Chapter Evelyn’s Night

Evelyn’s Night

King Ludwik is going to secretly come to the Fall Festival!

Upon learning of such a rumor, the female knight Evelyn lost herself in a daze as she imagined herself walking bashfully alongside His Majesty through the clatter of the festival.

His Majesty is holding onto Evelyn’s hand as he turns toward her with a tender gaze,

“Just for tonight, could you forget that your knighthood and be my lover?”

He requests.

“Absolutely not. I’m a knight whose charge is to protect Your Highness. I could never forget my duty.”

However, even as she answers, she feels like she’s being sucked in by the green eyes of His Majesty.

“But, it doesn’t seem like anything of the sort will happen.”

As she patrols around the festival, she lets out a sigh.

The festival is livelier than normal this year due to the rumors that His Majesty would participate in secret. The young women especially have dressed themselves up with spirit to try to be noticed by His Majesty with the ambition of living a luxurious life as His Majesty’s concubine.

Taking advantage of the girls’ psychology, thieves pretending to be His Majesty have been running rampant stealing jewelry from them. Just from what has been reported so far, there have already been ten cases. As the situation looks like it’ll only get worse from now, Evelyn was ordered to go on patrol as well.

She looks around to check if there are any suspicious persons along the dimly-lit roads with few people next to the forest as she advances clip-clop on her horse.

The thieves who pretended to be His Majesty are unforgivable.

They should be arrested, thrown into jail, and punished severely.

However, seeing the number of girls racketing about having jewelry like expensive necklaces and rings stolen from them made Evelyn realize how many girls shared the same delusion that she had, causing her to redden her face in chagrin.

She wonders if she looks the same as those girls to others.

(Kuuh, this is too pathetic.)

She writhes by herself in agony atop her horse.

Due to Evelyn suddenly swaying her reins all over the place, the horse becomes startled, whinnying and breaking into a run. Evelyn struggles to calm her horse down but manages to do so eventually, after which she takes another sigh.

(I can’t keep up like this. Even though I had been working so hard to become a fine knight, ever since King Ludwik came to the castle, I’ve been feeling off.)

She had her head more firmly on her shoulders before and was relied upon by the maids. She had matched boys her age in ability and had had a strong sense of self.

That’s right, I can’t continue like this.

I’ll discard my impertinent feelings toward His Majesty and return to my old self.

(Even if I come across His Majesty, who’s incognito, and he invites me to enjoy the festival together, I shall decisively decline.)

She tells herself with a stout heart.

After which, she mutters with a dignified voice,

“First, I have to catch the inexcusable thieves who impersonated His Majesty. Nevertheless, to be unable to tell the difference between His Majesty and a thief, how disgraceful. Even though if it were I, no matter what kind of disguise His Majesty is in, even if His face is covered by a mask, I’d be able to tell from a single glance.”