Chapter 9: Social

At my question, Helena looked momentarily flustered before opening her mouth.

“Well, there’s a bit of a problem with this commoner….”

“With that man?”

I had been idly gazing at Helena, but as I listened to her story, I coldly frowned at the man who was bound by the knights.

Insult and sexual harassment, huh. What trash.

The man, who had received my direct gaze, cringed.

Then, suddenly, as if a good idea had struck him, the man’s lips curled into a smirk, and he glared at Helena, saying,

“G-Grand Duke! Please save me! That woman’s words are all lies! That villainess is now trying to seize an innocent commoner!”

“Hmm?”

What nonsense was this all of a sudden? Contrary to my thoughts, the man further pleaded his innocence.

“She’s trying to kill me just because her feelings were hurt. Please, have mercy, Grand Duke!”

I furrowed my brows, not understanding, and the man knelt as if he would bash his head into the ground.

The knights were flustered by his sudden change in attitude, and Helena’s maid had a vein throbbing on her forehead.

“…What nonsense. You were the one who was rude to the Grand Duchess first!”

“Quiet! Don’t tell me what to do, you mere servant! Grand Duke! Please, mercy!”

Raby’s face contorted at the outrageous tyranny, and the man yelled even louder.

Helena seemed utterly dumbfounded by the sight, letting out a hollow laugh as if she was beyond words.

I watched them, then looked around.

I had intended to ask the onlookers whether the man’s words were true or false.

However, seeing all the commoners holding their breath, I realized that the only people who could prove the man’s innocence were Helena’s party, the man himself, and no one else, so I sighed.

They should be helping in a situation like this.

As I felt frustrated, the coachman, about to erupt again and yell at the onlookers, was stopped by me, and I turned my gaze back to the man.

“So you’re saying you’re innocent?”

“Yes! I believe the Grand Duke is well aware that Grand Duchess Helena Celestia, who is here, is a notorious villainess even in the Empire, who not only looks down on her servants but also treats others with contempt as a matter of course!”

“Indeed.”

When I played along appropriately, the man started babbling even more, as if he had found a way to survive.

‘What a loose-tongued man.’

I frowned, listening to what the man was spouting.

“So the rumors have spread not only throughout the capital but even to the distant North!”

As far as I knew, the rumors about Helena were already quite malicious throughout the capital.

Most of the rumors were exaggerated to disparage her, but in that distant, cold, frontier land, almost isolated from the Empire, even a Grand Duke wouldn’t know her rumors.

‘—He must be thinking that.’

I shook my head, thinking of the man who must be laughing inwardly.

Unaware of my thoughts, the man’s insults towards Helena, right in front of her, were increasingly crossing the line. Just as I was about to put my hand on my sword hilt, two knights moved before me.

“If you utter another word, you won’t die peacefully.”

Despite the threat, whether the man believed in me or something else, I don’t know, but even while being subdued by the knights, he defiantly continued to tell me bad rumors about Helena.

Thinking that whatever I said here wouldn’t be heard by the agitated man, I simply nodded.

Conversely, as Helena and Raby’s expressions stiffened, the man laughed, thinking it served them right, but that was only for a moment.

“Grand Duke! So this woman…?!”

The man’s expression froze as his eyes met mine.

When I get excited or hear unpleasant things, my pupils slit vertically like a wolf’s. That must be my current state. Like a small animal facing a predator, the man’s body trembled violently.

The sight was amusing, and I slightly curled my lips.

“That was an interesting statement. Not only the Grand Duchess, but you dare to lie in front of me, the Grand Duke.”

“…Yes?”

“You have great ambition, don’t you? Why, do you wish to have your head cut off?”

“I, I…!”

I didn’t want to hear the man’s rambling excuses. All I could see now was Helena trembling, her lips pressed tightly, and her body hunched.

Why, for what reason, are you, who did nothing wrong, so afraid?

Helena, trembling, looked incredibly small. Just like when I first met her in the reception room.

The imposing figure from just a moment ago was gone, leaving only the tiny Grand Duchess Helena Celestia.

Your confidence is one of your charms; if you lose that, what will be left of you? I let out a surprised chuckle at her appearance, which kept coming to mind no matter how much I tried to forget.

That woman, who tried to charm me, might think she failed, but it’s the opposite. I had to admit it now. That woman had thoroughly captivated me from our first meeting.

I wanted to immediately caress that forest-like hair and comfort her, but now was not the time.

I glared at the man, my eyes wide, and he swallowed.

I clicked my tongue, opened the carriage door, stepped out, and walked directly in front of the man.

Then, I took out the sword hilt from my waist, held it in my hand, and used its tip to lift the man’s chin, meeting his gaze.

“The security in the capital has become even more chaotic since I last saw it. What are the security forces doing? The North is better. The barbarians and foreign tribes quiet down when their heads are cut off.”

“Ugh, ack?!”

The man said nothing, merely trembling, at the murderous intent flowing in my eyes.

Seeing the man’s pants getting wet, I made a disgusted face and distanced myself.

“How could a man of your age act like that?”

The punishment for making an enemy of the Grand Duke was harsh. I scoffed at the man, staring at him intently, then re-sheathed my sword hilt.

I called a knight.

“Hey.”

“…I greet the great Moon of the Empire, Your Grace the Grand Duke.”

“You are to hand this man over to the security forces. I will personally escort the Grand Duchess to her mansion.”

Oh, and I added, “Tell the captain of the security forces to throw him into ‘Yustia Prison’ without trial for insulting the Grand Duchess, sexual harassment, and deceiving the Grand Duke.” The knight trembled but looked at me with respect before bowing his head.

What was so special about this that he would give me such a look? I awkwardly brushed my bangs back.

Yustia Prison.

The largest prison in the Empire, a place where people were not treated as human. It was teeming with death row inmates and heinous criminals who could not be dealt with by ordinary trials.

‘It would probably be better to die.’

I watched the man being dragged away by the knight, then turned my gaze to the stiff Helena and held out my hand.

“I’ll escort you to your mansion, Grand Duchess.”

“…Y-Yes?”

“Don’t we still have a lot to talk about?”

Quite a lot, indeed.

Saying so, I smiled gently for the first time.

****

“Are you feeling better?”

As I watched the sun set, I asked, crossing my legs. Helena, who had been quietly covered by a blanket in front of me, looked at me.

By the way, including her servant, there were a total of three people in this carriage. Her name was Raby, I believe?

“…I’m fine. More importantly, Grand Duke.”

“Don’t think too deeply about it, Grand Duchess. I know most of it is lies. Even if it’s true, it’s exaggerated.”

“Yes?”

“I only believe what I see. I don’t blame you or curse you. Only a fool would believe such rumors.”

Huff, I saw Raby gasp at my words. When I looked at her, Raby quickly averted her gaze and looked at Helena.

Helena, who received her gaze, stared blankly at me for a moment, then burst into laughter for the first time today.

“What was that? …Even His Majesty the Emperor thinks my personality isn’t exactly like the rumors, but similar.”

‘So is His Majesty the Emperor an idiot too?’ My eyebrows furrowed with all their might at Helena’s playful question.

“Grand Duchess. How many times must I tell you that insulting the Imperial Family is punishable by death?”

“There are only three of us anyway. Raby won’t say anything, and are you going to tell His Majesty the Emperor, Grand Duke?”

“No.”

I shrugged.

“The Emperor is indeed an idiot. In my opinion, he’s incompetent.”

I admitted what needed to be admitted. Helena’s smile deepened. Seeing her relaxed, Raby, who was next to her, let out a sigh of relief.

Raby turned to look at me and mouthed