And at some point, Kun’s leader’s swords had disappeared from his hand as well.
Whether it was sparring or a real fight, it was hard to tell at this point.
All that remained were wounds, but for some reason, the people from the desert side were pounding their chests and laughing.
‘Their culture is really different.’
Relieved that Lacius was unharmed, I patted my chest and waited for him to return.
“Call a healer, I can barely breathe!”
“Haha, you were so confident when you suggested a duel!”
“Are you laughing at me or sneering at me, eh?”
“Broken rib. Ha ha ha!”
In other countries, wounding the body of their leader, that is, the king, is a serious crime that would be punished with the death penalty.
But here, even the idea of breaking his ribs was rather amusing.
“Crazy people.”
The princess stood up, swearing with a smiling face.
Then she reached out her hand toward Daphne.
“Daphne, right? You’ll have to use your power a bit.”
“Yes, yes!”
The unexpected request of the princess drew the eyes of the Terran people to Daphne.
Daphne, with wavy auburn hair, hesitated as she held the princess’s hand and stepped forward.
“Chief of Kun. In that state, it will be difficult for you to fully enjoy Lakurum, so get treatment.”
“My healer is on his way. What’s the rush?”
“This child is ‘Alaja’. Take it if you want it.”
The hall, which was already heated, became even more heated due to the princess’s words.
“Alaja!”
“Alaja!”
The desert people jumped to their feet, spewing the unfamiliar title.
Then they surrounded Daphne and the Kun leader, raising their hands to the sky.
“Alaja!”
I didn’t know what that performance meant, so I looked back at Lacius, the answer unexpectedly came from the imperial prince.
“Alaja is a healing wizard in Terran. It’s the same in any country, but in the desert, they treat healers as divine beings, especially the more powerful ones.”
I see. So she’s like a wizard, then?
In any case, Daphne’s work has brought the kun leader back to full health. Daphne put her hands near the chieftain’s ribs and muttered something, and a bright yellow-green light arose. Then, Kun’s leader’s previously furrowed face completely relaxed, and he started moving his arms vigorously.
“Sister is really great. I’m sure she had considered all these things and gave them a boost to entertainment.”
The prince, who was watching the whole scene, muttered quietly. It sounded like he was talking to himself, but the problem was that I could hear him all too well.
“Something like me will never reach even her toes.”
It’s a self-deprecating tone that somehow sounds wistful. A dark cloud hung over the prince’s face, and a melancholic atmosphere flowed. Looking at the prince like that, I scratched my cheek.
Uh, is this a good time to offer consolation?
But I was terrible at consoling.
“Hmm, if you think you’re not good enough, shouldn’t you try to make up for it?”
“My sister is at a height that I will never be able to reach.”
“While I can’t offer comfort, I have to say we shouldn’t compare ourselves to geniuses. Humans should compare themselves to other humans.”
Honestly, whether it’s strategy, tricks, or tactics, is there anyone who can surpass the princess?
I shook my head in disbelief.
“What does that mean? Is the prince saying that he can never become like the princess?”
That’s when it happened. Peridot, who had been silent until now, decided to speak up.
She’s been huddled up like a bean sprout in a lunchbox all this time, so why the sudden change?
Stunned, I raised my eyebrows at Peridot.
If something seems impossible, what are you supposed to say?
Would you give him false hope, saying that he would be able to become just like the princess?
“It’s just that His Highness the Prince hasn’t fully bloomed yet. Plants also take a long time to bloom.”
Look at her. She’s been suspicious since the plane, and now she’s showing her true colors.
She probably never paid much attention to the prince before, but why the sudden interest? The reason was obvious.
‘I’m sure she’s thinking of marrying the prince.’
The best possible marriage for Peridot right now would be with Prince Verty.
‘But wouldn’t that suddenly give the prince too much power?’
Marriage is a transaction, a sharing of power.
No matter how innocent the prince is, Crisiona is another matter.
Of course, the princess would have taken care of everything before I even worried about this.
‘Anyway, Her Highness, the princess, is really amazing.’
Did you plan and anticipate all of this, as the prince said, allowing Lacius to cross swords with the leader of Kun?
Of course, she must have heard about Daphne’s ability to use healing magic.
That’s why she included her in the delegation.
She’s probably even calculated her personality traits.
***
“Sacred blood has been spilled! This announces the start of Lakurum!”
The desert warriors, excited by the prospect of battle, came out and began to fight. I decided I didn’t need to watch the fistfights, so I stood up.
“I think I’ll head back inside.”
“Yes, Nia. That would be a good idea.”
“Lashin, are you really not hurt?”
Since we were in public, I used formal language. Lacius grabbed my hand and lightly kissed the back of it.
“I’m not hurt, my lady.”
Lacius was back to his usual self. His calm and composed self. However, I couldn’t forget the glimpse I saw of his true nature earlier.
Was he holding back the desire to engage in combat? Or was he simply behaving that way for the public?
Cat followed us silently as we headed back to our quarters. But before we entered the room, in this blistering heat, someone gasped and called out to me.
“Sister!”
“Daphne?”
“Sister, please, wait… huff… I have something to tell you!”
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