Chapter 39 (2/2)

(Why did things turn out like this…? Should I report to His Majesty? No, but the orders were to not to report to him unless she was ‘black’… Then, should I bring food… No, I can’t. My orders were to only observe. Those guards are the ones who are supposed to be looking after her…!)

His faint hopes were dashed when the guards showed no signs of noticing what was happening inside.

Even though the cook had often come and gone from the villa, the guards didn’t notice at all that he had stopped.

Kain remembered the people His Majesty wanted for the role.

‘People who have low work ethic and are too stupid to question a guard cycle with holes in it.’

And His Majesty had found people fantastic for the job.

These men showed no signs of suspicion at all, and simply stood there until their s.h.i.+ft was up, enjoying a happy and lazy lifestyle.

(If it comes down to it, then… But, that’s my very final resort…)

There was a nutritional ration in his pocket.

But to give her this was tantamount to denying his existence as a Gra.s.s.

(It’s fine… If I just sneak it into her pocket, then it’s still okay. I won’t have defied any orders…!)

Kain continued to tell himself this in his mind.

As for Princess Fii, her survival lifestyle continued. While making sure the guards didn’t see her, she started to practice sword swings.

(Exercise is bad for you when you’re fasting, you know…! And you hardly have any muscle on you…!)

His stomach had begun to hurt.

Finally, the villa had run out of food…

Princess Fii continued to train on her empty stomach, and when she wasn’t, she would sit still to conserve energy.

(What do I do… What should I do…)

His head was spinning with his master’s orders and Princess Fii’s condition.

If he could just leave these rations somewhere she would notice… No, he could even just go buy her normal food. Just that would be enough to save her.

But disobeying orders for personal feelings would disqualify him as a Gra.s.s.

A Gra.s.s, was a special kind of soldier.

They were simple soldiers, without pedigree or position, but the information they dealt with were national secrets, or sometimes even beyond that. They were the people who were closest to the King, and needed to work even in such a private environment. There were many times when they knew things that would cause a national scandal.

Because of that, their mindsets had to be different from other retainers.

Any other retainer would advise their King if he erred, and doing so was good.

But the Gra.s.s could not.

Questioning the King’s judgement could inevitably plant seeds of rebellion, and such things had already happened many times in history.

And for a Gra.s.s to rebel was more dangerous than any other retainer.

Given the natures of their job, it wouldn’t even be difficult to directly a.s.sa.s.sinate the King, and the danger they posed was immeasurable.

Because of that, Gra.s.s were raised to become as faithful to their orders as possible. Making their own decisions was only to be done without the scope of the orders.

If berating and guiding their lord’s foolish actions was the role of the retainers, then to blindly exact their master’s orders was the role of the Gra.s.s.

(I am a Gra.s.s… I am a Gra.s.s… I am a Gra.s.s…)

Kain continued to persuade himself in his head.

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