Dominate Another World with a Brainwashing Skill!? No, If Anyone Finds Out, I’ll Be Executed, So I’ll Live Honestly and Upright! - Chapter 82: "Scars Are a Man's Badge of Honor" "Oh... Okay."

Act 03

Chapter 82: “Scars Are a Man’s Badge of Honor” “Oh… Okay.”

A week had passed since Recty and Saintess Rosary treated His Majesty. 

One morning, after losing yet another match during my daily sword training, Alyssa handed me four invitations.

“What’s this…?”

“They’re invitations for the royal evening banquet celebrating His Majesty’s recovery.”

“A banquet, huh…”

The first thing that came to mind was the incident at Duke Lechery’s mansion about a month ago. That night, countless people transformed into monsters in the middle of the banquet.

I really hope something like that doesn’t happen again…

We still hadn’t figured out what caused the mansion staff to turn into monsters or where the drug that turned Duke Lechery into one came from. Despite all that, Prince Lucas hadn’t asked for my help in the investigation even once since then.

I was glad I didn’t have to recklessly use my skills, but I couldn’t help feeling uneasy about whether things were truly under control.

“You don’t have to worry. The banquet will have the full force of the royal knights and the national army guarding it, so it’ll be safe. Now that His Majesty has recovered, the tension about a civil war has died down, so this will be a joint operation.”

“That’s reassuring, but… four invitations?”

It made sense that Recty would receive an invitation. Lily and I probably got one each as her attendants. But the last one… it must be for Loug.

Is it really okay to bring her along…?

“Prince Lucas was struggling with the decision, but His Majesty insisted on meeting her. By the way, His Majesty is already aware of the situation, so there’s nothing to worry about.”

“I see… Well, in that case…”

If Prince Lucas was willing to take the risk, I didn’t really have a reason to refuse. Of course, it would ultimately depend on Loug’s decision.

The banquet is scheduled for the night after tomorrow. For now, I should talk it over with Lily and the others.

After returning to my room and taking a shower, I headed to the cafeteria with Loug. Before that, I told her about the invitation, and she immediately responded with an enthusiastic, “I’ll go!” Well… that was expected.

Since it was a holiday, the cafeteria was relatively empty in the morning. I was a bit worried about whether we’d find Lily and Recty, but luckily, I spotted them sitting at a table, having breakfast.

Loug and I picked up our trays and made our way to their table. After exchanging morning greetings, I sat next to Recty, while Loug took a seat beside Lily.

“Sir Hugh, can I see your injuries? I’d like to heal them.”

“Ah… I’m good today. Thanks, Recty. I appreciate the thought, though.”

“Eh? Oh… I see…”

Recty looked a little down, her shoulders drooping. She had been healing me almost every day, so she probably had been looking forward to it today as well.

“Fufu, Recty, you look like you’re disappointed that Hugh isn’t injured.”

“Fweh!? N-No, that’s not true! Not at all, Sir Hugh!”

“Yeah, yeah, it’s fine. I get it.”

I calmed Recty down as she hurriedly leaned forward, flustered. Shooting a reproachful glance at Lily for teasing her, she just stuck out her tongue playfully.

…Seriously. Lately, she’s been acting more playful compared to before, or maybe she’s finally starting to act her age. She must have been under a lot of pressure during all that engagement drama.

“Sorry, Recty. I was just joking.”

“Geez, Lily!”

Recty pouted while scolding her, but Lily just smiled mischievously.

Meanwhile, Loug, who had been quietly tearing pieces off her bread, glanced at me with a worried expression.

“Hugh, you’re not pushing yourself too hard, are you? You’re not completely injury-free, right?”

“Well, yeah. But if I rely on Recty every single time, there’d be no end to it. There’s a saying—scars are a man’s badge of honor.”

“Eh? What’s that supposed to mean…?”

Loug tilted her head with a slightly skeptical look.

Well… I guess calling the bruises I got from being beaten up by Alyssa “badges of honor” is a bit of a stretch. But somehow, keeping a bit of pain reminds me that I’m improving.

“Hugh, so you actually like pain, huh…”

“Hey, don’t twist my words like that.”

“Oh? That’s an interesting bit of information.”

“Stop licking your lips like that!”

“I-I see… I’ll remember that for future reference…!”

“Don’t go learning weird things from this!”

After finishing breakfast with our usual banter, we left the cafeteria and headed to the gazebo in the garden. Normally, it’s a popular spot where noble ladies enjoy their tea parties, but in the morning, it was quiet—perfect for a private conversation.

“Wow, this is my first time at a tea party… I’m so nervous!”

For some reason, Recty’s eyes sparkled with excitement, completely misunderstanding the situation.

“Well… sorry. I didn’t bring you here for a tea party.”

“Oh… I see…”

“I got these from Alyssa earlier—invites to the royal banquet celebrating His Majesty’s recovery. I wanted to give them to you.”

I could have handed them over back at the cafeteria, but talking there while keeping an eye on our surroundings would have been uncomfortable. Plus, I didn’t want to attract attention like last time, so I figured it was better to move somewhere quieter.

Lily took the invitation from me and let out a heavy sigh.

“I figured this was coming… but now it’s finally happening.”

Over the past week, the royal castle only released an official statement saying that His Majesty’s health had recovered. However, they didn’t mention anything about the two saintesses who saved his life.

In an ideal world, it would have been best if things stayed that way—swept under the rug. If the official story was that His Majesty simply recovered naturally, everything would settle peacefully, and the church wouldn’t have any reason to pursue Recty. But…

“Prince Slay won’t let that happen, so I’m sure the banquet will be where the heroic tale of the two saintesses is announced to everyone. Recty, I hate to scare you, but… you should be prepared.”

“Y-Yes…”

“Um… I’m really sorry, Recty.”

Loug suddenly apologized, probably feeling bad for dragging Recty into all this royal drama. Recty, looking puzzled, tilted her head.

“Um, I’ve been wondering for a while, but… Loug, are you…?”

“W-Wait! No! I’m from a viscount family, not royalty or a princess or anything!”

“Oh… I see…”

Recty blinked a few times and nodded.

…This so-called princess really just spilled everything herself, huh.

“(Umm… Sir Hugh, should I pretend I didn’t hear that?)”

Recty whispered to me, looking unsure.

I sighed in resignation and shook my head.

“…No, just be kind and watch over her.”