Chapter 171

The chaotic palace meeting finally wrapped up around dinner time.

Normally, there would’ve been a fancy, exhausting banquet hosted by the royals, but with the Emperor and the 4th Prince both dead, no such dinner party was held.

Thanks to that, I could return to the 1st Prince’s Palace and enjoy a relaxed dinner without having to worry about anyone else.

—

Honestly, could you even call this a royal meal? The dinner served at the Prince’s Palace was nothing compared to the academy’s menu.

A tart topped with bacon, an imperial salad with pheasant, ham, and eggs. The aroma of duck stir-fried with mushrooms and spices wafted up, and the roasted lamb chops were perfectly golden and clean without any gamey smell.

For dessert, there was cake and sugar-preserved fruits—each bite was a taste worth raving about.

Persval was also busy tearing into the lamb chops with a smile on his face.

I think this is the first time I’ve seen him smile. Does he like lamb?

The wine glass next to him was filled to the brim, but he didn’t touch it, showing at least some restraint.

Though he did occasionally glance at it with a longing look.

Good. I was about to give him an earful if he, as a royal guard, forgot his duty and tried to drink.

Even though Prince Leopold’s official duties were over, that doesn’t mean the rest of us can slack off.

…It’s not like I’m bitter because I can’t drink while he can. Absolutely not.

“Absolutely, do not serve Princess Ai-shan Gi-or any alcohol.”

That was Leopold’s strict order.

The palace servants followed it faithfully.

So, instead of a wine glass, I was left with a plain water glass.

Not that I planned to drink anyway, but being treated so blatantly like this isn’t exactly pleasant.

What can I do? I can’t argue after causing a major incident before.

“Is it good?”

“Huh? Yes! It’s delicious. Thank you, Sir Median!”

Persval hurriedly swallowed his meat and saluted.

Did I drill discipline into him too hard…?

“What are you thanking me for? It’s not like I’m the one serving the food. If you want to thank someone, thank His Highness the Prince…. Anyway, I thought a knight of your caliber, being part of the Royal Guard, would’ve eaten like this often. Surprising.”

The Royal Guard, the imperial escort, is usually made up of people with decent status and skill, right?

Though, of course, they’re still nowhere near my level.

I thought they’d have eaten high-class food plenty of times.

“Well… the seniors do, but newcomers like me are a bit different.”

Persval’s expression darkened a little.

He put down the lamb chop he’d been happily devouring, chugged a glass of water instead of wine, and let out a deep sigh.

“What’s up? Why’d you stop talking?”

“Sigh… sorry. Just thinking about it makes me feel a bit… sick. Ever since I joined the Royal Guard, the only food I’ve been able to eat is half-dried rye bread.”

Rye bread?

That dry, tasteless bread? For the empire’s elite knights?

“Wait, not even regular soldiers, but the Royal Guard? They wouldn’t even eat like that on the battlefield.”

“It’s… tradition. The seniors say it’s to teach new knights discipline, order, and self-control.”

…That sounds familiar.

Persval shuddered and broke into a cold sweat.

“Rye bread…! On the day I joined, I had to eat forty of those damn rye breads…. After that, every meal was just rye bread. This is the first time in two months I’ve had proper meat…!”

“Oh… is that so…? Well, eat up then….”

I subtly pushed my share of meat toward him.

Seeing him tear up while looking at the meat was just too pitiful.

…No wonder he was eating like a maniac. Poor guy’s been living off that stuff.

Persval’s eyes filled with gratitude.

“Thank you, Sir Median!”

“Yeah. And, uh… sorry about denting your armor. It’s gonna be a pain to fix that.”

Armor mixed with black iron won’t just pop back into shape with a few hits from a regular blacksmith or squire.

You’d need a craftsman who knows how to handle black iron to repair it….

And skilled craftsmen like that are usually swamped with work, so I’m not sure they’d jump at the chance to fix a slightly dented armor.

“That’s alright! I have a spare set, so I’ll just wear that. This damage is a mark left by you, Sir Median, so the other knights will probably be jealous!”

“Hmm… if you say so, then I’ve got nothing more to add. Alright. I’ll go see His Highness now, so you eat your fill and rest for a bit. You’ll need to guard His Highness’s chambers later, so take some time to relax.”

“Understood!”

Leaving Persval’s salute behind, I left the dining hall.

—

“The Royal Guard has a tradition like that?”

“Guess you didn’t know?”

Leopold rested his chin on his hand and shook his head.

The concept of the Royal Guard’s “knight rye bread” seemed to shock him too, as his pupils were slightly trembling.

“If I had known earlier, I would have fixed it somehow. It’s not good for the morale of the new knights or for maintaining their stamina.”

“It’s a miracle that there hasn’t been any rebellion until now.”

Everyone’s patience is impressive. If it were me, I would’ve done something long ago.

Like starting a duel, ambushing a senior when they’re alone, or maybe even stabbing them in the back during a fight.

“So, what about Sir Persval?”

“Seeing how he opened up about his unit’s situation just because he was in a slightly better mood… he doesn’t seem like the type with deep schemes. It’s not something you’d share with someone who’s practically an outsider, even if you’re working together. The way his eyes lit up at the sight of meat, his transparent nature—inside and out, even his brain—he’s just too straightforward. He doesn’t seem like the type to pull off spy work skillfully. Unless he’s a genius actor who could fool even me… but his earlier behavior, openly picking a fight, makes me doubt that. If his seemingly naive personality was just an act to lower my guard, he would’ve been more obedient from the start.”

“At least if he doesn’t cause any trouble tonight… I can halfway trust him.”

“The other half is still suspicious?”

Of course.

“We haven’t confirmed who he contacts or what he does when he’s left alone. To figure that out, instead of escorting him all day like today, His Highness the Prince should give him some free time.”

Leopold nodded.

“I see… Then, from evening to morning, Sir Persval will have twelve hours, and the Princess will take the other twelve. Both the Princess and I will always be here after evening, so if anything happens, she can come to help immediately.”

“That should work. As long as my room isn’t too far from Your Highness’s bedroom, it’ll be fine.”

“But are you sure? For the Princess, it means not only guarding all day but also not being able to sleep peacefully at night until we’re sure Sir Persval is safe.”

For a normal person, that would be tough. It’s not just two shifts—it’s a 24-hour job. Even someone with great stamina wouldn’t last three days.

Leopold’s concern was understandable. But for me, it wasn’t that hard.

Not sleeping for three days aside, being on guard for night attacks was the real challenge.

“It’s not that difficult. I can sense killing intent even in deep sleep.”

Even in the early days when I wasn’t fully adjusted to this body, I could do that much. I woke up sensing the killing intent of subordinates who tried to ambush me. They must’ve tried to hide it, but this body is just that sensitive to malice.

“Hmm. Hearing that, I feel like I’ve gained a truly reliable guard. It’s reassuring.”

Leopold smiled, looking relieved. Weren’t you the one who said you’d rather trust Isabella?

—

The bedroom Leopold provided for me was right next to his.

It used to belong to his sister, Eleonora. Since she left for a political marriage, it’s been empty, so he said I could stay there without worry.

Being a princess’s room, it was quite luxurious.

“Are you sure it’s okay for me to stay here?”

“No need to feel burdened. It’s just kept for old memories. Eleonora hasn’t returned to this room, so it’s fine.”

“Hmm… Well, then, I’ll gratefully use it. Being right next door, it’ll be easy to handle any emergencies.”

I nodded casually. If anything happens later, it’s not my fault. If Eleonora ever comes back, she might be mad about someone using her room, but she’d probably take it out on her brother.

After Leopold left, I leisurely enjoyed the royal bedroom. The bathroom, the bed—everything was top-notch, so it was incredibly comfortable.

After lying on the bed for a while, enjoying the plush cushions… I dozed off.

That night, no uninvited visitors came, and I didn’t wake up until the next morning.