The next day, Lyla stops by the shop right before closing. It is her second time back since she war at Dioral's border. Before that war, she visited this shop nearly every day.

"Hey, Hiro. Sylvia."

"Welcome, Lyla."

Sylvia responds with her usual greeting. Lyla seems to be quite tired. After our customary small-talk, I decide to bring up the subject.

"Are you all right? You seem pretty tired… do you stay up working every single day?"

She seems to be dozing.

"Lyla." We both calls her.

"I apologize, my mind has been wandering."

Layla looks up and shakes her head. I keep noticing her tiredness around her eyes.

"Are you busy at work, Lyla?

She seems nervous when I ask that. Her eyes quickly evade my eyes.

Selene brings out cold water from the back.

"Oh, Selene, thank you. …Ah, that’s nice."

Lyla’s complexion improves as I watch. While the hottest time of summer has passed, harvest is not approaching quickly. The water is ice cold, with a touch of flavor from the diced fruit in it. Selene has gotten the idea from someone, and it is a welcome refreshment during the dog days.

"I don’t want to overstay. I apologize for taking up so much of your time." Again, unlike before the war, she doesn't stop by for long.

"Please. Your gossip helps my business, actually."

Then, I senses that Mirai has returned. Since Lyla is still in the shop, I told her to standby at a distance.

"Then, I’ll come by again, soon. I only wish I was well off enough to do some shopping."

Lyla walks with a self-deprecating smile. Then Mirai returns after a moment.

"Hiro-sama, that lady had a man’s smell on her."

Of course, Mirai means Lyla.

But a man’s smell…?

"What do you mean?"

"Um… The smell of a man’s semen. I think she’s wiped it clean, but…" Mirai explains with a poker face.

Mirai’s sense of smell is impressive. I am not sure if a human could have noticed the same scent.

"Lyla is on her way home from work. Did she stop by somewhere before she came here…?"

I doubt that the stoic lady Lyla would do such a thing during her work day. While my mind wanders,  whispers Sylvia behind me.

"I wonder if Lyla."

"Sylvia, you’ve noticed something?"

Did she figure out something that I couldn’t? After some hesitation, Sylvia continues. Mirai has taken the half-full cup of water that Lyla was drinking from, and sniffing it.

"Lyla looked kind of sad today. This isn’t the first time, either… When she speaks of Master and I, she looks at us like we’re blinding. So, I thought…she is suffering." Sylvia explains. There is sadness in her eyes.

"Hiro-sama, I was right! She’s tried to deodorize it with mint, but the smell’s on the cup, too. She not only did sex with her body. She also did it with her mouth, at least."

…I’m missing something.

I thought about Knight Lyla of House of Lambert. A stoic, beautiful knight who could ride a horse as easily as breathing. Yet she has low self-esteem, owns no land, and is a daughter of a criminal… Perhaps, Lyla is being bedded by someone within House of Lambert. It is possible that Lyla is madly infatuated with this man, but I doubt that she would allow such behaviour during work days. There are very few men who could pressure Lyla into performing such sexual acts. Lyla is a sex partner to the head of House of Lambert. And, most likely, not by her choosing. That's my deduction.

**"

"I think you’ve hit the mark, Hiro. Knight Lyla is rumoured by some knights to have been “knighted in bed” Suzy says while her head comfortably rests on my arm. The rest of the girls sleep in the big room that accommodates many beds. This small room we are in is just beside the big room. Suzy and me had hours of sex on the twin sized bed. 

I purposely call Suzy here to tell about Lyla. After sex, we have this pillow talk.

Her story confirms Sylvia’s and Mirai's guess as well.

"Layla Halpernia. The first daughter of the low-ranking nobles, the Baronet of Halpernias. Their land is managed by the head of House Lambert." 

So, that's what Lyla meant by she has no land.

 "…The Halpernias are related to House of Lambert, and their previous head had passed away about years   ago in the war. They lost their firstborn son at the same time, so Lyla is the only one right now with the birthright to lead her family, to inherit the Baronet."

Suzy then wraps her legs around my left leg. 

"This, I don’t have evidence for… But there are rumors that Baronet Halpernia was spying for the enemy during the war. …When I asked those who knew him back then, they all said that Lord Halpernia was an honest man who would never do such a thing."

Which means it was a scheme to undermine Halpernia. 

"House of Halpernia serves House of Lambert, after all. No one knows what happened behind closed doors. On paper, now that no one has claim to their Baronet, until Lyla matures… more accurately, marries… their money and land will be managed by House Lambert. That’s the official spiel."

So, there's more to it. 

"So, actually Halpernia had properties before?"

"Of course, but now under possession of ruler of Abram."

"Lyla was ten or so at the time. She had no knowledge of politics, I suppose."

She continues,

"Lyla was studying in military school with Jill and me. From twelve until fifteen, we were in the same class. Like me, I believe she has her chastity at that time."

My look says how do you know that?

"I know that. Lord Lubreo Lambert had not claimed her body until last year."

I furrow my eyebrows towards Suzy as how she could say something very specific.

"Lord Lubreo is a womanizer. He took my virginity last year. After he got tired of me, he discarded me after two weeks of enjoying my body. Upon dumped by him, I started sleeping with guys."

I immediately sit up. 

"It that true?" 

Suzy sits up and nods. 

"Jill is safe because she comes from Count's family. Beautiful daughters of lower nobles are ravished by him. Viscount family that serves Blare might be safe but my family, Huber is viscount serving Lambert."

Suzy has self-depreciating smile and turns away from me. I embrace her from behind. 

"At the end of last year, Lord Lubreo suddenly kept me in a room in his castle. He fucked me day and night. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy every second of that sex, that torture, but one day, he said he was going to take Lyla's virginity. The next week, he told me he had taken Lyla's chastity. Then, he discarded me again."

I turn Suzy so that she faces me and holds her cheeks. I look straight into her eyes.

"Do you still in contact with Lubreo?"

She turns her eyes away in panic.

"Answer me. I won't be angry."

"I am sorry. I never have sex with other men since becoming your woman, but I am still sleeping with Master Lubreo."

"How frequent?"

"Although he discarded me, Master Lubreo still sleeps with once every month. So, I slept with him once after I become your woman."

I was raging a moment ago but now that fury is being extinguished. 

"So, about Lyla."

"Hiro. Master Lubreo prefers Lyla over other girls. He still sleeps with Lyla once every week but since returning from the border, she has been fucked day and night."

My hands fall to her lap. This time, Suzy holds my cheeks with her delicate palms.

I couldn’t tell if Lyla could remain so stoic because she believes in her deceased father and brother, or because she hates them. I thought that she was someone without a dark side, but guess that my judgement of other people was in need of improvement. Understanding my thoughts from my silence, Suzy continues, as if to tease me:

"The rumors of her are terrible, but her accomplishments are impressive and well-praised. …You want her, don’t you, Hiro?"

"…Yeah. At first, I just didn’t want her as an enemy. Then, I didn’t want her to get mixed up. Now, it’s all different."

"Knight Lyla Halpernia is a force to be reckoned with. Her loyalty lies only with House of Lambert… If you find yourself on the other side of her, she’ll be very dangerous. But if you could bring her to your side…"

"You two are sooo alike. So, stop keeping secrets, because it’s fruitless. Especially you, Hiro. You like that Lyla, don’t you? So just take her already and make yours like you did with me and Jill."

She concludes. As I break out in laughter, I could hear Suzy chuckles.

"Yes, you’re right. We’ll bring Lyla over to our side. We have a lot of prep work to do, though."