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Blanshe froze like ice the moment she felt the touch on her calf.

At first, she thought it was just an accidental touch.

The wagon was so cramped that legs were bound to bump into each other.

But this sensation brushing against her calf was no accident.

Blanshe glanced at the person in front of her.

Wendy, blissfully eating a cupcake with a dreamy expression. It couldn’t be her feet.

Then, the culprit was obvious. The man sitting next to Wendy… Tristan.

Blanshe pretended to be calm, taking a bite of her cupcake with a teaspoon.

Tristan looked just as composed, as if he wasn’t doing anything under the table.

‘Why…? What…? How…?’

Blanshe was confused.

Honestly, she didn’t know how to react to his behavior.

An ordinary woman might have taken it more naturally, but Blanshe was far from ordinary.

From being an assassin for the Count to a bodyguard knight for the Duke, her life had been anything but typical. That’s why she was as clueless about romance as a child.

And, to make matters worse, there was no one around her to learn from about “normal” relationships.

Bella, the Duke’s daughter, was stunningly beautiful, far from ordinary. She was in a league of her own, incomparable to Blanshe.

Blanshe felt a cold sweat. All sorts of thoughts raced through her mind.

The lack of a reference point made her anxious.

‘Is the Count flirting with me? No… why me? But he has Bella….’

“Bella.”

At that moment, Tristan spoke.

“Yes?”

“What would it take for you to hand Blanshe over to me?”

“Hmm. I wonder?”

“Strategically, Blanshe is better suited for my special unit.”

“Then who will protect me while Blanshe is in your unit?”

Bella smiled mischievously, taking a bite of her cupcake. Tristan didn’t react to her provocation.

However, under the table, his foot was gently stroking Blanshe’s calf.

Blanshe was at a loss for what to do.

‘With the lady right here, please stop this nonsense….’

She wanted to say it, but of course, she couldn’t. Unable to just sit still, Blanshe occasionally pushed his leg away with her foot, clearly signaling her refusal.

But the more she resisted, the more persistent Tristan became.

As if to show who was in control, he teased her leg with his foot.

Blanshe was helpless. It felt as if Tristan was using his hands to caress her leg. She deeply regretted wearing a skirt.

“Shouldn’t you be protecting me?”

“You’re strong enough. And the soldiers I assigned to you aren’t just for show.”

“How disappointing. Are you saying such things to a fragile woman?”

“Compared to you, the soldiers are the fragile ones.”

“…What do you mean?”

“Exactly what I said.”

It was impressive.

While arguing with Bella, Tristan kept a straight face and continued to tease Blanshe’s leg under the table.

‘Shameless….’

Blanshe tried to suppress the heat rising to her face. Controlling her emotions was something she prided herself on as a former assassin.

But the man before her was no easy opponent.

“Do you want Blanshe that much, Count?”

“Yes.”

“?!”

Blanshe flinched.

The conversation was about assigning her to the special unit, but with the teasing under the table, it felt different to her.

The more she heard phrases like “I want her” or “She’s indispensable,” the stranger she felt.

Unable to just listen, Blanshe decided to retaliate.

‘I can’t take this anymore.’

She stretched her bare foot toward his ankle and began tickling the bare skin hidden under his pants.

‘Count… see how you like it.’

Clumsily, she mimicked his actions, gently rubbing his leg with her toes.

This wasn’t an attempt to seduce him. It was just payback.

“……”

Tristan hesitated at Blanshe’s sudden change in attitude.

She pushed her foot further into his pants, feeling the muscles of his leg.

Even from a casual touch, she could tell how well-trained he was.

Blanshe wiggled her toes, mentally evaluating Tristan’s leg.

‘So this is a man’s body… huh?!’

Realizing she was getting too into it, Blanshe quickly pulled her foot back.

Her heart raced. The cold heart of a monstrous beast warmed up.

“No matter what we say, Blanshe’s will is the most important, right?”

“……”

“Blanshe?”

“Ah?! Yes? Yes…! That’s right.”

“Are you okay?”

“I’m sorry, my lady. I was lost in thought for a moment….”

“Hmm…? Alright. So, what do you think, Blanshe?”

“Huh? What do you mean…?”

“Both the Count and I want you. Do you want to go with him? Or stay with me?”

“Ah….”

Hearing that, Blanshe roughly understood the situation. It seemed the two couldn’t agree, so the decision fell to her.

Bella smiled confidently, sure that Blanshe, her bodyguard, would side with her.

The answer was already decided in Bella’s favor.

Blanshe had no intention of betraying her master. Not just because she was a bodyguard, but also because Bella had saved her in the past.

Her own thoughts didn’t matter.

Bella’s thoughts were her thoughts.

That’s how she had always lived… but today, a strange courage welled up inside her.

“I….”

In front of everyone, Blanshe spoke.

“I am bound to serve Lady Bella. No matter what happens, I must share her fate.”

“Hehe….”

“However….”

“?”

Blanshe swallowed and continued.

“If the Count desires me… I can’t say I won’t help him at all.”

“Blanshe?”

Bella looked at her in disbelief.

But this wasn’t betrayal.

It was just a way to satisfy everyone.

“I think it would be best if the Count made Lady Bella’s unit his main force.”

“Main force?”

“Yes.”

Blanshe calmly explained.

“As the overall commander, you need a main base. If you move between units without a main force, the soldiers might get confused.”

“Hmm….”

“And… if you make Lady Bella’s unit your main force, I can assist both you and her.”

Knowing that Bella wanted to keep Tristan close, Blanshe made this proposal.

Both of them nodded in agreement.

“Indeed… a reasonable suggestion.”

“Well… that sounds fine.”

“I’m glad.”

Blanshe smiled awkwardly.

She reminded herself that this was for Bella, not for her.

*

I thought it was over, but there was more.

When we arrived at the rest stop, as Wendy and Blanshe got off the wagon, Bella stretched her long legs to block the door.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“……”

Bella’s expression was serious.

It was probably because of what had happened under the table.

I had no choice but to stay in the wagon with Bella.

Unable to bear the awkwardness, I sipped the now-cold tea.

“Why are men so clueless?”

“…What do you mean?”

“Don’t play dumb. I know you’re only here for Blanshe.”

Bella glared at me with an annoyed expression, completely different from her usual noble demeanor.

I knew this side of her only showed in front of me.

I sighed and said,

“Bella, this is a battlefield. It’s dangerous here. You need to be more alert.”

“I know. I know it’s dangerous. But you….”

“Me?”

“You’re in danger too.”

At that moment, our eyes met.

Her eyes, like a blue lake in a snow-covered forest, held mine.

“Am I weird for wanting to keep the person I care about close?”

“……No.”

Even though no battle had broken out yet, a battlefield was still a battlefield.

Bella was worried and wanted to stay close to me.

I couldn’t call that weird.

But I also had my reasons.

Our roles were too different for me to stay with her as she wanted. I had to prepare to become the Demon Lord by leading special units.

Once we reached the north, I’d be too busy to spare any time. It was hard to fulfill Bella’s request.

If Blanshe hadn’t come up with a solution, I might have struggled to appease Bella throughout the expedition.

I was truly grateful to Blanshe.

“What are you thinking about? Another woman?”

I flinched.

It was like she could read my mind.

“Hmph… just look at me.”

“…The more you say that, the less I want to look.”

“What did you say?”

Bella sat up and leaned toward me.

“Count, do you know you’re monopolizing my affection?”

“I didn’t know that.”

“You should be grateful… Ah! I told you to look at me!”

I barely managed to avoid her gaze.

Her captivating face made me want to keep looking. Her pouty reaction was just too cute.

Since her unit would be my main force, I might get to see her more often.

Bella’s attitude had softened a bit, though she was still prickly.

“You jerk… you made me wear that embarrassing bunny outfit, and now you won’t even look at me….”

“You chose to wear that-”

“You’re so clueless! Should I embarrass you too?!”

“What?”

Bella reached under the table and fidgeted with something.

Then, she plopped her leg onto the table.

“Lick it.”

Bella’s bare foot, without her shoe, was right in front of me.

“Lick my foot. Then I’ll think about forgiving you.”

“Who asked for your forgiveness? And don’t put your dirty foot on the table.”

“It’s not dirty! Or you can lick it to check.”

“How frivolous….”

“You made me this way! Take responsibility.”

Bella giggled like a little devil, wiggling her foot.

After all the teasing under the table, was she trying to play another prank with her foot?

It was maddening, but when I saw her foot, I muttered without thinking.

“……You’re not barefoot.”

“Huh?”

Bella’s foot was covered in black thermal tights.

I immediately realized I had made a huge mistake.

 

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