Chapter 331: From Tonight

"What did you just say?"

What are you saying, Blueford?

"From this evening I would like you to serve as guard in Her Majesty’s room."

"Th-that means spending a night together with Her Majesty?"

The unwell feeling blew away!?

"Of course the head maid will be in the room as well, but we want Lord Marie there too. In fact last night, after returning to the inn, Her Majesty was badly frightened, feared darkening the room, and in the end rested with the room left bright. Rested, I say, but probably only a little. From Aimé’s talk I hear she was quite worn even in the morning. She still cannot rest at ease, I think.

So I ask knowing it is too much, but it is also a fact that among those at the inn last night only Lord Marie noticed the thieves’ entry, and in force as well asking Lord Marie to guard is best. That is the conclusion Her Majesty and we discussed. It will be a sleepless watch, I think, so I say it knowing it is too much, but for now I would like to ask until we arrive at the Eisleben village.

Please. I ask you!"

"I ask you!"

When Blueford bowed his head Dee bowed with him. This cannot be helped, I had thought from the moment I first heard it. Only, hearing Anouk and Lily would be together, my pitch dropped a little and I felt unwell. Thinking about it it is natural, but jumping to conclusions and assumptions are truly frightening.

So there is something that bothers me.

"One thing. You do not know who leaked the location of Her Majesty’s room, yes? Is that being looked into?"

At my question Dee and Blueford twisted their faces.

"We do not know. We are looking into it. But it will be hard going, I think."

they answered.

"But if you hear each person one by one? There is a chance they leaked it without intending to, yes?"

I said it myself and thought, even if you ask they will not tell the truth. Truth officials appear in some light novel, but they do not exist in this world, I suppose.

"Even if someone leaked it on purpose, that person would not tell us they leaked it, I think. And no one can tell whether the person heard told the truth. Only Her Majesty could do that, I think, but with Her Majesty as she is now that too is difficult. And last night was the first day of travel. No one expected there would be people who would attack. The town’s principal people came to Her Majesty without a break. There was much coming and going of townspeople, and some attendants went out into town to play. Some attendants, knights and maids, are involved with each other, several of them, and there were people who went out as a pair, so honestly we have not grasped how much coming and going there was. Thinking now it was truly sloppy, and with this it would have been easy for thieves to attack Her Majesty. We have no face left!!"

Both bowed their heads together, and for me inside it was only enough to let out a breath. How hard it is to be the one in charge. If you think that way, Her Majesty and Anouk too would not have thought such a thing would happen, so they sent Anouk to me. Otherwise Anouk would not leave Her Majesty’s side.

"I understand that. Then do you know who dispatched the ones who attacked?"

When I asked, the two made bitter faces again.

"We do not know. We examined the bodies of the ones who attacked, but they wore nothing that would show identity. Her Majesty holds strong power, and for that there are also many who resent her, and that alone makes enemies. Further, Her Majesty has no son. She has given birth, but they died young. So those who will inherit the throne will be the children of the Consorts. In deciding the heir from among them, Her Majesty has the next strongest voice after His Majesty the King. I hear there are people on the Consorts’ side for whom Her Majesty’s existence is in the way.

By rumor, among the Consorts there are also those who have tied themselves to unsavory forces and think to make their child the heir. If they borrowed the power of such unsavory forces and think to put Her Majesty out of the world, when you think of what comes after, the influence of those unsavory forces will appear, I think. Thinking that, there is something frightening.

This time too, perhaps such people thought of it. So we cannot afford appearances in protecting Her Majesty. We recognize that on this progress the greatest fighting strength is Lord Marie. We want that Lord Marie to stay with Her Majesty as much as possible and protect Her Majesty. Please. We ask you!"

Both bowed their heads together. The fingers set on their knees bit into the knees. For me there is no reason to refuse.

"Understood. I accept. Then how will Her Majesty’s guard be handled in the day?"

At my question Blueford said,

"Riding in Her Majesty’s carriage with her is difficult because of eyes, so if possible sitting beside the driver would help..."

He said it as if it were very hard to say. Lily said,

"Wh-what a rude thing!?"

and flared, but,

"Lily, it cannot be helped. Understood. I feel a little unwell. Today is impossible."

I said and held her down.

"Thank you. If you say that it helps. After this today we will protect Her Majesty’s carriage. Of course we will ride the driver’s box."

Blueford said, and,

"My!"

Lily said, fed up, but that is natural.

"Then from this evening I will guard Her Majesty. I should take Lily as well, yes."

"Yes. Of course! Please. Last, I was charged by Her Majesty to pass this to Lord Robbie."

He held out a small bottle. Blue liquid in a clear glass bottle.

"What is this?"

"I do not know well, but Her Majesty said it is a recovery medicine that works well."

"I see. I will take it."

I said it and drank it down. I felt something hot welling from inside my body. A medicine with a terribly strong effect. What in the world is the raw material?

Then Blueford and Dee got down from the carriage.

Lily made a slightly difficult face.

"Lord Robbie, I think Lord Robbie is thinking it, but I think it is better not to involve yourself too far in the inside of the Mainz Kingdom."

she said.

"Yeah. I know."

I answered that, but in fact from being able to do it with Her Majesty I was only thinking that another chance had come around.

Hearing my answer Lily seemed relieved.

"Then that is good. The Mainz Kingdom is different from the Marie Kingdom and the national body is far larger, so however intimate Her Majesty and Lord Robbie’s association, there may be times when, by the convenience of the national body, Lord Robbie is cut off and thrown away easy. We are foreigners in the Mainz Kingdom, and from the Mainz Kingdom’s view the Marie Kingdom is a small country of no account, so forgive me, I infer that the existence of one ambassador is a small thing. Please take care in all ways."

Rare for Lily, she said something that hurt the ear to me.

"Lily, sorry for making you worry. The close distance with Her Majesty is only for this trip. When it ends I mean to take distance again."

At my words Lily seemed relieved.

"I see. Then Lily is at ease as well. Because it is Lord Robbie I thought you were thinking properly, but I grew worried and said something extra. Please forgive me."

She bowed peck. No, Miss Lily. Men have a personality in the lower body besides the brain. Right now I was being pulled by the lower-body side. I will carve it in my liver.