CH 88

Hayer sat Iris in front of the table for now, and her head was tilted from the alcohol. She murmured tiredly.

“Why are they giving me so much alcohol…”

“The main character is supposed to be drunk at times like this. It’s this much because you drink so well.”

“Didn’t you drink that much too?”

“I don’t get drunk easily either. Except when someone orders you to drink a bottle of hard liquor at once.”

When she was scolded like that, Iris averted her gaze in embarrassment.

Moonlight was spilling down Iris’s face. Hidden in the closet, Madeleine stared at Iris’s face that sparkled in the moonlight, and was enraptured.

Her eyes contained both the arrogance of a powerful person and the curiosity of a traveller. She was beautiful. Absolutely.

Then Hayer said.

“It won’t be dangerous, so don’t be alarmed. Both.”

After saying that, Hayer headed to the closet.

Madeleine, who realized she had been caught, closed her eyes tightly.

Soon after, the door opened, but there was no hand to force her out, so Madeleine looked up. And stared at the man looking down at her.

Hayer recognized that she was pregnant and held out his hand in a gentle manner.

“Be careful when you come out. Slowly.”

Seeing him up close, he was brilliant.

…It was just that kind of face that reminded her of that.

* * *

Iris and Hayer looked at Madeleine, who was drinking tea, staring at the two of them.

Madeleine shivered and honestly confessed, from whose bastard daughter she was to having Sid’s child, and that he tried to swap her for Iris.

After some of her story was over, Hayer opened his mouth.

“You have a similar face, but you have a completely different personality, Sir Kernin.”

Madeleine raised her head at Hayer’s words.

Iris noticed Madeleine’s anxious eyes and asked Hayer.

“I’m sorry, but can the two of us talk?”

“Yes, I’ve been waiting for you to ask me that.”

Hayer also noticed that Madeleine was uncomfortable with his presence, so he got up as soon as Iris asked.

Iris said goodbye to him.

“Go in with care.”

“Good night. And Miss Madeleine.”

Hayer greeted them in a gentlemanly manner and left Iris’s room.

But without moving any further, he stood in front of Iris’s door, looking back toward the door. He didn’t have enough trust to just go.

While he was standing in front of the door like that, Hencke, vice-captain of the Knights of Tejas, approached.

“Captain.”

“Uh-huh.”

“It’s clear to anyone that the sorcerer kid is the real traitor, Cadella, but the royal family continues to complain. Are they trying to drag it on?”

“Of course they are.”

The king would want to deny Iris having been to the Traitor’s Labyrinth, so there was nothing strange about it.

But if you wait, the right answer will eventually come out. Then Iris will remain a strong candidate for succession to the throne in the heads of the Luwan people. And…

“If it’s lucky, won’t my brother’s succession rank be pushed back?”

At Hayer’s words, Hencke shook his head in disbelief.

“It will be difficult to reverse the order.”

“Anyway, it could be until the second time. Even if Sir Kernin returns, he will not be ranked higher than Iris.”

“Yes, of course.”

“Aren’t we in a good line? At this rate…”

“Captain.”

“Yes.”

“We’re on the captain’s line.”

At Hencke’s words, Hayer glanced at him.

Hencke continued.

“You went to the Traitor’s Labyrinth as well, Captain.”

“I was just following Iris.”

“Didn’t you say you encountered Sir Kernin? When the Sir broke the wall.”

“I did.”

“If Sir Kernin is acknowledged to have escaped the Traitor’s Labyrinth, so can you, Captain.”

“Is that so?”

Hayer responded lukewarmly, and Hencke continued another update.

But Hayer’s attention was on the room. He was wondering what was going on inside.

* * *

Iris was staring at the wound on Madeleine’s arm.

Looking back, Sid seemed to have treated his mistresses that way even when he was married to her.

The appearance of Sid’s mistresses has always been the opposite of Iris’s. Their hair and eyes were brightly coloured.

Several times she has seen his mistresses smirking and leaving the bedroom. Sid seemed to have deliberately wanted to show Iris his mistress, but she didn’t think it was enviable.

He was always abusive to his mistresses, so there were times when bruises could be seen through the hems of their clothes.

Madeleine, more or less genuine, opened her mouth.

“C-can you hide me for a short time?”

“Hide you?”

“It’ll really only take a short time! Baby… just until the baby is born. There’s not much time left. About four and a half months…”

At Madeleine’s request, Iris did not respond for a moment. Well, even if it was forced, it’s true that she joined Sid’s plan.

When Madeleine resigned herself to the idea that she would be kicked out immediately, Iris opened her mouth.

“How about not hiding?”

“What?”

“I need my own lady-in-waiting soon, anyway. There was originally one person I was going to bring, but I think up to two people will be fine.”

“H-how can I do that! I’m an illegitimate child…”

“The king is also a bastard.”

“……”

“Why is my lady-in-waiting an illegitimate daughter?”

Madeleine’s trembling stopped at Iris’s firm eyes.

How in the world can this… Is there anyone who can make the person next to you feel relieved?

Iris Lepos was the kind of woman who made you think that when you were together, even if bad things happened, the results would be fine.

Madeleine let out a shaky breath and nodded after a brief thought.

Then Iris said.

“Good, then let’s tell this to the Royal Chamberlain tomorrow. Then, where to sleep tonight…”

Because of the security she felt in this room, Madeleine pointed urgently to the balcony, not wanting to leave.

“Maybe over th-there!”

“…What are you talking about? A person with a child should sleep in a bed.”

“I can’t do that. Never!”

Seeing Madeleine’s reaction, Iris thought that even if she insisted, she would only make her uncomfortable.

Eventually, she moved and glued the sofa together with Madeleine, allowing her to sleep, and she lay in bed.

Madeleine lay down on the sofa and said.

“Like this… shouldn’t you not trust me…?”

“I don’t trust you. So don’t worry and go to sleep.”

“Yes…”

Madeleine answered in a daze. Then she quickly went and extinguished the candle instead, and lied down on the sofa again.

When she slept in Sid’s bedroom, she slept in a very nice bed. Nevertheless, compared to the sofa here, it felt like sleeping on a chunk of ice.

Can I trust you?

A lady-in-waiting… isn’t that a high position?

Sid frequently spat out the word ‘trash’ to Madeleine. That kind of person is a lady-in-waiting.

Then, what if Iris is also treated like trash?

Madeleine was worried about one thing or another, but perhaps because she was relieved, she was drifting off to sleep.

When she was half asleep, Madeleine saw something glimmering in Iris’s bag.

“Princess.”

“Huh?”

When Iris turned around, Madeleine pointed to the nameplate.

“What… is that?”

For talking to herself, Madeleine quickly went and took it out, and it was Iris’s nameplate.

“Ehh?”

It clearly shone until a moment ago, but there was no light on the nameplate, which was hidden by her shadow.

Madeleine, who was puzzled, stood up with it. The nameplate that touched the moonlight that she was turning her back on began to shine again.

It was because of the pigment applied to the holes in the wooden nameplate. When it touched the moonlight, it looked like it contained jewels.

Both Madeleine and Iris were staring at it blankly.

Iris asked.

“Did Sid’s jewellery look like this when it reflected on the moon?”

“Well, there are a lot of jewels embedded in his nameplate from the beginning…”

“Hmm… Madeleine, you sleep first. I’ll be back.”

“Yes, what?”

“I heard you have four and a half months left until you give birth? If you don’t go to bed early, your baby will be tired too.”

“That… that’s right.”

Madeleine answered and lay down on the sofa obediently.

After that, tired Madeleine fell asleep as soon as she laid her head down, and Iris put a gown over her nightgown. She immediately opened the door to send a message to Hayer, but stopped in surprise.

“…Why are you here?”

Standing at the door, Hayer, who was reading a book he obtained from the library of the east building, looked at her. Then he lifted the book he was holding and said.

“I was told not to take it outside. I’m going to read it all and leave.”

“……”

Iris looked at the book once and looked back at Madeleine, who was sleeping soundly.

“…Do you really think Madeleine will harm me?”

“You shouldn’t underestimate your opponent. It is said that predators do their best even when catching rabbits.”

“I’m not sure. I don’t think I’ll use that much power.”

“…Yes. Humans made their own judgement without asking the beast.”

Hayer replied like that, but he looked embarrassed because he knew Iris’s intentions.

Iris was dumbfounded that Hayer was waiting in front of her because he was worried about her, but she didn’t hate it.

afterword 

hayer just can’t leave her alone my cute nerdy munchkin im going to devour them