61 – Duke Freya 3
After assessing the situation, I quickly lifted my head from Johannna’s lap.
I have never left an ordinary first impression on anyone until now, but I have also never left such a first impression.
To think that my first impression would be lying on Johannna’s lap.
No matter how bold and confident I am, this was a bit different.
As I lifted my head, I checked what Johannna was doing. She had a blushing face and was bowing her head.
“It’s understandable.”
From Johannna’s perspective, she showed her family that she allowed a man to lie on her lap.
It was only natural for her to react like that.
Even the other servants were looking in our direction.
They must have seen that I was lying on Johannna’s lap.
Johannna must have felt embarrassed.
But I felt a shiver run through my body.
Johannna’s lack of emotional expression might lead people who see her for the first time to misunderstand her.
But it’s different for the people who have known Duke Freya for a long time.
Johannna’s family, as well as the servants, all loved her unskilled yet kind demeanor.
How much they liked Johanna was evident in Croacia by their actions after Johanna’s death.
[The people of the Freiya Duchy were all enraged.]
[They learned of Johanna Freiya’s death due to Lofri Alpser’s lie to save a person.]
[All the people of the Freiya Duchy entered the Arshen Kingdom. Their sole goal was the death of Lofri.]
[Anyone who tried to stop them while they killed Lofri was cut down, regardless of who they were.]
[The gardener cut down the knight who used to tend to the garden, and the cook slew the knight who used to make food.]
[A knight no more, once a dreamer of being a knight, now descending from that position to do other things. All of them raised their swords for Johanna Freiya’s revenge.]
[The adversary was a kingdom, but such things were not important to them.]
[And there was someone among them who killed the most people at the forefront.]
[The pinnacle of knights. The Imperial Sword. Freiya Duchy. And the father of the deceased Johanna Freiya. The blades of revenge pointed toward the Arshen Kingdom.]
The chapter’s name is ＜The Fall of the Arshen Kingdom＞.
“Hmm~?”
Perhaps because I was too lost in thought, I didn’t notice someone approaching me closely.
Ascal Freiya, the duke’s son and the youngest to join the Imperial Knights, looked at me with eyes filled with curiosity.
“I heard you really dress uniquely, just like the rumors say.”
Ascal had platinum hair and blue eyes just like Johanna.
But unlike Johanna’s hair that reached down to her waist, Ascal’s hair flowed down to his shoulders.
“By the way, what’s the relationship between you and our Johanna? Huh? Tell only me, big sister.”
But above all, the difference lay in their personalities.
Ascal casually placed his arm on my shoulder and spoke.
Anyone who sees us might think we’ve met a few times.
“Yeah?”
As Ascal laughed with his arm around my shoulder, he seemed surprised.
It was because Johanna had removed Ascal’s arm from my shoulder.
“Johanna, what are you doing?”
“….Loki is uncomfortable.”
Me? When?
Ascal raised the corners of his mouth after seeing Johanna’s reaction.
“It hurts to see that reaction. Are you trying to control even this unnie by saying he’s your boyfriend?”
Johanna was shocked at Ascal’s words.
“Uh! …….. Boyfriend…… No.”
The more Johanna responded, the more Ascal’s smile widened.
“Hmm. So if he’s not your boyfriend, why did you allow him to touch your knee?”
“That’s……”
Perhaps recalling the situation just now, Johanna’s face flushed again.
Ascal seemed to be enjoying Johanna’s reaction for the first time.
Ascal was genuinely teasing Johanna right now.
Normally, I would have intervened, but I couldn’t say anything right now because of Duke Frey, who was looking at me with a drawn sword.
“Sisters get along so well, don’t they?”
Unable to do anything and standing quietly, Freya, the Duchess, approached me.
Upon hearing the Duchess’s words, I looked at Johanna and Ascal.
“What if he’s not your boyfriend? What kind of relationship is it then?”
“……Uh.”
“Yeah? Tell only me, your older sister. I’ll keep it a secret.”
Despite Ascal tormenting Johanna one-sidedly, their relationship seemed good.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Loki. Thank you for the invitation.”
The Duchess said I could make myself comfortable in the mansion.
But there was still someone looking at me with a drawn sword, so please stop her.
“Hey, put the sword away.”
Whether she heard my inner cry or not, the Duchess called Freya.
“Lady, someone might misunderstand if they hear. I just took out the sword for sword maintenance. I didn’t intend to cut that child.”
“If that’s the case,” Freya said, “first, go to the training ground to show your skills.”
It really doesn’t seem like a misunderstanding at all, right?
Unfortunately for the Duchess.
Fortunately for me.
“Hoho, shall we eat first?”
Thanks to Freya, we managed to avoid a fierce training ground date with the Duke that felt like our hearts would burst.
“Ho-ho, it seems Derek is quite concerned about Johanna’s arrival.”
The Duchess opened her mouth upon seeing the spread of food on the table.
Derek appears to be the chef of the duke’s household.
As the Duchess mentioned, there was an overwhelming amount of delicious-looking food on the table, far more than five people could consume.
“But is it really okay for you to be here at this moment?” The Duchess directed her words towards Ascal, a knight of the Imperial Order.
Indeed, it made no sense for Ascal, a member of the Imperial Order, to be here at this hour, as the Duchess pointed out.
“I can’t just stay quiet when my sister brings a man. It was a good decision to come. I never expected to witness such a scene as soon as I arrived.”
What Ascal mentioned was probably me lying on Johanna’s lap.
Crack.
A sound, as if something had broken, echoed.
Everyone turned their gaze in the direction of the sound.
There stood Duke Freyja, holding a broken knife in his hand.
Just how much force did he use?
“It seems to be a defective piece.”
Even at a glance, the knife in the Duke’s hand looked luxurious.
In the first place, it didn’t make sense for the Duke to have a defective item.
“I heard it from Her Majesty and that fellow.”
The Duke of Freya, who had just received a new knife, spoke to me.
Who is that guy?
“May I ask who you are referring to?”
“I’m talking about Duke Adelian. We were in contact before and your name came up. His Majesty mentioned that he has been teaching you lately, and that infuriated him. He claimed that he was the one who took you as his disciple first.”
“That child is learning from His Majesty and Duke Adelian?”
“……………..”
“Oh.”
Upon hearing this, the Duchess of Freya, Johanna, and Ascal all had surprised expressions.
Well, who wouldn’t be surprised that someone is receiving education from both the Emperor and Duke Adelian?
Ascal looked at me with more interest than before, and Johanna glared at him.
“He’s a student that guy and His Majesty both desire, so naturally, I became quite interested. That’s why I invited you.”
The Duke of Freya didn’t say anything and looked at me.
It was clear that it wasn’t because of that, but because of Johanna, that he called me.
A tingling sensation.
I felt as if I were being pierced by a knife.
The Duke of Freya’s momentum overwhelmed me.
It was undoubtedly a sharp momentum.
But I have withstood the Emperor’s control. Even if it’s the Duke of Freya, there was no reason for me not to withstand the momentum he poured out without any mana.
“What do you think now that you’ve seen it for yourself?”
Having withstood the momentum, I calmly spoke to the Duke of Freya.
“Wow. I somewhat understand why His Majesty and that fellow were interested.”
“Oh dear, at this rate, we won’t have any food left. Let’s finish eating before continuing the conversation.”
As the Duchess spoke, the momentum that was pouring towards me disappeared.
“But how are you going to eat?”
The Duchess looked at my mask and asked.
“I heard you eat with the mask on?”
Ascal said from beside me. Where on earth did he hear that?
“Well, I guess it doesn’t matter if you eat with it on.”
Duke Freya seemed to pay little attention to that part and said.
“No, I will take off the mask and eat.”
I said I would take off the mask and eat.
Honestly, it is not proper etiquette to eat with a mask on.
At the Academy, it might be fine to eat with a metal plate on your face, but it was not appropriate, or rather, quite absurd to do so here where I was invited.
Besides, there was no need to wear the mask while I wasn’t training.
“I’m really curious about the face hidden behind the mask. Are you handsome? If so, will I flutter a little?”
Ascal said playfully while looking at me.
“You shouldn’t fall for me?”
I said playfully as well.
Just as I was about to grab the mask and take it off, at that moment…
“No!”
Haha… Johanna is cute