Stigma Effect

Proofreader: kuroneko_chan

Raphlet's golden eyes looked at Yuriel sharply. He snapped back at Yuriel with a voice full of thorns.

“Are you trying to tell me that you don’t need me now?”

Raphlet bit his lip and added impatiently as if he had been hurt by what she had said.

“Yuriel.”

He called out Yuriel’s name in a desperate voice, as if asking for a quick denial.

“No, Lord Raphlet. It's not like that, I....”

Surprised by his reaction, Yuriel shook her head. She recalled the story Baraha had told her, and shrugged her shoulders. When she ran into him, she remembered that she had tangled her body with his and her heart was pounding, but Raphlet showed no signs of that at all.

The voice calling her now felt desperate, but Raphlet's face was as cool as usual.

He wasn't desperate. Yuriel thought that she had distorted his voice to fit what she wanted to hear.

She knew she was just a maid in Raphlet's eyes, but it was hard to contain her feelings of embarrassment.

Looking at his blunt face, Yuriel thought that her feelings might have made it difficult for Raphlet, who had a strong sense of responsibility. He just wants to be by her side to calm her seizures.

When she first came to the Imperial Capital, she thought she needed nothing as long as she was by Raphlet’s side, but she ended up wanting too much.

She wanted Raphlet to blend his body with hers and not with anyone else, and now she presumably hoped that his mind would be agitated as he saw her.

This is not the way to take care of Raphlet, but rather would only ruin his life.

Yuriel took a deep breath and recalled her own role.

I am Lord Raphlet's maid.

She forgot her responsibilities as she took on the position as an employee of the Albraka Strategic Office. Yuriel barely smiled and raised her head.

I shouldn’t bother Raphlet any more.

“Yes, I am fine now. Now, I don’t need to bother Lord Raphlet anymore, me alone....”

“I have never turned you down for being annoying.”

The words that she barely said with a smile did not continue to the end. Raphlet interrupted Yuriel's words in a tone that seemed to contain his anger.

“Yuriel, I’m sure you can accept me….”

Raphlet, who was about to say something, sighed and closed his mouth. He lowered his eyes to avoid Yuriel's eyes, but after slowly and sufficiently controlling his emotions, he met Yuriel's eyes again.

“You already said you could accept me. So it doesn't matter now.”

Contrary to his voice that showed no signs of trembling, Raphlet's eyes seemed to contain more complex emotions than usual.

＊＊＊

Yuriel was not helpful in the subjugation because she had a dream in which a human appeared, not a monster. The knights started tracking the location of the monster just like when Yuriel had not joined.

Melancholy came over her as she sat alone within the crowd of bustling people.

“There are days like this. Krug is a place I've been to a lot, so the risk is low. Don't be too disappointed.”

Helio came and comforted her, but Yuriel was not comforted.

Yuriel found that not working would make her depressed.

“Can’t I go back and clean the barracks?”

"No. When subjugation goes out, you promised me you would not touch the little things. What will the knights think if someone who needs to find out the location of the monster is cleaning? Why don't you memorize a map of the Krug Ruins while they’re working on something else?"

“What’s the point of memorizing? Do you want me to be an archaeological site guide?”

Yuriel said while clasping her itchy hands. She wanted to do some cleaning, but Helio was watching Yuriel's actions with his blue eyes wide open.

She couldn't understand why she couldn't do chores, when all she had to do was find out the location of the monster. However, Yuriel quietly followed Helio's instructions.

“You won’t be able to memorize everything until the day the monster subjugation ends. It's very spacious here.”

Helio really brought a complete map of the Krug Ruins. Yuriel, who had a tired face, quickly became interested and looked carefully at the map of the ruins.

There are 7 squares with fountains. It was a historical site that looked like it had achieved a more splendid development than the current imperial capital.

Yuriel sat down with Helio on the fountain where there was no water and read the map. Helio pointed his finger at a point on the map.

“This is where Krug's Temple used to be. It's in a similar location to Albraca right now. If you dig underground in Albraka, you will find the Krug Ruins.”

“It’s amazing that it hasn’t collapsed.”

“Oh, and this building over here is the one right nearby…. They say it is a building that helps you have a mystical experience.”

“Mystical experience? What kind of experience is that?”

“There is one person who has had an experience, but no one knows what kind of experience because they didn't talk about it. Would you like to go with me?”

Helio said in a soft tone. Yuriel, who pushed Helio away on his shoulder, was worried.

As he said, it would be good to visit the Krug Ruins, since they would come for subjugation on a regular basis. Getting used to the ruins a little more would help her find the monsters.

This time she only had a strange dream, but next time, she will have a dream in which a monster appears.

When Yuriel nodded, Helio gave a twisted smile to Raphlet. Most of the members noticed that he was acting awkwardly towards Yuriel since yesterday.

Many knights were paying attention to Yuriel, who had been following Raphlet, as she sat alone at the fountain, thinking deeply. Raphlet was pretending to not notice Yuriel, but he kept glancing at her.

When Helio spoke to her, he watched with displeasure but still. As usual, by the time he approaches, he calls Yuriel and puts her next to him, even though she has nothing to do.

Yuriel was looking at the map next to Helio, as if she had not yet noticed Raphlet's displeasure.

It seems that the relationship between Yuriel and Raphlet has changed in the past few days, but the basis of it has not changed. If Yuriel finds out that Raphlet is offended by Helio, she will not try to stay with him.

As Helio was trying to get Yuriel to go to the building, he heard a high-pitched woman's voice.

“Yuriel!”

As soon as the distinctive accent was heard, Yuriel shrugged her shoulders and turned to the one who had called her . The princess was approaching, calling Yuriel.

Helio saw the arrival of the princess and looked straight at Raphlet. Raphlet was approaching Yuriel with a vicious face.

Yuriel had left him, but since the princess is a dangerous figure, he seems to be approaching Yuriel to warn her.

“I came here after hearing the news that Albraka is subjugating Krug. I thought you would be here.”

“Hello, Princess.”

“Oh dear, you can call me Ithaca just like back then. You deserve it.”

The Princess smiled and touched Yuriel's chin with her finger. Yuriel trembled as she saw the escort knights following the princess. She couldn't see the faces of the knights during the banquet, but seeing the knights that appeared with the princess made her tremble.

“We are in the middle of subjugating, Princess. The knights are agitated, so please go back.”

Raphlet said, as he stepped in front of Yuriel. He pushed off the princess’ hand that was stroking Yuriel's chin with a rather rough touch.

The smiling princess' face contorted with terrifying displeasure as she looked at the hand that Raphlet pushed off Yuriel’s chin..

“I touched something dirty. I have to wash my hands.”

As she reached her hand out behind her, the knight who was closest to the princess placed a handkerchief on her hand. The princess wiped the back of her hands and threw the handkerchief at Raphlet's feet.

Raphlet repeated his words with an expressionless face, even while being insulted.

“Princess. Go back.”

“If you command me one more time, whether you are a saint or not, I will rip out what is in your chest.”

Watching Raphlet repeat his words like a machine, the princess revealed her displeasure. Raphlet didn't respond, but Yuriel was surprised and jumped out from behind Raphlet.

“You can’t do that, Princess.”

When she saw Yuriel's face, the princess let out a groan as if worried, and relaxed her expression.

“Of course I’m joking, Yuriel. I'm not that vicious."

The princess gently bent her eyes and said,

“I heard that you are Raphlet Mogris’ exclusive servant. Don't you want to come with me? I’ll let you do whatever you want. You only have to give me one thing. Then I'll give you everything. If you like being a knight's maid, I can give you my knight. I'm sure he'll be much sweeter and better than that blunt knight."

The princess said in a gentle tone. There was a languid breath in the voice that followed. Yuriel, who was listening to the princess, quickly shook her head.

“No, I….”

“Oh, you were looking at the map. All right, today I will show you these ruins.”

"What? It's dangerous because we're subjugating monsters….”

“Can’t you tell me before the monster comes? Alright, I'll guide you here first. It's a fun place.”

The princess stopped Yuriel's words of refusal, and she smiled and pulled Yuriel's hand. The princess who marked the place on the map that Helio had indicated Yuriel should visit and started dragging Yuriel to the ruins. Yuriel was forced to follow the princess by her strong force.

Yuriel was suddenly dragged along and muttered.

“Prin, Princess? You can’t go like this.”

“Yuriel…!”

“Commander Raphlet, wait a minute.”

Helio stopped Raphlet from trying to step forward again.

“Even if you come forward, the Princess will not go back. I will follow the Princess and Miss Yuriel, so focus on your subjugation. There must be one person to lead the knights.”

“I will follow Yuriel. Commander Helio, you be incharge of this place....”

“It will be difficult to deal with the Princess. I will take good care of Miss Yuriel, so please take care of this place. Commander Raphlet.”

Helio pushed Raphlet's chest as he spoke, and ran after the Princess and Yuriel who had disappeared into the ruins.