The son of the God-Emperor in Warhammer Fantasy

Meanwhile, in the bathroom of the guest room at the Temple of Justice.

Amelia wrapped herself in a towel. Despite her petite height of just over 1.6 meters, her figure was delicate and curvaceous, with modest yet shapely breasts. After several years of comfortable living with Ryan, her once rough skin, caused by poor nutrition and years of being a mercenary, had regained a smooth and supple texture.

Being Ryan's maid didn't mean Amelia had to handle all the dirty and tiring chores. As the head maid, she primarily managed and coordinated tasks while occasionally attending to Ryan's daily needs. The dark elf Olica, being Ryan's personal maid, mainly took care of his personal affairs and managed the castle's servants, creating a balance.

Amelia had always been confident in her figure.

Until she saw Sulia's stunning physique.

Even as a woman, Amelia could acknowledge the allure and imposing presence of Sulia's figure. Through years of training and body sculpting, the knight's impressive physique was enough to make any woman feel inferior.

At least, the young maid first compared Sulia's figure to her own and felt disheartened.

"What's wrong, Amelia?" The knight, wrapped in a white towel, her ample chest bouncing with her movements, looked curiously at the young maid. "Is the water too hot? Or are you not used to soaking with me?"

"Sulia, your figure is amazing!" Amelia shook her head and carefully immersed her body in the small bath, enjoying the hot spring bath.

"Well, I was born this way." Sulia said with some pride, admiring her own impressive figure. She was confident about her body, and at least Ryan could testify to that.

The two women soaked in the hot spring, enjoying the bath while the sounds of rain and occasional thunder echoed outside. Inside, they were at ease. Sulia's gaze lingered on Amelia, wandering around her, always seeming hesitant to speak.

Sensitive and perceptive, Amelia immediately noticed. She looked up. "Sulia, you want to ask why I've stayed by Ryan's side, hiding my identity, right? I think… during this trip to the Empire, you and Ryan must have learned or at least guessed my identity, right?"

"Why, Amelia? Or should I say, Amanoli?" Sulia turned, her delicate swan-like neck glistening with water droplets. "From the first time we met, I sensed you were not ordinary, but since Ryan didn't say anything, I didn't pay too much attention."

"The first meeting?"

"Yes, Amelia, you rarely call Ryan 'master' even though you're his maid. You genuinely see yourself as his vassal, not his possession. Am I right?" Sulia smiled. "When Ryan took you in, he was already a lady's champion. Usually, a female mercenary who becomes the maid of a Holy Grail Knight and lady's champion would feel honored and call him 'master'. But you always preferred 'Mr. Ryan', indicating you never felt your status was lower than his."

Amelia lowered her head, silent.

"Then, after you came to Bretonnia, Ryan decided to send you to Winford Academy for education after becoming a baron. So I started observing you." Seeing Amelia remain silent, Sulia continued. "Despite your careful efforts to avoid exposing your identity, because Ryan asked me to take care of you, you naturally trusted me. So I let you call me 'sister', and you accepted easily. Despite being in Bretonnia, not the Empire, as a duke's legitimate daughter and a female marquis, less than thirty noblewomen in this strictly hierarchical society dare to call me 'Sulia-sister'. This shows, Amelia, you instinctively felt your birth and status were not inferior to mine, right?"

Amelia sighed deeply. The young maid finally seemed to let go of her burden. She looked up and said softly, "Sulia-sister, you grew up in a duke's court. You understand how hard it is to change habits formed by court education from the age of three. You are a duke's daughter, and I am an Elector Count's daughter. Our statuses are roughly equal. Why shouldn't I call you sister? Lowering my status and groveling would be the greatest insult to our family. I can't do that. I know Ryan, raised in the countryside of Nord and brought up by peasants, doesn't fully understand court life, so he might not see through it, only having some suspicions. But he could never hide it from you."

"Then... Amanoli?" Sulia, seeing Amelia finally admit her identity, felt relieved but even more puzzled.

The countess decided to seize this moment of "open honesty" to clear things up completely.

"Just call me Amelia, Sulia-sister. I prefer this name." Amelia shook her head, shedding her usual disguise. The girl's innocent demeanor faded, replaced by a hint of dark aura and laziness. The only constant was her pure face. "You must be wondering why I've been Ryan's maid for six years, right?"

"If you wanted to marry Ryan, you had many opportunities to reveal your identity. If you intended to completely hide yourself, after Ryan became the most prominent hero in the Old World, you had numerous chances to leave him and live a secluded life. But you didn't. You remained his maid. If you truly liked Ryan, you had no reason not to act when we announced our engagement!" Sulia asked, puzzled.

"When I escaped the Beastmen's encirclement in the Dragon Forest at fifteen, I immediately realized I couldn't return to Nuln. There awaited a web of countless conspiracies. My family's elite troops and vassals were almost wiped out. Returning to Nuln without soldiers, power, or support meant becoming a puppet, forced into marriage and confined." Amelia's voice turned low and filled with strong resentment. "Nobles can't govern until twenty. Without power, I could never control anything. Even the Supreme Mage Elspeth von Draken and Nuln champion Theodore Bruckner or the engineers from Nuln Gunnery School couldn't change this rule. So I packed away my jewelry and used the special skills taught by court ladies to disguise myself."

Sulia nodded silently.

"I knew my supporters, enemies, and those ambitious for the Elector Count title wouldn't give up searching for me. After evading two manhunts, I decided to take the Elector Count's sacred sword, the rune fang 'Western Fire', and boarded a ship to Nord. The sparsely populated kingdom had only a few towns along main roads, making it extremely difficult to find me there. During my wanderings, I learned to speak Low Gothic with a rural accent and disguise myself as a not-too-competent female mercenary. After two years, I joined the Blood Axe Mercenary Group, becoming a very inconspicuous member until… the congresswoman from Garon, Teresa Trovik, needed some guards." Amelia continued.

Sulia knew the rest. Due to the sorceress's overconfidence, the Blood Axe Mercenary Group suffered heavy losses, then fell into a trap set by Imperial Grand Alchemist Gelt in Marienburg, cornered.

"Why Ryan?" Sulia asked next.

"Hmph… At first, my thoughts were simple. Outstanding men always attract women's admiration. I suppose you felt the same, Sulia-sister." Amelia's teasing laugh, mixed with self-mockery, made Sulia feel both pity and unease. The knight reached out, embracing the young maid with her ample chest to comfort her.

"I witnessed Ryan win the champion duel on the walls of Middenheim and saw his exploits in Marienburg. So I thought this man could be useful. He was powerful and had close ties with Grand Duke Schultz of Marienburg. These would be my assets when I returned to Nuln at twenty to inherit the duchies. I also believed offering the right terms would be irresistible to Ryan, eager for advancement." Amelia said. "Staying with this man gave me a sense of security, which I desperately needed after being forced to Marienburg. So I took the opportunity at the Sea God's Church to become his maid. But… things didn't go as planned. I soon realized there was someone even more eager to control Ryan."

"The Lady..." Sulia whispered.

"Ryan becoming a Holy Grail Knight and the Lady's champion was unexpected. I never imagined a deity would visit his home every ten days or so." Amelia shook her head with a bitter smile. "With plans changing and unsure what to do, I decided to hide myself and focus on being his maid. Unexpectedly, this brought me true happiness."

Sulia sighed softly. The knight was well aware of Ryan's charm and heroic aura, potent enough to captivate a young girl in her late teens. Hadn't she been similarly smitten?

"Being Ryan's maid were the happiest days of my life. Unconsciously, I let go of those plans and hatred. What's the nobility or Elector Count to me? It wasn't as fulfilling as being a maid. Watching Ryan's daily life, hearing his odd jokes, seeing him secretly glance at my legs, witnessing his triumphant returns—that was my happiness." Amelia said, splashing the hot spring water. "Ryan is like an unsolvable mystery. Just when I think I understand him, he surprises me. He grew too fast, beyond my imagination. I don't want to leave him, not at all. So when he announced his engagement, though unhappy, I endured. When he married you, I envied but decided not to reveal my identity. Sulia-sister, you're kind. You wouldn't drive me away or bully me. That's enough. For Amelia, that's enough."

"Amelia..." The

 knight embraced the young maid, whispering in her ear. "Even if you say that, I won't give up my position as wife!"

"Sulia-sister! You're too cunning!" Amelia's face reddened, her lips pouting. "I'm being serious!"

The knight and the maid locked eyes, the tension almost palpable.

After a while, Sulia nodded, sighing. "Amelia, what do you plan to do next?"

"I don't know. I just want to be Ryan's maid." Amelia sighed, a dark aura slowly emanating from her. "Speaking of which, Ryan is such a scoundrel. With a dark elf, two court ladies, and that reclusive Lake Witch, he forgets the young maid who's followed him since Marienburg. Even that self-important sorceress has already... I really..."

Amelia's complaints continued even after they finished the hot spring bath and returned to their room.

"Ryan doesn't know what you think, and… after our trip to the Empire, the Emperor hinted at your identity. He doesn't know how to handle it, so he pretends not to. But rest assured, I will..." Sulia was interrupted by footsteps outside.

The two women exchanged glances, wisely stopping their conversation.

Fresh from the hot spring, Ryan opened the door and entered. "Sulia? Amelia? How was the hot spring?"

"It was great."

"Good."

...

A week later, as the grand nobles of the knightly kingdom prepared to travel to Bordeaux for Duke Bodrick's grand banquet, in the cursed city of Mousilon, Matthew Bard, clad in black cursed armor, also obtained an invitation.

He had acquired it from a major noble of the Barleon duchy.

"Oh? Duke Bodrick of Bordeaux plans to hold a banquet to celebrate his heir's return from the Grail Quest?" His blood-red eyes gleamed with interest, and a sinister smile appeared on his gradually pale but still handsome face. "The Glory of Bordeaux?"

"In that case, let me add a touch of crimson to this banquet!"

"Black Grail Knights, prepare to depart!"

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