He couldn't help but shout out his retort.

However――Giselle, the other party, kept a straight face and asked, "Is there a problem?"

Her face was so full of unwavering conviction that Allen started to feel just a little anxious. He cleared his throat and opened his mouth again.

“Well... maybe there was a bit of a misunderstanding earlier. Let me be clear I'm just protecting Charlotte. That’s all there is to it.”

“Yes, I heard as much. You took in a girl with nowhere to go and provided her with food, shelter, and clothing. That, in and of itself, is undoubtedly a charitable act.”

“R-Right? And... this doesn’t count as kidnapping a minor. Right?”

Allen had researched the nation's laws just in case. Naturally, abducting a minor was a crime.

However, if there were certain circumstances or the minor gave consent, it was often overlooked.

This country was relatively peaceful, but there were still plenty of children with complicated circumstances. Those who had the proper authority or social standing were often permitted to take custody of such children.

And Allen still had another card to play.

“Believe it or not, I used to be a teacher at Athena Magic Academy. If you contact the academy, they should be able to vouch for me.”

Allen's former school, the Athena Academy of Magic, is the country's top educational institution. There is no more powerful proof of identity. It felt a bit like hiding behind the authority of a tiger, but he was doing it for Charlotte. He couldn’t afford to be picky.

Giselle nodded graciously at his assertion.

"Yes, yes. I'm aware of that too. However, after hearing your story, I understand. While the kidnapping accusation certainly seems false... my suspicions of abuse have grown stronger."

“You’ve got to be kidding me!? I mean, I’ve treated Charlotte with care, in my own way! How can you possibly call that abuse!?”

"That's obvious."

Giselle narrowed her eyes.

Instead of a sword, she pointed her index finger at Allen and told him bluntly...

“Feeding someone high-calorie ramen in the middle of the night… is detrimental to their health! If that isn’t abuse, then what is!?”

“...Huh?”

Allen blinked. That was all he could do.

Ramen in the middle of the night. He'd certainly fed it to Charlotte before. She'd wanted to teach her the joys of snacking, as she'd often gone hungry at home.

Sure, it's probably a little bad for her health, but... abuse?

Ignoring Allen, who was confused and didn't understand what was going on, Giselle continued to recount the crimes.

"And that's not all. According to what you said, there were other atrocities committed as well. Overeating on sweets like cake and ice cream, forcing her to stay up late, buying her excessive clothes, etc. It's no exaggeration to say that these inappropriate acts are also abuse that harms both her body and mind."

“Ehhhh… Th-that’s clearly an exaggeration...!”

Allen always made sure she exercised after eating a lot. He also made sure she didn’t make a habit of staying up late by putting her to bed early the next day.

As for clothes, Charlotte only had one tattered dress. Even if he bought her a lot of clothes, it wasn't a huge amount.

Calling that abuse was just plain slander.

Allen tried to explain, but Giselle simply shook her head.

“I’m sure Charlotte grew up in a difficult environment, just as you said. Giving her joy and comfort is a commendable thing. However...!”

Giselle glared sharply at Allen.

“You’ve gone too far. Overeating and drinking are harmful to your health, and excessive luxury leads to physical and mental decline. Naught things are evil! It must violate some kind of law!"

"There's no way there's a law like that!!"

Allen couldn't help but retort with all his might.

It was such a baseless accusation that it was almost refreshing. He glared at Giselle, clutching his aching forehead.

"But what do you mean by 'some law'? Don't try to judge people on such vague grounds!"

"What are you talking about? I have evidence."

“What humans need is a simple and disciplined life. We in the Royal Guard live with such austere principles and execute justice accordingly. Therefore… a model lifestyle is justice! Indulgence is evil!”

“That’s completely insane reasoning...! Everyone stays up late or has midnight snacks sometimes!”

“At the very least, none of us in the Guard engage in such unhealthy habits. We always eat in moderation, never more than 80% full. Those not on night duty are in bed by 9 p.m.”

“Are you monks or something...?”

Allen could only stare blankly at her as she spoke so calmly.

While he was there, he took a quick look around the guardhouse.

Now that he thought of it, there were posters on the walls saying things like "organization," and the female members were all busy with paperwork and simple indoor training. No one was slacking off or engaging in idle chatter.

(So, yeah... they're a typical serious bunch.)

From someone like that's perspective, Allen's actions would certainly raise some eyebrows.