The Mob Noble Who Got Reincarnated in a World Where Men Are Naturally Protected—So I Trained Like Crazy to Protect Girls Instead, But Their Love Got Way Too Heavy - Chapter 33 & 34

Chapter 33: Bloodline of the Phantom Queen

Becoming a royal attendant taught me one thing—school hours were actually the easiest part of the day.

Sure, mornings and nights were pure chaos—cooking, cleaning, laundry, and an endless list of chores all under Head Maid Hedda’s sharp gaze. But once I made it to class, unless someone specifically summoned me, I was basically free.

At most, I just had to walk to and from school with Her Highness.

The best part? Getting paid every night directly by Hedda.

Shia mentioned something about “the curse removal reward covering it,” but in the end, she insisted I take the money anyway.

So yeah, I decided to treat this like a part-time job—morning and evening shifts only—and enjoy my life as an attendant while it lasted.

“Tect, brew some tea for me.”

“Right here, already prepared.”

“Eh—already…?”

I had calculated the exact moment Shia’s throat would start to feel dry and brewed the tea in advance.

“Tect, I can’t find my fountain pen. Look for it.”

“Ah, you mean this one? I refilled the ink too.”

“…I see. That helps a lot.”

I’d already checked her desk last night and prepared everything for today’s lessons.

“Tect, would you massage my shoulders?”

“Of course. Pardon me—going all in this time.”

“Ah—t-that! That’s it—ahh, this feels sooo good—ahh~~!”

With my full-power shoulder massage, I completely melted away all of Shia’s stress.

To my surprise, she turned out to be far more expressive than I’d expected—smiling, pouting, and even letting out small sighs of relief. Honestly, she was the kind of master worth serving.

If I got my curse lifted and received payment on top of that, this gig was a total win.

Sure, the downside was that I didn’t have much time left for my after-school “research projects,” but really—there was no point in doing any of that while I was still cursed.

Besides, I couldn’t keep mooching off Aegis forever.

This was good practice for learning how to earn my own money.

Before I knew it, I’d grown pretty content with my new life as a royal attendant.

Then one morning, Shia said something unexpected.

“Tect, I have some work today. Would you assist me?”

“Work?”

“Yes. I haven’t officially joined the student council yet, but I’ve already been asked to handle a few things.”

Ah, so even princesses got dragged into paperwork, huh?

I nodded, already resigned to my fate.

“Understood. What should I do?”

“Come to this room after class. It’s mostly just sorting documents. Ah, but… I’d love some of your tea too.”

She smiled gently—graceful, poised, yet somehow distant.

The kind of smile only royalty could manage.

“Got it. I’ll bring some fresh tea leaves.”

If it was after school, that was basically part of my usual shift anyway.

I poured myself another cup of tea, already planning ahead for later.

Alright, after school rolled around.

As usual, I had to calm down Wiz, who was crying about being lonely, and stop Aegis from punching holes in the wall because she was sulking again.

Once those two emotional disasters were handled, I headed alone to the room Shia had mentioned.

When I arrived, I peeked inside—it looked like a spacious, well-organized office.

I reached for the door handle, but it was locked.

“Oh my, you’re early, Tect.”

“Lady Shia.”

I turned around to see Shia standing there, holding a literal mountain of paperwork—so tall it almost covered her face—with a single key resting on top of the stack.

“Whoa… that looks heavy. Want me to carry it?”

“Hm? …Pfft, fufufu. I can’t possibly let a boy carry something heavy. Be a dear and just unlock the door instead, will you?”

…Did she seriously just imply I’d crumble under the weight of paper?

My pride took a small hit, but I obediently took the key and unlocked the door.

Shia stepped inside with her usual grace, and I followed after her.

The room was simple but elegant—lined with bookshelves, a large central table, and neatly arranged furniture. Definitely an office.

“There.”

Shia set the paperwork down with a small sigh and pulled out a heavy-looking stamp from her pocket.

The handle was engraved with a fierce lion—way too extravagant for something as mundane as an approval seal.

“So, what exactly is today’s work about?”

“Apparently, some of the academy events require royal authorization. My task today is to grant them official approval using this royal seal.”

That sounded… absurdly important.

Wait, hold on—what kind of school events needed royal approval?

Just what kind of chaos was this academy planning?

“Well then, let’s begin. No point dragging this out too late.”

Saying that, Shia reached into her pocket and pulled something out—

A small handbell, the kind nobles used to summon their servants with a single elegant shake.

But… this wasn’t her mansion.

Ringing that here wouldn’t make Hedda come running, and since I was already standing right in front of her, what was even the point?

Still, before I could ask, Shia raised the bell and gave it a gentle ring.

A wave of shimmering light filled the room—

And then, they appeared.

“Wha—!?”

“Ah, right. This is your first time seeing them, isn’t it? My apologies if that startled you, Tect.”

She said it with a teasing smile, clearly amused by my reaction.

Standing before us were knights—phantoms clad in full armor.

Their outlines shimmered faintly, their bodies half-transparent, and their presence far too imposing for an ordinary schoolroom.

Each one radiated the aura of a seasoned warrior.

If my own armament counted as standard knight equipment, then these guys were the kind I’d have to face head-on—maybe even struggle against.

And there weren’t just one or two of them.

There were three.

Shia raised her hand gracefully and gave a single command.

“Assist with the documents.”

“As you command.”

At her command, the most ornately decorated phantom knight stepped forward, bowed with knightly grace, and responded before swiftly getting to work.

The trio began to move around the room—retrieving books from the shelves, organizing papers, and gliding between cabinets with almost mechanical precision.

I stood there for a moment, completely stunned by the sight, until Shia’s calm voice pulled me back to reality.

“Tect, please prepare the tea.”

“At once.”

Snapping back into motion, I slipped into my usual rhythm.

In no time, I’d brewed a fresh pot of tea, arranged a full tea set, and brought it to her desk.

Shia sat there reviewing document after document, stamping each one with rhythmic, flawless precision.

While she worked, I poured her tea with care, letting the soft aroma of the fresh brew fill the air.

“My, you’re always so quick, Tect. And so meticulous too. It smells wonderful.”

“I’m honored by your praise, milady.”

“Fufufu… that overly polite tone of yours is amusing, but you can relax, you know?”

That caught me off guard.

I blinked at her.

“…Meaning?”

“Well, no matter what I have you do, you’re perfect at it. Honestly, I thought if I gave you unreasonable orders, you’d eventually slip up and I’d get to see your true colors. But instead… you’re just too good.”

She puffed her cheeks slightly, speaking in a mock-sulking tone.

“…Seriously.”

I gave her a half-lidded look.

Yeah, Aegis did warn me that she liked testing people.

Honestly, I’d already figured out that Shia had a mischievous streak… but did she really have to admit it out loud like that?

Or maybe she’d just dropped the act entirely and decided to tease me openly.

Hard to tell with her.

While I was still thinking that, Shia continued with the same playful smile.

“So from now on, feel free to loosen up a little. You may speak to me the same way you do with Aegis.”

“Uh… if I talk to you like I do with Aegis, that’d be… casual speech, you know.”

“That’s perfectly fine. After all, we’re batchmates, aren’t we? Equals in the same year.”

I blinked a few times, unsure if this was some kind of trap.

But after a moment of hesitation, I gave up and said, “Alright then, I’ll take your word for it,” dropping the formal tone.

After that, I decided to bring up something that had been bothering me since earlier.

“So, Lady Shia… what exactly are these knights?”

“They’re part of my bloodline magic. Those of the ‘Phantom Queen’ lineage possess the power to command an army of illusions.”

“Ah, I see.”

She gave a small, graceful nod, clearly proud of it.

“And that flashy one—the one who spoke earlier?”

“He’s the commander of the phantom knights. In real combat, he’s the most skilled of them all.”

“Whoa… impressive.”

I couldn’t help but stare, completely captivated.

Their synchronized movements, their posture, their precision—it was all flawless.

Especially the commander—his form was so sharp, so refined, it practically radiated authority.

Through the slits of his helmet, his gaze looked sharp enough to cut through steel.
Watching him, a thought slipped out before I could stop myself.

“…Yeah, if I fought that guy, I’d probably lose.”

“Pfft, fufu. I imagine so. But my, Tect—you’re quite the spirited boy, aren’t you?”

“…”

I frowned slightly.

Great. Now she was looking at me like I was some battle-crazed middle schooler with a chuunibyou phase.

Still, there was one thing that felt off.

Every single one of those knights looked unmistakably male—their armor, their stance, even the way they moved carried a distinctly masculine air.

So, I asked.

“Those knights… they look like men, don’t they?”

“Indeed, they are. Long ago, there used to be men born with magic—apparently just as often as women.”

I blinked.

Wait, what?

So the whole messed-up gender ratio—and this world’s flipped sense of morality—wasn’t always like this?

“The bloodline of the ‘Phantom Queen’ still commands the spirits of those ancient knights even now. Thanks to them, I get plenty of help with all sorts of tasks.”

I glanced back at the phantoms.

Sure enough, the knights were working with flawless precision—retrieving books from the shelves, stacking them neatly on Shia’s desk, and returning unnecessary ones without a single sound.

It was like watching a perfectly programmed army of ghost butlers.

“So these knights… they actually know what they’re doing?”

“Not exactly. They’re simply my puppets. They move according to my knowledge and instructions.”

That made my stomach drop a little.

Wait—hold on.

That meant Shia knew exactly where every single document, book, and record in this entire room was?

“…Wow. Okay.”

The words slipped out before I could stop them.

Then another question came to mind.

“So… what about me, then? Do you even need me here?”

“Of course. Neither I nor my phantom knights could ever make tea as perfect as yours, Tect.”

She said it with an elegant smile, all while rhythmically stamping document after document—thump, thump, thump—without missing a beat.

“…Fair enough.”

Guess I still had my role after all.

Even so, watching her command an army of spirits while effortlessly handling royal paperwork, I realized something that day—

I’d only seen a fraction of what Princess Shia was truly capable of.

That quiet after-school moment was my first real glimpse of just how terrifyingly competent she actually was.

Chapter 34: The Sleepy Princess

It was a quiet weekend morning when I arrived for work at Shia’s dorm, same as always.

That’s when Head Maid Hedda suddenly said something that made me blink.

“Sir Tect, since you’ve become quite accustomed to your duties, I believe it’s time for you to move on to your next task.”

“Wait—there’s more?”

Hedda took a slow, deliberate breath, as though preparing herself for something weighty, then continued in her usual composed tone.

“Yes. There was one duty I refrained from assigning you at first—because I felt it would be too much for a beginner.”

“Huh. Funny, because I thought you’d already been pretty harsh from day one.”

“That was merely the basics. I trained you thoroughly in foundational work. However, this particular task requires trust between you and Lady Shia—so I waited until the proper time.”

“Ah, I see… makes sense.”

It was true.

At first, I’d heard that Shia’s main reason for hiring me had been… well, curiosity.

Something along the lines of, ‘Let’s see how this boy reacts if I mess with him.’

But after our last assignment together, that attitude seemed to have mellowed quite a bit.

“And so—”

Hedda straightened her back and announced with crisp, professional grace:

“Starting today, Sir Tect, you’ll also be responsible for Lady Shia’s morning routine.”

“Morning routine?”

“Yes. You’ll be in charge of waking her up.”

I crossed my arms, tilting my head slightly.

“You mean… the thing you do every morning? Getting her ready and all that?”

“That’s one way to put it. Though—hm, perhaps it would be easier if you saw it for yourself.”

With that, Hedda turned elegantly and gestured toward the grand staircase leading up to the second floor.

“Go on, upstairs.”

“…Right.”

I couldn’t help thinking—why does this feel like I’m being sent into battle?

Still, I did as I was told and climbed the stairs.

At the top, I stopped in front of a closed door—Shia’s bedroom.

I knocked four times—knock knock knock knock—then called out in my most polite voice:

“Lady Shia~ good morning~!”

Silence.

I glanced back toward the stairs. Hedda stood at the bottom, arms crossed, silently nodding as if to say, Go on.

“…Alright then, I’m coming in.”

Every nerve in my body screamed this is a bad idea.

But against the Head Maid’s orders, I had no choice.

I turned the knob and slowly opened the door.

Inside was a beautifully kept room—spacious, elegant, and unmistakably feminine.

Soft pink décor filled the space, and in the center stood a canopy bed that looked straight out of a fairy tale.

And there, on that luxurious bed, was the princess herself—sound asleep.

“…Mmm…”

Shia was lying on her side, wrapped in a delicate nightgown.

I froze.

To a teenage boy, this was a visual landmine.

The nightgown was thin—just translucent enough to tease the imagination—and her body lines were… yeah, very clearly defined.

Now that I was seeing her like this, it hit me—

Shia was, uh, pretty well-endowed.

Sure, Wiz had more curves than she let on beneath those baggy robes, but even she couldn’t compete with this.

And Aegis? Well… let’s just say she wasn’t even in the competition.

The thought barely crossed my mind before I shook my head hard, snapping out of it.

Nope.

No way.

Bad Tect. Very bad.

Thinking that kind of stuff about a sleeping girl—especially one who’s technically my boss—was absolutely not okay.

Focus, man. You’re here to work.

“Lady Shia~? It’s morning, time to wake up~!”

I called out as I approached the bed—but she didn’t move an inch.

“…Lady Shia?”

Now standing right beside the bed, I looked down at her peaceful face.

Not a twitch. Not even the faintest sleepy groan.

“Heeey, Lady Shia~? Please wake uuuup?”

Still nothing.

So, with no other choice, I placed a hand on her shoulder and gave her a light shake.

No reaction.

At all.

…

“Wait—don’t tell me she’s dead?”

“She most certainly is not, Sir Tect.”

“Wha—!”

I nearly jumped out of my skin.

I’d been so focused on the sleeping princess that I hadn’t even noticed Hedda suddenly standing behind me like some kind of ghost.

Heart pounding, I turned toward her.

“Ms. Hedda, she’s not waking up. Like, at all.”

“Indeed. As you can see, Lady Shia is… extremely—and I do mean extremely—bad at waking up.”

She said extremely twice.

That could only mean trouble.

“Also, um… her outfit’s kinda… well, revealing. Are you sure I’m supposed to be the one handling this?”

“Yes. You’ve proven capable enough for the task. More importantly, Lady Shia herself approved of you taking charge of her morning routine. I asked for her permission directly.”

“She… approved it herself?”

I looked down at Shia again.

So she trusted me that much, huh—enough to let me handle her while she was in such a vulnerable state.

That thought alone made me feel strangely happy… though, yeah, the situation was still way too nerve-wracking.

“But she’s not waking up. What do we do here?”

“We do thissss.”

She took in a deep breath—

And then unleashed a voice powerful enough to shake the entire royal palace.

“ILLUCIA FARARCHE CONSTANTINE! Wake up immediately! It’s time to rise!!”

“Hyaaa—!”

The sheer volume made me flinch, and even Shia—half-asleep and dazed—jerked upright with a startled squeak.

“M’awake… m’awake… I’m awake…”

“Raising my voice like that usually jolts her into consciousness. However, if left unattended, she’ll promptly fall back asleep. Therefore, we must continue gently slapping her cheeks while assisting her wake-up process.”

“Isn’t that… a little cruel?”

“It’s fine. Royalty must serve as an example to all nobility. Discipline is essential.”

Hedda delivered the line with absolute authority, not even blinking at my concern.

Ugh… she was terrifyingly serious about this.

Still, I couldn’t help feeling a little sorry for Shia.

“You’ll need to assist her with three things—changing clothes, washing her face, and brushing her teeth. She’s slow with all of them, so keep her focused and scold her when necessary. And be especially cautious during face-washing—if you’re not careful, she’ll drown.”

“Drown… from washing her face?”

That mental image short-circuited my brain.

What kind of magical ability did it take to drown yourself in a sink?

“Zzz…”

While I was still trying to process that, Shia had already collapsed back onto the bed, fast asleep again.

“Hmm, she’s out once more. Shall I demonstrate again?”

“N-No, no need, Master—uh, I mean, I got it! I can handle it!”

“Very well. I leave it to you, then. And it’s Head Maid, not Master.”

After leaving everything to me, Hedda exited the room, closing the door quietly behind her.

That left just me… and Shia, who was once again peacefully snoring away.

I looked at her.

Yeah, I was still a little nervous about this whole “wake the princess” job, but after seeing how utterly hopeless she was at getting up, I couldn’t help but feel a bit sorry for her.

Honestly, I hated alarm clocks too.

I wanted to wake her gently—but judging from what I’d just witnessed, a gentle approach probably wouldn’t even make a dent.

“Hmm… yeah, but still. That yelling was kinda overkill. I mean, she’s a princess—she’s got her act together. She doesn’t need drill-sergeant treatment.”

I thought back to that day in the office—

The way she’d memorized every single document’s location, stamped each one with flawless rhythm, and handled royal paperwork like it was second nature.

That was pure royal professionalism.

If someone that capable just happened to be bad at mornings, well… she’d earned the right to a little leniency, didn’t she?

“Alright, let’s do this.”

She’d wake up naturally if I just helped her along, right?

Or so I told myself as I started moving.

First, I looked around for her outfit.

Knowing Hedda, she probably had everything laid out the night before.

Sure enough—there it was, neatly folded on top of a dresser.

“This must be today’s clothes.”

I picked up the outfit and returned to the bedside.

Then, I started gently shaking her shoulder.

“Shia~ Lady Shia~ come on, it’s morning~ time to get up~”

“Mmm… do I… have classes today…?”

“Nope. But Ms. Hedda says you need to wake up anyway.”

“Then… sleep… more…”

“Hey—no, no, don’t crawl back under the blanket! Come on, up you go!”

I yanked the blanket off Shia as she squirmed to hide beneath it.

Okay, yeah—this was definitely going to be a test of patience.

I was starting to understand why Hedda hadn’t given me this job right away.

Alright then… time for drastic measures.

“Sorry about this, Lady Shia—coming in!”

With a burst of determination, I slid my arms under her and lifted her up from the bed.

“Mmm… eh… Tect…?”

“Yup, it’s me. I’ve been assigned to handle your morning routine today. Let’s get you up.”

“Mmm… huh…?”

She still looked half-conscious, eyes only half-open, her mind clearly still drifting somewhere in dreamland.

I gently helped her sit upright.

“Alright, arms up. Come on, hands in the air.”

“…Yawn…”

“Good job. Now, time to get you out of your sleepwear.”

I carefully lifted her nightgown upward—

And froze.

Because underneath it… there was nothing.

“Wha—WHAT!? Why aren’t you wearing anything under this!?”

I spun around so fast I nearly dislocated something, my face burning red.

Seriously!? I didn’t know much about women’s sleepwear, but surely they were supposed to wear something underneath, right!?

“It’s… annoying.”

She gave her answer with sleepy bluntness.

That was it. That was her entire reasoning.

I clenched my teeth and stared hard at the floor.

“Alright then… fine. I’ll keep my eyes closed!”

“Why…?”

Her puzzled tone reminded me once again just how upside-down this world’s sense of modesty really was.

Suppressing a long sigh, I started dressing her with my eyes shut tight.

Yeah—no way was I even attempting the bra.

That was well above my pay grade.

So I skipped that entirely and just helped her into the rest of her clothes as fast as humanly possible.

“Alright, one more time—hands up! Come on, arms in the air!”

“…Arms up…”

She sluggishly raised both arms again, and I slipped her clothes over her head, trying to recall all the times I’d dressed my little sisters when they were kids.

Yeah. Except my sisters didn’t wear see-through nightgowns.

“Mmm… my chest feels chilly…”

“Ugh—y-you can put your own bra on when you’re fully awake, okay!?”

“Mm… panties…?”

“Right, panties! Those too!”

I groaned, holding my head.

Unlike the bra, this was one I couldn’t skip—she was wearing a dress today, and… yeah, going commando was definitely not an option.

“A-Alright then, lift your legs…”

“…Okay…”

Shia sat on the edge of the bed and lazily lifted one leg, then the other.

I guided her foot through the underwear carefully—doing my absolute best to stay professional—but her soft, pale thighs brushed against my hands more than once, sending my brain into a total meltdown.

I clenched my teeth, forced my focus, and pulled the underwear up.

And then—when I looked up—

Shia’s sleepy face was right there, her large chest practically at eye level.

Our eyes met.

Her half-lidded gaze locked onto me, and she murmured softly,

“…Tect, your face is red… what’s wrong…?”

“NOTHING! Absolutely nothing! Okay—panties are on! Mission complete!”

“Mmm… they’re… riding up…”

“Then fix it yourself!”

I collapsed to the floor, gasping for air, completely drained.

Good god… this job was lethal for a virgin.

And the worst part?

Shia didn’t resist at all—she just let me do everything like it was the most normal thing in the world!

“Mmm…”

The moment I glanced away, Shia started swaying like a drunk toddler about to topple over.

Not good—if she hit the floor now, she’d definitely fall back asleep.

“Hey! On your feet, Shia! Come on, stand up! We’re washing your face!”

“Can’t stand… help meee…”

“Oh, for crying out loud! You’re such high-maintenance, Your Highness!”

I crouched down, slipped her arm over my shoulder, and half-lifted, half-dragged her upright.

Something soft and definitely distracting pressed against my back—but I heroically decided that was just my imagination.

I guided her toward the second-floor washstand, and by the time we got there, her steps had finally steadied a little.

I let out a long sigh of relief.

“Feeling more awake now, Shia? Come on, splash some water and snap out of it.”

“…Yes…”

Her voice was still heavy with sleep, but at least she was moving.

She stood in front of the sink, listlessly leaning forward.

I reached over and turned on the faucet for her—since she clearly wasn’t going to do it herself.

She bent down and started washing her face—

“Bwobggh! Gahhh—gobogahh—!”

“Wha—Shia!? You’re drowning!? Shia, don’t die on me!”

I yanked her back just in time, water splashing everywhere as she gasped for breath, eyes wide open now and face pale as a ghost.

“G-Good… morning, Tect… Y-You saved my life…”

“Saved your—!? That was seriously a life-threatening moment for you!?”

Just as Hedda warned me—this princess was legendarily bad at mornings.

I could only stare at her in disbelief.

Grabbing a towel, I started drying her soaked hair and face, mentally bracing myself for whatever fresh ordeal awaited me next in this impossible “morning routine.”

“Alright… next up is brushing your teeth, I guess.”

I turned to look at Shia.

Wrapped snugly in a towel like a sleepy burrito, she just blinked at me with those calm, innocent eyes.

“…You do know how to brush your teeth, right?”

“I might not be as skilled at that as I am with paperwork.”

There it was—that gentle, serene smile of hers, perfectly composed even while half-drenched and barely awake.

I couldn’t help smiling back, though it came out more like a tired smirk.

“Alright then… I’ll handle everything from start to finish. Just follow my lead, okay?”

“Yes, I’ll leave it in your hands.”

And so… I ended up doing everything.

I held the toothbrush, carefully brushed her teeth, made sure she rinsed properly, and even wiped her mouth afterward.

The whole time, one thought kept crossing my mind—

Man… this really feels like taking care of my baby sister.