30 Years After Reincarnating, It Turns Out This World Was A Rofan?!-Chapter 263: A Knight Knows That People Are Scarier Than Ghosts (1)

Laira Winter was like sunlight in human form.

A little clumsy, prone to making mistakes, but so pure-hearted and warm that her flaws seemed insignificant. She radiated positivity wherever she went.

In an old-fashioned sense, one could call her a “human vitamin.”

Even in the royal palace—where even the lowest servants were embroiled in power struggles—Laira Winter alone was oblivious to such things. She was someone even the palace maids didn’t bother being wary of, making her practically a human capybara.

Because of this, Laira was beloved by both men and women alike. Even the most cautious individuals found themselves relaxing in her presence.

Just like now—

“Laira! It’s been so long!”

“Hehe, we just saw each other recently.”

“That was three months ago! Ahh... I missed your warmth.”

“Huh? Do I smell like something?”

“Yes, it’s a very comforting scent.”

“What kind of scent?”

Laira had been away from the palace on an assignment, and now that she had returned, her fellow maids welcomed her with open arms.

Was it like the warmth of the sun on a spring day? Or perhaps like the gentle breeze rolling through a rose garden?

Just being near her made them feel at peace, as if they were in such a place—healed and comforted.

“Laira, how long is your assignment?”

“Nothing serious happened, right?”

“Are you really okay?”

“Yes! Nothing happened.”

“That’s a relief.”

“The palace is really...”

There was an old saying: Birds hear what is said during the day, and mice hear what is whispered at night.

It was common knowledge that careless words in the palace could cost one their head.

Especially when it came to palace affairs—gossiping about such things could easily end in execution.

And yet, the maids spoke freely to Laira.

Because they trusted her not to repeat their words.

...Or maybe they simply trusted her terrible memory.

In fact—

“Huh? When did the head maid retire? Wasn’t it someone else?”

“...She didn’t retire.”

“She’s still the same person.”

“Oh! I see!”

“...You really haven’t changed.”

Her memory—or rather, her mind—was still as hopelessly scattered as ever.

And so, their trust in her only deepened.

Because of that—

“Oh, right! There’s something I wanted to ask.”

“What is it?”

“What’s Mordred?”

“...Laira, you are a citizen of Pendragon, right?”

“??”

“How do you not know about House Mordred?”

“Oh, so Mordred is a house?”

“...Unbelievable.”

They didn’t know whether to be more shocked that she didn’t know who Mordred was—or that she didn’t even realize it was a noble house.

Either way, the maids were exasperated.

And so, they took it upon themselves to educate their uninformed friend.

“Mordred is one of the great noble houses of the kingdom.”

“They’re famous, not just for their prestige, but for their long history.”

“And that’s not all. House Mordred is also—”

People have a natural tendency to show off.

Not just with expensive jewelry or handbags, but also with knowledge.

Some take immense satisfaction in proving how much they know.

And as if to demonstrate this, the maids went on and on, eagerly reciting House Mordred’s history, current status, and key figures.

They would never have done this in front of just anyone.

But Laira?

They figured it was fine.

And before they knew it, their gossip had turned into something more sensitive.

“My cousin works for House Mordred. I heard their third son caused another incident.”

“I know someone who works there too. Apparently, the youngest daughter is being bullied really badly...”

“Oh, I’ve heard about that too! One of the knights from our family mentioned something similar...”

Most palace maids were daughters of noble families.

And in the small, interconnected world of nobility, many knew secrets about other houses that outsiders never would.

So even though Laira hadn’t asked for any of this information, it kept pouring in.

And all the while, Laira just smiled—her expression as carefree as ever.

After about an hour, the maids finally ran out of things to say, and they bid Laira a reluctant farewell.

But not before promising to meet again soon.

“Take care!”

Laira, ever cheerful, waved them off with a bright smile until they were completely out of sight.

“~♪”

Once she was sure no one else was around, she casually strolled over to a lone ash tree—the very place where the maids had been talking.

Then—

Thump!

She dropped down right underneath it.

Even though the southern winter was as mild as autumn, sitting on the cold ground so carelessly seemed unwise.

And yet—

“You really shouldn’t be sitting like that, my lady. The air is chilly.”

Sshhk.

The tree spoke—or rather, the man who had blended into the tree stepped forward, taking off his cloak.

“I’m not cold, Sir Knight.”

“I am, watching you. At least use this as a cushion.”

“Instead of this, let’s just go home! I like resting at home way more.”

“...Alright. Let’s go home.”

Fwoosh.

Without hesitation, Ihan turned his back to her.

And just as naturally, she climbed onto it.

“Hold on tight.”

“Yes, sir!”

Whoosh!

With a light push off the ground, Ihan shot up the 30-meter-high palace walls.

Or rather—

Tap.

He walked through the air.

“Wow...!”

Laira’s eyes sparkled, excitement bubbling over like a child’s.

The view of the sunset from a knight’s back was breathtaking.

And seeing it from the sky made it even more special.

Laira felt nothing but pure joy.

In that moment, she was happy.

Then—

“...I’m sorry. For making such a strange request.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

Laira tilted her head at his sudden apology.

Because—

“When have you ever made a strange request?”

As far as she was concerned, he never had.

“All I did was chat with my friends.”

“......”

“Hehe, Sir Knight, you’re so weird.”

“...Is that so?”

Laira simply buried her face against his back, smiling brightly.

Ihan flinched slightly at the unexpected warmth.

Feeling his careful, considerate movements, she slowly closed her eyes.

The cool breeze, the warmth of his presence—it all gave her a deep sense of comfort.

“...Sleep well, my lady.”

She wanted to say Yes—

But before she could, she had already drifted off.

Her smile still filled with happiness.

***

Ihan looked at his team and made a firm decision.

“Thanks to the maid, it’s clear now.”

Thwack!

“Mordred—those bastards are the most suspicious.”

The moment he grabbed one of the papers laid out like a set of choices, everyone instinctively swallowed hard.

“Of all the houses... why that one?”

“Are you absolutely sure? This isn’t just speculation?”

The reaction was immediate and intense.

And understandably so.

This wasn’t just any noble house. It was one of the most prestigious in all of Pendragon.

“What about Conrad or Beatrice? They’ve been causing plenty of trouble too, haven’t they?”

“Those two are just your typical degenerate noble families.”

The houses Simon mentioned weren’t quite great houses, but they were still noble lineages with some standing.

Recently, however, they had become embroiled in chaos—suddenly producing numerous illegitimate children, stirring up all sorts of scandals...

A classic case of noble households tainted by their lord’s infidelities.

But among the nobility, illegitimate children weren’t even considered a real disgrace.

If anything, most noble families expected to have a few.

Which was why—

“The focus shouldn’t be on dysfunctional households. We need to look at where the strange incidents are happening.”

And in that regard—

Tap, tap.

“Mordred meets every single condition.”

“..........”

“Ever heard the saying no turning back?”

“...No, but I think I understand what it means.”

Simon rubbed his face in frustration.

‘Why did I ever get caught up in this foolish sense of justice...?’

Regret filled him.

***

Four Days Ago

Four days prior, Simon had done what Ihan could not—he had understood the twins’ cryptic words perfectly.

—"So, what the young master and lady are saying is... that a legendary Mystic race—a vampire—is still hiding somewhere in the capital?"

—"You actually understood that?"

—"When you spend enough time playing with the kids at the orphanages we run, you pick up a few things. But still, a vampire... I never imagined such legends were real."

—"I’m more surprised by you. No wonder you won the Hao Clan leadership—not through gambling, but through talent."

—"Not Hao Clan leader—Guildmaster."

He had learned a lot.

The presence of heretics shaking up the capital.

The existence of a legendary vampire seemingly tied to them.

But the most shocking revelation of all?

That a vampire from legend was hiding in the capital.

It was... almost impossible to believe.

And yet—

—"We have to believe it."

Simon had no choice but to trust it.

If it had been anyone else, he might have doubted.

But this was Ihan.

They hadn’t met enough times to build a deep bond of trust, but Simon was certain of one thing—this was not a man who would lie.

He had read the path Ihan had walked, even if only through written records.

...And beyond that—

—"If you want to back out, say so now. The deeper we dig, the more dangerous it’ll get."

—"......."

—"It’s not just you at risk. Your entire guild association could be in danger. The enemy we’re dealing with is that dangerous."

—"How could I back out after hearing that?"

—"Huh?"

Hearing the knight sincerely ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ try to warn him off only made him more certain.

If he backed out now, he would never be able to stand before this knight again.

It would mean their relationship ended here.

And that—

‘That’s not an option...!’

Simon made the biggest gamble of his life.

—"Screw it. Let’s fight."

—"Simon?!"

—"Our guild’s been treated like villains long enough. It’s about time we got to be heroes for once! Call it... reputation management!"

—"...That’s the dumbest excuse I’ve ever heard."

—"Well, too bad!"

It was Simon’s own resolute decision.

And his secretary... begrudgingly agreed to follow along.

For the next four days, the guild poured every ounce of its strength into investigating—narrowing down suspects, relying on the insight of the twin siblings, until finally—

“...We’re screwed.”

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“You’re only realizing that now?”

Faced with the name of a great house, they could do nothing but shed silent tears.

Regret always came too late.

Meanwhile—

“Uncle, why are they like that?”

“What’s wrong with them?”

“...They’re moved by the moment.”

“Moved?”

“Then why are they crying?”

“...You’ll understand when you’re older.”

“?”

“This is hard...”

“......”

Ihan simply said no more and gently patted the heads of the two children.