I’ll get everything I want.

「Good decision. Lars, I welcome you.」

I really feel like I’ve made a deal with the devil, but if she dangles Sophie’s safety as bait, I can’t say no. I can’t help it, I’ll just accept it as fate.

Thinking back, that’s how I accepted it when Colette was taken from me and when I was kicked out of the party. Maybe I’m a bit more prone to giving up than I thought.

「I’m not going to anoint you as a Knight right away, although I promised you that right here. It’s going to be a little while longer.」

「How long will that be?」

「Until I become the head of the family.」

[TN: Anoint (meaning)= (transitive, figuratively): To choose or nominate somebody for a leading or otherwise important position, especially formally or officially, or as an intended successor.]

I have a bad feeling about this. I think I need to ask a little more in-depth.

「…… Have I already heard about Zelma-sama becoming the head of the family?」

「No. I am the 4th child in the Elmer family, from the 2nd wife. I have an older brother who is more than 20 years older than me.」

I knew what she was going to say.

Please, don’t tell me the rest of the story. If I hear it, there will be no turning back.

I was already beginning to regret my promise to become a Knight.

「The head of the Elmer family is over 60 and will die soon. After that, my brother will take over.」

In other words, Zelma is trying to take over the family, ignoring the wishes of the current Head of the family.

That’s reckless. It is impossible to achieve that in a proper way.

「Are you saying that you are willing to go against the Elmer family to become the Head of the family?」

「That’s not all. I’m even preparing to raise my title. I can already see the path to becoming a count. All I have to do is stay on the road and get what I want.」

Yeah, I’m really not having much luck.

Zelma was such a troublesome aristocrat that she was in the top 3 aristocrats I didn’t want to associate with.

In the peacetime, you can dismiss it as delusional, but now that you’ve got Yang as a gem, there are plenty of opportunities to take advantage of it. I don’t think she’s going to make a move without a chance of winning, so I’m sure her plan itself is going smoothly.

I can’t ask her to change her mind. I can’t decline the offer of a Knight. If that’s the case, I’d better make sure that she doesn’t cross the line.

「I can’t—」

「Don’t worry.」

I will not do anything against the law. I was about to say that, but she stopped me.

「I’m going to have someone else do the dark stuff. Lars is allowed to act as a knight. The only thing is that someone might die if we can’t help them in time.」

This is a way of saying that you are aiming for the edge of what is acceptable. …….

I can’t refuse this.

「Let’s have Rosa by Sophie’s side to take care of her. And with Lars there as well, the assassins that the current Saint can hire won’t be able to beat us, right?」

Zelma stood up and approached me, placing her hand on my shoulder. Her face is close. Her lips are close to my ear. I’ve never been this close before.

「Lars will be the first and last time I’ve ever been this accommodating to a commoner. I’m counting on you.」

She leaves behind a sweet scent that doesn’t suit her at all.

Sophie’s safety and Zelma’s ambition. These two things weighed heavily on me.

From the Author(Wanta-sensei):

This is the end of chapter one.

Thank you for reading this far.

Please give me a rating by tapping the ☆☆☆☆☆ mark below the ad.

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