96 6. Masquerade: Part II

"I don't know what to say, it's typical..."

Seeing Lucas' action, the brown man laughs as if he was frightened.

It was five men who came out by the signal. I'm wearing a costume and a mask, so I don't know my face.

- Such a large number, how the hell did you break in?

Whatever it takes, the Duke's house security isn't so sweet that it lets such a large number of people through. Even at the reception reception, if only a small number of people still give me this many unexpected numbers, I will be able to report to Tiara Rose or someone.

... but it's not now to think about it.

- For one thing, we need to do something about this situation.

Lucas stands with his arms together and laughs with his nose. I offered my hand straight to Filine and grinned.

"Come on, Philine. Neither do I mean to imitate it. Let's go home together."

"... Huh!

In the dark, he said we could exercise our strength - it's written on Lucas' face.

I'm telling you to come with me if you don't want to hurt your dear friend. Filine bites her lips off at how Lucas looks like that.

"No way, I never saw Lucas so stupid"

"Philine doesn't have to come with me."

"Ti...... but"

Tiara Rose calls out to scold Filine and tells her she doesn't have to worry about anything. Instead, there's no way I can forgive a man for doing this to my own pretty samurai.

Tiara Rose is terribly angry, though not in her expression or attitude.

That seemed to be the same for a brown man, with his eyes under his mask staring at the men.

"... Apparently, you guys don't want to give Philine away. Then you have no choice. Let's have a look at your eyes that hurt a little!

"- Huh!!"

Five men came this way, signaling Lucas' voice. Soon a brown man tried to stop it, going in front of the men - kicked it up thoughtfully as it was.

"Wow!!"

"There's no way I'm gonna get hit by the one who doesn't even know how to escort a girl!

"... I can't believe you're tough on nobles... knights or something"

"Come on,"

First one, a man stretches out and falls to the ground.

Seeing it, Lucas pounds his tongue and steps back... but the momentum of the brown man never stops. I quickly defeated the four remaining men.

With so much handiness and strength, Tiara Rose speaks out of surprise.

"Wow, you were strong...... thanks, that helped"

"I don't know who it is, but thank you"

Shall we thank you both and then stick Lucas, the main culprit, out on security? Yes, Tiara Rose thinks, a brown man roughs up his voice as a hack.

"Danger, behind -!"

"Huh?"

I didn't think Lucas' men were still lurking because I was alarmed that they would be okay anymore. Just from the part that hits the back of Tiara Rose and Filine...... two guys popped up.

A brown man tries to help, but the distance is too far away to make it.

"Dangerous!

"Oh, Philine!!"

Aggressively, Philine moves forward to shelter Tiara Rose.

The knife the men have in their eyes, closing their eyes all the time - but realizing that nothing shocks them.

"Oh, I'm glad I made it..."

"What, Elliot...?

"Yes. Are you all right? Filine."

The man's knife was being bounced off by Elliot's sword.

I can tell that he was sweating on his cheeks and rushed me this far.

I smiled so that I could reach out and reassure Filine, who had put her sword in the sheath of her hips and sat back down. "It's all right now," I told him, getting Filine up.

- Good.

Look at the two of you, Tiara Rose relieves herself. And a gentle voice arrived in my ear saying, "Sorry I'm late," from behind.

It's a low, sweet voice from someone I love about Tiara Rose.

"Dear Aqua!

"I'm glad Tiara's okay. I can't believe this is happening..."

"... Yep"

Aquasteed sees the fallen men and Lucas captured by the brown man. And soon, go under the brown man.

"You protected us both, didn't you? Thank you."

"It's a man's job to protect women."

"Let the man be taken to the guard immediately."

For one thing, I'm glad I was able to clean it up before the noise got louder.

As yet, the participants in the masquerade have not noticed this commotion. Tiara Rose thought about taking Filine to move the place and trying to speak up, but with Elliot on it, I can think of it.

-... is that it? Could it be a little good vibe?

Oh, my God, so much so.

Aquasteed and the brown man, who were watching Tiara Rose, are also followed to shift their gaze to Filine and Elliot.

The two are surrounded by a calm atmosphere and the hustle and bustle earlier seems to be a lie.

"Thank you for your help. Best of all, I'm glad Dear Tiara Rose is not hurt..."

"Yeah, but I'm glad Philine didn't get hurt either"

"Because Elliot helped me.... I apologize for the inconvenience caused by me"

With that said, Filine looks at Lucas for a moment.

But I can't talk about something because I have a cloth on my mouth. And soon, he was taken by a security person who came.

"That one... you knew Filine"

"... Yes. He took the liberty of asking my parents for permission to engage me and came this far to bring me back."

"! Such a discretionary..."

Eliot is surprised that he didn't know what was going on, to Philine, who told him pale. And I hold my hand tightly, and I regret myself for not being able to do anything.

Seeing Elliot like that, Filine laughs dull.

"You're sweet, Elliot.... I had no choice, I'm sure. It's embarrassing, because my house is not very wealthy."

"So, an earlier nobleman..."

"Yeah. Looks like you offered to help us with the money."

Philine also had many brothers and would have liked money for her younger sisters. Think about it, you know, but it's actually very hard to do something on your own.

Seeing Philine laughing lonely, Elliot sips his saggy spit.

"... philline"

"Yes?"

Philine tilts her neck wondering what happened to Elliot when she sees something to think of. Could it have confused me by telling me a little about the family situation?

If so, I'm sorry, Philine thinks.

"Elliot, don't worry, I'll be fine."

"I care"

I was instantly answered.

"Eh..."

With his eyes wide open, Filine looks at Elliot. Then he, too, was staring straight at Filine.

Those eyes are serious and my face gets unwittingly hot.

Elliot spins words in a small voice.

"... I have no identity, so I don't deserve to tell Philine anything"

"Huh...?

Elliot has no family name because he is a civilian. I am more familiar with the working pattern of Aquasteed's proximity, and with aristocracy if I do poorly, than with aristocracy, but there is nothing that directly involves me there.

I always have, and of course I always will, thought so.

Blessed by her husband, Elliot has never considered herself unfettered to be a nobleman. On the contrary, I even thought I didn't have to have a troublesome night club.

"But now... I wish I were a nobleman. That way, we could have helped Filine in no time."

"! But Elliot helped me. Coming out of a picture book, like a prince."

Filine tells me she's getting proper help, and she has nothing to care about. But Elliot doesn't seem to be convinced and shakes his neck to the side.

"Filine."

"Yes, sir"

"... If hope is to come true, will you wait until I get credit and noble status...?

――

Philine opens her eyes wide to Elliot's words, which she did not anticipate.

Few people without nobility confess to nobility... Even if it did, it would hardly ever come true.

But in Elliot's case, it's a little special. Because there is a chance that he can get his place as a nobleman.

Elliot, who is near Aquasteed, is a trustworthy man. If you can get some great handle on it, you're likely to be in aristocratic status.

Hardly, Philine's heart accelerates. I can't think of an answer to what a reply Philine should give me. Because I never thought I'd ever really get a confession, not a political marriage.

Look at the ground, confused, Filine takes a small, deep breath before looking at Elliot. Just like earlier, he remains looking at Filine with serious eyes.

Elliot is a colleague of Philine's.

Usually gentle, serene... but good at magic and swords and dependable. Although there are some bad spots for a while, I also know they are popular with royal castle maids that there are gaps and they are cute.

"... thank you. I'm so glad to hear how Elliot feels."

"Filine......"

"Me, I'm waiting. Elliot will reach out to me again."

"... yes, be sure!

Tiara Rose breathed relieved when she saw Philine and Elliot smiling as relieved. I had no idea it would fit in such a tight clap......

"Good."

"Elliot, instead of working hard from now on,"

"Right."

Aquasteed smiles next to Tiara Rose to support her side. I want to help you somehow, but I can't help but get Elliot to work on all this.

One thing settled on this!

Let's go home - and Tiara Rose got her arms around her shoulder where she thought.

"Yikes!

"Kitten, by the way... this man, who?

A brown man was coming nearby and asked Tiara Rose not to be funny. - but not the aquasteed who silently forgives it.

"Do you want me not to touch my wife?

"Yeah? I was married, hmm..."

Aquasteed stares at the brown man and pays off his hand spinning over Tiara Rose's shoulder. In a hurry for the two staring at each other, Tiara Rose said, "Because I'm married!," he told the brown man.