s order, I should apologize for avoiding the Empress.”
“No! I knew that too… I’m not upset at all!”
Arundel denied with a wave of her hand at the head maid’s attitude.
In fact, at first it was a little sad, but she was grateful for the day of Zion’s birthday when she was carefully decorated with all her heart, and the gatekeeper who did not let her in because she was not on the list was solved on behalf of her.
In fact, I was a little moved at that time.
“The order not to get close to the Empress has been revoked, so I will do my best to serve you in the future.”
“It’s really burdensome. You can do as you did.”
At Arundel’s words, the head maid, who seemed to be moved, bowed 90 degrees and turned around.
“Oh, wait! Belle, can you stay for a moment?”
She had been twitching her mouth from a while ago, and called Belle, who was trying to be quiet while watching the head maid’s face. At Arundel’s call, Belle approached Arundel with a happy face.
Before leaving, the head maid coughed and warned Belle as if to avoid any mistakes.
Belle responded to the worried head maid with a smile in her eyes.
“What’s the matter?!”
When the two were left alone, Belle asked excitedly.
“I had a good talk with His Majesty.”
“Really? I thought it was chilly when I saw you fasting during the day…”
“But it seems that His Majesty was bothered by that. He finally gave permission.”
“Anyway, it really worked out well!”
Belle was happy as if it was her own business. She was a really good and nice girl.
I remembered when I asked her to find the home of Empress Irina, I promised to reward her. It’s not over yet, and I had to keep my promise.
“Do you want a reward?”
“A reward…?”
At Arundel’s sudden question, Belle looked bewildered, as if she couldn’t remember the promise at all.
“I promised you then. For finding out the address of the house, I would reward you in exchange.”
“Oh, no! Actually, I was the one who got help first.”
Belle blushed and shook her head. She didn’t seem to want a reward.
But if I made the promise I had already made as if it didn’t happen, I would feel uncomfortable, so Arundel talked again.
Then Belle opened her mouth with an expression that said, ‘If you ask me like that… I have one thing.’
“…I want to see the knight captain who saved us then!”
When Arundel recalled the situation then, she understood Belle’s request. Thinking about it, Belle looked at Royden like a prince at the time.
Anyway, it was a good time to thank Royden and tell him about the changed situation.
“Okay! Shall we go right now?”
At Arundel’s question, Belle nodded vigorously.
It was the second time I left the Imperial Palace through the main gate after entering the body of Empress Irina.
Arundel was extremely excited by the fact that she could go out without anyone’s restrictions. Even the air surrounding her felt refreshing.
As soon as I went outside the Imperial Palace, I was a little embarrassed because I couldn’t tell what was where, but Belle, who knew the palace well, led Arundel.
Fortunately, the training ground of the Royal Knights was not far from the Imperial Palace, so it was enough to walk.
As we approached the training ground, we heard the roaring cheers of the men.
“Oh my, oh my! The men are not wearing tops!”
The knights, who were swinging their training swords in the hot sun, could not beat the hot summer weather and threw their tops around.
The sight of them blushing and sweating profusely made me feel sorry.
Belle was jumping up and down alone, awkwardly covering her eyes.
At Belle’s noisy behavior, a few knights looked at Arundel and Bell. Since women rarely come here, the two stood out more.
“What brings you here, ladies.”
The knight who didn’t recognize Arundel’s face ran up to Arundel and Belle, sweating profusely. When the attention was focused, Arundel also felt a little embarrassed.
“We came to see Captain Royden.”
“The Captain? Just a moment.”
The knight who spoke to us ran far away, and a familiar face ran up.
What was a bit surprising was that Royden was also not wearing a top.
“Hello, Your Majesty!”
At the word ‘Your Majesty’, the faces of the knights seemed to stiffen for a moment.
It was awkward to see the knights getting nervous for no reason. Royden, who noticed Arundel, said.
“Come to think of it, there might be more people in the palace who don’t know Your Majesty’s face. Because you haven’t officially revealed your face.”
“That’s right. The Empress hasn’t even held a coronation yet.”
At the words of Royden and Belle, Arundel nodded.
‘I didn’t even hold a coronation.’
Thinking about it, Zion didn’t treat Irina as an empress at all.
Of course, he wouldn’t have held such an official place to congratulate her.
Then, the high-ranking nobles who attended Zion’s birthday and the fact that they knew she was the empress.
‘Then it’s better!’
Although it could be a sad part, Arundel’s thought was simple.
If many people didn’t know her, she could be less conscious of others and move more freely.
She was so ignorant of court etiquette that she was planning to study in the library for a while. In order to roam the palace freely, it was better to have fewer people recognize her as the empress.
“I will explain to the knights later.”
At Royden’s words, Arundel nodded. It was already exposed to them, so there was nothing she could do.
“What brings you here today?”
“Oh, I just thought we could talk.”
“I’m always good.”
Royden said with a charming smile.
“Who is the lady next to you…?”
“Right! This girl is Belle, last time…”
Arundel turned her head to introduce Belle at Royden’s question. But Arundel had to stop talking.
There was a wooden doll standing next to her. Her face was so red that it was about to burst.
“…Belle! Get a grip.”
When she shook Bell, whose eyes were spinning, Belel finally came to her senses.
“Clothes, clothes a bit.”
Belle spoke with a red face, avoiding her eyes. Then Arundel understood Bell’s behavior.
Royden, who had run from afar, was also shirtless like the other knights.
Arundel didn’t care much, but seeing Belle blushing like crazy, she felt a little embarrassed as well.
Royden’s black hair, wet with sweat, slightly covered his face, and his face that was slightly flushed from the heat.
She didn’t mean to look, but his solid bronze body was wet with sweat and shone softly in the sunlight.
He understood a little about Belle, who seemed to be about to nosebleed at any moment.
“I’m sorry. I’m with the guys every day.”
Royden said with an awkward smile and put on his top.
Now that she found a place to look, Belle’s mind came back a little. But she seemed a little disappointed and looked at Royden.
Royden led Arundel and Belle to the reception room nearby.
“Haha, no matter how much I tell them to clean up, they don’t listen well.”
Embarrassed, Royden tidied up the clothes scattered here and there.
The reception room of the training ground looked close to the knights’ break room, but Arundel and Belle sat down without caring.
“Actually, I came here today because of this friend.”
As everyone sat down, Arundel opened her mouth. At Arundel’s explanation, Royden seemed to think for a moment, then exclaimed.
“Ah, that person from then. Your Majesty saved by kicking…!”
“That way…you explain. Anyway, it’s correct.”
At Royden’s explanation of the incident, Arundel was a bit embarrassed.
She had a habit of throwing a punch when surprised or flustered. The original body of the Archangel could handle the situation, but every time she did so with this weakened body of Empress Irina, she almost saw a disaster.
It was the same when she saved Belle, and when she went downtown and met delinquents.
Fortunately, both times Royden appeared amazingly and saved her, so she was safe.
“This friend’s name is ‘Belle’, and she is currently working as my maid.”
“I see. It’s a good relationship.”
Royden spoke affectionately.
Royden was a person who spoke every word beautifully.
Every time I saw him, I was heartbroken to compare him with ‘someone’. I wished Zion would at least half resemble him if he got along well with Royden.
“Today, Belle wanted to thank you for what happened then, so I came with her.”
“I see. Actually, what I did then was more of Your Majesty’s…”
“Let’s stop talking about what happened then! Belle, say hello.”
When Royden tried to bring up the incident again, Arundel hastily cut him off.
“…Hello! I was really thankful then!”
…Belle was like a wooden doll.
Her face and body were stiff, and her tone was stiff like a broken machine.
“Belle…are you okay…?”
“Ah.ha.ha, yes… cough!”
Belle, who was speaking awkwardly, suddenly coughed.
“Cough, cough!”
Apparently, she seemed to have choked on her saliva.
Arundel patted Belle’s back, but Belle, whose face was very red, grabbed her throat. She couldn’t stop coughing for a while.
And maybe a little time passed.
“Cough… cough…”
Finally, Belle’s cough stopped.
“Are you okay?”
Despite Arundel’s question, Belle kept her head down and said nothing. Apparently, this situation seemed very embarrassing.
Her face was as red as her ears. Belle asked in a small voice, her head bowed.
“…Your Majesty.”
“Hmm?”
“Can…can I go first today?”
I thought so.
“Sure. Go ahead.”
“Thank you.”
Belle quickly got up from her seat. Royden sent her off with a worried expression.
“See you next time, Belle.”
Bell quickly left the place, her head bowed as if she was too shy to look at Royden. She had to look forward to the next time.
When it was just Royden and Arundel, Arundel opened her mouth to ask what he was curious about.
“Has anything happened since His Majesty’s birthday party?”
“…Yes. Rather, I wanted to ask Your Majesty. Has nothing happened to you?”
At Arundel’s question, Royden asked back with a worried expression.
“I’m fine. Things worked out well, so I’m free now!”
“That’s really good. So I thought I saw you wrong earlier. Are you really free now?”
“Yes. The process was tough, but I finally made it.”
Royden seemed to know nothing about the process that couldn’t be heard without tears.
Although it wasn’t intentional, I was worried about what to do if the suicide commotion spread.
Later, I learned that the aide who had been with Zion for a long time had thoroughly hidden it because he expected the nobles to be excited and talk about it if it was related to the empress.
“I’m really glad. I never expected Zion to do that.”
“…Zion?”
