“You’re okay now.”
Titania said, just as drenched in sweat as he was. Only then did Flux truly see her. Her thin, white arms were faintly convulsing. They looked as if she had never once held a sword in her life.
For almost the entire night, she had relentlessly beaten Flux with the sword. At first, she swung it with a sort of excited glee, as if giving a punishment, but that only lasted for a moment. After that, she did it with the cold, dutiful precision of someone simply getting a job done. It was as if she were following some kind of law, pressing and rubbing the sword’s tip gently over him from head to toe. It would have been hard labor even with a wooden stick…
The thick cloth pajamas provided by the temple were soaked with sweat. They were thick enough to hide the curves of her body, but this was not a sight an Imperial Princess would typically show to others. Still, the sight of her gold hair clinging to her pale skin, damp with sweat, and her unusually clear green eyes staring at him was strangely striking.
“You like this city, don’t you?”
“…”
“I only saw it for a very short time, but the people seemed so lively and happy.”
Why was she so calm? She was a person he had kidnapped in the middle of the night. How could she speak so serenely?
“In truth, you were scared, right?”
“…”
“If you could, you would have sacrificed your life to fix it, right? But now that things have gotten so bad, you feel sorry for your father… and wish you had just died earlier? You didn’t really think through the consequences of kidnapping me, did you?”
“…”
Could this really be the arrogant, pampered princess raised so delicately in the Imperial Palace?
How could she, of all people, read the heart of someone in his position so accurately? As Flux remained silent, completely speechless, the princess continued.
“You’re a superior, so take responsibility. You love this city, don’t you? It’s your turn to take responsibility. Don’t run away. As for the sacred artifact… well, I’ll figure it out with the House Castrain somehow. Give Vivi all the information you have on the culprits who are the root of this problem.”
“Don’t you resent me?”
“I beat you to death for it.”
Titania grumbled that her limbs ached and started massaging her own shoulders. Whenever Vivi quickly came over to massage her shoulders and back, Titania would let out cries like, “Ow! Ahh! It really hurts!” She showed no trace of imperial dignity.
“Well, fine. Thank you for not hiding everything and pretending you didn’t know. The way you told me was a complete mess, but it’s still better than me ruining the Devotion Ceremony without knowing a thing.”
“…I’m… so sorry.”
Nevertheless, her clear green eyes, which looked at him so calmly, were so memorable that Flux was overcome with a strange feeling.
“I’m going now.”
“You’re leaving… just like this?”
“Everyone in the temple starts moving early in the morning. If I want to sneak back without being seen, I should go now.”
“P-please wait. I…”
THUD!
The princess sighed as she saw Flux, flailing in confusion, fall to the floor.
“You’re completely healed. And I’ll keep today’s events a secret. You don’t owe me anything, so just go and convince your father… and… live well.”
“Is there nothing else you’ll ask of me?”
“I told you to live well.”
Her wave-like green eyes. Her gaze, just like a passing wave, wanted nothing from him and simply passed by.
“Oh, right. Don’t kidnap innocent people in the middle of the night from now on. I’m letting you off, but for anyone else, it would be a death sentence.”
“Looking at Count Flux’s current state, it doesn’t really look like you let him off, does it?”
“But he’s alive!”
A bright smile, completely out of place with the situation. It was a little mischievous, a little bashful.
“That’s all that matters, right?”
The moment he saw that smile, his chest tightened, making it hard to breathe.
The princess truly left without looking back. Her maid, Vivi, must have guided her.
As he looked around the empty room, Flux couldn’t even breathe, just staring blankly and blinking. He felt as foolish as a castaway caught in a tsunami.
As is customary for those who have fallen in love for the first time.
A New Day, A New Problem
A person really needs to have a kind heart.
Should I have just held his hand?
No, no, how could I have spent a month with a man I barely know! With no excuse! Clubbing him with the sword was definitely the best option!
…But did I have to beat him so much? Should I have gone easier on him and not put so much of my personal feelings into it?
“Ow, ow, ow! Aahhh! Barbara, you’re going to kill the princess! Ow, ow, ow!”
I writhed in agony from the muscle aches. It was great that I had safely returned to the temple before dawn, following Vivi—the temple security really was terrible. I lay down in bed and rested my eyes for a moment. Barbara came to wake me as soon as it was light, and the moment I got up, I felt a hellish muscle pain. Every touch from Barbara’s massage was pure agony.
Ow, it hurts. It really hurts! I feel like I’m going to die.
Barbara clicked her tongue at me as I squirmed like a squid on a hot plate.
“Aghhhh…”
“What kind of exercise did you do last night?”
Barbara rubbed a hot towel on my shoulder. My whole body ached.
Actually, I knew I had made a bad choice from the beginning of the previous night. Beating someone isn’t something just anyone can do. I only really hit him at the start; after that, it was just like a massage with a sheathed sword. He was in such bad shape that he would scream in pain just from the sword touching him… The emoticon-faced sword said there was no rejection because I was holding it and using my power.
“You’re in such bad shape, what will you do? They say you have to soak in the purifying water soon.”
“Just soaking should be fine… It’s hot these days anyway…”
“What did she do this morning to melt like this? The sun isn’t even fully up yet.”
Lisianthus, who had just entered, clicked his tongue at my appearance. I mumbled to myself.
“In my dream last night… I punished a bad guy…”
“Did you get sick from riding in the carriage all this time? You have a paper-like body, that’s why. You should eat better.”
No! My body might be like paper, but it’s not because of the carriage!
Anyway, just like the time at the Imperial Palace and this incident too, things always happen with little time to spare. Major events that absolutely have to be solved, and they always require the help of the House Castrain.
I lay there, swallowing my tears, when a young priest-in-training came to tell me that breakfast was ready and asked me to come down. I gritted my teeth, put on a smiling face, and got up. Breakfast was served at a round table where everyone was meant to sit together.
There was a salad made with fresh vegetables that looked like they had been just picked from the garden, a few chunks of cheese, some butter, and hard bread. The drink looked like it was made with wild berries. Kronen spoke to me awkwardly.
“I’m worried this won’t suit the palate of someone so noble.”
“No, it’s fine.”
“You are so understanding.”
Lisianthus poked me in the side. He whispered in my ear.
‘When your trashy brother came, it looked like a full banquet table. What’s with this pretense of austerity with you?’
‘…Are you craving meat?’
‘You’re already so frail. If you eat this kind of food, you’ll get sick again!’
Well, it’s not a big problem…
The bread might be a little hard from being old, but at least the salad is fresh… I lived on worse than this at the Rose Palace…
I moved my eyes around, looking for Gregory, who wasn’t at the table. My escort guards should have numbered in the double digits, but I didn’t see any of them.
“Ah, the people who escorted the princess here have gone to scout the area and said they will eat separately.”
“I see.”
“And Sir Lisianthus, Sir Gregory said he is very busy with many things and asked that as soon as you finish breakfast, you join them to scout the area as well.”
My guards left without even telling me? And where would they eat? And they want Lisianthus to join them too?
Lisianthus’s eyebrows twitched. It was obvious he wasn’t happy about this situation. And that was natural. It meant my entire escort force would be away from my side.
“Me? Why?”
“He said traces of dangerous monsters and wild beasts were found in the area, and they are concerned for the princess’s safety. Since Sir Lisianthus is a more skilled knight than anyone else, they seem to want you to check it yourself.”
Lisianthus was about to open his mouth to refuse, his face twisted in annoyance, when Barbara smiled and spoke to Kronen. I also discreetly poked Lisianthus in the side.
It can’t blow up here!
