“The grand ball, you say?” Dad exclaimed, leaning his head forward while gripping the throne’s hand rests.

He looked like a NEET torturing his gaming chair after getting defeated from a multiplayer gamer.

“That’s why you need to cancel my engagement, Dad! You should save the kingdom!” I argued back, thinking that there might be a chance that I would win his argument.

“I told you to keep your mouth shut, Veniara! You’re being assassinated, and all that comes out your mouth was love, love, LOVE!”

“Why don’t you understand, Dad!? I have reasons for suggesting things!”

Of course, he wouldn’t understand. I could say that my life will soon be at risk, but would he believe me? I would just end up getting called crazy.

Suddenly, Brodveth entered the throne room and bowed before Dad while carrying a pile of paper in his hand. Was that a manuscript?

“Your majesty, I prepared the documents for the investigation of the murder in the slums—”

Dad stopped him, raising and facing his palm towards Brodveth. He faced the mother and son instead.

“We will now conclude that our session here will be continued tomorrow in my meeting room.”

“B—But, your majesty, you didn’t gave me a verdict of what my punishment would be! I’ve killed countless adventurer’s lives. I’m sure the families of those people wouldn’t forgive me—”

Dion halted his speech after Miss Mathilde suddenly kneeled down and bowed her head, nearly kissing the floor. She then begged,

“I’m deeply sorry, your majesty! Please spare my son! He’s still young. He doesn’t deserve to be punished. I’m willing to take all punishment that you’ll give him… just…”

“Mom…” Dion and I, with our drawn eyebrows, rubbed Miss Mathilde’s back.

“Hey, stop the drama. I can’t joke this way,” Dad replied, pinching his forehead. “It wasn’t you who killed them, right? You’re also the victim here.”

“……Yes,” Dion nodded and answered. We also helped Miss Mathilde to stand up.

“We just need to put the blame on that mad scientist. He’s the root of our problems, and also, he’s related to other cases.”

“But I—I stole a royalty’s possession… the coins.”

“I told you, we don’t mind it,” I followed with a smile on my face. “Money was never my worry. It was Elara’s fault that she brought too much.”

“Then… What will happen to me?” Dion asked.

“You are two of my good citizens,” Dad said. “Miss Mathilde lived her life in this city with respect to the proper way of living. Young blood, you only stole money for your mother’s sake, right?”

“Yes, your majesty.”

“Then… would you want to work in this castle? As a knight? Wasn’t it the perfect revenge to the one who turned you into a monster?”

“What!?” Dion shouted, jerking his head back. He coughed after he was wary of his awkwardness. “I’m s—sorry for my rudeness, your majesty, but am I r—really going to become a k—knight? Wasn’t it fair to others?”

“A sworn oath would only become unfair if you lied. Offering this to you, I’m expecting you to stand before the kingdom in times of crisis. Just so happened that if you didn’t accept this offer, you’ll be executed—”

“I’LL ACCEPT!” Dion shouted, bowing his head in his waist level, forming a 45 degree angle with his body. ”I SWORE THAT I WILL PROTECT THE KINGDOM! PLEASE DON’T EXECUTE ME!”

“And for you, Miss Mathilde, I would like you to become a personal maid in my mansion? Since you and Elara were already acquaintances, I will place you under her supervision.”

Miss Mathilde bowed the same level as Dion. As she faces the ground, tears painted the carpet, leaving wet dots. She put her hand over her racing heart.

Like mother, like son…

“This is too much… Your majesty… Even though we don’t deserve any of this… Thank you—Thank you very much…”

“It’s alright, Mom…” Dion muttered, rubbing his mother’s back, calming her down. “We don’t have to suffer in the slums anymore.”

“Since everything was settled, I would like you to attend in my meeting room tomorrow. We will continue our discussion privately with my wife and assign you to your respective posts.”

Tears watered Dion’s eyelids. He looked up at Dad and said with enthusiasm, “Thank you very much, your majesty!”

“Now, for the next matter… Veniara!” He shouted like he’s calling someone from far away.

“Yes, father!?” Is he going to lay out another dad joke? Please, don’t!

“Until the whole monster thing was settled, you can’t leave the castle grounds.”

Wait—It’s worse!

“Why!?”

“Don’t why me! Those assassins might have already known your identity, you careless brat! ”

That might be a logical reason, and I couldn’t counter it. But I don’t want spending my time like a prisoner.

The time is ticking. There’s no way I could ask for Mom’s help. If I rot here, I wouldn’t learn by experience. If the same situation happened again, that incident from yesterday, I wished I could do something.

What’s worse? I’m stuck in this place with that background character! He have more opportunity to do anything to my body without me knowing!

That would be the worst.

But if it was for security, I couldn’t argue with them. The whole reason the monsters were gathering at the forest, ready to attack the kingdom, was because of me.

If such a single monster, we’re already having a hard time, how about a bunch of them?

I had no choice but to agree.

After the matters of the mother and son in the throne room, Dad dismissed us for Brodveth’s private report. I accompanied the two until we reached the castle gates.

“I didn’t expect you to be the kingdom’s princess, Vena. That explains why you had such amount of coins with you,” Dion said.

“Was that your notable trait for royalties?” I asked. “Even if I don’t have that, I can support myself alone.”

“By the way, we didn’t have the chance earlier.”

“Chance of what?”

The mother and son stopped walking and profusely bowed in gratitude before me. My mouth hanged open as my body froze in place.

“You saved my Mom… You helped us too much that I couldn’t thank you enough. I would do anything to pay you back!” Dion shouted.

“I’m happy that you came to me, Princess Veniara. If not for you, I wouldn’t have lasted… I wouldn’t have lived. Thank you for everything you did for us,” Miss Mathilde added.

“S—Stop crying, won’t you?” I replied with my slack mouth as I waved my hands at them. “E—Everything’s fine now. You can now live inside our residence, and you also had proper jobs as well. Isn’t it a happy ending for you, guys?”

“Not yet,” Dion concluded as they straightened their backs. “Vena— No, Princess Veniara, I swore myself to protect you with my life, no matter what the cost!”

A surge of heat arose to my cheeks, painting my face beet red. This sounded like a confession! How should I respond to this!?

“Y—Your oath should be for tomorrow!” I squealed. “Save your breath first. Release all your positive energy tomorrow. After that, you’ll officially become the knight.”

“I will become a fine knight, the one that will always protect you wherever you go.”

“Don’t do that, please. It’s creepy,” I commented with palms extended in my arm, pulling my head away from him. There are still no laws about stalking here.

“I will become stronger, and stronger, and stronger… until Brother Brod would notice me again.”

“Brother Brod?” Was it Brodveth?

Miss Mathilde inserted, “The cavalry captain, Brodveth, was our neighbor in the slums five years ago. Seeing him again, I’m just happy that he’s eating properly.”

Ohh? Was this a new secret backstory unlocked? Brodveth just appeared on the book because of his title, but there’s no history related to him.

Now that I realized it, a sudden memory engraved Dion’s name into clarity. When I read the book, he was also a main cast in it.

Before I knew it, Dion was the kingdom’s cavalry knight replacing Brodveth. Because of the lack of backstory, I only kept the nickname ‘Cavalry Captain Junior’ for me to remember him.

He never had a bright appearance nor an impact in the book. It’s the same for most characters, for which only focused on harem and irrelevant stuff.

Who knew he was this slum kid? If those fake reviewers and marketers did enter this book instead of me, would they understand the reality of the story?

I did had a glimpse of how my story connected with the book, but it was never my intention on doing so.

So far, this question arose me: Was the book really running according to the set story?

Even if I changed my route and without the need of a trigger, the same scene happens. Xenos proved it to me with the engagement that happened three days after escaping him.

The engagement, Dion’s reason to become a knight, even the involvement of the underground doctor… These are cases I’m unaware that put me back to the main timeline.

It felt like I’ve been put in this book to connect these dots.

Now that comes to it, a question caught the attention of my mind.

“By the way, Dion, you mentioned that you came to see an underground doctor, right? Where is he now?”

“Why do you ask?” He asked with a tilted head. “He’s still in prison, and his sentence would be for a lifetime imprisonment.”

“……That’s just fine.”

“What’s fine? What are you going to do?”

“I’m making amendments.”

Suddenly, I heard a shout from afar, for which it became louder gradually. From the mansion’s direction, a maid waved her hand while running towards me. “Miss Veniara!”

“Elara-san!” Miss Mathilde replied.

“Miss Mathilde and Dion too! Hello. Where are you three going?”

“I’m sending them off. By the way…” I said and explained what happened to my father’s meeting after that. From the case up to the

“It really is Elliot, huh?” Elara muttered, clenching her fists. “I won’t forgive him.”

“I’m your ally, Elara. Let’s gang up that hairy old man’s face with our fists!” I exclaimed, cheering her, but her reaction was different.

“Old?” Elara asked with widened eyes and tilted head.

“That was the man that talked to Dion at the forest… His hair was wild, and his eyes were wide and bloodshot, isn’t that right, Dion?” I asked, and Dion nodded.

Elara pinched her chin, staring from reality for a moment. She muttered, “are you sure that was Elliot?”

“He’s the only suspect, right!?” I asked. “Ellyn proved it to the kingdom that he’s the root cause of harboring monsters in the forest. Is there something wrong, Elara?”

With a low-tone voice, Elara replied.

“I can’t say he’s old, but… he’s supposed to be a year younger than me.”