[Welcome to our humble abode. I’m the family head of Albert Duchy, Lilia Albert.]
[Well…… Errr, Acht…… What should I say here?]
[Like hell would I know…… I’m sorry, me and this fellow aren’t really raised with that upbringing. We don’t mean to be rude, but please cut us some slack regarding that.]
[No, please make yourself comfortable.]
It took quite some time, but Neun-san finally settled down and once again, brought them to the reception room where Lilia-san was waiting.
Although Acht and the others are Kuro’s family, they don’t seem to be peerage-level high-ranking Demons, so apparently, Lilia-san, who is a Duchess, is higher position than them.
Neun-san quickly stepped forward from beside Acht and Eva, who were somewhat nervous while speaking, and deeply bowed to Lilia-san.
[Her Excellency Duchess Albert, please forgive me for the rudeness of greeting you while dressed in armor. I believe it’s the first time we’ve met. I’m Kuromueina-sama’s retainer, by the name of Neun. I can’t express my gratitude to her Excellency Duchess Albert for your kindness in accepting us today despite our unexpected visit.]
[……I see, so that’s how you greet people huh……]
[I guess bringing along Neun is right.]
Unlike Acht and Eva, Neun-san firmly greets Lilia-san while kneeling on one knee that could be described as a knight’s courtesy…… She looks like a different person from what she looked like earlier.
Lilia-san calmly replies to Neun-san’s greeting and tells her to be at ease, and after giving her thanks, Neun-san stood up.
Then, prompted by Lilia-san, after Acht and the others took their seats, sounding moved, Lunamaria-san spoke.
[……It’s been a long time since My Lady has been in a higher position than her guests. She’s still a Duchess after all, so she should be pretty high up……]
[……Yes, seriously…… Kaito-san has finally brought someone normal here…… That’s right after all. He has already…… finished talking with everyone. He won’t bring anyone outrageous, making me pass out anymore, right!? Ah, this is no good, why am I…… getting nervous……]
[…………………..]
Seeing Lilia-san, who looks relieved from the bottom of her heart and has a bright smile on her face, a tremendous amount of sweat began running down behind my back.
W- What should I do…… Should I tell her about Neun-san or not……
[Oi, Kaito…… What the heck did you do to her? That Duchess looks like she’s been released from hell……]
[Ah, no, errr……]
[……U- Ummm, Kaito-san…… Should I tell her my real identity?]
[……Errr, you don’t mind?]
[……Yes, it’s fine with me.]
As I listened to the words Acht said, Neun-san whispered next to my ears, making me feel an ever colder sensation running down my spine.
By the way, I may be digressing, but Neun-san seems to know that I know she’s the First Hero…… or rather, Neun-san seemed to think that I became aware of it when she first showed her face.
What should I do here though… Lilia-san is scary, super scary…… However, if I keep my mouth shut here, and if she found out later, she will probably become more terrifying.
In that case, the right option to do here would really be to be honest right now…… Neun-san also doesn’t seem to mind anyway……
[……Neun-san, I’m sorry. Please.]
[……Understood.]
Seeing Lilia-san’s face that is too relieved, I relished the feeling of my face turning pale, and after moistening my thirsty throat with tea, I spoke.
[U- Ummm, Lilia-san……]
[Yes?]
[……P- Please, keep calm and listen to what we will say.]
[……Eh? What is this? I have a very bad feeling about this……]
[I also ask you the same. Please don’t unnecessarily reveal this to anyone else……]
[……Eh? Errr…… Neun-sama? What in the world are you…….]
Hearing the seriousness from Neun-san and my tone, Lilia-san’s expression turns dim and a drop of sweat runs down her forehead.
In front of Lilia-san and the others, when Neun-san touched her helmet, it turned into a black mist and disappeared, and a Japanese woman with beautiful black hair appeared.
If Aoi-chan is as glossy as the wet feathers of a crow, then Neun-san’s is a deep, powerful black like obsidian, and combined with her well-defined face, the words “Yamato Nadeshiko” perfectly fits her.
And then, looking at Neun-san’s uncovered face…… Lilia-san fell over her chair.
[……………..]
Then, slowly crawling away from her, she tightly grips Lunamaria-san’s skirt.
[……Luna, Luna…… I’ve seen that person before…… She has the same face as the statue in the Friendship City before……]
[……P- P- Please calm down, My Lady, she might be just someone resembling her.]
[……T- That’s right, isn’t it!? I’m sorry that I lost my composure just now.]
Lilia-san seemed to have calmed down a bit after hearing Lunamaria-san’s words, and she gracefully stood up but…… Neun-san mercilessly spoke.
[I may have changed my name to Neun now…… but my real name was Kujou Hikari.]
[…………………]
Hearing the words she forcefully said, all of the expressions disappeared from Lilia-san’s face.
[……Eh? Kujou Hikari…… Eh? The First Hero? T- The real one?]
[Yes.]
[……Ah, errr, hawawawawa…… I- I’m sorry for my impoliteness…… Kyuuuuu~~]
[My Lady!?]
Lilia-san expression turned paler and paler, her eyes then rolled upturned, collapsing like a puppet that lost its strings.
Lunamaria-san hurriedly rushed to Lilia-san’s side and slowly shifted her shivering gaze to me.
[……Miyama-sama…… For you to still have cards beneath your sleeves…… What a frightening person, you are. I certainly felt it, your passionate conviction to destroy My Lady’s stomach at all costs.]
[……No, I don’t have such convictions at all.]
After a while, Lilia-san, who had regained her consciousness, sat on a chair and held her head in her hands.
[……The First Hero-sama had become a demon? Isn’t that something really big…… Why is the fact always this shocking…… No mooooreeee….. Kaito-san is scary…… What’s next? Is he going to tell me that the Demon King is actually alive…… and brought her home……? Kaito-san is scary…… I wanna go hoooomeeee……]
[Calm down, My Lady, you’re already in our home.]
As Lilia-san mutters while her face looks pale, Lunamaria-san desperately comforts her.
As I’m stunned by such a scene, Acht and the others came to talk to me.
[……Kaito, seriously, what did you do…… It’s like she turned into an afraid small animal…..]
[N- No, well, lots of things happened……]
[Kaito, you’re surprisingly an S huh……]
[No, I’m not……]
[I also didn’t expect that she would be this surprised…… or rather, her reaction was as if she had met all the Six Kings…… No, her reaction far exceeds that.]
[…………………]
I’m sorry, not only did she meet all the Six Kings, she has also met all of the Supreme Gods.
And then, after Lilia-san just muttered like that, she got up from her chair…… and gave us a beautiful smile…… a smile so beautiful, that it looks frightening.
[Acht-sama, Eval-sama, Kujou Hika….. No, Neun-sama. I’m sorry, but please wait for a moment…… Kaito-san.]
[Y- Y- Yes!?]
[……Let’s go to another room for a moment. There’s something important we need to talk about…… Something very important……]
[……Yes.]
Staring at me with her completely glazed eyes, Lilia-san looks very frightening.
Not being able to object at all, I was brought to another room…… and is made to sit in a seiza.
[What the heck does this mean!? Why the heck did that happen to First Hero-sama!? You really are…… Or rather, by the way you speak earlier, you knew about it long before, right!!!?]
[I- I’m sorry!!!?]
[No, I’ve had enough, I will not forgive you anymore!!! You’ve just asked for my forgiveness a few days before…… and not even a few days passed, you’re doing this now!!!? I’m not asking you to not be acquainted with them, but can’t you properly report at all!? To begin with, you have always been……]
[…..I- I’m sorry.]
And thus, I had received a very long sermon from Lilia-san, who had turned into a Shura, and I only returned back to where Acht and the others are…… two hours later.
Dear Mom, Dad——- Lilia-san finally met Acht and the others, but when Lilia-san found out Neun-san’s true identity, she fainted again. And then, well, I knew it was perfectly my fault but—— Lilia-san scolded me.
<Author’s Notes>
As expected of Her Excellency Duchess Albert, once you thought you would faint again, you immediately struck right at the “Fainting Flag”.
She may have been numbed by it already, but that doesn’t mean she would go seeking for them.
T/N: 38/209