Chapter 1 part 4

There's always rivalry like cats and dogs everywhere. It's also the same for us, the Holy Knights. Our rival is none other than the Imperial Knight Squad and the worst is the Third Knight Squad whose duty is to protect the Crown Prince. The Holy Knights serve the Goddess and the Imperial Knights serve the Palace, so from generation to generation we haven't had a good relationship, but lately the hatred seems to have gotten worse. The main problem is we fight for the Crown Prince's attention. To be precise, the Third Knight Squad felt inferior and thus echoed a cry, "We are the Special Squad that served The Crown Prince, why is Your Highness closer with those damn Holy Knights?"

As a former Saintess, the Empress, who is the Crown Prince's birth mother, often brought the little Crown Prince to the Church. That's why, the Crown Prince would be much more familiar with the people in the Church and have better relationship with the Holy Knights rather than with the Third Knight Squad, which is unfamiliar to him. Furthermore, it's not surprising that the dissatisfaction of the Third Knight Squad soared sky-high, as the Church, to be precise the Holy Knight Squad, had to step in directly to solve the curse of the Crown Prince.

We didn't even do anything wrong. If they wanted to fuss about it, they should have asked the Crown Prince; why did they trouble us, the innocent party? We solved the curse problem well with our utmost efforts because their abilities were still lacking!

And that bastard especially is the most wicked!

With eyes full of hatred, I stared at Cain Silac, a knight from the Imperial Third Knight Squad, who was standing besides Miss Silla's fiancé. Other Imperial Knights usually only made some small commotions, but that bastard also used underhanded means to irritate the Holy Knights Squad. Inevitably, a holy knight got expelled dishonorably. My subordinates are all very precious to me. I should be the one to take the blame if it's my fault; even so, how dare someone unrelated harm my kids (aka subordinates)?!

Damn it! Right now I'm not Leader anymore. Should I just kill him?

Previously I couldn't take my revenge on him personally because I was Leader, but right now it's different. I won't trouble my kids and other people under the high priest if I beat that bastard to death. Instead, the Count Epheria household will be ruined. But, it shouldn't be a problem for someone who sold his own daughter to the Demon King to be ruined, right? Thats right, it should be okay.

"Miss! Miss!"

Sofia anxiously called me when my thoughts wandered to another problem… can I even deal with that bastard in my current condition?

"… ah?"

 "Do you remember anything?"

What to rememb–? Oh, has she mistaken my glare at Silla's fiancé?

"No… I don't remember anything but I've a bad feeling about him."

"Seems like your body remembers even if Miss has no recollection of it."

Sofia cast an irritated glance at the damn fiancé then continue spoke, "He is really really an evil asshole, so Miss must be careful."

"I'm his fiancée. Does he really intend to harm me?"

"That's not something we know for sure. After all, he sided with the Countess."

"Is that so?"

If that's the case, then that bastard (Cain) is probably related too. I listened half-heartedly to Sofia's repeated nagging to stay vigilant while walking towards the horse and carriage.

"It's been a while , Miss Epheria."

I paid no heed to his greetings and only glared coldly at him. From his outward appearance, he looks decent. Viscount Schwart has average looks and seems to be around 20 years of age. Well, he would be considered ugly if being compared to me. Of course, I mean, if being compared to my previous body.

Not replying to a greeting and only glaring at someone is very impolite, but the Viscount didn't really care about it. Maybe Silla usually did the same too.

"Lets get in to the carriage!" Said the Viscount while politely extending his hands to me.

Up until this point, there was no problem so far. He could be considered gentle, compared to my attitude. If he is easily angered, he would not tolerate my attitude of ignoring him. After hesitating on how I should respond, I finally nodded and folded the parasol before taking his hand to get into the carriage. Hmm… I don't have any idea of how should I talk. For the time being, maybe I should pretend to be feminine.

…, damn it! I don't know how to act feminine! Ughh whatever, I will just sit and stay quiet.

Viscount Schwart sat next to me and that bastard took a seat in front of us. Honestly, what sins had I committed in the past that had me sitting face-to-face with that bastard inside a carriage?

As soon as the carriage started moving, Viscount Schwart began to talk.

"This is my old friend, Cain Silac, a knight from the Imperial Third Knight Squad."

"Ah…yes," I answered while looking at my knees so as not to glare at that damn Cain. To cast a hateful glare on someone you're meeting for the first time is really suspicious. However …., an old friend? Seems like this bastard Viscount Schwart can't be considered to be a good person. Being prejudiced isn't a good character trait, but there are some people that said birds of a feather folk together, right?

"Today Miss Epheria is really quiet."

"Well…"

Don't talk to me! There's nothing to talk about between us!

"I heard recently that Miss got sick."

"That's right."

"As your fiancé, I should have visited you. My apologies."

"It's fine."

I gave short replies with my head still hanging down. After some thoughts, this man didn't even show up when his fiancé lay unconscious in bed. He's absolutely an asshole.

After that, we engaged in a small talk and I gave brief answers until I felt drowsy. Boring. I refrained myself from yawning and shifted my gaze to look outside through the window. I'm familiar with the street view of the capital city, since this presumably hadn't changed from before. Well, that's for sure, since I had only been gone for about one month.

"Huh…?"

The building we just passed, is clearly a snack shop owned by Michael. Michael is one of low-level knights in Holy Knight Squad. His parents run a famous snack shop in Caper Street. But, Caper Street is located far from my destination. I turned my head and look at Viscount Schwart.

"Viscount Schwart."

"Yes?"

"Are we heading to the right place?"

And more importantly, does he know where I want to go? I never told him.

My question didn't make him panic and he calmly answered, "The main road and the roads around it are closed to horse-carriages because of the funeral procession. Therefore, we have to turn around for a bit."

"Is that so?"

I tilted my head and continued to look outside the window. Are the roads really closed due to the funeral procession? Even so, our direction is really strange… even if the roads around the main road are closed, we could take the horse carriage as near as possible and then walk a bit, right? Why should we detour to this extent?

This is really suspicious!

Regardless, they clearly have other motives. It will be easier to run away when the horse carriage is moving, but…. since it has already come to this point, how about I follow their plan a bit?

The bastard who sat before me would become a slight hindrance, even though the Viscount isn't a problem, but it will be easy for me to escape from them by simply avoiding and not opposing them directly. I would be in big trouble if the place where we headed to is full of men wielding weapons. But they wouldn't make any detailed preparations to take care of a weak girl, would they?

After the horse carriage moved a bit longer, it stopped on a street that was very far from the main road where the funeral procession will be held.

"Let's go!"

Viscount Schwart got out from the carriage first then reached out his hand to me. All this time, I never knew that letting others to guide me, made me feel unpleasant. I can walk by myself without holding someone else's hand. I hate to see myself blatantly regarded as a weak person who needs another's care. Well… a woman indeed is weak, and…. well, Silla is usually weak though, but…

Still, all the ladies I've accompanied seemed happy.

They really felt happy, right? With mixed feelings, I descended from the carriage by myself. In front of me was an inn. An inn, mhm, that is an inn. Not a hotel but a small inn that's too small and too dirt-cheap to be visited by nobles. This place is suitable for a secret meeting without anyone noticing it …

Is there perhaps a secret meeting here?

I hope we are going to meet with those who probably made the contract with Demon King.

"Do you have any business at this kind of place?"

The Viscount smirked mysteriously in answer to my question. "Right, I need to meet someone here. Would you join me inside for a bit, Miss?"

There're still plenty of time before the funeral, so there's no reason for me to decline. I nodded and walked into the inn.