"Pierrot."
A criminal organization made up of different races and fanatics devoted to the Demon King.
Wherever they appeared, disaster followed. Cities burned overnight, people vanished without a trace, and entire villages woke to corpses lining the streets.
Their motives were always unclear.
They claimed they were merely carrying out the Demon King's will—delivering justice in his name.
In the novel, Amon and his party only ever dealt with lower-ranked members of Pierrot. Just enough for the organization to stay relevant without revealing anything important.
Then came the final arc.
Everyone expected Pierrot to finally emerge from the shadows and join the Demon King's army.
But… nothing happened.
They simply disappeared from the story.
The Demon King was defeated. The world was saved. Happy ever after.
That was the ending.
…Now that I think about it, the novel had way too many holes.
When I first regained memories of my past life, I assumed I had simply forgotten parts of the story.
But no.
Something didn't feel right.
Suddenly, I felt a hand on my shoulder.
I flinched and swatted it away before turning toward its owner.
A well-built man with a rugged face and a scar over his left eye stood before me.
Thea clung to me tighter while Amon and Agnes immediately stopped their public display of affection.
All four of us were on guard.
However, the man only looked stunned.
Right.
I had just smacked away the hand of someone clearly dressed like a noble.
Smooth.
"I apologize. You took me by surprise. I did not mean to offend you."
I placed a hand over my chest and lowered my head slightly in apology.
"Am I scary?"
The man asked while looking at us with tear-filled amethyst eyes.
Ouch.
"O-Of course not! You're handsome and… and cute!"
Thea's eyes still trembled. She was definitely just as frightened as I had been a moment ago, yet now she was blurting out the most obvious lies imaginable.
Well, that was just who she was. Weak against tears and sad faces.
But cute?
That was stretching it.
"Really?"
The man instantly believed her. He glanced at the rest of us with a look that silently asked if we agreed.
Even with his rugged face and scars, the man actually looked… adorable.
The rest of us quickly nodded.
How could we let this sweet rugged guy cry?
"Henry!"
Mother appeared behind him with a bright smile on her face.
"Good evening, Countess Spades. The dress you gifted me for my birthday was marvelous. Mother always told me you had an eye for beauty."
There she is.
The model royal was back. Perfect greeting as always.
"Oh my, Princess Agnes and even Young Lord Amon are here. Thank you for getting along with my children. I hope you continue to be friends."
Mother slightly lowered her head in gratitude.
"No, we should be thanking you for attending this humble gathering. Thanks to your presence, we were able to reconcile."
And there it was—the perfect response from a model heir.
What a match made in heaven.
"Never mind all of that. Mother, do you know this rugged man?"
The rugged man visibly drooped at the word "rugged."
My little sister…
You may look elegant at first, but the moment you get comfortable, you become surprisingly rude, you know?
Should I ask Mother to have Mrs. Crowly give you etiquette lessons?
I bent down slightly so only Thea could hear me.
"Manners," I whispered.
As if finally realizing what she had said, Thea panicked and waved her hands around.
"I-I mean this kind sir who's very adorable!"
Somehow, the correction sounded even less believable.
Yet it still worked.
A warm smile immediately spread across the man's face.
"Of course he's adorable! He's my little brother—and your uncle, remember?"
Mother proudly announced it loud enough for us and a few nearby nobles to hear.
Right.
How could I forget the mysterious uncle who never existed in the novel?
Which meant this man was an anomaly.
His white hair and amethyst eyes looked almost identical to Mother's. I hadn't noticed earlier because of his rugged appearance and scarred face.
But his personality was the complete opposite of intimidating.
If anything, he felt more like an overly sensitive younger brother currently being doted on by Mother.
"A pleasure to meet you, Uncle. I am Alan Spades, heir to Spades County."
I gave a proper introduction, though it seemed he already knew who I was. In fact, he didn't even try to hide it. His eyes practically studied me from head to toe.
"Lovely to meet you, Uncle. My name is Ethea Spades, a mage of the Magic Tower."
Thea's introduction followed immediately after. Her eyes gleamed with triumph.
Oy.
You're basically fishing for compliments now, aren't you?
Before I could finish the thought, a female knight approached the princess.
Black hair and black eyes. She somehow looked familiar.
Then again, black hair and black eyes were common enough.
The knight whispered something into Agnes's ear, instantly making the princess frown. She let out a small sigh of disappointment.
"I'm sorry, everyone. It seems I must be going now. Apparently, it's already past my curfew."
She smiled politely, but the disappointment in her eyes was obvious.
It must be suffocating always playing the role of the perfect princess.
And it seemed Amon noticed it too.
"If it's not too impudent… may I ask to become one of your playmates as well?" Amon asked.
It was impudent.
And most likely impossible.
Only children from high-ranking noble houses—Counts and above—were usually allowed to become royal playmates.
However… considering he had already saved Agnes once, and assuming the emperor knew about it, then Amon genuinely had a chance.
Good luck with that.
It has absolutely nothing to do with me.
"That would be most welcome. I shall send an invitation soon. Of course—"
The princess's eyes finally matched her smile.
A devious smile.
"I shall send one to the Spades residence as well. I heard Young Lord Alan has become your sparring partner. How about holding your next duel within the castle training grounds?"
What a sly princess.
She was basically saying I'd be the one bringing Amon to the palace myself.
And the worst part?
I couldn't even refuse.
Heh.
In that case…
"A wonderful idea, Princess. It has been so long since my last visit. I do miss the royal chef's cooking. How are the royal mages these days? You used to tell me how talented they were—and that the palace possessed an abundance of magical artifacts, no?"
[Peasant Translation]
[I'll agree if you prepare a feast and give me a magical item in return.]
The princess's eye twitched slightly at my demands. Even so, she maintained her graceful composure.
"The royal chef would surely be delighted to hear that. I'm afraid the royal mages have been rather busy lately, though meeting them should still be possible. However, do lower your expectations. They can be somewhat fussy."
[Sure, I can prepare a feast, but I'm not the one in charge of magical items. You'll have to convince the mages yourself—and I can't guarantee they'll agree.]
Two could play at that game.
I maintained a polite smile, refusing to let her gain the upper hand.
"Haha. With the princess there, I doubt they would make too much of a fuss."
[Help me persuade them.]
The princess paused for a moment, seemingly weighing the pros and cons of my offer.
Less than a minute later, she smiled politely.
"Then, I shall see you soon."
She gave in.
"Likewise." I returned the smile.
Most people who overheard our conversation would probably think it was perfectly normal.
However, I knew there was at least one person who understood the hidden meaning behind our words.
Mother.
She simply smiled through the entire exchange, but it was the knowing kind of smile.
As expected of one of society's finest flowers. Her ability to decipher conversations was top-notch.
The female knight quietly reminded the princess of the time once more. She truly had to leave now.
Well… after properly giving her regards to the host of the dinner party, of course.
We all bowed.
The female knight glanced back and escorted her away.
In a split second, they disappeared.
Silence settled over us for a moment. We had gotten so sidetracked that none of us remembered where the conversation had left off.
"Ahem. It's a pleasure to meet you as well, sir. I am Amon Emilton, heir to the Emilton Barony."
As quick-witted as always, Amon saved us from the awkward silence.
Finally, Uncle introduced himself.
"It is nice to finally meet all of you. I am Viscount Henry Whitmore of the Whitmore Viscounty."
So that was Mother's surname before.
Interesting.
I had never met relatives from her side of the family before, so I was honestly glad.
"Oh, so this is where you were."
Baron Sheeves and Count Spades made their way toward us. It seemed the princess had already finished giving her regards.
"Ben! How long has it been?"
Uncle Henry happily greeted the Count.
"I'm here too, you know," Baron Sheeves said with playful grievance.
"I'm sick of your face."
The Viscount retorted immediately. The Baron looked utterly shocked.
"We just met for the first time yesterday after ten years though?!"
The Baron said it so dramatically that it became pathetically funny.
I found myself chuckling at their banter.
I wasn't the only one. Everyone who overheard them let out quiet laughs as well.
"Anyhow, the food is ready. Most of the guests are already at the dining hall."
The Baron composed himself.
Mother started leading us children there. Even Amon, who lived in this house, was about to follow her.
"Amon, has the princess left already?" the Baron asked.
I froze.
Didn't she say goodbye to him?
"She left about 5 minutes ago," Thea answered.
The Baron nodded, and everyone else thought nothing of it. The princess hadn't mentioned giving her regards to the Baron, and thanking the host personally was an etiquette many nobles forgot nowadays.
However, I didn't believe it.