When the Villain Joined the Knights to Avoid Doom Flags, but Somehow the Heroines Started Approaching Him - Chapter 16: Someone Special

Chapter 16: Someone Special

Gram had a principle: he kept personal feelings out of his work.

He valued his family, but when they shared the same position and responsibilities as him, he treated them like any other subordinate.

This time, Lieselotte had joined the royal capital’s knights purely because of her own abilities.

And as for why he, the Knight Captain, chose to oversee the new recruits’ examination personally—it wasn’t out of fatherly concern for his daughter. It was simply a bit of curiosity.

“So, how was he? The son of the Blanche Count family?”

A voice came from the earring-shaped magical device he wore.

It was the voice of a young lady, carrying a sense of refined elegance.

“Nothing out of the ordinary. It went exactly as you expected. I thought I might have to intervene at some point, but that wasn’t necessary.”

“Fufu, that’s wonderful to hear. It was worth bending the rules to get assigned to the royal capital’s knight division.”

“What exactly did you do?”

“Oh, I tried giving him a bit of a pleading look, which is quite unlike me.”

“That’s quite the charming approach you took.”

From how easily she could get away with that, it was clear just how much this young lady was adored by her family.

“…Originally, this mission should have been handled by three kingdom knights,”

Gram sighed softly as he spoke, leaning back against the carriage he had arranged in advance.

“If it were knights from a major city, five would be needed; in a rural area, about fifteen. That’s how challenging this mission was, but it seems they’ve just completed it safely.”

“You seem to know that well, though I bet you were just relaxing, gazing at the blue sky from the sidelines, weren’t you?”

“…To be honest, I was planning to call off the exam and step in myself.”

Who would have thought there would be an actual victim among them, he thought with a furrowed brow.

“However, for a rookie knight to complete such a difficult mission without any injuries is impressive. It seems Yulis Blanche, whom Lady Fia has taken a liking to, was the one who performed the best.”

“Fufu, that’s excellent. I’d love to see him become part of the royal family’s circle someday.”

“I’ll refrain from commenting on that. After all, it looks like you’ve got plenty of competition, including my own daughter.”

“Oh dear, that’s a bit of a problem, isn’t it? Well, these days, it’s not unusual for a prince to have multiple princesses around him. I suppose it’s best to start by winning his favor step by step.”

With those words, the communication cut off.

Maybe it was only natural for a young woman to become curious and want to keep tabs on someone once they caught her interest. Yet, it was a bit disappointing that there was so much calculation behind it.

As Gram gave a wry smile at the now-ended conversation, he spotted not three, but four young figures emerging from the ruins of the temple.

“…Master, do you peek inside the box before everyone else or something? Why is it that whenever you draw lots, you always end up with a girl?!”

“How would I know!? I wish I knew! Honestly, I wouldn’t mind if it were a macho guy or a handsome dude—heck, I’d even take a cross-dressing princess for a change!”

“S-Sorry… that I’m, well, a girl.”

“You know, you could be a little more considerate with your words. Denying someone’s gender is just plain cruel.”

“No, no, that’s not what I meant at all! I mean, sure, I’d prefer to carry someone with a softer back than a bunch of muscles, but that’s not the point! I have my own reasons for—!”

“Ugh… so, in the end, it’s all about what’s below the belt, huh?”

“Wait, no! Seriously, hold on! Why are we even having this conversation!? Aren’t you supposed to be a dignified lady!?”

Yet, the kids seemed to be in the middle of a chaotic argument.

Gram couldn’t help but give a wry smile, but for an entirely different reason.

Still, he couldn’t just leave them like that, so he composed himself and walked over to greet them.

“It seems you managed to clear out the bandits safely. Well done. I didn’t expect there to be a victim involved…”

Gram approached with an apologetic expression, only to be met with a deadpan stare from Yulis, who had been at the center of the argument.

“…I’ll be requesting a full disclosure of mission details next time. I wasn’t aware I’d be dealing with this kind of drama after the hard work.”

“Neither was I.”

It was a fair point.

“Despite the unexpected events, you’ve officially become knights… but first, let’s make sure we safely escort the victim back to the royal capital.”

The victim he referred to was likely Luna, who was still on Yulis’s back.

When Yulis glanced back at her, for some reason, Luna quickly turned away—

“T-Thank you for bringing me this far…”

“Yeah, sure, but… why did you look away?”

“I… I don’t want you to see my face…”

“What… did you say…!?”

Yulis crouched down to help Luna get off his back.

After she got down, she knelt and began to cry softly.

“Even after doing a good deed, I’m still as unpopular as ever… Knowing she doesn’t even want to look at my face… it’s just too sad…!”

Meanwhile, the other two girls watching this scene—

(She just doesn’t want him to see her face after she’s been crying, right?)

(Yulis really is clueless about a girl’s feelings, isn’t he?)

—were giving him icy, unimpressed looks.

Well, that was also a form of a girl’s feelings, but naturally, Yulis didn’t notice.

“U-Um!”

Suddenly, Luna wiped her eyes, then bent down to meet Yulis’s gaze as he knelt.

She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small brooch, pressing it into Yulis’s hand.

“Here, this is for you!”

“…What’s this?”

“It’s a sign from my trading company that we won’t treat you as just a regular customer anymore.”

“Did I do something so bad in this whole situation to deserve that!?”

“No, no, that’s not it! It’s not a declaration of cutting ties or marking you as a troublemaker!”

Luna hurriedly denied his misunderstanding, then spoke, looking a little embarrassed.

“M-Merchants value gratitude above all else, so when someone does us a favor, we never forget it. This is a symbol of that… And, well, it’s not just about gratitude… um… s-so that’s why…!”

And then, leaning close to his ear, she whispered—

“Sir Yulis, you are the most special person to me…”

She spoke softly, her voice gentle, with flushed cheeks and a look of warmth in her eyes.

Her beautiful face drew near, and Yulis couldn’t help but feel his heart skip a beat. 

But, unable to handle the embarrassment any longer, Luna turned and ran off, quickly climbing into the carriage.

However, as if she had forgotten to say something, she popped her head back out of the carriage window and called out to Yulis—

“I’ll come see you again, Sir Yulis!”

With a bright, youthful smile that was both charming and captivating, she waved to him.

“…Master, you’re such a charmer.”

“I’m not one to talk, but I wonder, do girls always end up like this when they’re rescued by a hero?”

“Hey, wait, why are you giving me that deadpan look? It’s so cold it’s actually painful, come on!”

“Alright, I’ll take the victim back to the royal capital. You two head to the knights’ headquarters from here.”

“Wait, we have to walk again!? At least give us a ride since we’re headed to the same place! Show a little appreciation to your hardworking subordinates, will you!?”