Chapter 35
After firing the first shot, Clyde looked at her with indifferent eyes.
“Edith, from now on, make sure to join me in the morning regularly. I don’t think you’ll be stubborn anymore.”
Even the stern prince’s orders. How annoying.
Now that the decision was made, there was no point in arguing or resisting anymore. It felt like being caught in a trap. Thinking about the dark wake-up time before dawn made her vision blur.
Meanwhile, the refreshing shooting practice continued. Clyde aiming at the target while standing on the range looked impressive. He looked quite confident and flawless. The problem was dragging someone who didn’t want to exercise.
Well, nothing could be helped. Might as well accept it positively.
Although a late afternoon stroll would have been much more beneficial for both physical and mental health than the intense running in the morning.
As she watched a few shots, she could faintly hear Clyde humming. He seemed to be enjoying himself after dragging her out. It didn’t seem like a morning for Edith at all. He was clearly just reluctant to get up alone.
Still, shooting looked fun. She asked the range attendant.
“Can I have a turn too?”
Taking the loaded gun, she recalled what she had learned last time and set up the support. Clyde stopped shooting and started watching Edith closely.
“Are you okay doing it alone?”
“I remember the safety rules well. As long as I don’t have an accident, it should be fine.”
“Of course, that’s true.”
She had almost clung to Clyde before, learning frantically, but she had remembered the important parts properly. After choosing a target beyond the gauge, she aimed.
As long as she followed the rules, making a mistake would only result in a near miss. Handling a dangerous weapon required calmness and precision, so she handled the gun carefully. Especially since Clyde was watching closely, she didn’t want to show any sloppiness.
Relying only on past experiences and memories, she aimed the muzzle at the structure far away.
Naturally, she held her breath.
In that moment, she pulled the trigger.
Bang—
She hit it. A bag filled with chaff burst open.
The target, fixed to a sturdy pole, was pierced by the bullet and scattered in all directions. The bags contained chopped chaff and exploded like a bomb when hit. It was a device to clearly show that she hit the target.
“Wow… Edith, you’re really good.”
Edith was still out of breath from the morning run. Her hands were trembling a bit, and her sense of balance wasn’t completely back. Still, she was relieved that she hit the target.
“It’s fun. Can I shoot one more?”
“As many as you want.”
There were several targets. Clyde aimed at a paper target with concentric circles like an archery target. Since there was a difference in skill level, Clyde was clearly better at shooting than Edith.
They continued shooting practice, taking turns. He put down his gun halfway through and coached Edith.
“At this rate, you’ll become a sharpshooter.”
Feeling a little proud, Edith cheerfully raised her chin.
“Are you trying to say something like ‘a superior who boosts courage is excellent’?”
“That’s just my honest opinion.”
He was giving too much praise, and she wasn’t sure how to take it.
Was he joking? From her perspective, she was reasonably skilled, but his attitude was overly enthusiastic. It was embarrassing to keep playing along and pretending to be good.
Clyde carefully observed her shooting while running his finger across his chin.
“Are you naturally good at concentrating? You definitely have talent.”
“Am I good at concentrating?”
“If you pretend not to know, that’s just being modest.”
“But I’m not! I’ve heard enough of being called scatterbrained.”
“That’s true, but you’re exceptionally good at focusing when necessary. It’s one of your strengths.”
She wasn’t sure why he kept praising her, but it seemed sincere. She nodded lightly in gratitude.
He instructed the attendant who was waiting. From now on, all of Edith’s shots would be recorded. Then he prepared her to shoot another ten rounds.
Why is he doing this? When nine out of ten shots hit the target, Clyde sighed deeply as if he had made up his mind.
“Edith… You’re really… not enough even if you had ten bodies.”
“What do you mean all of a sudden?”
“I think you should start preparing to participate in a shooting competition.”
“…Me?”
“I was originally planning to enter under a disguise. But there would be many people who know me at the competition venue. Just appearing in the first round would cause a sensation.”
“It’s a bit too much for you to participate on behalf of His Highness.”
“So, I was considering other options in various ways…”
He looked at Edith intently. The answer was in his gaze.
She pointed at her own nose in bewilderment. Her eyes widened, and her face turned pale with shock.
“So, you’re suggesting I participate instead of His Highness?”
His shoulders sagged heavily. It was a pressure to succeed, a pressure that must be overcome.
Almost reflexively, she shouted out strongly.
“I don’t want to!”
To have a novice participate in a competition? To fight among those who handle guns professionally?
The shooting competition was a festival that showcased the imperial authority, but at the same time, it was also a process to select members of the reserve army’s shooting division.
Naturally, many who boasted of their shooting skills applied. She had never seen the overall shooting skill level of this empire, but it was definitely not something to be taken lightly. Perhaps it could be likened to the shooting events at international competitions like the Olympics.
Though she resisted, Clyde, who never gave up easily, started persuading her with intense eyes.
“Edith, this shooting competition is very important. We need to strengthen our position this time, and we need to use it as an opportunity to pressure those who are obstructing due to military issues.”
“I understand, but…”
Edith knew better than anyone about the power struggles revolving around the prince. She read documents about it every day.
So, even though Clyde’s suggestion of participating in a shooting competition was absurd, she couldn’t bring herself to strongly refuse.
“I don’t expect excellent results from you.”
“Then why are you asking me to go?”
“We need someone to monitor and ensure the smooth progress of the competition. That’s why I was considering participating myself.”
“For monitoring?”
“I also thought about sending someone from the Imperial Guards. But I thought it would be better to have someone who knows the overall situation of the competition rather than someone specialized in security.”
“That’s… me?”
Clyde grabbed her arms on both sides, earnestly trying to convince her even as he leaned in closer.
“The results are not important at all. I’ll be in the audience, and you’ll be in the player’s seat as an operative, okay?”
“But I’m a beginner.”
“I’ll teach you.”
“I have a lot of work to do.”
“You won’t receive any additional tasks until the competition.”
“…Really?”
“I promise on the prince’s name. I won’t touch the shelves of your study either.”
Her ears perked up. It was quite a remarkable piece of news.
To be exempted from paperwork, even though she lacked confidence in the challenge, was an attractive offer. With a hesitant heart, she looked up and down at him.
“Is it really true?”
“It’s true.”
After hesitating for a moment, she made up her mind.
“Okay, I’ll do it.”
He reached out his hand like a noble of equal status. As a prince who had no knowledge of how to shake hands, it was a radical gesture.
“Counting on you.”
Staring at his long and large hand for a moment, she also reached out her hand.
“I’ll do my best.”
Edith, who was still not familiar with the hierarchical society, felt that Clyde’s proposal sounded like a heartfelt plea. Though she couldn’t voice her helplessness, she felt it deep within.
Ignoring the events in the world of the novel, her goal of just protecting her own lifeline seemed to have disappeared. Now, she found herself gazing down at his outstretched hand as if she were entranced.
—
It had been a long time since the throne of the Ragrand Empire remained vacant.
The assassination attempt had occurred five years ago, and since then, Clyde’s regency had begun. The emperor had not left his bed since the palace was turned upside down.
Still, he occasionally showed his face at important events. He would briefly appear outside while being surrounded by a legion of physicians and guards. He only made a declaration of survival.
The assassination attempts were made on both the emperor and the prince. Clyde’s sister, who was the previous prince before him, ultimately did not survive. With both of them targeted, the despairing empress couldn’t withstand palace life and divorced him, leaving far away.
Clyde, who suddenly became the new prince from being a military commander, had to single-handedly rebuild the shaken royal family.
At the tender age of only sixteen, from Edith’s perspective, it was an event that happened when he was in his first year of high school.
The palace was composed solely of the closest aides. When choosing a new aide, Clyde personally met and decided. It was a measure to ensure safety from another assassination threat. This reflected his impression that he was doing his best for the emperor who was convalescing.
Clyde used to visit the emperor’s palace once a week. This schedule had remained unchanged for five years.
During that time, Edith couldn’t accompany him. He only met the emperor alone.
