"How can reporting the vulgar act of a knight daring to insult a lady be worthless!"
I couldn't understand why he was so angry and opened my eyes wide.
"They are knights loyal to Father and the family, not to me, right?"
I thought the matter was already settled when I brought the guards myself.
I don't expect loyalty from knights who don't recognize me as a lady.
This applies not only to the knights but to all the hired help.
In fact, compared to being starved with food right in front of me, such insults are nothing.
If it weren't for Eclis being involved, I would have just let it pass.
"Penelope, what exactly...?"
But the Duke didn't seem to think so.
He looked at me with a blank expression, unsure of where to start.
"...The knights of the family are also your knights. As long as you are a part of Ecart, this will never change."
"I have Eclis, and that's enough for me."
"This isn't just about personal protection!"
"I'm talking about my knight, Father."
I didn't back down from the Duke and continued.
"I already told you before that I don't want to entrust my safety to those who don't want to protect me."
But nothing has changed.
Except for Eclis being reassigned to the squire's quarters instead of the servants' quarters.
"Yesterday, on the first day of the festival, Eclis was the only one who protected me."
I wasn't defending him; it was the truth.
Those who cheered along with the insults or didn't even try to stop them would never be my knights.
"Hmm..."
The Duke, unable to think of any more arguments, sighed deeply, looking at me with wide eyes.
He seemed a bit tired of this conversation, rubbing his eyes and asking calmly.
"...So, did you buy 600 wooden swords because of what happened yesterday?"
'600?'
I hadn't counted them, so I didn't know.
It was funny to realize why the butler was so shocked when he came to my room this morning.
I decided to hint that I wanted Eclis to stay as my knight since I was going to be scolded anyway.
"I even bought him a magic sword out of pity."
"Penelope Ecart. I gave you a blank check to use for such things..."
"Don't scold me too much, Father."
I interrupted his nagging and pouted.
"You gave it to me to cheer up, didn't you?"
Trying to look like his beloved youngest daughter, I didn't want to hear any more nagging.
After adding this with a prim tone, I sipped the cold tea. My mouth was dry.
'He won't make a fuss just because I interrupted, right?'
I was usually bad at being cute.
But when the Duke was about to get angry over yesterday's incident, I planned to use some charm.
However, everything got completely out of hand.
'Why am I always like this...'
Swallowing my tears, I carefully observed the Duke's reaction through my teacup.
"...Tsk. Why are you drinking cold tea? You'll catch a cold. Heat up the water and drink it then."
Fortunately or unfortunately, the Duke didn't get angry about my interruption, though he looked displeased as I drank the cold tea.
He soon called a maid to heat the water.
'This method seems to work a bit.'
I was secretly relieved.
After the conversation with Leonard that couldn't be resolved with just an apology, I was glad I had thought of a backup plan.
Reflecting on the normal mode heroine, I realized that just apologizing in every situation wasn't the answer.
The difficulty of the hard mode is getting higher.
'I need to develop discernment for every situation.'
While lost in thought, I heard my name called.
"Penelope."
I snapped out of my thoughts.
"Yes, Father."
"There's no way...but..."
The Duke muttered ominously.
"No slaves."
"Excuse me?"
"Even if he gains status, he's from a defeated country, isn't he?"
"What...?"
I was taken aback by his sudden words.
But the Duke, continuing, seemed to be dead serious.
"Who knows what greed he might hide behind that handsome face. There are probably many who would target the only lady of Ecart..."
"Father, Father."
I called him repeatedly, flustered.
'Is he thinking I'm keeping Eclis by my side to make him my lover?'
If so, it was a serious misunderstanding. He could kill me at any moment.
'What's with the handsome face! My heart is falling along with my affection!'
Flustered, my words came out faster.
"I know I'm not as good as other young ladies, but I'm not that thoughtless."
"I'm just worried, that's all. Just in case."
"Would I have a romantic relationship with a guard? And I don't like younger men."
After all, the male leads will eventually belong to the heroine.
Besides, I plan to leave without looking back after seeing the ending before he even reaches adulthood.
Sensing my frustration, the Duke cleared his throat awkwardly.
"Ah, well. If you say so, I'll believe you."
"Don't worry, Father. It will never happen, and it shouldn't."
False hopes and useless emotions only hinder my escape.
I pressed on, seizing the opportunity.
"If you're worried, I can stay in my room and not go out for a while..."
"You've done enough penance. You must attend this hunting competition."
"But...?"
"Don't just stay cooped up in your room. Use this opportunity to socialize with other young ladies your age. And try to improve your temper!"
The Duke clicked his tongue disapprovingly.
I felt a surge of injustice. Who would think I'm staying in because I like it?
I hesitated, unable to let go of my last hope.
"...But, Father. I caused a huge problem yesterday, didn't I?"
"What problem? That... Forget it. Let's not talk about it anymore."
The Duke, grinding his teeth, suddenly stopped.
He seemed to be restraining himself from saying something worse.
'Che. Even if I asked a precious knight to strangle someone, it's not like it was a big deal! That's too much.'
I pouted. Despite this, I was grateful that the Duke stopped his anger at this point.
But the terrifying punishment of having to attend the hunting competition was given.
"Here, take this."
At that moment, the Duke bent down and picked something up from the floor.
It was a large, luxurious wooden box. I hadn't noticed it behind the table.
With a thud, the heavy box was placed on the table.
Looking closer, it seemed more like a case for storing something.
There was a handle and a lock button on top.
The Duke then unlocked the case and turned it towards me.
"This is..."
I was surprised to see what was inside the case.
A silver, ornate crossbow, like something from a medieval movie, was placed on a soft cushion.
It looked brand new, with intricate patterns and sparkling gems, clearly expensive.
"This is your crossbow, which I had repaired."
Suddenly, my vision brightened.
〈SYSTEM〉 You have obtained [1 Magic Crossbow] as a reward.
'Reward? What...?'
Confused by the sudden square window, I suddenly remembered something I had forgotten.
- You have obtained [3% increase in Leonard's affection] and [Crossbow] as a reward.
This was the crossbow I got from the quest with that damn Leonard.
"Ah..."
I couldn't help but sigh in disbelief. But the Duke, misunderstanding my reaction, said proudly.
"This time, I had it modified for safety."
I looked down at the wooden case again.
The crossbow looked more like a grand decoration to hang on the wall than a weapon.
'For safety, did they make it so it can't even shoot...?'
Just as I thought this, the Duke reached out and picked something up.
A black bag I hadn't noticed, distracted by the ornate crossbow.
"Look at this, Penelope."
The Duke untied the bag and opened it to show me.
Inside were small, round metal balls, about the size of a thumbnail. I asked, puzzled.
"What are these, Father?"
"Instead of arrows, these are enchanted balls."
"Enchanted? What kind of...?"
"If they hit, they explode, releasing a shock that will knock someone out for a while. They're not strong enough to kill, so even if they hit a person, they won't cause serious injury."
"I see."
I replied half-heartedly. Then, feeling a bit guilty for his earnest explanation, I added.
"But what does this have to do with the crossbow and losing memory?"
The Duke, looking reluctant to explain, finally spoke.
"...If you must shoot, lure the target to a place where no one is and shoot there."