Episode 100 The Purple-Haired Knight
“Arthur, are you serious!? That might be a trap to make you fall from grace!”
After Agravain left, Arthur had told Morgan he intended to accept the proposal—and, as expected, her sharp rebuke made him flinch, haunted by memories of past scoldings.
When this woman got angry, she was terrifying. Yet, strangely enough, it didn’t feel unpleasant. Her eyes were filled with such obvious concern that it warmed him even as it frightened him.
“But the golden wheat is important. And honestly, things will probably go more smoothly if I go myself, right?”
“…That’s true. As a royal and a gifted healer, your presence would certainly boost morale. But still…”
Arthur’s argument sounded noble for once—but of course, it wasn’t really about morale. He just wanted to recover the golden wheat quickly so he could enjoy it with Kei, and more importantly, erase any looming execution flags from his Good Deed Notebook.
The notebook had written something new this time—something that hadn’t been there before. It said that if the Desert People were left unchecked, the royal family’s authority would decline, a war would break out, and neighboring nations would invade afterward.
Apparently, thanks to his past good deeds, Arthur wouldn’t die this time—but others might: Kei, Marianne, Bedie, the orphans from the Holy King Orphanage, and knights like Tristan and Gawain who would fight at the frontlines.
“I don’t want to see the people close to me die.”
Arthur wasn’t a saint. If strangers died, he could accept that as fate. But he was also selfish.
In this second life, he had come to understand people—he had made friends. And now, he wanted to protect them.
“So, Morgan… I need your help—”
“Wisdom said you seemed unusually informed about the Desert People. Don’t tell me you knew they were planning something—and you’re trying to use this as an opportunity to accomplish a greater goal, aren’t you?”
“Huh?”
Arthur froze, utterly confused by Morgan’s sudden leap of logic.
“Yes, that must be it… The Desert People have always stayed isolated, untouchable in their territory. But you—of course you’d come up with some brilliant plan, so you decided to go along with Agravain’s scheme. I’m relieved; for a moment, I feared you’d rush in without one.”
“Uh… well… um…”
It was too late to say he didn’t actually have a plan. Cold sweat ran down Arthur’s back.
Wait—no, maybe it’d work out.
He had defeated three of the Five Great Beasts before, hadn’t he? Surely, he could handle a few desert tribes. And if he borrowed some skilled knights from Morgan, like Tristan, things would be fine. Tristan could protect him from Lancelot and probably share some delicious food along the way. Besides, he’d been stuck studying in the capital lately—this could be a nice change of pace.
Bolstered by misplaced confidence—and the promise of skipping work—Arthur clenched his fist.
“All right, leave it to me. I’ll get the golden wheat back from the Desert People.”
“Yes, of course. Then I’ll come with you. Many desert monsters are weak to cold; my magic should prove useful.”
“What—you’re coming too?”
“Obviously. I’m your fiancée, after all… and besides, I’ll be safer with you.”
Morgan smiled with absolute trust, and Arthur’s stomach twisted in dread.
“Lord Arthur, I can’t go with you this time, but please be careful, okay? And remember to brush your teeth before bed. Your big sister’s worried.”
“Yeah, don’t worry. I’ll be fine.”
As Arthur prepared to board the carriage heading for the border, where the Desert People were clashing with the frontier lords, Kei grasped his hand anxiously.
It felt more like she was sending him off on a school trip than to war.
He would have liked to bring her along, but the battlefield was no place for her. He might have healing powers, but he had zero combat ability—and it frustrated him that he couldn’t protect anyone.
“Heh, falling for your older maid is fine and all,” Tristan quipped lazily, “but don’t forget to show your fiancée some affection too.”
Arthur sighed.
“Like she’d even care…”
He glanced toward Morgan—and as always, she wore a calm, expressionless face… except for the faint pout tugging at her lips as she stared intently.
No—she was staring not at him, but at his and Kei’s joined hands.
He didn’t know why, but his instincts screamed that he should probably go to her—immediately.
Bidding Kei farewell, Arthur moved toward Morgan—only for someone else to reach her first.
“So you’re the famous Lady Morgan. Truly beautiful—and a married woman, no less. Perfection itself. Might I be honored to serve as your personal escort?”
The purple-haired knight knelt before her, took her hand, and spoke those outrageous words.
