– Click, click, click!

The Imperial Guard marched in formation.

That’s right. Our covert operation was a success! Surprisingly!

“There are many new faces here.” I used Captain Hervé Duhem’s wide back as a shield as I stealthily moved with the group. I was holding Tithé and Rhea while Ganael had Perry and Demy. Percy was quietly sitting on my shoulder without making a scene.

‘As expected of the continent’s smartest chimney bird.’

“Yes, your highness. These are new knights and soldiers from the Sarnez territory. We have recruited many of them with Duke Simon de Sarnez’s support,” Captain Duhem smiled elegantly as he explained. He seemed a bit shocked at Ganael and my sudden appearance, but seemed delighted when I told him that I came to exercise for the first time in a long while. He emphasized twice that I need to be careful not to lose my muscles, but that was it. The Captain of the Imperial Guard did not question us joining him and happily agreed to escort us until Tithé’s pond. He truly deserved to be in the TOP 10 list of most charming bachelors in Riester. He was a rare case of being beautiful both inside and out.

“I guess the Imperial Guard has suddenly grown in size then.” I took large steps as I talked. I wanted to get out of the area around Juliette and Romero Palaces as quickly as possible.

I could feel the new Imperial Guard members stealthily peeking at me. I could not get used to this no matter how much time had passed.

“Hahaha, yes, your highness. We have been recruiting sentries since last spring but it is rare for knights and elite soldiers to be recruited in large numbers like this. But there were strong opinions that we needed to strengthen the Imperial Palace troops because of that hole in the sky incident…… And we have more important figures to protect in the palace now, making this number appropriate.” His light pink eyes handsomely curled.

I looked at him and was about to ask another question when I made eye contact with someone past the Captain’s thick shoulder. It was a coincidence.

“Eek.”

I quickly lowered my head. The black bastard was burning up in the distance.

‘Hey, someone is going to think the garden is on fire!’

“Is he really angry?”

‘I’m sure he is not. The Imperial Crown Prince has that same gaze when he is eating breakfast.’

I tried to look at this as rationally as possible. While that was going on, Rhea was pushing my cheeks with her front paws in joy.

‘Your highness?’ Ganael cautiously called out to me.

I smiled at the young boy before quickly rattling off anything that came to mind.

“That, ahem. I saw your brother the other day, Captain Duhem. He had requested an audience with her Majesty late at night……”

“Ah.” Captain Duhem’s eyes shook for a second.

I felt as if I had made a mistake. I had not asked about it in the Tulip Garden because my teacher had looked somber, but I had brought it up so easily to that person’s brother. I quickly added on.

“You don’t have to answer that. I’m sure he had his reasons.”

“Yes, my brother…… Will be staying in the Duhem March for a while. But I presume he will return before her Majesty’s birthday,” He gently smiled as he answered. It was normal for the Marquis to stay in his territory, but it sounded as if there was a situation that requested his presence.

I thought to that point and nodded my head. It was a bit disappointing that I would not be seeing the Marquis for a while.

We chatted about different things as well as we walked. Thankfully, crown prince Cédric did not run over to punch me. He also did not light anything on fire.

“Over there, I can see the pond, your highness. There is some thin ice so it will be great for our esteemed divine beast to play.” The Captain of the Imperial Guard pointed toward Tithé’s pool.

The harp seal in my arms arrfed with joy. I smiled brightly as I rubbed his mochi-like cheeks.

*

After sacrificing my body all day on Monday to play with the divine beasts…

‘Big bro can’t enter ice water. It doesn’t matter if you look at me with those pleading eyes. I’m sorry.’

– Splash! – Splash splash.

‘Ahh! Tithé-nim, please don’t splash the water!’

‘Ganael, run!’

Ran around while getting hit by the winter gusts of wind…

‘Rhea, Perry! Huff, could you guys put on some leashes or something?’

– Kiiiiiiu!

Demy cleanly gathered even the leaves that were spit onto the ground.

– Ptui.

‘The world is strange……’

This was my first time learning that when earth attribute divine beasts got extremely excited, they grew flower petals in their mouths instead of foaming at the mouth. Ganael gasped, but I laughed for a while because it was shocking yet cute. It was a fun time.

And now, it was Wednesday.

Cardinal Boutier did not even mention the R in Religious Partner during our morning training at all. However, Sir Johann’s Holy Knight class was in the afternoon, and I had to do my duty as the priest partner for the main characters.

– Clack, clack.

The carriage heading to the interior training ground crossed through the Imperial Palace.

Empress Frédérique’s birthday was only a month away and December 31st and January 1st were important celebrations in the QNW world as well. A large number of people, incomparable to what I saw during the Spring Ball time, were moving furniture and decorations around us. They all were dressed in thick clothes taking extremely small steps.

It was interesting seeing beautiful live flowers in this cold weather, but they supposedly used expensive magic tool pots to maintain their worth and life force. It was quite the extravagance.

I looked out to the lively window and mumbled, “I really can’t avoid him now.”

– Piiiiiii……!

Percy solemnly responded to me. I exchanged heavy gazes with the little kid.

“Show them the mind of a mature twenty nine year old. For real this time.”

– Piruuuuuuuuuu

Then Benjamin, who was checking out supplies on the other side, started frowning. Ganael had a look on his face that seemed to be saying that he couldn’t stop me. Both of them seemed to have recognized that I was avoiding the crown prince. However, it was even more embarrassing that they did not ask why. I silently kept my mouth shut.

The Imperial Palace was not a daycare…I felt like I was being too childish.

‘I’ll be thirty in Korean age after a bowl of rice cake soup next month.’

Even if my mind was in a chaotic state, it was not right to not see him like this.

– Knock knock, click.

The carriage stopped as I was deep in thought. The coachman politely escorted us. I barely managed to move my feet that felt glued down.

‘This is nothing, Jung Yeseo. Just pretend like nothing happened. It’s not like you had that conversation with that bastard himself.’

“I will be opening the door now, your highness.”

I snapped back to my senses to see that we were already by the training ground. I calmly nodded my head.

Clunk! The sound of the door opening echoed through the wide room. I saw the figures of three men inside.

“Hello, your highness.”

“Have you been well, Prince Jesse?!”

Sir Johann and Sand happily greeted me. I sheepishly greeted them back. I then made eye contact with the problematic person. I subconsciously gulped.

‘……I’m screwed. That bastard is right about to blow up.’

“Your Royal-”

“Prince Jesse? Are you okay?”

I heard a clear voice at that moment. I urgently turned around like a person who found an oasis on a scorching desert. Her pastel pink hair was beautifully fluttering as usual and I could see her blue-gray eyes that sparkled like stars.

Christelle stood there in a thick robe with her head tilted to the side. “Why is your ether so unstable? Did something happen, your highness?”

“Dame Sarnez.”

‘Is the flow of my ether bad right now?’

The main character easily figured out something even I did not know about.

I just smiled so as to not worry her and Christelle’s gaze instantly became sharp. She moved as if to protect me and took turns looking at the people in the training ground and then at me. Sand nervously tapped his feet after sensing the hostile mood while Sir Johann was as calm as the windless sea.

The crown prince was glaring at her with a gaze as hot as a smelting furnace.

Christelle suddenly grabbed me by the wrist. As usual, it did not hurt at all.

“Let’s go.”

“Excuse me?” I asked like an idiot. The attendant from the Duke’s Estate who came with her dropped her jaw in shock.

“You are struggling right now, your highness. I don’t know why, but I will protect you. Let’s run away together.”

Tatap! There wasn’t even time for me to answer. Christelle instantly abducted me and ran. I couldn’t even resist – or maybe I had no desire to resist as I ran with her. Percy was behind us, causing a gust of wind to move us even faster.

I still could not cast away my anxiety and urgently looked toward Benjamin and Ganael…

“Hohoho.” The middle-aged man was standing there laughing with his hands behind his back. The young boy standing next to him was smirking while his cheeks were flushed red. I felt an instinctual sense of crisis.

‘Excuse me, please don’t get the wrong idea! This is absolutely not two lovers running away to elope or something like that!’

– Baaaaang!

There was a loud explosion inside the training ground. I gasped and looked forward. The blue robe fluttered. Christelle was looking at me and smiling brightly. The cool winter breeze blasted right through me.

I couldn’t help but chuckle.

*

Every single day had been happy for Johann Geens these days. His student created a giant hole in the perfectly usable training ground, but, well…

It didn’t change his mood much.

“Move.”

“That is difficult, your Royal Highness.”

The crown prince growled but Johann did not shake. His opponent was a special person chosen by a divine item as well as a Grade 7 mage and a Grade 8 swordsman. However, he was a Cardinal who awakened his stigmata at twenty-seven. There was a clear difference in strength between the teacher and the student, so there was no reason for him to yield.

Johann was instead concerned about the safety of the innocent priest. His liege would not want Sand getting hurt. The man raised an arm and motioned, making the naïve young man’s body float up into the air.

“Aaaaah, Sir Geens!”

“It’s okay. Please sit over there safely and get some rest.”

“Yeessssiiiiiiiiiiiiiiir!” The priest flailed as he flew to a couch at the corner of the training ground.

Johann thoroughly confirmed that Sand was safe as Sand tightly hugged a couch cushion. That young master definitely became bolder than before. He no longer ran away or started crying in such a situation.

– Claaaaaang!

The Sword of Wisdom from the Flaming Star came at him from the front.

– Creak, creeeeeak……

The Cardinal slowly turned his head to look into the pair of orange eyes. Beyond the two swords pushing against each other, he could see that the crown prince’s pupils were as narrow as a sun being covered by the shadow of the moon. He seemed angry that the Cardinal managed to block his attack without even looking. Johann’s weapon, as usual, was a white and opaque air blade.

The two men’s arms shook as they pushed against each other. Screeeech, screeeech……

“Why are you getting in my way?”

“Because Dame Sarnez is correct, your Royal Highness,” He answered in a low voice. “My master is currently in a state of chaos. I can’t send you to him right now, your Royal Highness.”

Johann looked as if he knew the reason behind the chaos. Cédric clenched his mouth shut.

– Boom!

The ground underneath the black boots sank down as two figures blinked and disappeared.

– Baaaaang!

– Clang, clang, kakakang!

They then appeared on the other side of the training ground. The blades were clashing so quickly that most people would not be able to follow the movements. They had never sparred so intensely when the prince was watching. The young man’s hair that resembled sunspots coarsely fluttered. The man spoke while gritting his teeth.

“The prince has not explained himself to me.”

“That is why you must wait, your Royal Highness.”

“Why.”

“Because his highness is always waiting for you as well, your Royal Highness.”

His voice that sounded as if he was chiding a child, his relaxed gaze, everything was annoying. He continued to grind his teeth.

Johann knew exactly how to deal with Cédric when he was like this.

‘If fate allows…’ He opened his mouth.

“I’m sure you will mix it up with crown princess Elise again in the future.”

“……”

“If you cannot defeat me, you cannot even dream of defeating her.”

– Craaaackle!

The Sword of Wisdom crackled with flames. His mint-colored eyes curled up in a refreshed manner.

Swooooooosh! A breeze blew in through the hole in the wall.

*

“Huuuuff…… I can’t run any, cough!”

“There are not many people here. Let’s go to that palace over there!” Christelle pulled me forward one last time. She made sure to do it gently and change positions as she moved to prevent my arm from getting bruised. My lips kept curling up because I was thankful that she was being so considerate.

I had no idea how far we ran as we ran like hell, but this area of the Imperial Palace definitely had a lot less people. I looked around.

‘This is my first time here. Is it an empty palace? Or is it used for guests like Strauder Palace?’ I had no idea what it was used for.

“Back door, back door… Oh, it’s open. Lucky duck.” Christelle said something that would instantly make it easy to tell where she came from without any hesitation. She sounded exactly like Eunseo. I barely held back from laughing as I caught my breath. The main character looked at me and winked with each eye before quickly opening the door and pushing me into a palace.

This made me feel like I returned to being a student.

“Cough! Haaaaaaaaaa……”

“Please let me escort you inside, your highness. It is shabby, but, no. This is the Imperial Palace so it is probably disrespectful to call it shabby, right?” Christelle placed a handkerchief on the hallway floor before quickly correcting her statement.

I chuckled and accepted her act of goodwill before taking out my own handkerchief and placing it next to hers. Christelle happily sat down.

We did not say anything for a while. We heard the voices of attendants and servants a couple times outside the window but it was pretty quiet otherwise. Nobody looked into the backdoor or came in, potentially because this was a masterless palace. I heard a warm voice just as I finished catching my breath.

“You can tell me now, your highness. I will hear you out.”

I turned my head. Her pretty face was very close.

—
Translator’s Comments

Why they always putting flags for Jesse and Chris?

<< Previous Chapter | Index | Next Chapter >>