Chapter 8
Even as we left the mansion, Emma still looked uneasy.
“I’m not sure if this is really okay. The Baron said it’s absolutely forbidden…”
“Emma, aren’t you the one who snuck into my parlor first, claiming you wanted to take the fire? Not really your place to complain, right?”
“…I only entered quietly, that’s all.”
“People would still call that sneaking in.”
“That’s true, but…”
While Emma hesitated, we reached the mansion’s entrance. Perhaps because of the Baron’s orders, the security had tightened, and a knight in uniform was guarding the gate. Emma’s face darkened when she saw him.
“As expected, someone is guarding it.”
She whispered cautiously into my ear.
“Of course. The Baron gave such instructions.”
“If you have the fire, he’ll never let you take it outside.”
“Then how were you planning to get out?”
Emma hesitated and glanced around before answering.
“There… there’s a small servant-only passage…”
“A passage, huh? Not really tempting.”
Why would I use a tiny servant passage when there’s a big, convenient door right in front of me? I strode confidently toward the entrance.
“A-Ah, Miss!”
Emma swallowed her scream and hurried after me.
“What are you trying to do!”
“What do you mean? Go outside, of course.”
“But the knight is guarding the entrance!”
“True. He sees me perfectly well.”
“And yet you boldly walk up like this…”
As Emma pounded her chest in frustration, the knight guarding the door approached us, whispering.
‘For a knight, he looks surprisingly weak.’
He seemed so frail that I doubted he could even wield a sword properly.
‘A typical extra character, I see.’
I froze in place, ignoring Emma’s glances, and calmly greeted the knight.
“You’ve been working hard even at this late hour.”
“…Miss?”
The knight looked surprised when he finally recognized me. Even just seeing my face, he jumped back—he must have heard of my reputation. I nodded slightly in acknowledgment and gestured toward the gate.
“I need to go for a walk, so open the door.”
“A walk? At this hour?”
“Yes. A walk. At this hour.”
My firm answer left the knight staring blankly at the sky. The moon was still high, and it was deep night—hardly a time anyone would call suitable for a stroll.
“This one insisted on going for a walk. Ah, you’ve heard the rumors, right? My dog.”
Finally, the knight’s gaze shifted to Harry at my feet. The butler must have spent all day checking the mansion for Harry’s owner, and the knight obviously knew about him too.
“Woof!”
As if waiting for the signal, Harry barked loudly the moment the knight looked.
‘No matter how many times I hear it, he’s unmistakably a dog.’
But Harry didn’t stop there. Just as I had warned, he tugged at my skirt, restless and impatient.
“As you can see, he won’t let me sleep properly.”
“But it’s far too late. If you leave it to me, I’ll take him for a walk and bring him back.”
The knight reached out to take Harry, but Harry wasn’t about to let that happen.
“Grr!”
Harry growled fiercely, as if he’d bite the hand that reached for him. The knight pulled back in surprise.
“Harry, that’s not allowed.”
I scolded Harry sternly and patted his head. The fierce little growl vanished, and the knight gawked as Harry obediently accepted my touch.
“Looks like he’s chosen his master. He doesn’t follow anyone else… it’ll be hard to leave him with you.”
“But as I said, it’s too late to go outside safely, and the Baron ordered that no one may take the fire outside…”
“So you mean we can’t go out?”
“Yes, exactly.”
The knight’s voice was firm despite his timid appearance. Surprisingly strong-willed.
‘No choice. If I can’t bluff my way through, there’s only one option.’
I prepared to use my villainous signature move, crossing my legs and folding my arms with a scowl. I furrowed my brows, and the normally timid knight gasped in fear.
“Excuse me, Knight. Are you blocking my way? I am Ebria Oberon, you know?”
“Ah, n-no! How could I block your way, Miss!”
“Then step aside immediately.”
“B-but I can’t just move aside…”
“Are you blocking me, or are you stepping aside? Speak up.”
“Eek!”
The knight’s face went ghostly white as he bared his teeth.
“I-I-I-I will step aside! Please don’t cut off my fingers! My future as a knight!”
“Fingers?”
The threat seemed effective, though a little… misdirected.
‘I never mentioned cutting off fingers.’
Dumbfounded, I heard Emma whisper carefully.
“There’s a rumor that you cut off and preserve the fingers of people you dislike.”
“…What meaning is there in preserving cut-off fingers?”
“I’ve never preserved fingers myself, so I don’t know.”
“Neither have I, so I wouldn’t know either.”
“Really? You haven’t?”
Emma’s eyes widened in disbelief. She seemed to fully believe the rumor.
“…I see how my reputation got so twisted.”
Rumors always exaggerate as they spread. From the southern capital to here in northern Erel, I wondered how many people had twisted the story along the way.
‘Good thing the rumor isn’t that I eat fingers.’
I sighed and waved my hand at the knight.
“I’m not interested in fingers, so don’t worry.”
“Th-then you really will… take my neck…!”
“Even less interested in that! Just open the gate, that’s all.”
“But really, going outside isn’t allowed.”
We were back to the same conversation. Frustrating.
“I wanted to solve this nicely, but I guess that’s not possible.”
I sighed dramatically and gave Harry an order.
“Harry, pretend to bite the knight’s fingers.”
Harry, who had been watching the standoff bored, perked up excitedly.
[Really? Can I bite his fingers? Since I’m at it, can I eat his arms and head too?]
[No, just pretend. It’s just a bluff.]
[Tch. Boring.]
Grumbling, Harry crept toward the knight, growling ominously as if he would bite. The knight jumped back.
“Ah, a-ack! I’ll open the gate!”
The knight opened the gate, sniffling and muttering, “This isn’t right… the captain will scold me…”
‘Now I understand why he’s stuck guarding the gate at this hour.’
I clicked my tongue and walked past the extra knight, stepping out into the night. Emma followed behind.
“Where were you planning to take the fire? Lead the way, Emma.”
“Yes, Miss!”
Emma nodded excitedly, tears welling up. Just getting the fire outside the mansion was thrilling for her. She led the way, and Harry and I followed.
But there was one more set of footsteps that shouldn’t have been there.
“Why are you following us?”
It was the extra knight from the entrance, still sniffly, trailing behind.
“It’s too late at night, and it seems too dangerous to send only the Miss and maid…”
“So you’re going to escort us?”
“Yes. That’s my duty as a knight.”
He puffed out his chest proudly. Though I found it completely unconvincing.
“Your enthusiasm is… admirable, I suppose.”
I gestured toward the mansion’s gate, now almost out of sight.
“You weren’t guarding that gate alone, were you?”
“Yes, I was.”
“And now that you’ve followed us, who guards it?”
The knight froze, his eyes darting left and right. When they moved back and forth a few times, his face went completely pale.
“W-what do I do, Miss? The gate is empty! The Baron said to guard it well!”
“You should have thought of that when you followed me.”
Both the villain (me) and the useless extra knight were hopeless.
‘Weirdly, I feel some kinship. Maybe I’ll help him a bit this time.’
I lightly patted the knight’s shoulder to comfort him.
“Don’t cry. Nothing will happen.”
“Sniff… really, nothing will happen?”
“If anything happens, just say I threatened you to get out. Then he won’t blame you.”
“But Miss, you’ve never done that before…”
“Getting scolded is scary. No one here can scold me, so just use my name. You followed to protect me, and that’s admirable, so I’ll lend you my name.”
“A-Ah, Miss…”
The knight’s tears began flowing again.
“Why cry again if I’m helping you?”
“I’m just so grateful… If I ever get kicked out of the Knights and no longer need my fingers, I’ll give them to you. All ten fingers!”
“You really… I said I’m not interested in fingers! Stop crying and do your job properly. That’s why you followed us, right?”
I handed him a handkerchief. Sniffling, he took it and wiped his tears.
“Yes, Miss. I will protect you!”
He shouted, face covered in tears and snot. I still didn’t trust him at all.
