Guarding Duty, Commencing

Master saw us off, and we arrived at the ducal manor.

The unease wouldn't leave me, even before the job officially started.

What if I made some blunder?

This was exactly the kind of time I wanted him with us, but a guard detail meant danger, and Master couldn't fight.

"There's no need to be nervous. Not to put too fine a point on it, but they know what we're capable of. They wouldn't want to make enemies of us."

"Is that how it works? Master is always so careful around nobility, though."

"He simply doesn't think to use us as a threat. He's too kind for that."

"Or maybe it just hasn't occurred to him? He did have a rough experience with nobles early on."

I didn't know the truth of it. But the tension eased a little.

The ducal manor was under heavy guard.

You could sense the resolve: not so much as a mouse would get through.

The gatekeeper stopped us, and once I explained that we'd been hired as Anatia-san's bodyguards, we were allowed inside.

The gate closed behind us immediately.

We were sternly told not to move from that spot until someone came to escort us.

"They're quite upset, aren't they?"

"Their daughter was nearly kidnapped. Of course they're on edge."

"That's part of it, but there's also a determination, a refusal to let it happen a second time."

"Even so, the attackers weren't the kind ordinary soldiers could stop."

"… Those people were unnerving."

We talked a little while waiting for our escort.

The manor, courtyard included, was under repair, but the restoration had already progressed considerably.

The only unsettling sight was the abandoned statues, standing there like eerie art installations.

After a short wait, a single maid walked over to us.

"This way, please. The young lady is expecting you."

Our escort, it seemed. We fell in behind her.

We were led not to the main building but to an annex, up to the second floor, and into a room at the far end.

"Thank you for coming. I'm counting on you."

Anatia-san was seated inside, waiting.

Maids stood at attention around the room.

Anatia-san rose and shook each of our hands in turn.

Her grip was firm, her hand warm.

"I've received word. The delegation will arrive here tomorrow. They plan to stay in the city for about three days to conduct their investigation. So I'll need your services until then. You'll be staying here during that time, and I'll have my maids attend to you so you won't lack for anything."

"That's really not necessary. Just having a place to sleep is more than enough."

"Azu, it's fine. Accept the hospitality. They have their own dignity to uphold."

Alexia-san quietly gave me the advice.

Right. Providing for us was part of their duty as hosts.

"I understand. Thank you, we appreciate it."

"That puts my mind at ease. I've asked you to handle security, but outside of emergencies, I'd like to go about my day as normally as possible. That's acceptable, yes?"

Come to think of it, the contract did say they'd follow our instructions.

I glanced at Elza-san and Alexia-san.

Both nodded, so it seemed fine.

"Of course. In an emergency, we'll need you to follow our lead, but otherwise we'll simply stay nearby."

"Wonderful, you make things easy. Just as I'd expect from the people that man relies on."

The flattery was obvious, but being praised never felt bad.

The first request was tending to the flower beds.

The general framework was in place, but the beds themselves held nothing but soil.

It seemed Anatia-san wanted to plant the flowers herself.

"The flower beds are my hobby. My maids keep trying to stop me, saying I shouldn't be the one doing it, but surely this much is all right?"

"My lady, as I've told you many times, your clothes and your hands will get dirty…"

"See? This is what I mean."

"A-ahaha."

She'd changed out of her dress into more practical clothes, but even those were clearly made from expensive fabrics.

And if she scratched or cut her hands while gardening, the maids would be beside themselves.

… Yet even planting flowers in a garden was something she couldn't do without being stopped. A station like that came with its own kind of captivity.

"Then let us help. That way it'll be done quickly, right?"

"Oh, that wasn't my intention. But well, I'll take you up on the offer."

"You never ask us to do it, though."

"You all have so much work already, and then there'd be laundry to do on top of it."

There was a reason she hadn't asked the maids.

With Alexia-san's support, we could finish without getting our clothes or hands dirty.

Once the flower beds were tended, Anatia-san apparently wanted to bathe while changing clothes.

We naturally didn't need to join her in the tub itself, so we stood guard outside the bathing room.

Even in an annex, the bathing room was spacious. A glimpse into the wealth of a great noble house.

This wasn't wealth built on crushing taxes, either. It came from developing the city. Genuinely impressive.

The bath took a long time.

According to Alexia-san, upper-class nobles tended to take extremely long baths.

Nobles of smaller holdings who handled matters personally had no time to waste and got it done quickly. Heating the water cost firewood, after all.

After that, we shared tea time with her and were treated to a meal.

Courses of dishes I'd never seen before left me astonished, though the portions were small.

I wondered if we could go to the dining hall afterward and get something extra.

The flavors were excellent, at least.

"Was it not enough for an adventurer's appetite?"

"No, not at all!"

Apparently she'd noticed.

Being told that by someone as refined as Anatia-san was a little embarrassing.

"I'll have them increase the portions. Please don't hold back. All right?"

"Understood. That would really help."

"Don't hesitate to speak up about what you need. You too, Azu-san, Alexia-san, and Elza-san."

After that, we accompanied her on a walk and played a board game that was apparently all the rage lately.

It felt less like guarding and more like keeping her entertained, but this was just the warm-up. Stay alert, but don't burn yourself out with tension.

After dinner, we took turns bathing.

The room they'd prepared for us was spacious enough even for three people.

We arranged a rotation so that one of us was always awake, just in case.

The first day passed without incident.

The real test started tomorrow. Whatever happened, we needed to be ready.