14. Mine.
“Did you play with Miss Elijah?!”
“… ….”
My head hurts.
Really. Dizzy….
“It’s not like that….”
“If it’s not like that…. Also! Seriously with the lady, like that… !”
“Oh really! No! Shut up! What are you going to do if someone hears it!”
Richard pointed with a surprised face.
“You, you man! Shut up?! Malbonsae What is that! Now this is the worst, uh!”
“If someone goes wrong, everyone will be arrested for blaspheming the nobility.
“Did you even care about that?”
“… ….”
“So you have a preference for older people. No, just say it.”
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“No, is that important now!”
At that moment, the image of Elijah as an adult passed by in my mind.
Reasonable height, neither too big nor too small.
A bit bigger than average if I had to put it into perspective.
Straight legs.
Fair and fair skin.
Looking down expressionlessly.
Red lips.
Curvy black hair and body….
… What? Are you crazy at last?
Your hair isn’t normal because of them. Right now?
Judah If it’s based on your age, then that’s your age. Uh. That’s right….
‘Why are you worrying about this!’
I answered while scratching my head in frustration.
“Ai, I don’t know that. It’s something I never thought of!”
“Hmm….”
It means that you have not yet thought about rational interest.
It is not simply an excuse derived from Judas’ age.
Embarrassingly true.
Since I was in middle school, I have lived only judo.
The only contact I have with the opposite s*x in my life is by the collar or by the cuffs.
In the process, there was no romance that made my heart tickle or pound.
My heart was pounding.
It’s hard.
There is a degree of blushing in her face.
Because blood doesn’t work if you choke it.
While working out in earnest, she had nothing to do with women, and since then, she has only watched judo.
“Yeah, what… It could be, um….”
“What the hell were you talking about…. Please know that there will be no cookies in the future.”
“What?!”
All five, including Richard, opened their eyes wide at once.
Among them, Argon was the first to stretch out on the floor.
“Sorry! Wrong!”
After that, a row of people began to prostrate themselves next to him, as if they were being taken aback.
“I will never do that again!”
“I’m sorry!”
I sighed as I looked down at them screaming.
‘Looking at it now, they’re some of the older kids in our room.’
Aren’t you at that age?
… I used to only exercise at that age. Anyway, I understand.
“Judas…. I’m really, really sorry…. It’s my fault…. We thought briefly….”
“You are serious enough to think that if someone hears you, you are confessing. Stop and get up.”
“Then cookies….”
“That’s just what I said. But you speak as if you entrusted it to me?”
“Hmmm….”
Richard woke up clearing his throat and asked one last hint.
“… Anyway, it’s not like older people, right?”
“… ….”
This bastard…. Why are you so obsessed with age?
Instead of answering, I just looked up with narrowed eyes.
Richard turned his head away as if nothing had happened and hummed at him.
*
“What happened?”
I returned to where Hermis was.
She looked at my face and asked anxiously.
“Yes?”
“Your face went red. His expression is even firmer than before he left. Are you being bullied?”
“No, no. That’s not it.”
I hurriedly waved my hand.
“Just, that….”
Me and Hermis went into the forest every time.
Sentences I didn’t want to recall kept haunting my head.
“Oh, you got more red.”
“Uh, no, that, it’s really okay. Just hanging out with my co-workers… After a heated discussion, yes. Regarding the living guidelines of the room, this and that…. And I am not one to be bullied.”
“Hmm. Well, that is too.”
I climbed into the carriage with Hermis.
She always sits across from me.
This is where Anna always sat before.
These days, Anna and Hermis are with me when I leave the mansion, and only Hermis is with me when I return.
We chatted a lot, but now that I think about it, I don’t know how old Hermis is.
“Excuse me, may I ask your age?”
“I am 17 years old.”
By the standards of this world, he is on the verge of adulthood.
Because you have a coming-of-age ceremony at the age of 18.
“I was probably the youngest knight on this continent.”
It was a tone full of pride.
I honestly admired and praised you.
“You are amazing.”
“Isn’t that why you nominated me?”
“Ah. Didn’t she say that the lady herself selected them?”
“Yes. After sifting through several candidates as an article to serve as an escort for Yuda, he finally chose me. Few people volunteered, but that doesn’t mean I’m not competitive.”
“You mean there are few volunteers?”
I want to hear more, but the knights there seem to hate me.
I know roughly.
There is a story that I hear coming and going.
Someone who appears out of nowhere and sits down in the mansion of a great nobleman is like a pillar man or something.
‘There are only crazy people….’
By the way, Elijah personally selected them.
I thought she’d just let it take care of itself.
… What a little thank you
For some reason, I remembered the image of adult Elijah again.
‘Get out of my head….’
It’s because of them.
It’s because of Richard, Argon and all the other idiots!
“Oh, your face turned red.”
I opened the window without a word.
The cold wind that touches my face is cold.
More than usual.
It is absolutely not because the face is hot. Never.
***
“… That is all.”
Hermis finished reporting to Elijah.
It was her duty to report anything out of the ordinary during her time with Judas.
“Yes…. Archduke Balak….”
Elijah blinked her eyes slowly.
Looks and expressions that are deeply concerned about something.
Hermis felt a strange sense of intimidation.
Although she is small and childish, her aura as a ruler is sufficient.
… Except for the cat doll in your bosom.
“Shylock, Gaston, Talent. I mean those three.”
“Yes, I am.”
“And since Shylock said this wasn’t to her liking from the start, she decided to side with Judas.”
“There was a somewhat violent suppression and interrogation process, but in the end it was.”
“And Sir Hermis asked for a delay to act as if he were following Balak’s orders first?”
“Yes.”
Confirming her facts again, Elijah nodded her head.
There was a bit of Hermis’s assertiveness, but it was not something to be reprimanded by her.
In the process of protecting Judah, that level of competence is allowed.
“Get that Shylock.”
It is quite a distance from Elijah’s mansion to the training center.
I couldn’t come right away, but Elijah was willing to wait.
One servant left in a hurry.
Elijah quietly observed Hermis.
She just stood still and waited in front of herself when there was no order.
It is an example of an orderly and disciplined knight.
The skills are also good.
From what I hear, it seems that he easily subdued his fellow knight, Shylock.
Choosing Hermis as the person to protect Judas is, of course, the best.
‘I know….’
Looking at it, memories suddenly soar.
Two people whose faces were close.
This is an area that he has yet to reach.
‘What is this….’
Defining emotions is not easy.
This is because no study has been able to accurately classify and organize human emotions.
‘This is….’
She defined this strange discomfort as possessiveness.
It was a very plausible hypothesis.
She was very sensitive to anyone touching her own.
I had a similar experience.
The days when she was brought to her parents’ house after her mother’s funeral.
She had several items left by her mother.
Too shabby and simple clothes for nobles to wear.
Or the teddy bear that I often carried around.
Once, Achan, the fourth blood of Balak, stole the teddy bear and hid it.
At that time, Elijah roamed around the large building and wide lot of her home.
Continuing even at dawn when the moon rises.
She was hungry because she hadn’t eaten, and her whole body ached from not being able to sleep.
Then she fell.
I stayed still.
She couldn’t move at all.
It felt as if all the blood had drained from her body.
Her limbs continued to tremble.
Ever since the things her mother gave her disappeared.
She crouched helplessly until Narcissus found her to scold her.
In her head, she burned her mansion countless times, but in reality she was weak.
It’s the dregs of her own life.
Once upon a time when not only the body but also the mind were disgustingly weak.
Of course, after she came to her senses, she avenged her.
I threw Agan’s prized fancy model sword into the stable poop.
Sarah, the fifth beast born to Balak and Narsisi, once tore the clothes her mother gave her.
She returned it too.
After burning all of Sarah’s jewels and accessories in an incinerator, she turned them into ashes and poured them over Sarah’s sleeping face.
Anyway.
The discomfort I feel now is oddly similar to then.
Feeling like someone else has tampered with her own possessions.
Feeling like her territory was invaded.
A flame flickering in my heart.
It is as small as a match fire blooming in space.
The seed of crazy fire that has appeared for the first time in a while whispers.
Just get rid of it….
“The scarf suits you well.”
Hermis said.
I hinted at Elijah, who was staring at him for a long time.
“… ….”
Elijah carefully pulled her scarf up to her nose.
It smells pleasant.
Her heart sinks.
Trying to speak arrogantly.
“… You have an eye for things.”
“Thank you.”
Hermis smiled.
It was a light compliment thrown to break the quiet atmosphere, but it was effective.
Looking at what he always wears, it seems to be a scarf he wears quite often.
It’s a bit big for a scarf, though.
Hermis did not know the story that she had received it from Judas on her birthday.
“I brought Sir Shylock.”
The attendant outside the door said.
“Let me in.”
“Did you call?”
Shylock smiled kindly and bent her back.
Elijah laughed lightly.
‘I know how to wear a mask.’
This is the first time we actually met.
I didn’t even know that a person named Shylock was at the training center.
However, Elijah recognized at a glance that his face was a mask.
She knew because she too wore a mask and met many masks.
It was an intuition developed based on experience.
Elijah decided not to turn her words around or to look for clues in other words.
A mask like this is an unnecessary process.
Right to the point.
“They say they work under the command of the Grand Duke.”
Shylock changed his mask.
Still smiling a bit.
Instead of that, a slightly shrunken face tinged with guilt.
“Unfortunately, yes.”
“Since when?”
“I swore allegiance to Lord Balak from the time I took office.”
“But, I heard it’s not as of today.”
The witness, Hermis, was right there.
She involuntarily swallowed her saliva.
I didn’t expect it to go straight like this.
“I’m sorry to the Grand Duke, but I thought it was something I shouldn’t have done as a human being.”
“Why?”
“Doing that to a child is unbearable….”
“I haven’t said I was a child yet.”
“I assumed that the wise young lady already knew enough and called. Sorry.”
“Yeah, what. It’s a much more progressive value than that. Discrimination based on age and growth. It’s a topic that has only recently begun to be discussed among scholars.”
“I am immature, but I have lived my life with interest in various studies. Not as much as the lady.”
“So, did you break chivalry because of that? Even ignoring the problem of supporting the family?”
“… ….”
Elijah leisurely caught her off guard.
A back story that Hermis and Shylock didn’t mention.
His family.
You hit.
Shylock, who had been replying smoothly, shut her mouth.
Awkward silence.
He froze as if he had been pierced by his spear.
It was an easy reasoning for Elijah.
She also recently went through the process of choosing someone she could trust.
The two factors I considered important at the time.
Skill and Loyalty.
You can see your skills with your own eyes.
Loyalty is different.
Not exposed.
Thus, Elijah focused on the grounds for loyalty.
The more material the basis, the better.
Abstract values such as honor or gratitude are useless.
Money. Plural. Family. Lover.
The easier and simpler it is, the surer motive for loyalty.
Like Hermis who cherishes distant relatives.
Shylock and Hermis.
Both tensed their bodies.
The little girl in front of me was an aristocrat far sharper than rumors had it.
“Let’s wrap it up. You have received orders from the Archduke. The target is Judas. However, as the instructions went against your values, you broke chivalry and turned away from targeting Judas. Leaving aside the problem of supporting the family. I don’t think all of this is true.”
Elijah continued.
“Then what lies? Your betrayal? That’s not right. If you did, you wouldn’t be standing in front of me like this now. You decided to rebel against the Grand Duke’s command. That’s for sure your lie is one It’s an excuse for that value. If so, why did I have to lie like this?”
The wicked woman grinned.
“Perhaps because Judas solved the problem of supporting your family. Disobeying the Archduke simply because the matter has been resolved is suicidal. You have a debt to pay to Judas.”
“… ….”
There was one more possibility.
If Hermis solved his family problems.
But it was not mentioned.
If so, Hermis would have told you beforehand.
“Sir Hermis.”
Elijah stopped her words and leaned against the back of her chair.
Comfort and generosity.
It was an attitude that showed off the qualities of a ruler.
Because Hermis was nervous, her answer was delayed.
“… Yes, yes miss.”
“This is your last chance. Tell me everything you hid from me.”
*
Hermis gulped.
I had to admit it.
I was complacent.
Too many things were covered up to hide information about the guild.
And Elijah accurately read the hidden part of the story.
A strange case that was used as another information because it was hidden.
She looked down on Elijah a little. She
She has done a lot of espionage as a member of the intelligence guild.
She has met several people who are said to be smart.
Among them, there was definitely no one as sharp and overbearing as Elijah.
It’s not just the ability to reason.
She has a knack for stabbing people, revealing emotions, and shaking the mood.
It was truly a monstrous ability.
It wasn’t just a talent.
It was the result of learning desperately to survive while being educated at the home, and studying tenaciously to destroy the Bebel family.
“To tell you the truth….”
Hermis was straightforward.
Of course, she left out everything about the information guild.
I couldn’t help but reveal a little of Judas’ actions.
Fortunately, when Elijah spoke of Judas, she reacted promptly.
I focused exclusively on the part where Judas appeared.
“… As it turns out, Judas said that he lived in a village near the front line. She said that there she heard and remembered a cure related to Sir Shylock’s family.”
It was a fact that Elijah did not know.
But she couldn’t show it.
She just listened calmly.
As I knew.
Of course, Hermis also assumed that Elijah knew this much about Judas, and brought it up.
Elijah thought.
‘Near power lines….’
A place where Judas once lived.
‘What I don’t know….’
Hermis knew first.
She didn’t tell me about her background.
She spends more time with Judas than herself….
‘… Why am i worrying about this? It’s not even an important matter.’
Elijah has redefined her priorities.
‘Anyway, the gap in the story has been filled.’
I found out what Hermis was hiding.
Judas overheard the knights and she persuaded Shylock with the information she knew.
At this time, Hermis asked me to act as a double agent.
Shylock was in debt, so she agreed.
Still Hermis didn’t tell me everything.
I left a very small secret.
However, there were no logical flaws.
Elijah had no choice but to believe.
The fact that Hermis was a member of the information guild, and that Judas had visited and used the information guild first, was completely inconceivable from common sense.
I questioned the secret of the two, but in the end, nothing has changed much.
Shylock was ordered by Balak.
Disobeying his orders.
Everything is the same.
Just added Judas actions and clues.
It’s trivial, but it was big information for Elijah.
Evidence that Judas lived in a village near the frontline.
She said that Judas, whom she pursued, was cut off near the front line.
It’s difficult to pursue further than that, but I got a meaningful clue.
My curiosity only grew.
Who is Judas?
Where did it come from?
Actually, you don’t need to know Judah’s origins.
At first, she dug because she was just curious, but the more she knew, the more she wanted to know.
Elijah captured her thoughts.
She has other important things.
The three that Balak planted at the training center.
‘Shylock, Gaston, talent.’
I don’t know who everyone is.
Their identities are not important.
Balak’s behavior is important.
‘Why do I have to be so troublesome?’
The target is Judas.
What they do is nothing more than rumors and bullying. And some violence.
Judas is not the type to give in.
Balak, too, is not a person to do such childish things.
Kill or don’t kill.
The choice must be extreme and fast.
If he knew Balak, he would of course have to kill Judas.
If it was Balak, that method wouldn’t be too difficult.
‘… ….’
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When she thought of Judas dying, her eyebrows naturally furrowed.
Push her emotions away by shaking her head.
Notice again.
About the suspicious behavior of Balak.
They say Judas is the goal, but no. Elijah denied it.
The real purpose will be different.
She guessed so.
Because Balak will hate himself.
However, I don’t know what it is at the moment.
What is she trying to do at her own training center?
There was something worthwhile in front of her eyes.
“Sir Shylock.”
“… Yes. Miss.”
“Anyway, I understand that you are not on Balak’s side anymore. That he is not an enemy of Judas and mine.”
“Thank you.”
“I will take care of my family.”
Having turned her back on Balak, she will take care of herself from now on.
At the same time, the well-being of your family is up to you.
Intimidation and comfort. And it was an offer.
Work for yourself.
Shylock just shook her head.
“… I am honored to know.”
“Lord Hermis, please take good care of me in the future.”
Elijah said with a laugh.
Hermis, too, had no choice but to bow down.
“I will do my best.”
***
The time to take care of the moon deer every evening is still valid.
And Elijah also comes, preferably every day.
When I am busy, I sometimes take care of myself.
And if you come to the stable where the moon deer lives….
“Oya, oh, oh, ayu is good. Uhh yes.”
The moon deer runs out in a huff and screams.
It has been like this ever since I came back from taking the first test.
I heard from Bradley that he was very anxious at the time.
Perhaps they misunderstood that I was abandoning myself.
That’s why every time I come, I’m petting and prettier than before.
“Oh, that was good. Yeah yeah, very excited Yes, nice to meet you too….”
But being happy is sometimes too much.
I can’t say anything because he keeps licking my face.
‘It looks like a puppy…. That’s an incredibly big puppy.’
It’s overkill, but it makes me happy when people welcome me like this.
I wonder if it’s enough if it’s cute.
I am the neck of a wildly sweet deer and I stroked it as if it were scratching its back.
“Ah cool, right. That’s right.”
It’s saliva, so you can wipe it off later.
Stable Keeper Bradley laughed.
“Guy Ko, you’ve been very active since you came back.”
“This is how I won. I cannot be away for long.”
“That means I am following you…. Oops, lady Are you here?”
Bradley put the bucket down and said hello.
I also stood up and turned around.
‘It looks like Elijah is less busy today.’
Standing at the entrance of the stable was Elijah.
Don’t come in, stay still.
She looks at me gently.
He is awkwardly persistent even when he greets you.
‘… Are you seeing the moon deer, not me?’
The moon deer kept licking me without notice.
You can’t expect courtesy from a beast, so I pushed it away with my hand.
It sticks even if you push it.
Elijah strode in front of me without saying a word.
Big eyes scan me up and down.
“… Miss? Why?”
She moved her lips in a pout, then shook her head.
“Nothing.”
Soon, as usual, caring for the moon deer began.
It’s still a good time.
Elijah brushes her hair, and I scratch her neck while feeding her something like water or hay.
However, Elijah has changed.
It’s not as stiff as before.
It became quite skillful and natural.
As well as the expression.
It is a rare time to see Elijah’s gentle face.
‘Did you like the moon deer?’
The purpose of Elijah’s bringing in the moon deer was one.
To display at her birthday banquet.
After that, you won’t have to pay attention.
Elijah consistently makes time.
Evil, evil.
The sound of brushing.
Crunching, the sound of moon deer chewing hay.
Lea waits behind Elijah for the unexpected.
It’s time for Bradley to adjust and clean the stables comfortably.
It’s relaxed and laid-back, so my mind is relaxed a little.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, I cautiously opened my mouth.
A question I wanted to ask Elijah.
I don’t know what to answer.
Although it may be rude to ask the owner such a thing.
I’m still curious.
The reason Elijah killed me.
If I hear the answer, I wonder if I can understand a little bit.
“My lady.”
“Huh?”
The words Elijah asked at that time.
“What do you think of me?”
… When I was about to say it, I was a little nervous, so I got the question wrong.
Then Elijah asked her what she thought of herself.
Well, but that’s it.
“You?”
As Elijah combed, she looked at me.
You’ve definitely gotten better at combing your hair now.
“Yes.”
Elijah stares at me.
As if it were a rare creature.
Looks like a very strange question.
As usual, he is expressionless, but now he feels the slightest change.
Her head tilts slowly.
One time to the left.
Right once.
Why do you even ask me this? As if
‘It’s kind of cute…. Oh, no.’
Elijah, who was staring at me, turned her head away.
As she combs her hair, she responds indifferently, spatting out.
When I heard her words, my heart just stopped.
***
“What do you think of me?”
Judas asked.
“You?”
“Yes.”
Elijah pondered the question as he brushed his hair.
Why are you asking this?
Are you sure?
I observed Judas’ expression.
A little nervous face.
Certainly, it was not a question for a lowly citizen to ask his master.
Evidently, Elijah didn’t care.
But she was really puzzled.
Why do you want to know the answer?
You already know that.
So I slowly tilted my head from side to side, staring at it.
Because Judas is curious about such things.
After that, she brushed her hair and answered indifferently.
AS IS.
Be honest.
“Mine.”
