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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 48
Chapter Title: The Grand Reveal
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I whispered,
“So, is it thanks to Emil? Sir Cesar said you were brothers.”
“For now, yes.”
The knight captain of the Empire's only ducal house being a nepotism hire... was this really allowed?
It seemed their history of being the dysfunctional family in hadn’t gone anywhere.
Well, whether there was a knight captain or not, my swordmaster father-in-law was a one-man army, but… huh?
“...”
I belatedly noticed the stares directed our way.
Winter, Menelik, and even Rose were staring intently at us.
“...I thought you weren’t interested in family affairs.”
Menelik muttered, looking quite surprised.
I inwardly agreed.
Even though Kivrin was receiving lessons to be the heir, he had never once mentioned it to me.
“Ah, I-I can’t help but overhear things, even if I try not to.”
I suddenly remembered what Rose had said about using a spell to make the servants less afraid of Kivrin.
It had only neutralized their fear, but that alone must have changed so many things.
Including the sounds that reached Kivrin’s ears...
Winter rested her chin on her hand.
“But you can’t keep working as a nanny looking like that. The servants would be confused, above all else… and not everyone will be as welcoming as Cheria.”
“Then what about Cheria’s escort?”
Winter raised an eyebrow.
“Oh? You don’t want to be the knight captain, but you’re fine with being Cheria’s escort?”
“I’m sure I’d do a better job than whatever chump is the knight captain. What if Cheria gets hurt because he draws his sword at any moment? The Young Lord doesn’t need an escort anyway, so I’ll just protect Cheria.”
“Of course, Cheria wasn’t in any danger with Kivrin there, but let’s move on. So, Cheria?”
Winter looked at me as if asking for my opinion.
I quickly nodded and said to Rose,
“Yes! I’ll protect you!”
“...What are you talking about? I’m the escort, and you’re the one I’m supposed to be escorting.”
Rose retorted, dumbfounded, but I didn’t budge.
“You almost got hit by an arrow! I’m not going out, so you shouldn’t either. It’s safest inside the castle.”
“You said your wish was to go out with the Young Lord, but now you’re going to stay cooped up because of me?”
“It’s because I’m worried you’ll get hurt.”
I couldn’t stop worrying about Rose, who seemed like a child left by the water’s edge.
Menelik watched Rose and me with great interest.
While Kivrin shot Menelik a contemptuous look, Rose strode over to me.
Rose looked down at me, who was much smaller.
“I’d be fine even if I got hit by a hundred of those stupid arrows. Who’s worrying about whom? My only guardian is a woman with a one-syllable name, so don’t you nag me like a mother! I won’t give you a birthday present!”
As if anyone didn’t know you were Del's adopted child, that she, of all people, doted on you?!
I was indignant.
“I never asked for a birthday present. Just stay by my side and don’t get hurt.”
“...”
Rose looked as if they’d been struck over the head.
I still got goosebumps thinking about the moment Nocturne had stared at Kivrin.
The speculation that he might have been chasing Rose to kill them was far from pleasant.
In , was Kivrin weak and just took everything lying down? Not at all!
I thought Rose and I had gotten somewhat close, but now they were telling me not to nag.
…I’m just worried.
Their lack of response made me feel twice as upset, and I said sullenly,
“If you hate being worried over so much, then prove you’d be fine even if you were hit by an arrow. At the very least, show me your true form.”
If you look like a dragon from a fairy tale, I’ll acknowledge it! Hmph!
“...Fine.”
Suddenly, Rose’s body burst into flames.
But I was already in Kivrin’s arms, being protected by Winter and Menelik.
The fire burned nothing and quickly subsided.
And Rose, now transformed into their true form—a bird—cried out majestically.
“Well? How do I look!”
“...”
“...”
“...Hm.”
Menelik hastily covered his mouth, trying to stifle his laughter.
A bird, no bigger than my forearm even including its smoldering tail feathers, was flapping in the air.
For the record, I was an eleven-year-old who was smaller than average, so my forearms were short too.
It made me marvel at the eyesight of the temple priests who had recognized such a tiny bird and treated it as a good omen.
Well, I mean, it did look like a special bird at a glance.
Its feathers, which appeared red in the shade and gold in the sun, looked incredibly beautiful.
Whenever it flapped its wings, tiny sparks would pop into existence and then vanish.
...And that was it.
“Do we need to hire someone to escort Cheria’s escort?”
Winter muttered seriously. Her expression suggested she would never offer Rose the position of knight captain again.
“What’s with that reaction?!”
Rose chirped, flapping its wings faster.
I slipped out of Kivrin’s arms and approached Rose.
Everyone watched me, but no one stopped me.
Thanks to that, I was able to gently touch Rose’s wing with my finger.
Embers clung to Rose’s wings and tail feathers, never going out, but they were only warm to the touch.
“It’s not hot at all.”
And so puny...
Completely oblivious to my inner thoughts, Rose proudly puffed out its chest.
“Of course. I don’t hurt just anyone.”
Then, Rose landed on my head.
It was ridiculous to think this pampered, short, and chubby bird was stronger than Cesar.
Isn’t something seriously wrong here?
As I was denying reality, Rose asked me expectantly,
“I’m reliable, right? Now you want to go play outside with the Young Lord, don’t you?”
No. Not at all.
Winter spoke, unable to bring herself to look my way.
“Well... the effort to reassure you is commendable, isn’t it?”
Mother, it’s obvious you’re trying not to laugh!
For the record, Menelik had already reached his limit, bowing his head and shaking.
* * *
After a few twists and turns, Rose was appointed as my escort knight.
Winter said she would create a suitable new identity for them, just like last time.
She said it as if it were nothing, to the point that I started to get confused about how difficult it actually was.
But Rose declared they didn’t want to use an alias.
“It’s a common name anyway. We can just say I share the same name as Viscount Rose.”
I doubted how many people would readily believe that, but Winter let Rose have their way.
Was it because they had volunteered to be Kivrin’s nanny when everyone else avoided him? Both Winter and Menelik were quite lenient with Rose.
Thanks to them, Rose emerged into the hallway, satisfied.
I stuck close to Rose’s side and asked,
“Do you like that name that much?”
“It’s the first thing Del ever gave me.”
“You really like Del, don’t you?”
Rose readily admitted it.
“Of course I do. Del found and raised me after I was abandoned at birth. Originally, I wasn’t a phoenix or anything special, just an ordinary bird.”
“Like a pigeon?”
Rose’s eyebrow shot up.
“Is a pigeon the only bird you know?”
What’s wrong with pigeons!
I pretended not to hear Rose muttering that they needed to show me an ornithology guide.
If I had heard this story without having met Kivrin’s past self, I would have been impressed.
But now, only question marks floated around in my head.
Kivrin’s past self was Del, so why couldn’t he remember Rose, whom he had personally turned into a phoenix?
He even got jealous when I paid attention to Rose.
Something felt off, so I glanced at Kivrin, who was walking half a step behind me.
Kivrin flinched in surprise and avoided my gaze.
He practically reeked of guilt.
...I’ll let it slide because you’re cute.
“Rose, you said you worked hard to manage your reputation, unlike Del, right?”
I deliberately changed the subject.
Kivrin let out a sigh of relief, and an oblivious Rose answered obediently.
“I didn’t kill humans, and I sometimes handed out money or food.”
Aha, so was that why the Temple treated Rose as a good omen?
“Wait, so Del did the opposite and earned everyone’s hatred?”
Just as Kivrin sucked in a sharp breath,
Yelena came running from the other end of the hall, calling out my name at the top of her lungs.
“Little Ma’aaam! I’ve been waiting for you to return!”
“Yelena? What is it?”
The moment she reached me, Yelena fired off a barrage of questions.
“Of course there is! You went out and just came back, Little Madam. How are you feeling? May I take a quick look at you?”
Rose glanced at Kivrin.
“You can tell me what you needed to say now.”
Kivrin nodded nervously and then looked at me.
“I-I’ll be the one to tell them about the sealing spell being broken.”
“...What was broken?”
Rose mouthed the words.
I was a little worried, but I left it to Kivrin and followed Yelena.
