CH 12

“What the?” Lulurun asked.

The footsteps stopped in front of their room the two were in, there was a knocking on the door then a few seconds later, a man’s voice.

Reines seemed to know who it was.

“Lady Reines, it’s Cain, may I come in?”

Reines sighs, and with a dignified voice, she says to the man standing before the door:

“Come in.”

The door opens, and a few knights in the same armor as Reines enter the room.

“Do you know them?” Lulurun asked. “… Well, it seems you are familiar with each other, huh?”

“Lady Reines, we’re glad you’re safe,” the man in red armor says, the rest of the knights kneel and bow their heads toward Reines.

“What are you talking about, Cain?” Reines asked.

The red-armored knight, Cain, replies, “Ma’am, there was a report from the church that you were sent to subdue a witch, so we decided to join as reinforcements.”

“This is the entire Third Order, did they doubt my power?” Reine asked.

“No, it’s not such a move of ill-intention,” Cain replied.

With Reines’s position front and center now, she seemed to be a different person, as most would be during “work mode,” Lulurun watched with a relaxed expression.

“However, the townspeople have said that you were ‘defeated,’ Lady Reines.”

Ah, I see, Lulurun thinks, it was safe to assume that Reines had been defeated by a witch earlier.

“I would be lying if I said I wasn’t curious to find out the truth,” Cain said, glancing at Lulurun.

“Are a you witch?” is written all over his face.

The knights’ murderous intent was boiling and rising to the point where it felt like they were about to explode.

Reines senses the air and begins to calm it down. “There was no witch in the city,” she said.

“In the city?” Cain said. “What do you mean by that?”

“Is it not exactly as I said?” Reines said. “Don’t you understand?”

Cain doesn’t seem convinced. “Then, did the townspeople lie about you?”

“That is……” Reines said.

It’s not a lie, but Reines is at a loss for the proper words. It’s obvious it’s not her area of expertise, and if she continued speaking as it was, they’d figure out Reines was lying.

Lulurun, a little irritated by Cain asking such a loaded question, offers a helping hand to Reines.

“You’ve got it wrong, it was because it was too late for me to run, Lady Reines threw me behind her…” Lulurun cut in. “She got blown away by the magic machine and was restrained by a mysterious spell. The townspeople watching probably misunderstood what happened, but ah, Lady Reines definitely took down the magic machine.”

Cain looks suspiciously at the outsider suddenly speaking up in a suspicious tone. “Who are you?” he said.

“I’m just a pretty young girl, my name is Lulurun! I’m a fan of Lady Reines! Pleased to meet you!”

Reines is taken back by the fake excitement, but it seems that Lulurun’s trying to protect Reines in her own way.

“That magic machine was a lot stronger than I thought, ahahaha,” Reines said unnaturally to play along with Lulurun, sweating a bit from the surprise. She should probably stop talking.

“I know the report told of a magic machine’s appearance, but I also heard that the magic machine suddenly disappeared, what happened then?” Cain asked.

“That’s……” Reines said.

“Is there such a thing as a magic machine that disappears without a trace?” Cain asked. “No one of us in the Knights of the Holy Empire has such a skill… and since you were there, Lady Reines, you must have seen it, you can explain, right?”

“Ah, that’s,” Reines stammered.

She can’t lie, she’s cornered and sweating like crazy. Lulurun didn’t know why the red-clad knight is pressing on Reines so hard but she interjects again.

“Isn’t it a new spell from the witches?” Lulurun said. “I was surprised at the Lady Reines’s strength, and when it deployed a magic circle, it suddenly disappeared !! It was so shocking!! Right? Lady Reines?!!”

“No, you erased it,” Reines said.

“Right!!!? Lady Reines?!!!!” Lulurun hissed.

“Oh! That’s right! Must have been a witch’s new spell!”

It’s no good, it’s too risky to go any further, with an even sweatier Reines beside her, Lulurun speaks to Cain directly to settle this matter.

“By the way, Sir Cain, Lady Reines protected this city from the witch kindred, shouldn’t she be praised?”

“Ah, of course, she should,” Cain said, “but I have to get an explanation from Lady Reines.”

“Isn’t it fine that Lady Reines protected this city and me?” Lulurun said. “You’ll report it in full later, won’t you, Lady Reines?”

“Yes, I will,” Reines said.

“And right now, I’m talking to Lady Reines! You guys have nothing to do with this! Get out of my business!” Lulurun said.

And just when the other party was beginning to lose his cool, Lulurun sees it and decides to agitate Cain even further.

“You’re the one who’s got nothing to do with this, right? Don’t you realize that you’re disturbing my sweet time with my beloved Lady Reines, the woman who saved me?”

“Beloved?!” Reines yelled.

“Yes! Beloved!” Lulurun said. “Right, Lady Reines?!”

“Love? Be-Beloved?” Reines

It’s all in vain as Reines overreacts. The knights on their knees are abuzz, but above all else:

“You, with Lady Reines?!” Cain said, going crazy. “Sweet, hearts?! Sweet, hearts, sweethearts?!”

“That’s right, so enough of this chatter, you guys must leave!” Reines said. “Don’t interrupt this loving moment!”

“Love…?!” Cain sputtered, his face tense.

Reines pursues him, “Yes, that’s right, love! If you understand then pull back, Cain.”

“No, it’s not that, I’m, I’m just not, not convinced that you’re in lo-love with this young girl, Lady Reines?!”

“I’m, tha-that’s…”

“If you really love her!” Cain said, distressed. “Pr-Proof, show me proof!!!”

Reines turned bright red and turns to Lulurun. She needs evidence that they’re in love, even though it was all a lie.

Lulurun jumps into Reines’ arms as she’s panicking, and gestures that it is almost over. With another push, we can get rid of this red knight! So match me!

And then, as the sweating Reines received the signal, she decided to give definitive proof of their love to Cain and the others.

“Hm?”

Reines pulled Lulurun and kissed her on the lips.

At the sudden event, Lulurun stopped thinking.

“!!!!!!!!!”

Everyone present was stopped, stunned, as Reines, the First of the Order of the Holy Empire, someone they regarded as a saint, was kissing a beautiful girl right before them.

Only one of them, Cain, turns white-eyed and clenches his teeth in despair.

As the kiss grows long, Lulurun taps Reines to stop her.

“Puhaaaa!!”

Far from passing out from such a passionate kiss, Leines sucks in a huge breath, looks at Cain, and said, “How’s that for proof?!”

""

Then, Cain started spluttering with a bright red face.

The knights were in an uproar, they said, “Is that what she meant?”, “We’re convinced.” and started apologizing.

“Sorry to have disturbed you, Ma’am, we’re going to be leaving now,” Cain said, his eyes blank white as he stood up, the Third Order of the Holy Empire left at tremendous speed with the sound of something crashing against a wall.

After they confirmed they were gone through the window, they sigh in relief.

“By any chance, did I make a mistake?” Reines asked.

“I think you made a mistake,” Lulurun said.

“I see, I made a mistake, didn’t I…?” Reines said.

The air was so awkward they could not make eye contact, they blushed red from the overdone performance.