Royal Capital, in front of the Astrea Mansion.
The ornate iron gate gleamed with a cold metallic luster in the morning sunlight. Carlisle nodded to the guardsman standing watch at the gate.
"Please inform them that Carlisle Eltheran has come to visit."
"You are too kind." The guardsman quickly saluted, his armor clanking crisply. "Sword Saint sama has already given instructions. If Carlisle sama visits, there is no need to announce it. You may enter directly."
"Is that so..." Carlisle paused slightly, then turned to glance at Subaru, who was curiously looking around behind him, and Rem, who stood quietly at her side. "Thank you."
The guardsman waved his hand somewhat flattered, and the heavy gate slowly opened with the sound of turning hinges.
Carlisle unconsciously recalled his conversation with Roswaal earlier that morning.
"Leave the border affairs to me. It is fine for Carlisle to remain in the Royal Capital for a while."
The Border Count, wearing his comical clown makeup, wagged his finger playfully.
"Carlisle, why not focus on building connections here in the Royal Capital? After all..."
He suddenly leaned closer.
"Most of the Knights Order's elites have already become knights serving the Royal Selection candidates. Your connections with them are exactly the leverage Emilia sama needs most."
Even when Carlisle had asked Puck to protect Emilia, the Great Spirit simply wagged his tail and mocked him.
"Hey, hey. I am Lia's father, right? You are worrying more than an old dad even though you are just a knight."
"Carlisle kun?"
Rem's gentle voice pulled Carlisle back from his wandering thoughts. He instinctively looked toward her and met the girl's smiling eyes.
The tenderness in her gaze instantly reminded him of the fingertips that had rested against his lips the night before. The tips of his ears flushed red almost immediately.
"W we should go." He abruptly turned his face away. "It would be rude to keep Reinhard waiting."
"Yes." Rem replied softly, her tone carrying a faint trace of amusement.
Subaru carefully examined the two of them.
She had felt that something was strange since this morning. Rem's tea had been three points sweeter than usual, and she had even been humming an unfamiliar tune while wiping the dishes.
When Subaru noticed Carlisle's evasive gaze and the suspicious blush on his face, a sense of crisis suddenly shot up her spine.
Wait a minute. This atmosphere...
Her eyes darted between the two of them, shifting from Carlisle's stiff expression to Rem's slightly curved lips.
A terrible suspicion slowly formed in her mind.
Could it be that someone made a move when I was not paying attention?
Subaru grabbed Rem's sleeve, stood on her tiptoes, and whispered into her ear.
"Rem... you understand the rule of first come first served, right?"
Her voice was extremely low, but the jealousy within it was impossible to hide.
"Hm?" Rem blinked innocently. "What is Subaru talking about? Rem does not understand at all."
"Stop pretending!" Subaru stomped her foot angrily, her cheeks puffing out like a squirrel storing pine nuts. "You clearly know I am pursuing Carlisle. And do you not already have Ram?"
Rem suddenly dropped her act of confusion. She tilted her head slightly and revealed an angelic smile.
"But Rem having a sister and loving Carlisle kun... are those two things in conflict?"
"Ugh."
Subaru was completely caught off guard by this direct response. Her eyes instantly became watery.
"That is so sneaky. You were pretending not to understand. I was the one who fell in love first."
Although Subaru believed she was whispering, her excited voice had already reached Carlisle's ears word for word.
He rubbed his forehead helplessly, the tips of his ears still faintly red.
"You two, we..."
At that moment, the reception room door suddenly opened from the inside.
Reinhard's tall figure appeared in the doorway. Her fiery red hair shone brightly in the sunlight. She glanced at Subaru, whose eyes were slightly red, then at Rem, who was smiling gently. Finally, her gaze settled on Carlisle, who was rubbing his forehead.
"...Am I interrupting something?"
---
"Sorry, Reinhard." Carlisle sighed softly. "You saw me at my worst."
Reinhard gently shook her head.
"There is no need to apologize."
A playful smile appeared on her lips.
"You are still the same. Popular wherever you go. Even I cannot help but feel a little jealous."
Although she spoke about jealousy, her azure eyes only held genuine amusement.
Only the two of them remained in the reception room now. Subaru and Rem had been led by a maid to the nearby tea room. As they left, Subaru had glared at Carlisle while still pouting.
"Haha... please do not tease me."
"This is not teasing." Reinhard replied calmly. "Seeing a dear friend so cherished by others truly makes me happy."
"Oh, right."
Reinhard's expression suddenly turned serious as she took out a parchment scroll from her robe.
"Regarding the mystery of the Bowel Hunter's resurrection, we have completed the investigation."
Carlisle's gaze instantly sharpened like a drawn blade.
"The cloak she was wearing at the time was a magical artifact."
Reinhard slowly unrolled the scroll. The parchment displayed intricate magical formation patterns.
"It can nullify one fatal attack. That is why your sword clearly pierced her body, yet she was able to stand up again."
She continued explaining.
"However, there is something even more troublesome. During the interrogation we discovered that her wound healing speed is abnormal. This might be some kind of special constitution."
Her voice lowered slightly.
"But the most problematic part is that the Bowel Hunter seems incapable of feeling pain."
Reinhard lifted her gaze, a faint fire burning within her pupils.
"So far, regardless of how we interrogate her, she has not spoken a single useful word."
---
Felt stomped angrily along the corridor carpet, her golden hair bouncing with each irritated step.
Behind her, two maids carefully maintained a distance of three steps, like two frightened quails.
"Ugh, this is so annoying. Just leave me alone."
She suddenly turned around and shouted impatiently.
"Let me be alone for a while."
"B but..." The maids shrank back and bowed nervously. "Sword Saint sama specifically instructed that since the departure is approaching, you cannot..."
"Ah, just be quiet."
Felt grabbed the ribbon around her waist and tugged at it in frustration.
"Is that red haired woman my mother or something? That is exactly why I hate knights."
Just as she was angrily kicking a decorative suit of armor placed in the corner, a familiar voice suddenly came from behind a nearby pillar.
"Felt... are you alright?"
The girl froze instantly.
She slowly turned her head.
Carlisle stood beside the stone pillar, his blue eyes filled with gentle concern.
"Do you want to talk?"
...
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