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No. Of course, it’s impossible.

Suddenly, in the midst of this situation, I felt a slight headache.

Given Helga’s aggressive personality, I had anticipated that she might go berserk someday.

However, I didn’t expect her to act out so abruptly.

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Character Profile.

Name: Helga Wolfbert.

Age: 19.

Occupation: Deputy Commander of the Steel Lion Order, Aslan.

Personality Traits: Devoted, Battle Maniac, Thunder God.

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Helga is the only character in the original story who is completely loyal to Tristan.

But her way of showing it was off.

Her overly honest heart caused others to get hurt, but she didn’t care.

She’s more of a wild beast than a loyal dog.

A wild beast that considers anyone other than her master as an enemy and tries to tear them apart.

Indeed, Helga is a dangerous existence.

I can’t keep carrying a ticking time bomb that could go off at any moment.

And the only one who can control her is Tristan.

I opened my mouth.

“Helga.”

“Yes, Count.”

Helga turned to me, grinning.

Like a hunting dog ready to pounce at any moment, she eagerly awaited my response.

I sighed and spoke.

“Do you know why I haven’t made you my bodyguard knight?”

“Hmm…? I don’t know. Was it because you were embarrassed?”

“No.”

“Then was it because having a charming woman like me by your side was burdensome?”

“No.”

“Hmm… Then I don’t know. Maybe there’s another competent knight who can do everything well without being told.”

“It’s because of that attitude of yours. Foolish.”

Despite my cold words, Helga didn’t flinch.

Her mental state wouldn’t be shaken by something so trivial.

She needed a bigger shock.

“What do you mean by that attitude…?”

“Who told you it was okay to cause such a ruckus in the mansion?”

“That woman showed hostility towards you, Count, so I couldn’t just stand by—”

“This isn’t a battlefield. And…”

I spoke without even glancing at Blanshe.

“She poses no threat to me.”

“!?”

At least not until she repays her debt.

So now, the real threat to me is Helga.

I decided to firmly deal with her, who had become a threat to me.

Understanding my words, Helga obediently tucked her nunchaku back into her coat.

Then she bowed her head.

“Then it’s my mistake. I’m sorry. Punish me, Count.”

“There will be no punishment.”

“…Huh?”

“Punishment is only for those who need it. You don’t need it.”

I approached Helga.

And I reached out, roughly tearing off the iron lion badge symbolizing her position as Deputy Commander of Aslan from her black uniform.

“Helga Wolfbert. As of this moment, I am removing you from your position as Deputy Commander of Aslan.”

“Count!?”

“B-Baron!?”

Blanshe and Wendy were shocked by the sudden dismissal.

It might seem like an excessive treatment.

But there was no other way.

Helga’s expression darkened slightly, but she soon accepted my words.

“…I understand. If that’s your will, I will follow.”

To her, my words are absolute.

Thus, what I am about to say will be more effective to her than anyone else.

I commanded Helga in a voice filled with cold ‘wrath.’

“Don’t ever appear before me again.”

“……”

At that moment, Helga froze.

She stood there like a statue.

I saw intense turmoil in her eyes, frozen in shock.

The one thing she didn’t want to lose more than any honorable position was her place by Tristan’s side.

Having nothing more to say, I tried to walk past her.

That’s when it happened.

“Just once….”

“…?”

Helga looked at me, trying to maintain a calm expression.

Her eyes were trembling, as if she was about to burst into tears.

After taking a deep breath, she spoke.

“…Would you reconsider…?”

“…No.”

Seeing Helga’s heart breaking, I indifferently walked past her.

To Helga, who tried to follow, I coldly spat out.

“Don’t follow me.”

“…!”

Helga stopped there.

Abandoned by Tristan, she sat down, her face devoid of all emotion.

I ignored her and walked towards the mansion.

Then I spoke to the two people who had been watching the entire situation.

“…You two can follow.”

*

“Those eyes….”

“Huh?”

When Helga looked up from her book, Tristan was staring at her.

It was the first time the usually cynical Tristan had initiated a conversation with her, so she listened intently.

“How did you get those injuries?”

“Ah… this?”

Helga forced a bitter smile and touched the bandaged left eye.

“…It’s nothing. I just failed to control my magic power….”

Born with a weak body, Helga had tried to enhance her physical abilities using magic power.

Strengthening the body with magic power is something only somewhat skilled magicians can do.

But Helga was too young to know that.

While she was alone at home, she tried to channel magic power through her body, but it went out of control.

Her magic power left wounds all over her body.

Among them, her left eye suffered irreversible damage.

“Want to see?”

Helga said jokingly.

It was just a casual remark, as no one would want to see something so grotesque.

But Tristan nodded.

“Sure.”

“…Huh?”

“Show me.”

“Wait… really?”

As Helga hesitated, Tristan tilted his head.

“Can’t I see?”

“Well… it’s not that….”

Helga felt a bit embarrassed to show the wound on her eye.

Those who knew her circumstances always felt sorry for her when they saw her wound.

But to her, it was also a badge of honor.

A mark of survival, proof that she was alive.

Helga’s father, Gale, also had many such scars.

Scars of glory from fighting countless pirates.

People admired Gale’s scars, calling them cool.

But no one said that about Helga’s scars.

After all, she got them from recklessly using magic when she was young.

Naturally, people looked at her scars with pity.

Having promised to show it, Helga had no choice.

She placed her fingers on the bandage over her eye.

“…You won’t think it’s weird, right?”

“I’ll think about it after I see it.”

“Tch…”

Reluctantly, Helga removed the bandage.

Tristan’s brow twitched.

“Here… take a good look.”

Helga felt unbearably embarrassed.

The fact that he was staring so intently at her.

The fact that he was looking at her wound.

But the words that came out of Tristan’s mouth were completely different from what she expected.

“Pretty.”

“…Huh?”

“I can see a lightning shape. Does your family have purple magic power?”

“Uh… yeah.”

Pretty…?

Is this guy’s head okay?

The path her magic power had taken left sharp burn marks.

Tristan had called what anyone would see as an ugly scar “pretty.”

After seeing her wound, he muttered as if to himself.

“Everyone has a scar they want to hide.”

It sounded like a poetic statement.

But coming from Tristan, it somehow sounded mystical.

That’s why Helga found herself saying something she didn’t mean to.

“Then… do you have a scar like this too?”

“Yes. But my scar is ugly.”

A shadow crossed Tristan’s face.

Helga swallowed hard.

Curious about the scar this boy carried.

“…Can you show it to me?”

“Sorry, but I can’t.”

“I showed you mine. Why not?”

“If you see my scar, you’ll despise me.”

Helga shook her head.

“I won’t despise you.”

“You’ll scorn me.”

“I won’t scorn you.”

“…How can you be so sure?”

“Well…”

At Tristan’s question, Helga scratched her cheek.

The answer that came to her mind was embarrassingly honest.

Finally, Helga spoke in a small voice.

“I wouldn’t scorn someone who calls my scar pretty. I mean, I might be a bit reckless… but… I wouldn’t say anything. So show me.”

“Hmm.”

Tristan seemed lost in thought.

Helga decided to patiently wait for his response.

Finally, Tristan sighed and spoke.

“…Alright. But I can’t show it.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“My scar is in my memories.”

“Memories…?”

“Yes.”

Tristan confessed something shocking to her.

“I killed my father.”

 

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