(Lancelot’s POV)

While in the carriage, I was holding onto my sword—that I just bought a few days ago from the same trading company that we sold our items to—with one hand. As I rested myself on the cushion, I glanced outside the window.

          We were almost halfway to reach the Ronan estate. Somehow, the way to Isaiya is coincidentally the same way to Cecilia’s homeland. That was why Lancelot was able to harass her frequently before. But now that she had transferred to the capital and lived there, Lancelot won’t be able to harass her and she would be safe from him.

Though... That is not the problem now...

“....Why are you holding onto my hand?”

I turned to look at Hans who was sitting on my side while tightly holding my other hand.

“Ah! Sorry, do you feel uncomfortable?”

          He said that, but he still hold on to me. Having Hans holding my hand is nice, but any longer than this would cause me a nosebleed. His hands are obviously bigger than mine, proportional to his big stature.

I abruptly cleared my throat when I realized I almost stepped into that red region. This is not the time to be thinking as such. “No, its not that. Its just, why?”

          I’m also kinda curious as of why Maria and Silica didn’t oppose of what Hans were doing to me.

“And you two, why did you guys didn’t stop him?”

I finally asked.

Silica jolted and she exchanged confused glances with Maria.

“We’re sorry, we thought that you would want to hold on to Hans longer, because you liked him.”

          My eyes inadvertently twitched.

Come again?

“What?”

“I-I mean master is known to have interest in men-”

“What?!” I bellowed, almost sounding like I was about to get angry at her.

“S-Sorry for saying too much!”

Silica started wailing. Out of shock, Hans also let go of his hands from me. They all looked down.

I silently grumbled and brushed my hair backwards. Having a neat hair is not important now. “...So you were saying, that all this time, I have had interest in men since long ago?”

Silica slowly nodded.

          Now that I think about it, most of the servants were females except the knights and the guards. Wait, why did I never know that Lancelot is gay all this time?! The author never said anything about his sexual preferences! Wait, maybe there are, but the author might just write it in single line and brush it off away just like that because Lancelot is gonna die early anyway-

What’s with that!?

          I massaged my forehead and sighed. Well, at least I don’t have to keep a secret about me being gay from the public. I guess there are merits of me being Lancelot after all.

          I passed my glance to the three of them. They still wore that gloomy expression of theirs as they casted their eyes down. Hans also shrank as he loomed in sadness.

I sighed and patted Silica’s head.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scold you.”

I said and they looked up to see my face.

“It’s just... many things were happening this month that my mind were in shambles you see. So I am sorry if I hurt you.”

Silica’s face lit up and she smiled happily. I beckoned Maria to come closer as she sat in front of Hans and patted her head also. She blushed in response. After patting their head, I grabbed Hans’ hand and hold on it tight. He was startled at my sudden actions.

“Hold my hand, at least until we reach the Ronan household.”

He froze for a moment, before nodding his head and hummed cheerfully beside me. The cheerful atmosphere continued until suddenly our carriage stopped and we could hear horse shrieks from the outside.

“W-What is happening?!”

Silica pressed her cheeks on the glass window to get a better look on what was going on not far from out carriage. In a distance, we saw a carriage was being surrounded by some demonic beasts. They were growling as they circled around the carriage. In just a few moments, the horses would be eaten if they did not left quickly.

“...So it finally happened, huh?...” One of the scenes inside the novel that I doomed myself to watch it right in front of my eyes.

I clenched my sword.

(Cecilia’s POV)

“Miss Cecilia, please do not get out of the carriage!”

          Not far from me, I could hear Dante’s voice from outside the carriage. Yuki was hugging me tight as we hid inside the carriage, keeping away from the demonic beasts that suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

          I was just returning to my town to greet my parents and gave them the invitation to the grand ball in Tristan while secretly leaving the palace because Louis won’t let me out if its not with him. Just when I thought I was safe, why the beasts suddenly appeared?

          I peered outside and saw Dante fighthing with the beasts. He is strong but if he faced six intermediate level demonic beasts all by himself, even a royal knight like him would get exhausted. And strangely, the beasts seemed to be stronger than the average beasts. Was there someone behind all of this?

          Suddenly the situation outside become noisy and silent in an instant. Me and Yuki were trembling in the carriage as we held our breath, wondering what was happening outside.

          Not long after that, Dante opened the carriage door and peered inside to see us.

“You guys alright?”

He asked. He looked tattered but he wasn’t injured or anything. I sighed in relief.

“Yes, we are fine. What happened?”

          I looked outside the carriage in confusion. Strange, demonic beast’s body should wither if they were slain, but I didn’t even see one. Where did they go?

“I’m not sure myself. A person riding a big black horse suddenly appeared and attracted all the beasts to a direction. Now they disappeared somewhere.”

He scratched the back of his neck, also seemed purturbed by all that just happened.

“More importantly, Cecilia. We have to go now. If we’re late the prince will get worried.” Dante spared me a glance before returning to the front of the carriage to check the horses condition.

“...alright. Lets move on.”

          Luckily, our horses were fine and we were able to continue our journey back home. Though sometimes, I would look behind to see if the mysterious person would appear again or not.