6. The Knight Leader, a Ghost, and My Amulet
âTinaâ!!! Thereâs a grain of dust on your twelve oâ clockâ!!! Clean it up right awayâ!!!â
âYesâ!!!â
âSir Ranbic, if you double the lights during the day, youâll exceed your budget. Letâs settle with increasing it to just 1.2 times, we can back it up by devising an arrangement.â
âBut, can it ensure the brightness?â
âItâs impossible with just some candles, however, we can make use of mirrors. Another dust, at your nine oâ clock.â
ââis cleaned!â
Then, Mr. Herez laughed.
Looking at our way of communication, Captain Ranbic seemed confused.
That day, when Herez started referring to me as âComradeâ, it looked like he had approved of me to some extent.
As usual, he was as keen and severe, but I wasnât as annoyed as beforeâ
âthus, as the result of working me to the bone, his stress was released and his work efficiency had increased.
âWhatâve gotten in to youâŠ.?â
During my break time, someone said so from behind.
When I turned back, I found Vice Captain Dortmund.
âWhat do you mean?â
âItâs too easy to perceive, you suddenly become so obedient to him. Everyone can see that.â
âwell, that explained why everyone was giving me plenty of food during dinner.
I was happy with everyoneâs kindness, but recently, I was afraid of gaining weight due to eating so much at night.
âItâs because Iâm determined to do my best, so please, you have to do your best as well.â
âThatâs only natural. Who do you think I am?â Saying so, he laughed confidently.
The feelings of the girls who were passionate about himâI could understand them a little.
With me as his powerful comrade, Herezâs work speed increased tremendously. After all, he no longer had to be afraid of neither ghost nor dust.
Even though Herez was the one doing the job, I was proud to say that I contributed as well.
âŠthis feeling.
It was akin to a mother that did her best to support her sonâŠ
âTina, the crumbs from the time you ate cookies are still there.â
âUh-oh, sorry!â
âŠNo. It was probably akin to a daughter-in-law who got scolded by her mother-in-law.
Captain Ranbic, who stood watching, had a complicated expressionâdoes he think the same?
Finally, it was the night before the Star Festival.
âThank you so much, Ms. Walter.â
When I was escorting the Captain back as usual, he suddenly thanked me.
âCaptainâŠ? You neednât thank me for anything. Or more like, Iâve received plenty of your thanksâŠâ
I had seen it myselfâall the knights, especially Captain Ranbic, were working hard for the festival. Rather, I should be the one thanking them. However, he shook his head.
âNo, itâs not about the ghost, but about Herez.â
âOhâŠâ
Dortmund had indeed saidââeveryone can see that.â
So it turned out, that the Captain wasnât an exception.
âThatâs because heâs not just all talk. Iâve seen the way he works, it make me want to work hard alongside him, too, and not just be a camouflaging maid.â
Because he was truly competent.
At first, I felt annoyed because my camouflaging partner is him, the Devil of the Ministry of Accounting, howeverâ
âwhen I saw his work, I could see it right away. It made me realize how much of an amateur I was; his work was efficient and also accurate.
âHowever, itâs just that⊠although he never shows it, he truly cares about cleanlinessâto the point that it can affect his job.â
Tidiness influenced his work output, hence, he was bestowed some special privileges at work. That was why he had a personal cleaning maid.
Herez, whom wanted the best result, worked hard. Since it affected his job, he became stricter to the cleaning maids.
The cleaning maids that knew nothing of his circumstances became frustratedâhence, his nickname.
Such a negative chain arose.
Captain Ranbic continued. âTo be honest with you, I deliberately appointed Herez.â
He needed someone to keep his workplace tidy, coincidentally, there was one cleaning maid at hand. Said cleaning maid needed a proper cover up so she could stay here. It was killing two birds with one stone.
Not only would Captain Ranbic acquire his astounding work, the ghost would also be repelled.
As long as itâs beneficial, it doesnât matter to me.
âIâm so sorry if heâs giving you a hard time. It mustâve been hard for you.â Captain Ranbic deeply bowed his head.
âY-you mustnât bow your head to meâŠ!â
âYouâve done more than you couldâve imagined.â
âEh?â
âwhatâŠ?
At the baffled me, Captain Ranbic only smiled gently.
âYou said that youâll support him until the Star Festival?â
âAhâŠâ
âhow does Captain know?
âHe was truly delighted when he heard that from you⊠the person himself told me so. His boss told me that he would always refuse to speak his mind, preferring to keep everything to himself. Even though I see him every day, Iâve never noticed his true feelings.â
âThatâsâŠâ
If what Captain meant was the reason of his happiness recently, it had nothing to do with me at all. Captain, he just enjoys ordering me aroundâŠ
In addition, I was just a simple-minded person who only resolved to work hard near the Star Festival.
I was unworthy of receiving Captainâs praise.
However, Captain shook his head again.
âThe Star Festival this year is going to be greatâI can feel it. Itâs because Iâve received some great help from all of youâotherwise, I wouldnât be able to complete my task. Iâm truly indebted. Thatâs why, thank you.â
Because of Captainâs wholehearted gratitude, a smile naturally formed on my face.
I felt like all my fatigue had been blown away.
âthe day of the Star Festival arrived.
That day, star-shaped decorations embellished the entire kingdom.
In the town, colorful stars made of paper and cloth could be seen everywhere. Star-themed stalls were selling foods with stars as motifs.
Girls also wore star accessories and spend the day with their lovers.
Inside the royal palace, stars made of glass glinted because of the candlelight. Everyone who worked in the palace, as well as the nobility, also put on star accessories somewhere on their clothes.
In the evening, a large ball was held at the Royal Palace.
The banquet was lit with small candles and star light. The chandeliers were turned off.
I was so happy because I could spend such a wonderful and romantic night with the person I likedâ
âeven if I was just following him from behind.
âCaptain Ranbic! I want you to check this defensive formationâŠâ
âYes, Iâll go and check it out soon.â
âCaptain Ranbic, His Majesty is calling.â
âIs His Majesty in his chamber? Iâll head there soon.â
âCaptain Ranbic! A reinforcement request from the security forces! It seems that there isnât enough manpower on the south sideâŠâ
âThe Vice Captain should be in the South Gate. Heâll respond faster, so go to him.â
Even I, who should had been used to walking around as a cleaning maid, found that my legs were on the verge of breaking off.
Every year, even during the Star Festival, I had to work. But, only now that I found out that the knights were actually this busyâŠ
Today, I was exempted from cleaning work. My task for the entirety today consisted of following the Captain. I tried to stay vigilant the whole time.
Eventually, the ball started and it was time for the dance.
âGood job, Ms. Walter. Iâm sorry for making you follow me everywhere, today. For a lady such as you, the Star Festival mustâve been a special dayâŠâ
Again, Captain lowered his head.
âItâs no problem. All I did was tagging around. Captain too, good job.â
This was my job. If I missed this yearâs festival, there was always next yearâs.
Even so, I could spend this yearâs festival with my special someone, so it should be enough.
âStill, I thank you.â
The security of the venue was still ongoing.
However, the shift had been decided in advance. It could be said that Captain Ranbicâs job was done. The rest was left to the guardian knightsâ
âwell, I still had to escort him through the hall, though.
âThe festival is well done, isnât it?â
âIndeed.â
The Star Festival was the day when the earth was full of stars. However, today, celestial stars were also shining brightly all over the sky. It was as if I was enclosed by stars from above and below.
Even if the sky lost its shine and decided to rain, the stars on the ground wouldnât lose their radiance. But, the sunny weather today was a plus.
âOoh, you can still hear the music from hereâŠâ
âProbably because the upper windows are open⊠âthatâs right.â
Captain Ranbic kneeled while extending his hand to meâhe teasingly chuckled.
âMs. Walter, will you dance with me?â
ââŠhuh?â
I only understood what he meant after a moment. My cheeks grew hot.
âWe both have worked hard today. I think itâs good to take a break. Iâm sorry if Iâm not the man you favor, though.â He continued. âEvery year, during the festival, all I did was work. So, wonât you help this pitiful man make memories, if you donât mind?â
My head was filled with thoughts instantly. For examples;
âyouâre the man I like!!!
âIâm making memories with Captain!!!
âI canât dance well!!!
ââŠyes.â
I ignored my thoughts and replied in an instant.
It was a dance that lasted for only a few minutesâ
âconsisted of unpolished steps that were incomparable to those who danced elegantly in the hall.
Although he said he was only fooling around, Captain didnât lower his vigilance towards his surroundings for even a moment during our dance.
I could tell that he was still trying to protect someoneâprotect me, as supposed to what his job entailed.
However, in that short momentâ
âthat short moment where I could dance with the person I cherished under the sky full of stars, became my everlasting treasure.
***T/N: WHY I LOVE KNIGHTS!? THIS IS WHY!!
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