Chapter 77

"Um, um... Irvaleon?"

"I don't know what a ninja is either?"

"Irvaleon!?"

"Big brother?"

Both Irvaleon and Dianah looked at him with suspicious eyes.

Cain, who had spoken about the famous 'righteous hero' from his previous life with enthusiasm, had blurted out 'ninja' without thinking, but there were indeed no ninjas in this world.

While he could have replaced the roles of samurai, ronin, and lords with similar roles in this world, he had made a big mistake at the last moment.

"A ninja is a legendary profession from a distant country... um, they serve important people but their existence is kept secret..."

"What do you mean, big brother?"

"It means they are kept secret. They are people hired by important people, who hide in the ceiling or under the floor to listen to private conversations and report back to their masters, protect their masters from the shadows, and... secretly eliminate their masters' enemies."

"Wow!"

Dianah looked at Irvaleon with sparkling eyes, as if expecting something.

Irvaleon, with a wandering gaze, looked to Cain for help, but Cain only nodded and gave a thumbs up with a smile.

With no choice, Irvaleon sighed, stood up from the sofa, and with one hand on the back of the sofa, he spun and leaped over it.

He then did a backflip, crouched down, and with a powerful kick, landed on top of Cain's bed canopy.

Hidden in the shadow of the bed canopy, Irvaleon peeked out and waved his head.

"Usually, Irvaleon is a kind big brother who quietly takes care of my daily life and listens to Dianah's story reading. But that is just a disguise! In reality, he is a ninja who guards from the shadows!"

"Awesome!! Irvaleon is awesome!"

"...I don't know, it feels a bit off."

Dianah, who had taken a liking to the idea of a disguise, started practicing how to pretend to be a weak young lady with enthusiasm.

At dinner, Dianah, escorted by Cain, surprised her parents.

This was clearly different from the past, where they had appeared holding hands as good siblings. When the door opened, Dianah was standing with her hand on Cain's arm.

As they entered the room, she released her hand and placed it on the palm of Cain's outstretched hand, and was led quietly into the dining room by Cain.

Previously, Dianah would have climbed onto the chair herself or been carried by Cain, but this time she waited for the servant to pull out the chair and help her sit down.

"Dianah?"

"What's wrong, Dianah?"

Elise and Dismay looked at Dianah with puzzled faces. Dismay had been scolded by Elise for casually agreeing to Dianah's desire to become a knight and had been told about the incident during the knight training observation.

Dismay had expected Dianah to appear with a pout, still sulking over being scolded for not being allowed to become a knight or practice swordsmanship. Alternatively, he had hoped that Cain had managed to calm her down and make her happy, but this was different from both expectations.

"Father, Mother, I am sorry for causing you worry. As a duke's daughter, it was very shameful of me to join the knight training, as my brother pointed out... I have reflected on this. Please forgive me."

"I was teaching Dianah self-defense with the sword, thinking it would be useful in an emergency. I have reflected on my lack of foresight. I did not mean to undermine Dianah's ladylike qualities. Please understand, Father, Mother."

The two children bowed together.

Elise and Dismay were speechless at the transformation.

Elise had intended to have Dismay remind Dianah to give up sword practice and focus on her studies as a lady.

Dismay, having heard from Elise about Dianah's sudden participation in the knight training and her attempt to strike Arundelano, had been thinking of ways to dissuade her, but all his words had slipped away.

"Well... If you have understood, that's good. Raise your heads and let's eat."

In response to Dismay's words, Cain and Dianah, still bowed, met each other's eyes and smiled.

—Just as planned.

Before raising their heads, they returned to their composed expressions, straightened their postures, and quietly began their meal.

Their parents were relieved to see Dianah make a face when she put a bean in her mouth, showing proper manners.

After dinner, the three children gathered again in Cain's private room and sat on the sofa, looking at each other.

"Father and Mother didn't get too angry, did they?"

Dianah started the conversation.

Cain was squirming at how adorable she looked, tilting her head and resting her cheek on her hand.

"I was listening from the waiting room, and it seemed that Lady and Sir believed you two had changed your hearts."

"Irvaleon, you weren't in the ceiling...?"

"...It was more natural to be in the waiting room in that situation."

"I see!"

Dianah had completely convinced herself that Irvaleon was a ninja.

While answering Dianah's question, Irvaleon glared at Cain resentfully. He was not just pretending to be Cain's attendant; he was a legitimate servant of the duke's household, though he sometimes did Cain's bidding in dark places or delivered messages.

"It's because you showed your change not just in words but in actions."

"Did you really act like a lady, Dianah?"

"You were a splendid lady! Very charming! Your composed face was also very beautiful! Father and Mother were captivated, weren't they?"

Cain praised Dianah, petted her head, hugged her, and sniffed the top of her head, praising her again.

Dianah, being petted, closed her eyes in contentment, looking like a happy cat.

"From tomorrow, I'll teach you swordsmanship and body techniques during the gaps between classes and before and after tea time."

"I want to learn ninja skills from Irvaleon too!"

"...If it's during the gaps between morning lessons, that would be fine."

"Great! Dianah, you can become the strongest lady!"

"Wow! The strongest!"

From that day on, Dianah behaved as a quiet and polite girl in front of adults.

Cain also treated Dianah as a lady in public and escorted her as a gentleman.

At first, Elise and Dismay were bewildered by the change, but they eventually accepted it as a sign of the children's growth.

Behind the scenes, Cain, Dianah, and Irvaleon would speak freely in Cain's private room, practice swordsmanship as an extension of their play, and practice pretending to be a lady.

Cain made sure to act normally with the children to help Dianah release her stress during their private time.

Although Palentor was aware of this, neither of the parents said anything about it.