Chapter 68 - Volume 3 (1/2)

I can do nothing but be silent. Unfortunately, it seems my prediction is spot on. So it really is that dangerous, huh? Those lips, gently smiling, are far too unfitting for the words they say. My smile mask stiffens.

Goodness gracious, this really is something I didn’t want to know about at all. No, no, I want dangerous, inside stories like this to be far away from ordinary people like me, I don’t want to know. No matter how you think about it, this isn’t something I should’ve heard.

I know realize the reason why that man and the princess tried to stop Klanven. It’s a regret I’ll definitely regret later, but no matter how much my bookmark has been taken hostage, I almost feel tears well up at my own thoughtlessness.

「The reason I’ve come to the palace is also to protect myself from those people. Since you can’t tell who’s a friend and who’s an enemy in a temple, can you now? By all rights, I should start preparations directly at the grand temple, but I couldn’t take it anymore. Good grief, it really is a nuisance.」

This is extremely rude, but I’m the one who has to deal with this nuisance. I’m sure the princess and that man also think the same. There are no smiles on those two as they drink their already cold tea, they had already ordered him to stop talking but he didn’t. Very doll-like, they look rather scary.

「Well now. Clementine, about the maidservant who’d assist me in my daily life while I’m in the castle.」

「As you said 『don’t decide until the last moment,』 I still haven’t selected one. After this, we’ll gather the candidates along with the head maidservant and decide.」

「Right, thanks. My bad, might have to apologize to the head maidservant. There’s no need for that anymore.」

「……What do you mean?」

The princess’s voice gets lower. There’s no way he couldn’t realize that, but Klanven still doesn’t mind, continuing his words.

「Well, I’m thinking I’ll request Filmina to assist me instead, you see.」

「Excuse me?!」

As he suddenly selects me out of nowhere, I’m almost about to drop the teapot I’ve been holding.

‘What is the meaning of this?’ I look at Klanven, and as I expected, of course he’s just gently smiling. I end up thinking ‘does he not have any other expressions?’

As I’m looking confusedly at his smile, ‘clang!’ the sound of cutlery colliding roughly resounds in the room. And that too, twice.

‘Wham!’ My interrupted trains of thought finally reboot, looking there to see that man and the princess have both struck their teacups onto their saucers, glaring at Klanven with earth-shattering intensity.

「With all due respect, Uncle. I cannot accept that.」

「She is my wife. My apologies, but I would like to turn that down.」

Even though both of them have such beautiful voices, pleasing to the ear, both of their voices have suddenly turned low and deep. Even though I’m used to that man’s displeased voice, it’s the kind of voice that makes me want to suddenly kneel and apologize before him without even knowing what’s going on.

Despite that, Klanven tilts his head to the side, asking the two with a calm voice so contrary to theirs:

「Why not?」

「Because no matter what, Filmina is not a maidservant, she is this Agedilus Von Lancent’s – the Lancent family’s wife. She cannot be your maidservant.」

That man nods agreeingly at the princess’s words. There’s no chance for me to interrupt them as they’re unusually in mutual understanding. To think, the princess and this man working together as a team, what a dream team! It seems like they can make even the impossible happen. But despite that, Klanven objects, 「Is that so?」 with his head still tilted.

「It isn’t really necessary for my helper to be a palace maidservant, is there? What’s important is whether I can trust her or not. And when it comes to that, isn’t ‘Agedilus Von Lancent’s wife’ someone I can trust the most? Since when I told Filmina about how I came to stay at the castle, she didn’t even pry unnecessarily. Besides, if the wife of the hero of the world becomes my helper, just that alone gives me more prestige. Even among the people who are targeting me, a small amount of people might fear ‘the head wizard of the royal palace’ and not make a move.」

「……Do you mean to use my wife as a shield?」

「Well, you can interpret it like that.」