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 90 & 91

Act 06

Chapter 90: A Childhood Friend After a Long Time

Side: Hort Rubel

One month had felt incredibly long.

There were nights when the pain kept me from sleeping.

There were days when even sitting up made my ribs creak.

But now—

I stood in the orphanage yard, swinging my sword.

The buster sword felt like something I shouldn’t have been able to lift after such injuries.

It was the ridiculously huge sword Captain Brigitte had made for me.

The first time I held it, the sword completely controlled me.

The tip lagged behind.

My hips were dragged along.

My shoulders felt like they were about to pop out.

It had been pathetic.

But now it was different.

I steadied my breathing.

I planted my feet firmly on the ground and tightened my core.

Magic power flowed through my entire body.

From the center beneath my stomach—through every limb—to the very tips.

Like blood.

Like heat.

I could feel the magic circulating.

Then I sent it into the sword.

From the hilt.

Through the core.

All the way to the edge of the blade.

The mithril responded.

The cold metal began to feel like it belonged to me.

The weight didn’t disappear.

But the sword slowly began to feel like a part of my body.

In the battle with Daitaros, I had been inexperienced.

I wanted to become stronger.

I swung the sword.

One thousand times a day.

As the pain from my injuries faded, I gradually increased the number of swings.

After a month, I could finally reach a thousand.

Even on the thousandth swing, the wind cried out.

The sound of the blade cutting through the air echoed in my ears.

In the next instant, I followed with a reverse diagonal strike.

I stepped forward—and then stopped mid-motion.

Holding the stance perfectly still.

Right there.

…Good.

My breathing wasn’t disturbed.

No pain deep in my ribs.

No discomfort in my shoulders.

No stiffness in my back.

“Big brother, that was amazing!”

When I looked toward the voice, Fururu was waving both her hands excitedly.

Natasha stood beside her.

Her face was calm as always, but her eyes were carefully watching my body.

Both of them had taken really good care of me.

Fururu handled all the daily things for me while I couldn’t move.

Natasha did the same, and she also cast healing magic on me every day.

In the orphanage yard, the children were swinging wooden swords.

Even after I left the temporary hospital ward, I stayed at the orphanage.

I focused on letting my body recover and rebuilding my strength.

Whenever I swung my sword, small voices shouted along with me as the kids copied my movements.

Their stances were awkward.

But they were still trying their best to imitate me.

Natasha had rebuilt this orphanage, and I had helped improve the system a little.

This was a place worth protecting.

A place meant to connect the future.

That was exactly why I needed to become stronger.

I planted the sword into the ground and wiped the sweat from my face.

Fururu ran over and grabbed my arm with both hands.

“Does it still hurt?”

“No, it doesn’t hurt anymore. I’m fine.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

As soon as I said that, Fururu’s face lit up.

Just seeing that smile made the whole month of recovery feel worth it.

And honestly… it felt like Fururu and I had grown much closer during that time.

“Natasha, thank you for everything. I’m planning to leave today and return to the barracks.”

“I only did what I should have done… though it will feel a little lonely.”

As she said that, Natasha’s lips softened into a small smile.

“There are things that healing magic alone cannot fix. It is because Lord Hort worked seriously on recovering—eating properly and doing rehabilitation.”

It felt strange to say it myself, but honestly… I wasn’t very good at resting properly.

Feeling weak frustrated me.

Not being able to move made me impatient.

So I kept trying to sit up on my own and getting scolded for it.

My bandages would slip, and Fururu would look like she was about to cry while lecturing me.

In the end, Natasha smiled and firmly told me it was absolute—then tucked me back into bed.

“Fururu, thank you too… Taking care of me must have been hard.”

“It wasn’t hard! It was happy!”

“Happy?”

“Yes!”

She answered instantly.

Her honesty caught me off guard for a moment, leaving me speechless.

Fururu puffed out her chest proudly.

“As long as Big brother gets better and smiles, Fururu is happy.”

“…I see. Thank you.”

Something inside my chest warmed slightly.

During this past month, a lot of people had come to visit my room.

Captain Oren from the Third Knight Order, Sir Daut, Captain Falcon, Gemini, and Captain Uragar.

And that wasn’t all.

Nagi stopped by too, telling stories about her adventurer work with Uru and the others.

“Next time, I’m going to the northern ruins! It’s dangerous, but it’s exciting! I’ll aim even higher as an adventurer so I don’t lose to Hort, who became a Royal Guard knight!”

While talking about it, Nagi would sometimes glance at my face and speak with determination.

The truth was… I wasn’t that strong.

Even the achievements that got me chosen for the Royal Guard were only possible because of the people around me.

That was exactly why I had to become someone worthy of it.

When Gina heard that I would be joining the Royal Guard, she immediately started drilling etiquette into me.

“Since you will be serving in the Royal Guard, proper conduct and etiquette are your lifeline. You may stay in bed, but for now we will fill your head with the necessary knowledge.”

Gina was completely serious.

Knowledge alone wasn’t enough, so she made me repeat everything again and again until it became real understanding.

That was all thanks to her.

I was probably trying so hard that it would make people laugh.

On nights when I was exhausted, Commander Adelheid would sometimes come to visit.

She always chose times when no one else was around.

The door would quietly open, and she would look at me.

“You’re quite popular, huh.”

She would narrow her eyes slightly, as if relieved to see me, say just that one line—and then leave.

…I wanted to become someone who could stand beside her.

Our positions were different.

The distance between us was different.

Even our personalities were different.

Everyone had worried about me.

I was still inexperienced, and everyone had been supporting me.

So—

I rested the sword on my shoulder and let out a slow breath.

Natasha nodded.

“There are no problems. You have fully recovered.”

“Yeah… confirmed.”

Beside us, Fururu jumped up happily.

“Then next… it’s time for work!”

“Yeah… I’ll be heading out as a Royal Guard knight.”

I left the orphanage and returned to the barracks.

Royal Guard knights are given their own special armor.

It was completely different from the trainee equipment I had worn before.

The metal fittings.

The leather.

Even the finishing quality.

And more than anything—the responsibility it carried.

The Royal Guard exists to protect the very top of the kingdom.

The royal family, and the ducal houses that hold the right to inherit the throne.

It felt heavy.

But it wasn’t an unpleasant weight.

I put it on.

I tightened the breastplate, fastened the belt, and slipped on the gauntlets.

Finally, I looked at myself in the mirror.

…As a High Knight, I was going to serve in the Royal Guard.

It had been a little over six months since I joined the knight order.

Fururu had even adjusted my armor so I could carry my sword on my back.

The mithril blade trembled quietly.

Responding to my magic power.

For a moment, it felt like I could hear my sister’s voice.

“Let’s go.”

The words I muttered echoed softly inside the armor.

I left the barracks where I had spent my trainee days with the Second and Third Knight Orders and headed toward the royal castle.

From now on, as a Royal Guard knight, I would be given a room inside the castle.

“Hort.”

The moment I stepped into the castle grounds, someone called my name.

When I turned around—

There she was.

Someone I hadn’t seen in a long time.

Rina.

Rina worked at the royal castle as a court magician.

I figured we would meet eventually, but… running into her on the very first day?

“Rina.”

“It’s been a long time, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, it has.”

“So you became a Royal Guard knight? Looks like you’ve been doing pretty well.”

Rina, who usually spoke in sharp, biting words, had just… praised me?

“I haven’t forgotten what you told me that day, Rina. About marrying the most beautiful woman in the kingdom. That’s why I came this far.”

“Huh?”

“As a Royal Guard knight, I’ll become a man worthy of being chosen by the most beautiful woman in the kingdom. Well then.”

“Wait a minute!”

I hadn’t expected her to stop me.

“Is there something else?”

When I turned around and looked at Rina again, she didn’t have the neat appearance I remembered from our school days.

Her clothes were slightly worn.

Her hair was tangled and messy in places.

Maybe she had just been busy with work.

But honestly… she looked pretty sloppy.

“There’s no way someone like you could marry the most beautiful woman in the kingdom!”

Her appearance might have changed.

But inside… she was still the same old Rina.

“Yeah. Right now I’m still weak and pathetic. I only made it this far because of the people around me. But I’m moving forward to become a man who’s strong enough to be recognized.”

There was nothing more to say.

I turned and quickly walked away from her.

—“…You could just choose me.”

Rina quietly said something at the end.

But I didn’t hear it.

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.

Now then—let’s begin Act 06.

Chapter 91: The Lady I Must Serve

After parting ways with Rina, I headed toward the Marshal’s office.

The last time I came here was when Commander Adelheid gave me that secret mission.

Four months had passed since then.

And I had managed to complete it safely.

I figured the reward for that was being allowed to join the Royal Guard.

There were only thirty Royal Guard knights.

A small but elite force.

Each of them was a warrior worth a thousand soldiers, serving almost exclusively under members of the royal family or the ducal houses.

Their duties were different. Their paths rarely crossed.

So even though it was called the Royal Guard, the knights hardly ever gathered together.

Some of them carried the same title for years without even knowing each other’s faces.

…And now I had stepped into a place like that.

“I have arrived for duty today. My name is Hort Rubel.”

“Enter!”

I reached the Marshal’s office, and the guard knight opened the door for me.

The Marshal sat behind his desk.

Even without speaking, the pressure of his gaze alone could silence people.

I stepped forward and straightened my posture.

Standing beside him was another knight.

She was tall.

But the gentle image people usually imagine when they hear “female knight” didn’t suit her at all.

Her white hair was tied neatly back.

Even through her armor, I could tell her body was lean and powerful.

Deep wrinkles marked her face—each one looking as though it had been carved by years on the battlefield.

“What’s wrong? Never seen a big old lady before?”

“N-No, ma’am! My apologies!”

She had caught me staring.

Just meeting her gaze made my throat go dry.

“Let me introduce you. Hort Rubel—this is Haua Uvis. Starting today, she will be your superior.”

“Yes, sir! I’m Hort Rubel! It’s an honor to work with you.”

“You’re too stiff. Young people should have a little more spirit.”

“Huh?”

“Haua, don’t tease him too much.”

“Marshal, you spoil youngsters too much. Young people should go looking for hardship themselves.”

Hearing Lady Haua speak so boldly to the Marshal left me completely stunned.

“She really hasn’t changed. Hort, she is the longest-serving Royal Guard knight and has trained many of the kingdom’s knights. Learn as much as you can from her.”

“Yes! I look forward to working with you.”

She only confirmed my name before turning her gaze back to the Marshal.

“The princess who personally requested you told me to bring you to her. If you had been some arrogant brat, I was planning to knock some sense into you. But you look like a serious type.”

“The princess? Knock some sense into me?”

“Hmph. That’s enough greetings. Follow me.”

“Yes, ma’am!”

Haua headed toward the exit.

I bowed once more to the Marshal.

“Excuse me!”

“Very well. From today onward, I will be watching how you perform as a Royal Guard knight.”

“Yes, sir!”

When I looked up, the Marshal gave me a small nod.

…I swallowed hard and hurried after Haua.

The corridors of the royal castle were wide.

Yet somehow, they still felt suffocating.

Each time my boots stepped onto the red carpet, the sound of my footsteps seemed to vanish into it.

Decorations lined the walls.

Royal crests were carved into the pillars.

Everything around me gave off the same message—

This is the king’s castle.

Haua walked forward without hesitation.

She was taller than me, and her shoulders were broader.

After serving the royal family for years, she moved through the castle like it was her own backyard.

Along the way, we passed several knights.

Not a single one of them looked directly at me.

And even if they did, their gaze shifted away almost instantly.

…These were the Royal Guard.

No unnecessary curiosity.

No unnecessary emotion.

“Dame Haua, if I may ask… who is the one that requested me?”

“Keep quiet.”

“…My apologies.”

She answered without slowing her steps.

“It’s Her Highness the Fourth Princess. Lady Luminaria Edelstein Valshrein.”

“…The Fourth Princess?”

“Hmph. She said she already knows you. Go confirm it yourself.”

Luminaria Edelstein Valshrein.

The person I would be serving from today onward.

As we walked, the atmosphere of the corridor changed the moment we passed a certain doorway.

The air grew even quieter.

There were more guards now.

Armed soldiers stood in front of the doors, stopping people with nothing but their gaze.

…From here on, it felt like a completely different world.

Haua gave a short signal with her chin.

“From here on, this is the royal family’s private area. Only approved knights and attendants are allowed inside. Everyone here is on high alert, so be careful.”

“…Yes, ma’am.”

Without realizing it, I swallowed.

The tension had suddenly grown heavier.

She stopped in front of a door and knocked.

It was the proper knock used for formal occasions.

A voice came from the other side.

“Who is it?”

“Your Highness, it is Haua Uvis. I have brought the new Royal Guard knight. I request permission for him to meet you.”

“Enter.”

A clear, elegant voice.

Even the way she spoke carried natural authority.

Haua opened the door.

And I stepped inside.

The room was spacious and elegant, but not overly flashy.

A faint scent of incense drifted through the air, and soft light poured in from the window.

At the far end of the room, a woman sat on a sofa.

Her long silver hair flowed smoothly like moonlight, clearly well cared for.

Her skin was just as pale as that shining hair.

And her silver eyes were looking straight at me.

…Her Highness the Fourth Princess.

Luminaria Edelstein Valshrein.

A beauty so stunning it made me hold my breath.

For the first time in my life, I truly understood the meaning of the phrase “captivating beauty.”

Then I noticed someone standing quietly beside her.

Gina, dressed in a maid uniform.

…If Gina was here, then that meant—

The person she had always referred to as “that lady.”

So she had been working on the royal family’s side all along.

I dropped to one knee and bowed my head.

“This day, I have been assigned as a Royal Guard knight. My name is Hort Rubel. It is an honor to meet Your Highness.”

I demonstrated the royal etiquette Gina had taught me while I was hospitalized.

“Raise your head.”

At the sound of her command, I lifted my face.

The silver-haired princess looked at me—and the corners of her lips softened just slightly.

“At last, we meet, Sir Hort.”

My heart jumped once, hard.

“You may call me Lumina.”

“…Eh?”

“Lady Luminaria, asking him to use your nickname right away is closing the distance too quickly.”

“Is it? Gina gets called by her name, and that’s unfair!”

“That is because I am a maid.”

“Hmph—then this is a royal command!”

I could only stare blankly at the exchange between Gina and Princess Luminaria.

She was a beautiful noble lady.

Her silver hair was so striking that I felt like I should remember meeting her before.

But she didn’t exist anywhere in my memory.

Still… it felt like I had seen her somewhere.

“Sir Hort, about six months ago, when I was traveling outside the capital, you saved my life from a group of goblins and orcs. Thank you for that.”

“…Eh?”

When she thanked me, the memory from that time slowly came back.

A noble lady riding in a carriage.

But she hadn’t had silver hair.

And even though I remembered her as being beautiful, her face itself was strangely hard to recall.

And the maid who had been with her then…

…Was that Gina?

“I’m sorry. When I travel outside the capital, I use recognition-blocking magic as a precaution. That might be why it didn’t remain in your memory. But both Gina and I have never forgotten you, Sir Hort.”

Lady Luminaria stood up and walked over to me.

“Sir Hort.”

“Yes, Your Highness?”

“I think Gina is being unfair.”

“Unfair?”

“I want an original brassiere too!”

“…Hah?”

“You’re the one who invented them and became the lead designer, Sir Hort! I want one made by you! Please!”

…What kind of request was the princess making of me?

It seemed my very first duty as a Royal Guard knight was going to be greeting the princess—

…And apparently making a bra for her.