Chapter 23: Chapter 23: Settling In

Even as I was practically being dragged on a tour around Nochtentoria Castle, I tried all sorts of ways to stand out as little as possible… But with Mayer Knox as my guide? Fat chance it’d work—his size alone was eye-catching, not to mention how he was the boss around here. Whenever we passed by people, they would bow in greeting, their gazes immediately pasting on me the moment they raised their heads. Oh, the puzzled look on their faces! Thanks to that, I left an impression on every member of the Dark Knights I met. I felt like a twelfth-grader taken to a big family party and being introduced to every single cousin… Or a job-seeking graduate…n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Despite how I reeled from the stress of sudden exposure, Mayer seemed satisfied to have achieved his goal. “Now then, I shall give you some free time. Get acquainted with things around here,” he said like he was giving salve to the bruise he had inflicted.

“…How long is ‘some’?” I hesitantly asked.

“Until your initiation ceremony is scheduled.”

“I have to go through a separate initiation…?”

“Naturally. After all, you are the vice-captain of the Dark Knights,” he said.

“Then, uh…” I hesitated. “Do I have to go up to a podium and, like, give a speech? Stuff like that?”

“I would say you must at least give a short word on your thoughts and ambitions.”

“Wuargh… I seriously hate this,” I said and clutched my head in horror, letting out an involuntary groan. As far as I was concerned, even becoming a student council officer was amazing… I wasn’t cut out to be an expedition corps officer.

Seeing my reaction, Mayer looked at me quizzically. “Do you have stage fright or anything of the sort?”

“That’s not it… I just prefer not to go on stage. I’m a back-up gal type of person,” I said honestly. Even while I was in college, I didn’t like being the presenter in group assignments, to the extent I’d always call first dibs on doing the PowerPoint presentation.

However, he still wouldn’t let me avoid doing a speech. “It cannot be helped, then,” Mayer replied, tone dripping with pity. “Try your best.”

Meanwhile, it looked like my room got ready while we were going around; Butler Vince came to have a word with the captain. “The vice-captain’s room has been prepared.”

“Just in good time. Where is it?”

“It is the White Deer Room of the southern tower.”

“A fine room. You did well in readying it,” Mayer said before turning to me. “Jun Karentia. I shall escort you to the end.”

“What? No, no, no, I can get there by myself just fine! I just need to head toward the greenhouse, right? You should go back and rest too, Captain,” I said, desperately trying to dissuade Mayer from guiding me to my room. Of course, he didn’t back off so easily so, in the end, I had to run away. Fortunately, he didn’t chase me.

Once I finally reached my room, I sighed in relief. Just by stepping into this private zone, the tension accumulated in my body dissipated completely. Without even bothering to have a look around the room, I flopped straight into bed.

My room was on a high floor and it had a good view. Everything was as I had requested of Mayer, so much so that he had even taken my passing remark of “the bigger the bed, the better” into account. I rolled about the bed wide enough for five; finally, I could rest easy. It was a wonder how relieved I felt just from having my own room. Minutes later, I dozed off with my clothes still on. I didn’t even realize I was out cold until a knock at the door woke me up.

“Um… Vice-captain. Are you in?”

“Why’re you looking for the vice-captain here… Ha-hang on!” I called out, suddenly realizing that I was the vice-captain! I hastily got to my feet and checked whether my hair was okay and if there was any dried saliva on my face—there was a mark on my cheek from the blanket, but it was passable. I strode over to the door and opened it. “Yes, what brings you…”

“Hello, Vice-captain,” said the woman standing on the other side of the door. She seemed to be around my age, with neatly braided light-brown hair and wearing a maid uniform. “My name is Mary and I’ll be serving you during your stay in the castle. I thought you’d have woken by now, so I brought some water for you to rinse your face.”

True to her words, there was a trolley carrying a bowl of water behind her. I didn’t quite understand the situation I was in—she brought me water to rinse with? To serve me? But nevertheless, I couldn’t just leave her standing outside. “Come in first, please,” I said, stepping aside.

“Yes.” Mary nodded and demurely stepped inside, then placed the bowl of water onto the table in the room. Then she added two drops of herb oils and sprinkled some leaves in the water.

I washed my face while feeling the awkwardness of having a spectator. It was my first time experiencing such a thing, except for when I visited the imperial palace during performance report meetings. When I lifted my hair, water dripping from my chin, Mary immediately handed me a towel already pleasantly warmed to dry with. After putting away the bowl, she asked, “Will you be having your meal at the officer’s hall, or shall I bring it here?”

“Um… Could you please bring it here for now?” The thought of being ogled by people in the dining hall did bother me, but I didn’t intend on going out of my way to avoid them; I just had something to ask my new maid.