For a long, painfully awkward moment, no one spoke.
The village was silent. The knights stood frozen. Celestia was blinking slowly, processing Tamamo's words.
And Ethan?
Ethan was experiencing a full mental breakdown.
"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?!" he hissed at Tamamo.
Tamamo smiled sweetly. "Oh my~ Did I say something wrong?"
"YES. YES, YOU DID."
She tilted her head innocently. "Hmm~ But it was just a harmless little question~"
Ethan twitched.
It was not harmless. Not even close.
Because right now, Celestia was staring directly at him, her piercing blue eyes full of sudden, intense curiosity.
"…Fiancée?" she murmured, almost as if testing the word.
Ethan immediately waved his hands. "NO. NO, SHE'S LYING."
Tamamo gasped. "Ethan! How cruel! To deny our sacred bond in front of a princess—"
"WE DON'T HAVE A SACRED BOND!"
Ethan could feel his soul leaving his body. This damn fox. She had ruined his life before, but now she was taking it to another level.
Meanwhile, Celestia simply watched the exchange, deep in thought.
"…Interesting," she murmured.
Ethan flinched.
What the hell was interesting about this?!
And then—
Suddenly, Celestia stepped closer.
Before Ethan could react, she reached toward his face—
And lightly traced her fingers along his scar.
Ethan froze.
The village seemed to disappear. His brain shut down.
Celestia, meanwhile, seemed completely unfazed.
Her brows furrowed slightly. "This scar… It's old, but deep. A wound from battle?"
Ethan's mind screamed: BACK AWAY. BACK AWAY.
But his body was betraying him, because instead of moving, he was standing there like an idiot.
Celestia pulled back, her expression unreadable. "You claim to be a simple farmer," she said, her voice quiet but firm.
Ethan swallowed. "Because I am one."
"Then why," she said, tilting her head, "does a farmer bear the scars of a warrior?"
Ethan's stomach dropped.
Oh, crap.
She was sharp. Too sharp.
He needed to end this now.
"Look, Princess," Ethan said quickly, stepping away before she could analyze him further. "I think you've got the wrong guy. I'm just a normal villager. I don't know anything about dungeon legends or Wandering Calamities or—"
"Then come with me."
Ethan choked. "Huh?!"
Celestia crossed her arms. "If you are simply a farmer, you should have no problem proving it. Come with me to the royal capital."
Ethan stared.
Then laughed.
Then laughed harder.
"Yeah, no," he said flatly. "Not happening."
Celestia's expression didn't change.
"I insist."
"And I refuse."
For a moment, the two locked eyes.
Ethan could feel the pressure in her gaze—the presence of a royal who was used to getting her way.
Too bad for her—Ethan was used to saying no.
And more importantly—
He absolutely, positively, would rather eat dirt than step foot in the royal capital.
"…So be it," Celestia said finally. "Then I shall stay here until I find the one I seek."
Ethan blinked. "…What?"
Celestia turned to her knights. "Set up camp. We remain in this village until further notice."
The knights bowed. "Yes, Your Highness!"
Ethan felt a headache forming.
This… This was a disaster.
He needed her gone.
Now.
But before he could protest, a small, innocent voice spoke up.
"Princess?"
Everyone turned.
Mia was looking up at Celestia, wide-eyed and full of admiration.
Celestia, who had been so intense just moments ago, immediately softened.
"Yes?" she said gently.
Mia fidgeted. "Umm… Are you a knight? A real one?"
Celestia smiled. "Yes. I trained as one."
Mia's eyes sparkled. "That's so cool!"
Ethan twitched.
Oh, no.
He could already tell exactly where this was going.
"Big bro always tells me that knights are strong and noble!" Mia continued. "And they always protect the people, right?"
Celestia's expression warmed even further. "That is correct."
Mia clasped her hands together.
"Then… can you protect my big bro?"
Silence.
Ethan almost fell over.
NO. NO, NO, NO.
Celestia blinked. "Protect him?"
Mia nodded. "He's really kind! But he's always working so hard, and I don't want anything bad to happen to him…"
She looked up at Celestia with the purest, most innocent eyes imaginable.
"Can you be his knight?"
Ethan was dying inside.
MIA, WHAT ARE YOU DOING.
Celestia, on the other hand, seemed deeply, deeply intrigued.
Then—
A small, dangerous smile played on her lips.
"Very well," she said. "I shall take responsibility for his protection."
Ethan felt his soul ascend.
"NO. YOU ABSOLUTELY SHALL NOT."
But Celestia was already turning back to him.
"This is fate," she declared. "You may not trust me yet, but I will prove to you that I am worthy of being your knight."
Ethan wanted to cry.
This was not fate. This was TERRIBLE LUCK.
And just when he thought this situation couldn't get worse—
Tamamo giggled.
"Oh my~" she purred. "Ethan, you're quite popular today~ First a fiancée, and now a personal knight?"
Ethan whirled on her. "I SWEAR TO THE GODS—"
Celestia, ignoring him, turned to her knights.
"We stay here for as long as necessary," she ordered. "Until I uncover the truth of this village—and of Ethan."
Ethan internally screamed.
He was so, so screwed.