I Dont Know That Person (3)

Before possession, I heard this saying. They said the mouth was a door that brought disaster, and the tongue what was it again? A knife that slit throats? It was something along those lines. Not that it mattered; it wasnt something I could look up, anyway.

But looking at the current situation, it felt more like a piercing needle than a throat-slitting knife. It was a pity that it was not my tongue but someone elses that had turned into a needle.

Prince Rutis is said to have been born to become a knight. He trained alongside royal knights from a young age

Was it a compliment to call someone born from royalty a knight? It sounded more like an insult, didnt it?

More than that, my ear hurt. I couldnt understand why I had to hear about Rutiss past. Did I do something wrong to deserve this punishment? I mean, I wasnt completely innocent, but I havent committed a serious crime that warranted this kind of torture.

Im sorry, I apologize. I dont know what I did wrong, but I must have done something. Please forgive me. Daring to summon the knights for such a trivial matter was probably a sin.

As I suppressed the urge to bang my head against something to make her stop, I turned my gaze to Sir Villar, who was calmly sipping his tea.

Hes detached.

He didnt even try to stop his daughter from going on a rampage and looked peaceful alone. But upon closer inspection, I noticed a subtle emptiness in his expression.

Sir Villar, who turned his head toward me, gently shook his head as if he had noticed my stare. His eyes seemed to say, Its easier if you give up. Accept what you brought upon yourself.

Im doomed.

Well, I was indeed the one who brought up the topic of Rutis, but who could have known it would lead to this?

Perosas story that began with When I was in Radus showed no signs of stopping. What kind of place was Radus, anyway? What could it be that drove a perfectly normal female knight to madness?

They say that most knights were no match for him when he was only twelve years of age. He was a very gifted man, and he also made the most of his efforts.

I see

Her father next to her had risen through the ranks of the Royal Knights just five years after joining. Wasnt that incredible?

Of course, I didnt say that out loud. If I said it out loud, a 12-year-old Villar would be summoned and compared to Rutis, something that might break the heart of someone who used to be an ordinary apprentice knight.

So I decided to continue to be polite, which only made Perosa more animated.

Stop it.

I couldnt care less about Rutis. The only news I wanted to hear about that guy was the news of his return to his country.

I thought it was strange how Sir Villar suddenly turned a blind eye to her. I guess experience had taught him that it was better to ignore her than to engage.

However, it felt awkward to ignore her even though I was the only listener. It would have been easier if we were on friendlier terms or if we had at least had a few conversations, but it was difficult to show a harsh attitude since this was our first meeting.

Shes the same age as Erich.

Thinking of her as my younger sister made it even harder to be mean. It was tough to survive in this harsh world for someone with a tender heart like mine. If only I had half of the Crown Princes temperament

It seems like Dame Perosa has shone at a young age since the person you admire is exceptional as well.

After some consideration, I decided to continue being polite.

After all, she was Sir Villars daughter, and I would have to get along with him until graduation. He seemed to be strangely attached to his daughter, so there should be no harm in leaving a positive impression on Perosa.

Thats right. Thanks to my father and Prince Rutis, I am who I am today.

She nodded vigorously. Well, at least she acknowledged her fathers role. She seemed to at least have a sense of filial duty.

When I turned my gaze back to Sir Villar, his expression was full of admiration. It seemed that a single word from his daughter could make him forget everything else. It must be a fathers destiny.

I nurtured my dream of becoming a knight by watching my father and admiring Prince Rutiss fairness, courage, wisdom, and patience.

What?

Who the fuck was that? Seriously, where did this Rutis live?

I dont know someone like that.

The subject was clearly Rutis, but the adjectives that followed didnt match anything related to that brat.

Maybe she had been talking about a different Rutis all along? Was there another prince named Rutis?

Maybe the Rutis at the Academy was a fake. Yeah, a real prince wouldnt bother coming to the Academy. They wouldnt go crazy for love and make a fuss.

Hes a fake.

He had to be fake. There was no way such a guy could be a real prince.

Fairness?

Well, I solved two of them, so you guys should eat two each.

No one told us to eat them, why are you

Come to think of it, he was indeed fair. Back when the club members forced themselves to eat Louises cookies even though they didnt like them, Rutis showed an unusual sense of fairness.

Courage?

If its us, then we can easily conquer most dungeons.

Now that I think about it, he was also brave. He showed courage beyond his status when he said he would personally conquer any dungeons that appeared.

Wisdom.

Chess is not about winning. Its about making the opponent angry so he cant win.

Just shut up and make your move.

He did know how to win, so him having wisdom seemed to fit. He even made Lather lose his temper.

Why arent you checkmating me when you can do it?!

Wait. I just need to create one more knight.

He had patience too. Just before winning the pastry clubs chess competition, Rutis intentionally delayed the game to create five knights.

Damn it.

Why did everything seem to fit perfectly?

I got goosebumps. Surprisingly, Rutis was indeed a person of fairness, courage, wisdom, and patience. He strangely had those qualities, so it wasnt an incorrect statement.

Could Rutis actually be a prince worthy of admiration? Did he come to the Academy because of the power of the original novel only to end up ruined?

Of course, it was a pointless assumption. It didnt matter if he was originally fine or came to the Academy and became ruined. It didnt change the fact that I was caught up in this mess because of him.

Im not in my right mind, either.

I almost deceived myself and tried to glorify that brat. Fortunately, I managed to avoid that pitfall.

As I continued to show a suitable attitude, Perosas enthusiasm flared up rapidly. When the listeners reaction is good, the speaker tends to get more enthusiastic as well.

Im sorry. It seems like Ive been talking too much about myself.

At least Perosa realized that she had become overly excited and belatedly lowered her head. Even from her own perspective, she must have felt that she had gone overboard.

I understood. Well, I didnt really understand, but I was trying to. Talking about someone you admired was an exciting thing, after all.

Moreover, I was the one who initially brought up the topic of Rutis. Damn it, I shouldnt have brought him up.

Its okay. I found Prince Rutiss new aspects quite interesting as well.

= In other words, dont repeat the same thing; its not new anymore.

Perosa lowered her head further as if she understood. She didnt seem like a bad person.

I caught a glimpse of Sir Villars stinging gaze on Perosa when I glanced sideways. It seems that he was berating her since it was still best to maintain some distance when dealing with someone youd just met, no matter how casual our meeting was.

But if he was going to do that, then why didnt he do it earlier? What was the point of doing it now when everything was over?

I felt sorry for Sir Villar because he was left alone here, but Im relieved to know that Dame Perosa is now here with him.

Perosa cautiously raised her head at my words, seemingly examining Sir Villars reaction.

How many fathers would criticize their daughters after hearing such words? Well, at least Sir Villar wasnt one of them. He let out a small sigh and diverted his sharp gaze.

I never expected to meet her at the Academy, though.

Instead, he didnt forget to throw in a pointed remark.

Thats right. Who could have imagined a father-daughter reunion at the Academy?

Still, thanks to the Executive Manager, I now have the opportunity to be with my daughter.

Haha, thank you for saying that.

After that, the tea party proceeded quietly.

Sir Villar was originally a man of few words, and Perosa had already burned brightly. Thanks to that, the tea party ended calmly.

It looks like everything is fine.

I let out a sigh of relief while drinking the remaining tea after the father and daughter pair left.

Although he hadnt wished for it, Sir Villars expression quickly brightened after seeing his daughter. Fortunately, the possibility of his mental breakdown and escape had disappeared.

Perosas sudden arrival at the Academy didnt seem to be Armeins scheme. If even her fanatical devotion were to be used for some ulterior motive, then they would have no choice but to humbly accept their fate.

I dont think theres anything to worry about.

Actually, I briefly suspected that Perosas arrival might have had something to do with the original story.

A young knight, a noble background, and a tendency to follow and serve a princeit all screamed a villainess concept.

Suddenly, I wondered if Perosa would go up to Louise and slap her, screaming, You thieving cat who bewitched His Highness!

His Highness Rutis is someone who always shines. As a knight, its only natural that I would revere him and want to learn from him.

But the more we talked, the more I realized that she wasnt a villainess.

I havent read many romance fantasy novels, but Ive never seen an antagonist heroine so devoted to admiration and respect. Was it love for Rutis? At the very least, there were no visible traces of it.

I was worried for nothing.

I had avoided the dreadful love triangle.

That was a relief. I almost collapsed from high blood pressure even before the start of the school year.

But she wouldnt realize her feelings for him belatedly, right? It wouldnt matter if she did, but I hope it happens after graduation.

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