"Onii-sama!!"

That was the first time I heard Freya shout so angrily. I could hear her shouting before she had even reached the dining hall. I placed my knife and fork down then wiped my mouth with my napkin while waiting for her to enter.

Angry she was. She charged into the dining hall with an enraged expression. She was fuming to the point that she could levitate if anger could fill you up similarly an air balloon. I looked at her while sitting at the table. With a smile I asked, "What's wrong, Freya? Did someone anger you?"

"Of course!! Get in here!!"

Freya pointed to the door while angrily shouting. I saw Gerald enter the dining hall with a nervous expression. He gave a deep bow when he saw me and greeted me, "Your Majesty! Your Majesty, good evening…"

"Uhm"

I nodded.

Lucia greeted him with a smile, "Good evening."

Nier ignored Gerald as if she didn't hear him.

Freya stood angrily with her arms akimbo. I don't know what the meaning of that action is. Maybe it's an instinctive action living organisms perform. She wanted to appear a little intimidating, but unfortunately, it didn't do anything, but make Freya appear cuter to me. Freya was completely red in the face from anger. She pointed at Gerald and exclaimed, "He peeped on me sleeping!"

"I did not!!"

Gerald tried to explain himself with a red face.

"You watched me sleep!!"

"Stop for a second… please stop for a second you two…"

I extended my hand out to stop Freya, who was raging, and said, "Regardless of what happened, calm down first Freya and explain to me what happened. You said Gerald peeped on you sleeping, but it's not bedtime right now. It's only dinner time. Gerald was training in the afternoon, so how did he peep on our sleeping?"

"I… I… I was a little tired when I was in the office, so I lay down on the table to rest for a bit… Then… then he peeped on me sleeping!!"

Freya looked at me and spoke with her face all red. I wasn't sure if her face was red because she was shy or angry. I lingered for a moment before looking at Gerald.

'Logically speaking, is getting caught sleeping on the table considered peeping on someone sleeping? I'm not convinced that people sleep at the table naked… Hence the question: does it count as Gerald peeping on her…?'

I didn't say anything. Lucia, who was next to me, looked at Freya and in a serious tone said, "Freya… I don't think that counts as peeping on your sleeping, does it…? You were sleeping at the table and not in the room, after all. Plus, you weren't undressed, were you…? So, at most, Gerald only saw you sleeping at the table. I don't think there's any issue."

"Ugh…"

Freya, who was a master with words was now red in the face, but had no response. She had no choice, but to look toward Nier for help. She hoped Nier would help her by speaking up for her. Nier noticed Freya's gaze, so she placed the bread in her hand down, and then bluntly said, "Gerald is your personal bodyguard."

"So what if he is?! A personal bodyguard does not have the right to peep on me sleeping, either!!"

"It's normal for a bodyguard to say by the side of the person that they're to protect while they're sleeping. I once watched His Majesty sleep until he woke up, as well. It's no big deal to a bodyguard. We do that to protect you. You don't need to mind it."

Nier indicated that was all she had to say. She wasn't willing to say anymore; thus, she picked up the bread. I chuckled awkwardly.

'The last time Nier watched me sleep, I didn't get to sleep well.  She didn't give me any room to rest that night. She sat there next to my bed and grinded her sword. Let's not forget that she was always dropping her cla.s.sic line at the time. Yes, I'm referring to the cla.s.sic, "Please kill yourself" line. I didn't dare to sleep all night…'

"Ugh… Onii-sama…"

Freya looked at me with puppy eyes. She looked pitiful as a little pet that was cornered. I sighed. I looked at Gerald, "I, basically, have a grasp of what happened now. You weren't in the wrong this time, Gerald. I'd say that it was due to a lack of communication between you two. Gerald, you didn't knock before entering, did you? It is, indeed, a little embarra.s.sing for Freya to be spotted sleeping at her workplace. Neither of you were wrong in this incident, so just forget it."

Freya pouted and grumpily muttered, "It was not because I was embarra.s.sed…"

Gerald chuckled dryly then looked at me, "I did not actually see anything, honestly. I just saw Miss Freya hugg-…"

"Aaaahhh!!!"

Freya suddenly cried out, causing me to jump up from fright. Freya suddenly punched Gerald in his gut, causing him to bend over from the pain. She then b.u.mped him from the side and pushed him out as he staggered. Freya and Gerald left the dining hall, just like that, while the three of us looked at them feeling completely bewildered.

Wait, let me correct that. She beat him out of the dining hall.

"Just what… is up with those two…?"

I looked in the direction the two of them left in and shook my head feeling baffled. Nier snorted then snickered, "And thus, being a bodyguard isn't a job anybody can do. There isn't and never will be another bodyguard like me."

'Yeah, Nier, you're the only bodyguard who could ever tell the target they're supposed to protect, "please kill yourself" at least twice daily. I believe that Gerald won't ever say that even once…'

'Was I too tolerant with Nier back then…?'

"Wait. Your Highness, there is something I would like to confirm. Why was Nier able to watch you sleep before you got married…? Did something already happen between you and Nier back then…? Your highness, if something did happen during that time and you have not yet told me…. That is a b.l.o.o.d.y betrayal…"

"Let me explain! Lucia! Listen to my explanation!!!"

Gerald wore a helpless smile as he followed behind Freya, who was grumpily walking away. The pain from being hit by the young girl a few times was still there… He couldn't understand why Freya was angry. He woke her up out of good will and even complimented her drawing of His Majesty. But then, Freya jumped up with a red face similarly to an angry kitten.

He couldn't figure out just what he did wrong…

Freya suddenly spun her head around to face Gerald and shouted, "Don't follow me!!"

"I cannot do that, Miss Freya. I am under orders from His Majesty to protect you. How could I let you go around at night?"

Gerald resolutely refused. He completely ignored the young girl's anger and order. Freya had no reb.u.t.tal. She angrily spun around and sat down on the steps. She complained, "d.a.m.n it… I was careless… I can't believe I forgot to close the door… Nevertheless, you are not to tell anyone about this, understood…? That was so embarra.s.sing…"

"Aahh, I understand. I understand. Falling asleep at work is embarra.s.sing. I once fell asleep while on duty and snored. My friend discovered that I had dozed off, and so I had to bribe him with seven bronze coins to treat him to a drink so that he would not expose me!"

Gerald looked at Freya with pride. He noticed that the young girl he had to protect was no longer angry and genuinely felt very happy. He wanted to get Freya to laugh with his embarra.s.sing history.

Freya didn't laugh, though; instead, she looked at him with pity and at the same time as if he was a blithering idiot. She hesitated for a moment before asking, "You're… you're a not a r.e.t.a.r.d, are you…?"

"That is rude!! I am not stupid. I learn everything quickly."

"Okay, okay, okay. You're not r.e.t.a.r.ded. You're not r.e.t.a.r.ded."

Freya then let out a sigh of relief. She then looked at him with a ridiculing smile with her head t.i.tled. She continued, "But I bet you don't have a wife. Actually, I bet you haven't even had a girlfriend. Wait, wait, wait, you probably don't even have a girl that likes you, huh? I can tell with one glance that you're a kid with no life!"

"H-How did you know…? I… I am not that pitiful! I… I have a girl I could marry!"

Gerald fought back with a red face. Though he said that, his gaze that lacked confidence and his red face was a dead giveaway that he was telling a lie that not even he, himself, believed.

"Do you want to know how I know?"

Freya stood up with a mischievous smile then turned around and went up. She then turned her head around with a smile and continued, "Of course, it was because I guessed, you idiot."

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