Audience
The audience chamber was even more extravagant in the royal castle.
The brilliantly shining chandelier, as if studded with jewels, radiated a sense of presence, highlighting the gold threads sewn into the crimson carpet.
The sight of the imperial knights lined up in a row looked as glamorous as if they were part of the decoration.
The staircase at the end of the room was the same marble as the front approach, but instead of a soft texture, it was pure white like snow. It was complemented by beautifully draped grape-colored hanging silk.
And on the platform sat a golden throne. It was far away, but not so far that one couldn’t see the face of the person sitting on it.
However, it would be impolite to look at the person directly, so Sheila followed the example of Clauschezade and the others and knelt down to bow.
“Raise your head.”
His voice was soft rather than dignified.
She was told in advance that she could only look up if she was told these words. Sheila looked up fearfully.
His Majesty the King wasn’t the frightening man she had imagined him to be.
He was probably still in his mid-twenties in terms of age. He was a thin young man with a gentle smile. His golden hair and blue eyes were typical of royalty, but his appearance didn’t make her feel intimidated.
Standing next to the throne, the Crown Prince, Wilfrecht’s older brother, whom she had seen at the technique competition, was much more imposing. If she wasn’t mistaken, he was called Verdinard.
“Leidyrune Centrix, Jornwerner Alfrey, Clauschezade Norstein, and Sheila Danau have arrived. It is with great pleasure that His Majesty the King himself has invited us here today.”
Clauschezade called out the names in the order of the highest-ranking family names and bowed deeply again. The person on the throne chuckled.
“You’re as formal as ever, Clauschezade.”
The familiarity was surprising to Sheila.
But if she thought about it, the man on the throne was Felix’s own brother. It was only natural that Clauschezade, who had Felix as his master, would have some connection with him.
Anyway, Sheila’s job today was to be a good listener and keep her presence out of sight. She must not express even her thoughts outwardly.
She should assimilate herself into the air as if she were hiding in the forest on a hunt.
His Majesty the King, with a calm expression on his face, once again looked around at everyone who had come to the castle.
“First of all, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to you. As the representative of the country, I would like to express my gratitude for your unhesitating and valiant efforts in the face of the demon attacks.”
“Thank you for your kind words.”
This time, Jornwerner responded.
At times like this, he seemed to change his voice to a clear tone, to the point where it seemed to come from a different person.
After nodding politely, His Majesty’s expression darkened slightly.
“Next, I would like to apologize for not being able to publicize your achievements right now. I am well aware that this is a betrayal of the heroes who have served our country and our people.”
Here, Verdinard, standing by His Majesty’s side, spoke for the first time.
“The princess is still working hard to give birth to our first child. It is regrettable that such a calamity has occurred before such an auspicious occasion, but it is also my selfish desire to postpone the disclosure of the damage until after the birth of our first child, if possible. ――I am truly sorry.”
He uttered a clear apology, which struck a chord with all of them.
As the next king, even Sheila could imagine that he had been trained not to lower his head so easily to anyone. Moreover, among those who received an apology from him today, there were also people who weren’t even nobles.
“Your Highness the Crown Prince, that is a wise choice. As a noble who serves the country, and as someone who aspires to become a knight, I did what was only natural.”
Leidyrune’s reply was even more deeply humbled.
Of course, many people in the territory on the east side of the country have probably suffered from demon attacks, and it was impossible to stop each and every one of them from talking.
Since the people of the capital had also been advised to evacuate, they naturally were aware of the situation. Within a week or two, rumors must have spread throughout the country due to the mouths of merchants and travelers.
But there was nothing wrong with keeping one’s mouth shut in the face of a happy occasion. Even the border guards, who had been hit the hardest, had miraculously suffered no casualties.
“I am very happy about your love for your country. I will tell my wife about this as soon as possible.”
Next to Verdinard, who was smiling in relief, there was no figure of the Crown Princess. She must have taken a break from her official duties during the last month of her pregnancy.
“Durium, a member of the Border Patrol, wants to thank you in person. I, too, am truly grateful for the work you have done.”
“It was only because of his efforts that we were able to achieve this result. We offer our thanks to our illustrious Steitz Kingdom.”
Since it must be rephrased in smooth sentences, aristocratic conversations were always nerve-wracking for her.
The young man named Durium, as she recalled, was sincerely relieved to hear that there had been few human casualties.
It seemed that he wanted to return to the border as soon as possible and help with the reconstruction work.
‘I know how you feel. I’d rather do that, too, than do something like this….’
Just as Sheila let her guard down a little, she felt a gaze directed at her head, which remained lowered.
“――You are Sheila Danau?”
Judging from the voice, it sounded like Verdinard.
But his voice didn’t tell her much more than that. She couldn’t detect his emotions at all.
She could see that the people lined up next to her tensed under their blank expressions.
“I heard that you are a special student. I am amazed that you have managed to stay safe while on the front lines.”
How did a commoner get mixed up in the front lines? How did they survive?
Even though his tone was gentle, Sheila felt like he was subtly pointing out the disparities of the situation. Why did she participate in the battle even though she couldn’t even use magic?
Since she had been named, she couldn’t leave it to someone else to respond.
Sheila felt a cold sweat trickling down her back.
She must not get the answers wrong. She had to answer carefully but in a deceptive way. Remember to construct the sentences in a humble way, as if she was praying to the gods.
Sheila quietly straightened her posture and faced Verdinard head-on.
“…. I was nothing more than a liability. It was all thanks to the efforts of Clauschezade-sama and all the other nobles who can manipulate magic at will.”
She smiled harmlessly and bowed her head respectfully again.
“But you have fought through it well. I would like to express my gratitude to you as well.”
“I am very honored.”
Verdinard let out a wry smile as Sheila devoted herself to keeping her head low.
“There is no need to be so nervous. I have actually heard about you before. Wilfrecht has told me that you are an important schoolmate of his.”
“Wilfrecht…. His Highness said that?”
Sheila answered plainly.
Noticing the anxious gazes of Clauschezade, she hurriedly hid her expression.
“I have heard that you and my brother are getting along well. I know he can be a bit withdrawn, so it’s reassuring to know he has a brave friend like you.”
“I, too, have learned much from working with His Highness. I am impressed every day by His Highness’ wisdom and generosity.”
As a schoolmate of a royal family member and a friend of his younger brother, Sheila could respond without hesitation.
While she hoped that Verdinard’s interest would be diverted, she knew that wouldn’t be the case. His suspicions weren’t cleared yet.
But Verdinard then uttered something unexpected.
“If you would be so kind, I would like you to go and see my brother now. He has been bedridden for so long that Wilfrecht has a little time to spare.”
“His Highness is bedridden….?”
Sheila’s wide-eyed face immediately changed to that of a person engaged in medical care.
She knew firsthand, even in the short time they had known each other, that she would lose her self-preservation in such a situation.
Clauschezade and the others secretly stifled a sigh at the prospect that all their efforts were about to be in vain.
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