‘I made a mistake.’

These were not bandits but refugees. Ellen had been handling the refugees quite well, and Philip had the feeling that he had recklessly interfered and caused a problem.

Unaware of Philip’s thoughts, Polter rubbed his hands together and grinned even more broadly.

“Countess will be pleased that you have subdued the bandits.”

Polter’s left canine tooth was also missing. Seeing the blood, it had been knocked out by Philip.

‘I’ve beaten a man.’

Polter, who had misunderstood the situation, was a problem, but it was still a problem that Philip had beaten him.

What Ellen would say and what she would demand felt overwhelming.

Whether Ellen had changed or not was a problem.

‘What to do now?’

After a moment of thought, Philip decided to erase this incident.

Both the suppression of the bandits and the beating of the refugees were to be forgotten.

It was easy. Philip just had to make it as if he had never been here in the first place.

‘I just have to silence them.’

There was no way they would disobey Philip’s orders. Even if Ellen brought them, to settle in the territory, the permission of the lord, Philip, was essential.

“Forget that I was here.”

“What?”

“Consider the wounds you received from me as ones from catching the bandits.”

“……Yes?”

“Keep your mouths shut about me. Especially if Ellen really brings you. I will guarantee your status as territory residents in return for keeping the secret. Let’s say the refugees caught the bandits and the lord acknowledges it.”

Philip pressured a confused Polter with his cold gaze.

“But Ellen must not know I was here.”

This was the right answer. Then, no matter what Ellen might be, she wouldn’t have anything to say to Philip.

“……?”

But Philip suddenly felt strange.

‘Is this…… right?’

Philip thought briefly about his decision to take a walk with Blank.

He had felt awkward when Ellen refused to accompany him.

He thought she would naturally welcome him with open arms.

‘There’s no rule saying I have to walk the dog near home, right?’

So he had driven out a twowheeled tank pulled by two horses.

Originally for elephant hunting, it was good enough to give Blank, who had injured his left front paw, some fresh air.

‘We might want to walk in the same direction?’

Philip had rationalized his walking path several times.

He just wanted to ensure that Ellen and the knights were safe on their way.

If he saw them from a distance and nothing happened, it would be fine, and if they were fighting armed bandits, he would deal with them easily.

Of course, Philip was just out walking Blank and had happened upon the battlefield by chance.

Ellen would have just been lucky.

‘Two birds with one stone. That wouldn’t hurt Ellen, would it?’

Her accidental glimpse of Philip’s bravery would certainly look cooler than when he hunted elephants.

Originally, no matter how much Ellen praised and admired Philip, the person himself was not excited.

To Philip, Ellen’s reaction was just one of the cheering crowd when hunting elephants.

But Ellen’s recent feelings were a bit different. He didn’t know why, but it was definitely different.

It was beyond a change of heart.
The original Ellen had disappeared to the point where it was suspected that another personality had taken her place.

But Philip didn’t think much about it.

Such a thing was impossible, and even if it was true, it didn’t matter.

Now, he, Marlboro, and Laila were all at ease.

Anyway, Ellen had changed for the better.

“……Your Highness?”

Philip was silent for a long time, so Polter cautiously spoke.

“Hmm.”

Swallowing a short hum, Philip quickly organized his thoughts.

‘What if the current Ellen admires my performance and sends me a look of envy?’

The mere imagination was satisfying. Strength naturally flowed into Philip’s shoulders.

But then.

Such a thing happened.

‘Ellen doesn’t know about this? Not at all?’

The strange feeling revealed its identity.

It was a feeling of disappointment.

Even though he couldn’t confirm Ellen’s appearance from behind, he easily took care of the bandits.

Ellen mustn’t be unaware of Philip’s heroic tales?

It was really disappointing.

Ellen must know this.

“No, that’s not it…….”

With a troubled expression, Philip reflexively shook his head. Then Polter and the others waited for him to continue.

‘So do we wait here for Ellen to come? Do I let them chatter about my heroic tales?’

The faces of the tightly bound bandits and refugees appeared before his eyes.

He could ignore the bandits, but the refugees looked too pitiful.

If it were the old Ellen, she wouldn’t have cared if Philip killed them. But the current Ellen had said she would take them in.

Whether she would use them as slaves or sell them illegally, he didn’t know.

Philip again considered the cases of the old and current Ellen.

First, the old Ellen.

If the old Ellen were to take in the refugees, Philip’s actions would be fine.

‘But do I need to tell such Ellen about my heroic tales?’