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340. Childhood Friend Ep – This isn’t right

“Since the prince guarantees it, I believe it, but I must have misunderstood something about knights.”

Of course, that couldn’t be true, but NEDOSTIA DE YERIEL said it anyway. Born and raised in the Duke Tertan’s House, a knightly family representing the Conrad Kingdom, there’s no way she wouldn’t know about knights.

Lean guessed the reason she said that, but Nedostia de Yeriel was a senior due to being his father’s wife, so he waited for her to finish speaking.

“I understand knights are generally stronger as they get older. But the person the prince introduced seems too young. Is it possible you exaggerated when you called him the strongest knight?”

Nedostia trailed off her words. It wasn’t her style to be vague about what she wanted, but considering her relationship with the prince, she had to.

Her son’s chance of ascending the throne was virtually nonexistent now. She had to think of her own safety.

However, still, this isn’t right. They decided to send Eric to the Aisel Kingdom.

It’s like a declaration of surrender. Kneeling down and waving a white flag, how embarrassing.

But then, shouldn’t there be some courtesy for someone who has surrendered? It’s not like they were strangers they’d never see again.

This was Nedostia’s unpleasant sentiment.

All of them belonged to the Yeriel royal family, having developed a strong friendship both in appearance and reality, so she hoped Prince Lean would consider them…

“Not at all. There’s probably no one in the country who can match him. Maybe Count Hermann Forte from Belita Kingdom could.”

Nedostia frowned. In front of someone who could become king, that’s how absurd the prince’s words were.

Could some unheard-of commoner compare to the only Swordmaster on the continent?

It seemed like Lean decided to wet himself in front of the mother and son duo kneeling.

Just when Nedostia’s expression was about to harden, Ainass de Yeriel gently interjected while lowering her glass.

“To be such a strong knight, that truly is surprising. Surely, the king’s benevolence has brought wealth back to the royal family. We can’t just leave someone like that buried in the masses. Wouldn’t it be a good idea to offer him a chance to join the knight order? What do the king and prince think?”

Essentially, it meant not using him to guard Prince Eric. Since they didn’t know his skill level (no matter how greatly that was her son’s comment), it was also a suggestion to let him join the knight order.

In other words, she was suggesting a compromise, and Lean lifted his head. He persuaded his father with a look and commanded, “Yes. If we get him knighted, he’ll be of use even when we go to the Aisel Kingdom. Hey! Go fetch the Second Knight Commander!”

If a royal made a mistake in their words, it wasn’t a mistake but a deliberate action.

Almost calling for the First Knight Commander, who was the backbone of the kingdom, he decided to summon the Second Knight Commander instead to assess the commoner’s skill, fully confident that this commoner would win.

Reriana moved to sit next to Nedostia de Yeriel, saying, “Brother Lean seems really confident. I wonder if Brother Eric is going to get an excellent knight.”

“…Maybe.”

Nedostia’s tone had softened somewhat.

While she wasn’t completely calm, it was strange for the prince to boast so recklessly, and it was thanks to Princess Reriana’s nice words.

Siblings who had triumphed in the competition for the throne from the moment they were born. How could she not feel assured when the royal family’s precious children called both Lean and Eric “brother” without distinction? Nedostia decided to keep watching after the duel.

However, Reb was,

“What the hell is he trying to do?”

Having no idea of Lean’s intentions, he couldn’t say anything in front of the king and princesses… As Lean approached, he grunted in a low voice.

“I’ll see you later.”

“Make sure you win. If you lose, I’ll lose face. Lady Leah, please come over here for a moment.”

“You don’t have to be so formal, Prince.”

“Haha. Is that so? Leah ‘ssi’ feels a bit off; let’s just call you Leah from now on.”

“You can just call me Leah… Do as you please.”

It would take time for Sir Hazen, the Second Knight Commander, to arrive. Lean instructed the maidservants to change Leah’s clothes and returned.

Reb was stretching in the corner of the audience room when suddenly…

“Brother, look at me.”

“Why?”

Reriana approached and pulled him along.

“I have a question to ask. That person, he’s from my dream; do you happen to know him?”

“Oh. I saw him in a dream too.”

“Hm… I’m not sure how you dreamed, but that person is really unusual. His appearance and our relationship change in every dream.”

“…How so?”

“Well~ He’s been a rebel leader, sometimes my guard knight, and even fought me. In the end, he wasn’t even friends with you.”

Lean momentarily froze.

Reb and Reriana faced off, and he wasn’t friends with her? What happened in the previous episodes…

“…I see.”

“Yeah. Be careful, brother. That person seems suspicious. He looks decent though… Oh, and yes! That thing you wanted me to do last time…”

“You’re talking about Marquis Tatian?”

“Yeah. I called him out. That guy has a really heavy butt. I struggled a lot lifting him up.”

“Why is a princess talking about a heavy butt? Anyway, you shouldn’t learn such weird expressions in dreams.”

“Hehe. But I’d never use them in front of mom and dad~”

“Mother and Father.”

“Yup, yup! Anyway, I did well, right?”

“Yeah, yeah. It must not have been easy, so good job. Then… let’s prepare to slowly send Brother Eric off. I’ll talk to Dad about it.”

“Hehe. Oberg! Great!”

Reriana lightly trotted back.

Splash! As she jumped into the gathering of royals who were sharing snacks and talking decorously, smiles bloomed on the faces of her family. Princess Reriana also shone brightly among them.

Meanwhile, Lean waited at the door to greet Sir Hazen.

As a prince, it was only proper etiquette to invite the Knight Commander who served the king.

Eventually, Sir Hazen arrived, and while the outcome of the duel remained a secret for his dignity and prestige…

There was no way to stop the rumor that Prince Eric had a new knight guarding him.

*

“Ugh, this is exhausting… What the heck am I even doing?”

“Good job.”

Leah approached Reb and grabbed the clothes he was taking off. After a tiring day, he gratefully accepted Leah’s touch.

“The room is nice.”

“Yeah. They assigned me a maid. They’ll bring me food at every meal.”

“Of course they should. Considering how hard I worked today… Ahh.”

Reb got hired today.

Unexpectedly as a royal knight’s guard to the prince.

Receiving the knightly appointment directly from the king was one thing, but being a non-royal assigned to guard a royal was a huge honor and glory.

However, Reb (who didn’t even want to) spent the whole day being dragged around by various folks.

Protocol officers droned on about the etiquette for interacting with the prince, while the chamberlain fussed about his identity and exact nationality. Reb met the captain of the royal knights and even had an interview (?) with Prince Eric in the end.

But the one who hired him was Prince Eric, after all. The money would ultimately come from Eric’s pocket.

The interview was a true fest of lies, lies, and more lies.

Reb had to improvise responses about his relationship with Lean de Yeriel, the reasons and processes behind moving to the Conrad Kingdom, his loyalty to the Conrad Kingdom, and his future vision and goals.

Lean, that damn bastard.

Then he spent the day discussing with some royal knights exactly how he would guard Eric de Yeriel and how to communicate with other knights while at the palace and distribute tasks.

His teeth ground together.

Having roughly tossed his clothes aside, Reb slumped onto any random sofa in the room.

The sofa… was delightfully plush.

Feeling tired and slightly drowsy, Leah sat next to him and said,

“Reb, this.”

[Rules of Life in Rutina Royal Palace - Commoner Edition]

“…”

Without realizing it, Reb rubbed his head. Surprised by the thickness of the book and annoyed by the subtitle ‘Commoner Edition’.

He understood the general content.

Having experience as a royal knight in the Belita Kingdom, he knew the basic rules commoners living in the palace should follow.

But this was Oberg’s palace, and Rutina might have different specifics, which suggested he had to read it at least once.

He wished he had never stepped into the palace.

No, he was beginning to regret coming just to see Lean. Reb let out a soft sigh and flipped through the thick book.

The water for the toilet (which continuously flows in royal toilets for waste disposal) is emptied and cleaned during the second weekend of each month, so access to the toilet might be restricted then, and everyday supplies are assigned weekly by the head handmaiden on Monday morning…

Why the heck do I have to read this crap? Reb put down [Rules of Life in Rutina Royal Palace - Commoner Edition].

“I’ll read it later. I’m a bit tired now… gonna sleep.”

The room assigned to Reb and Leah in the palace had a bed.

Well, that was only natural. Reb thoughtlessly flopped onto the bed and passed out.

He fell asleep instantly, snoring away…

Leah anxiously wandered around, unsure what to do. She needed to speak up soon but missed the timing.

“Hey, Reb. I think people here… think we’re married. Can you do something…”

But with Reb sprawled out on the bed, Leah’s expression soured.

It seemed like this childhood friend of hers truly believed that they were already married.

“…”

Of course, even for Noah and Soya, she would marry this guy, but she couldn’t help feeling a bit miffed.

I haven’t even had a proper date! You might think it’s okay!

Leah perched herself on the edge of the bed. She pouted as she gently caressed the forehead of her deep-sleeping friend, no longer just a childhood buddy but a comrade.

That was their relationship.

Through countless repetitions, their once childish friendship had long graduated, and for Reb, Leah had become someone entirely ordinary.

She understood. Yet,

“You can’t treat your girlfriend like this, you fool.”

“Ugh, ugh.”

Still, this isn’t right.

Leah harshly twisted Reb’s ear.

Though she’d seen glimpses of the past episodes in dreams, it was Reb who repeated those cycles, not Leah. For her, this life was always the first and the last.

Reb groaned, and Leah, contemplating how to revive this guy’s dead romantic feelings, ended up falling asleep beside him.

Reb was caught in unwanted labor.

It was a full week before Lean came to find him.