Chapter 142

Eric returned to the palace after dinner.

His wife and children were waiting for him. He was apparently going to eat dinner again once he arrived.

I wondered if he wouldn’t get fat.

“Goran. You will stay with us, won’t you?”

“Ah, thank you, Locke!”

“Though, you should send a message to your house.”

“Ah, that is fine. I already told them.”

While I talked with Goran, Kathe kept glancing towards me.

She was expecting me to ask her to stay as well.

“You should stay too, Kathe.”

“Are-are you sure?”

“Of course.”

Kathe’s wings flapped happily.

Her tail was also moving.

Nia then rushed towards Kathe.

Her tail was also wagging.

“Miss Kathe. Let us go take a bath!”

“A bath?”

“We have a very big one.”

“Yes! And it is very nice, because I clean it every day.”

Milka said proudly.

“Master Philly, you come too!”

“Hmm. Very well.”

Philly agreed.

“That sounds very fun!”

“We can all go together!”

“Yes!”

Shia and Serulis decided to join them.

And so all the girls went towards the bathing room.

Just then, Kathe turned to say,

“Are you not coming too, Luchila?”

“I-I am fine.”

Luchila said frantically as he held Lord Gerberga.

“But Luchila is a boy!”

Milka said with a laugh.

“Hm? Really? But I thought…”

“Miss Kathe can’t tell people apart.”

Milka said with amusement.

She couldn’t even tell humans and goblins apart.

The difference between men and women would be even harder to catch.

“Well, this is very strange indeed. I was quite sure that…”

“Oh, leave me alone and go take your bath.”

“But you really just smell like a girl to me.”

“…No I don’t!”

“Cluck-cluck.”

Luchila scowled.

Lord Gerberga shivered and looked around uncomfortably.

Milka’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Huh? Is that true? Is Luchila a girl?”

“No-no!”

“Cluck-cluck-cluck.”

Luchila became frantic.

However, it was Lord Gerberga who seemed the most strange. Like he was shaken.

Perhaps this meant that they were hiding this fact.

I couldn’t help but notice this.

“Luchila.”

“Ye-yes.”

“Cluck-cluck-cluck.”

Lord Gerberga jumped away from Luchila and ran towards me.

Then he jumped into my arms.

“What is it? Lord Gerberga.”

“Cluck-cluck-cluck-cluck.”

Lord Gerberga shook his head wildly.

Maybe he was apologizing for the deceit.

But male or female, Luchila was Luchila.

“It’s really nothing to worry about.”

“…Yes, thank you.”

“Cluck!”

“Alright, Lord Gerberga.”

Lord Gerberga clucked with encouragement.

Then Luchila’s mouth opened with determination.

“The truth is, I was hiding the fact that I’m a girl…”

“Oh, is that right.”

“I had no idea.”

Milka and Philly were surprised.

“I could tell because of the smell.”

“Me too.”

It seemed that Shia and Nia already knew, because they had a sharp sense of smell.

However, they had sensed that there was a reason behind it, and so they had not said anything.

“I also thought that it was the case.”

“You did? Serulis?”

“I’m not saying I knew. I just suspected.”

“And what made you suspect it?”

“Because she’s so cute. The face and voice is that of a girl!”

Serulis had also suspected it but not said anything.

“I see. I didn’t notice…”

“Aye.”

Goran and I had not suspected anything.

“As for why you had to hide it…is there a reason?”

“…I told you about how everyone in my tribe was killed…”

“Yes.”

Luchila’s tribe worshipped Lord Gerberga, and they were all killed in an attack by the dark ones.

Luchila was the sole survivor and had to protect Lord Gerberga.

“The area I was living in had meetings among the chiefs of each tribe, and only men were allowed to go.”

“Why?”

“The lord of the land said so.”

That seemed rather ridiculous. I would like to see what this person looked like.

They had similar meetings for chiefs among the beastkin as well.

“Shia. What about your tribe?”

“Women can go to the chief meetings without a problem. I have gone instead of my father a few times!”

Now that I think of it, she had talked about it before.

Shia had appeared at the meeting about hunting the High Lords in Danton’s place.

“Right? It’s normally like that.”

Luchila said seriously.

“While I am alone, my tribe still exists. I intend to go to the chief’s council when I am old enough…”

“I see. And so that is why you were pretending to be a boy.”

“Yes. I am sorry for deceiving you.”

“Don’t worry about it. And as for restoring your tribe, maybe Eric can help you with that.”

“Actually, Luchila. Weren’t you granted a knighthood?”

“Yes, I was.”

It was a reward for helping to fight the Vampire High Lords.

They had also been given to Shia and the chiefs of the beastkin tribes.

“Having a title means that you are the head of a household and should be able to join the council.”

“That’s true. This lord may be able to create such rules for commoners, but a knight is a noble.”

And so the lord of the land couldn’t force their own ideas onto a noble without good reason.

And if they fought over it, then the king would hear about it.

The king would likely let the privy council decide.

“And I happen to be a counselor there.”

“…That’s…that’s right…”

Luchila said. Then tears started to fall from her eyes.