Chapter 18: 18

“Don’t ever tell the princess what you saw here.”

Phew! I breathed a sigh of relief inwardly.

I was so relieved that this brat was slow-witted.

Klaus shoved me back and made his way back to the castle.

I was relieved, but a little restless.

‘No matter how young you are, do you not recognize people even after this much?’

Klaus opened his mouth, as if he had been skeptical and at the same time reading my mind.

“Damn it, red hair is annoying.”

“You mean fire ant? Come to think of it, doesn’t that maid earlier look a bit like the fire ant? Even though I looked from a distance, why, her hair is a little bit……”

“Don’t be silly. How does an ant cave beggar become a duke’s maid? Even if that was the case, instead of getting a dress and wearing it, she would be mopping in the kitchen.”

Aha. I know now.

Klaus was nearsighted. He was a guy who was more persistent depending on the importance. 

In the meantime, Benny followed Klaus sloppily.

It hurt my heart because he looked like an abandoned dog, but I thought it was a little heartless.

‘Will that child be able to help me?’

“How could you be out alone without a maid?!”

As I was about to go back to the room, I heard footsteps behind my back. It was the nanny, Verney. 

I gently pulled the navy skirt with an apology.

She immediately lowered her head and asked, “What’s going on?”

“I want you to do something. It’s something only Verney can do.”

When I spoke for a little bit in a whisper, Verney was delighted as if she had received a gift rather than a request.

***

“The Duke is late.”

The carnival chairman habitually picked up the cigar and returned it right away.

This was because the warning not to smoke as the princess would be seated together came to mind.

“Let’s take it easy and wait. It’s been hard to even see the Duke’s face for nearly a decade, so this much is nothing.”

One of the committee members said so, and the others nodded.

It was the first time for some of them to attend this event.

One of which was the president of the rising gladiator training center and his son, Klaus.

“I have high expectations of you.”

The chairman nodded to the father-son pair who looked alike, and then turned his gaze to the men who were lined up on one side of the drawing room.

They were gladiator candidates to show to the Duke Bauner.

Because of their huge physiques, it seemed as if many mountains were stacked.

“If there is a winner out of these, then your training school will succeed, it will take off.”

Then the boss groaned immediately.

“You won’t be disappointed. How much effort my son and I put into it.”

“That’s right! They’re the ones that catch the beasts I feed in a single blow!”

Klaus opened his chest as if he was very proud.

After refusing to play with other children and seeing his father’s business, he seemed to be taking a successor class.

“I see. I’m sure you did a good job in quality control, right?”

“Of course. Except for training, we treat them like employees.”

On the first day of the carnival, a huge gladiator fight is held.

The nobles of the whole empire each selected and supported slave gladiators, and they enjoyed watching them fight like chickens.

And the winner of the gladiator fight would be given a big prize.

It was to be released from slavery. Usually, he wouldn’t end up being a commoner. The winner usually became a disciple of the noble family who supported him.

There were also people who met a generous owner and obtained a position as high as a normal knight.

In other words, if luck and skill were to follow, this was a golden opportunity to change one’s life.

For the nobles, it was just a chicken fight, but for the contestants and gladiator training camps, it was a chance to become known as a genius.

Klaus and his father worked hard to raise gladiators for this day.

If they don’t forget the grace they raised, like faithful dogs, this was a golden chance to line up with the duchy.

“By the way… what is that guy?”

The chairman tilted his head and pointed to a corner.

There was a boy much younger than the other gladiators with his head lowered.

Klaus’ father struggled to smile and tried to avoid it.

“Oh, he’s just a laborer. It takes a lot of hands to feed the big guys. Even though he looks like that, he’s quite powerful.”

“Uh, father. Actually. I’m trying to sell that guy…”

It was when Klaus was trying to explain in a small way.

“The Duke has arrived.”

The central door of the drawing room opened. The president of the training center covered Klaus’ mouth and jumped to his feet.

Duke Bauner appeared. The guests forgot to greet him and swallowed their breaths.

Black hair and jade-like eyes. A black uniform embroidered with gold and silver threads was tied to a cloak and flapped like wings.

The man was a wild beast, and at the same time a beautiful nobleman.

“We greet the Du…”

“Is Lily still not ready?”

Alan showed no interest in the Carnival Committee and sought his daughter.

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Before the servant could answer, the door opposite opened.

“The Princess has arrived.” 

As soon as the princess entered, the eyes of the committee widened as if they were about to pop out.

Hair as intense as a flame. A white dress sprinkled with tiny jewels, rosy cheeks and fresh green eyes.

A girl, dressed like a bouquet of roses, lifted up the hem of her dress and greeted those gathered in the drawing room.

Although her manners were poor for a noble, such a thing was not noticeable.

The atmosphere in the drawing room, which had been gloomy, suddenly became brighter just by the fact that that girl came in.

Alan, who was silent for a moment, went to meet her at the door and kissed the back of his daughter’s hand, who was wearing lace gloves.

“You look great, Lily.”

Everyone except for the father-daughter was stunned at the warm sight.

How can a mad duke behave so kindly?

“Father too.”

“…I told you to call me Dad.”

“Really? However…”

Lily glanced around the crowd in the drawing room. She seemed to be bothered by people’s gaze to call him ‘Dad’.

Alan, who was observing Lily’s expression, shook his head softly.

“No need to worry. I am the owner of this castle, and you are my daughter.”

Etiquette at a meeting was only necessary for those who needed to be seen well.

Alan is the Duke of the Northern Empire and this is his territory. No one would care even if his daughter overturned the table here.

“Then… Dad.”

When Lily shyly changed the title, Alan smiled slightly as if satisfied with it. Thanks to this, the guests were on the verge of collapse.

“Did you just see it? The Duke smiled.”

“Yeah, I saw it. I can’t believe it…”

“The sun will rise in the west tomorrow.”

“It would be less surprising.”

As the chatter grew louder and louder, Alan frowned.

“If you have something to say, say it out loud. Isn’t my daughter becoming anxious?”

At Alan’s threat, the drawing room became quiet as if cold water had been poured over it.

Alan escorted Lily to the largest sofa and sat close to his daughter.

Lily spoke to him as if she had waited.

“Dad, what you said this morning… is that true?”

Alan nodded lightly as if it was natural and looked around the committee.

“My daughter will choose the gladiator to be sponsored by the Bauner family this year.”

The committee looked at each other’s faces, then quickly nodded in agreement. It was about choosing one of the gladiators to win anyway.

“That’s great! Hey, Klaus, the princess must be very interested in our business.”

The president of the training center hit his son on the back. It may have meant to add some words, but Klaus was busy blushing, staring blankly at the princess.

The president secretly sighed and called the gladiators lined up on the wall to his side.

“Princess, which one do you like? Do you want a strong guy? Or would you like someone who’s fast enough to snap a head off at once? It’s going to be fun to pick someone!”

“Umm, I…”

Lily glanced at the gladiators, then pointed to a corner.

The president swerved his head like a pendulum. He wondered if he had seen it wrong, but the small finger was pointing at only one person, as straight as an icicle.

The gladiator chosen by the princess was the labor boy.

***

“Please think about it one more time. Isn’t it a gladiator who House Bauner will bet their honor on?!”

“You, are you questioning my daughter’s eyes in the name of my family?”

“That, that’s…!”

At Alan’s frosty remarks, the president of the training center was pitifully stunned.

In a way, it was natural. The plan to secure a well-bred gladiator to line up with Bauner was all in vain.

“Get out of here.”

Alan eyebrows shifted and he gestured at the door, through which the rest of the committee had just left. 

“Duke. However…”

“What’s honor like? Do you think Bauner’s name could be tainted by just one gladiatorial fight?”

It was an undeniable fact. The carnival gladiator games were originally an entertainment to relieve public dissatisfaction with the nobility, but the Duke of Bauner did not even need to manage public opinion in that way.

The overwhelming force of the beasts was already firmly supporting the power of the duke. 

As Verney previously said, ‘So, to Alan, sponsoring a slave gladiator was only a short play.’

I measured the timing silently and made a squeaky sound.

“Huh?”

The president of the training center looked back at me with a smile.

He must have thought I changed my mind, but he was wrong. 

I can’t keep my precious main character by your son’s side.

“What should I do! You must be really sick!”

I lifted the hem of Benny’s robe, and he made a surprised expression.

As expected, Benny’s stomach was covered with a blue bruise that had just been formed. It was a kick from Klaus.

Alan raised an eyebrow and stared at the president of the training center.

“There is a flaw.”

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