Take Me Away, Dark Lord!

Seraphina stared.

Gallahan grinned.

”Greetings, My Little Sovereign.”

”Sir Gally!”

Seraphina’s eyes lit up.

”You’re upside down!”

”Indeed.”

”Why?”

”I am a highly trained knight.”

”You’re like a shiny bat!”

Gallahan placed one finger against his lips.

”Shhhh. Keep your voice down.”

Seraphina immediately whispered at maximum volume.

”WHY ARE YOU BEING A SHINY BAT?”

Gallahan closed his eyes. Perhaps this had been a tactical error.

He quickly opened the window and performed a flawless backflip from the ledge, then landed inside the bedroom with a soft thud, his cape settling dramatically behind him.

Then he dropped to one knee and looked around with exaggerated paranoia.

”I am currently operating under highly classified deep-cover stealth parameters.”

Seraphina stared at him.

”Are you hiding?”

”Precisely.”

”From who?”

”Commander Lucas.”

Seraphina gasped.

”Why?”

”Because I have abandoned my assigned patrol route.”

His expression became solemn.

”If he discovers me, I shall be punished severely.”

Seraphina’s eyes widened.

”What will he do?”

Gallahan leaned closer.

”He will make me polish the stables.”

Seraphina shuddered.

”With a toothbrush?”

Gallahan’s golden eyes sparkled.

”You understand the severity of the situation perfectly, my Lady!”

Seraphina nodded gravely.

That sounded horrible.

”Why did you come, then?”

Gallahan’s expression immediately became mischievous.

”Because, My Lady...”

He reached beneath his white cape.

”I bought... a small gift exclusively for you!”

Seraphina gasped.

Gallahan produced a small white cardboard box tied with a gold ribbon, and Seraphina stared at him.

He opened it with the flourish of a stage magician.

Inside were four exquisite raspberry tarts, each topped with powdered sugar and tiny flakes of edible gold.

Silence.

Absolute silence.

Seraphina’s pupils practically turned into raspberries.

”Those...”

She swallowed.

”Those are tarts!”

”Indeed.”

”Raspberry tarts!”

”Indeed!”

”With gold!”

”Edible gold!”

Seraphina slowly turned toward him.

”Sir Gally.”

”Yes?”

”You are the best knight in the whole wide world!”

Gallahan placed a hand over his heart.

”I am honored, My Lady.”

”Better than Sir Boris!”

Gallahan’s smile became positively evil.

”I shall require that statement in writing.”

Seraphina immediately regretted nothing.

Gallahan handed her the box.

”The finest pastries from the Capital’s artisan district.”

He lowered his voice conspiratorially.

”Procured through a highly complicated exchange involving gold, favors, and a level of intimidation I cannot discuss with a minor.”

Seraphina nodded.

”Very secret~”

”Extremely.”

”I won’t tell anyone.”

”Excellent.”

Gallahan glanced toward the door.

”I discovered that the kitchen staff has been prioritizing healthy leafy greens for your meals.”

Seraphina looked horrified.

”Vegetables?”

”Tragically, but yes.”

”Green ones?”

”Several varieties.”

Seraphina clutched the pastry box to her chest. Even though she once ate veggie for three meals a day in the orphanage, she didn’t want to be tortured by that bad palate once again!

”That’s terrible!”

”It is.”

Gallahan sighed.

”The Vanguard cannot stand idly by while our little Sovereign suffers such nutritional injustice.”

Seraphina immediately hugged his neck.

”You’re my favorite, Sir Gally!”

”I shall treasure this moment forever.”

He patted her head.

”Eat quickly, little bird. I must return to the perimeter before the Archduke realizes I am missing and assumes I have been assassinated.”

Seraphina nodded.

”Okay!”

She immediately took one of the tarts and shoved almost the entire thing into her mouth.

Her cheeks puffed out.

Gallahan stared.

”...Perhaps a little bit... slower?”

”Mmph!”

”Yes. Exactly. Very eloquent.”

Seraphina waved cheerfully.

”Bye-bye, shiny bat!”

Gallahan gave her a crisp two-fingered salute.

Then he vaulted through the window.

Seraphina watched him disappear.

She blinked.

”Adults are so weird.”

Ignis barked.

”You agree too?”

The ember-puppy wagged his tail.

Seraphina nodded.

”Good boy.”

She returned to her tart.

For several peaceful minutes, the Capital Estate contained nothing more dangerous than a six-year-old eating contraband pastries.

Then came the sound of heavy footsteps.

Thump.

Thump.

Thump.

Seraphina froze.

She knew to whom those footsteps belonged.

Papa.

The bedroom door opened as Duke Kaelus von Nacht entered.

The Archduke of the North looked exactly like the sort of man who could make an entire kingdom apologize for existing. He was dressed for court in a high-collared tunic of midnight velvet, a heavy cape woven from mythril thread, and silver epaulettes shaped like howling wolves.

His raven hair was perfectly styled. His violet eyes were cold and sharp, and his expression could have frozen boiling water.

Then he saw Seraphina, and everything softened in an instant.

”Seraphina.”

”Papa!”

Seraphina immediately scrambled off the chaise and ran toward him. Kaelus caught her as she wrapped both arms around his neck.

He paused.

His highly trained senses detected something.

Raspberries.

Sugar.

Butter.

A suspicious amount of powdered sugar.

Kaelus slowly looked down at his daughter.

Seraphina smiled innocently.

”Hello, Papa.”

Kaelus stared at her.

She stared back.

Neither spoke.

Ignis quietly hid behind the chaise lounge.

Kaelus’s eyes narrowed.

”Have you been eating something?”

Seraphina thought about lying.

Unfortunately, she was six.

And six-year-olds were terrible at lying.

”...No.”

Kaelus raised an eyebrow.

Seraphina immediately corrected herself.

”...Maybe.”

His eyes narrowed further.

”Seraphina.”

”It was an emergency.”

”What kind of emergency?”

”There were tarts.”

Kaelus closed his eyes.

Of course.

When it comes to spoiling her, it has to be those guys from the Vanguard.

He would deal with them later.

For now, he simply brushed the powdered sugar from her cheek.

”I must depart for the Palace.”

Seraphina’s expression immediately fell.

”Do you have to?”

”Unfortunately.”

Kaelus sighed.

”The Emperor requires my physical presence to argue over the Northern budget.”

Seraphina tilted her head.

”Are you going to yell at the shiny man?”

Kaelus’s mouth twitched.

”I am going to use an aggressive tone disguised as polite diplomacy.”

Seraphina blinked.

”Why?”

”Because it irritates them more.”

”Oh.”

She considered this.

”That’s smart.”

”It is.”

Kaelus knelt until they were eye to eye.

”I will be gone for several hours.”

His expression became serious.

”You are to remain inside the estate walls. Sebastian will be your primary guardian while I am away. You will listen to him.”

”Okay.”

”Do exactly as he says.”

”Okay.”