27 — Wiping Away Any Doubt

What is he thinking, carrying me in to meet his (assumed) mistress!?

“M-Mr. Fisalis! You can put me down now!” I said, squirming. First things first, I wanted out of that embarrassing position ASAP so I could stand on my own two feet.

“Don’t wiggle around like that; I might drop you,” he said back calmly, only to hold me even tighter.

Ugh, someone do something to get these boa constrictor arms off me! Is he holding me like this to try to make his (assumed) mistress jealous? I don’t want any part in your romance novel cliches! Then again, I’m sure that to everyone else in the room, my earnest attempt at escape here just looks like a wife trying to get frisky with her husband... Great, now it’s even more awkward.

I had just given up hope of ever escaping Mr. Fisalis’ grip under the increasingly awkward knowledge that everyone—including the (assumed) mistress—was staring right at me, when:

“Hee hee, how long has it been since we last spoke, Madam?” the (assumed) mistress tittered at me.

Ugh, saying ‘assumed’ all the time is a pain in the butt. Let’s just assume she is his mistress.

But what did she mean by that? That’s something you’d only say to someone you’d met before. And on top of that, she doesn’t seem at all jealous of Mr. Fisalis and I, even after seeing him carry me in; her voice was perfectly calm. Back when the showdown between Mr. Fisalis and Miss Calendula unfolded, anyone with eyes could see that Miss Calendula wasn’t happy to see me, but this new mistress is positively beaming.

...Honestly, she’s scarier than Miss Calendula.

I timidly met the mistress’s gaze and looked right back at her. Please forgive me for staring at you like some weirdo.

“Eh? Since we last spoke?” I repeated her words, unsure what she meant. No matter how hard I looked, I couldn’t recall having ever met her.

The lady tilted her head to one side—I could only imagine the question marks swirling around her head in confusion. Still, though, she did not seem to take offense at my staring and replied, “Indeed. Oh, this just won’t do! Do you really not notice anything?” Her captivating smile widened even farther as she looked back at me.

I would never forget a face as dazzling as hers—I could nearly see stars shimmering in the glow of her skin. I was ab-so-lute-ly certain that I had never met this lady. I’ve grudgingly been taken out to socialize in recent months, but other than that, I’m basically a shut-in, so I can count my acquaintances—much less friends—on one hand! ...Yeahhh, that’s not something I’m going to say out loud, though.

Which was why I was sure the mistress must have been mistaken.

I nervously peeked up at her. “Um, no, I’m quite sure this is my first time making your acquaintance...”

“I’m sorry, but you are mistaken, Madam!” the mistress denied again, despite my insistence to the contrary. “Ah, maybe this will help.” Her face lit up, and as I watched on, she gently pulled back her silvery hair into a single voluminous bundle, picked up a nearby string, and nimbly tied up her hair.

Nooo, you’ll damage your beautiful hair if you tie it with that rough, dry cord! I know now really isn’t the time for heckling but still.

I was enchanted by the practiced, flowing manner in which she handled her hair, but once she had it completely tied back, I was suddenly hit with a sense of déjà vu. It was not some soiree or party where we had met, and she had not looked quite so ladylike when we did. She was just as dazzling then, but more gallant and... Oh!

“You’re a knight! One of Mr. Fisalis’ subordinates!?” I said much louder than I’d intended, with just a dash of hysterics. She was the lady knight with silver hair who worked under Mr. Fisalis! I had met her, along with the rest of the Bombshell Trio, several times, but at the time she was wearing her uniform and had her hair pulled back! The image of her in my mind perfectly aligned at that moment with the sight of the ‘mistress’ before me. Bingo!

As I stood there gobsmacked by her total transformation, helpless but to stare at her, she said, “That’s right, Madam. I’m glad you finally remembered!” I could hear only the rustle of her clothes as she elegantly stood up, put her hand to her chest, and bowed in a typical knightly fashion. She couldn’t have been anything but a knight, looking at her now.

Oh, now that I know her true identity, I should stop thinking of her as the ‘mistress.’ Seeing her act all dashing in a dress makes my heart race in an entirely new way, though! ...Uh, oh. Now’s not the time to be thinking about how good she looks crossdressing. Wait, this isn’t crossdressing—this is probably what she normally wears... but maybe not!

“Mr. Fisalis’ new girlfriend was you?” He’s been cheating on me with someone from work!? I sure never saw this coming. And she had said that she’s married, too, so now it’s double cheating!

The lady knights did suggest that even though they liked him as their boss, there was something about how he acted in private. Was she just pretending to not be interested in him back then?

When she realized that my imagination was running buck wild, the lady knight hurriedly said something, to which a frustrated voice off to my side replied:

“You’ve got it all wrong! You already know she’s married, and I wouldn’t have brought you in the first place if I was actually keeping a mistress here!”

It was Mr. Fisalis whose voice cut through my crazy thoughts. For once I was grateful he was so persistent.

“I, um, but...?” I stuttered as I looked at the two of them, still unable to comprehend what was happening.

“She’s not the only one here. Take a good look around,” Mr. Fisalis urged.

What does he mean?

I looked over the servants and maid once again...

Oh.

“Pfffwah!? You’re all knights!?” Is this a second surprise raid? Did they break in? No, wait, she wouldn’t have said hello if that was the case! And hold on, the maid is the lady knight with bronze hair!

The knights’ appearances had only changed slightly (I guess), but I still hadn’t had any idea it was them. I was already so befuddled by everything that at that point I seriously began to wonder if I was under some sort of spell. Is this some kind of joke!?

I must have looked supremely confused, because Mr. Fisalis eventually spoke up (in a less frustrated tone) and asked me, “You see? You’re well-acquainted with everyone here, right?”

One would think that this would wipe away any doubts as to whether he was hiding a mistress here, but on the contrary...

“They could all be in on it...” I muttered, putting my hand to my jaw in contemplation.

“Wh—Huhhh!?” Now it was Mr. Fisalis’ turn to look shocked.

“What!?”

“C’mere.”

“She thinks what!?”

“...She doesn’t believe him at all...” all the knights started to murmur among themselves, too. They, too, were all open-mouthed in shock.

However.

“Showing me all... this still doesn’t give me any proof that your lady knight was the ‘mistress’ you were sighted with.”

“...Please don’t say something that cruel with such a cute look on your face...” Mr. Fisalis said in an exhausted voice, hanging his head. But them’s the facts.

“It’s possible that you got the knights to work with you to hide any evidence of your real mistress, right”

“Would I need to do something of this scale to do that!?”

“Um... I’m going to have to investigate that further, so for now I will not be taking anymore questions at this t—”

“Then let me give you some answers! This is important! What you see here isn’t some coverup. I’m trying to explain, so will you please hear me out?”

“You are? ...Okay.”

The look on his face as he begged me was one of pure desperation, so I decided to put my investigation on hold.