“Child? Who is the child? Where is the child here…”
Aeron seemed genuinely shocked by my words, covering his mouth. His face read as if asking where one would find a child shooting a gun so fiercely.
“Right here.”
“…”
I responded, looking down at Redian, who was peacefully asleep. The fact that he had kept his mask on until the end to keep his promise kept coming back to me.
“Eek! P-Princess, you would never say that if you saw him train! How much he…” Aeron retorted with an excited voice. “Of course! The way he presents himself in front of you must be different, so you wouldn’t know!”
It was the first time I saw Aeron so agitated.
“That day when Vallentin and Redian were together after Princess left, I was caught between them…” He sighed as if he never wanted to recall that moment again. It seemed he had quite a time preparing for this competition with the Norma.
“Hmm, anyway, Aeron.”
Since I came after reading the crazy original work, I knew their temperaments best, so I couldn’t defend them…
“The Ministry of Magic will be busy investigating, so please keep an eye on the situation.”
I naturally changed the subject.
“And as soon as the identity of the magician who did this foolish act is revealed.”
I felt the tension in my voice again. Just wait until they’re caught.
“Please let me know.”
“Ah… Understood, Princess.” Aeron coughed awkwardly, perhaps because my gaze was very stern at that moment. “I will keep watching the situation and inform you.”
He bowed, making to leave, but paused to add, “And about Redian. He is, well, a man. So please, don’t do that.”
What does he mean by ‘don’t do that’?
After Aeron, who was unusually rambling, left, “A man?” I turned my gaze back to Redian’s sleeping face.
“…A man, huh.” I couldn’t help but chuckle.
Given he was over eighteen, by the age standards of this world, he was indeed a grown man. I hadn’t noticed because I’d always coddled him, but from what I saw of him through the hologram today, there was definitely…
“What am I to do with you, Redian?”
Alas, the problem was that, to my eyes, he was nothing but a bundle of worries.
What if I hadn’t brought the sword, or if there hadn’t been a constriction sphere to tear through the barrier?
The pain must have been like being scorched.
I couldn’t shake off the thought that his presence beside me had unnecessarily made him go through this ordeal.
“Should I start letting him go soon?”
“…”
I murmured, looking at his reddened eyelids.
Soon, I planned to replace the trainers in the underground castle’s training facility and upgrade the equipment. Even without my constant attention, he would manage quite well…
“No way.” I shook my head. “I’ll have to let go completely eventually.”
According to the original story, he would leave my side in a few years anyway. With the situation changing so drastically, that timing could shift. But one thing that would definitely not change was Redian’s future as the crown prince.
Redian seems to be getting ambitious too.
More than anything, I felt that Redian was beginning to have his own goals and desires. Then…
The timing of him becoming the crown prince might happen a bit sooner.
Since the separation was already determined, I might as well take care of him until then.
“I’ll send you back soon.” I stroked Redian’s hair and whispered. “Back to where you belong.”
“…”
As I felt a sense of closure, the tension drained away. Ah, I’m tired… As I leaned against the headboard, sleep came as if it had been waiting for me. I was planning to close my eyes just for a moment.
* * *
“Our knights, including the princess, were injured. Do you think it’s acceptable that the magicians couldn’t control the situation?”
Duke Felicite’s voice echoed coldly in the Ministry of Magic’s conference room.
“Whoever did this must be thoroughly investigated, Minister. I will not let this go easily.”
“…I apologize, Duke.”
Duke Felicite left the room with a firm warning, and it was clear how angry he had been in that short moment.
Sigh… Ash rubbed his face, also present in the room.
“Hmm, considering the barrier and control devices were manipulated, it’s clear someone within the Ministry of Magic is responsible.”
“It must be one of the magicians who prepared for this monster hunting competition.”
The Minister nodded at the report from a magician. The room was filled with the heads of various knightly orders who had participated in today’s competition, among other stakeholders. But then,
“If you couldn’t handle it, you should have at least made a proper barrier.”
A chilly voice came from somewhere.
“Grand Prince…!” People turned toward the voice, unable to hide their surprise.
“To be breached by a mere ring, what was the point of such a barrier?”
The quietly frowning figure wasn’t like the ‘Ash Benio’ that people knew.
“Minister, I was quite impressed by how stupidly you just watched.”
“Grand Prince Benio, such words are too much in front of the Minister!” A magician objected.
“Too much? What…” Ash’s emerald eyes twisted. “Do you even know what I’m holding back from saying, calling it too much?”
“…!”
Ash bit his lip hard. The thought of the two of them returning safely made him so angry he could barely breathe. “It would have been more dramatic if both the master and knight had just died.”
“Grand Prince!”
With that, Ash left the room abruptly.
“Milord.” An aide waiting outside approached him urgently. “That, the magician Stony, responsible for this incident, contacted us in a panic.” The aide whispered just loud enough for Ash to hear. “What will you do?”
“What do you mean, what will I do?” Ash let out a hollow laugh as if questioning why he was being asked. “Why should I save that fool?”
“Yes?”
“Unable to do anything, and now what?”
The expression on Ash’s face was something the aide had never seen before.
“Where is Siani Felicite?”
“Ah, that’s… she was moved to a devotee’s lodging within the temple.”
As soon as he heard the response, Ash turned without hesitation. “
“Milord! Where are you going!”
Ash thought as he headed towards the temple. If only both had died, he wouldn’t be this damn miserable.
* * *
“…!”
Suddenly, I regained consciousness. As I sat up, the towel that had been covering my eyes fell off. My vision, which had been blurry, slowly cleared.
How much time had passed? The room was settled in a dim darkness. Where is this?
As Redian pressed his eyes, trying to fend off the headache,
“…Ah.”
He noticed Siani leaning against him, asleep.
“How did this…”
As he gazed at her, the bitter scent of blood and the intense pain flashed back. And…
“Redian, it’s okay. No one can see you but me.”
The image of her holding his cheek and removing his mask also came back, feeling like a dream.
Ah, so once again… this woman had saved me.
“Master.” Redian’s voice trembled as he called her name.
Looking at the sleeping Siani, an indescribable feeling surged within him. What this feeling was, what emotion it was, he couldn’t tell. ‘
Is she okay? Redian desperately grabbed her hand. If this hand, which had gotten dirty with blood for him, had been hurt…
The ring. But what caught his eye first was the ring, identical to his.
“Master…” Redian quietly looked down at the ring and muttered. The warmth of the woman, which seemed to engulf everything, transferred through the ring.
“Why do you always save me from that mud…?”
This wasn’t the first time he had survived death, and every time he awoke, Redian was always alone. However, now, on the brink of death, the woman was there beside him.
“Why do you always make me want to survive?”
Even now, as he awoke from death, she was still there.
Until now, Redian had prayed he could endure even if she left. That he could withstand it even if everything disappeared again. But,
“Now…”
Reidna’s blue eyes, immersed in darkness, became persistent.
“It seems I can’t anymore, Master.”
“…”
As certainty about the vague emotion dawned, a languid smile spread. He couldn’t go back to the time without her. No, he wouldn’t go back. Since Siani had saved him, she had to take responsibility for that.
“Siani.”
But then,
“Siani Felicite!”
“Grand Prince! It’s not allowed! His Holiness told us not to let anyone enter here.”
“Why? Isn’t this devotee’s lodging open to all devotees in need of the goddess’s blessing?”
“But…!”
The outside became tumultuous. Redian’s eyes immediately turned icy, and looked towards the noise.
“Milord!”
Suddenly, the door burst open.
“…Ah.”
And a man with a crooked smile appeared.
“You were together?”
This is gonna be fun😁