I, reincarnate as the leader of the villainous knight order

Chapter 56: Prince Lancelot

“Friends… you say!?”

“Yes! So please don’t say mean things to Captain Justin!”

Standing in front of Ernest, who was bewildered as if to protect me, was the Saintess. Certainly, given the situation earlier, it might be understandable if someone thought I did something to the Saintess, but wasn’t I supposed to be looked at with impartial eyes, as instructed by His Majesty?

If I let this situation continue, it’s likely to cause even more of a stir. It’s about time Ernest realized that he’s now in the same position I was in before.

“I’m sorry. I may have been a bit too familiar with Eleanor… with the Saintess. Perhaps it’s because we fought together as comrades when we made a pact with the dragon and… the familiar.”

I deliberately responded to Ernest with a refreshing smile. If he were a composed person, he would have been deflated, but surely Ernest wouldn’t like me calling her Eleanor by me or my smile.

“It’s rude to address the Saintess so informally!”

There you go.

“I have received permission directly from her, to be friends… right?”

“Yes!”

When I smiled at the simple Saintess, she responded just as I expected. For Ernest, who was interested in the Saintess, it must be humiliating that she’s closer to me than anyone else.

“Now that the misunderstanding seems to be cleared up, we will take our leave. Eleanor, there are some sweets over there. Do you like sweets?”

“I haven’t had anything sweet other than fruit before, but I do like sweets!”

“Oh, right. Prince, didn’t His Majesty tell you to have impartial eyes? Please be careful with your words and actions, as you are the Crown Prince.”

Adding “for now” silently at the end, Ernest’s face turned red in an instant.

“Ugh… I don’t feel well! I need to rest for a bit!”

Saying that to Miss Diane, Ernest headed towards the royal family’s rest area. Hey hey, is he going alone without escorting his fiancée? He’s becoming quite reckless.

Of course, the nobles who were observing our exchange were whispering to each other. At this rate, it’s only a matter of time before Ernest is disinherited. I’m the type who can shine if there’s an obvious enemy, but I have no obligation to become that enemy.

“Here, this should be easy to eat.”

“Wow, it looks delicious! Thank you very much.”

Since there were some items that seemed difficult to eat elegantly, I handed her a small dish with pear compote. Watching the Saintess eat with relish, I also picked up a piece and tasted it. As I chewed, the sweet juice of the pear overflowed, and the scent of red wine and ginger gently wafted through the air.

“Yeah, it’s really delicious, as expected from something served at the royal castle.”

“Yes! The food at the castle is delicious. The meals at the temple weren’t much different from what we ate in the village…”

“There’s a teaching at the temple to live in poverty. In return, when welcomed in other towns or villages, various feasts are supposed to be offered. In such cases, there shouldn’t be sweets like this, so it’s good to try whatever interests you while you can. If you can eat it elegantly, that is. Hehe.”

This time, I picked up a plate of fruit tart, slightly raising the difficulty level. The Saintess also picked up something herself, but she seemed unsure of the correct way to eat it.

I removed the larger fruits on the tart to make it easier for the Saintess to see, then cut the tart into bite-sized pieces with a fork stabbing down from the top. After that, I placed one of the removed fruits back on top and ate it with a fork.

This way, it can be eaten without looking messy. The Saintess immediately mimicked my way of eating upon seeing it. It seems she liked it, as her eyes sparkled.

“It’s surprising to see Knight Commander Vandière enjoying sweets.”

The one who spoke was Lancelot, the second prince, who shares Ernest’s mother.

“Sweets soothe a tired body. Most of the knights in our Order also enjoy them.”

“It feels strange to see strong individuals indulging in sweets. …My brother was rude earlier. I apologize for causing any discomfort to the Saintess.”

Although he had been chatting with a smile, he suddenly became serious and apologized to me and the Saintess. Observing him closely without being noticed, it seems he was speaking sincerely. By apologizing, he’s also taking responsibility for Ernest’s actions, indicating that he intends to become the Crown Prince himself.

Perhaps he was secretly advised by His Majesty. I’ve already given Ernest a chance, and it’s he who wasted it. With this, there’s no hesitation, and I can support Lancelot.

“There’s no problem on my part, so please don’t worry. Rather, it seems Captain Justin was misunderstood…”

Lancelot offered a soft smile to the disheartened Saintess.

“No, the fault lies with my brother. If he had paid attention, he would have realized that you two were having fun. But still, it’s rare for someone other than members of the Order to address Knight Commander Vandière by name.”

“Since the Saintess said my family name was difficult to pronounce, I had no choice.”

I replied honestly to Lancelot, but the Saintess looked visibly displeased.

“Since we’ve become friends, it’s fine to call me that!”

“We weren’t friends at that time.”

“Mmm!”

She replied with a pout, making her dissatisfaction clear.

“Ahaha, it seems you’re really friends now. Having someone you can talk to so casually… I’m envious.”

The words murmured quietly at the end revealed the struggles within factions.