["Team Leader, isn't this that guy?"]

'Huh? Who?'

["You know. The thief you hit with a lariat a few days ago."]

"... Oh, that bastard who was stealing stuff on a broom?"

Finally recognizing the man, Limon nodded. The thug had been so insignificant that he hadn't bothered remembering him, but if this was that thief, he could understand why the man looked so furious at the sight of him.

That reaction told the man that Limon hadn't been pretending not to know him—he genuinely hadn't recognized him. He snapped.

"You son of a bitch! Who do you think put me in this fucking situation?!"

Swinging the broom he happened to be holding, the man lunged at Limon.

Or rather, he tried to.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Huh?!"

... He would have, if not for the low voice that came from behind him at precisely that moment.

A knight in ornate armor had appeared behind the man as if rising out of nowhere, leaving him frozen with his broom in hand. Lucas regarded him with stern eyes.

"Your name?"

"I-I'm Max Powell, my lord."

"Max Powell... I see. You're the servant who recently began serving his sentence."

Lucas nodded once, then raised his gaze slightly and continued.

"Now, what were you planning to do with that broom?"

"Pardon? Oh! Th-this is, well..."

Only then did Max hastily hide the broom behind his back. But it was hardly something he could conceal that way, and more importantly, his sweat-covered face revealed more truth than words ever could.

"It seems you need further discipline. I'll send instructions separately, so report to the rehabilitation hall at once."

"Y-yes, sir!"

Max bowed deeply, then hurried away as though fleeing. Lucas shook his head as he watched him go. Only afterward did he place a hand over his chest and bow courteously to Limon and Julia.

"Please accept my apologies on the servant's behalf. Our house's inadequate training has caused our guests trouble."

"Oh, I'm fine."

Julia readily accepted his apology.

Limon, on the other hand, narrowed his eyes. After carefully examining Lucas's armor, which was considerably more ornate than the other knights', and its crest, he spoke offhandedly.

"... I don't particularly mind either, but there are a few things I'd like to check."

"What would those be?"

"That bastard just now should be a prisoner caught red-handed stealing. Why is he working here as a servant?"

"He is indeed a prisoner. He is simply serving his sentence by performing menial duties for the house instead."

"Aha, that rehabilitation system House Seaserpent is so proud of?"

"Yes. He disgraced himself because his discipline is still insufficient, but once he learns proper conduct, he will return to society a far more respectable person."

"Well, isn't that admirable? Just what I'd expect from the merciful House Seaserpent."

Limon nodded admiringly as Lucas calmly explained that one should hate the sin, not the sinner. Then he tilted his head askew.

"But, Sir Knight, admirable as that is, doesn't it mean this estate is crawling with servants and maids who used to be prisoners?"

Recognizing the subtle implication behind those words, Lucas answered calmly.

"It is true that a considerable number once served sentences, but most have completed their rehabilitation and become new people."

"You say that, Sir Knight, but having just nearly been attacked by a prisoner who hasn't finished rehabilitating, I can't help worrying."

"If you are concerned for your safety, I can assign you a personal guard."

"No, I can't stand having guards following me around."

Limon shrugged, then muttered to himself loudly.

"This is a problem. I'm such a coward that at this rate, I'll be too scared to practice. Forget the performance—I'll want to quit the whole thing and run away."

["... Who's a coward, now?"]

"Wait a moment, Lee...?"

Yu Na-gyeong nearly slipped off his shoulder at that absurd claim, while a flustered Julia tried to intervene. Limon stopped them both with a discreet wink.

Having investigated the estate for the past several days, he could hardly be unaware of the servants' backgrounds. Naturally, he had never cared about them in the slightest, either. Yet there was a reason he was putting on this blatant act now.

Lucas was clearly a high-ranking knight. And the Blue Dragon Clan Limon knew—particularly its superiors from distinguished families—had only one way of responding in situations like this.

"Then what could I do to put your mind at ease?"

Seeing Lucas respond exactly as expected, Limon grinned.

"Oh, it's nothing much. I just have one very small favor to ask..."

* * *

'I've wasted too much time.'

Lucas clicked his tongue softly.

He had originally intended to stop by briefly, check that the gazebo had been properly built, and leave. But accommodating Limon's unexpected request had delayed him more than anticipated.

He didn't particularly regret it. The servant's inadequate discipline was entirely their house's responsibility. If such a modest favor could settle the matter, that was fortunate.

Still, the fact remained that it had made him late. Thus, as soon as he met Rose, Lucas bowed in apology.

"My apologies, Your Highness. A minor problem arose, and resolving it delayed my report."

"... Why now, of all times?"

"Pardon?"

"Oh, no. It's nothing."

"...?"

Lucas was puzzled. Ordinarily, Rose never lost her composure or calm, whatever the circumstances, as befitted the Blue Dragon Clan's princess. Today, however, she seemed strangely bereft of that composure. Indeed, she even seemed restless—like a girl receiving an unwanted visitor just before a concert she had eagerly awaited was about to begin.

'What a ridiculous thought.'

Shaking his head to dispel the foolish notion, Lucas cleared his throat and spoke.

"How are you feeling?"

"Much better."

"... Are you quite certain?"

"Yes, of course."

Despite Rose's firm answer, Lucas could not erase the concern from his face. With good reason: she looked utterly haggard, and he could even make out dark patches around her eyes.

Until the day before yesterday, she had not merely looked well but had seemed even more vibrant than usual. To think she had deteriorated this much in a single day. In all likelihood, the consequences of working without a wink of sleep for the past five or six days had caught up with her all at once.

"Your Highness. As I've said before, however busy you may be, you must at least get proper sleep...?"

Lucas suddenly blinked. Midway through his words, he had noticed something peeking out from behind Rose's back.

"... A pillow?"

"...!"

Why was there a pillow in Rose's office—a neck pillow, at that? Hearing Lucas's unconscious murmur, Rose flinched, then straightened her back to conceal the pillow completely. She cleared her throat and spoke.

"I am already getting sufficient rest. In particular, I intend to sleep soundly today, so do not concern yourself with me."

"Is that so...?"

Lucas nodded dubiously.

Ordinarily, he would have assumed she was merely saying that and would ultimately overwork herself anyway. Yet besides the pillow he had just seen, there was chamomile tea to promote sleep, a gently burning scented candle, and more. The office looked less like a place where someone was working than one fully prepared for an afternoon nap, lending her words a peculiar credibility.

Of course, their diligent princess would never do anything like doze off during working hours.

"Then I shall begin my report. According to information received through those with connections to the royal family, Lord Karl's movements..."

"I see. We will need to be more vigilant."

"And we are continuing to track the witches of the twenty-seven magical lineages, but it seems..."

"Understood. Please continue the search."

"And preparations for the event..."

"Proceed as planned."

"..."

An odd expression crossed Lucas's face. Rose was certainly listening to his report with a serious expression and issuing instructions diligently. Yet somehow, he felt that she was unable to concentrate on work—that something was making her anxious. Her surreptitious glances toward the window were particularly telling.

'They would normally have started long before now. Why haven't they today...? No, that's fortunate. But still...'

"Your Highness, may I continue my report?"

"Of course."

In contrast to her distracted thoughts, Rose's reply did not waver in the slightest, and Lucas ultimately continued. He had finished all the important matters and was discussing minor details when the subject arose.

"Next, regarding the gazebo you ordered yesterday."

"How was it?"

"I stopped by the garden to inspect it. It was well built and suited its surroundings. There was, however, a minor problem there."

"... A minor problem?"

"Yes. A servant whose discipline is still incomplete attempted violence against the musician we invited—"

"Are you saying the musician was injured?!"

CRASH!!!!!

At that moment, Lucas froze. It wasn't merely because the desk had split like brittle stalks, or because tremendous psionic power had burst forth like an explosion. It was because Rose had slammed her hand onto the desk and leaped to her feet—and because her face was suffused with anxiety and agitation.

"Answer me, Sir Lucas! What happened to the musician? Was he badly injured? What did the doctor say? If he needs a healer, immediately—!"

"P-please calm down, Your Highness. The musician was not injured."

"Didn't you say the servant used violence against him?!"

"I intervened before he could."

"... Then the musician is all right?"

"He is safe and completely unscathed. Please rest assured."

Though breaking into a cold sweat, Lucas did his best to answer calmly. At last, his words seemed to settle Rose's agitation, and she sighed in relief.

But only for a moment. This time, her expression turned freezing cold.

"What did you do with that servant?"

"He is receiving further discipline in the rehabilitation hall."

"He committed the grave offense of harming a guest of our house, and all he is receiving is discipline?"

"It was only an attempt, after all. I did not believe there was any need to impose a harsher punishment, so I followed the usual procedure."

Rose's eyes wavered. As though restraining something, or wrestling with herself, she closed them for a moment. Finally, she nodded and spoke quietly.

"Then that will suffice."

"... Will you be all right?"

"Yes. Trying to harm a guest of our house is reprehensible, but it would be wrong to impose further punishment on someone who has already received his due."

'That isn't what I meant, Your Highness.'

Lucas murmured inwardly.

Even after serving her for over a decade, he had never seen Rose like this. That included the peculiar anxiety she had shown at first, the overt coldness she had radiated, and the fists she still held tightly clenched.

But he did not point it out. He merely regarded her uneasily as she regained her usual calm demeanor, at least on the surface.

"Then that disturbance must be why the musicians are late starting their practice today."

"Oh, they should have started practicing already."

"What do you mean?"

There was still no sound coming from outside the window, so how could they have begun practicing? Lucas explained steadily to the puzzled Rose.

"He requested that his quarters be moved to the main building for safety. While arranging that, I also gave them permission to use the main building's drawing room for practice."

"... Isn't the drawing room in the main building very well soundproofed?"

"Yes. It is quiet enough that we have even used it for salon gatherings, so you needn't worry about noise simply because they are in the main building."

"..."

A moment later, as Rose looked at him with what inexplicably seemed to be resentment this time, Lucas could only wonder to himself: what on earth had happened to their perfect princess?