Chapter 27
‘Why?’
Even after having me on a leash, was that not enough?
When Charmant quietly obeyed Rakan’s orders, her three disciples were displeased.
More precisely, they resented the emperor who gave orders that sent Charmant into dangerous situations.
They treated her as their teacher—no, even more, as their master.
And yet, he was about to send them away as sacrifices for a foreign ritual, knowing full well how much she cherished them.
Seven years ago around this time, Radi Pizertha had only just joined her.
It was one thing if it had been Felix, who had been with her the longest, but to send Radi as well…
‘So he really was trying to cut off my arms and legs completely.’
Under the pretext of fostering friendship with Ellium, Röntebel had been trying to cripple Charmant Noël Kenders.
Was it because they were obstacles every time he gave her an order? Because she made it obvious she wanted to protect them?
From Röntebel’s perspective, Ellium was a nation they planned to swallow sooner or later.
Pretending to form a friendly relationship with such a country was simply a way to get rid of a nuisance.
Charmant forced down the slow-building rage.
Now was not the time to lose her composure.
Like pouring cold water over herself, she calmed her anger and her thoughts grew clearer.
At first, she’d wondered why the King of Ellium would ask Charmant Pepe for such an important opinion.
But once she heard that she would be the one officiating the ritual, it made sense.
Rather than answering immediately, she made an excuse about needing a few more days to think it over, then ended the private audience with the king.
Her face was hard the entire way down the corridor.
In the past, Ellium would have refused such a proposal—otherwise she would have heard about it.
But now?
‘Will they accept it?’
Would it be better to bring all her disciples here instead?
Akhil Derff had clearly said she was considered missing.
Was she merely being hidden away, or was Rakan actually in possession of her body?
The thought tangled in her mind.
‘I’ll have to think this over more.’
If Rakan really had her body, that would be a major headache.
It would be easier if the body had simply died.
Standing before the banquet hall doors, Charmant took a deep breath.
She smoothed away her stiff expression, lifted the corners of her lips, and opened the door.
“Oh my, well, well. If it isn’t the Marquess Pepe.”
She had just stepped in, taken another glass of champagne, and was looking for Akhil Derff when someone called out to her in a friendly tone.
She turned her head with a polite smile—only for her face to harden instantly.
Keniz Sadinarr.
Ellium’s commander-in-chief.
The one whose life she had taken.
He was standing right before her.
“Ah.”
On top of everything else, running into Keniz Sadinarr made the blood in her fingertips go cold.
Her hand trembled around the champagne glass she had just been handed.
A wave of nausea rose in her chest, making her feel like she might vomit.
Noticing her pale face, Keniz stepped closer.
“You all right, Marquess? You don’t look so well.”
His friendly smile and concerned eyes overlapped with the memory of the blood-soaked commander’s face staring at her with rolled-back white eyes.
“I’m… I’m fine. I just… need a moment of air.”
Charmant brushed past him, set the champagne down on a random table, and headed for a nearby balcony.
She bumped shoulders with several people along the way but didn’t even glance at them—she was moving purely on instinct, searching for somewhere to be alone.
Thankfully, she found an empty balcony right away.
She yanked the curtains aside, stepped out, and gasped for air.
The scent of gunpowder and blood from the battlefield seemed to sting her nose all over again.
She held back another surge of nausea with effort.
She’d thought she’d managed the audience with the king well enough, but she hadn’t expected to run into Sadinarr here.
Of course he was a noble, so he’d naturally be present, but she hadn’t thought that far.
After a while, she straightened from where she’d been bent over.
Her carefully styled hair had come loose.
“…Ha.”
Charmant tidied herself up and forced her face into a calm, pleasant expression, though the churning inside her hadn’t gone away.
‘I was bound to face him eventually. This is just one of those things I have to go through. I’ve been through worse, haven’t I? In this life, I’m not going to kill him. We have no reason to be enemies anymore.’
Recalling the inhuman monster she had once been—moving only for her goals even when subordinates died right before her eyes—Charmant gradually regained her composure.
She must have gotten too emotionally caught up while staying here. Even the smallest ripple was sweeping her away like a hurricane.
But who was she? She had once been a monster.
Even so, there was an odd, hollow feeling in her chest, as though a chunk of her heart had been cut away.
Still, she felt lighter for it.
Slapping her cheeks lightly with both hands, she stepped back inside.
Thankfully, Keniz Sadinarr was still there, now looking at her with open concern.
“Charmant, are you sure you’re all right?”
“Ah, sorry, sorry.”
“Was it your stomach? I know you’re not fond of these sorts of events.”
“My stomach’s been a bit off since this morning, but I’m fine now.”
It was awkward having acquaintances everywhere, but after a breath of fresh air, she could at least focus on his face.
His red hair was neatly slicked back, and his eyes were drooping and round.
On the battlefield, though, he was anything but harmless.
If it were a one-on-one fight, Charmant would win, but Felix would probably end up in a draw or even lose to him—that was how skilled he was.
“I heard you came with the Tower Master.”
“That’s right. I asked for his help.”
“That’s surprising. You at a banquet is one thing, but with the Tower Master? I must be dreaming.”
His teasing tone made Charmant chuckle before she realized it.
Gone was the fury-filled glare from the past, the one that looked like it would tear her apart. Instead, there was nothing but warmth.
“Show your face more often. I wouldn’t mind being your partner at the next banquet, either.”
“…Hm?”
Why was the conversation going there?
Charmant raised an eyebrow, and Keniz’s face suddenly reddened.
“…Ahem, well, even if you won’t be my lover, you did say you’d be my friend. I meant it as a friend. I make a pretty decent partner.”
He coughed to cover his embarrassment.
And then Charmant realized—Keniz Sadinarr had feelings for Charmant Pepe.
And he’d already been rejected once.
She hadn’t exactly wanted to know her enemy’s romantic history, but now it made perfect sense why his face flushed the moment their eyes met.
‘I see.’
Well, they say you should grant the wishes of the dead…
“All right. I’ll go with you to the next banquet.”
“Really? You’re not joking?”
“As a friend.”
“…Harsh. Still, being your partner in any capacity is an honor.”
Charmant smiled as she accepted.
She didn’t know if she’d still be in this body by then, but if she was, she’d grant the wish.
They ended up talking for quite a while—mostly her giving him advice.
Advice that the real Charmant Pepe would never have given.
“You, no—you need to work on your lower body.”
“M-My lower body? What do you mean?”
His pupils wavered like reeds in the wind.
“I mean, your lower body should be both heavy and light. You understand?”
Keniz raised both hands to stop her, his face red.
What was with him?
“…Pepe, if you don’t want me to misunderstand, you’d better explain that more clearly.”
Maybe her tone had been too blunt.
After a moment’s thought, she softened it.
“You have excellent swordsmanship—fast, flashy, powerful. You’ve got a great build and balance. But your lower body defense is a little weaker in comparison, so you should work on that. Especially your left leg.”
It was the weakness that had cost him his life against her.
Now she was using it to try to save him instead.
But Keniz just looked like he’d been hit by something huge.
Covering his face with a big hand, he mumbled,
“Th-Thanks. I almost thought you were making some kind of awful joke—my mind went through a thousand scenarios.”
Awful joke, lower body, heavy…
Charmant quickly waved her hands.
“Ah—no, that’s not what I meant at all.”
Keniz regained his easy smile.
“Well, I didn’t think you meant that. Still, getting a compliment from you—this might be worth making today a holiday. I didn’t think you’d have an eye for that. Was my swordsmanship that good? When did you see it? Were you spying on me?”
“…Huh?”
“No, was it really that good? If you could tell me exactly what was impressive, point by point, I’d be honored.”
He pressed her like an eager puppy wanting praise, his drooping eyes curling even more.
She had never imagined this man, who once attacked so fiercely, could act so affably.
He had been quick to launch sudden attacks, his sword sharp and without hesitation.
Charmant stepped back with a wave of her hand.
“Let’s… leave it at that.”
After a few laughs, the ghostly overlap of his dead face no longer came back to her.
The lingering discomfort, she decided, was just karma, and pushed it aside.
“How about being my dance partner tonight instead of just an entrance partner?”
“As you can see, I’ve still got champagne left.”
“So that’s a no again.”
“Thanks for understanding.”
“Where do you think you’re butting in?”
Akhil returned just as Keniz was trying to convince her.
“Butting in? Are you talking to me?”
“Yes, Duke Keniz Sadinarr. Don’t even think about stealing away my entrance partner when I’m right here.”
He even pulled Charmant close, an intimacy that startled her enough to look back and forth between them.
“See? This is why I hate mages.”
Keniz clicked his tongue.
For a moment, she wondered if they were fighting because they disliked each other—but that wasn’t it.
“Didn’t you say you didn’t need any mana stones?”
Keniz flinched and immediately changed his stance.
“…Lies. I adore mages—especially you. I truly love you, so just hand them over already. It’s been a month. I’ve got a mountain of swords waiting to be inlaid.”
“You almost stole my partner. You can wait another week.”
“You bastard… Pepe, please help me out here.”
Keniz turned to her in desperation, and she couldn’t help but laugh softly.
She never would have imagined having this kind of exchange with these two.
Her head and heart were still tangled with conflicting emotions, but at least this moment wasn’t unpleasant.
“…By the way, did you hear?”
Keniz suddenly asked Akhil.
Akhil raised a brow.
Keniz glanced around, then lowered his voice as if sharing a secret.
“They still haven’t found that monster.”
