The Kingdom of Everlasting Night and the Last Ball

Well, that knight is black.

Little Bell Rosa said that, wandering her eyes as if the maids were frightened somewhere.

I wondered what had happened, and when I looked at you, the oldest maid offered to stay.

"It's the Duke's adopted child." Even as a knight, he is said to be excellent and breathtakingly beautiful, but it is like ice. It's brutal on the battlefield, and no one has seen it laugh. ”

"But you're a good person, aren't you?" That means you're the only one who can protect this country, so don't say that. Besides, you look really good in that black outfit. It's definitely a beautiful person. "

"It's all the more terrifying because it's beautiful. When the Lady Duke of Berma hurt her leg, she only said to move to the end of the corridor because it was intrusive.”

In a nutshell, Berrosa became interested in the knight.

It is not the first time that the Marquis's daughter asks you to lend her arm to the carriage because she has broken her leg.

Berrosa has good eyes in exchange for a very fragile body.

"Well, I didn't think it would be unusual." Please forgive me, dear nobleman, for bothering you like this. "

The first meeting with the knight attracted interest was on the night of Liberfilia that year.

A ball was held at the royal palace, and Berrosa, who was weak, would be attending tonight wearing a beautiful dress.

The sixth princess, who seldom appeared in the royal palace, was only whispering something and did not come close, but the king's father did not treat Berrosa more coldly than he needed to.

However, it seemed that my brothers and sisters who were fighting for inheritance rights were not.

Politically, Belloza didn't quite understand, but perhaps killing a disturbing sister would do some good in the inheritance battle.

Belloza was often targeted for her life, even though it was worthless to be trapped in a palace, and it was too much hatred for a princess who was weak to live for ten years at the most.

The only reason I survived was because Belloza had good eyes.

(Because you can see it.)

I've seen such things since I was little, such as fairies chatting secretly next to a glass of poison, and spirits like wolves roaring towards the shade of an assassin's tree, so I was able to avoid the danger somehow.

My mother, who died at a young age, told me that no one else should have noticed that kind of thing, so I couldn't be a friend, but the incredible creatures always helped Berrosa.

Still, I didn't think you'd ever chat like this.

"...... I can do it. That's all I can think of." You have good eyes, don't you? "

Inadvertently, Berrosa, who uttered the previous words, was breathless the moment the Knight in Black muttered such a thing with her frozen light blue eyes.

It was known that he had realized who he was, and I thought it would be better to apologize for disrespect immediately, but it didn't seem to be the case.

I'm sure we should have pretended not to notice.

"Will I be killed?"

"If that's what you think, don't let people like me see you." If you don't have the protection and blessing of birth, and you wear such rich blessing magic on top of that,...... it will be an unparalleled bait. "

Why do you thank me?

As of today, I've become your guardian knight.

"...... Mine?"

"Your Majesty ordered me to do so....... that's a sorcerer. It's a good defender, but if the country is so warped, there is a limit to its defense."

The knight in black said such a thing indifferently.

Berrosa did not know why her father, who had never called her by her name, had given her the lead knight in the country, but did she have any reason for doing so?

As expected, if you don't join the inheritance dispute, it may be that your brothers and sisters kill you because of your poor appearance compared to the king.

I've been feeling danger more often lately, and I thought I was in trouble.

It was no exception tonight that Berrosa was almost pulled down from the balcony by someone dressed as a knight arranged by her brother who tried to kill her.

I screamed, but no one noticed me, and I thought this might be the end.

Will you protect me?

“Yes, that's what I promised you.”

"...... it seems very unwilling."

“If they told me to kill my enemies on the battlefield, I might not be able to see them because they gave me such a mission.”

"That's true, too. If so, please leave it alone as you see fit. At this rate, it won't take long to bother your hands.”

Speaking of which, for some reason, the unknown, who was a beautiful man in the form of a knight, had light blue eyes that were slightly surprised.

The wobble of her eyes was so beautiful that Berrosa became happy.

I thought that I would live and die without being able to touch anything special, but at the end of this hopeless life, it seems that such a beautiful creature will be around.

(That's all, it's kind of nice.)

Adopted by the Duke, he was a heroic knight from the previous war, but he remained a knight without being awarded several titles in the duke's family with legitimate successors.

It was said that the sixth princess was given the role of guard as a battle medal, but it must have been pushed when looking at her.

So naturally, the Guard Knight did nothing to help Bell Rosa, even if she had a seizure and was coughing around her body.

Since the escort was entrusted to me, the assassins and thugs will be eliminated, but the nursing is not included in the mission.

Belloisa laughed somewhat, even though she was in the midst of a seizure, as she was told in a cold, somewhat rude salutation.

Still, it was good.

The maids who cared for Belloza, who was usually useless, and the other escort knights vanished unnaturally at night like this.

No matter how sincere they are, they are tired of serving a princess who knows that they will die without becoming adults.

Because everyone has a life and a life, it's no use thinking that it's time for this master to die.

That's why Berrosa pretended not to notice the untruths of such maids and knights.

Because I'm very good at pretending to be unaware.

"But...... I'm glad you're there. When I die, I'm alone...... I'm lonely."

I don't know what the Guard Knight said to Berrosa when she said that from her bitter breath.

The seizure subsided when I noticed, and it was already in the morning.

In a hurry, he turned his gaze to the entrance of the room, and Berrosa's knight in black stood there with a cold look on her face.

Noticing that Berrosa had woken up, she glanced over and elegantly bowed and left the room.

Still enveloped by the pale morning light, Berrosa noticed the unnaturalness of his presence there even more.

Whatever treatment you are subjected to, this is the princess's bedroom.

Naturally, there wasn't a single Guard Knight there.

However, the guard in black was still standing there whenever Berrosa had a seizure.

He didn't say gentle words, he didn't help Berrosa who was in pain, he just stood there, but one day Berrosa felt relieved when he stood there.

(Just a little bit more...... just a little bit more)

I can't live much longer, but I wish I could just live a little longer.

Every time I wake up, I wonder why.

Even though he had never touched his hand or been smiled at, it was good that he stood in his usual place at the dawn of a tormented night.

It was the first crooked love for Berrosa, who was not familiar with the true form of affection.

One more year. One more year.

And with that in mind, after six years, Berrosa knew she was getting healthier than she thought.

"Richeed, is it really delicious?"

“No, I'm not really interested in dining.”

”...... I don't even know who you are, so I can't even go out with tea and tea candy”

And as usual, I could say that to the guard knight who looked at me with cold eyes.

Richeed seems to belong to battles and fights.

The king of this country, the father of Berrosa, is the master, and Riched seems to like such a master quite a bit.

That's why he seemed frustrated that he had been escorted by an uninteresting princess.

After all, it's been six years.

In those six years, most of Berrosa's mother's different brothers and sisters died, and only the third brother, chosen by the prince, is alive.

This brother is the only gentle and strong man who hasn't tried to kill Bell Rosa.

He will not be the king who will set up the martial arts, but he will be the king who will conquer the country with mercy and wisdom.

"...... I don't think you'll need my escort anymore."

"That's right. Since your niisama was officially made a cathartic, it looks like he won't want me dead anymore." If you lived to this age, it might be time for you to have a daughter-in-law somewhere. "

"...... I see."

At that time, Riched nodded in a bit of trouble, so Belloza must have had a bad dream.

On the evening of the Summer Solstice Festival that year, Riched, who had sewn among the people who enjoyed the feast at the royal palace and disappeared, chased him and left the garden on a night he hadn't set foot on by himself for a long time.

Refreshing roses and aromas of summer and night.

There are fairies that make cheerful noise there, and all kinds of people who are not visible to the people in the hall of the royal palace are making noise.

That's true, too.

After all, tonight is the evening of the Summer Solstice Festival, where the achievements of love come to the unknown.

(It seems that if you dance with a stranger on the night of the Summer Solstice Festival, you can fall in love with that person)

Believing in such superstition, which was written in a book describing an old legend, Berrosa stepped into the evening party of the unknown.

Because Berrosa had a story about her engagement to a certain duke who was not Riched, and if she could dance with Riched, I thought this night would be the last.

So, at least I chased him to the end.

Then he found the Richeed he was looking for and called out.

I thought it was Riched.

No, I didn't think that there were any other noble creatures with similar hair colors, and I didn't think that such creatures would be known by the bad creatures that looked back.

"...... Are you stupid?"

It's raining hard.

Listening to the sound of the rain, Berrosa was hugged by someone and resting her head on the lap of the person sitting on the ground.

My body is so cold that I want you to put me to bed instead of on the floor in the outer corridor.

(It looks like you're under the roof because you can hear the rain but your body isn't wet...)

Richeed?

"That's not my real name......"

“Yeah, I guess so....... It's very dark, but it's still night. I can't see you very well."

"It's already dawn....... I just don't think you can see it."

"That's embarrassing." I wonder if you could make me some glasses. "

”...... even though you're not my master”

"...... Riched?"

Is that why you didn't call me?

My head is dizzy and I can't think well.

However, there was something strange in Riched's voice that I asked, so I thought I'd have to answer it properly.

"I see. I'm not your master."...... That's why I didn't think it would be a good idea to call it a place like that, because it was not a very good place and there were some things I was afraid of. "

"Finally......"

Finally?

”............ finally, according to the wishes of that man, it became a country where you could live, and your illness was almost settled”

Being puzzled without knowing who that man was, I felt somewhat sleepy.

I felt like someone was crying somewhere, and I could hear a loud noise in the middle of it, and I could hear the voice of someone calling Berrosa's name in a confused manner.

It must have been my imagination that it felt like my father's voice.

My father, who has been avoiding my youngest daughter, would never call me Belloza like that.

There's no way such a person would scream at Riched and cry out for Berrosa's name.

No, nobody calls me that.

It was a long time ago that someone called me by name.

"...... but that's enough." Thank you for being with me when I die. Riched....... I've told you that I'm still doing well and I hate to eat, but sometimes you eat delicious food and do a lot of fun things. ”

"...... I'm taking extra care of you."

"Fufu. That's right....... but thank you."

Closing her eyes, which seemed to be open even though she could not see well, someone's trembling hand touched her eyelid.

Now that she realized the temperature of the palm of the Guardian's palm, which she had never touched before, Belloisa smiles tinyly.

(Oh, my God. It's nice and warm.)

And I fell asleep for a long time, pillowed on the knee of a beautiful guard knight who had only one remaining in Berrosa's abandoned house.

I had a terrible time at the end, but I think it's better to draw the curtain like this.

At the end of a useless princess who could do nothing and was loved by no one, she was too blessed.

(Because, finally, Riched touched me.)

The last wish of my life must have come about because of Berrosa's good everyday deeds.

I couldn't finally dance with the person I loved.