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Chapter 51
Before they knew it, the noise of the training grounds had died down. Even the children who’d been crying wiped their messy faces with their sleeves.
“Eloise, Eloise! Are you okay now?”
“Yeah… I’m okay.”
Eloise sniffled as she rubbed her eyes, reddened from crying.
“Then look over there. See that person?”
“Who?”
As if she’d spotted some bizarre creature, Brizney widened her eyes. Eloise turned her head to see who she was talking about.
“I was wondering who Brizney meant—oh, Ron? But… your hair’s blonde?”
It wasn’t the familiar black hair. Eloise tilted her head in confusion at the brilliant golden hair.
“Ah… dyeing my hair started feeling stupid. I decided not to waste my energy on unnecessary things anymore.”
Ron smiled faintly as he looked at Eloise.
“…I’m glad you look brighter.”
“Yup! I’m completely healthy now.”
Brizney pulled Eloise’s sleeve toward herself, clearly displeased with their conversation, forcing Eloise’s attention back to her.
“You know this crybaby?”
“Oh! Brizney, this is Ron Piet. He’s the vice-captain of the Black Knights.”
“Hmmm…”
Brizney narrowed her eyes, unimpressed.
Vice-captain of the Black Knights? That meant he was one of the people protecting Eloise… but that crybaby? Could he really protect her precious friend?
“Lady Brizney, it’s been a while!”
“You know me?”
“Of course! Well, you were so young, maybe you’ve forgotten…”
Ron muttered regretfully.
“What? I’m not young! I’m becoming a noble lady just like Lady Iz! You just didn’t leave an impression!”
“Brizney, the moment you deny being young, you’re already a baby.”
Riena, still not over the humiliation in the office, poked Brizney.
“Riena, you’re noisy!”
“You little—”
Riena almost snapped back but bit her tongue. For some reason she felt like she’d been insulted ever since they’d left the office, so she stayed cautious.
“Hey, you! Are you really the Black Knights’ vice-captain? You’re not deceiving my friend, right?”
Brizney raised her chin, copying the elegant heroine from her picture book. Ron slumped his shoulders.
“You really don’t remember… You used to chase me around all the time.”
“Me? Chasing you? Don’t lie! There’s no way I’d follow someone like you. And this is literally my first time seeing you!”
Ron didn’t argue. Instead, he looked up at the sky.
“You were four years old, Lady Brizney.”
In his mind surfaced the image of a tiny Brizney toddling after him like a baby bird. He’d even been threatened by a terrifyingly doting father… but she had been adorable.
“Brizney at age four must’ve been so cute!”
Eloise’s eyes sparkled. Sensing danger, Brizney raised her voice.
“Don’t fall for it, Eloise!”
She eyed Ron with suspicion. How dare he try to steal her friend with such ridiculous lies!
“Uh… was it Prince Deward? Anyway, the little lady was obsessed with that prince from the picture book and kept following me.”
Ron nodded, remembering her tiny voice calling, “Prince!”
“You said I looked like the prince from the story. You kept shouting ‘Prince!’ and chasing after me. It was so cute…”
“That’s adorable!”
“Eloise! Don’t fall for it!”
Brizney yanked Eloise behind her.
“Obviously he’s lying! The prince’s name wasn’t Deward, it was Edwin!”
Her favorite storybook—The Swan Princess. The prince who saved the princess in danger… his hair…
Brizney stared at Ron’s hair and eyes in disbelief. The golden hair and clear blue eyes were exactly like the illustration. And although she didn’t want to admit it, he really did look like—
No! Impossible! He just resembles him a little! And he even got the prince’s name wrong!
“You’re starting to remember, little lady!”
Ron brightened. Brizney grimaced.
How dare he use lies to charm Eloise! I’m not remembering anything…
Then suddenly, a memory flashed through her mind, and Brizney clutched her head.
“Th‑that can’t be!”
She raised her voice in denial—but the memory spread like spilled paint.
Running around the mansion carrying the Swan Princess book… stumbling upon a man inside a room, holding dye and coloring his hair…
“No way! I followed around a crybaby like him…?”
Brizney collapsed to the ground, devastated.
“Wh—why are you suddenly like this? Y‑you’re not upset because of me, right?”
Ron’s face went pale. If Brizney cried, a certain terrifying someone would surely hunt down the culprit.
“Hey, is this your fault? If Claude starts pestering us, tell him it was you.”
Riena glared at Ron. He was never helpful—never.
“Captain!”
Ron grabbed Riena’s hands just like he had done earlier to Eloise. Riena snatched her hands away in annoyance.
“What now?”
“I’m begging you! A trustworthy superior doesn’t ignore their subordinate’s crisis. Captain, please!”
“That cursed word ‘trustworthy’ again.”
Riena scowled, recalling how that word had annoyed her back in the office.
“I’m not a trustworthy adult or a trustworthy superior. Do I look like one? I skip work and wander around all the time.”
“Captain, please!”
“Get lost. Fix it yourself.”
As Ron and Riena argued endlessly, Brizney remained gloomy. Worried, Eloise approached her.
“Brizney, are you okay? You don’t have to be that shocked! Because… Ron isn’t a crybaby.”
“Hmm?”
Eloise pondered. What should she say?
“Well… he’s just a little dumb.”
“Congratulations. Not a complete idiot—just slightly dumb.”
Riena barely held back laughter. Lady Eloise always hit the mark without meaning to.
“Y‑yeah… I guess so…”
Ron admitted gloomily. After all, he had blurted out, “The maid is actually the captain,” only a few days after meeting Eloise. Hard to deny stupidity after that.
“I’m the idiot. I don’t want to be the same as him.”
Brizney shook her head firmly. Her childhood had been foolish, but she refused to be associated with the crybaby any longer.
“Hmm… then how about…”
Eloise thought hard. A word similar to “dumb”… Oh!
“Then he’s just a slightly lacking but kind Ron!”
Her past life’s habit of watching TV dramas came in handy again. Eloise looked proud.
“Pff—! Hey, ‘slightly lacking but kind Ron!’”
“Lucky you! Not a full idiot—just lacking but kind.”
Nearby knights burst into laughter, forgetting to call him “Vice-Captain.” They rolled on the ground, unable to hold it in.
“….”
As the knights howled with laughter, Ron’s eyes lost their focus.
These jerks will milk this for ten years for sure…
They had grown up together in the North. Northerners rarely spoke, but gossip spread faster than wildfire. Ron looked up at the sky.
I’d rather turn into dust and disappear…
“Hey, you!”
“Yes…”
Brizney lifted her chin proudly.
“That was when I was little. I didn’t know better. Forget it! That’s an order!”
Ron wondered where everything had gone so horribly wrong.
