Chapter 274: The Master’s Misunderstanding, and the Slave’s Mischief

A sound of the living room door opening came.

"Master, I have returned."

The one who entered the living room was Muriel.

"!!"

I was surprised and stood from the sofa.

"Master! What is the matter!?"

Muriel went around in front of me.

Her face was close.

"A-no, nothing."

I said that and unintentionally averted my eyes.

At that time the paper bag Muriel held in her right hand entered my eyes.

Should I ask?

But somehow hard to ask...

"Um... what is the matter?"

Muriel peeked at my face that was bowed.

Then she followed my gaze and looked at the paper bag she held.

"?"

Muriel opened the paper bag and took out a pair of earrings from inside.

The purple polygonal pillar-shaped crystals hanging from them reflected the room’s light and shone.

"...P-pretty."

I, who did not know what to say, unintentionally said that.

"Thank you. They are my mother’s memento."

Muriel set the paper bag on the table beside, and pinched the piercing parts with both hands each and brought them close to her earlobes.

The crystals were of modest size, and because Muriel’s hair was black the piercings themselves did not stand out much, but conversely with the purple color it looked refined.

"I see I see."

While having my eyes stolen by Muriel making such gestures while smiling, inside I was relieved.

"But why now... ah, did you take them out? ...?"

Pretending not to know that Muriel had met the man and received them, I asked Muriel.

"An acquaintance brought them."

Muriel said that nostalgically.

But without putting a gap her expression clouded.

"That... no, nothing."

Muriel tried to say something, but after hesitating a little withdrew the words.

About that man, maybe?

...Bothersome.

But still somehow I could not ask.

While looking at Muriel I became unable to say anything.

Muriel too, while looking at my face, seemed to be thinking something.

There...

"Oh~, what is it? The two staring at each other~."

Suddenly a voice called.

I was startled and turned to the direction the voice came.

We had not been staring, but Muriel seemed surprised the same as me, and immediately directed her gaze to the direction the voice came the same way.

There were Rosina and Sheena who had opened the door and entered.

Apparently they had returned from greeting the Anirofe temple of Lübeck city.

From the carefree tone and words including teasing, Rosina seemed to have said it.

"W-what is it."

Maybe because I and Muriel directed gazes at Rosina all at once, Rosina too flustered and asked us again, no, from that wording Muriel, probably.

"N-nothing."

"Eh~? Because you were having a rendezvous with a man, you were being scolded by Master, weren’t you~?"

Maybe because Muriel turned away and answered, Rosina recovered from the fluster, and asked Muriel teasingly.

"M-Mother, that thing you must not say..."

But Sheena admonished Rosina in a small voice, and that Rosina hurriedly put both hands to her mouth was probably because she had not completely recovered from the fluster.

It was not a play, and slipping her mouth in front of me was too large a miss for Rosina.

And Sheena, I can hear.

When Sheena met eyes with me she shrank her head like a scolded child.

But...

"It is not a rendezvous, but I did meet a man. A former colleague when I was a knight of the Prussia Kingdom long ago."

Muriel, without seeming to feel any guilt in particular, answered plainly.

"Oh, is that so." "Is that so." "Is that so."

Rosina and Sheena and I said those words in unison.

It was not a rendezvous...

Then what was it that Muriel had hesitated to say.

"Um, Master saw it too?"

Muriel asked me that unexpectedly.

U, bad.

Because I had been acting as if not knowing that Muriel had met the man.

"A-ah..."

"Is that so... then I should talk."

When I answered awkwardly, Muriel looked at my face as if having resolved something.

"That man, the name is Albert, but he seems dissatisfied that I have become a Dule, and even though I wanted to become Master’s Dule and am made so, no, he says I am being deceived, or he will absolutely free me, and does not listen."

I see, the argument at that time was this.

I had completely jumped to conclusions.

And freeing... to free a Dule, only killing the Dule or killing me, probably.

In this case, saying kill me?

"So, thinking I might cause Master trouble, I thought to deal with it myself before meeting Master, but..."

"What if he comes when Muriel is not there."

"Yes, right. After all I should have talked."

To Rosina’s jab Muriel answered that.

"Um, is there no chance Lord Hiroyuki will be stabbed from behind?"

"!"

This time Sheena made a modest yet bold content statement.

Rosina seemed not to have thought of it and was surprised, then sent a sharp gaze to Muriel.

Indeed, that was quite possible, wasn’t it?

"Ufufu, that there is not. Albert is a knight to the point of being foolish. If he comes he will come fair and square from the front."

Muriel, after being blank for an instant, answered while wearing a full smile.

"Quite a time has passed since Muriel was a knight, hasn’t it? That person, his personality might have changed."

Rosina asked Muriel worriedly, pressing close.

Indeed, when I met Muriel it was fifteen years ago, and further before that time, so at least sixteen or seventeen years ago.

Indeed, years enough for personality to change a little had passed.

"...Indeed so. I have changed too."

Muriel, after being silent a little, muttered with a serious expression.

Indeed Muriel’s way of speaking and personality had changed from the past, but that was probably because she had quite painful experiences, and moreover the essence did not seem changed.

Therefore I could still look at Muriel as Muriel now.

But I thought that was not the only factor that changed people.

Even a little thing, it could be a trigger that changed people.

It was not limited that Albert did not have that.

That meant, for a while better to be careful of the back, maybe?

"...For a while better to be beside Master."

"Right... more than that, better to meet Master soon, isn’t it."

Rosina, after thinking a while, proposed that to Muriel.

"Right. Better to meet Master soon, and have him know how wonderful a person Master is."

Muriel wore a entranced smile and followed Rosina’s proposal.

Me a wonderful person...

Saying that in front of me... I drew back a little.

"Right, even talking is fine, and even if it becomes a duel by chance better than being stabbed from behind. As proxy you can go out, can’t you? If preparing perfectly fine to have Gejia do it."

That Rosina followed Muriel’s words plainly without drawing back was because she thought the same, maybe.

Muriel and Rosina too, how did I look in them?

That aside.

How strong Albert was unknown, but I wanted to stop causing a blade incident before the war.

At most, Muriel aside Gejia had strength beyond human, so Rosina pushing Gejia at the end was as the words.

Then me?

"Fine not to put out a proxy, isn’t it? If he comes from the front I have no feeling of losing."

It might be taken as conceit, but that was the results until now.

Well, the other day in the mock training at the arena I instantly killed Gejia, so at least I thought stronger than Gejia.

"No good."

"What if there is some mistake~."

But Muriel and Rosina both opposed, and Sheena nodded repeatedly too.

"Then calling that Albert guy and having him duel with one of Muriel and them?"

"Right~."

When I asked to confirm, Rosina answered returning to the usual tone.

No, maybe just because talking with me it became this way of speaking.

"But will the other be convinced with that?"

"If Muriel is the opponent I think he will be convinced."

"Me?"

To Rosina’s words Muriel raised her voice unexpectedly.

"Yes. Duel with the person you want to free. The other has no justice."

Well, I see.

Simply wanting Muriel and finding fault with another person’s house, it looked like.

So it was decided to call Albert later and talk.

That was fine, but.

"So how were Rosina and them?"

Because they had not shown their faces at the Anirofe temple since coming to this Lübeck city, Rosina and them had gone to greet.

"We were blessed by the temple head~."

Rosina leaned on me coquettishly.

"Blessed?"

"Yes~, because I became a Dule~."

Rosina dyed her cheeks red, and smiled happily while looking at me.

Anirofe was the god of slaves, I thought.

So they celebrated Rosina who became a Dule.

...Was that fine?

Looking around, Muriel held her head and sighed, but Sheena smiled happily the same as Rosina.

Difference of religion, fine as that?

"Ah, so~ I am told to bring Master to the temple~."

While I was troubled by the unfamiliar religious view, Rosina linked my arm and said that.

"Eh? From now?"

"Eh? Ah, no~. Even after the war ends fine, I was told~. Sorry~. Ehehe."

Because Rosina took my arm I thought I had to go immediately.

Rosina seemed to have noticed she made me misunderstand, and apologized when she finished speaking.

The appearance of sticking out her tongue and apologizing while smiling wryly was childish, and that was one of the charms of Rosina whose appearance looked quite younger than her real age, but according to Sheena it was calculated acting.

Well, that was fine as is.

Even though she had become my Dule, she was still acting to attract my attention.

Thinking that was a little too conceited, maybe.

"Understood. There will be post-processing too, so when it settles a little let us go."

"Yes~. Sheena, you too~."

"Yes, Mother."

Rosina answered happily, and got Sheena’s approval too.

Just at that time talking voices were heard from the entrance direction.

Apparently the other Dules had returned too.

...

All my Dules here were seated.

Ah, no, Tiria and the To-Dules were at my feet, and Ilma and the Te-Dules stood at the wall for serving.

But Muriel and the A-Dules and Cathy and the Ji-Dules were all seated.

Except Lilli and Birga.

As usual Freit was busy and still could not return, I was told, and a message to have us take dinner first had come, so I gathered everyone in the dining room, but.

"I think Birga said she was going to the Surmares temple."

"Yes, to go greet."

When I muttered casually Muriel answered.

Because it was before the war there was also the chance she was caught up in some trouble.

"Lilli... does anyone know where she went?"

When I asked everyone, they looked at each other’s faces at neighboring or close seats, then all looked at my face and shook their heads sideways.

No one knew anything.

"Um, shall I check?"

Timidly Cathy raised her hand.

Cathy could know the locations of my Dules.

But even though my Dules I did not want to probe personal circumstances much, so I did not want to easily use Cathy’s ability.

"...Well, no choice. Please. Birga’s side too."

Not particularly an early dinner, so Birga and Lilli should understand that they had to return soon.

More than that, as A-Dules they should be carrying weapons, but still there was the possibility of meeting some incident or accident, so I thought to check.

"Yes, understood."

Cathy answered with a smile, then immediately made a serious face and closed her eyes.

"...Lady Lilli will return soon. Lady Birga is..."

Cathy said that far, then slowly stood from the seat.

Then she began turning slowly on the spot.

"...This direction. I do not think it goes outside the wall, but..."