"It's nice to meet you, Your Grace!" Rachel bowed deeply with a bright smile.
I looked at her and pressed my temples before speaking. "Um, what's this? You know I've locked the door, right?"
"Oh, really?!" Rachel was surprised at my words.
"Yeah, the door wasn't opening easily, so I thought it was rusted…"
An innocent look, devoid of any malice. But that fact alone disgusted me. However, showing it would only harm me, so I just smiled it off.
"I haven't been keeping track of the door very well."
"Oh, I see!"
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Rachel clapped her hands naturally, smiling broadly. She was pretty, incredibly so. But contrary to her appearance, she possessed a brutal strength, almost divine in nature.
The lineage of the Slaine Marquise was special. Not everyone, but most of them were born with unbelievable strength. Rachel was no different. Despite not being a knight specialized in Aura training, she possessed incredible strength. The problem was that this strength had nothing to do with muscle mass; it was just raw power. I had no idea why she was so strong, but she was, without a doubt.
"Yeah. Lady Rachel."
"Yes, Your Grace!"
"Has Lord Marquise been formalized? It seems like it's been a long time since we last met."
"Of course, he has!"
Rachel smiled brightly. "He eats iron bars for breakfast! Seeing the consistent amount of iron he chews, it's clear he's healthy."
"…Healthy, you say?"
I almost blurted out, but quickly regained my poker face. I shouldn't be swayed. Rachel might not realize it, but she had a remarkable talent for infecting those around her.
Again, Rachel smiled broadly and said, "Your Grace, I saw the duchy! Your territory has a different beauty from ours!"
"I see."
"And, Your Grace, you seem more refined than the rumors suggest!"
"Hmm."
Rachel's words made her sparkle. Yes. Wait, why is she really sparkling? It's absurd. Does she lack so much sense that she does things like that? No, stay calm. It's practically suicidal to be swept away by Rachel's mood. I have to calmly assess the situation, as I have always done.
"So, why did the lady came here? Without even contacting us beforehand?"
"Oh, um, I'm sorry… I just wanted to confirm about you in person…"
Rachel said with a bow, looking ashamed. "Since we are in a relationship where marriage proposals are being exchanged, I thought it would be better to confirm for the future…"
"Lady Rachel."
"Yes, Your Grace."
"Think calmly. While the opinions of parents are important, isn't the opinion of the individuals involved the most important?"
"I-I suppose so."
Rachel looked at me timidly, her face somewhat red. She looked very innocent, but from my perspective, knowing her true nature, she seemed more like a wild beast on the verge of exploding.
"For now…"
To me, Rachel was a whirlwind of chaos. So, how should I handle this chaos? The answer lies in…
"Do you know the 'Doe'?"
Strike first and win. It's stupid, but there's no other way to solve this situation.
—
Slaine Marquise's Deputy Knight Commander, Kessir, paced around anxiously.
"Lady…!"
He had momentarily forgotten about the flow of Slaine's blood that flowed even within his beloved lady. He, who knew how reckless the Marquise was, didn't expect such a basic mistake.
He sweated profusely, trying to endure the gazes around him. What should he do? He had no idea how to fix this situation.
"What should I do!"
Honestly, no matter how much he thought about it, he didn't know that Rachel would forcefully open a closed door. Especially with the Graves' attendants watching.
And why aren't these attendants doing anything? Why are they all gathered here? The timing is terrible.
He muttered to himself, trying to suppress the urge to grumble.
Then, a familiar voice.
"Are you not Sir Kessir?"
"Sir Setarim!"
Setarim Weiber. The Knight Commander of the Graves and one of the few Sword Masters in the Empire. He was also a knight Kessir respected.
He looked at Kessir with a slightly puzzled expression. "I heard that someone who guarded the lady was you."
"S-Sir Setarim! Please don't misunderstand! The reason the lady forcibly entered like that was not out of malice…"
"Hmm."
But Setarim didn't seem angry. He just looked at the closed door where the lady had entered.
"S-Sir Setarim…?"
"Why are you like this?"
"Are you not worried? Our lady has clearly committed a serious breach of etiquette towards His Grace…"
"Oh, that."
As if it were nothing, Setarim shrugged.
"What? It's something that His Majesty would decide."
"No, that's true, but as a servant of His Majesty…"
"Hmm."
The expressions of Setarim and the other vassal became subtle at that remark. It seemed like they didn't know what to say.
"Well, it's not entirely wrong."
"Yes."
"In fact, we might need to apologize later, not just you, but maybe we'll have to apologize again… Who knows, his Grace might end up apologizing…"
"…Yes?"
I wondered what he was trying to say, so I looked at him again, but Setarim's expression became even more ambiguous.
What does he want to say?
"Just, well… I want to say that the future is unpredictable."
"Oh, yes…"
What on earth does this great knight want to say?
And the subtle atmosphere continued.
Knock knock.
"Wow…"
Finally, the huge door blocking the passage opened, and Rachel stepped out with a vacant expression.
Kesir hurriedly approached her and said, "Y-Your Grace!"
"Oh, Kesir."
"Oh, no! Why are you so reckless…!"
But before Kesir could finish, Rachel said something out of the blue.
"I… saw the truth."
"…Yes?"
What nonsense is this?
I looked at Rachel again, and half of her face seemed off.
'What is it?'
What on earth happened?
I quickly checked my body, but there was no sign of any unfortunate event…
No magical issues either.
Kesir couldn't grasp the situation at all.
"Y-Your Grace? What's…?"
"I've made up my mind, Kesir."
Rachel said with a smile. At that moment, the usual sparkle surrounded her.
"I'll stay here for a while."
"…Yes?"
Kesir's stomach sank.
She was already a bit off, but now it was different.
What should I say?
It felt like stepping into an area that shouldn't be approached.
"Your Grace? Why are you suddenly saying that…? Even if Lord doesn't allow it…"
"No, he will allow it!"
Rachel asserted.
"Of course, I will stay even if Father doesn't allow it!"
"Your Graaaaace!"
Kesir's mind collapsed once more. It was the first time it had collapsed twice in one day.
"What… What is this…!"
It was a time when he was trying to do his best to change Rachel's mind.
Tap.
A hand quietly rested on his shoulder. The owner of the hand was Setarim.
"S-Setarim?"
"I'm sorry."
"…Yes?"
Why is this person apologizing again? My brain feels tangled in these incomprehensible situations.
"No, why are you apologizing…"
"I'm sorry."
"…"
Setarim apologized again.
"No…"
I don't know the reason.
But for some reason…
'Why am I crying?'
Kesir wiped a tear from his nose and quietly wiped away a tear.
***
"Did I do the right thing?"
I sat in my chair, eyes closed, lost in thought.
I… did nothing wrong.
I did my best.
– It was interesting.
Abel, who had been watching all the conversations, spoke up.
– You packaged the nonsense so persuasively, making it sound plausible. Were you a cult leader in the past?
"I didn't do that… I just said what was necessary. And I was confident Rachel would understand."
– …Hmm?
It was such an unexpected statement that Abel's voice trembled for a moment.
– Wait, what are you saying…
"Simply put."
Even though I didn't want to get involved, I met Rachel already.
The problem is that her 'talent' is not at that level.
"Through what she believes, she can create divine power. Surprisingly."
Is it possible to attach the term 'enlightenment' to a conspiracy theory that doesn't make any sense?
"I scratched the surface of what she had reached. I simply compiled the words she had laid out to me before and added some minor reinterpretations. It's not a big story. Just a few central keywords strung together. Things like the universe, truth, or the nature of blood… You know, those things."
– So, what you said this time was the enlightenment that the child had originally reached?
"It's ridiculous to attach the term 'enlightenment' to a conspiracy theory… But well, you could say that. It might be an enlightenment only Rachel herself can understand."
– What does that mean?
I came up with an appropriate metaphor.
"Abel, generally speaking, doesn't 'sanctity' require the existence of a deity, the object of faith?"
– That's right.
Yes, that's what's usual.
But this world is so messed up that it doesn't always follow that 'usual' truth.
"Rachel is an exception."
– …Hmm?
"What should I say?"
It's not that I didn't want to meet Rachel for no reason. If she had the qualities of a cult fanatic, I would have avoided her like the plague.
The problem is that Rachel's 'talent' is not at that level.
"What can I do? I'll try to control it as best I can."
– …It seems there are complex circumstances that I don't know about.
"Well, that's true."
In any case, the important thing is this.
I didn't expect Rachel to come on her own, but now that it's happened, I should try to use her.
As long as I'm careful, she'll definitely be a useful resource.
Yes, just one thing…
'Let's keep her mouth shut.'
If I can just seal that disastrous mouth of hers, everything should be fine.
…Probably.