“Actually, I already knew. Yesterday, during the competition, Lady mentioned that you would also be participating in the preliminaries. But at the time, I thought you just wanted to show off your courage and signed up on your own.”
“I don’t have that much free time to waste! …Just what kind of person am I in your mind?”
“Hmm… a pitiful orphan deliberately hiding her true strength and identity, who ran off to her half-sister’s home in search of family warmth?”
“Setting aside that jumble of nonsense in the latter half… why do you think I’m deliberately hiding my strength?”
The misunderstanding about her identity was the same as everyone else’s… But as far as she remembered, she had never purposefully revealed her strength in front of Feiyin.
“Of course. That day in the flower garden, you caught Princess Vera’s punch right in front of Lady and me… Let me recall… She used about thirty percent of her strength, didn’t she? I always thought among the young people of the Empire, only Lady could pull off something like that.”
“…Who exactly are you?”
Upon hearing this, Lian was so shocked that he sat up straight on the sofa. He stared fixedly into Feiyin’s eyes, trying to find some crack in her eternally calm expression.
From that single exchange of fists, she was able to make the same judgment as himself… which meant she knew Vera extremely well.
And to know her that well, she either must have seen Vera fight at full strength before, or she herself possessed strength not inferior to Vera’s—
Lian felt that either was rather unlikely.
After all, Vera could be called the strongest among humans—even in the days of the Brave’s Party, only he himself or Dragon King Laide could consistently best her in sparring.
To find someone of comparable strength or who could make her go all out, in this peaceful era…
“As you see, I’m just a maid. Of course, I moonlight as a coachwoman, too.”
“…No need to pull out your credentials and show me again.”
Even when questioned in such a serious tone, Feiyin’s expression didn’t waver in the slightest.
In the end, Lian had to press down the curiosity that this mysterious and unfathomable maid had stirred in him.
After all, she was the head maid of the Honglian Palace, and seemed to get along very well with Milin too…
If she were someone dangerous, it shouldn’t be possible for her to have kept it hidden and made it to her current position.
In any case, I can just ask Meliya or that Milin girl if I get the chance…
“Rather than staring at me, shouldn’t you be focusing on Princess Vera now? Look, she’s coming down, radiant and beaming.”
“Stop talking nonsense… how could she ever make that kind of expression—”
Lian glanced over, unconcerned, following Feiyin’s words… and sure enough—there it was.
Vera, her face overflowing with happiness, was slowly descending the stairs, supported by Prince Nolan and the Princess.
“Father originally planned to come himself. But something happened in the Demon Realm, and he just couldn’t spare the time.”
“I see. That’s why he sent you two instead. Milin will definitely understand… How’s his health?”
“Great! He always drags me along hunting nowadays. The furs he sent you as gifts were skinned off the Snow Demon Wolf he bagged last time…”
Even that usually stone-faced Prince Nolan and the Princess, who always seemed insufferably arrogant, were now cheerfully chatting with her… Seeing this, Lian couldn’t help but doubt his own eyes.
“What’s going on?”
“You didn’t know? The father of these two, King Roland of Nolan, was once a member of the Brave’s Party. He’s also the foster brother of Master and Princess Vera. In terms of seniority, these two are Princess Vera’s nephew and niece.”
“Ah… so that’s how it is… haha.”
Lian let out a dry laugh. Of course he knew about that connection, but what actually felt odd to him was Vera’s expression…
The way she looked now, she was just like that girl he’d first met nineteen years ago, when she’d just arrived in this world—
Lian had long wished she could return to that way. Yet now, with that wish suddenly granted, he found it hard to believe, as if it couldn’t possibly be real.
“But I’m a bit surprised, too. In my impression, Lady Vera isn’t someone who’d make that kind of face. She always seems to be suppressing her feelings, even with Lady and Duchess. But today, it’s like she suddenly figured something out… I’m really curious, too. What exactly caused her to change like this?”
Feiyin intentionally or not shifted her gaze toward Lian, but he didn’t notice. He just gazed blankly at the foolishly smiling Vera, his own face tangled with complicated emotions.
There was some happiness and relief, but more than that, sadness, longing, nostalgia… maybe even conflict? From his face alone, Feiyin couldn’t read any more, but she still felt very satisfied with what she’d seen.
After all, the taste of emotions… grows richer and sweeter with time.
Carefully savoring the sorrow wafting from Lian, Feiyin’s face was tinged by a faint, fleeting blush.
…
……
………
“…How did things turn out like this?”
The next day, the tournament was set on a public green in the North District.
Lian stood atop the arena, beneath him a sea of people. Even without checking, he knew he was the center of everyone’s attention now.
And it was all the fault of those people spectating right by the stage—
“Go, Lian! Show everyone what you can do!”
“Please do your best, Miss Lian. I’m really looking forward to seeing your performance.”
“Maid, you’d better fight well for this palace—don’t let Aunt Vera down!”
Prince Nolan and the Princess sat on either side of Vera, all of them cheering for him.
Feiyin was there too, waving a flag embroidered with Lian’s name—
When did she even make that? …Please, just stop waving it already!
“Um, excuse me, Miss, could you be… Why is Her Highness the Princess…?”
Someone under even more pressure than Lian was his opponent standing across from him.
It was a young man dressed in the local garrison’s uniform. Judging by his plain shoulder insignia, he must be a second lieutenant.
First, he glanced nervously and reverently at Lian’s boisterous cheering section, then gulped and looked at him, asking in a trembling voice.
“Don’t be so nervous… I’m just a maid, really.”
His legs looked like they were already shaking. To put him at ease, Lian could only offer such reassurance.
He understood perfectly well why his opponent was so shaken… To the kingdom’s soldiers, Vera was pretty much an idol—and now there were two Nolan state guests at her side, too.
“I see… Th-then, Miss, please take care of me…”
If only that could calm him down a little.
With a wry smile, Lian raised his sword and took his stance before him.