Chapter 66: The Man Called Bob Brunning

"Eh!?"

Lily stared at me with an incredibly sharp gaze. Behind her stood Cass with a troubled expression. When did Lily even get here? I didn’t hear any footsteps, not even a hint of her presence.

"Robby-sama! Just where and when exactly did you learn that method of apology!!"

Hiiiiiiieeeee!! I could almost hear a GOGOGOGO ominous BGM roaring behind Lily.

I instinctively looked away.

"W-well, you see... that is..."

My chin was grabbed and forcibly turned toward Lily.

"Just where did you learn that? At the very least, I’ve never seen it before! And I’ve seen and heard quite a lot!"

The pressure was insane! Her face was so close! I couldn’t even blink! Stop, Lily, please stop! Don’t glare at me like that! It was just a momentary impulse—I only recreated an old memory!

Of course I couldn’t say any of that, so I used every ounce of my (non-existent) deception skills:

"J-just earlier! When I went out to the city! I saw a commoner doing it! It was an adult who looked like a merchant! Really! It’s true! Believe me! Please believe me!! I’m begging you!!"

I immediately performed another full-power dogeza! I pressed my forehead hard against the carpet, grinding it as if trying to bore a hole through it. My forehead was burning hot!

"Well, that’s enough. The apology can stop there. Right, Catherine-sama?"

I heard Cass let out a soft chuckle.

"Lily, I think that’s sufficient. He seems to be reflecting properly."

Ohh, the attack finally let up!

"You lot! Stop standing there staring and get back to work!"

At Lily’s command, the watching maids scattered. I heard several "Yeees~" replies.

But now that I think about it... isn’t it strange? Cass aside, how can Lily—a mere staff member of the Royal Palace Garden Maintenance Division—openly intimidate the 11th Prince, glare at him, and even make him do a dogeza in front of others without anyone saying anything? Isn’t she just a regular employee? How can she do something like this so boldly in public? Could she actually be the secret Head Maid? Or the true power behind the rear palace, like a General Manager of the Inner Court? Maybe she’s secretly called "Lily of the Bureau" or something?

I slowly raised my head, gradually lifting my gaze from Lily’s feet. For a brief moment, I caught a glimpse under her skirt while she was crouching. I saw her panties. They didn’t look like bloomers... were those string panties? Wait, is she wearing those specifically for me to see...?

Before I could finish that thought, my cheeks were pinched and my face was yanked upward.

"Hey, Robby-sama! What exactly did I tell you this morning?"

Lily’s voice was heavy with menace.

"Yes... that I must not go outside the palace without permission."

"That’s right! So why did you go out anyway?"

"Well... I just wanted to go out..."

"Hmmmm~ So you’re saying you don’t care about keeping your promise with me?"

"N-no, that’s not it..."

"Oh? Then why did you break it?"

Just as things were getting dangerous, an angel intervened.

"Lily, let’s leave it at that. Robby-sama seems to be reflecting on his actions."

Cass stopped Lily. Cass, you’re a literal angel!

"Catherine-sama, you’re too soft! It’s because you’re too lenient that Robby-sama does whatever he wants!"

"But Robby-sama is still a child. He’s only ten years old, ufufu."

Hearing Cass’s words, Lily froze for a moment.

"...You’re right. I forgot. I was treating him like a thirty-year-old man. Very well. Since Catherine-sama says so, I’ll stop here."

Finally... finally the interrogation ended.

"So, what did you do in the city? Something must have happened, right?"

Lily asked. That’s right, I was getting scolded so I could tell them about this. If not for that, I would have stayed quiet.

"Actually, there was an open-air sword dojo in an empty lot in the commoner district, so I joined in. I want to go again. The lesson fee is one silver coin per session."

""One silver coin!?""

Lily and Cass harmonized perfectly in shock.

"Is that... not okay?"

"Not okay? One silver coin per lesson is way too expensive! Why is it so high?"

This time Cass pressed for answers.

"Well, the instructor is really skilled. I thought he was amazing. There’s no one else teaching me swordsmanship right now, and no one that strong, so I wanted him to teach me!"

Cass didn’t look happy. Lily looked stunned.

"Is this instructor really that skilled? Did you get his name?"

"Yes, I did. His name is Bob Brunning."

After answering, I suddenly had a thought. Wait... did he actually tell me his name? I only learned it through Appraisal. Maybe he never said it out loud?

But Cass and Lily exchanged glances and said in unison again:

""Bob Brunning!?""

Lily grabbed my shoulder.

"Did he really introduce himself that way?"

I wasn’t entirely confident, but I answered firmly.

"Yeah, that’s what he said."

"That person... didn’t he have only one hand? Wasn’t he an older man with white hair and a white beard?"

She described him perfectly, as if she had seen him herself.

"You know him well. Do you know him?"

Lily nodded vigorously.

"Know him? Of course I do! Bob Brunning-sama is the former Knight Order Commander!"

She practically shouted it.

"Eh!? No way?"

I was so shocked I could barely speak.

---

"Out of all people, it had to be Bob Brunning-sama..."

Cass sighed, and Lily followed up.

"Wouldn’t it be better if Catherine-sama went to greet him once?"

Cass nodded in agreement.

"I think so too. I’ll ask Doreen-sama first and decide. If Bob Brunning-sama is going to teach him, one silver coin per lesson seems like a reasonable price."

I never imagined that just finding a sword instructor for myself would end up involving Mother.

"Since Robby-sama gave him his real name, I’m sure Brunning-sama already knows Robby-sama’s identity," Lily added, making the situation even bigger. Cass nodded again.

"That’s true. If he heard the surname Murray, he would have realized the connection to the royal family."

"Yes, one silver coin seems like an appropriate fee."