Fortunately, Redian didn’t show any particular reaction. He seemed to know Maze’s face roughly.
“Ah, I-I came here because she asked me to bring you this.”
Maze laid down the bag Siani had given him in front of Redian.
“It’s an ointment for wounds and your favorite c-candy…”
Even though he said candy with his own mouth, it didn’t feel realistic. This guy liked candy even though he had a face that looked like he would enjoy strong wine?
Gasp.
But there was something more surprising than that. Maze clearly saw Redian smiling as he opened the bag. It was a smile that made even him, a man, lose his mind.
“P-Princess said to make sure to apply ointment on your palms.”
“…”
“Every time she comes, she always asks how R-Redian is doing.”
There was no answerback. However, the coldness that flowed around Redian seemed to have eased slightly.
Is this okay?
Maze slowly ruffled his hair.
Redian is the strongest in the underground castle. The princess who will become the owner of the underground castle cares about Redian. Then…?
“Ahahaha, isn’t the princess really sweet?”
Now was a golden opportunity to become acquainted with Redian.
“I tried the ointment she gave me, and it worked really well.”
Maze continued.
“Vallentin also burned his hand while experimenting with medicine. But with the ointment the princess gave him, he got better qui—”
“…What?”
It was then.
“Yes, yes?”
“Say it again.”
Redian slowly raised his head. “Who gave what to whom?”
“Yes? Yes, yes.”
At his lowered voice, the air around became cold for an instant.
“Who?”
“P-Princess.” Maze, who felt a chill, answered while gritting his teeth.
“To whom?”
“T-to me and V-Vallentin.”
Then Redian stared at Maze without saying a word. His gaze was so cold that it was incomparable to that of waking him up.
“What’s the point of telling me that?”
“…Yes?”
Maze gulped down his saliva. If he asked him why he said it, what should he say?
“What’s so great about throwing an ointment to you and that slave b*stard?”
Ah, Redian suddenly gave a strange smile.
“The princess is a person who is merciful to anyone, so aren’t you mistaken?”
“No. I-it’s not like that.”
“Then.” Redian eyes narrowed. “I guess you want to say that the princess cares a lot about you and that b*stard.”
Maze thought it would be better for Redian to just hit him.
“No. It’s not like that.”
His cold voice seemed to be pressing for his breath.
“The one that the princess cherishes the most is Redian. There are many times when she leaves after watching you fall asleep.”
Eventually, Maze cried. She said he’s cute, but where on earth is he cute?
“When she asked about Redian’s physical condition, I told her that you can’t sleep without a sedative, Heuk.”
“…”
“I was scolded and asked if I was proud of making you like that, Heuk.” Despite wiping away his tears, Maze replied desperately.
Other trainers couldn’t even wander around here, so he said this was all the princess’s will. He didn’t know why he was doing this, but he felt like he had to explain.
“She’s just being kind to us, and it’s incomparable to how much she cares for you, Redian. Of course, it’s like that.”
“…”
“She never gets angry or hardened her expression except when it comes to you, Redian. Eheuk.”
Redian just looked at Maze with his arms crossed. Because his expression was strange, Maze couldn’t tell what he was thinking.
“As you know, even if our princess looks cold, her heart is warm, right?”
So Maze spit out whatever came into his head.
“Our?” Redian, who had been listening still, opened his mouth. Something seemed to be bothering him again.
“Yes? Did I make a mistake again?”
“No matter who the princess is.”
He slowly closed his eyes and opened them.
“It’s not up to you to judge.”
“…”
“It means don’t talk nonsense about princess.”
Maze could no longer think of anything to say at his cold gaze.
“In short, just keep your mouth shut.”
“…!”
“Do you understand?”
Redian flicked his head. If he understood, he should go away right now.
“T-then, I’ll leave first.” Maze, who was trembling, tried to escape like he was running away.
“Wait.”
“…Yes?”
Redian called him up again.
“You’d better not to tell today’s conversation to the princess.”
He heard a voice that seemed to have swallowed the cold air in the cage.
“Even though our princess looks cold, she’s soft-hearted…” Redian laughed a little. “And caring.”
* * *
The cage was quiet again. Only a bag was left in front of Redian’s eyes from Siani.
It’s not just for me.
Redian already knew. That woman could abandon him at any time, and she could find a replacement for him and forget him. In the end, it would happen…
“I told you from the beginning. I will not let anyone bother you anymore.”
“The one that the princess cherishes the most is Redian. There are many times when she leaves after watching you fall asleep.”
Why did those sweet words linger in his ears that melted his ears?
No. Redian, who was repeating what Siani and Maze said, shook his head.
Right. Not everything that woman showed to him would have been a lie. The hand stroking his hair and the light smile were real. The way she looked at him was definitely…
Ha, damn it.
In the end, Redian nervously ran his fingers through his hair. His emotions went back and forth dozens of times.
Am I feeling so disgusted by such a trivial ointment? Just because of the piece of ointment he threw at that sl*ve boy?
Why?
Redian shoved the candy Siani gave him into his mouth. Then he chewed on it.
Even to me, you look like crazy.
It was sweet and sticky. He wanted to spit it out, but he couldn’t.
* * *
“By the way, Siani.”
I was helping the duke review some documents in his office.
“Yes?”
“This is what His Majesty said at Benio’s welcoming party.”
The Duke put down his quill pen.
“What…”
I heard so many absurd things that day.
“He said he wanted to entrust the education of Her Royal Highness to you.”
“Ah, I see.”
“He really looked upon you favorably.”
Did he mean it? I thought he gave that compliment on purpose to tease the Grand Duke.
“How about you? Do you have any intention of becoming the Royal Princess’s teacher?”
“That’s…”
I rolled my head fast. The royal princess’s teacher? It was an incredible position that gained the emperor’s trust and, at the same time, the position of a close associate of the royal princess. From my perspective, who preached supreme power and supreme money, I had no reason to refuse. However,
“I’ll have to stay in the imperial family until Her Royal Highness becomes an adult.”
The princess is now three years old. I had to stay by her side for at least 15 years. By then… Redian must have risen to the position of emperor. In the end, that means I must also keep encountering Redian in the imperial palace.
No.
After sending Redian to the imperial palace, my life’s goal was simple. Let’s live a leisurely life! To be like that the answer was to disappear quickly among the main characters.
“Since the grand duke was there, he probably gave me greater praise on purpose.”
There’s no way he would trust his precious daughter to someone like me.
“Furthermore, Her Royal Highness has a very tough, I mean, arrogant personality.”
I remembered the original. In the original work, it was often expressed that she had a milk bottle in her mouth and crossed her short legs.
“She won’t like me.”
“Huh, that remains to be seen.” The duke smiled, perhaps because he was proud of the emperor’s proposal.
“By the way, Father.”
“What’s wrong?”
Talking about the royal princess reminded me of Redian. Come to think of it, I had to prepare to send him back to the imperial palace.
“The Norma in the underground castle.”
“Norma?”
“Yes. Some of them…”
I hesitated for a moment and opened my mouth. Now that I’ve mentioned it, it would be better to get the decision now.
“I want to have them as my personal knights.”
“…Personal knights?” The duke’s voice grew stern.
I said it because I thought I had gained some of his trust… But an instant, cold energy flashed to me, just like when I first met him.
“I have been constantly looking into the underground castle and Norma.”
“…”
“Father knows it too. I’m not trying to play with Norma.”
I guessed that he was watching my movements in the underground castle. But he also knew that I come and go consistently, diligently, and passionately.
“I observed that most of the Norma weren’t even properly trained.”
The Duke looked at me silently. In the past, the sound of kicking the tongue would have been heard. But now, he looked like he was going to listen to me.
“Besides, the first day I went to the underground castle with Irik, Redian was under the influence of sedatives.”
“…Sedative?”
I had to change the ending. A promise I made with Redian and a deal with Vallentin also began. I will get them out of there. To do so, the underground castle had to be renovated first.
“When I went the next day, he collapsed from exhaustion after eating only tough bread and muddy water all day.”
“…”
“When I visited the next day, he was bullied by the trainers all night and was covered in blood.”
“He’s covered in blood? Is that true?” The duke’s expression was noticeably crumpled.
“Yes. I saw it myself. He said he was being used to take the trainers’ anger out.”
“…Oh dear.”
I couldn’t yet ask why the duke had cut off his interest in the underground castle. Just for now… this was the chance to appeal to him that I’m much better at leading in the underground castle than Irik.
“Right now, Irik is leaving the underground castle to the trainers in the underground castle.”
“…”
“So, give me the real power of the underground castle. It’s too much of a waste of their talent to be locked in the underground castle and rot away, Father.”
“Of course, I know you’ve been controlling Redian without any problem so far.”
But the duke shook his head as if it was difficult.
“You will continue to do well. Isn’t that why you said this to me because you’re also confident?”
“…”
“Actually, I too, have been thinking about the underground castle these days.”
He slowly approached the window.
“Like you said, if the Norma receive proper training, they will show tremendous talent. But we can’t let Norma out into the world yet.”
“Why?”
“I can’t tell you now, but there is such a thing. It’s the promise I keep with your mother.”
The Norma with incredible power rotting away in the underground castle. In that regard, the duke seemed to feel somewhat guilty.
Is that right?
A good idea came to mind when I learned of his concerns.
