Chapter 261

 10: “That’s right!”

    The further one advanced into the inner halls of the castle, the more the surrounding architectural style shifted from resplendent gold and jade brilliance toward a more livable environment.

The culture of the Kingdom of Aurus placed considerable emphasis on human sensibilities. The grand council hall where ministers gathered could be solemn and imposing, enough to awe the assembled officials. Yet in the rear palace where the king resided daily, amid overgrown greenery, several duplex palaces faintly revealed a strong sense of everyday life. Beyond their luxury, there was also a touch of warmth and natural comfort.

The environment was sufficiently tranquil, but along the way, there were quite a number of people hurrying back and forth within the inner halls, making it impossible for that peace to be maintained.

Judging from their attire, there were court magicians who had mastered Healing Magic, as well as apothecaries from the Royal Capital gathering herbs. Although there was a clear disparity in their social status, as they rushed along the passageways between the inner and outer halls, they shared an obvious common trait.

—That was anxiety, a sense of widespread unease.

Livra was a hundred times more anxious than them. With the hood covering her face, she had nearly run all the way toward the bedchamber.

She and Queen Maqiya moved quickly, stepping into the bedchamber ahead of the others.

When a loved one was gravely ill, no matter how tense or urgent one felt, it was only natural.

But…

This caused real trouble for Miss Shaya, who had just carried a wooden chair all the way to the entrance of the bedchamber!

“Hey! You didn’t even bring me along!”

Sheffy steadied the chair and raised her head, peeking through the gap of her hood at the tall, burly knight standing guard before the bedchamber door, a massive sword in hand.

She asked rather politely.

“That… can I go in? I came with the Queen. She didn’t bring me along, and I’ve got my chair.”

“A suspicious one… take off your hood, put the chair down. What’s your identity?”

“Suspicious?! Do I really look suspicio—! Oh, sorry, I’m wearing a hood, so I do look suspicious. Hmm…?”

Come to think of it, this knight’s voice sounded a bit familiar?

Because the hood obstructed her vision, and the wooden chair blocked most of the rest, Sheffy truly couldn’t see what the knight looked like.

When she steadily set the chair aside and removed her hood to take a look at who it was…

She jumped in fright!

Good grief.

Wasn’t this Xiarette’s father?!

Eclight, the Head of the Wright Family, was looking down at the little figure with a vigilant gaze.

Ugh, why look so fierce? It wasn’t like I abducted your daughter—she followed me of her own will!

When Eclight saw the face hidden beneath the hood, he was likewise stunned.

This was truly a literal big-eyes-meet-small-eyes moment.

“You are… the apprentice knight who follows Xiarette? Earl Shaya?”

“Yes, yes, that’s me, that’s me! Hahaha, if I’d known, there’d have been no need to hide. We’re all familiar, all familiar! Uh… familiar… are we familiar?”

…Not sure.

He was Xiarette’s father, so it felt like they should be quite familiar.

But he had barely spoken to her before! Would she still be asked to leave?!

Eclight fell silent for a moment as if pondering something. With both hands resting on the hilt of his greatsword, he deliberated, a trace of surprise appearing in the corner of his eye as he glanced toward the bedchamber behind him.

“Since you’re here, then the one who accompanied Her Majesty the Queen inside just now was… I was wondering why it felt familiar. Was it Her Highness the Princess…?”

“Uh… about that? Can I go in? And the chair.”

“Her Highness has returned at a time like this… tch, with His Majesty in such terrible condition, Her Highness may not be able to bear it…”

“That… well, never mind. You finish muttering first, I can wait.”

Upon closer inspection, there was evident fatigue on Eclight’s usually imposing face, and the dark circles under his eyes were especially noticeable.

Needless to say.

He must have been guarding in front of the bedchamber for a very long time without rest.

It should be known that Eclight was the commander of the Royal Capital’s Knight Order. If it were merely a matter of standing guard, there were many knights he could dispatch. If the situation required even the commander himself to personally ensure security, and rotations or смена of shifts were not permitted…

Then there were only two possibilities.

First, the nation had reached the brink of life and death, requiring him to carry out some special mission.

Second, the king’s condition was extremely critical, and aside from allowing him to recuperate in peace, no unexpected complications could be allowed.

Right now, it was likely the second case.

—This was the conclusion Sheffy reached after glancing at Eclight’s exhausted state.

Had the old king’s illness already reached such a stage… No wonder those court magicians and apothecaries earlier all looked worried. They had probably received strict orders—such as being required to cure the king—but were unable to do so.

At least, they had not succeeded so far.

Eclight finally finished his muttering to himself.

He shook his head, and Sheffy thought he was about to refuse her entry.

But what he actually said was not the case at all.

“Sigh… By all rights, His Majesty’s condition is top secret and should not be disclosed to members of the Knight Order. But Earl Shaya, since you are here, it means you are already aware of this matter?”

“Ah, no need to call me Earl, just call me by my name.”

“That works. Xiarette has always trusted you greatly. She said you are like a younger sister to her. Since that’s the case, I won’t stand on ceremony with you.”

Sheffy was very self-aware.

She could be disrespectful when speaking to the old king.

She could carry the Queen’s chair.

She could even kick Livra’s backside.

But she absolutely could not be disrespectful toward Eclight.

Why?

Because he was Xiarette’s father!

If she offended Xiarette’s father, then when the day came that she might openly visit their home, what if he held a grudge and refused to feed her? Wouldn’t she end up going hungry?!

She had not yet come under someone else’s roof, yet she had already learned to lower her head—this was what was called understanding social conduct.

While Miss Shaya nodded to herself, affirming her own cleverness, Eclight had already begun speaking.

“His Majesty has been coughing violently since last month, with a persistent high fever. Recently, he has even begun coughing up blood. His body grows weaker by the day, and now he frequently falls into unconsciousness… The Royal Capital’s magicians and alchemists are all powerless. I was thinking of seeking some folk remedies from other races to treat this strange illness, but even after secretly sending out the消息, there has been no reply. Now that Her Highness has gone in and seen His Majesty’s condition, how heartbroken she must be… Sigh, telling you all this serves little purpose. Shaya, do you know where Xiarette is now?”

“Hmm?”

Shaya had been pondering the symptoms Eclight described when she suddenly heard that familiar name.

Oh, of course! Xiarette had been away from home for so long—how could her family not be worried? Asking this was only natural.

While feeling happy for Xiarette, Shaya tilted her head, trying to peek into the inner hall while answering Eclight’s question.

“Xiarette is still in the Demon Domain, responsible for protecting Princess Livra. She’s also traveling and training—we’re usually together.”

“I see…”

Oh? If she guessed correctly, he would probably say something next about telling her to stay safe, right?

Mm-hmm, after all, Xiarette often said her family was very warm and kind, and hoped that Sheffy could get along well with everyone in the future~

But who would have expected—

Eclight kept a straight face, with almost no emotional fluctuation, and spoke words that felt rather cold.

“Then help me pass a message to her. Even while traveling outside, she must not neglect her training. She is the Kingdom’s Hero, the Kingdom’s trump card, the true Sword of the Nation. Although it is a time of peace now, war may return at any moment. So at all times, she must not relax or grow complacent.”

“……”

That’s… it?

Nothing else?

Sheffy didn’t respond, because she suddenly felt a bit unhappy.

The reason for her unhappiness was also very clear.

At some point, her joys and sorrows had long become intertwined with Xiarette’s. Hearing Xiarette’s father say such things made her feel as if she herself had no home to return to, leaving an emptiness in her heart, and making Xiarette’s usual homesick complaints feel undeserved.

But…

“And also…”

“Hm? There’s more?”

“And also… well, that is…”

Eclight’s speech suddenly slowed, causing Sheffy’s disappointed gaze to lift again.

This reliable and burly father actually looked a little embarrassed as he turned his head to the side—strikingly similar to how Xiarette would frantically avoid eye contact when faced with something awkward.

“It’s just… aside from that, pass along another message. When she misses home, she can… come back and visit. It’s not like things outside are that busy—training can be done anywhere. Her mother misses her as well. Ahem…! This is her mother’s意思! That woman is just like that—going out for a walk isn’t a bad thing for her daughter, yet she keeps going on about it. But since her mother said so, it’s only right to let Xiarette know, yes? Don’t forget to pass on this message.”

“Oh! Don’t worry! Forget the others—even if nothing else gets through, this message definitely will!”

“Thank you?”

“You’re welcome!”

Hehe, as expected of family—

A whole household of stubborn tsunderes!

Her mood instantly brightened.

She could deal with passing along the message later. Right now, Shaya thought she should first go in and check on Livra’s condition.

To be honest, the timing of Livra’s return today was rather unfortunate—or perhaps fortunate.

Whether fortunate or not, it was still quite worrying.

Just as Shaya stepped forward, intending to enter the bedchamber—

Eclight suddenly blocked her with the flat of his greatsword.

Miss Shaya was immediately annoyed.

“Huh? I can’t go in? I already agreed to pass on your message.”

“You can go in.”

“Then why are you stopping me?”

“You may enter, but put the chair down. The furniture inside the bedchamber is accounted for—there cannot be more, nor less.”

“Oh, I see. Understood, understood.”

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