Villain Retirement

"You can't see the King."

"Why not?"

"...Because no one can just see the King."

"Why not?"

"...Because he is the King."

420 years.

That is how long Rub has been serving as one of the King's door guards. His job is pretty straightforward like its title—he was to stand guard outside in any and every room the king is in, just firmly standing and protecting the door.

And in those 420 years, no one has really approached him; much less try to talk to him about the possibility of entering the King's room. After all, everyone knows how much the King hated to be disturbed; especially during his rest.

But now, an unusual, overly pale-looking man was standing right in front of him. And judging by the white coat he was wearing, he is one of the castle's private professors. As a royal guard, their departments were too far removed from one another and he would barely even meet, much less talk to a professor. In fact, the last time he had probably even greeted a professor was around 10 years ago.

So why exactly is a professor, who should have absolutely no business with the King, adamant to meet him?

"..." Is there something else at play here? Is this professor actually some sort of assassin? He does look quite weird, like someone whose skin has not touched the sun for thousands of years—for sure, this is the sort of man that lurks in the shadows.

"What business do you have with His Highness, Professor?"

Rub looked at the unusually white man in front of him in the eyes; gazing into his own reflection. Rub then very slowly closed his hands into fists, contracting his muscles so that he would be ready to react at any moment.

After all, the man in front of him might not have that much energy—but he had watched a movie before about old themarian assassins that were alive way before his time… and they specifically train those that have little to no energy in their bodies for the very purpose of lurking in the shadows.

"I believe Aerith might have left her room to talk to him, Helguard. I am trying to find Aerith."

"Aerith? Princess Aerith?" Rub did not let his eyes stray away from the man, "No, I have not seen her near here even once. Why, what is your—"

"Okay, thank you for the information, Helguard."

"Wh—" And before Rub could even finish his words, the white-haired man just walked away; not even glancing at him as he very slowly disappeared into the hallway, leaving Rub all alone to stand guard in front of the door, as he had been doing for hundreds of years.

"..."

"..."

"...I should change careers."

"You should."

"Princess Tifa—I… I mean, Your Highness!"

Rub wasn't even able to let out a deep and clumsy breath as Princess Tifa suddenly appeared in front of him. Rub quickly straightened his posture, before placing his hands behind his back and stepping to the side.

Princess Tifa was about to open the door but turned to face Rub instead.

"..." Rub only glanced at Tifa, before quickly looking away. 420 years as the King's personal door guard, and he has not even seen Princess Tifa open her eyes even once. Aside from the King's only wife, who barely even leaves his side in the first place, Princess Tifa is the only other person that the King has allowed to visit him any time she wishes.

420 years, and this is also the first time that Princess Tifa has ever spoken to him.

"So, you've met the castle's new resident," Princess Tifa then said as a small giggle escaped her lips.

"New—The professor from earlier, Your Highness?"

"Hm," Princess Tifa nodded and smiled, "What do you think of him? Tell me honestly, child."

"I believe he is searching for the Princess, Your Highness," Rub has always been careful not to look any of the royal family members in the eyes. But with Princess Tifa, he didn't have to worry.

"I didn't ask you why he was here," Princess Tifa sighed, "I asked you what you think of him."

"That…" Rather than the white-haired man earlier, Rub could not help but be more curious as to what Princess Tifa wanted, "I… thought he was an assassin at first, Your Highness. But for him to approach the door, I recognized my assumption to be incredibly false."

"And?"

"And… he feels a bit weird, Your Highness."

"I think so too, hm," Princess Tifa then just shrugged, before finally opening the door and just stepping inside without another word. And once again, Rub was left alone feeling a little… odd.

"What… is happening today?" Rub whispered to himself as he returned to the front of the door to stand guard. As for Princess Tifa…

…her eyes were finally open; glowing in a raging red even as she retained the smile on her face. This seemed to just be a common occurrence, however, as she just casually continued to walk deeper into the King's unusually large room.

No, it wasn't necessarily just a room. What greeted Princess Tifa first were two sets of wide stairs leading to the upper level of the room, where a woman was looking down at her from the very top of the stairs.

"Queen Adel," Princess Tifa bowed her head; her blazing eyes, however, remained looking at the woman above her.

"Madam Tifa," the woman, Queen Adel, soft and very gently stepped down the flight of stairs; her long golden hair that reached to the floor, brushing and smoothly gliding on the carpet. Her eyes which were bluer than even the azure seas at noon, somewhat even brighter than Princess Tifa's red glowing eyes.

"My brother?" Princess Tifa then asked as soon as Queen Adel's feet touched the floor.

"He… locked himself up in his study," Queen Adel softly smiled; the folds on the sides of her eyes, showing her age.

"...Again?" Princess Tifa's voice slightly rose along with her eyebrows.

"Yes," Queen Adel let out a long and very deep sigh as she gently gathered her hair around her arm, "Perhaps you can drag him out again, Tifa?"

"That is your job as the queen, Adel," Tifa pinched the bridge of her nose as she also let out a sigh, "I told you not to marry the family idiot."

"He is the King. And probably one of the best Hel has ever had sit on its throne," Adel's sighs continued as she walked toward the large sofa near the room's window; gesturing to Tifa to take a seat.

"But yes, he can be quite… absorbed in his work."

"And neglecting everything else, typical," Tifa said as she sat and relaxed on the sofa; her glowing red eyes, flickering as she blinked.

"And so, are you here to talk about man from the Unknown again?" Adel walked toward the table in front of the window, before pouring herself and Tifa a drink, "I heard him in front of the door just seconds ago—you're right, he is quite… interesting. Why are you helping him?"

"He just freed your daughter's clone," Tifa covered her mouth as she chuckled.

"Ugh," Adel rolled her eyes, "My daughter brought so many pets with her. But if dying for them is what she wants, then so be it."

"Your daughter left her room too."

"I was told," Adel just shrugged as she sat back on the sofa and gave Tifa her drink.

"Are you… not going to do anything?"

"What for?" Adel slightly hummed, "Aerith is just doing what she has always done, causing trouble."

"She has grown, you know," Tifa sighed and shook her head, "For her to sacrifice herself for someone shows strength and loyalty."

"The very fact that she is sacrificing herself for beings lower than herself shows that she hasn't grown one bit," Adel also shook her head, "It's a clone, not even a real being. I can feel my skin crawling just thinking something like that was under the castle."

"Aerith is your only daughter, Adel. I would like to ask you to consider changing both your minds about sending her to eternal death."

"Isn't this just because you want that weird man from the Unknown to continue teaching here?" Adel rolled her eyes, "I swear, with your habits of taking in strays, I sometimes wonder if I really am Aerith's mother. And how dare she bring a bastard home? And a halfling at that! I swear, it's like we did not even raise her right!"

"..."

"Her brother was the good one, you know?" Adel chugged down her entire glass, "But then he got himself killed by chasing that… that pale, disgusting thing that controlled blood."

"The Pirate Queen Xra."

"Is that what they call that vixen now?" Adel scoffed, "And Caitlain'Ur, wow. That's another problem that Aerith brought back! There's a reason why not even the Grand Militia acted and tried to find her, that is because she belongs outside!"

"..."

"I told her, I told her not to pursue. But she doesn't listen!"

Contrary to Adel's gentle and soft looks, the movements of her mouth were quite… crass and violent as she continued to pour and drink a glass,

"So, we have no choice," Adel then sighed, "If she has to die, then so be it. Let her death be a lesson for all of our children and our people's children…

…the word of the Law is absolute."

***

"May we speak in private, Riley Ross?"

Somewhere in the hallways of the castle, Riley's path was currently being blocked by Lucien—Princess Tifa's oldest child, and prospective heir to the thr---

"No."