IHFMC 14

Chapter 14

. Why Is Lord Here?

The first-floor office of the Kaisel Knights.

It had already been a week since Shanelica entered the royal palace of the Kingdom of Campton. She hadn’t been working for long, but with the weather growing warmer, drowsiness often hit her unexpectedly.

I’m way too sleepy!

Half-lidded eyes barely open, Shanelica stood up from her desk and threw open the office window. A refreshing, cool breeze smacked her face as soon as she did. At the same moment, a familiar man passed by.

A strikingly handsome man with long silver hair and sharp features. His slightly unfocused eyes gave off a bewitching charm.

“Captain!”

When Shanelica called out cheerfully, Shtern stopped walking. From inside a nearby building, the owner of a fair, small face was gazing at him with sparkling eyes.

“Shanel.”

Shtern also approached her with a friendly expression.

“How’s work going?”

“Hmm, there’s still a lot that’s tough, but I’m managing.”

“You’re alone. Where’s Vane?”

“I told him to take a break after lunch. He seemed a little stiff and tired…”

Shanelica smiled sheepishly.

The man before her—Shtern, the captain of the Kaisel Knights—was an exceptionally kind person. A week ago, Shanelica had asked him at the Vista Inn to help her enter the royal palace.

Whether it was due to her charm or not, he granted her request on the spot. The very next day, Shtern brought Shanelica into the palace himself and made sure she could take the translator recruitment exam.

The test hadn’t even felt like a test to Shanelica. The exam involved translating five commonly used foreign languages in the Kingdom of Campton from among the many on the continent of Hures. But with the dragon’s power she had inherited, simply looking at the text automatically converted it into the desired language—it couldn’t have been easier.

Of course, she scored a perfect score, and finally, she got the job she’d long wanted—one that didn’t involve physical labor.

However, there was a catch.

“You cannot work at the palace until your foreigner ID is issued.”

It was a bombshell.

She had passed the test but wasn’t allowed to work?

“You may begin work once the ID is issued.”

“Then what about salary? Can I get paid in advance?”

“You will be paid one month after you start working.”

“Post-payment? Seriously? Who does that?!”

“That’s the policy for temporary contractors.”

Which meant she had to survive at least four months—three months waiting for the ID, and one month working—without pay.

Survive eleven months, but four of them working part-time at a tavern again?

As Shanelica fumed in frustration, Shtern stepped in again.

“What’s the point of hiring her as a temp if she just has to wait until the ID comes?”

“Those are the rules.”

“Is the issue that her background isn’t verified? I vouched for her entry and even oversaw the test myself. Are you saying I’m not trustworthy?”

“That’s a misunderstanding, Captain.”

“You’d rather leave this talent idle for three months and not even pay an advance? She translated five languages flawlessly. Three months is plenty of time for another country to steal her.”

Thanks to Shtern’s advocacy, Shanelica was able to start working at the palace immediately, and she’d begin receiving her pay starting next month. The condition was that until her ID was issued, the Kaisel Knights—who had vouched for her—would closely monitor her.

Thus, the youngest knight, Vane, was assigned to monitor her, and she began working in the first-floor office of the Kaisel Knights’ building.

Being monitored didn’t bother her in the slightest. Having to work another month at the Vista Tavern wasn’t ideal, but it was far better than enduring four.

As Shtern fell silent for a moment, Shanelica quickly asked,

“Vane should be in the hallway. You probably had to go through some hassle to get in—should I call him?”

“No, I came to see you.”

“Me?”

Shanelica’s eyes widened.

“There’s something I need to inform you of.”

Whatever it was, it had to be important if the captain himself came to tell her.

“There’s a banquet at the palace tomorrow. Foreign guests from the Kingdom of Larta will attend. Can you do simultaneous interpretation?”

“Simultaneous interpretation?”

“When someone speaks in a foreign language, you translate it into our language in real time.”

Shanelica tilted her head in confusion at the sudden request.

“Captain, I’m a translator, not an interpreter.”

“The interpreter who was supposed to attend tomorrow’s event fell ill. We’d usually have him come anyway, but we suspect an infectious disease, so we can’t let him enter the palace.”

“Uhh… I’m not confident in interpreting…”

“If you can translate, can’t you interpret too?”

“I’ve never done it…”

Shanelica couldn’t hide her unease.

Translation wasn’t hard. Her “Dragon Speech Conversion” ability didn’t just show her any language in the one she wanted—it converted everything into Dragon Speech. To translate, she had to convert the Dragon Speech into the desired language. In other words, the first step happened automatically, but converting it into a specific language took conscious effort.

That made simultaneous interpretation tricky. The incoming speech would automatically convert to Dragon Speech, but to interpret it aloud into another language required intense focus. If she focused on one part, she might miss what came next.

“I don’t think I can do simultaneous interpretation… But if they speak slowly, I could interpret gradually.”

She said, lacking confidence.

“That would be more than enough. You’ll probably get extra pay, too.”

“Okay.”

“I’ll report it that way, then. Take it easy and head home early.”

Shtern gave her a nod and turned to leave. From the window, Shanelica continued watching him.

He’s really a kind person.

From the start, he had helped her in every difficult situation and looked after her. He felt like an old friend. The other knights were always surprised at how warmly he treated her, but she thought it made perfect sense.

“He must’ve completely fallen for my charm.”

She muttered with a smug grin.

According to the knights, Shtern usually acted coldly toward anyone outside the Order—especially women. But not toward her.

A royal banquet, huh?

As soon as Shtern disappeared from view, so did her worries. Just hearing the word banquet made her heart flutter.

If royalty and foreign guests were attending, it had to be a magnificent, splendid event! There had to be delicious food, too!

Any concern about interpreting had long vanished. She could already hear the beautiful music that would likely play at the banquet in her mind.

I can’t wait for tomorrow!

The palace used for banquets was far larger and more splendid than the Cartel mansion. The beige-colored exterior walls and the bright white pillars scattered throughout made Shanelica unable to take her eyes off the place.

This is what a real palace looks like!

She could only marvel at it. It was the grandest building she’d seen since entering the human world.

Though she had technically been allowed into the palace for a while, she had only ever gone to the translation archives near the north gate or the Kaisel Knights’ building near the south gate. The royal residence in the palace’s center required passing through another layer of security. Thus, it was the first time she had seen such dazzling architecture, and her eyes darted everywhere.

Upon reaching the banquet hall, Shanelica wondered if she’d entered heaven.

It was as if all the world’s splendor had been crammed into one place. The palace exterior couldn’t compare. The blinding chandeliers, gold-plated ornaments everywhere—and above all, the vibrant outfits and people that filled the hall.

She even wondered if looking away would be disrespectful. The people, adorned with sparkling jewels and luxurious clothing, felt like they deserved to be admired.

“Miss Shanel, this way please.”

Vane gently nudged the awestruck Shanelica, who stood in place as though her feet were glued to the floor. His task today was to escort her near the foreign guests, monitor her all day, and bring her back.

“Vane, can we hang around a bit after work?”

“If everything goes well, sure. You can enjoy yourself.”

She likely couldn’t enjoy it much in her current outfit, but it couldn’t be helped.

Wanting to encourage her, Vane offered a vague answer. The place was full of royalty, foreign dignitaries, and high-ranking nobles. Shanelica, however, looked rather plain. Dressed like a low-level maid, she’d probably only be able to sneak a quick look and quietly retreat.

“Really? Yay! You have to wait for me later, okay?”

“Yes.”

“Then let’s go in five seconds.”

Shanelica closed her eyes tightly, trying not to be distracted by the opulence. Vane stifled a laugh at her transparent behavior.

“Just around this corner, and we’ll be in front of royalty.”

“Ah, okay.”

“Nervous?”

“Not at all.”

She just liked the fancy banquet hall. Meeting royalty didn’t faze her one bit. Vane thought she was like a child. Though he was tasked with monitoring her due to her lack of proper ID—and would be the first to act if anything went wrong—her pure demeanor made it seem like no trouble would occur.

Soon, they arrived at the most prestigious spot in the hall.

“Your Highness. I am Vane of the Kaisel Knights. I have brought Miss Shanel, our temporary interpreter.”

Vane knelt and greeted the princess formally. Shanelica, as practiced, held the hem of her white maid’s dress and bowed lightly.

“I’m Shanel, Your Highness.”

When she looked up, she saw a beautiful woman with flowing golden hair and a graceful, pure appearance.

Wow, she’s gorgeous!

She didn’t say it out loud but gasped inwardly.

So this is what royalty looks like—completely different, inside and out!

“Welcome. I’m sorry to ask a translator to interpret, but I’m counting on you.”

From what she’d read in books, royalty was supposed to be arrogant and rude.

Yet here was a kind and graceful royal. Shanelica’s bias against nobility shattered in an instant.

Just as she was about to smile and reply—