As Angela Luxinowa and Reiji Saiki spoke, Rei suddenly went still, his eyes fixed on the door.
"Rei? What's wrong?"
"…It seems our guest has arrived."
Rei's expression told Angela everything she needed to know. She scrambled off the sofa and hurried toward the entrance.
Leaving Rei inside the cottage, she stepped out to see a small group approaching. Recognizing Princess Frizion at the center, Angela rushed to meet them.
"Her Highness Frizion. You've arrived quite early."
"Have I? It’s nearly evening already…"
"Eh?"
Startled, Angela looked around. The sky was filled with madder-colored clouds, stained deep crimson by the setting sun. It was an autumn evening, a twilight scene that carried a faint, lonely weight.
But Angela had no time for sentiment. She had been sent ahead to observe Rei’s character, yet she realized she’d been so swept up in their conversation that she’d forgotten her mission entirely.
Frizion caught her flustered state and offered a small, knowing smile.
"Based on your reaction, Angela, it seems you’ve managed to get quite close to Rei. So, tell me—how is my future brother-in-law?"
"I… don't know if that's the right phrasing."
"Oh?"
Angela’s subtle note of protest—discernible only because of their long history together—surprised Frizion.
Is something actually going on here? she wondered.
Frizion didn't think Angela had actually fallen in love in such a short span, but she definitely saw a genuine spark of affection. Still, she kept her thoughts off her face.
"Hehe, just a joke. Since time is short, give me the highlights. What is he like?"
"Well… he has no walls when it comes to nobles. It’s surprising. Though 'walls' might not be the best word in this case."
"That aligns with what I heard from Videre," Frizion said, glancing toward the woman beside her.
Angela shook her head. "No, it’s beyond what I expected. Speaking with him, I got the feeling that in Rei’s mind, nobles are no different from commoners."
"…'Rei,' is it? You’ve certainly moved to first-name terms quickly." Frizion’s gaze turned playful.
"Th-that's… I just thought it would be better to get along with him to understand him better."
"Fufu, I’m not scolding you. But don't go losing your heart, all right?"
Not with Vihera in the picture, her eyes added.
Angela nodded silently, understanding the warning.
Standing outside the cottage, they spoke in hushed tones, assuming Rei couldn't hear. For any normal human, they would have been right.
But Rei wasn't normal.
I can hear everything, he thought.
With five senses far sharper than most, their conversation reached him clearly even through the closed door. Seeing that they were finished, Rei stepped outside.
Frizion greeted him with a smile. "Should I say 'nice to meet you'? I saw your face during the Fighting Tournament, but this is our first formal meeting."
"Yeah, that works."
Rei’s blunt response sent a ripple of shock through the Knights of the White Rose Knight Order accompanying the princess. Their gazes sharpened instantly.
While Frizion, Angela, and Videre had expected this, seeing it directed at an Imperial Princess still drew a flicker of surprise across their faces. Being brusque with nobles was one thing, but they hadn't quite prepared for him to treat royalty with the same casual disregard.
Even Videre, the only one who had seen Rei interact with Vihera and Mercurio, found his tone toward the First Princess jarring.
Frizion, however, didn't miss a beat. She maintained her serene smile.
"I’m glad to hear it. I’ve been wanting to properly greet my sister’s lover."
"…Lover?" Rei tilted his head.
Frizion spoke as if it were a matter of record, but Rei knew better. He was well aware of Vihera’s feelings—she wasn't exactly subtle about her attraction—but he hadn't accepted them yet. His only real fault was that he had only rejected her outright once.
"Yes. She’s a lovely girl, though she can be quite a handful. Even with her overwhelming strength, she insists she won't give herself to anyone weaker than her… Goodness."
Frizion sighed, though she herself was in her mid-twenties and still lacked even a fiancé.
"You’ve got the wrong idea. Vihera and I aren't in that kind of relationship."
"Oh? Did I mishear you?"
"No. I said we aren't in that kind of relationship," Rei stated flatly.
Frizion tilted her head, pondering his words for several seconds before looking at him with skepticism.
"What about her don't you like? She’s headstrong and has a bad habit of seeking out fights with stronger opponents, sure. But she’s undeniably beautiful, with a figure any man would envy. She’s kind and intelligent. Honestly, it’s a bit much to say, but for a mere adventurer, she’s an incredible catch."
Rei watched her earnest pitch and thought of Mercurio. They really are related. Even if they shared only half their blood, Frizion’s affection for Vihera was obvious.
"I know that. I know she’s a partner far better than I deserve. But… unfortunately, I can’t return those feelings right now."
Frizion understood the underlying meaning. As a woman who had navigated the gossip-drenched waters of high society, she knew the weight of such a statement.
But the knights of her order didn't share her perspective. To them, Rei’s tone was an unforgivable insult to their princess.
These were women who had dedicated themselves to the blade rather than romance. To them, Rei looked like he was callously playing with the heart of Vihera, the strongest woman in the empire, all while speaking insolently to their lord.
Their patience snapped.
"To ignore Her Highness Vihera’s feelings like that… have you no shame?"
"I agree, Her Highness Frizion! You should absolutely not entrust Lady Vihera to a man like this!"
"Just because you have a pretty face, you think you can toy with women…"
"Lady Vihera must be being deceived!"
Rei gave a wry smile, Frizion sighed, and Angela’s jaw tightened. Angela, feeling a burgeoning fondness for Rei herself, hated seeing him mocked.
It was a stroke of luck that Rei hadn't been sent as Mercurio's Special Envoy. Had that been his title, this verbal assault would have been an official insult to the prince himself. Even so, he was still Mercurio’s chosen representative.
"That's enough! You're being rude to Lord Rei!"
The shout came not from Angela, but from Videre. She glared at the knights with furious eyes. Videre shared Angela’s respect for Rei, though her admiration was rooted in his untouchable combat prowess.
"W-we apologize!" the knights cried, bowing in unison with the precision of long training.
"If you're going to apologize, don't look at me! Apologize to Lord Rei!"
"We are truly sorry!"
"Forget it," Rei said. "I'm just not good with formal speech. If it bothers you that much, I'll keep my mouth shut from here on. Would that be better?"
Rei looked at Frizion, who simply shook her head.
"Not at all. You’re the first person to ever speak to me this way, but I find it quite refreshing."
The men closest to Frizion were the Emperor, Trajist, and the princes Cabajid and Schuls. Cabajid was always impeccably polite, and while Schuls could be blunt, it was a different sort of intensity.
Mercurio was her brother, but he had always favored Vihera over her, so they weren't as close. As for her father, Trajist, they hadn't had a real conversation in months. Between the Imperial Guard Knights and the groveling nobles, no one ever spoke to her as a person.
In that regard, Rei was a unique experience.
The first man… that might be a bit of a dangerous way to think about it, she mused.
She kept her inner bashfulness hidden, maintaining the calm exterior of the First Princess.
"Well, if you're fine with it, I'm fine with it," Rei said.
Frizion turned a stern eye back to the knights. "You all understand?"
"Yes! We are deeply sorry!" they shouted, their voices even more synchronized than before. Videre was their superior, but Frizion was their liege.
Frizion nodded in satisfaction.
"Now then, everyone. Standing around out here will only draw eyes. Rei, Angela, Videre, and I will head into the cottage. The rest of you, maintain a perimeter. I doubt there will be trouble, but if any members of the Schuls or Big Brother Cabajid's Faction appear, make sure they don't find out Rei is here and notify me at once."
As the knights moved to their stations, Frizion smiled at Rei.
"Now, let's talk inside. I’ve been looking forward to a long chat with my future brother-in-law."
"I keep telling you, Vihera and I aren't like that," Rei sighed.
He followed them inside, realizing it was useless to argue. As he stepped in, he felt the heavy gazes of the hidden gardeners on his back, likely triggered by Frizion’s arrival. Frizion herself, however, walked ahead without a care in the world.