Chapter 22
Miranda was always the same, no matter how many times she was warned that a lack of patience would ruin things.
The Empress, who spent each day weighed down by worry and anxiety, had the bad habit of imagining the worst-case scenario.
Her personality wasn’t ideal for plotting a grand plan together, but there was nothing to be done.
Miranda was the Empress of the Hasmik Empire, the mother of the Crown Prince, and an active supporter of her father, Duke Miren.
Florencia tried her best to endure Miranda’s quivering voice with patience.
“Every time monsters appear, doesn’t the Royal Knights handle them all? Especially that Grand Duke Klitzmann! I’ve heard that the elite troops he leads perform exceptionally. I’m worried there may not even be a chance for the Crown Prince to act.”
Miranda’s expression twisted harshly at the mention of “Grand Duke Klitzmann.”
Knowing well the fear, hatred, and caution Miranda felt toward Elion, Florencia spoke in an even gentler voice to calm her.
“Do not worry, Your Majesty. No matter how many monsters are slain, the Grand Duke will not solve this problem.”
“Is that really so? It must happen that way.”
“Yes. Absolutely. The only one who will resolve this issue and receive the praise of all the people is none other than His Highness the Crown Prince.”
“…….”
“However, the time has not yet come. Please exercise a little more patience until the fruit ripens.”
“Understood. I will trust the Saintess and Duke Miren and wait a little longer.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
Only then did the storm of fear in Miranda’s eyes settle.
“Is it really okay, Rubiana? Will you be fine on your own? I should have brought Sophie too.”
“Yes. I wanted to stop by the bookstore after a long time and browse some books. It’s best to look at books alone. I’ll be back in time for dinner.”
“Alright. Be careful then.”
Virginia couldn’t shake her worried expression even as she climbed into the carriage.
“Take care, Mother.”
Finally, when Rubiana smiled brightly and waved to Virginia, Virginia returned a gentle smile and wave.
After waving until the carriage was out of sight, Rubiana turned her steps toward the bookstore.
There were few better ways to pass the time than browsing books at a bookstore.
“Oh, there it is!”
Excited, she walked briskly to the store.
But just as she reached for the door…
“Ah… ugh!”
Suddenly, her internal organs began to churn violently.
The familiar sensation made Rubiana freeze in fear.
‘Why now? I even received magical power yesterday!’
Frustration welled up, and tears threatened to spill.
But there was no time to cry. She had far too much to do today.
‘I mustn’t cry, and I mustn’t collapse!’
Clenching her teeth, Rubiana clicked her communication stone twice.
She prayed desperately that Elion wasn’t busy, that he would respond immediately, and that he would rush to her side as quickly as possible.
Hidden behind a tree, Elion quietly counted the monsters creeping through the barrier.
“Forty-five, forty-six, forty-seven…”
He planned to count only to 100 while waiting for his subordinates.
He feared that if he fought the monsters alone and expended too much magic, he would end up forcing Rubiana to act again, just like yesterday.
Once was a mistake, but he considered a second occurrence to be the act of a truly foolish beast.
“Seventy, seventy-one, seventy-two…”
However, he could only wait 100 seconds.
No longer. The safety of the citizens came first.
“Oh, Captain! You actually waited today?”
Luckily, his subordinates began arriving one by one before the 100 seconds passed.
Elion drew his sword and ran forward, shouting,
“Come quickly!”
“Yes, sir!”
Elion leapt into the air as if flying, and in the next instant, began swinging his sword without mercy.
The moment his magic-infused blade struck a monster, it was severed.
In the blink of an eye, monster pieces piled up like a small hill, and their blood formed puddles.
In five minutes, he had defeated all thirty monsters that appeared in the area.
Yet, the expressions of his team were darker than usual.
“This is the third deployment today. Other units are seeing similar levels too.”
“Monsters are appearing more frequently.”
Hearing his subordinates’ worried complaints, Elion spoke in a low voice.
“Hold on a little longer. Soon, the Grand Hall will reinforce the barrier.”
“The Grand Hall hasn’t even discovered all its issues yet. Can we really trust it like this? Shouldn’t we find another plan?”
“……”
Fred’s pointed remark about his exact feelings caused one of Elion’s eyebrows to arch like a mountain.
“…Let’s trust it for now. We’ll stop by the Grand Hall on the way back.”
“Yes… Your Highness? The communication stone is flashing.”
Fred was right.
The purple communication stone on his wrist was blinking.
Elion quickly stepped aside from the group and pressed the stone.
“Miss, what’s wrong?”
-“Ah… Your Highness…”
Hearing Rubiana’s groan, Elion’s face immediately tensed.
His heart thudded heavily.
“Miss, are you okay?”
-“Ugh… No, I’m not okay, Your Highness… Haah… Can you come now? I feel like I’m going to collapse… ugh…”
He needed to get to her immediately.
Elion pressed the magic stone firmly.
Leaning against a building wall, Rubiana clutched her stomach.
Her insides twisted like molten lava.
She had no strength left to stand and sank to the ground.
At that moment, a magical circle emitting purple light appeared in front of her, gradually forming a figure.
“Ugh!”
Blinded by the light, she squeezed her eyes shut, then opened them to see Elion standing there.
“…Your Highness?”
“Miss!”
Elion’s eyes widened at how much worse Rubiana looked than expected.
Had their senses become linked somehow after exchanging magical power?
The pain in her twisted insides made Elion grit his teeth.
He immediately scooped her up.
Her small, fragile body fit perfectly in his arms.
Magical energy naturally flowed between them.
‘Ah… I think I can survive now.’
Rubiana hugged Elion’s neck.
Her previously distorted eyebrows slowly returned to their normal shape.
“Ugh… thank you for coming, Your Highness… Ah…”
“You can thank me later.”
“…Yes.”
Rubiana bit her lower lip, trying to endure the pain.
Elion looked around for a safe place to lay her down.
Panicked, he spotted a large hotel ahead.
It was the recently opened and architecturally famous Scobi Hotel.
Elion ran toward it at full speed, carrying Rubiana.
Their sight drew the attention of everyone around, not only because of the running man but also because he had strikingly perfect features.
Elion paid no attention to the gazes and ran.
Once inside, he addressed the staff in a commanding voice:
“I am Elion Klitzmann.”
“Elion Klitzmann… Ah… Y-Your Grace, the Grand Duke…”
Sensing the urgency, the staff immediately guided them to a room.
“This way, Your Highness.”
Elion followed quickly.
He crossed the central lobby and stopped at the stairs.
The staff proudly explained:
“These are stairs, but you don’t have to walk. If you stand still, they move automatically to the next floor. They are the third moving stairs completed in the Empire.”
“……”
Elion paid no attention; his mind was full of worry for Rubiana.
Feeling awkward, the staff stopped talking with an uneasy smile.
Then…
“Wow… that’s amazing! Moving stairs!”
A small gasp escaped Rubiana’s lips.
Elion looked down at her.
Their gazes met gently.
“Feeling any better?”
“Yes. Much better now.”
Seeing the smile on Rubiana’s face eased Elion’s tension, slightly flattening the furrow between his eyebrows.
