Pardon the Abduction, Holy Knight - It's an Emergency - Chapter 1.13

Lucian gestured towards me with his chin as if to say ‘Look at her reaction’, and Echo’s face filled with shock.

“When I grow up and earn money… I’ll definitely pay it back…!”

No matter how much I like money, I have no intention of extorting it from such a young child.

“Why is the customer trying to pay?”

“Huh…?”

“There’s a guardian right here, isn’t there?”

I said this while staring directly at Lucian.

He’s not just any nobleman, but a Marquis no less. Plus, he’s contracted with the fairy of wealth, so he must have an enormous amount of money, right?

As I thought of the fairy of wealth, my gaze naturally drifted to Lucian Berto’s chest pocket.

Gulp.

That should have been my place…

“It’s a bit embarrassing when you stare like that.”

Lucian scratched his cheek with a rare show of embarrassment.

I shook off the thought before Wit, who was probably watching me from afar, could come running again.

“Well then, shall we discuss the upcoming schedule?”

For the request, I needed to see Echo with her family in person. To be precise, it would be Wit seeing them, not me.

I confirmed Echo nodding her head and looked at Lucian.

“We’ll need the guardian’s help for smooth progress as well.”

“Me?”

Me? Really now. It seems he came just to watch.

I smiled brightly and politely clasped my hands.

“If you don’t like that, you’re free to leave now, customer.”

At that, Lucian’s eyes, which had been blankly staring at me, curved like crescent moons.

“How cold.”

“……”

“When did I say I didn’t like it?”

His face remained playful until the end.

***

That evening.

I was explaining tomorrow’s schedule to Wit at the dining table when it happened.

“Wit, we need to do laundry tomorrow too.”

“Isn’t that a bit too familiar?”

“Wake up early and… What? What did you say?”

Adriel, who I thought was just sitting quietly without eating, suddenly said something out of the blue.

At my question, Adriel remained silent for a moment before shaking his head as if it was nothing.

I looked quizzically at Adriel as he took a spoonful of tomato soup.

For some reason, he seemed oddly dejected. Did something happen?

“Kekeke. Adriel, are you trying to get cocky? Trying to?”

“Wit?”

Wit tapped his feet on the table as if something displeased him.

Adriel spoke coldly without even looking at Wit.

“My lady. Before I lose the will to sign the contract, please remove that demon from my sight.”

What? What is he talking about?!

“Wit, go to your room right now.”

“Master!”

“Ahem.”

“Master, that’s too much! You’re being too harsh on Wit!”

Wit cried out as if upset, but under my firm gaze, he eventually slumped his shoulders and flew to his room.

Soon after, the door slammed shut, and after a brief silence, a cry of ‘It was the wind, Master!’ could be heard.

“Is that better now?”

“Thank you.”

Adriel’s voice was gruff in response, but there was a hint of satisfaction somewhere.

Was my impression that he seemed upset earlier just my imagination?

I was tilting my head in confusion and about to pick up my fork again when:

“It seems a child from the Berto Marquis family came.”

“Huh? Ah… I guess you heard everything from inside.”

“Do you think that kind of help is truly for that child’s benefit, my lady?”

What kind of help? Is he talking about getting help from Wit?

Not understanding the question, I answered after a long pause.

“Well… The customer said she wanted her parents’ love. I’m just helping in my own way, what’s the problem?”

Adriel was silent. His face was unreadable, impossible to tell what he was thinking.

Is it just because he dislikes getting help from a demon?

Well, for a man like him, it’s entirely possible he would think that way.

I was about to dismiss it and start eating again.

“I don’t believe love forcibly obtained is true love.”

“Ah, I see… What?”

I was about to respond nonchalantly when I looked up in surprise.

Did those words about true love just come out of that man’s mouth?

It felt very strange to hear such words from someone who looked so cold as if not only love but emotions themselves didn’t exist for him.

After a moment of confusion, I spoke calmly.

“Forcibly? It’s not that, it’s effort. Effort to receive love.”

“True love should be able to see the other person as they are.”

Adriel said in a low voice, slowly raising his head.

“Even without any conditions.”

His upright eyes, filled with conviction, seemed to shine even more intensely than usual.

After staring at him blankly for a moment, I smiled slightly.

Really…

“You’re being very serious. Have you experienced such love before?”

“No.”

“Really? You just talked as if you knew a lot about love.”

“…It was just something my father used to say often.”

“Cough!”

Oh no. I stepped on a landmine.

I never expected Adriel’s family to come up so suddenly here.

Knowing through the novel how his family had been murdered, I bit my lip awkwardly.

“W-well, yes… Love should be sincere. Sincere… I hope you’ll leave this place and meet a good person to experience the true love you dream of.”

I pretended to eat, burying my face in my plate.

“…?”

But why is it so quiet?

I lifted my gaze slightly in the oddly mismatched atmosphere.

Then I saw Adriel’s face, his lips set firmly as if upset.

Did I say something wrong?

I hope it didn’t sound like I was mocking him. That wasn’t my intention.

Perhaps because the topic of family came up again, I felt oddly conscious of his mood.

As I fidgeted with my lips, I pointed to the plate in front of Adriel, trying to lighten the atmosphere.

“So, how is it? I’m a good cook, right?”

“…It’s passable enough to eat.”

I stared blankly at his plate, which was steadily being emptied despite his cold words.

There he goes again.

Even though I cook diligently for him, he always responds like this, which somehow made me feel indignant.

“Our Sir Knight sure has a way with words.”

As I spat out sarcastically, I finally felt Adriel’s gaze as he looked up at me.

Perhaps he just remembered that he said he wanted to get along well with me.

His expression was as if he had made a mistake without realizing it.

“I meant… it tastes good.”

“Oh my. How very convincing.”

“…Are you upset?”

I answered with downcast eyes.

“What if I am?”

Adriel rolled his eyes with a troubled expression.

After pondering seriously for a while, he finally spoke.

“Would it make you feel better if I did like that time?”

“Pardon?”

Adriel avoided my gaze and rubbed the back of his neck.

“Like last time, when you forcibly opened my mouth….”

My brain froze for a moment as I tried to understand what Adriel was saying.

“W-what did you say?”

Is he talking about the time I force-fed him?

And he thinks doing that would make me feel better?

“Oh, come on. Sir Knight, just what do you think I—!”

Huh?

Hey, hey. Why are you blushing again?

This is making things awkward!