Chapter 9
Possell looked at Karl, who had his head down, and rubbed the back of his neck.
“Are you saying that it seems you’ve been blessed by the young lady?”
A blessing. A special power given by God to help a person fight against monsters in a dungeon.
Right now, Karl was saying he felt like he had been influenced by it and made a mistake.
“…Yes, that’s correct.”
“You don’t actually want that, do you? You’re hoping there’s some other reason for what you did.”
Karl couldn’t respond to Possell’s biting words.
He knew that no amount of influence could justify the mistakes he made.
Yet, in a corner of his mind, he hoped it wasn’t entirely his fault.
He wished it were a sin he had to commit due to Lucy’s power sweeping him along.
If not, he would end up being a worthless piece of trash who couldn’t even control his emotions and ended up hitting his master.
The long silence was finally broken by Possell’s sigh.
“Ha. For now, you’ll be stuck here until your punishment is decided.”
“Understood.”
“Behave yourself.”
After Possell left, Karl looked at the handcuffs that bound his arms and then covered his face with his hands.
*
“They’re just minor wounds.”
“Really?!”
“Yes, you don’t need to worry.”
“Miss, I’m so relieved!”
He frowned at the maid who looked so relieved by the doctor’s words.
Didn’t I say from the start?
There’s no need to see a doctor. This kind of wound will heal up in a day or two.
As I openly showed my irritation, the maid, who had been delighted, began to watch me carefully.
Seeing the poor maid shrinking just like the first time I met her made me feel sorry for her again.
sigh Ah, right. Why would you have anything to worry about?
It’s natural to be concerned about the person you serve.
I sighed and turned my gaze away from the maid, shooting a question at the doctor.
‘So, can I go back now?’
“You sloppy doctor, it’s fine for me to go, right?”
“Yes, Miss Lucy.”
After receiving permission and stepping out of the infirmary, there stood Benedict, arms crossed and tapping his fingers against his arms.
What on earth is he doing here?
‘Benedict.’
“Idiot father.”
“Lucy! Are you okay!? Are you hurt anywhere?!”
‘Um…’
“Oh my, why do you have so many cuts on your skin? Doesn’t it sting? It must hurt.”
‘So, I mean…’
“It shouldn’t leave a scar, right? I’ll have my personal doctor fetch some medicine!”
What’s with this guy? Why is he overreacting? It’s just some scratches from a kid messing around.
It’s not like I’m seriously injured or something!
You’d think I just got hit by a truck, looking at how Benedict is making a fuss.
“I heard Karl hurt you. I’m not sure why he acted this way, usually he doesn’t, but since he hurt you, he deserves to repay for it.”
‘Excuse me, calm down.’
“Idiot father. Just stop already.”
When I interrupted him with a cold tone, Benedict, who had been rambling in excitement, shut his mouth and started watching me.
I get that he’s worried about me.
I appreciate it.
But there’s a limit to that worry.
You want him to pay back? What on earth does that mean?
Sure, he swung his fist at the person he serves, so he can get punished, but that doesn’t mean it must be some grand repayment.
Above all, it wasn’t just the sloppy knight’s fault; I had my share in it too.
Since I provoked him like crazy with my Mesugaki skill, hoping to land a solid hit.
To put it simply, it’s a mutual fault! You can’t just pin all the blame on the knight!
‘Benedict, as you can see, I’m perfectly fine.’
“Idiot father! Can’t you see I’m all good?”
This man’s daughter complex is seriously over the top.
No wonder Lucy has turned out like a troublesome brat; even if your only daughter is precious, it shouldn’t be like this!
‘If you’re too harsh on the knight, I will hate you!’
“If you unnecessarily punish him, I won’t look at you either, idiot father.”
“But Lucy…”
‘Get that?’
“Idiot father, answer me.”
“…I understand. But still, according to the rules of the Knights, some punishment is necessary. Please understand.”
‘That’s fine.’
If someone deserving of a punishment doesn’t receive one, it’ll only lead to unnecessary complaints, so it’s unavoidable.
Maybe I came off a bit too strong in my words? Benedict looked visibly deflated.
The sight of the towering troll I had to look up at, now slouching his shoulders, was quite pitiful, honestly.
Ah. Seriously! This guy’s such an annoyance!
‘Benedict, have you had dinner?’
“Idiot father, did you eat?”
“Huh? No, not yet.”
‘Then let’s eat together.’
“Alright, let’s eat together! I’m so hungry!”
“…Great! When you’re injured, you need to take care of your health! Let’s go to my chef!”
‘Please calm down!’
“Idiot father, it’s just gross how intense you’re being!”
*
Staring at the stone floor while blaming myself, I raised my head at the sound of heavy footsteps echoing from far away.
Within the Allen family, there are only two people whose footsteps sound like that. One is Commander Possell, and the other…
The head of the Allen Count family, Benedict Allen, a man who earned the title of the Iron Count after fighting in numerous battles.
The moment Karl saw the giant figure approaching, he hurriedly stood up and saluted Benedict.
Benedict didn’t react at all to that and silently walked all the way to the front of the prison where Karl was.
“Karl.”
Karl gulped in response to the heavy, solemn voice vibrating through the floor.
Benedict was a legendary figure among knights.
Although he had stepped back to concentrate on family matters, his achievements in combat were numerous.
He defeated a vampire known to terrorize the continent, the Bloodsucker, all by himself.
He subdued a dragon invading the Allen family territory with sheer strength.
He figured prominently in taking down an S-class dungeon thought to be capable of destroying the kingdom—truly, the knight of all knights.
That was Benedict.
Even after a long time away from the battlefield, Benedict’s grandeur remained utterly intact.
Just being in front of him made Karl feel as if he could scarcely breathe. The pressure that Benedict unconsciously emitted weighed down heavily on Karl.
“Do you have anything to say regarding what happened today?”
“I have nothing, my lord. Everything is my fault.”
“It’s a grave sin to harm someone you are meant to serve.”
“I understand. I will gladly accept any punishment.”
“Normally, based on the rules of the knightly order, I would have to punish you, but…”
As soon as Benedict trailed off, for some unknown reason, the oppressive pressure began to lift.
“Since Lucy herself does not wish to punish you, I will replace your punishment with confinement in prison.”
Miss?
Karl couldn’t believe his ears. Just how unrealistic was it for Benedict to say that?
There was no reason for him to receive leniency from Lucy.
No matter how you looked at it, he had intended to genuinely strike the very person he was meant to protect.
Especially Lucy, who was involved—she must have felt intense fear during that moment.
For that lady to have wanted to forgive him…
This was a grace!
It was a clemency given to a knight who would have been stripped of his title without question.
And it proved that Lucy, who had spent her life tormenting others, had indeed changed.
Ah! The lady was worried about me facing punishment, while I was the one hoping that Lucy would be the one to bear some fault.
What kind of knight am I?!
Noble? High-minded? There was none of that in Karl at present.
He was just a pitiful wretch who couldn’t even admit when he was wrong.
In fact, the one showing more knightly qualities was Lucy, not Karl.
“Karl.”
“Yes, my lord.”
“Just now, that was my decision as the head of the household. However, as your father, I am different. I have yet to forgive you.”
Having said that, Benedict opened the heavy iron door and stepped inside the prison.
“So, I’ll allow you one hit.”
“Yes, understood, my lord.”
“Clench your teeth tightly.”
Karl felt a fleeting brush of death as he watched Benedict clench his fist.
What Benedict was preparing was no ordinary fist.
The fist, gathering the magical power of a man who once fought giants, was akin to a grand magical strike.
“You won’t die.”
And with that, Benedict unleashed his punch.
*
“Countess Lucy.”
I shook my head to wake up when I heard a voice calling me.
Harne, Lucy’s teacher, looked at me with mixed emotions and let out a sigh.
“There are less than three months left until the academy exam; you must start focusing.”
‘I’m sorry.’
“Shut up.”
Today too, there was no word of apology in my Mesugaki translation.
If I said I was sorry, I’d be called a crazy girl, thanks to this skill, which only deepened the crease in Harne’s forehead.
I do apologize, Harne.
If there are more wrinkles on your face, half of them are probably due to Lucy’s antics.
But you also know that it’s not something I can help.
I’m not doing this because I want to!
I’ll find the elixir to restore youth later; please forgive me!
“Did you not sleep well last night?”
‘No.’
“Were you having nightmares?”
Not really, but something did happen.
Well, I was sleeping soundly when I heard the sound of an explosion in the middle of the night!
Even though I may not look it, I am a proud soldier of the Republic of Korea, so I’m well aware of the damage bombs can do.
The thunderous noise and the shaking of the floor last night were undoubtedly due to an explosion.
Do you know how panicked I was back then?
Thinking something serious had happened, I rushed out of bed and asked the attendant what was going on!
But the attendant was surprisingly calm!
Even though I was rambling on, she kept telling me to calm down and that it wasn’t anything serious.
Yet, when I asked her for an explanation, she remained tight-lipped on that!
Isn’t it “not a big deal”? Then why can’t you tell me what’s going on?!
Anyway, once the initial explosion passed, nothing else occurred. I ended up spending the next hour wide awake before finally dozing off again.
When I shared this with Harne, she burst into laughter.
What now? What is it?!
‘Do you have any guesses about that explosion?!’
“Idiot Harne, you know something about it, huh?”
“Hmm, is what I said supposed to be a secret? After class today, visit the Knights, and you’ll find out.”
Knights?
Does that mean there was some battle going on yesterday?
Given Harne’s light-hearted reaction, it doesn’t seem like anything serious happened. Perhaps some training?
I wish she’d just be straight with me! But Harne insists seeing is believing.
I guess I have no choice—after class, I’ll have to swing by the Knights again.
“Alright then, since it seems you’re awake, shall we resume class?”
Harne smiled brightly, though her lips quivered slightly.
Harne, you fearsome woman!
Even in the face of my Mesugaki antics, she keeps pushing through the lesson.
Now, that’s the true spirit of a teacher who has endured under Lucy the longest!
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