"Bring Sylvia here. The messenger from the palace is waiting, so tell her to come quickly."
"Yes, head of the family."

An emergency was declared.
This time, we stirred up quite a big issue, so I expected a significant reaction.
The nobles remained quiet, but I didn't think the palace would be the first to reach out.

Is this even a love call?
They're threatening me, saying, "If you don't come, I'll socially annihilate you!"
With the thought that my emperor sister likes me so much that she can only express her affection in this yandere way, the fear finally subsided.
Hah. This is ridiculous.

"Should I take Charlotte and Yulia with me?"

[The evil god, 'Kali,' nods in agreement, saying it's a good idea.]

Empress Vanessa is from the same department as me.
She hides it, but she cares for and likes the children very much.
So, I thought about bringing Charlotte and Yulia along, but...

"No, that would be too obvious. It might provoke resentment instead."

[The evil god, 'Kali,' agrees that this is correct.]

If I tried to win the emperor's favor with the children again, just like during the first reception, it would likely come off as rude.
She might get furious, thinking I'm using the kids.
I need to confront this head-on by myself.

"Head of the family! Hah, am I late?"
"Perfect timing. Cool off a bit and get on the carriage. You smell."
"I-I don't smell! Do you want to check?"
"I'll pass."
"Ahhh...!"

Soon, Sylvia arrived galloping on a horse.
She seemed to have rushed from Arient, like lightning.
It would have been nerve-wracking to go alone without Sylvia, so I'm relieved.

"What do you mean, the emperor has given us work?"
"Literally what it says. There’s something for Vermont Security to do."
"We haven’t completed the training for Vermont Security staff yet."
"You need to finish it quickly. This isn’t a suggestion; it’s an order."
"…"

Sylvia’s expression hardened, as if she grasped the situation.
A direct messenger from the emperor meant a serious situation.
And it involved an order that included a bit of coercion, one that couldn't be refused.
It was clear this was no trivial matter.

"I understand. I will be particularly careful not to cause any inconvenience during the journey to the palace."

Creak, creak.
In no time, Sylvia fixed her outfit and got into the royal carriage.
The carriage soon set off and entered the Vermont highway.

I was worried it would feel awkward riding in the same carriage as a messenger.
Fortunately, I was guided to a different carriage.
I leaned slightly while sitting across from Sylvia.

Sniff, sniff.
I caught a whiff of her scent.
What a liar.

"First, tell me about the current state of Vermont Security. I need to know if there’s anything I’m unaware of."
"We’re evaluating staff on a score basis, privately. We conduct training once a week, and attendance is mandatory once every two weeks. We score based on performance in training and peer evaluations. So far, there’s only one staff member deemed ready for immediate deployment. While others may not meet that standard yet, five show potential for improvement with on-site experience."
"…"

They hired almost a hundred staff, but only six can be deployed in real situations?
My head throbbed for a moment, but considering Sylvia's strict standards, maybe I should be grateful for this.
Plus, it hasn't even been two months since we launched.

"Six. If a mission requires more than six personnel, we must respectfully decline."
"Yes. That judgment seems correct."

For missions requiring large personnel, no matter how much the emperor insists, it won’t work.
Deploying untrained personnel could lead to a mistake, causing significant embarrassment for both the palace and Vermont.
That would mean losing everything we've built up so far, and Vermont could be completely ruined.

Among everything I’ve done so far, where has there been a risk-free job?
But this one is on a whole different level.
It wasn’t the time to gamble on a big win with a risky play.

The carriage began to slow down.
When I pulled back the curtain, a magnificent palace came into view.
I handed Sylvia a handkerchief and said.

"We've arrived. Wipe your sweat with this. Let’s head out soon."
"But, do I really smell…?"
"Not too much."
"So you’re saying I do smell!?"
"It’s bearable. I’m going out first."
"Ahhh…!"

It’s not that she doesn’t smell, but it’s not bad enough to be called offensive.
If you bury your nose in it, you can catch a faint scent?
In truth, it’s not that unpleasant.
It just looks like it would smell bad.

Leaving behind Sylvia, who was letting out an unknown scream, I burst open the door.
She immediately clamped her mouth shut, trying to hold back a sound.
Her gaze shot daggers at me, full of hostility.

"What are you doing? Come out."
"…"

However, it seemed Sylvia had no intention of leaving the carriage.
She wasn’t standing at the entrance, nor sitting, but froze in a weird position.
Was something wrong?

"…Did you poop yourself?"
"W-What the!?"
"If that’s not it, then hurry up and tell me what it is."
"Hand. Please extend your hand. Otherwise, I won’t get out."
"…"

With her cheeks slightly flushed,
Sylvia still shot me a glaring look.
I could see her stubbornness in her eyes.
Could it be...?

"Treat me like a lady, and extend your hand politely."
"…Are you serious?"
"I am serious. If you want to drag me out against my will, you can use the brand. Then I will moan in terrible pain and obey your command, even in front of the emperor."
"Are you being childish? This is exactly what Yulia did. Throwing a fit while asking to be treated like a lady. Aren't you ashamed?"
"Ugh! Anyway, until you give me your hand, I won’t get out!"

[The evil god, 'Kali,' is horrified at what she’s doing at her age.]

My face burned at being called childish, and I crossed my arms, turning my head away.
What the hell?
She followed me as a bodyguard and now wants to be treated like a lady?
I thought about picking her up from behind, just like with Yulia, but...

'Yeah. I guess that's not going to work.'

After scanning Sylvia quickly, I decided to give up.
I might barely be able to carry her, but lifting her forward is absolutely impossible.
I sighed deeply and said.

"Sylvia, you stay there. I'm going to meet the empress—er, the emperor."
"A-ah! What about the brand? Are you not using the brand?"
"If you don't want to come out, then why forcefully drag you out? Just stay there."
"…!?"

I turned my back on her.
If I attempt to see the emperor alone, rumors might spread that the Count of Vermont is a broke lord who doesn’t even bring bodyguards.
But that’s only a concern for those who care about their external reputation.

I already have ties to the emperor.
I have no plans for a marriage alliance, so I'm completely immune to political schemes.
Soon, I heard Sylvia’s muffled voice from behind, holding back her anger.
Thud, thud, thud! With assertive footsteps, Sylvia caught up to my side.

"You’re really going too far!"
"You followed as a bodyguard and now want to be treated like a lady. Isn’t that going too far? Do you expect rumors to spread that the Count of Vermont is in a romantic relationship with his bodyguard?"
"Th-that’s... Ugh!"
"You probably didn’t think that far."

"…"

What a dim-witted girl.
But I don’t mind it that much.
She used to frown and treat me stiffly.
But at some point, she started to show various emotions in front of me.

I’m not sure if I’ve gained Sylvia’s trust or not, but
it seems our relationship has improved significantly.
That’s good enough for me.

"Then... will you hold my hand on holidays?"
"What?"

This girl.
I was just about to wrap things up warmly.
But suddenly she throws in a surprise.

"I was asking if you’d be willing to treat me like a lady on holidays, not as a bodyguard."
"Why are you so obsessed with being treated like a lady? Was the comment about how much you smell that shocking?"
"…Please just answer."
"It doesn’t smell much. I mean, you do smell, but it varies from person to person. I found it pleasant."
"Y-Yes, what!?"
"And on holidays, I’ll even extend my hand to you. Does that answer suffice? Now focus. We’re at the palace. This isn’t a place to make a scene."
"Yes, yes... Understood..."

Flustered, she stumbled over her words.
Then she started slapping her cheeks to regain her composure.
Only then did she return to her usual tough expression as a strong bodyguard.

'How come it’s tougher to soothe and tease her than the kids...'

Ah, I’ll take back what I said about being satisfied.
If I had known she would be such a pain, I would have asked her to be an emotionless bodyguard.
I never imagined Sylvia would have this childish side to her.

Of course, I will never treat Sylvia like a lady.
I wasn’t lying.
It’s just that I have no plans to go out with Sylvia in a carriage on a holiday.