In her sixth lifetime as a knight, when Rishe joined the Order, the boy known as “Leo” was a scullery servant with wounds that were still healing all over his body.

His words were prickly, but he was basically quiet and worked hard. But he always kept his head down and kept his hair long.

Even though they had been together for several years, Leo had not been very open with her, but she had seen his one eye once.

The wound was so badly gouged that it was painful even when it was completely healed. The severity of the injury Leo had sustained was obvious.

When Rishe asked a senior knight who was in the same room with him this question:

[Do you know how Leo came to be a member of the Order?]

[Hmm…?]

The senior knight on the upper buck always slept in his spare time.

This day, however, he was awake and looked up from his pillow with a slouch and looked down at Rishe, who was sitting in a chair by the wall.

Then he called out Rishe’s nickname, who dressed herself as a man and named herself “Lucius”.

[“…Lu, are you perhaps wanting to get yourself into trouble again?”]

[“Nothing of that sort… He was sitting alone in the corner of the training area, watching the training after he finished his chores today.”]

Hearing her reply, his sleepy eyes narrowed further.

[Hmm…? You couldn’t even beat me, yet you could afford to pay attention elsewhere. How impertinent.]

[It’s because Joel-senpai fell asleep on the bench and didn’t wake up no matter what!]

The senior knight turned over after yawning with an unsuspecting face.

But instead of dropping the conversation, he seemed to have decided to stay with her a little longer.

[I’ve heard that His Majesty happened to pass by and found him in the bottom of a merchant ship and picked him up.]

He began the story then.

[I heard him mumbling while having a high fever caused by a festering wound and having nightmares. As I recall, he said that he committed a terrible mistake at his previous employer, and that he had been chastised so severely as punishment that he escaped, thinking he would be killed.]

[How can an eleven year old child be punished like that for failing to do his job?]

[It’s common for rich people to treat their servants as if they weren’t human beings. I told you because it’s you, but don’t tell anyone else… And don’t delve too deep into it.]

After this advice, the senior knight covered his head with his jacket once more.

[Unless you can turn back time, Leo’s wounds will never go away.]

***

A light knock sounded in the anteroom of the Grand Shrine.

“Excuse me, Your Highness Arnold, Rishe-sama.”

The one who showed up was Arnold’s attendant, Oliver.

Oliver walked to Arnold’s chaise longue and said after a light bow, “His Excellency Jonal and his daughter have settled in their rooms. Also, there is a request for an opportunity to thank Your Highness for the loan of your carriage.”

“Tell him there is no need for any concern. More importantly, has there been any subsequent abnormality between the Duke and his daughter?”

“Yes. I think the reason why his daughter was crying was because she was startled by the carriage plunging down. But she seemed to have finally stopped crying just now.”

Hearing Oliver’s report, Arnold glanced at Rishe who was sitting beside him.

“――That’s what I thought.”

“Thank you.”

Rather than Arnold himself being concerned, he seemed to have confirmed her safety for Rishe’s sake. Releasing the tension in her body, Rishe exhaled a sigh of relief.

Thank goodness…

Arnold and Rishe took immediate action when they heard that the Duke’s carriage had an accident.

The boy led the way to the scene of the accident and carried the Duke and Myria, who were shivering on the side of the road, into the carriage. Rishe swiftly examined them and made sure they weren’t seriously injured.

Meanwhile, the knights working under Arnold’s command inspected the carriage that had slipped and fallen. Fortunately, there were no fatal injuries to the horses, but the carriage seemed to have been wrecked when it hit a tree during the slide.

Myria was sobbing the whole time, clinging to Rishe and refusing to let go.

The Duke, who had a slight bruise on his arm, nudged his daughter with a troubled look and repeatedly thanked them. He then looked at the boy who was frozen in the carriage and thanked him, “Thank you, Leo, for calling for help.”

T/N: Maybe the Duke tried to silence Leo to keep Myria’s secret…