IDDYD 04

Chapter 04

Alice looked Aiden straight in the eye and began listing warnings as if cautioning him.

“There are two things you need to be careful about before you meet my father. First is your eye color.”

“You already changed my eye color with magic?”

“Yes, but it’s not a permanent spell. I’ll need to check every few days to make sure it hasn’t worn off. Don’t you forget either.”

“Fine. Then what’s the second?”

“Your backstory.”

“Backstory?”

“More precisely, it’s a kind of alibi for how you and I met.”

Aiden frowned slightly. Seeming not to understand, Alice added an explanation.

“If my father asks how we met, what are you going to say?”

“That we met by chance…”

“That won’t do. My father is sharp. If you try to brush it off like that, he’ll get suspicious immediately.”

As she said this, Alice placed a hand on her hip.

“It just so happens I was traveling for research not long ago. Let’s say I met you then—you were a wandering mercenary. I recognized your skills and scouted you as my guard. How does that sound?”

“Do as you like.”

“But there’s one thing I’m a bit concerned about now.”

“What is it?”

Alice glanced subtly at Aiden’s waist. The place where a scabbard would be if he were a knight.

“I’m wondering if a demon who lost a sword—something as precious as life to a swordsman—in the human world and still hasn’t found it is actually skilled enough to pretend to be my guard. Ah, maybe I should have considered another job besides guard.”

“I’m good with a sword too, you know? You just haven’t seen my skills…”

“If it’s unfair, you shouldn’t have lost your sword.”

“……”

Aiden had no rebuttal to that and closed his mouth.

Feeling a satisfying sense of having put the smug demon in his place, Alice steered the strayed conversation back on track.

“In conclusion, the most important thing for us right now is that your identity must not be exposed.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Do you understand? If you’re found out to be a demon, we’re both dead. I’ll be executed, and you’ll be eradicated by the priests. To avoid that, we have to start off on the right foot…”

“I know, so don’t worry.”

*Is he really sure?* Even with Aiden’s confident answer, Alice still felt uneasy.

There was a reason she was giving him these earnest warnings. The Duke of Erdin, whom they were about to meet, was no easy person to deceive.

No matter how much of a genius Alice was, it would be difficult to fool her father, who had decades of experience as a Duke.

Alice let out a small sigh. Her heart felt heavy knowing that she, who had always been a daughter to make her father proud, had committed the grave crime of summoning a demon.

*‘It’s okay. I just need to send this demon back to the Demon Realm before we’re caught.’*

Alice reaffirmed her goal internally. So far, there was nothing she couldn’t do. Finding the demon’s sword would surely be easy.

“……Alright. Then let’s go.”

With a resolute expression, Alice headed for the ducal mansion.

* * *

Alice confidently entered the main building of the ducal mansion with Aiden in tow.

“Young Lady, welcome ba…”

A maid greeting Alice trailed off. Her pupils widened, having likely spotted Aiden behind her.

“Is Father in his office?”

“Huh? Yes.”

Hearing the maid’s answer, Alice headed to the Duke’s office. The maid kept glancing at Aiden, but Alice did not satisfy her curiosity.

The Duke of Erdin’s office was at the end of the right corridor on the second floor. Perhaps because her steps felt heavy, the already long distance felt even longer today.

Alice took a deep breath and knocked on the office door.

“Come in.”

With the Duke’s permission, Alice carefully opened the large door. Through the crack, she could see the Duke reviewing documents.

Her father, Liam Erdin, resembled his daughter Alice closely in appearance, from hair to eye color, but he carried a more imposing and charismatic air than her.

As the door opened, Liam shifted his gaze from the documents to Alice. Seeing the man standing behind his daughter, he uttered a single phrase.

“……Is this your lover?”

“No.”
“No.”

Alice and Aiden denied it simultaneously.

*Lover? How could he even think such a terrible thing?* Seeing Alice’s incredulous expression, Liam cleared his throat.

“Just asking. I wondered why you’d brought a man to the residence. I heard you even called Madam Christine to get new men’s clothes tailored.”

“Ah, you knew?”

Alice gave an awkward smile. Of course, the dutiful head butler Max wouldn’t fail to report something about the young lady to his master, the Duke.

“He’s not my lover, but I wanted to introduce him to you. He’s going to be my guard from now on.”

“……A guard?”

Surprise flickered across Liam’s face. Was Alice really saying she wanted to have a guard?

Who was Alice? She was the ducal princess who had declared she wouldn’t have a guard, saying she was the strongest herself and didn’t understand why she needed protection from others.

It was a famous story throughout the Empire—how she had said she would only accept a guard stronger than her, fought and defeated all the knights of House Erdin, and then decided not to have one.

So it was unbelievable that she would voluntarily suggest having a guard now. Unable to hide his astonishment, Liam asked Alice.

“Is he stronger than you?”
“Impossible. I just thought he could be useful.”

Alice flatly denied Liam’s question. Even if it was a lie, she didn’t want to say she was weaker than Aiden. She also genuinely believed she was stronger.

Liam silently looked past Alice at Aiden.

Even without trying to look, he was the type of person whose mere existence drew the eye.

With his rare white hair and neatly dressed in a white suit, he looked more like a delicately raised noble scion or a flower from a greenhouse than someone fit to protect as a guard knight.

Deciding to learn more about him, Liam asked a few questions.

“So, what is your name?”
“Aiden.”

Liam’s eyebrow twitched. For addressing a Duke, it was rather blunt.

*Surely, I misheard.* He forced himself to remain calm and asked the next question.

“Where are you from?”
“Hmm, you probably wouldn’t know even if I told you.”

He hadn’t misheard. The man was openly speaking down to the Empire’s Duke.

Hearing Aiden’s words, Alice’s face also contorted with shock.

*Is he out of his mind right now? When he should be trying to make a good impression on the Duke, he’s doing the exact opposite.*

But Aiden didn’t seem to care about her reaction. It was unclear whether he was pretending not to know his behavior was wrong or if he genuinely didn’t realize.

Noticing Liam’s expression hardening, Alice urgently cried out.

“A foreigner! He’s from abroad, that’s why. Aiden’s still a bit clumsy with the Empire’s language, haha.”

*If you think broadly, the Demon Realm is also a foreign country.* Technically, it wasn’t a lie.

Fortunately, Alice’s excuse got through to Liam. Nodding as if convinced, he said, “Come to think of it, his looks are a bit exotic.”

“He does seem to need more practice with the Empire’s language.”
“Of course. I’m making him study constantly.”

Though she’d never actually made him study, Alice added more before Liam could change his mind.

“He’s just like that because he’s a friend from abroad, but he’s a good kid.”

*Though how good can a demon really be?*

“He’s also excellent at swordsmanship. Why else would I, who’s never had a guard, suddenly want Aiden as one?”

*Even though I’ve never actually seen his swordsmanship…*

*I’ve never lied to Father this much before.* While feeling pangs of conscience, Alice didn’t stop talking.

Right now, getting Aiden accepted as her guard was more important. Otherwise, she had no justification for keeping him by her side.

Liam watched Alice eagerly praising Aiden and finally spoke.

“Alright, do as you wish.”
“Yes, so… Wait, what?”

The unexpectedly easy permission made Alice’s pupils widen. Liam smiled slightly.

“If you want him as a guard, he must be capable. You’re not the type to be easily fooled.”
“…….”

“I trust you. So, if you have someone you want to hire, go ahead. Aren’t you the one who will lead our house in the future?”
“Father…”

Seeing the moved look in Alice’s eyes, Liam cleared his throat, seemingly embarrassed.

“Just don’t forget that you are responsible for your own choices.”
“Of course.”

Alice answered with a bright smile. Aside from being able to take Aiden as her guard, the fact that her father trusted her completely was satisfying in itself.

“Now that your guard matter is settled. The reason I called you…”

He proceeded to bring up the main topic, but Alice was still lost in her own thoughts.

*Things are going more smoothly than I thought? Then I can finish the contract with Aiden sooner…*

“It seems traces of a demon have been found within the Empire.”

…that thought was shattered by Liam’s following words.

*What did Father just say? Did he say traces of a demon?*

Alice’s pupils shook violently.