I sensed a disagreeable gaze from somewhere.
Pretending not to recognize Lilia, who was waving her hand, I averted my eyes again.
Tristan, who had seen my expression contorted with displeasure, slowly circled around and spoke.
[Shall I go spit on her right now?]
[We could also catch a mouse and throw it under her blanket.]
Following Tristan, Minte also let out a drawn-out whine and subtly offered an opinion.
The Dullahans, who had apparently realized early on that there was no one to trust within this mansion, were commendably keeping watch around me in this manner.
Especially Tristan, whom I had assigned to specifically monitor Lilia, seemed to have grown quite fed up with her.
Glancing at the two who were growling as if they were about to cause havoc in Lilia's room at any moment, I opened my mouth indifferently.
"The higher one climbs, the longer the fall. Let her enjoy her joy."
Though I disliked the sight of her making such a disgusting greeting, I could roughly guess why she was acting that way.
It was because this morning, the Temple had made a major announcement declaring Dullahans to be evil.
Designating a specific monster and branding it was an unusual event, so all day long, the mansion's servants had been whispering among themselves without exception.
Naturally, Lilia must have heard the news. Having heard it, she likely believed it proved her prophetic abilities and must be quite puffed up with pride by now.
Thinking of my Dullahans, who had officially become 'evil,' left a bitter taste in my mouth.
After clicking my tongue briefly, I asked Samuel, who was silently following behind me.
"So, what are they saying 'over there'?"
["...They say they now understand how the Resurrected One was able to subdue the Dullahan that invaded the imperial palace in one fell swoop, and they are impressed. They said to continue supporting you with all your might."]
Samuel quietly began to speak. His voice was dejected; he had been like this all day after hearing the Temple's announcement this morning.
"Oh, so you've been granted permission to proudly go around exterminating Dullahans?"
It was a remark made with genuine admiration. However, the listener did not seem to take it that way, as Samuel's head dropped.
Though his face couldn't be seen due to the helmet, it was undoubtedly stiff with tension.
["...I truly never thought the announcement would be made in this manner..."]
Samuel squeezed out his voice in excuse. Waving my hand dismissively at him, I looked around with languid eyes.
"Don't add unnecessary words and risk being branded a heretic; just keep quiet."
At the word 'heretic,' Samuel's eyes behind his helmet shook violently. But he did not continue speaking.
From that reaction, I could tell he had truly believed the Temple would honestly announce everything after reestablishing all doctrines.
'Even when I told you they wouldn't, you didn't listen.'
Perhaps because I had roughly anticipated the content, I wasn't surprised. Now that it had been publicly announced, it couldn't be undone, so there was no use dwelling on it.
Though it was sad that Dullahans were declared evil, at least the Resurrected One's sacred authority was still intact, so that was fortunate.
'Since things have come to this, it's better to make use of the situation.'
At the very least, if I were caught with Dullahans, I now had grounds to boldly claim I was fighting against rampant evil.
As I walked slowly, organizing my thoughts, I suddenly turned to look beside me.
"Pallides, did you rest well last night?"
"Ah, there were no intruders yesterday. After getting beaten up for a few days, they must have given up!"
Pallides shrugged her shoulders and boasted. Because of that, her empty helmet rattled slightly.
Letting out a hollow laugh as I watched her, I shook my head.
Within the current Roam mansion, there were quite a few who viewed the suddenly resurrected and returned second young lady unfavorably.
They generally had no interest in religious symbolism like the Resurrected One or such, and simply saw me, who had taken their master's place, as a problem.
In short, they were the Phrygian elder sister's people.
Especially since the elder sister's influence was strong among the knights, ever since arriving at Roam, knights who deliberately picked fights with Pallides had frequently appeared.
Some 'excessively loyal individuals' had even attempted to ambush Pallides in the dead of night.
'For knights to shamelessly ambush in groups...'
When caught and questioned, they apparently spouted plausible excuses like wanting to test her skills since they would become family in the future, or wanting to see how she handled unexpected situations.
Moreover, perhaps the more they failed, the more determined they became; they seemed to persistently cling on in various ways without tiring.
At least during the day, having her by my side as a personal guard was fine, but nights were always the problem.
"Don't let your guard down. Since I have no standing in this mansion, troublesome incidents will keep occurring."
Since I would have no standing in the future either, I had to endure a certain level of disturbance until I left the mansion.
'Though, in truth, I'm deliberately causing some of it.'
I deliberately put on a serious expression and warned Pallides to be careful.
Then, turning back to Samuel, I asked,
"And what about you, Sir?"
At my question, Samuel fell deep into thought. Then, he cautiously began to speak.
["I thought it was a normal part of daily life for intruders to barge in at night in noble households..."]
His remark that he thought it was normal naturally evoked a sense of absurdity in me.
Did he think noble society was only full of schemes and covert struggles?
'...Well, actually, that might not be entirely wrong?'
"Anyway, it seems you had visitors."
As I muttered indifferently, Samuel answered in a serious voice.
["Upon catching them, I realized they were Roam knights, so I let them go, thinking they had mistaken their target."]
It was laughable that they couldn't directly express their dissatisfaction to me and instead targeted innocent guards, and even that ended with them all getting beaten and failing.
I let out a light laugh and strode forward.
'How did the family end up like this?'
I thought discipline was well-maintained when the Phrygian elder sister reigned as the minor duke, but it seems it was based on individual power rather than a system.
'Seeing that, it seems elder sister is a proper minor duke candidate.'
Since elder sister cherished the family so much, the retainers couldn't have been unaware of that utmost sincerity. Perhaps some were moved by that devotion and followed her even more fervently.
As I was reassessing elder sister anew, Pallides spoke to me in a light tone.
"I took a quick look, and the knights here all have flabby bodies!"
Her voice was louder than expected. So much so... that a knight passing nearby could 'accidentally' hear it.
"Excuse me."
Someone abruptly appeared before us as we walked leisurely. An unnamed Roam knight.
Normally, knights wouldn't have been stationed inside the garden. But currently, because I had secretly entered to avoid the Emperor's eyes, security had been strengthened.
Thus, knights and private soldiers were stationed in various places where they normally wouldn't be.
This garden was one of them.
"I cannot bear such rudeness any longer and must speak."
Blocking my path with a flushed face, he was glaring at Pallides, clearly furious for anyone to see.
"Your name?"
He, who was about to jump straight to the point, belatedly realized his mistake and hastily bowed his head.
"Karin, of Roam's 1st Knight Order."
If it's the 1st Knight Order, they were probably knights directly selected by the minor duke?
Realizing he was a knight chosen by the Phrygian elder sister, a sense of interest naturally surged within me.
Letting a subtle smile escape, I parted my lips.
"Very well, Sir Karin. You have permission to speak."
"That woman just now uttered remarks insulting Roam's knights. This does not seem a matter to be taken lightly, so I speak thus."
At Karin's blunt words, Pallides muttered in a languid voice.
"Seems like a little mouse heard it again."
"What did you say?"
Karin glared at Pallides with wide eyes. But Pallides merely shrugged her shoulders and blatantly pretended ignorance.
It couldn't be easy to express such annoyance with one's entire body while fully encased in armor from head to toe; it was truly a remarkable ability.
Suppressing the urge to laugh, I deliberately interjected in a solemn voice.
"For one who trains, to be unable to govern one's mind over a few words. A most worrisome matter indeed."
As I openly shielded Pallides and reprimanded Karin, Karin turned to look at me with a flushed face.
"I heard you returned to become Roam's master. If so, should you not demonstrate the corresponding magnanimity?"
"Magnanimity, you say?"
"The minor duke protected the pride of her retainers by thoroughly punishing those who tarnished Roam's name."
Oh, to so openly compare elder sister and me like this.
It seemed I was quite unreliable in their eyes.
With my lips drawn into a slant, I parted them with a cold face.
"Pride is but an intangible emotion that exists only within you, Sir. It is proper that I govern my own mind."
Even at my pointed remark, Karin's face showed he was not easily convinced.
His eyes alternated between Samuel and Pallides, who were guarding behind me.
"Those outsiders the second young lady brought are disrupting the mansion's atmosphere and lowering the knights' morale."
At his words, I almost nodded without realizing it.
Frankly, it was true that they disrupted the atmosphere. And no wonder, since both of them were diligently wearing helmets as well.
If a knight fully armed from head to toe roamed around with a menacing air, ordinary workers would naturally shrink back, and the knights who originally considered this place their territory would watch like a thorn in their side.
But what did I care about such an atmosphere? Crossing my arms, I lifted my chin.
"I see no issue with keeping guards I favor by my side."
"For guards, Roam's knights would...!"
"If you refer to those who aimed their bows at me, I remember it clearly, so there's no need to emphasize it."
As if struck in a vulnerable spot, Karin closed his mouth, looking startled. I gave him a triumphant sneer.
How could I say that only Roam's proud direct lineage treated me like an animal?
It was only natural that I hadn't forgotten those who drove me like prey in a hunt and showered my back with arrows.