To be honest, it was troublesome.

    Talking with another person about a depressing topic like this, that was.

    Dimitar crossed his legs and rested his cheek on his hand on top of his knee.

    「I see… I’ve thought the “Albiol” family name sounded familiar since before, but you’re the daughter of Albiol & Co., huh」

    「That’s right. Although one might say that, the one who succeeded the business is my eldest uncle」

    The House of Albiol focused on the business of oil, candles and so forth, and it had been doing a steady business in this Roma for generations. Even though it wasn’t to the extent of the House of Barnaro, Valeria’s father’s parents’ house, it could be called a moderately wealthy house.

    The eldest son Habi, the current head of the family who had taken over the business from Bettina’s grandfather, was living in the Albiols’ house near the grain market even now; it was said that the second son Tito, Bettina’s father, was living in recuperation together with his wife in his wife’s birthplace.

    「And that’s the reason why you’re living together with Quique-ojisan, who is the youngest child of the three brothers, in the downtown area, huh」

    「Thinking I was pitiful, being an unwanted child to my mother, Oji-sama took custody of me. Oji-sama said that since that house had become his elder brother’s house already, I wouldn’t have a place where I belonged, and that I might as well live together with him…」

    「That’s terrible. You’ve been together with that eccentric the whole time since you were a kid, huh」

    「Like I said, Oji-sama isn’t an eccentric!」

    Bettina laughed with a nasal voice. Realising that he had felt a bit relieved that it ended without her crying loudly, Dimitar pulled in his head, feeling embarrassed.

    「The chief engineer had said that you always want to be of use to someone before, but is that connected to such a personal history?」

    When Dimitar asked unreservedly, Bettina laughed, and after showing some hesitation, she nodded using her whole body.

    「…That’s because I wasn’t needed by my mother」

    「Is that why you’re helping the chief engineer?」

    「That’s the most important. I want to help Oji-sama and be of use to him. I want to be of use to Valeria-sama; of course, I want to be of use to Dimi-san too!」

    「I see」

    And then, Dimitar felt as if he had understood a little.

    Normally, no matter how strong the magic armour protecting her was, there was no girl who would want to enter a dangerous battlefield of her own free will. Nevertheless, Bettina had exposed herself to such situations countless times so far.

    That was probably because she had an intense longing of wanting to be useful if there was something that she could do. In order to assist Valeria, to help Dimitar, and to make Isaac’s strategy successful—she had worked regardless of the dangers. That was without a doubt a behaviour that came from her wholeheartedness of wanting to find out the value of herself, who wasn’t wanted by her mother.

    Following the clouds drifting slowly in the blue sky with his eyes, Dimitar spoke.

    「I understand that that’s the reason why you looked into the mailbox and came back crestfallen. …And then, what’s the reason why you were in high spirits like an idiot just now?」

    「Saying that I’m like an idiot, you’re so cruel!」

    「Then, what’s the reason why you were in high spirits cutely?」

    「Eh!? C, cute, no way…」

    「…You’re probably feeling shy while wriggling inside the armour, but it only looked like a pink mass is shaking in other people’s eyes, you know」

    Dimitar, who had kicked Bettina’s head lightly, gazed at the shining crest of a rose on the girl’s body.

    「…So, is His Highness the cause?」

    「Eh!?」

    「… Bull’s-eye, huh. You also said that you had helped His Highness with his work just now, after all」

    「T, that’s… well, yes」

    While stroking the crest of the rose, Bettina started to talk haltingly.

    「Um… I think you’d surely laugh and say that I have the nerve to have such a stupid dream, …but I’m elated because Isaac-sama started talking to me」

    「What do you mean?」

    「I said so just now too, but I’m afraid that I won’t be needed by people. I started to work as Valeria-sama’s attendant then, and now, not only did an audience with Isaac-sama came true but he even started talking to me, and I’ve been helping him with various work; because of that, I excessively had a dream that is slightly beyond my position」

    「Beyond your position, huh」

    Bettina probably thought Isaac had taken a liking to her and was in high spirits. And she probably had misunderstood the meaning of the words “take a liking to” a little. After all, Isaac was a handsome man, and since he was generally kind towards anyone, there must be many girls like Bettina who had misunderstood.

    「—But I’ve come to my senses. Whether it’s just odd jobs or what, since Isaac-sama told me to help, I must be content with that—」

    「What are you saying?」

    Interrupting Bettina’s words, Dimitar poked the girl’s head with the scabbard of the sword.

    「…Do you understand your own position?」

    「P, pardon?」

    「You’re the attendant of our Eminence, you know? If you have the time to do odd jobs for His Highness, then taking care of Her Eminence is the logical move」

    「B, but~」

    「Certainly, it can’t be helped that we disappeared without saying anything because it was a top-secret mission this time. But from now on, if the mission of our Eminence and the odd jobs of His Highness clash, our side will absolutely take priority」

    「No way~」

    「It’s not like that or like this. Only the Great Gods of Heaven and Earth OfficialPatriarca Mayor can order the Dominas, and only the king can order the Senior InspectorsCensor Mayor. That is to say, the time for our Eminence to take action is only when there’s an order from His Majesty, who holds those two positions concurrently. His Majesty’s orders and His Highness’s odd jobs, even an idiot will know which one should take priority. —By the way, helping the chief engineer is of an even lower priority」

    「P, personally speaking, these three choices are difficult…」

    「Humph」

    Dimitar jumped down from the barrel lightly and cracked his neck.

    「—If it really turned into such a situation and you’re troubled by it, that means that you’re that much needed by the people surrounding you. That’s your wish, right?」

    「Ah…」

    Bettina, who was holding her head in her hands and shaking, raised her face with a start.

    「In the first place, being neglected by your mother isn’t a big deal. I was almost killed by my mother, you know」

    「Eh?」

    「Due to her messing up in the forced double suicide and dying first just by herself, I couldn’t make a single complaint. Compared to that, your mother is still alive; that alone is better. You can go to your mother and give vent to your pent-up resentment any time, after all」

    「……」

    Bettina, who had been staring at Dimitar in a daze for a while, soon lowered her head.

    「…I’ve lost」

    「This isn’t an issue of winning or losing though」

    Dimitar started to walk with a wry smile.

    「—I’m going back to guard Her Highness the Queen. Give my best regards to the chief engineer」

    「Yes! Thank you very much!」

    「…It’s not something you have to thank me for」

    Dimitar waved his hand lightly at Bettina and untied the reins of the horse, which was tied under a tree.

    Lauris, where the queen’s party had put up at today’s inn, was just one hour on foot to the east from Roma. If he travelled by horse from now, he could probably return before dinner with time to spare.

    On his way back via the side of the military drill site of the army, there was Quique quietly puffing out the smoke of his kiseru under an evergreen oak, of which the branches and leaves spread out greatly.

    「—Oi, middle-aged man」

    「Oh, it’s over, huh. How was it?」

    「In general, it seems that it was as you’ve been worrying about. Well, I think it’ll be all right since she herself said that she had come to her senses already」

    「I see…」

    Quique sighed as if he honestly felt relieved and put on his monocle again.

    It was Quique, who was troubled by the matter of his niece, who called Dimitar, who had finished the preparatory meeting with Camu?as-kyou in the royal palace and was about to return to Lauris, to stop. In short, Dimitar was asked by Quique to look at Bettina’s state a little before he returned to Lauris.

    Dimitar stroked the nape of his neck.

    「…I heard about the circumstances straightforwardly from the person herself, but you’ve also taken custody of a troublesome person」

    「Oi, don’t call her troublesome. To me, she’s my cute niece, you know?」

    「If you really think so, then please do something about your niece’s troubles by yourself at least. Good grief, you have the nerve to use people familiarly…」

    「That’s a different matter. There are also issues that are difficult for guardians to interfere in」

    「…Well, it’s not like I don’t understand, but there’s such an interfering middle-aged man nearby, and yet why is she troubled by that kind of thing—」

    「Anyway, you really helped me」

    「It’s nothing in particular… I always receive your help, after all」

    Dimitar, who wasn’t accustomed to being thanked by people, felt uncomfortable and straddled the horse quickly.

    「Bye then」

    Dimitar snapped the reins of the horse and started running.

    Although it didn’t matter even if Dimitar himself was late in particular, the queen who was tired from the journey would go to bed early. He wanted to return to Lauris as quickly as possible and report the plans for tomorrow at dinner.