Chapter 8
The Duke’s carriage is here?
‘But my work officially starts tomorrow…’
I was surprised, but the others nearly lost their minds.
Felix, in particular, had the strongest reaction.
“What… what is this? Kreuz?”
He jumped as if he’d been slapped like a fish.
Ah, right—Felix’s first choice had been the Kreuz Knight Order.
“Why would Duke Kreuz be looking for you?”
Why, indeed.
‘Because he’s about to pay me a salary now.’
I didn’t feel like giving Felix such a neat explanation.
Instead, I opted for the mysterious evasion tactic.
“Who knows? What do you think?”
“Hah. You’ve been really annoying since earlier!”
Felix lifted his large hand in exasperation.
“…Miss Violet?”
The unfamiliar voice made everyone flinch.
When I turned my head, I saw a knight frozen in the lobby beyond the reception room.
His armor bore the emblem of the Kreuz family.
“T-That’s really the Kreuz Knight Order.”
Felix muttered in a flustered voice and hurriedly released his grip on my collar.
But the knight wasn’t blind. He strode forward and stood protectively in front of me.
“Were you in danger, Miss Violet?”
“Haha, you misunderstand. It’s not a dangerous situation. We were just having a conversation. I happen to be this man’s fiancée.”
I’d never seen Felix look so servile before.
“Fiancée? Then this is even more serious. A man treating his fiancée like this…”
The knight looked at Felix in shock, as if he were some vile criminal.
‘Ah, so this is what a normal person sees.’
All my academy classmates and even my family had said Felix’s treatment of me was natural. Since I had “secured” such a remarkable fiancée, it was my duty to behave properly.
So seeing someone react normally felt strange to me.
“You appear to be a swordsman,” the knight said, scanning Felix up and down.
“What is your name?”
“Eh?”
“Since you’re not displaying any affiliation, are you a graduate of this year?”
Felix’s face went pale.
The knight continued, scrutinizing him.
“To threaten the lady you are meant to protect… Do you not know that violating the code of chivalry can result in the loss of your knight status?”
“What do you mean!”
‘Oh. Losing his knighthood?’
If that happened, all the effort Felix had put in over six years at the academy would go to waste.
Of course, Felix’s family had gained a lot of power over the years, and he’d done plenty of flattery and networking. A single incident probably wouldn’t cost him his status.
Still, Felix refused to give his name, turning the conversation into defiance.
“Couples sometimes argue a little, that doesn’t warrant losing knighthood! You’re being unreasonable!”
“Felix Rohheim,” I interjected.
I spoke his name.
“I was so startled when he tried to hit me. If you hadn’t shown up, I really would have been struck, sniff…”
I pointed to the front of my clothing, ruffled from being grabbed, making sure to act weak and pitiful. Not entirely an act—I had really been a second from being hit.
“A swordsman hitting a fragile lady!”
The knight stared at Felix like he was a worthless fool.
“And all these servants are just standing by!”
The sheer intensity in the knight’s eyes made the servants shrink back.
“W-We’re just scared of the young master…”
“No matter how scary he is, it’s nothing compared to almost hitting the lady!”
The knight glared at them, then addressed me politely.
“It may be presumptuous to say, but you should consider dismissing such servants as soon as possible.”
Yes. I plan to do that.
Once I reclaim this house, straight away!
The servants looked resentful but dared not contradict the knight.
This was the power of the Kreuz family crest—intimidating, commanding respect.
Felix tried to intervene, anxiety written all over his face.
“K-Knight! Wait. You have to hear my side!”
But the knight completely ignored him, turning fully toward me.
“Miss Frisia, I came despite the rudeness because there is a matter urgently requiring your assistance.”
The contrast between how he treated Felix and how he treated me was staggering.
Even the servants gawked.
‘What on earth could this be?’
I was curious, and Felix surely was dying of curiosity as well.
I would not satisfy it immediately. I spoke solemnly.
“That’s fine. I’ll go immediately.”
“Thank you!”
“W-Wait a moment.”
I heard Felix trailing behind, but I shut the door in his face.
Bang!
‘Ah, this feels amazing!’
Ignoring someone in their face—it was addictive.
I thanked Pipi silently.
‘Thanks, Pipi. If it weren’t for you, I’d have faltered and been bullied again. I didn’t look like a pushover at all earlier, right?’
[Yes! You looked extremely wicked and rude!]
‘Right?’
Hehe. I laughed quietly and climbed into the Kreuz family carriage.
Soon we arrived at…
“Ughhh!”
“I’m dead!”
Total chaos.
People were sobbing, hair flying as they ran frantically.
I looked at the knight in shock.
“What… happened here?”
“That is—”
“Ah, Miss Violet?”
A familiar voice called me.
It was Cayen’s aide, Aaron.
Aaron looked like a mess as well.
Dark shadows clung under his eyes, and his hair was completely disheveled from rushing around.
“Miss Violet, what brings you here? Your work officially starts tomorrow, doesn’t it?”
“That’s what I thought too, but the knight said there was an urgent matter and brought me here.”
“Oh, dear.”
Aaron clicked his tongue.
“I did order all available personnel to be mobilized for a major incident, but I didn’t expect you to be brought here as well. There must have been a miscommunication. My apologies.”
The knight, too, looked embarrassed and apologized to me.
No, it’s fine. You brought the Kreuz carriage at perfect timing—you’re my savior.
“We wouldn’t drag a new recruit here on a holiday if it weren’t important. We’ll have a carriage ready to return you, so we’ll meet again tomorrow.”
Aaron said firmly.
If it weren’t for the dark circles under his eyes, he would have looked like a solid, reliable senior.
I surveyed the chaos around me.
Then I mustered the courage to speak.
“Um… senior.”
“Yes?”
“Since I’m here, if there’s anything I can do to help, I will. Even simple repetitive tasks might be of use, right?”
“Miss Violet…”
There was moisture in Aaron’s dark-circled eyes.
Moments later, he roughly wiped his eyes with his fist.
“Ugh, thank you so much for saying that.”
I hadn’t expected him to be so moved!
He must have been under a lot of stress.
“Then, Miss Violet, please come this way.”
“Yes!”
Good.
I secretly clenched my fist.
As they say, a crisis is an opportunity.
Thanks to my uncle confiscating everything, I had no clothes for tomorrow, no money for meals.
But I had no intention of groveling to Felix as my uncle wished.
‘If I can help even a little in this chaos, I can make a good impression. Then…’
I’ll ask for an advance!
I set my goal firmly.
Aaron looked down at Frisia walking beside him, his expression conflicted.
Last night, when he informed his junior that Frisia would be hired…
‘Frisia Violet? You mean that Cinderella Despair story?’
‘Cinderella Despair? What’s that?’
‘She was famous at the academy. The top graduate and his fiancée. A long-standing couple, but she was considered way beneath him, so everyone called her Cinderella.’
‘Hmm.’
‘But here’s the kicker—the day of graduation, the guy proposed to another girl. The fiancée was completely betrayed. Hence, Cinderella Despair!’
Apparently, Frisia had been obsessed with one guy throughout the academy.
Her barely-passing grades now made sense.
‘She aced the employment test theoretically, but theory and practice are worlds apart…’
Aaron didn’t expect her to excel immediately in practical work.
‘But Miss Violet should at least understand what this place is like.’
Like giving a preventive injection, he thought it would be good to show her in advance.
Aaron opened the door with that in mind.
“Duke is going to kill me… I’m going to be murdered…”
“Mother, I’m sorry… this unfilial child goes today…”
“Please, forgive me! I was wrong, please!”
Magicians were running around like mad, carrying documents or tapping on calculators.
Some were even pre-writing their wills.
Frisia tentatively asked,
“What exactly happened here?”
