ONCE Helt returned from the gates, Amelia greeted him. “Welcome back, Helt. Just wondering, did those guards eat the strawberries? Do you think I was a bother? Should I stop giving them from now on?”
Her strawberry eyes stared intently at him. She must’ve gotten concerned because the gatekeepers had accepted the strawberries with stern faces. It was already clear as day that she was a kind soul just because she was willing to give refreshments to servants despite being a princess, but on top of that, she even had the consideration to question whether her actions would be an inconvenience.
Meanwhile, the fourth consort and her daughter embellished themselves gaudily with dresses and cosmetics—they even forced unreasonable demands on their servants. If Amelia even gave a hundredth of her virtue to them, they would be at least decent human beings.
No. Correction. That’s out of the question. They weren’t even worthy of a hundredth of Amelia’s anything, so that plan was rejected. Making them drink muddy water from the recently fertilized fields was sufficient.
“It is all right,” he replied, wanting to report that there was no need to be nervous. “They ate your offerings, not to mention that your strawberries are forever heavenly.”
For some reason, Amelia creased her forehead. “But that’s by your standards, isn’t it? That said…they weren’t uncomfortable with it, gotcha. I’m so glad.”
They hadn’t been uncomfortable—in fact, they’d eagerly enjoyed the fruits, but telling her the truth wasn’t an option. Thoughtlessly becoming familiar with the guards would displease the fourth consort, and her situation might worsen, not to mention that the gatekeepers and their respective families would also be in danger.
“They could never be repulsed by your offerings,” Helt said. “However, your strawberries are precious and sacred items that are too good for them. Giving them some fruit once in a while should be sufficient.”
Stopping Amelia from giving them refreshments would make her dejected, not to mention that it would incur the guards’ resentment. Therefore, he decided to go for a balanced option and gave her an innocuous explanation, but after hearing it, Amelia nodded several times.
“Huuuh, I see. That makes sense; they’d get bored if they only ate strawberries all the time.”
“Now that is preposterous. My princess, your strawberries are delectable to the point that I could eat them for every meal.”
“Like I mentioned earlier, Helt, your standards are a bit off.”
Helt frowned slightly. He’d stated his opinion honestly, and he couldn’t make sense of what she meant by “off.”
That was when Amelia schooled her face into a serious expression. “Hey, Helt… You know it’s fine for you to quit your job as a guardian knight and go back to being a normal knight, yeah?”
Helt blinked in surprise at the unexpected line—Johanna had said the same words to him once upon a time. However, in Amelia’s case, it was practically written on her face that she didn’t want him to go.
My princess is such a handful, Helt thought before sighing. “The fifth consort has ordered me to be your protector, so I cannot leave your side.”
Amelia’s eyes lit up like the sun, and she grinned with joy. “Sorry, Helt. And thank you. You’re really kind, so I keep relying on you.”
There was something exasperated about her smile, but he could also feel the robust trust she had in him—for a moment, he was reminded of Johanna, and he unknowingly quirked up the corners of his lips. “That is right. I am a dependable adult man, after all.”