The Villainous Lady Doesn't Speak chapter 249

Arcadia

Chapter 249: Intertwining Intentions 10

After seeing Liliana and the others off, Riley returned from the drawing room to his office. Though he felt the gaze of Austin, who was following as usual, Riley acted as if he didn't notice. However, after entering the office, Riley sighed and called only Austin inside. Taking advantage of the fact that the other knight didn't mind, Austin entered the room alone and approached Riley.

Once the door was closed, Riley looked up at his childhood friend with a wry smile.

“You've been looking like you have something to say for a while now, Austin.”

“...Well, yeah.”

Austin’s brow was furrowed as he looked at Riley. The fact that he dropped his formal tone meant he was speaking as a friend, not a Royal Knight.

Realizing this, Riley stood up and leaned back slightly against his desk, crossing his arms. He met Austin’s sharp gaze calmly.

“Is it about our earlier conversation?”

“I know it’s not my place to interfere,” Austin replied bitterly, his face twisted with obvious dissatisfaction. Riley shrugged.

“Restraint doesn't suit you. You can't believe I allowed Sasha to go, is that it?”

“Is there any other reason? No matter how much mana she has, Lady Liliana is practically an amateur when it comes to magic. Even if she’s studied it, it’s all theory. You shouldn't expect her to apply it in practice immediately.”

Austin was a Royal Knight, but more importantly, he was a Magic Knight. Magic Knights had to learn far more than ordinary knights or sorcerers. They had to master not only swordsmanship but the fundamentals of magic, and then learn how to fuse the two. This required more than just book learning; it had to be drilled into the body through repeated training.

Because Austin had endured that grueling training through grit and determination, his words carried weight. Furthermore, he continued.

“And since you haven't mentioned it, her mana still isn't stable, right? If she has a mana overload in the dungeon, it’ll be a disaster.”

“Yes, you're right.”

Only a portion of the Royal Knights had been told about the dungeon where the Demon King was sealed. The entire Second Squad, who would be mobilized in an emergency, as well as the Captain and Vice-Captain of the Seventh Squad. Of course, not all of them knew the details. Only the Captains of the Second and Seventh Squads knew how to enter and the specific situation; the others were simply told that the Demon King was sealed in the dungeon and what to do if the seal broke.

That was why Austin’s point was valid. Riley nodded seriously.

If Liliana had a mana overload in the dungeon, she would be in danger, as would Ben and Petra. The seal might break, or the underground passage might collapse, burying all three alive.

Riley knew Austin’s concerns were justified, but he had his own reasons for agreeing. And Austin, having known Riley for a long time, sensed that Riley had already considered everything he was worried about.

Meeting Austin’s questioning gaze, Riley smiled bitterly and answered softly.

“I did consider that. To be honest, I didn't want Sasha to go either.”

“But you gave permission anyway. Why?”

It was a blunt, sharp question that allowed for no evasion. Riley fell silent.

To be honest, he wondered if he really needed to lay his heart bare. But if he hadn't wanted to, he shouldn't have called Austin in the first place. He could have just kept him on guard duty and made sure they were never alone.

In fact, Austin had hesitated to ask at first, so it wouldn't have been that difficult.

Thinking that far, Riley’s eyes widened slightly. Austin noticed the change and narrowed his eyes suspiciously. Riley sighed and answered.

“I think... I wanted someone to listen to me.”

It was his honest feeling, but Austin just raised an eyebrow as if to say 'No kidding.' After a moment of silence, Austin crossed his arms and spoke.

“Then spit it out already.”

“...Fine.”

Raising both hands in a gesture of surrender, Riley took a small breath and began.

“Even if I had stopped her, Sasha probably would have gone to the dungeon alone. Secretly. In that case, it’s safer for her to be with Lord Ben Draco and Petra-sama.”

“What?”

At Riley’s casual statement, Austin was speechless. He lost his words for a moment, then immediately regained his composure and stepped toward Riley.

“Wait a minute. I heard the entrance to the dungeon was sealed. You need special qualifications to enter—”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“And you're saying she would break in alone?”

“I believe Sasha could do it.”

Austin looked at Riley as if he’d lost his mind, but seeing the calm look in his friend's eyes, he realized Riley was serious. He covered his face with one hand and sighed.

“...Are you serious? You really think that highly of her?”

“Yes. Sasha doesn't show her true strength. She tries to hide it as much as possible—though I don't know why.”

“Even from you, her fiancé?”

“Yes. Sadly, I haven't earned her trust yet. I suppose I haven't shown her anything that would prove me worthy of it.”

Riley’s words were sincere, and while Austin still looked skeptical, he eventually nodded. “Fine.”

“I find it hard to believe, but I’ll proceed on that premise for now. So you basically had no choice but to let her go with those two, because otherwise, she’d go alone.”

Austin summarized the situation to organize his thoughts, and Riley nodded.

“Exactly. Honestly, I wanted to go with her, but it would be a bad idea for me to go.”

“'Bad idea' is an understatement.”

Don't go yourself, you idiot, Austin muttered under his breath, lightly punching Riley’s shoulder. The gesture reminded Riley of the old days, and he couldn't help but smile.

“But anyway, I probably would have made the same decision. Don't worry about it.”

“Yeah, thanks.”

Riley smiled happily, and Austin’s expression softened as well.

“Anyway, Lady Liliana and the others will probably stop by to report when they get back. You’ll be restless, but just stay calm until then.”

“I know.”

Riley nodded obediently. He watched his childhood friend leave the room to resume his guard duty and let out a small breath.

The knot that had been in his heart since he saw them off was gone. He hadn't expected that sharing his thoughts with someone he trusted would make him feel this much better. He was still worried about them, but not nearly as much as before. He felt he could finally focus on his work.

◇　◇　◇　◇

Leaving Riley’s room, Austin caught the eye of his comrade standing at the door.

Among the Royal Knights, this man was the closest in age to Austin, though he was still over ten years older. He was of commoner origin rather than nobility, but he had apparently risen through the ranks of the Royal Knights after starting from the bottom. He couldn't use magic, and his swordsmanship was only above average, but he was incredibly sharp. For example, he was always the first to spot a pickpocket in a crowd. He excelled at finding spies and assassins during patrols.

Because of that, he was often paired with Austin, who had skill in swordsmanship and magic but lacked experience.

“You look happy, Austin.”

“Huh? Do I?”

Austin hadn't intended to change his expression and reflexively covered his cheek with one hand. The man smiled slightly and said reassuringly, “No one else will notice, so don't worry. You look like your worries have been cleared up.”

“Well, I'm glad... I suppose something good did happen.”

“I see.”

That’s good, the man laughed. Austin smiled as well but immediately tightened his expression. The man didn't seem to mind and began to scan the surroundings again in silence. Austin did the same, but the conversation he’d just had with Riley kept playing in his mind.

Since Liliana Alexandra Clark was just a candidate for the fiancée position, Riley seemed to have viewed her as someone special. At first, Austin had suspected Riley had been captivated by her fragile, lovely appearance and the tragedy of her losing her voice. But he’d realized relatively early on that wasn't the case.

Riley had always strived to be a proper Crown Prince. When they were young, the nobles had described Riley as an 'average prince who was neither medicine nor poison.' Riley was the one who overturned that reputation.

In the middle of that process, there was a period where Riley had started acting strangely. At the time, Austin prided himself on being the one closest to Riley. He believed with full confidence that while they would become lord and retainer once he became a Royal Knight, he would still support the prince more closely than anyone else.

But reality wasn't that simple. When Austin asked what was wrong, Riley had simply replied, 'It’s nothing.'

No matter how biased one might be, it was obvious Riley was troubled and depressed about something.

—I am not someone Riley relies on.

Young Austin’s heart had been deeply wounded by that simple fact. But admitting it would have hurt his pride. So, Austin pretended not to notice his wounded heart and passed on a lesson he’d just learned from the Captain of the Second Squad, Danhill Calvert.

'Find someone you can trust and share the burden a little.'

Those words were meant to encourage Riley, but they also cut Austin’s heart even deeper.

—I am not yet someone worthy of Riley’s trust.

He had been frustrated and helpless. He hadn't known what to do. But giving up wasn't an option.

From that day on, the relationship between Riley and Austin changed. A bit of distance grew between the childhood friends. They still consulted each other, but they no longer spoke about everything as openly as before. Still wanting to earn absolute trust, Austin had worked desperately hard. He prided himself on having trained more than anyone else in the Royal Knights.

That was why this conversation was so profoundly joyful for Austin. It wasn't just a difficult administrative matter Riley wanted his opinion on. Riley had expressed his anxiety. And the subject was his fiancée.

Riley, who admired the Wise King of the previous generation, had tried to avoid creating special bonds. If he found someone he loved, he would inevitably waver when forced to choose between the country and that person. He had often said since they were young that his grandfather had told him he must not have anyone too precious to him.

On the other hand, the young Riley had also struggled. His grandfather's teaching was that a King must believe in others but never trust them, and always be prepared to be betrayed. Beyond that, a King’s duty was to manage the government by using others well. Riley had believed in that.

But Riley was not the previous King. At his core, he was gentle, more like his father, who had been called the Foolish King. Using others while doubting them was an ideal completely at odds with Riley’s personality.

Yet, Riley had found himself caring about Liliana before he even knew it. Even when she was just a candidate, he’d mentioned her name in conversations with Austin more than anyone else. Honestly, Austin didn't remember the names of the other candidates ever coming up.

He’d once suspected Riley’s vision had been clouded by her lovely, fragile appearance and the tragedy of her losing her voice. But that suspicion had vanished quickly. Riley truly seemed to treasure Liliana. Austin thought she might be the only one.

And now Riley, who rarely expressed his true feelings, had spoken about his heart regarding Liliana. It was undoubtedly because he trusted Austin.

“I guess this is what it feels like for it to pay off.”

Austin forced his face into a neutral expression to keep from grinning. In fact, considering Riley’s feelings, he shouldn't be happy. His childhood friend was currently restless with worry about his fiancée. But even knowing that, Austin’s heart was light. The fact that Ben Draco and Petra Muirulainen were with Liliana was why he wasn't particularly worried.

The knight standing next to him surely noticed how upbeat Austin was. He tried desperately to hide it, but eventually gave up. Feeling a gaze on his profile every now and then, Austin glanced at the man.

“...Sorry.”

“I'm glad my shift today was with you.”

“I truly feel the same way.”

There were certainly strict knights among the Royal Guards. If one of them had been standing there, the youngest member, Austin, would have been thoroughly scolded.

But the man spoke kindly.

“I don't know what happened, but I think that kind of thing is nice—very youthful, you know?”

“...Just how sharp are your instincts?”

Austin felt all the tension leave his body. Even without knowing the details, the man’s comment was strangely on the mark. His face grew hot. Knowing he must be turning red, Austin covered his mouth with his hand. It was strangely embarrassing. But his heart was clear and bright.

—-

Toc

Chapter 250