A difficult cohabitation life

“You’re quite prepared to suddenly start living together today.”

“I can’t make a living from it, but he’s an excellent person.”

　It seemed the engagement formalities had been automatically completed that very day. In addition, a mansion for them to live together had already been prepared, so King Regula was probably planning to make Mitina and Kyelse comply no matter how much they hated it.

“The problem is that he sometimes acts selfishly like this. Do you really just want to marry Kyelse-dono…?”

“His vitality is truly incredible. As long as it’s not something like poison or a curse, he can heal any wound or illness. Of course, it’s not foolproof, but it’s more appropriate to call it a miracle than magic.”

　If such a rare talent could be passed down to future generations, it would certainly be a joy for the country. However, even Mitina could feel sorry for someone being recommended to marry for such a reason.

“I don’t feel anything for Kyelse-dono other than that she’s a hassle, but I do sympathize with her. Being able to decide who she will breed with is like treating her like a farm animal.”

“I agree”

　Even though Mitina spoke in a manner that seemed to insult the king, Zeffen did not seem particularly offended and nodded. She liked his generous nature, both in a good and bad sense.

“He’s such an excellent knight that I want to keep him as a pet. That’s why he’s been placed in the position of captain of the Silver Knights and kept in the royal castle.”

“Silver Knight, huh… to begin with, we just don’t get along.”

　There are two orders of knights in the kingdom. One is the Silver Knights, who are mainly involved in internal affairs, attending ceremonies, guarding important people, and maintaining security within the castle. The other is the Black Iron Knights, a militant group in charge of military affairs.

　The Silver Knights are considered the face of knights in the kingdom, and many of them come from wealthy families such as nobles. In addition, perhaps because most of their work is less dangerous, there are also a fair number of female knights. They are a group of well-behaved girls who respect the king’s orders above all else, and take pride in carrying their family name.

　On the other hand, the Black Iron Knights are the complete opposite of the Silver Knights.

“I believe that the reason why the Silver Knight dislikes us so much is in no small part due to Kyelse’s attitude.”

　Just as she had been called errand knights a moment ago, the Black Iron Knights did not get along well with the Silver Knights, many of whom were of noble birth. Kyelse especially had that impression, as she was always openly hostile towards the Black Iron Knights.

“Since she’s a character that everyone hates, I don’t think it’s a bad idea to start with the Black Iron Knight. But if she’s too hated, she won’t even be recognized as a woman, and I feel like the bar won’t be lowered.”

“Well, I guess that’s where Mitina’s skills really come into play.”

“Say something so random…”

　Mitina couldn’t help but hang her head in apology at Zeffen’s airheadedness outside of combat.

　He is also an excellent knight, whose military prowess is on par with his title of strongest, but his flaw is that he is careless about many things. Because of this, he is terrible at checking and scrutinizing documents, which is an important job for a captain.

“That’s not true. Mitina is truly talented, and this incident is proof that she is highly valued by my lord.”

“I guess so.”

“My only concern is that you might push yourself too hard in your quest for money.”

　Glancing over at Zeffen, he was sporting his usual gentle smile. It was a surprise to see this man suddenly say something boss-like like that, with his usual air about him.

“My lord hasn’t specifically told me not to speak out, so please consult me ​​if you have any problems.”

“I can’t see a good future after consulting with the commander… but well, don’t worry, I won’t push myself. I don’t care if Kyelse-dono dislikes me, and if I can get a reward for it, it’s a small price to pay.”

“I see. Well then, do your best on your first day.”

　After receiving encouragement from Zeffen once again, Mitina finished her work for the day and immediately headed to the mansion in the prime location under the castle that had been prepared for her. She couldn’t help but feel excited by the sight of the building, which was much more luxurious than the room in the barracks where she usually lived.

(I can’t believe that a commoner like me could live in such a luxurious mansion. It must be equipped with the latest magical equipment, and even lighting and a bathroom… I could live a very comfortable life.)

　Black Iron Knights are of various social classes, as their strength and magical ability are highly valued. Among them, Mitina, who comes from a commoner background, was excited about living in a mansion for the first time.

　It was already night. She usually stayed up late helping Zeffen with his work, so she usually finished dinner on her way home. Thinking about it, Kyelse might have already returned home.

“Thank you for coming.”

　Using the key she had been given, she opened the door to the mansion, where a spacious and elegant interior spread out before her eyes. Mitina was dazed, but when she saw the stairs to the second floor, she immediately felt a sense of danger.

(Wait, wouldn’t it be hard to clean something this big? There’s no way only two people are planning to live there…)

　I’ve often thought that it’s great that nobles can hire servants, but when they actually live in a large house, they may realize that if they live in such a mansion, they won’t be able to maintain it without help from others.

“Well, we can think about the cleaning issue then… At worst, we could ask my lord to be the housekeeper–“

“Hey”

　Mitina, who was lost in thought, raised her gaze when she heard a displeased voice. Naturally, there was the knight who was now her fiancée, Kyelse.

“Hello, Kyelse. I welcome you back early. It seems like the work of a peaceful Silver Knight is easy.”

“Take a bath.”

　Kyelse once again interrupted Mitina and spoke in an overbearing manner, as if to say that what she had to say was not worth listening to.

　But Mitina was not one to be irritated by such things. She quickly held down both her arms and glared at him with disdain.

“What’s the matter? Taking a bath as soon as you arrive feels weird…”

“I have no interest in bathing or being naked with a poor, plain, ugly, spewing poisonous woman like you! I highly dislike it, but you will be living in the same space as me, a beauty that is the greatest treasure of this world. I have told you not to move around the mansion with the filth of the outside world on your person.”

“Huh…? Is that something you’re worried about?”

　Mitina knew that Kyelse was probably serious and had no ulterior motives when she asked to take a bath. However, she hadn’t moved around much today and didn’t feel that dirty, so she thought it was a bit excessive.

“However, I get sleepy as soon as I get in the bath, so I decided to take a bath before going to bed. Even if we were commanded by the king to live together, I have no intention of obediently following Kyelse-dono.”

“Then get out!”

“I decline. Kyelse-dono, if you don’t like it, why don’t you just leave? In the first place, I think it would be best to correct your spoiled childish mentality of expecting others to please you.”

“You mouthy woman…!”

　Kyelse glared at her, her handsome expression distorting. I thought he would be unable to take it anymore and run out of the mansion, but surprisingly he just kept glaring at Mitina and didn’t move.

(She really does seem to be obedient to the royal command… does she owe something to King Regula? No, many Silver Knights worship the king, saying it is their duty as nobles… and Kyelse-dono was the only son of a distinguished noble family after all.)

　Looking at Kyelse again, she was thinking about what to do, and her expression was clearly one of disgust. Mitina had wondered if he really wanted her to take a bath, and was wondering about his incomprehensible insistence, when suddenly, it dawned on her.

“Perhaps, Kyelse-dono.”

“That’s why I told you not to walk around!”

　When Ippo and Mitina approached him, he was thrown back with almost reflexive reaction time. This was probably just as Mitina had predicted.

“A germaphobe, huh?”

　When I asked her that, Kyelse was at a loss for words. Her reaction seemed to hit the nail on the head.

“…Ah, that’s right!”

“I see. Judging from your reaction, you seem to be a die-hard fanatic.”

　When obsessive-compulsive disorder becomes severe, it can become something akin to an obsession, and sometimes even lead to self-harm.

　Remembering that conversation, Mitina let out a small sigh. If she pushed Kyelse too hard, one day she might find herself pouring disinfectant over her head.

“Well, I guess there’s no other way. I’ll let you borrow it for today.”

「It’s not a debt, it’s a given. You don’t have enough respect for the privilege of living with this noble me. Even if you rub your forehead on the ground and express your gratitude, it won’t be enough!」

　Even though she’d been kind enough to give in, Kyelse said she hadn’t been grateful enough. She sighed deeply, thinking that she was just as fatally inept at socializing as ever.

　In the first place, if he was suffering from such severe germaphobia, living with his true love, Istaria, was hopeless. Considering the role that Mitina was given, it could be said that correcting this germaphobia was also her job.

“I have no intention of thanking you, Kyelse-sama, or even respecting you, so you can rest assured that there is no way I would ever bow my head to you.”

“What?!”

“I’ll make some concessions regarding bathing, but you’ll need to gradually get used to the filthy air of the outside world. It seems that humans lose their tolerance if they stay in a place with no poisonous air for too long.”

“Why should I do such a thing? If even one blemish were to come upon this beauty, it would be a loss to the world!”

“Okay, okay, I understand, so please step back.”

“The bathroom is over there, don’t come any closer!!”

　Thus began their difficult life together from the very first day.

　After taking a bath obediently, Mitina tried to tidy up her room.

　However, Kyelse kept getting in the way, trying to force the cleaning onto Mitina as if she were a servant, and she kept finding fault with the way she put things away, so the work didn’t progress very well.

　If she had gotten annoyed and gone to complain, he would have been busy running around somewhere, but even though it was still early, he had already locked himself in his room and gone to bed, and she was so at odds with him that she held her head in her hands.

　I wonder what will happen in the morning. With that thought in mind, Mitina went to sleep and woke up without even having a dream. She prepared some breakfast. Then, Kyelse came into the living room, her hair, face, and clothes perfectly arranged, even though she had just woken up.

“What a poor breakfast.”

　And those were the first words of the morning.

“If you don’t want it, you don’t have to eat it. Just be grateful that I made it for you.”

“You idiot, you want me to do something as foolish as skipping breakfast? And don’t even dare say you made a breakfast of just a piece of bread with some vegetables. In the first place, this isn’t even enough, let alone nutritious. Are you that poor?”

　Hearing such harsh words in the morning was quite a struggle, and Mitina, half asleep, sighed and munched on her bread. She had told Zeffen that it was a cheap job, but she wanted to correct herself already.

“And what’s with your face? If you’re a woman, why don’t you pay more attention to your appearance? It’s disgusting…”

“Sorry, but unlike a nobleman who was raised in a greenhouse, I’m just a commoner who crawled my way up through the mud.”

“Don’t blame your crudeness on your birth. Are you still a knight who carries the name of the kingdom on your shoulders?”

　Being hit with such pointless and reasonable retort, Mitina hesitated. As expected of the captain of the knight order in charge of internal affairs, Kyelse seemed to be a fairly intelligent man.

　However, Mitina couldn’t admit defeat here and shook her head. Perhaps because she had eaten something, her eyes were a little clearer as she glared at Kyelse and gave her a mocking smile.

“If you are going to complain that much, why don’t you hurry up and go to a mansion with servants? Ah, Kyelse-dono, the hurdles for finding a husband were too high for you, so you couldn’t find a partner, and that’s why you’re here.”

“Guh…!”

“Well, I do feel sorry for the servants who have to listen to your selfishness. Please be careful not to bully the servants so much that you end up divorcing them too soon.”

　In response to her sarcasm, Kyelse, who was probably bothered by the fact that she had not been able to get married, glared at Mitina in frustration.

“Humph! You have a bad mouth, no sex appeal, and on top of that, you can’t cook properly! So you’re not a man either, are you? You’re the type to criticize others!”

“I have no interest in love, let alone marriage. I don’t have any rare talent like Kyelse-dono, so our king doesn’t tell me to get married. It’s easy and I’m fine with it.”

“You really piss me off! Even I have this kind of power…!!”

　Judging from this reaction, it seemed that Kyelse was genuinely unhappy about King Regula indirectly pressuring her to marry him.

　And yet, even at this very moment, he was accompanying Mitina in an attempt to protect the king’s orders. Mitina found this strange and casually asked him.

“If you don’t like it, you should tell King Regula clearly. But you’re still here complaining… you’re obedient to the king’s orders.”

　When I said that with a hint of sarcasm, Kyelse’s expression turned slightly serious. Then, without any pause, she answered clearly.

“It is natural for a knight of the king to obey the king’s orders.”

(An immediate answer…)

“Even though the Black Iron Knights are a mercenary organization, you are still one of the King’s knights. Please refrain from making statements that show disloyalty to my lord, there will be no next time.”

　Mitina almost groaned at the way the Silver Knight, the face of the kingdom’s knights, spoke. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Kyelse was a self-centered person, but she had no idea that she valued her pride as a knight of the king so much.

(Unexpected… but, as long as she is loyal, she is easy to handle. While Kyelse-sama endures this lifestyle, I will carry out the duties given to me by the king.)

　Mitina, who had a secret mission, muttered to herself and gave a suitable reply to Kyelse.

　I thought carefully about how I was going to correct this man.