Chapter 82
“Nothing’s going right.”
Charles cursed as she sank into the sand.
Finding the secret passage leading outside according to the blueprint and avoiding the traps had gone smoothly.
Until the floor opened beneath her after she stepped on the wrong tile.
She fell below before she even had time to react.
What greeted her was a massive sand swamp that sucked her in the more she moved.
The floor that had now become the ceiling looked down at her.
She had already used up all the holy stones she brought, and Charles’s holy power, at the moment, was a tracking type—completely useless in this situation.
“……”
She was buried in sand up to her waist.
Trying to slow her descent, Charles even controlled her breathing as she thought.
At this rate, there were only two outcomes.
Either she’d sink and die, or she’d get captured like this.
If she had to choose, the latter was better.
She still had to cut off the head of that old snake who had teamed up with her brother and toyed with her.
Step. Step.
Someone’s footsteps approached.
From the cracked ceiling, a face peeked out and looked down at Charles.
A boy who looked about eleven to thirteen years old.
Suspenders over his shoulders, a beret with a brim on his green hair.
A child working at the factory, perhaps.
“Found you.”
White holy power flowed from the boy’s hand, binding Charles’s limbs and lifting her gently into the air.
A binding technique applied from a protective barrier.
It required at least the level of a priest to use it—yet this child was so young.
While Charles was still in shock, the boy took the blueprint from her arms as she floated before him.
“You…!”
“That’s all I need.”
The boy’s lemon-colored eyes looked at the flustered Charles with indifference.
If Charles’s guess was right, he clearly intended to drop her back into the sand swamp.
Speaking as if coaxing a child, she said,
“Didn’t your factory manager tell you to bring the intruder? I’m that intruder.”
“Not interested.”
“Then what about money? If you just put me down, I’ll give you 100 gold.”
One hundred gold.
It was the annual salary of a production worker in Jendal.
And that was based on an adult’s wage. For a child that age, it was an amount that would make their jaw drop.
“What a troublesome lady.”
“La—”
There was slight irritation in the boy’s voice. He looked completely uninterested.
And lady?
Charles turned her head in disbelief at a word she had never heard directed at her in her life.
Then she saw the sand swamp below her dangling feet.
Her blueprint was taken, and she was destined to fall back down there.
‘What should I do.’
She had no hobby of dealing with children.
Charles hesitated, but before she could decide her next move, the binding loosened.
At the sudden sensation of her body dropping, she hurriedly opened her mouth.
“Wa—”
“Wait. Rex.”
Squeeze.
The binding tightened around her again, but not because of Charles.
It was because of a girl who appeared from the darkness behind Rex.
“She’s someone I know.”
“Who?”
“The princess of the Kingdom of Bonia.”
At those words, Charles’s expression changed as she examined the girl.
She looked slightly younger than the boy and wore similar clothes.
She gave off a sharp and spirited impression.
She seemed like a child Charles had never seen before, yet she claimed to know her?
Looking closely, the orange hair braided into two pigtails under her hat felt slightly familiar.
“Hello, Princess.”
A girl who knew her identity, and an unusual boy who could handle holy power.
They might be children acting under someone’s orders.
Charles kept her mouth shut for a moment and observed the situation.
“Poin, are we taking her?”
The boy called Rex grumbled.
Poin. Only then did Charles recall the girl who used to run errands near her hunting grounds.
The last time she saw her was right after the Saintess broke the birdcage and escaped.
She had thought the cursed child must have died somewhere.
“Yeah. We have to take her.”
Far from dying, she now seemed to be holding Charles’s lifeline.
“Why?”
Rex made a displeased face, as if annoyed. Poin answered.
“The Captain said he needs her.”
“He really needs her? Can’t we just leave her? She looks like dead weight.”
“No.”
“Fine.”
When Poin shook her head firmly, Rex nodded sulkily.
Listening to their conversation, Charles let out a hollow laugh.
To be treated like troublesome baggage by children like these.
“You—”
“Be quiet. You’ll get us caught.”
Rex moved his holy power and sealed Charles’s mouth.
‘Unbelievable.’
Who had been the one talking so much until now?
Regardless of her disbelief, Rex lifted Charles into the air with holy power.
“……”
Floating beside the children, she was treated worse than luggage—like a balloon at an amusement park.
“Let’s go back now, Rex.”
“Okay.”
‘The weather’s nice.’
I leaned back on the reception room sofa and stared blankly out the window.
A day like this was perfect for going out.
‘An outing…….’
About a week had passed since I boldly declared that I would take charge of the next outing.
Since I had asked His Majesty to spare a day from his busy schedule, I had to make good use of it.
‘But I need to know how couples date to plan the schedule…!’
They say if you only care about looks, you can’t date.
By the time I felt a sense of crisis watching my friends in my previous world start dating one by one and came to my senses, all my ideal types were beyond a screen.
Without even thinking about reality, my standards just kept getting higher.
Ugh. I should have attached mirrors to my laptop and phone.
Look at a handsome face once, then look at my own face once.
Or at least when I saw my own face grinning in a black screen, I should have faced reality…!
Anyway, with my level of dating experience, planning a full-course date schedule is impossible. Impossible.
“The internet… I need the internet…”
“The internet?”
Is an angel speaking somewhere?
I slightly lifted my head from where it rested against the back of the sofa.
Strange.
Why is my favorite person right in front of me?
He should be attending the afternoon meeting right now.
I blinked at the angel standing behind the sofa.
“Ah.”
They say when a crush deepens, you start seeing hallucinations.
I knew this would happen.
I must already be drowning in His Majesty’s charm.
But welcome, illusion. While it’s this vivid, I should look at his face to my heart’s content.
When I see the real His Majesty, all I can look at is the space between his brows!
How can a person be this handsome? Our Majesty’s beauty isn’t human. Truly.
“……”
“……”
Thump. Thump. Thump.
But why is my heart beating so fast? Am I hyperventilating over Illusion Majesty—?
“Shin Ari.”
“Waaah—!?”
What! He was real!
I hurriedly jumped up from the sofa and ran behind the one across from it.
“Y-Your Majesty?”
His Majesty smiled brightly.
“Anyone watching would think I was about to devour the Saintess.”
“That’s not it—”
It’s because I’m afraid I might devour you!
“What brings you here?”
“I missed the Saintess too much, so I stopped by.”
There it was again.
That pure smile, like a first-class mountain valley stream—reserved for our fake lover act.
Dangerous…! It’s dangerous when we’re alone…!
I glanced around.
I saw the maids and Dune huddled together, quietly slipping out of the reception room.
Then I made eye contact with one of the maids.
[Don’t go……!]
[Saintess, have a wonderful time!]
Her eyes clearly showed a firm determination not to disturb the lovers’ flirting.
I don’t know whether to thank them or not for even closing the door…!
If Siana had been here instead of going to Heli, would she have understood my look?
But I’ve built up some inner strength too.
Just because I’m alone in a room with His Majesty doesn’t mean I’ll lose my reason anymore…!
“……Why are you gripping the back of the sofa so tightly?”
“Oh, my body felt stiff, so I was just stretching. They say this helps straighten it.”
I lifted and lowered my heels for no reason, imitating some stretch I had seen somewhere.
“S-So, what brings you here all of a sudden?”
“I told you. I missed you.”
Oh my.
I turned my head left and right to check my surroundings.
There’s no one here.
No one to show off to, no one to hear it, yet he’s saying things like, “My feet just led me here. Because I missed you.”
Squeeze. My hand gripping the wooden decoration on the sofa trembled.
“C-Clause 5… As usual…”
“I know. As usual.”
At some point, His Majesty had sat on the sofa across from me, crossing his legs and resting his chin on the arm that leaned against the armrest.
The leisure visible at the corner of his raised lips.
I knew that dangerous atmosphere—like a languid beast searching for its prey.
“It’s like this, right?”
“This is—!”
That was months ago!
Back when you were a bad-tempered, dual-personality handsome man…!
Without realizing it, I took a couple of steps back.
With this version of His Majesty, I feel like I’m already losing psychologically.
“……”
To change overnight again.
As I wondered what had caused this shift in mood, a thought suddenly flashed through my mind.
“Your Majesty, perhaps…”
The way he switches modes so quickly feels strangely familiar.
It’s similar to how my behavior changes so quickly in front of him.
Right, this is…!
“Did you fall for someone?”
Ugh.
I took full damage from my own words.
It hurt more than I expected.
‘No….’
My fangirl devotion can’t be this weak! I should be wishing for His Majesty’s happiness over my own feelings…!
At this rate, will I even be able to sincerely congratulate him on his future married life while praying for his happiness and well-being?
What if I end up saying, “Your Majesty, the soup is a bit salty,” acting like a mother-in-law to the Empress…?!
Then get kicked out of the Imperial Palace in disgrace,
and end up running Granny Lili’s dessert shop while enjoying a glamorous solo life.
Right, I’ll buy a luxury carriage.
I should put an emblem on it too. Should I choose AuX or BMx?
How stupid. I can just buy two carriages, can’t I? I’m rich.
Ha ha. That’s funny. Actually, it’s not.
“Ah, then the contract…”
Shouldn’t we cancel it out of conscience?
Announcing the breakup would be after the Derachi subjugation, but still.
Continuing to act as fake lovers might negatively affect His Majesty’s upcoming happy romance…!
Ah, I made eye contact with His Majesty.
