The Roxy Inspection

A FEW DAYS HAD PASSED since my visit to the bar, and I had grown used to my

double life. By day I was a servant of the Hart family, and by night I hunted

goblins to satiate my Gluttony with new souls.

At the same time, I was growing concerned about the movements of Rafale

and his siblings. I staked out the high-end shop I saw them enter that one night

numerous times, but Rafale didn't appear again, nor did the other holy knights.

Perhaps their meeting place had changed. I had no idea what they were

planning, but there was little more I could do than simply keep watch for now.

I could have told Lady Roxy about what I saw, but all I'd be able to tell her was

that Rafale was doing something suspicious. That was information with little

worth. She already knew the Vlericks were always up to no good; what

mattered was uncovering exactly what .

After a few days of dithering, I came to a decision. No matter how much I

fretted, I'd get nowhere trying to pull answers out of thin air. If I wanted

information, I had to ask someone involved with the group.

Fortunately, it just so happened that—thanks to my hunting escapades in the

Goblin Grasslands and Hobgoblin Forest—the Vlerick family's second son was

himself hunting down the rampant monster responsible. So, dressed in my

black hooded robes and skull mask, I became the rampant monster that was

terrifying adventurers. In time, I thought, they might even come up with a name

for me.

I mulled over how best to lure Hado Vlerick as I tended to the garden, doing

my apprentice chores. It was a beautiful day, perfect weather for trimming the

lawns. We hadn't been able to do anything the previous day because of rain, so

we were trying to make up for it.

Since dawn, I'd been working on the lawns under the guidance of the head

gardeners. Hart Manor's lawns were vast, and the grass was thick with life. In a

mere few weeks, a given patch would grow bristly and unkempt, so our

gardening location changed on a weekly rotation. This week was the south

lawn, next week was the east, the week after that was the north… The work

was never-ending.

I had a long road to walk before I could prune the manor's trees. By midday,

the head gardeners had left me to my assigned tasks and returned to their own

work, and I was alone. I silently continued trimming the lawns until I noticed a

figure near the manor's back gate.

"Is that…is that who I think it is?"

It was. No doubt about it, the figure was definitely Lady Roxy. She was

slipping out the back gate as if she didn't want to be seen. Her clothes were

different from usual, too. Most of the time, Lady Roxy cut a gallant figure in her

holy-knight armor, but today she was dressed just like any of the town's young

girls. What was she doing, looking like a commoner? I caught up to her as she

slunk away.

"Have a nice day, Lady Roxy!" I said.

I had only meant to offer a polite greeting as a servant to his master, but Lady

Roxy leapt into the air with a squeal of shock. She turned and sighed with relief

when she realized it was me.

"Ah! You gave me such a fright, Fay!" Her cheeks puffed up in a pout.

"What are you doing, Lady Roxy? You look a bit…different…"

"These are… Well, sometimes I just want to relax…! Wait. No. This is for a top

secret inspection. Sometimes, I dress like an ordinary girl so I can study how

regular people live up close."

Wow. It was just like Lady Roxy to come up with a brilliant scheme like that.

No other holy knight would ever do such a thing. She really was unique.

"That's a wonderful idea. Well, I don't want to get in your way, so I'll head

back to work. Enjoy your day!"

I tried to return to the lawns, but Lady Roxy ordered me to stop. Well, more

precisely, she came up behind me and grabbed hold of my collar.

"Fay, wait! I've just had another wonderful idea."

Lady Roxy might have said "wonderful," but she also looked like a kid who just

came up with a fantastic prank. I was a little dubious about the wonderfulnessquotient of this idea of hers.

"Uh…yes, Lady Roxy?"

She struck a puzzling, coquettish pose and said, "Hee hee! It's top secret. I'm

giving you a top-secret mission, Fay!"

"Whaaaat?"

Lady Roxy looked alarmingly cute, even though she clearly didn't use this pose

often. Still, I was speechless. A secret mission from a holy knight?! Was I even

capable of that?! I could barely trim grass.

Seeing my bewilderment, Lady Roxy once again struck her pose and spoke.

"You'll join me on my inspection of the people! You will use your skills and

expertise to be my escort!"

In my heart, I heard my previous response echo. Whaaaat?

Could I do that? Could I escort a woman? I'd never done anything remotely

comparable since the day I was born. And when I remembered it was Lady Roxy

I'd be escorting… The difficulty level was way too high! I didn't think I could go

on living if I failed to meet her expectations. I froze in place, unable to reply.

Lady Roxy grabbed my hand impatiently. "Well, let's go. If we stay here much

longer, we'll most certainly be spotted."

"Please, wait. I still have my duties… The head gardeners will be upset if I shirk

my responsibilities."

"That won't be an issue. I'll come up with a reason to cover for you later, and

I'll tell them myself. See? Problem solved!"

This townsperson version of Lady Roxy was awfully pushy, especially with how

she intended to entangle me in her plans.

But wait, is this just how strongly she feels about getting to know the reality of

the kingdom's people? If that's the case, my job is to do everything I can to

support her.

Yes! I would help her understand the lives of the common people so she

might use that knowledge to better protect them.

"I understand, Lady Roxy. I'll…I'll do my best!"

"Really?! Oh, this is going to be so much fun! Let's go!"

"Okay!"

We left through the back gate, proceeding carefully so as not to be spotted.

Lady Roxy moved like a real pro. I got the feeling this wasn't her first such

excursion.

"Lady Roxy," I said. "Do you do this kind of thing often?"

"Uh… I… Nooo. No, I don't do it that often."

"Really?"

What would the other servants think if they knew Lady Roxy regularly

disguised herself as an everyday commoner and went out on these so-called

"inspections"? She was the head of the house of Hart. There had to be issues

with anyone of her rank doing such things.

As if sensing my concern, Lady Roxy looked at me sternly. "Fay, you can't tell

anybody about this. Not a soul. Especially not…her ."

"Her…? Ohhh. Okay, I understand."

She was talking about the head servant who managed the household staff,

the young woman who doubled as her secretary. Someone so serious and

earnest would be furious to find Lady Roxy leaving the manor dressed like an

ordinary person. She would absolutely attempt to put a stop to it.

"Yeah," I said. "If she found out, she'd probably say something like, 'Please,

my lady, attend to the standards of your position!'" I pretended to push a pair

of glasses up the bridge of my nose, something the head servant did all the

time.

Lady Roxy covered her mouth and let out a laugh. "Stop those impressions

immediately! We'll give away our position!"

"Sorry, Lady Roxy, I guess I got a bit carried away."

"It's fine. Now, let's get out of the Holy Knight District. The sooner the

better."

We kept moving, sneaking as we went. Suddenly, Lady Roxy pulled me into a

small alleyway. She drew me into a tight embrace; thanks to her overwhelming

stats, I was trapped in her clutches. I couldn't move a muscle. On top of that,

with our skin touching, my Telepathy kicked in.

"He's…he's still struggling. I'll have to hold him tighter."

What did she plan to do to me in the shadows of this alleyway?!

"Fay, be quiet," Lady Roxy said, cutting off my addled thoughts. "The manor's

maids are coming this way."

I looked where Lady Roxy nodded. Two young maids chatted as they strolled

in our direction. I hadn't even noticed them. Admittedly, I was a tad

overexcited; I was on a secret, two-person mission with Lady Roxy, whom I

admired and looked up to. Who wouldn't have been thrilled? But this mission

was an important responsibility, so I focused up and watched the maids pass by.

If I couldn't overcome my stray thoughts, we'd never complete our mission.

"Uh…Lady Roxy? I think you can let me go now."

"What? Already?"

"What a pity. But who's a good boy? Fay's a good boy!"

With that, Lady Roxy gently rubbed my head, even though she didn't need to

hold me any longer. The maids had entered the manor by now. This was

unnecessary! Finally, my unspoken request seemed to reach Lady Roxy, and she

released me with a dissatisfied pout.

"Fine, fine. There you go," she said with a hint of annoyance as she walked on

ahead.

Had I done something wrong? I ran after her. "Lady Roxy, wait!"

Something about her today was so different from usual.

"Okay," Lady Roxy said. "Stop that right now!"

"What is it, Lady Roxy? What's wrong? Lady Roxy?"

"That! Stop that! Stop it! If you keep calling me 'Lady Roxy,' you'll blow our

cover!"

"Oh. Ohhh."

My first blunder! Lady Roxy had gone to all this trouble to disguise herself, but

if I called her by her name and title, it would all be for nothing. In that case…

how was I supposed to address her?

"Okay, okay," she added. "Stop looking at me like some kind of lost puppy!

You can call me…Lexie! And none of that 'Lady' business, either. So no 'Lady

Lexie.' Right now, I'm just another regular girl."

She spoke with such confidence and power. I'd never seen a "regular girl"

with her grand aura of dignity. I wondered whether I should say something

about that but thought better of it. Lady Roxy was so animated; I hadn't seen

her like this in so long. Since inheriting her father's post, she'd been worked to

the bone. With my support today, I dared to hope she could find a more

genuine calm.

However, Lady Roxy's gaze—which clearly wanted something from me—

interrupted my thoughts. Did she want me to call her by her new name? Yes,

that had to be it.

"Shall we head off then, uh…Lexie?"

"Of course."

So this was what Lady Roxy meant by "being her escort." We had just left, but

I had a feeling my difficulties were only beginning. Would I make it out of this

one alive? I was worried to the bone, out of my mind with anxiety. Even with

that uncertainty in my heart, my legs kept walking me forward alongside Lady

Roxy.

Together, we headed toward the gate that would take us out of the Holy

Knight District and into the Merchant District.

***

The gatekeeper studied our faces. "Travel passes, please."

Oh no . I'd left my travel pass in my room at the manor. Would I have to go

back and get it?

Then Lady Roxy pulled a piece of paper from her pouch and showed it to the

gatekeeper. Upon seeing it, he dropped to one knee.

Whoa! That's an effective paper!

From what I could gather, Lady Roxy didn't carry an ordinary travel pass. Mine

would never have garnered that kind of reaction.

"Let's go, Fay. Quickly now!"

"Oh, yes. Of course."

It seemed Lady Roxy's travel pass allowed me through the gate, too, even

though I wasn't carrying my papers. After I'd passed through and caught up to

Lady Roxy, I surreptitiously asked her about it.

"This is the highest level of travel pass," Lady Roxy declared proudly. "Anyone

who carries one is treated the same as a holy knight. Impressive, no?"

It was indeed impressive, without a doubt, but…didn't it also give away Roxy's

rank? Weren't we on a top secret mission? Even so…

"You're amazing, Lexie. I almost can't believe your pass has that much

power."

"Right?"

We entered the Merchant District and assessed the area.

"Fay, let's put your escort skills to use."

"Yes, of course. We'll start by exploring the Merchant District."

To be honest, I hadn't thought of exactly where to escort Lady Roxy. Still,

even without a destination, I didn't think it was a bad idea to simply stroll

around. All my escort duty really meant was taking her around until she pointed

out things that interested her. That felt more in line with Roxy's idea of an

inspection than me trying to play tour guide.

However, Lady Roxy didn't move as fast as I expected. She strode with the

dignity of her position, which was likely a habit she'd developed when she

learned to walk. Furthermore, because holy knights were the kingdom's highest

ranked individuals, wherever they went, people got out of their way. But when

the Merchant District was especially packed—like it was today—on the main

streets you practically had to push and elbow your way through all the people.

Lady Roxy's stately gait primed her for imminent collision.

"I've walked this street so many times, but I just can't get used to all the

people," Lady Roxy said. "Today there are even more than usual. Even if we're

careful, we'll never get through."

"In that case, allow me to lead the way."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course. I'm your escort, aren't I?"

"How very reliable!"

Of course, now that I'd said it, I actually had to do it. With my stats, though, I

wouldn't get knocked over. We could push through the crowd without sending

anyone flying. Lady Roxy placed a hand on my shoulder as we went, and her

thoughts flowed into me.

"Go, Fay! Go! This is fun! Go forth, and the path shall open!"

We bulled into the most bustling section of the street. It was tough work

keeping an eye on Lady Roxy as we pushed through the crowds, but it brought

me a special pleasure to see how much she was enjoying herself. The effort was

worth it for her satisfaction, which I could hear in her thoughts.

"Oh, what's that?"

At that, Lady Roxy's thoughts vanished as her hand fell from my shoulder.

Something had caught her attention. But I was glad; all that listening in on her

thoughts made me feel kind of awkward.

"Fay, come over and look at this! Quickly!"

"Oh, wow."

In front of us were a variety of beautiful stones placed along a table. The

jeweler had set up a stall in front of their shop. These weren't the high-quality

gems you'd find inside, but a collection of modestly priced stones the townsfolk

could afford. However, the stones started at one silver coin, so they were

certainly expensive as far as I was concerned.

Lady Roxy's eyes lit up as she took in the brilliant gems. However, I'd never

seen her wearing any jewelry. The only enduring image of Lady Roxy in my head

was that of her in her white light armor, her holy sword at the ready. The Lady

Roxy I knew adorned herself in nothing more.

But perhaps that's not how she sees herself, I thought as I watched her with

the stones.

"I'm a girl too, you know," Lady Roxy said, a little embarrassed. "I'm allowed

to show interest in this kind of thing!"

She must have felt the weight of my gaze. But this version of her, who took

these beautiful stones in hand to admire them, was new to me. I had always

thought of Lady Roxy as somebody who lived and breathed by the way of the

holy knight, but at this moment, she struck me as no different from any other

young girl. Perhaps who she was during the day was a role she forced herself to

play. I hoped I was overthinking it.

Roxy smiled at me then, and my worries dissipated. "This place is wonderful.

Well, shall we move on?"

"Oh? You won't buy anything?"

"I don't need to."

Wondering whether that was really the case, I called out to Lady Roxy as she

began to leave. All I had in my pockets were ten copper coins. But what did I

have to lose? I clenched the coins in my fist and looked at the girl behind the

stall.

"Can I buy anything with these?" I asked.

The girl looked a little unsure of what to say, but then she clapped her hands

like she had an idea. She disappeared inside the shop and returned with a

wooden box in which there were ten rocks, each about the size of a fist.

"Our jewels come from these pieces of ore," she said. "We break them open

to find gems. Sometimes there's one inside, and sometimes there isn't. You can

have one for your ten coins. How does that sound?"

The girl was being generous, but it didn't seem like a good gift for Lady Roxy.

If the ore was empty, I would have essentially bought her a rock. I felt bad

because the girl had really gone out of her way for me, but I needed to turn her

down. I opened my mouth to say so when I noticed the joy on Lady Roxy's face.

"Are…you going to buy one of those for me?"

"I…I know it's not much, but…it'd be a token of my thanks. You know, for

saving me from Rafasshole that time."

"No, I'm really happy! Which one should I choose…?" Lady Roxy looked

contemplative. "You know, I think it would be better if you picked for me, Fay."

The pressure of sudden responsibility was astronomical. Lady Roxy was asking

me to pick a jewel out of ten rocks! And there was no guarantee I'd even get

one with anything worthwhile inside. All I had to rely on was my luck.

Hm…this one!

I selected a rock. Compared to the others, it was neither too big nor too small.

"This one, please."

"Are you sure? You can still change your mind, if you like."

I really wished the shopgirl hadn't said that. I'd finally made up my mind, and

now she was knocking the supports out from under my confidence. I had a

feeling she was getting a real kick out of my predicament, too.

Wait. Of course!

I was so high up on cloud nine from just hanging out with Lady Roxy that I'd

forgotten I had Identify. I could use it to solve the whole dilemma in a

heartbeat. To start, I analyzed the piece of ore I'd just passed to the girl. It

seemed as though lady luck had indeed smiled upon me.

"Yes," I said. "That's the rock I want."

"Okay, that'll be ten copper coins. I hope you find something pretty."

I paid and took the piece of ore in hand. I wasn't sure what to do. Maybe I

could tie a ribbon around it before I gave it to Lady Roxy? Then I noticed that

she was already standing there with her hands out, waiting. It seemed she

wanted the stone immediately. I placed it in her open palm.

"Here," I said. "I know it's small, but it's a token of my gratitude. Thank you."

"No, no," Lady Roxy said. "Thank you !"

She seemed so happy with her ore. Then, suddenly, she seemed so ready to

break it open.

"Let's have a look inside!"

"You're going to do it here?!"

"Yes! I can't wait until I get back home!"

Lady Roxy deftly crushed the rock in her bare hands. A holy knight's stats

were no joke. The girl at the counter gaped. Of course she did! Here was a

seemingly ordinary girl, doing with her bare hands what anybody else would

have to do with tools. The only people who could do something like that were

holy knights. I watched in fear, scared that Roxy would blow our cover any

second.

"Fay! It's a gem! There's a blue gem inside!"

There it was. A clear blue gemstone, just as my Identify skill predicted!

We high-fived in celebration, and I heard the joy in Lady Roxy's heart flicker

into me through Telepathy. "I'll treasure this."

She wrapped the gem in a handkerchief and placed it in her pouch. I was

pleased to see her happy, and I owed it all to Identify.

Lady Roxy was in high spirits, and it seemed she had an idea. "This is a really

wonderful present," she said, "so now it's my turn to do something for you! I

wonder what we should do…?"

She gazed at me, deep in thought. As I waited, my stomach rumbled. Lady

Roxy's eyes lit up at the sound, and she smiled brightly. I had a feeling I knew

what idea had just occurred to her.

"You're always so hungry, Fay! Let's go get something delicious to eat!"

It was a very attractive proposition, and one I couldn't refuse. What an angel

my lady was, asking me what I wanted to eat!

Hm, what do I want…? Meat, perhaps? No, no. I can't just be selfish about this.

Then I remembered that, over tea one day, Lady Roxy had said she adored

fish. In that case, I knew just the location. Well, the truth was, when it came to

decent fish, I only knew one place: my old bar.

"I know a place," I said. "Their fish is excellent."

"That sounds perfect!"

"I should warn you: it's a place for people of my background, so it's loud,

rowdy, and not very refined or cultured."

"Why, that sounds even more perfect!" Lady Roxy clasped her hands to her

chest in excitement.

Not the reaction I expected, to say the least. I wasn't sure how to respond.

"Huh?"

"You forgot our mission, haven't you, Fay? We're also here to observe the

lives of the townspeople."

"Oh, right. We are, aren't we? Wait…what do you mean, 'also'?"

"Ah…"

I'd been so distracted by Lady Roxy's delight that I'd completely overlooked

our mission. I didn't know what she meant by that "also here" business, either

—observation was the mission's main objective! I tilted my head as Lady Roxy

cleared her throat.

"Never mind that," she said. "Let's head to this fish place of yours already.

Come on! Now!"

"Okay, okay, I'm going! Don't push!"

"Excellent. Let's go." With that, Lady Roxy marched ahead without me.

"Lexie," I called out, "you're going the wrong way. It's over here!"

"Oh?" she said, hurrying back. "Well, you should have said that earlier!"

Why was she in such a rush? There was no need to hurry. The bar was sure to

be quiet over lunch. Perhaps she was just hungry and wanted to get to the fish

as soon as possible. Or maybe she was curious about the kind of bars townsfolk

visited. In any case, she'd know soon enough.

"This way, Lexie."

"Okay!"

Lady Roxy trailed after me with a grin. It seemed she was genuinely looking

forward to this. In my opinion, it was indeed something to look forward to; the

cozy old bar, the friendly barkeep, the delectable fresh fish… Just thinking about

it made my stomach rumble so loudly that Lady Roxy heard it from behind me.

"Oh, Fay," she giggled, "you really can't wait, can you? Shall we run?"

"No, no. I can't have you do anything like that. I'll be fine. I can endure!"

But no sooner had I spoken the words than my stomach groaned again.

Dammit, Gluttony, help me out a little here! Please don't embarrass me in

front of Lady Roxy!

The rumbles persisted. Lady Roxy grabbed my hand with an eager smile.

"Come on, let's run! It's this way, right?"

"Yes, but you don't have to pull!"

"You'll be fine! Come on!"

She was so forceful I wasn't sure who was escorting whom anymore. But my

stomach didn't care about my concerns. It groaned again, as though urging me

forward. Lady Roxy held her sides from laughing so much.

Well, at least she's having a good time…

From the thoughts I could read from holding her hand, she seemed as happy

on the inside as on the outside. I guess now I knew that if I wanted to make her

laugh, I could just let my stomach do the work; she giggled all the way to the

bar.

"Oh, that was hilarious," Lady Roxy said.

"It was just a rumbling stomach…"

"My apologies, Fay. I've just never met someone with such a hearty appetite.

I think it might always make me laugh! Come now, don't be so sulky. Let's eat!"

I pulled myself together, and we walked inside. It was still early afternoon, so

the bar wasn't very crowded. The customers were mostly a few groups of

travelers, merchants, and adventurers who'd just finished their meals and were

chatting among themselves.

Now, where to sit? There was my usual spot at the counter, but now that I

was with Lady Roxy, a table seemed like a better idea. I scanned the room and

found one table was still free.

"Lexie, shall we sit over there?" I asked.

"Hm… Well, where do you usually sit?"

"At that corner spot at the counter."

"Well then, let's sit there. From the counter, we can also watch the bar staff

at work."

Lady Roxy didn't just want to observe the other patrons, but the staff as well.

That made the counter seat perfect. I took her where she wanted to go, at

which point she promptly sat on my stool. She had stolen the spot I had

defended for five years!

"What's wrong, Fay? There's a spot next to me."

"Uh…sure."

I grudgingly took the stool next to a very satisfied Lady Roxy. I couldn't seem

to get comfortable in this seat I wasn't used to.

"Hm. Hm!" Lady Roxy nodded. "I see, I see. So this is where you sit when you

come here to eat. This was worth checking out!"

Why was it worth checking out?!

If I came back tomorrow, I wouldn't find Lady Roxy sitting there, not in a

million years. This was a one-off experience, and it suddenly made me nervous.

I didn't know whether I'd be able to relax while we ate.

"Well, you don't really need to see the stuff I do…" I said.

"Nonsense. You're a servant of the Hart family now. As your master, it's

worth knowing these things about you. Probably…"

Lady Roxy picked up a wooden cup on the counter and examined it. She'd said

that last "probably" almost under her breath, but I still heard it. I had no idea

how to reply to it, and was grateful when the barkeep appeared.

"Welcome! Well, well, what's this? Fate, you're not alone today! And would

this young lady happen to be your…lover?"

I couldn't believe the words coming out of the barkeep's mouth. Even though

she was in disguise, Lady Roxy was still a holy knight. On top of that, she was a

member of one of the five esteemed families of Seifort!

The noble Lady Roxy and her peasant servant, lovers?! It was beyond

unbelievable. If she decided to have me killed out of disrespect because this

comment hurt her feelings, I would have no right to defend myself. That was

how dangerous the barkeep's words were.

I watched nervously as Lady Roxy crushed the wooden cup she was holding

with a single hand. I stared at the crushed cup, jaw agape. Was she…angry?

"Oh, I'm so sorry," said Lady Roxy. "My hand slipped—I didn't mean to

destroy your cup!"

"It's fine," said the barkeep. "Sometimes adventurers lose control of their

stats and break a couple. It happens. Nothing to worry about. I must say,

though, you're much stronger than you look, little lady. And just so we're clear,

the cup will be added to your bill."

Far from being angry, it looked like Lady Roxy was excited. It seemed as

though the barkeep wasn't going to push her about the cup, either. This was a

bar, after all; drunken adventurers broke things all the time. One wooden cup

wasn't something to cry about.

In any case, I hastily ordered our food and drink to make sure the barkeep

wouldn't go saying any other troubling things.

"Barkeep, your freshest fish, please! And some bread to go with it!"

"What's wrong? No wine today? I daresay a little wine would work wonders

on those nerves of yours, don't you think?"

"I'm fine! I don't need it, really!"

After he made fun of me, the barkeep disappeared into the back. I already

knew he would be asking me all about this the next time I came by. But I wasn't

going to tell him a thing!

Next to me, Lady Roxy sat there smiling, and suddenly she crushed my

wooden cup too. I heard her whisper to herself repetitively. "Oh my, how

troublesome. I guess…I guess people must think we're a couple. Oh my, how

troublesome… Yes, how…how very troublesome…"

The counter was quickly becoming a heap of scrap wood. I couldn't

understand it. Lady Roxy was always in complete control of her stats. Why was

she slipping today?

In any case, we needed more cups.

"Barkeep! One cup, please! Uh, actually, make that three, just in case!"

As I expected, as soon as our food came out, Lady Roxy immediately crushed

another wooden cup. I couldn't tell whether we'd come to eat food or destroy

cups. The barkeep gave a wry chuckle and brought out another.

The fish was savory and flavored just right, and we devoured it hungrily. I was

relieved to see Lady Roxy with an appetite again. According to the maids at the

manor, she was so busy with work lately that she wasn't eating much. They

were worried about her, but seeing her now, I felt things would be all right.

"Are you okay?" Lady Roxy asked. "You've been staring at me this whole

time."

"I'm just relieved," I said. "Recently, you've seemed so tired."

"Oh…you all knew, didn't you? I tried to act the same as usual, but…"

"Lexie, everyone loves you. They're always worried about you."

As she heard that, Lady Roxy began folding her fork into knots. I couldn't

believe my eyes. Ordinary people couldn't handle metal as if it were clay!

"Does that mean…you too, Fay? Do you…do you…?"

Just as she was about to finish her sentence, the barkeep returned with

another wooden cup.

"Here you go," he said. Then, with a pleading look in his eyes, he added, "I

beg of you, however, please don't break any more."

"Ah. Y-yes, of course. Thank you very much."

After the barkeep's interruption, that particular conversation flowed out of

sight, and Lady Roxy didn't mention it again. I was curious about what she'd

wanted to say, but seeing her there, blushing and inhaling her food, it just

didn't seem to matter anymore.

Our lunchtime seemed to slip away as swiftly as we could enjoy it. At times,

the barkeep came over to us with pointless banter. Rumors were his specialty,

after all. They were the kind of thing I heard all the time; this merchant had a

new baby, that merchant from the east had been attacked by goblins and

almost died.

But Lady Roxy, now disguised as a regular townsperson, couldn't get enough.

It seemed this was exactly what she'd wanted to know. As a holy knight, she

couldn't easily learn any of these things—how the kingdom's people lived and

what they thought about.

To the townspeople, holy knights lived on an entirely different plane of

existence. We hesitated to say much of anything to them. Even for me, as Lady

Roxy's servant, the idea of bothering her with trivial, everyday conversation

seemed out of the question. Lady Roxy herself might not mind such

indiscretions, but the head servant, who managed the rest of us, would never

let such behavior slide. To do so would be to invite a severe lecture at least .

"Is something on your mind, Fay? Shall we head out soon?"

"I think that's a good idea. We'll want to be home before evening."

The more I pondered it, the more I realized Lady Roxy could only really chat

like this with me. In some ways, this whole adventure was similar to the teatime

we occasionally shared at the manor. I thought I understood the issue. Rank

aside, Lady Roxy didn't really have anyone her own age to talk to. There was

only me, a servant one year younger than his master. I couldn't really say how

I'd ended up in this role, but if Lady Roxy was happy, I couldn't ask for anything

more. I mean, it was fun for me to spend time with her, too.

We paid the bill, and the barkeep called to us as we headed out. "Hope to see

the two of you here again soon!"

Of course he did! He couldn't wait to snoop, pry, and nose into the business

of his favorite customer. Next time, we needed to go someplace else—but just

as I thought that, Lady Roxy waved right back.

"I hope so! I'll be expecting more stories from you, too!"

The barkeep bellowed with laughter. "Aha, a young lady who knows the

game! I'll be sure to gather more juicy rumors!"

Lady Roxy had said exactly what the barkeep wanted to hear, and now he was

all delight. I'd have to come back tomorrow and warn him not to start cooking

up tall tales. For now, we parted ways with him and headed off. Regardless of

any troubles we'd had, I felt full and satisfied. We'd been at the bar for more

than four hours. Perhaps a little too long.

"What would you like to do now, Lexie?"

"Hm. Well, we do have to make sure we get back before dark. As you know,

she has no idea I left the manor today."

She meant the head servant. Since that young woman was also Lady Roxy's

secretary, she'd surely go looking if Lady Roxy happened to disappear. I thought

she might be searching for Lady Roxy right now, even. I could just picture her,

the frustration seething on her face as she fixed her glasses.

"Ah…you know," I said, "I actually don't know what you're talking about—you

snuck out? Why, I never."

"You can't just pretend you're ignorant and leave me! No fair. If she gets

angry, we have to bear the brunt of the lecture together!"

"Whaaaaat? But she destroyed me just yesterday for a slipup on the lawn. I

can't handle that kind of heat two days in a row!"

"Sure you can!"

"Really, I can't."

"Just a little would be fine, wouldn't it?"

"You think she does 'a little' of anything?"

"Oh, I give up!"

Lady Roxy's play-anger melted into a bright smile, and we continued our

banter all the way back to the Holy Knight District.