Confrontation

 
 
 ☆
 
 
 I shattered that sword right in front of the criminal that slashed at me, then gently admonished him without raising my voice.
 
 In front of [that] which had lost his posture and sunk to the floor half-crying, I tilted my head think [now then, what’s next].
 
 ”Otou-sama. In such a case, what should I do?”
 
 ”Eh?… Ah, r-, rather than that, are you hurt?! Letty???”
 
 I turned around, and my father, who was in a daze, asked so all of a sudden.
 
 ”Yes. Coco and Mel protected me.”
 
 When I showed them a grin, Otou-sama and Hubert-nii-sama let out a sigh of relief.
 
 ”That’s good. I got chilled to my core.”
 
 Saying that, Hugh-nii glared at the criminal sunk to the floor.
 
 My father also turned his stern gaze towards [that].
 
 ”Leaving that aside, since this kind of thing has happened, what should we do?”
 
 Asking my father this again, he muttered [Right] and began thinking.
 
 ”……”
 
 After a while, it was my brother who opened his mouth first.
 
 ”Chichi-ue. We, for our part, gave no choice but to request an investigation from the Senate Faction, don’t we? Even though this occurred within the royal castle, surely the Imperial Guards don’t have the investigative authority for this.”
 
 ”——— that’s right. The officials don’t have the authority to arrest royalty, but royalty are also bound by the kingdom’s laws. If a request is put up with the Senate Faction for the investigation of illegal actions, His Majesty and a representative from the Senate Faction will probably open an investigation and hearing, where they’ll discuss how to deal with him.”
 
 While pondering, my father replied as such, then lifted his face and looked at us.
 
 ”But for the time being, we report to His Majesty. Let’s send the report via His Majesty’s chamberlain.”
 
 ””Understood.””
 
 It was when we nodded that it happened.
 
 ”You 𝚋𝚊𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚍𝚜! What are you doing!!??”
 
 From the end of the corridor, cutting through the people who were looking over here, a couple men came clattering towards us.
 
 
 ☆
 
 
 ”——— Your Highness!!”
 
 The man in the lead shouted so, and ran up to the idiot prince.
 
 ”You 𝚋𝚊𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚍𝚜, what did you do to His Highness!!??”
 
 The four men following then surrounded us, and a man with a big-build^[1] shouted as though to scare us.
 
 ”The Imperial Guards, huh”
 
 My father glared at the man in front.
 
 The men wore tabards on top of their chainmail, and I recognised the crests embroidered on those tabards.
 
 It was exactly as my father said.
 
 Those were the First Knights Order’s crest.
 
 For me, just looking at that crest made me nauseous.
 
 In the background, a design of the shield representing the Imperial Guards was drawn.
 
 ”…hah-, …hah-”
 
 I had a flashback of my memory of the future.
 
 ”Are you alright, Lettie?!”
 
 Wrapping his arms around me, my brother held me tight to protect me.
 
 ”I-, I’m fine.”
 
 Feeling the warmth of my brother’s arms, my palpitations gradually calmed down.
 
 ”Both of you, behind me.”
 
 Saying so, my father stepped in front of us, and raised his voice against the big-built knight.
 
 ”We haven’t done anything. His Highness had suddenly slashed at my daughter.”
 
 ”Don’t lie! No matter how I look at it, isn’t His Highness the victim!!”
 
 ”I’m not lying. The evidence^[2] is probably scattered around there.”
 
 ”Haaah?”
 
 The Imperial Guards eyed their feet.
 
 ”-!? This is His Highness’s…!!”
 
 The big-built man saw the sword’s hilt with the blade already missing, and glared as his face turned bright red.
 
 ”So you 𝚋𝚊𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚍𝚜 really are the offenders, aren’t you!!…——— we’ll hear what you have to say in the guard’s station!!!!”
 
 Shouting so, he reached out to grab my father’s arm.
 
 ”!?”
 
 That instant, his giant body danced through the air.
 
 Doof!!
 
 Having hit the floor, he seemed to not understand what had happened for a moment, as he blinked his eyes in a daze.
 
 ”You 𝚋𝚊𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚍! Are you resisting!?”
 
 Shiing, the sound of the men drawing their swords rang out.
 
 While my father had us back off with him acting as a wall, the Imperial Guards stepped forward.
 
 ”Gentlemen^[3], first you should probably confirm the state of affairs. Without even confirming, you’re instead trying to take the victim by force, and even drew your sword against an unarmed opponent… have you forgotten the pride of knights!!”
 
 My father rebuked them.
 
 The Imperial Guards flinched.
 
 It was then that it happened.^[4]
 
 ”Oi, stop right there!!”
 
 Three new knights came, and intervened between us and the Imperial Guards.
 
 
 ☆
 
 
 ”Lady Leticia, Count Owleyes, have you been hurt?”
 
 Those guys that asked that question were all wearing the same as Graham-nii-sama had been wearing, the uniform of the Second Knights Order.
 
 ”Ah, we’re alright.”
 
 The young knight who had asked of our safety received a nod from my father, but opened his eyes wide when he saw me protectively huddled in my brother’s arms.
 
 He then ——— They then turned their backs to us and turned back to the Imperial Guards.
 
 ”You 𝚏𝚞𝚌𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚐 sleazebags! What do you think you’re doing to our benefactor!!!!”
 
 Without drawing their swords, the three knights faced off against the five Imperial Guards with spirit alone.
 
 That sight nearly made me cry unconsciously.
 
 Having flinched for a moment, they lent a hand to the large man, who my father had thrown a while ago, helping him stand up, before taking some distance, and then wielding their swords at us once again.
 
 ”You parvenu fake knights. Do you intend to join those who brought harm to His Highness the Second Prince!?”
 
 ”What nonsense! I’d only just heard this, but it was His Highness who drew his sword on the unarmed Lady Leticia!!”
 
 ”Shut up! This royal castle is under the jurisdiction of us Imperial Guards. If you interfere, we’ll remove you by force!!”
 
 Counting on their higher numbers, the Imperial Guards surrounded us, and gradually began shrinking that circle.^[5]
 
 (At this rate, someone will get hurt)
 
 ”Coco! Mel!”
 
 Passing magic power to those two, they then floated to above the heads of the three knights.
 
 If the Imperial Guards slash at them, then their [Auto Defense] would activate.
 
 Sweat dripped from my^[6] forehead.
 
 At that moment,———
 
 ”You lot, what are you doing!!”
 
 A familiar voice full of majesty echoed across the corridor.
 

TL Notes:

[1]this does not imply muscle… that’s all I’ll say ↩

[2]it actually said murder weapon, but the only thing killed was the idiot prince’s dignity. ↩

[3]I couldn’t think of a better word, sorry. No they are indeed not acting like gentlemen, but the word used is still respectful. ↩

[4]This author really loves this phrase. I wonder if I shouldn’t just omit it? ↩

[5]It only occurred to me now, but if they all participated, Leticia and Hugh included, then they outnumber the Imperial Guards. Though we’ve already been told that Hugh is more of a scholarly type… ↩

[6]it is unclear who is sweating ↩