My Childhood Friend Told Me to Go Marry the Most Beautiful Woman in the Kingdom, So I Seriously Started Improving Myself—and Somehow Ended Up Making Women Fall Hard - Chapter 48 & 49

Chapter 48: Not Taking It for Granted

The night of the operation was strangely quiet.
We had secured the warehouse on the outskirts of the slums.
We had seized the ledgers.
The ropes, the bars, the chains—everything was confiscated as evidence.

Captain Oren shouted, punched, restrained them, and in the end even dealt with the newspaper reporters.
Watching it all from the side, something warm stirred deep in my chest.

…This was a victory on the ground. 

A real one.

When we returned to the station, everyone was still buzzing, laughing loudly.

“Tonight’s drinks are gonna taste amazing!”
“That was damn satisfying work!”
“A huge win for the Fifth Unit!”

I blended into the noise, arms slung over shoulders, sharing the joy.

“Hort, you’ve got a visitor.”

Daut called out to me.
While everyone else headed off to drink, someone came my way.

Armor close to silver-white. Crimson hair. Red eyes.

The commander of the Second Knight Order, Adelheid von Graetz, stood there.
Her presence alone was striking—beautiful enough to draw the eye anywhere.

“We’re going out for drinks. You join us later.”

Daut read the room and nudged me away with her, into the shadows.

Even under the moonlight, she looked brighter than ever.

“…Commander Adelheid.”

The words slipped out.
I hadn’t expected her to be here at all.

She ran her gaze over me from head to toe once—then snorted softly.

“You’re alive, I see.”

“Yes.”

“Any injuries?”

“Just minor ones.”

“Show me.”

“Eh?”

“I said, show me!”

She didn’t give me a chance to argue.
With a wry smile, I showed her the wound on my arm.

“Just this much.”

“…Hmph.”

She glanced around the injury, then looked up at my face.

“…You’ve gained more knight’s marks.”

“Yes. Proof that I protected the citizens.”

“Yeah. You did well.”

Commander Adelheid praised me, looking… oddly pleased.

“I had an operation nearby myself… and by chance, I spotted you.”

As the knights moved away and the noise faded, it felt like the two of us were melting into the night.

“I see. We secured a kidnappers’ warehouse in the slums. The Fifth Unit stormed in, seized the ledgers and contracts, and finished restraining everyone.”

I gave her a quick report of the confidential mission right there.

“Hm.”

She nodded.
And for just a moment, the corner of her lips softened.
But it vanished almost immediately.

“The Second Knight Order also moved.”

“…I heard. About cutting off the smuggling routes.”

“It was a success.”

She puffed out her chest slightly.
Just from that tone alone, I could tell.
She really wanted to be praised.

“Just as expected! When you’re on the battlefield, Commander, you’re beautiful—and stronger and more reliable than anyone else.”

“Reliable, am I?”

“Of course. When I heard the Second Knight Order would move alongside the Fifth Unit, I was honestly relieved.”

“…Don’t get the wrong idea. We already had our own information. It just happened to line up with the timing of you producing results in the slums.”

Her way of saying it was roundabout.
But the meaning itself was simple.

I almost laughed and covered it up with a small cough.

“Because you moved, Commander, this incident will be treated as a major one. From here on, we can make sure this doesn’t happen again in the capital.”

“As it should be. Slave smuggling in the royal capital is unacceptable.”

“Yes. But I remembered the gate where you appeared before… and today was the same. When you move, Commander, the atmosphere changes.”

The moment I said that, Commander Adelheid’s red eyes narrowed just slightly.
It wasn’t a happy look—more like frustration.

“You’re… unfair.”

“Huh?”

“The way you praise people. It’s unfair.”

I couldn’t hold it in and let out a small laugh.
That made me remember the time I’d spent at her side before, and I tossed out a light remark.

“Commander, did you come all this way just to see my face?”

“…No!”

She answered instantly.
But no words followed after that.

Silence.
The night breeze.
The glow of the corridor lights.

Commander Adelheid looked away and cleared her throat quietly.

“I was just checking. I came to make sure you weren’t dead.”

“Thank you very much.”

“No need to thank me.”

“Then… do I not need to praise you either?”

“…I didn’t say you shouldn’t praise me!”

She said it—and immediately turned red.
This person really was cute to the very end.

“Commander, you really saved us by coming. When you’re nearby, I feel at ease.”

“W–What…?!”

Her voice caught, and she glared at me, clearly frustrated.

“You… the way you say things is unfair.”

“Unfair?”

“…No, forget it. Anyway.”

She took a single step closer and spoke in a low voice.

“Hort, don’t get carried away. The Third Knight Order isn’t finished yet.”

“Yes.”

“You’ll be stepping into much dirtier places from here on. …So don’t die.”

She said it firmly.
An unreasonable level of confidence.
And yet, it was the kind I could trust.

Commander Adelheid turned on her heel. Her red hair swayed.
Just before leaving, she stopped and spoke without looking back.

“…You produced results. That’s why I was able to produce results too. That’s all.”

“Yes.”

“Don’t misunderstand.”

“I understand.”

“…Win again next time. And climb higher as a knight.”

Her voice was quiet.
But it clearly pushed me forward.

She walked away, the sound of her armor fading into the distance.
All that remained in the corridor was the night breeze—and a strangely warm aftertaste.

♢

The day after the operation.
The air in the station felt different from yesterday.

The kind of looks being thrown my way had changed.
Not mocking. Not wary either.

They weren’t the eyes that looked down on a weak dog.
They were measuring eyes—judging something troublesome, but impossible to ignore.

A copy of a newspaper pinned to the notice board swayed in the wind.

[Major Bust in the Slums — Kidnapping and Smuggling Rings Simultaneously Crushed]
[Fifth Unit Captain Oren’s Solo Breakthrough — Subjugated with a Single Strike of Her Claws. Illegal Slave Traders Arrested]

[Second Knight Order Cuts Off Smuggling Routes — No Slave Trade Allowed in the Capital]

…Two major incidents were being covered loudly.
The citizens were watching.
The newspapers would remain.

There was no way the Third Knight Order could ignore this.

Captain Oren crossed her arms and snorted.

“…Don’t get cocky. This is where the real work starts.”

“I know.”

I answered shortly and tightened my grip on the stack of documents.
The secret mission wasn’t over yet.
The black connections were still out there.

♢

By the time night fell, all the processing was finally done.
I turned down the lights and sat in my chair.

Three knocks.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

The window creaked, and a shadow slipped in with the night breeze.

Black hair. Maid outfit. Mask.

Gina.

“…Excuse me.”

“For this whole incident—you helped a lot. Thank you.”

I properly thanked her.
Something that had been weighing on my chest loosened, just a little.

“I only did my job.”

“Even so. Because of you, the operation succeeded. The Fifth Unit moved. The Second Knight Order moved. It made the papers. Even the Third Knight Order can’t treat me lightly anymore.”

Gina shook her head.

“This was not my achievement. It was the result of Sir Hort taking action.”

“No. I couldn’t have gathered all the evidence on my own.”

The moment I said that, the eyes behind her mask wavered slightly.
I couldn’t tell if she was pleased—or upset.

“There is no need for thanks. I am—”

“…Gina.”

I cut in before she could finish.

“Let me say it. I want to say it. What you did wasn’t ‘just normal.’ When someone does something for me, I don’t want to brush it off as something obvious. Maybe for you, it was nothing special. But in this case, your work played a huge role.”

I might have spoken a little too passionately.

This was something my sister had once pointed out to me.

To Rina, the things I did had looked like they were just expected.
But I wasn’t going to treat someone who supported me from the shadows as if it were normal.

I couldn’t just accept Gina’s actions and move on.
I wanted to give something back.

When I looked straight at her, she nodded slightly.

“…Understood. I will accept your thanks.”

I reached out and offered her the small pouch resting at the edge of the desk.

“Is there anything I can do for you?”

“Something you can do…?”

“Yeah. I don’t really know you. Your affiliation, your name—and even though you’re a professional who handles information, I don’t know what you want. I want to know you better. As a companion. Will you tell me?”

She fell silent for a while.
The distance between us was the same as always—sitting side by side on the bed.
I could feel only her warmth.

“…There is nothing interesting to know about me.”

“Isn’t that for me to decide, not you?”

“Huh?”

“You haven’t told me about yourself yet. I don’t even know if you’re interesting or not. That’s why I want to hear it. About the person called Gina. About what you want.”

She paused again, as if sorting through her thoughts, then finally spoke.

“My world was gray.”

“Gray?”

“Yes. I received special training from a young age, so I don’t understand what ‘normal’ is. But through you, I feel like I’ve regained a little bit of color.”

“Through me?”

“Yes.”

Gina didn’t talk about her past.
But if she was seeing something through me, then what I could do was clear.

“Gina… would it be okay for you to show your real face?”

“…I don’t mind.”

“Then why do you usually wear a mask?”

“…Because I’m embarrassed.”

“Embarrassed?”

“Yes. I feel embarrassed when I look at your face, Sir Hort.”

The eyes behind the mask seemed to warm just a little.
That was the reason she wore it?

Gina took a slow breath in, then out—carefully choosing her words.

“……”

“Then… would you show me your real face, without the mask?”

When I asked, her eyes wavered, clearly troubled.
But after a short pause, as if she’d made up her mind, she slowly removed the mask.

There stood a beautiful woman with black hair and delicate features.
For some reason, her face felt familiar.

“You’re… beautiful.”

“You flatter me.”

“Flatter you? No, Gina. You really are beautiful. And somehow… I feel like I’ve met you before.”

“You once saved my life. Because of my own inexperience.”

“…Really?!”

Someone whose life I had saved?
It felt like I was about to remember—but the memory wouldn’t surface.

“Thank you. I feel like I’ve gotten to know you a little better.”

“Sir Hort.”

“Yeah?”

“There is one thing I would like to ask as well.”

“Anything. Go ahead.”

What could Gina possibly wish for?
I couldn’t even imagine it.

“Would you… hold me, just once?”

“Hold you?”

“Yes.”

Without the mask, she wasn’t expressionless at all.
Her cheeks, lit by the moonlight, were dyed a deep red.

I had said I’d do anything.
So I gently wrapped my arms around her.

“Is this okay?”

“Yes.”

Her body was slender, and aside from Nagi, she was the first woman I had ever held like this.
Her warmth—and a faint, sweet scent—slowly spread into my arms.

“Thank you. From now on as well, I will continue to support you.”

I didn’t know how long we stayed like that.
When she finally pulled away, she stood up, put her mask back on under the moonlight, and leapt out through the window.

It was a strange night.

Chapter 49: Women Who Fell into the Swamp (4)

Side: Gina

Watching Sir Hort was my job—and it was also my breathing.

In the slums, he was dirty every single day.
With the hands that carried buckets.
With the hands that held brooms.
With the hands that saved people.

The knights I knew protected others with swords.
But Sir Hort didn’t face people with a blade—
He faced filth.

He shoveled mud, cleared clogged ditches, erased foul smells, washed children’s bodies, and carried the sick.
It wasn’t a knight’s duty.
And yet, it was heavier than any knight’s work.

“He’s like a saint.”

“Huh? Yeah! You’re right, miss!”

I muttered it without thinking, and a man from the slums reacted.

“I’ve been watching that guy since day one! At first, I thought he was an idiot. But then he cleaned the ditches, picked up trash, and helped people. Yeah—guys like that are what you call saints!”

The man began shouting, spreading my words to others.

I recorded everything.
Which alleys had changed.
Whose coughing had lessened.
Whose eyes had shifted from fear to suspicion.
Who had learned how to say “thank you.”

The numbers. The rumors. The looks.

Every time his back moved, the air in the slums changed—

And I kept watching it, without ever looking away.

…It was strange.

I belonged to the Shadows.
I was taught that anything beyond my orders had no value.

And yet, whenever Sir Hort moved, the value of the world changed on its own.

It frightened me—
And made me happy at the same time.

Looking away felt like a waste I couldn’t accept.

Sir Hort stepped forward to do what no one else would.
Sir Hort used the rewards given to him for the sake of others.
Sir Hort answered cries for help faster than anyone.

On a night when the presence of monsters thickened—cold air rose from beneath the orphanage.
Undead crawled out and spread through the graveyard.

When the sister cried out for help, Sir Hort reached out his hand immediately.

That was why I prepared hands from the outside.

The knight orders were overwhelmed with internal duties.
To dive into the underground of the slums and wipe out the monsters completely, adventurers were needed.

I went to the Adventurers’ Guild and made a request to Nagi.

I chose my words carefully.
I couldn’t mention the secret mission.
I only told her it was Sir Hort’s work.

That alone was enough to change Nagi’s eyes.

That girl moved at the sound of Sir Hort’s name—rearranging her priorities.

…Just like me.

We were comrades.

“For Hort… I’ll do it.”

That single line was enough.

When Nagi moved, Uru moved too.
Ramune moved.
Zina moved.

The four of them headed underground.

They were adventurers who had grown strong alongside spirits.
Facing monsters wouldn’t be a problem for them.

I watched from the edge of the darkness.

The sound of blades.
The crack of lightning.
The rush of water.
The whistle of arrows.

The undead were cut down, one after another.

Sir Hort watched it all and said, “Thank you.”

The warmth in his voice burned deep in my chest.

I hadn’t done anything myself…
I was merely a shadow.

♢

Next, what we needed was evidence.

The darkness of the slums doesn’t disappear just because you strike at it.
Even if you catch them, there’s always an escape route.

Their mouths get shut.
Things get buried and erased.

That’s why everything had to be crushed.
Including the escape routes.

On the outskirts of the slums, I traced the kidnappers’ movements.

Shadows on night patrol.
The sound of keys. The smell of cloth. The creak of wheels.

There were nights when a small child’s crying stopped halfway through.

Using his name, I set the Shadow Division in motion.

Evidence and traces that one person could never find became easy once the shadows moved as one.

…it didn’t take long to find the place.

On the surface, it was an old cloth warehouse.
Behind it—bars, ropes, and ledgers.

I passed the information to the Fifth Unit.
In a way that would land naturally on Captain Oren Ferna’s desk.
In a form she could immediately understand.

The captain was the star.
Deciding, storming in, and arresting them—that was the Fifth Unit’s role.

Sir Hort would secure the evidence and earn credit for setting the flow in motion.

For children whose names were unknown, I listed hair color and clothing.
I even wrote down their habits.
The exact times of witness statements.

So there would be no room for denial.

♢

…And then, that day came.

The Fifth Unit secured the warehouse.

Shouts.
The clang of metal.
The sound of a dagger sinking into a stomach.

Captain Oren’s voice tore through the night air.

The ledgers were seized.
The contracts were bundled up.
The marks left by chains were exposed.

I watched it all from afar.

It was a success.

And it would become Sir Hort’s achievement.

For that purpose, I had prepared one more thing.

I leaked tonight’s information to the newspaper reporters.

A major bust in the royal capital.
A joint operation between the Second Knight Order and the Fifth Unit of the Third Knight Order.

And it succeeded.

♢

That same night—another head was cut off.

The smuggling route.
Gates. Checkpoints. Documents. Passes.

Darkness that enters from “outside” can only exist if the inside of the gates is rotten.

I passed the information to the Second Knight Order.

Commander Adelheid von Graetz.
A woman who changes the world with her sword.
Someone Sir Hort trusts.

She was quick to understand.
Her eyes never hesitated.

The moment she decided to “crush it,” the outcome was already clear.

So I handed over the route names, the connected people, and the flow of money.

And that same night, the Second Knight Order moved.

Raids happening at the same time left no room for excuses.

It wasn’t made to look like a “coincidence”—
It was made to look like a coordinated strike.

♢

The knights’ achievements were reported in the newspapers.

The name Sir Hort Rubel spread—not just among the citizens, but within the knight orders and beyond.

There was nothing that made me happier.

If the goal was to have him welcomed among the Crown Knights, then this was the best possible result.

As dawn came, rumors took shape.

Paper. Printed letters. Ink pressed into form.

When I saw it, something deep in my chest trembled.

The work of the shadows leaves nothing behind.
Even if it succeeds, it becomes “nothing happened.”

That is how it should be.

But Sir Hort’s name remained.

…That alone was enough to fill me.

It was strange.

“Those of the Shadows must not have emotions.”
“Shadows must be ready to die for their master.”

That was what I was taught.

And yet, just seeing Sir Hort’s name remain made me feel alive.

♢

That night.

Three times.
The signal came.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

I entered through the window and sat at the usual distance.

Sir Hort spoke.

“For this whole incident—you helped a lot. Thank you.”

…Thank you.

Those words broke something inside me.

And so I answered—

“I only did my job.”

“I won’t treat that as something ordinary!”

I could feel the strength of his will in those words.

That was the answer expected of a shadow.
But Sir Hort was different.

He didn’t treat it as something normal.
He didn’t just accept it and move on.

He turned my actions into value.
He didn’t let me end as just a tool.

His voice was gentle—and warm at the same time.

I forgot how to breathe.

Then Sir Hort asked me to remove my mask.

…It was embarrassing.

Not because I was afraid of being seen—but because I knew I would break the moment he looked at me.

Still, I removed it.

“You’re… beautiful.”

My mind went completely blank.

Beautiful?

That wasn’t a word meant for me.

I was a shadow.
A substitute. A tool.

I wasn’t alive to be called beautiful.

And yet, with that single word, I almost forgave the world.

So I made a request.

“Would you… hold me, just once?”

I had thought touching him was something forever out of reach.

But Sir Hort embraced me.

Warmth flowed into my chest.

I felt… joy.

If I let it become a voice, it would break me—so I didn’t speak.

Still, this became a memory I would carry for life.

I felt like everything I had built up until now had been for this moment.

Sir Hort acknowledged me.
Me, the shadow.
Me, the tool.

Just being called “Gina”…
Just hearing him say my name,
Just being told “you’re beautiful”—

That alone is enough for me to live.

From here on, I will keep moving in the shadows.
I will gather information.
I will remove obstacles.
I will move people where they need to be.

I will make Sir Hort’s desired “advancement” come true—no matter what.

That can be my job, my prayer, my everything.

I don’t need anything more.

As long as Sir Hort exists,
My world is no longer gray.

ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー

Afterword

Hello, this is the author, Iko.

This concludes Act 03: Gina’s arc.
In terms of the overall story, this marks the first half of the Third Knight Order arc.

The Kakuyomu contest is finally coming to an end.

It’s a little sad to think that the contest marathon is almost over, but I’ll keep pushing until the very end.

⭐︎ We’re just about to reach 5,000 reviews!
We’re close enough that it feels within reach, so I really want to make it happen!

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