Published: August 15, 2025
"—So, why am I being taken along as company again?"
I murmured quietly, holding the reins loosely while looking straight ahead.
Mio, the Chief Lady-in-Waiting of Granado Castle sitting next to me, answered immediately without changing her pose as she gazed at the scenery.
"Travel is better with company; it's one of my favorite sayings."
"That again!? I like peace!"
"To tell the truth, there was no one else who seemed free. Wolfgang is tied up with the state funeral and inheritance paperwork, and Adam is still too young."
I couldn't see any connection between those two and myself.
Well, Mio being unfriendly to me isn't anything new. Resisting is useless, as always. I sighed in resignation.
Ignoring me, Mio continued to gaze at the scenery for a while. But when something like a town came into view far ahead, she suddenly muttered.
"I am investigating your master’s brother-in-law, Marquis Dario Alfonso. We’re about to visit his sister’s house. More precisely, the residence owned by her husband."
"Dario... that's the marquis, right? So her husband is also a noble?"
"He is a marquis. At present, he is a higher-ranking noble than our master, who is a count. He can easily dismiss hired gatekeepers, for example, for crimes of disrespect."
"I'm going home!"
I tried to leap down from the coachman’s seat, but was pulled back by my collar from behind. …Wait, did she just lift a grown man with one hand?
"I'm joking. Even his majesty the king can’t sentence someone to death without trial these days."
"So that means he would be found guilty in court?"
"Don’t worry. Marquis Erwin Fuchs died more than ten years ago. Now, only his widow and children live in the mansion."
"I have a bad feeling about this."
"It’s just your imagination."
Since she said that so firmly, there was no room for argument. I finally gave up and quietly returned to the coachman’s seat.
"—To tell the truth, this town is at the border with Sphain. Before the war, it was entirely Sphain territory. Therefore, the culture strongly leans towards Sphain, and some people are even more fluent in Sphainese."
"So, I’m the interpreter? Didn’t you also speak Sphainese, Mio?"
"I can read and write it, and convey basic intentions. But having a native-level conversation is impossible. Wolfgang accompanies us for business negotiations and social events."
That makes sense.
It’s often misunderstood… or rather, I almost mistakenly thought this myself, but a lady-in-waiting is a companion for the master and a comfort in daily life. Naturally, they are not invited to social gatherings, and even if they attend, they never interrupt conversations between nobles. Even the versatile Mio doesn’t know every skill that isn’t necessary.
"And also, it’s because of Thomas’s personality and atmosphere," Mio said unexpectedly.
"Your utterly harmless aura is innate. Everyone lowers their guard around you. It’s the perfect face for undercover work. Wolfgang and I, however, carry the scent of blood."
She added something that piqued my interest again… but more than that, I lowered my face.
"…I might be useless this time."
Mio looked momentarily puzzled, then nodded.
"Come to think of it, you don’t have your usual brightness. Ella ruined your hometown’s cuisine, right? Did you get angry at last?"
"No… not really. Please don’t tell lady Marie this, okay? I’m not angry with her at all. Rather — I’m attracted to her."
Mio’s eyebrows raised halfway.
"Of course, I didn’t feel good about it. Your brother Adam was genuinely angry too. It’s understandable for others to dislike her. But that only makes me think I shouldn’t hate her. I feel sorry for her because she tries hard in her own way but ends up disliked by everyone, like she’s not good at living."
"So you want to protect her?"
"…Yes. It sounds cliché when you say it like that."
I said with a wry smile.
I guess it’s that kind of feeling.
She isn’t a ‘good woman,’ but precisely because of that, I convince myself to be the only one who treats her kindly. That belief only grows stronger every time I see her cry.