"You will not be able to go out comfortably."
"Yes."
The Count said he wanted to remain like this, but he thought that Edellis could be in more dangerous situation if he expelled Lehan for nothing.
"Okay. Then, make sure that Edellis and you are always escorted by one knight. If you accept it, I'll allow it."
"I know! Thank you! Dad is the best!"
Edellis took a step back and said goodbye to the Count.
"Father, you know the knights better than me, so please choose them well! Thank you!"
Edellis bowed her head in formality to the Count, then grabbed Lehan's wrist and turned her back. Lehan looked at the Count and Edellis alternately to see if he could follow her. When the Count reluctantly nodded for give him permission, Lehan followed her to left the office.
"Lehan, this is great! Now you can stay in the mansion!"
The moment Edellis looked at him with joy, she was momentarily embarrassed to see Lehan's tightly closed lips. It's because her father's words were made her heart happy.
"Ah that… My father didn't mean said that because he was malicious."
"I know. It's not that different from what you usually think about gladiators."
"…sorry. I'll apologize instead."
"No, it's okay."
Eventually, Lehan had to listen her father's threats. If it were me, I would have been very upset.
'I was in a position to ask for permission from my father, so I couldn't resist…'
"From now on, I'll do better!"
I understand my father's feelings, but my situation is more urgent now. So, I have to do better for Lehan so that I can quickly avoid the bad ending.
"My lady, this is already enough."
"What do you mean! There is still a long time left for me to do better!"
Lehan said he wanted to stay here. Besides, since Lehan said that he was protecting himself, everything was easy.
"Really, the young lady…"
Lehan laughed as if in trouble, then knelt and grabbed Edellis's hand and put his forehead on the back of her hand. The sparkling sunlight shining through the window lit him. It was reverence, reminiscent of the ordination ceremony of the Paladins of the Holy Empire.
"I will give my everything to protect you my lady. Forever."
His sudden vow was make her stunned.
It was Lehan who had already said that he would protect himself. However, it wasn't something he couldn't help, but to swear to stay here to protect her, whatever he used.
"And then?"
"Don't throw me away."
"There's no way I can throw you away."
As Lehan raised his head, his eyes, shining as bright as the sun, smiled finely. Looking at him like that, Edellis eventually smiled brightly.
*****
Afterwards, Lehan was assigned to the Knights and had to undergo training to build stamina with the Knights. At first, even the knights who were wary of Lehan began to feel relieved little by little as they watched him work silently after a few days. Then, by chance, the knights who began to spar with Lehan, asking him to spar with him every day in order to learn the unique skills of a gladiator.
"…I can't help it. As promised, I will admit Lehan as your escort."
Eventually, the Count recognized Lehan as Edellis escort.
"Thank you, father!"
As Edelis thanked him with a bright smile, the Count reluctantly laughed. She wanted to give the news to Lehan quickly, but it is not yet time to finish his training.
"Soon, it's time for Lehan's training to an end. Then, shall we go out to the downtown area and buy a present?"
Lehan, who has become accustomed to Edellis, visiting her lately and strangely changed his actions. He followed Edellis more actively than before, and his expressions gradually changed. Whenever she saw him like that, Edellis was proud.
'How much would you like to hear that you were recognized as an escort this time?'
Previously, when Lehan moved within the mansion, a knight in charge of the escort had to be attached. And when moving with Edellis, two knights had to move with a total of four to defeat Lehan. But now I can only go with Lehan!
Edellis whispered, imagining what expression Lehan would make. Edellis changed into her casual clothes to go out later, and went to the library to wait Lehan while reading a book. Up to this point, the book wasn't very different from the usual, but something different caught her eyes. Again, the back of the book was shining.
"Why, again…? Was it not over when I knew the future?"
After that, nothing had happened for a while, so I tried to forget it. Whenever I saw Lehan in front of me, I remembered that the book was true. Still, because of now is so peaceful, I wanted to ignore the dark future. Then the book was shining again. Edellis reached out her hand and pulls out the book. No matter how dark the future, you had to check it with your own eyes.
'As if we had taken measures for Lehan before, we can prepare the better.' No matter how difficult it is, it is just a must.
'Okay. There aren't just bad things about this book. Thanks to this, I was able to meet Lehan. Thinking so, I thought it would be okay. You've been doing well since you rescued Lehan from the arena, and he's getting used to living here, so it's okay.'
"Yes, it's okay now. It will be fine."
Edellis was ready and bravely opened the book.
I looked at every pages , but nothing was added earlier.
She turned over the book pages one by one and saw the part where she died.
I paused for a moment, but skipped quickly without reading it. And there was a few new sentences, so I saw a newly added article. Given the location, it will be the story after I died.
'If so, wouldn't there be anything else? Anyway, I'm already dead at this point.'
As before, bright light came out of the page. And again, the contents of the book began to appear like video. In time, what the book showed was, contrary to Edellis's expectations, something she couldn't handle, more desperate than before.