Chapter 353 - 353: Flowers in Both Hands?

In the former Valstine territory some kind of troublesome problem was occurring.

To succeed at field practice he had to join Mesterica who had arrived first and also cooperate with the Blade count house bearing provisional rule.

Especially with Cynthia opportunities to act together would likely increase from now on.

Older sister and fiancée candidate.

Building good relations with both was supposed to be the first step as a ruler.

That was how it should have been.

"This vixen!"

"A leftover brother-con who can't leave her little brother!"

"Who's leftover!"

"It's fact!"

"Shut up!"

A roar rang from inside the castle and the window frames trembled violently.

The soldiers lined in front of the main gate all shrugged their shoulders and fine stone powder fell from cracks in the wall.

Apparently they were in a place quite far from good relations.

"Lord Rigel…"

One of the soldiers turned clinging eyes.

"Could you please stop the two of them?"

"No."

"An instant answer!?"

"The cause of the quarrel is me. If I show my face it'll become even more of a pain."

Currently what was being done inside the castle seemed to be a quarrel over him.

If the person himself appeared there the two's anger would not settle; they would definitely press in on Rigel together.

Even if he had no hesitation cutting into an enemy camp alone he declined jumping into this situation himself.

"Leave them. If they get tired they'll stop eventually."

"They have already been quarreling for about one hour."

"Then they should get tired soon."

"The other day it was all night."

"They're energetic."

"This is not the time to be impressed!"

Letting the soldier's tragic cry go in one ear Rigel looked up at the royal castle.

On the outer walls wounds received in the war one year ago still remained.

Even though it was still mid-repair now if they increased new damage from the inside the construction would never end.

"Then I'll go to Count Blade first."

"But to head to the conference room we must pass that corridor…"

The soldier timidly pointed at the front entrance.

Immediately after the entrance door blew off from the inside.

"Uoh!?"

Rigel drew his body back only half a step.

The detached door spun through the air and slammed into the garden cobblestones.

Wood pieces split cleanly in two scattered around.

If he had been half a step farther forward it would have hit him dead on.

"Dangerous…"

Beyond the thrown-open entrance Mesterica and Cynthia were gripping each other's chests.

Both had disordered hair, red cheeks, and clothes torn here and there.

Around them fallen furnishings and shattered vases were scattered and in the corridor corner maids huddled using a long chair as a shield.

The talented woman the Gousel marquis house boasted of and the "Silver Holy Knight" the Blade count house boasted of.

Those two now gripped each other's chests in an appearance little different from a back-alley fight.

Their usual dignified figures were nowhere to be seen.

"Let go!"

"You let go!"

"Don't approach Rigel!"

"Quite a way of speaking for someone who will become future sister-in-law!"

"Who's sister-in-law!"

"If Lord Rigel and I marry you will be sister-in-law!"

"You think I'll recognize the marriage!?"

Mesterica pulled Cynthia's collar close and Cynthia also put force into the gripping hand not to lose.

If left like this a wall or furnishings would become a sacrifice again.

While Rigel was thinking whether he could pass silently to the side the two's gazes turned toward the front entrance at the same time.

"Rigel!?"

"Lord Rigel!?"

The two's voices overlapped neatly.

Expressions that until a moment ago had been dyed with anger brightened in an instant.

Mesterica became the face of an older sister reuniting with her little brother after a long time and Cynthia floated a maiden's smile of finding the one she had been waiting for.

However they still gripped each other's chests.

"Bad."

Rigel reflexively turned on his heel.

Even when surrounded by an enemy army on the battlefield he had never chosen withdrawal this quickly.

"Wait, Rigel!"

"Please don't run, Lord Rigel!"

The two chased at tremendous speed while still gripping each other's chests.

Naturally it was a posture hard to run in.

Despite that the two's speed lightly surpassed ordinary soldiers.

"Rigel, listen! This woman is arbitrarily calling herself fiancée!"

"Lord Rigel! Please make older sister recognize our love!"

"Don't talk at the same time! Also first let go of each other!"

"I can't let this woman escape!"

"That's my line!"

"Then come after you settle it! I'm going to Count Blade!"

The escort knights perceiving the three's path hurriedly opened the way left and right.

There was no one who tried to stop them.

From the three who entered arbitration the other day being sent to the infirmary they had acquired wise judgment.

Rigel ran through the corridor.

But Mesterica and Cynthia were frighteningly fast even while gripping each other.

The point that even their footsteps lined up splendidly meant that if they were not quarreling their compatibility might not be bad.

"Why can you catch up in that state!"

"Who do you think I am!"

"Don't take the 'Silver Holy Knight' lightly!"

"Your breathing is perfectly together!"

The two accelerated at the same time.

The next instant hands stretching from left and right gripped Rigel's both arms.

"Caught you!"

"Caught you!"

Mesterica clung to Rigel's right arm and Cynthia hugged his left arm.

Both had satisfied faces of finally catching the intended opponent.

However that expression did not last long.

While sandwiching Rigel the two glared at each other again.

"Rigel, drive this woman out right now!"

"Lord Rigel, please announce the engagement with me here!"

"I hate both!"

"Why!"

"Why!?"

"Don't even match that reaction!"

If they were this much in sync they should be able to get along too.

But the people themselves seemed to have not a scrap of that awareness.

Field practice to rebuild the former Valstine territory seemed to start not from rule but first from separating the two women.

"Anyway, Cynthia! Rigel hasn't recognized the engagement yet!"

"He's only embarrassed now! Because older sister interferes he can't be honest!"

"Why is it my fault!"

"Because you never leave Lord Rigel!"

"What's wrong with an older sister being by her little brother's side!"

"I'm saying the distance is too close!"

"So don't fight sandwiching me!"

While placing Rigel in the center the two leaned forward.

Mesterica stretched a hand toward Cynthia's face over Rigel.

Cynthia also raised a fist not to lose.

"Cut it out."

Rigel at once gripped the two's wrists.

He pinned Mesterica with his right hand and Cynthia with his left.

In the two's arms force unthinkable for young ladies was put.

"Let go, Rigel! I won't be satisfied unless I put one hit on this woman!"

"Me too! Only one more hit!"

"That's not a face that will finish with one hit!"

"The one who put a hand out first was this woman!"

"The one who glared first was older sister!"

"Our eyes just met!"

"That was a gaze filled with killing intent!"

"Your imagination!"

"Either is fine!"

Rigel pushed the gripped two's arms left and right with force.

Originally he had intended to leave them.

But being made to fight while sandwiching him like this he had no choice but to stop them.

"Funuh!"

"This!!"

Even with their arms sealed the two did not give up.

Mesterica tried to kick Cynthia as if detouring Rigel's feet and Cynthia also stretched her toes not to lose.

Each other's shoe tips crossed many times between Rigel's legs.

"Don't put your feet out!"

"Because this woman!"

"Older sister was first!"

"Whoever is first is the same!"

The three swayed right and left as if tangling.

Around them knights and soldiers watched taking sufficient distance.

There were even those who took one step trying to head to help but were silently gripped by the shoulder by the neighboring soldier and immediately thought better of it.

"Someone help!"

When Rigel shouted the soldiers all averted their eyes at once.

"Oi!"

"We are sorry, Lord Rigel!"

"We are insufficient in power!"

"Please spare only our lives!"

"You're honest, you lot!"

It was not that they lacked loyalty.

Only, loyalty and a death wish were different things.

If Rigel alone was pinning the two they would not put out extra hands and would pray for safety from afar.

That was the best support the soldiers present had chosen.