The Guardian Knight of Affection-Starved Young Ladies

122 – Need a Break (04)

123.

“…Master. Are you alright?”

“I’m fine.”

“You seem… to have a lot on your mind.”

He did have a lot on his mind.

It was difficult to think of anything else when he was with Selena in the evening.

But since meeting the prince a while ago, he felt he was focusing more on that matter.

It was something he couldn’t be sure of, but Kallen was certain that man was his father.

Their appearances were too similar, and more than anything, he distinctly remembered the pattern in that crystal ball.

The Spirit realm.

Specifically, it was the same pattern as the betrayers, the ones called ancient beings.

The pattern he’d seen when saving Sinat.

The pattern that was on the altar found in Mount Hiart.

Finally, even the pattern in the crystal ball.

Felicia and Tiasse said there were a total of three traitors.

Having already met two, the pattern in the crystal ball must belong to the last one.

The problem is the man they think is her father.

If the entity he’s trying to summon is the traitor Kalen has in mind, several things don’t make sense.

Like, how does that man know about an ancient being?

It’s a spirit that even the great mage, Blamia, didn’t know about.

How could that man know about something that even the spirit realm considers ancient history?

And why does he want to manifest that spirit?

If he knows about the ancient beings, he should know they’re dangerous.

If he brings such dangerous things into the human realm, a good ending is unlikely.

This is another reason why Kalen absolutely must go to the spirit realm.

She had thought about learning about the past, but didn’t have any concrete methods.

But a suitable link just happened to appear.

Offering to help the prince was also for that reason.

-The matter I’m dealing with seems to be related to this man.

In any case, it’s clear that her so-called father and the final traitor are intertwined in her past.

If she goes to the spirit realm to investigate, she’ll certainly be tracking them down as well.

Kalen glanced at Celina, who was quietly by her side, and then at Shinat, who was sleeping soundly beside her.

Relationships that began thanks to her mentor.

They had become precious to Kalen, and she didn’t want to let them go.

So, it would be troubling if the final traitor crossed over to the human realm.

That’s why she offered to help the prince, and why she planned to investigate when she went to the spirit realm.

Right now, Kalen just wants to rest.

She wasn’t shocked or anything.

She didn’t suddenly feel betrayed by her father, or a renewed anger at her parents for abandoning her.

The reason Kalen could be so calm, enough to surprise even the prince.

It might have been different if she was still begging on the streets.

If so, she would undoubtedly feel more resentment toward her parents and it wouldn’t just end with her feeling a bit sad like now.

But Kalen had come too far to feel those emotions.

Feelings for her parents had almost faded; Kallen held no particular meaning for them.

Rather, it was Blamia.

Her teacher, who had taken her in, and the young ladies with whom she had shared countless memories, were far more precious.

So, first, she wanted to go keep her promise with the young ladies.

When she talked with them, she could empty her head without thinking.

*Click*

“My Lady.”

Just as Kallen was drifting through those thoughts, Celina spoke, having returned from putting the sleeping Cinat back in his room.

“Are you really alright…?”

“I just have a few things to sort out.”

It seemed that it was time to remove what she’d applied to her skin; Celina wiped away the liquid.

“Please don’t push yourself too hard…”

Kallen looked at Celina, whose eyes held worry.

Celina, who had grown much closer since giving her that massage.

The massage itself hadn’t been particularly significant, but Kallen had found solace in her hands.

Just as no one treats those who worry for them harshly.

Celina’s massage had been the catalyst for Kallen to begin opening her heart.

So Kallen told her not to worry, but it didn’t seem to be enough for Celina.

Celina, after putting away the damp cloth, carefully said,

“My Lady. Would you like to go out to the streets?”

“Now… at this hour?”

“Yes. There are quite a few sights to see in the evening. And they sell food you can easily grab while walking, for cheap.”

Kallen, who’d never wandered the streets in the evening.

Couldn’t help but feel intrigued by Celina’s words, and she continued, smiling kindly.

“I go out sometimes when work is hard that day. There’s nothing quite like it to clear your head.”

Only then did Kallen start to notice Celina’s attire.

It was a bit dark, so she hadn’t realized it right away, but Celina wasn’t wearing her maid uniform.

It was comfortable clothing, the kind Celina probably wore normally.

The kind that commoners wore most often.

“…You already seem set on going.”

“Oh, did I get caught?”

And then Selina gathers Kallen’s clothes.

It wasn’t easy to ignore her sweet smile.

Kallen took the clothes Selina gathered and finished getting ready to leave.

*

The streets were brighter than he’d thought.

Magicians among commoners were rare, but magical goods themselves weren’t expensive.

That was because crafting-attribute mages made mass-produced magical tools.

Magic lanterns hung on every street, brightly illuminating the night.

The place they arrived at, following Selina, was much louder than Kallen expected.

Not in a bad way.

More like loud in a good way.

Even though it wasn’t early, there was a sense of liveliness.

“It’s brighter than I thought. Both the streets and the people.”

“Right? The food is even more delicious. Oh! You absolutely have to try the monster meat!”

It seemed like Selina was the one who was more excited.

Like a child, the excited Selina brightly lit up her eyes, looking around here and there.

Kallen was led along by the excited Selina.

They arrived at a small shop selling monster meat.

“Hello, mister!”

“Oh. Selina, is that you? And who’s that next to you…”

It seemed like her not coming to the street often wasn’t a lie, as the shop owner recognized Selina.

As Kallen watched the scene, intrigued, the shop owner heartily laughed and spoke to Selina in a delighted voice.

“Did you finally bring a husband-to-be, Selina! Good! I’m in a good mood! You can take it today for free!”

“…”

The words, ‘husband-to-be’, that came from the shop owner’s mouth.

Whether fortunate or unfortunate, it wasn’t the first time, and just as Kallen was about to correct the misunderstanding.

*Thwack*…

“Wow! Really? Thank you, mister!”

“Among the people who do business here, there’s no one who would dislike you getting married. Rather, your husband seems quite shy.”

“No… I…”

*Squeeze*…

Just as Kallen was about to speak, his arm was pressed down.

He slowly turned his head to look and saw Selina, still grinning, clutching his arm.

Kallen just stared at Selina.

Selina, in turn, looked at Kallen and said,

“Why aren’t you thanking him, darling…”

“…”

“Hehehe! It’s a lovely sight! You’re too bright for your own good, so it’s good you found a husband who matches you, Selina! Here, I gave you more than usual!”

“Wow! Thank you, mister!”

Selina quickly grabbed the food and bowed her head in thanks.

Before Kallen could even ask what she was doing, Selina dragged him away from the stall and found a suitable spot to sit.

“Come and sit quickly, Master.”

“…Miss Selina.”

“This is so popular it always sells out quickly. You’d regret it if you didn’t try it.”

Seeing her so nonchalant, Kallen quietly sat beside Selina.

As he watched her munch on the monster meat, she held a piece out to him.

Kallen took it and bit down.

He was a little surprised by how good it tasted.

“Delicious, right?”

“…It is good.”

“Hehe~.”

Selina even hummed with happiness as she ate the monster meat.

Kallen couldn’t possibly ask why she’d done that in this situation, so he accepted the monster meat Selina offered.

And just like that, all the steaming monster meat disappeared.

“Master.”

After gazing at the distance with upturned lips, Selina spoke in a quiet voice.

It seemed she was finally going to tell him about what had happened earlier, so Kallen waited for Selina to speak.

“How did you feel just now?”

“…In front of the monster meat stall?”

“Yes.”

“I was… a mess.”

Not angry.

Just a mess.

And on top of it all, Selena even had to smooth things over with the shop owner’s misunderstanding.

“Then, from when we came out to the street until now?”

“…”

That question made him nod.

When he first saw the street, the lively atmosphere was more appealing than he’d expected.

He’d been a mess in front of the shop, but the way he felt now wasn’t bad.

As Kalen hesitated, Selena continued.

“Did you think about what you’ve been thinking ever since we got back from the Imperial Palace?”

“…Ah.”

“You didn’t, did you? I told you. This is the best place to clear your head.”

A gentle, soft resonance.

Just listening to Selena’s voice was enough to make his heart feel at ease.

“Being with bright people, freely walking through the bright night streets, eating delicious food… these are things that are difficult to feel normally, right?”

“…Right.”

“You seem to overthink things sometimes, Master. It’s a good thing about you, but it’s also something that eats away at you at the same time.”

They hadn’t known each other long.

But as Kalen’s personal maid, Selena was practically always by his side.

In the morning, she applied ointment to his scars, and in the evening, she used “skin care” as an excuse to share her inner thoughts.

There was a reason why their relationship had grown so close so quickly.

In that moment, as Kalen was thinking of this,

Selena closed her eyes and then opened them, turning to look at Kalen.

Then, she brought her face close, smiling brightly.

“This is a gift from me to you, Master. You can accept it anytime your head is in a whirl. But.”

The bright lights of the street illuminated them both.

Selena’s face held a smile as warm as the light.

“When you come here, promise me you’ll come with me. Please promise.”

“…”

Kallen, watching the traces of the vanished monster fish, quietly nodded.