When the Main Protagonists Broke Up

“No, no. Come in.” He stepped aside and hurried into the room.

I heard the door closing behind me.

I glanced around his room for a moment.

The room was neat and clean, just like his appearance.

“Sit down here.”

“Yes.”

He gave me a chair and I sat down right away.

And just as he looked at me at the door earlier, I also looked at him carefully.

Contrary to the thought that he would avoid my eyes, Aiden did not avoid them and met my gaze.

“Aiden.”

I quietly called his name.

“What’s really going on?”

Today’s guy wasn’t like the guy I knew.

He was always the one who approached me, but today, for some reason, I felt a sense of distance.

It felt like he was one step away from me.

“Nothing happened.”

His tone was somewhat blunt.

“Then I’m glad.”

There was something about his attitude, obviously, but when he didn’t say anything to me, I felt depressed.

“I’m tired. I’ll just go.”

So I immediately got up from my chair.

‘I came because I wanted to see you like this….’ It was hard to accept that he wasn’t happy with me.

I even thought that I should not have come.

“Belita.”

As I took my steps, Aiden urgently blocked my path.

“I’m sorry. Just, just me….”

He had something he wanted to say to me, but he seemed unable to say it easily.

I reached out and stroked his black hair and smiled at him.

Then he looked at me with more surprised eyes than before.

“What is it? I’ll listen, so let’s talk.”

I spoke to him in a soft voice.

“….”

Still, he couldn’t open his mouth.

Then I remembered that we had won each other’s wishes after a horse riding competition in Hemoa.

“I want to write that wish ticket.”

Aiden’s face turned to bewilderment when I said I was going to write a wish ticket.

“Yes?”

“You can’t remember?”

“Ah, I am.”

“At that time, I had a horseback riding match with Aiden, and I won. So I will write it.”

“…All right.”

“My wish is to hear why Aiden is in a bad mood right now.”

“….”

“Are you not going to tell me? It’s a wish, so you have to grant it unconditionally.”

I put pressure on him in an almost obnoxious manner.

“…The wish is too trivial.”

“It is not trivial at all. I’m most curious about what Aiden is thinking right now.”

“…Are you curious about my thoughts?”

“Yes, I am very curious. And I can’t sleep when I have questions. Do you want me to lose sleep tonight?”

This was too far-fetched for me to think about.

But I definitely wanted to know why he was doing this today.

“All right. Please do not stand still and take your seat again.”

Fortunately, my coercion worked and Aiden seated me in a chair, and he himself sat in the opposite chair.

“Talk.”

I looked at him with my eyes shining.

He seemed lost in thought for a moment.

I waited patiently for him to open his mouth.

And after a while, his pleasant voice came to my ears.

“Because of my powerlessness.”

“Powerlessness?”

I couldn’t understand it so I asked him again.

If Confucius of the Iron Family doesn’t have power, then who doesn’t?

“Luden next to Belita…When I saw the Duke standing there, I realized that he could protect Belita more than I did.”

“So you didn’t tell me anything? Are you just telling me to be careful?”

“That’s right.”

“Why? Aiden also has the power of iron.”

“That…I cannot use the full power of the Iron House.”

“Yes?”

What do you mean by the sound of not being able to fully exert power?

I’ve been thinking hard.

‘Ah.’

“You mean your training is still lacking?”

“…That’s right.”

“I see. Actually, I am not able to perfectly control and use the power of fire. So don’t be upset about that.”

“….”

“And I am not someone who needs to be protected. So don’t think you’ll protect me. Like the three of you, I have enough strength to defend myself.”

“I know. That Belita is very strong. I also long for Belita’s strength.”

Aiden’s eyes lighted slightly as he looked at me, as if that was true.

“It’s a bit embarrassing for you to say that.”

This man really wasn’t stingy with praise.

I don’t know if it’s just me or everyone, but he always made me feel like I was the best in the world.

“And Aiden is strong too. No matter what anyone says, he is also a Confucius from the Iron Family. I always thought of Aiden as an incredibly strong person.” “…Is that true?”

“Yes, so do your best.”

“Thank you.”

It was only then that relief came when it felt as if the shade had lifted slightly from Aiden’s face.

I didn’t like the way he looked intimidated.

I want you to look at me with a straight and confident gaze as always.

Just as I was enlightened and strengthened by his words, I hoped he would too.

After that, we talked about the things I had seen earlier.

“I also told His Highness the Crown Prince, but there were about

10,000 Hagus.”

“Ten thousand?”

“Yes, it will probably be a pretty tough fight.”

“You must be fully prepared.”

“Duke Maxius has to make enough to distribute the antidote to all the knights, so we’ll have to wait for that.”

Aiden nodded at my words.

“By the way, I heard that Hagus went back with a lot of fever, so won’t he come in sooner or later?”

“There is a possibility. At least they knew we did something in their forest. You don’t know what it is.”

“I have to be prepared. Are you okay?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

I replied with a bright smile, meaning not to worry.

“Always be careful though. Last time really….”

He frowned as if he had remembered something he didn’t want to think about.

“I also thought that was the end. But fortunately, he is alive.”

“Didn’t Belita also hear about the wind family?”

“Yes, I never heard from my father.”

We naturally moved on to talking about the House of Wind, which we learned about a few days ago.

“To think that the child you saved from the circus was a member of the wind family….”

“I am also very surprised and amazed.”

“Aren’t you upset?”

“What?”

“Hasn’t the child you reaped become a completely different person?” Aiden knew exactly how I was feeling.

“Well, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t upset. But that kid, no, it’s much better for the Duke of Louden.”

“But I’m not free from treason yet.”

“It is, but….”

I took a moment to gauge how far I should go about telling Aiden what I had heard from Clayton.

I thought I shouldn’t comment yet, so I shut my mouth to say no more.

“Do you believe that the Luden family was framed?”

“I do not know. I just want the truth to come out.”

“It is true….”

“Do you know anything?”

“I also know nothing.”

“Okay. When I finish my work here and return to the capital, there is a lot of work to do. The carriage incident….”

I took one glance at Aiden and then swallowed back.

“Don’t worry about the wagon incident. I will help.”

“But then Adela….”

“I still don’t know why my sister did that, but I can’t let a stern person take the blame.”

He was right.

And when I saw him say that, I felt that the remaining anxiety was alleviated.

‘This person is not someone who would easily harm others.’

Then, in the original story, was he able to kill Belita easily because she was the obvious culprit?

‘Let’s not think about the original anymore.’

I said not to think about it, but I can’t help but keep thinking about it, but I tried to completely erase the original from my head as much as possible.

“Thank you. For trusting me.”

I thanked him once again.

His smile at my words was still nice to look at, so I won’t forget it for a long time.

* * *

Preparations to wipe out Hagus were going well one by one.

Kane was making large quantities of antidotes day and night, and we fended off occasional small raids.

And the long-awaited today, finally everything is ready.

The antidote was distributed three times per knight.

Since he was wearing armor and helmet, the possibility of being poisoned during battle was not high.

However, the unforeseen anxiety made the knights’ movements passive and demoralized them.

But now, even if you are poisoned, you can take the antidote.

The knights of Baltheus abandoned their anxiety about poison and were able to fully reveal their power.

We gathered in the command and control room early in the morning to plan our strategy.

And all the knights gathered in front of the castle gate, leaving only the minimum number of people defending the castle.

The crown prince decided to participate in the battle as if he wanted to leave his name in a historic moment.

The prince climbed high and looked down at the knights and opened his mouth.

“Warriors of Baltheus, our fight today will be remembered forever in history. The Empire will never forget your courage and loyalty. We will only advance, there will be no retreat. Let’s fight! let’s win! For Baltheus!”

“For Baltheus!”

“For Baltheus!”

“Waaaaaa!”

The shouts of the knights echoed throughout the castle.

The gate became a bridge and reached across the river on the other side.

All the knights crossed the bridge and went out of the castle.

The troops were divided into four groups.

The fire army, the iron army, the wind army, and the water army followed the strength of each duchy.

Contrary to my expectation that I would be with Kane’s army of water, the prince informed me that he would move with me.

‘No, why me….’

Even though he was busy fighting, the thought of having to protect even the crown prince made him annoyed.

But he couldn’t ask why he was going with me, so he couldn’t say anything.

“Princess Heitz, would you please review the situation ahead?”

“All right.”

At the prince’s command, I checked the movements of the surrounding monsters.

Just like last time, there was no movement within 1 league.

“I can’t see it yet. I think we need to go further.”

“Great. Let’s go.”

We entered the forest.

I set out to detect again in the forest.

“Wait!”

I made everyone stop moving with a loud voice.

“I see.”

Hagus could be seen gathering in groups.

“Then, from here on, let’s divide it into east, west, south, and north and encircle it from the outside to the inside.”

“All right.”

The troops moved according to the operation from the command and control room earlier.

The place we are now is south by Hagus’ standard.

In the south, the fire army led by me has taken up position.

And the iron army to the east, the wind army to the west, and the water army to the north quickly departed to take up positions.

The signal for attack was the altitude of the sun.

When the sun was at its highest, it was decided to launch an all-out attack from all four locations at once.

There was still some time left.

Hoping that the other three armies would arrive in time, I was reexamining Hagus’ movements when the crown prince spoke to me from the side.

“How is it?”

“Fortunately, it is quiet.”

“I guess you haven’t noticed yet.”

“Yes, it seems.”

“Do you know why I am moving with the princess’s army?”

While talking about Hagus and keeping an eye on their movements, the prince asked an unexpected question.

Actually, I was very curious from the beginning.

It was because I couldn’t understand why he was with me instead of his close friend Kane.

“Why?”

Since he had spoken first, I thought he would answer me, so I immediately asked the reason without delay.

“It’s because the princess seems to be the strongest among the four.”

And then he grinned.

“Ah, thank you for praising me. But the three of you are just as strong as me.”

“Of course it is. Because all four of you are born with the power of duchy.”

Certainly, the words of the prince had bones.

“Isn’t it surprising that a member of the royal family can be this incompetent?”

He asked me in a sarcastic voice.

I don’t know what answer he wants from me, but I put aside my usual thoughts and carefully chose words that would not offend him.

“The imperial family has the imperial family’s affairs, and the nobles have the noble’s affairs. I think the imperial family is doing a very important job of coordinating so that dukes with strong personalities can get along well without rejecting each other.”

After hearing my answer, the prince stared at me as if looking into my true heart.

“…okay. I guess I did well being with the princess.”

What.

I couldn’t figure out what he meant when he suddenly seemed like he was happy to be with me again.

I didn’t know what to say, so I smiled awkwardly at him with my mouth shut.

It seemed that there was nothing more to say, so we kept silent, and then a knight approached us.

“Look at the sky!”

At the knight’s words, I immediately raised my head upward.

The sun rose to its highest position and scattered light in all directions.

“It is now.”

Said the prince.

“Yes. All ready for battle!”

I shouted to the knights to prepare.

“Prepare for battle!”

“All ready for battle!”

I had a good feeling when I saw the knights with a lot of spirit.

“Your Highness, are you ready?”

I looked at the prince and asked him, and he nodded slowly.

“For Baltheus! Attack everyone!”

At the same time as the prince’s cry, we charged towards Hagus.

Archers and cavalry led the way, followed by infantry.

“Waaaaaa!”

Fortunately, the troops who went east, west, and north arrived in time, and shouts were heard from all directions.

I also rode a horse with the cavalrymen and quickly approached Hagus from the lead.

And as soon as he saw Hagus, he set fire to the floor and continued to drive them inside so that they could not escape.

An archer took a position in the forefront and fired arrows at them.

It was so large that it did not budge from one or two arrows, but it was not hundreds or thousands of arrows.

They struggled and screamed as arrows went through their heads and bodies.

“Kyaaaagh!”

“Ah!”

As the archers retreated, the cavalrymen charged them this time. “Ahh! Blood, blood!”

“Eat the antidote now!”

When their bodily fluids penetrated through the cracks in the armor and poisoning symptoms occurred, they were immediately cured by taking an antidote.

Fear and fear disappeared, and brave knights appeared in their place.

Without hesitation, they decapitated Hagus.

“Die!”

“Let’s make sure they never invade Baltheus from now on!”

“We have an antidote! Don’t be afraid!”

I also continued killing and killing Hagus.

Then, on the other side, something in the form of a dragon was seen attacking Hagus fiercely.

“It’s a guardian!”

“Duke Maxius has summoned the Guardian Beast!”

‘It’s Dakalos, the guardian of water.’

The bodies of those attacked by Dakalos swelled up simultaneously and burst like a water balloon bursting.

If Finia, the guardian of our family, burns enemies to ashes, Dakalos, the guardian of the water family, pours water into the enemy’s body to suffocate or even explode it.

Thinking that I couldn’t lose to Kane, I also called my guardian Phinea.

Power was sufficient.

Resonating with my strength, Finia’s tail length surpassed the previous one, showing off her graceful figure in the sky.

“The Princess also called the Guardian Beast!”

“Wow!”

At my words to attack, Finia flew around and swept across the Hagus.

Only black ash remained where Phinea had passed.

Clayton’s wind power was also felt from the side.

He turned the wind into a blade and mercilessly decapitated them.

And….

Aiden caught my eye.

He also used his powers against Hagus.

They were mercilessly decapitating them with all sorts of sharp weapons made of iron.

Even without a ring, even if they couldn’t summon a guardian, the two men fought to the best of their abilities using all the power they could.

The battle continued until sundown.

Originally, the darker the day, the stronger their power.

However, countless horned heads had already been scattered on the floor, and there were not even half of them left.

We pushed through to meet the shining sun of tomorrow.

And as the fierce night passed and the new sun slowly rose, not a single Hagus was seen standing on its feet.

It was our victory.

* * *

After the battle at the border, everyone returned to the castle tired.

When we opened the gate and went inside, the people in the castle welcomed our safe return. “Long live Baltheus!”

“Long live the crown prince!”

The faces of the people who greeted us were bright.

They clapped and cheered.

It was because he no longer had to live in trembling because of Hagus.

The people of the Empire living on the border have always been the target of monsters.

Knowing that, the Empire was giving them various benefits, including tax exemptions.

However, the fear that they could be killed by monsters at any time was deep in their hearts.

There was always the fear of losing family, friends, and loved ones.

But this time, as the four dukes joined forces to wipe out Hagus, the imperial people living in Agger Castle were finally able to escape from that terrible anxiety.

I returned to the room feeling proud.

“Miss!”

As soon as I entered the room, Mary hugged me tightly.

“Merry.”

“I’m so glad you came back safely, ma’am.”

Merry’s voice was wet, as if she was thrilled that I had returned safely.

“Of course. Have you forgotten who I am?”

I deliberately joked with Mary to make her laugh and gently stroked her back as if to comfort her.

“My lady, take off your armor. I filled the bathtub with warm water so that you can take a bath when I come back.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Now, come here.”

The thought of soaking in hot water made me feel like my fatigue was already gone.

I quickly took off my armor and the clothes inside and went into the bathroom.

And soaked in the bathtub.

“Ah, good.”

“Is the water temperature okay?”

“Yeah, just fine.”

Mary was chattering beside me as she tended to my bath.

Being in the warm water, my body slowly became tired.

“My lady, you can’t go to sleep yet.”

Mary shook me beside me and woke me up, telling me not to sleep.

However, I couldn’t open my eyes easily, probably because I used up all my stamina all night.

“Miss! It’s over, so please be patient.”

Mary’s hands quickened, fearing I would really fall asleep in the bathtub.

“That’s Okay! Come out, lady.”

When I was told to come out, I forced my eyes open.

Then I got up and got out of the bathtub.

Mary was drying my hair from behind and chattering again.

But her voice was no longer audible.

“My lady, it’s all dried up. Get on the bed now.”

“Yes….”

I don’t know what mentality I went to bed with.

Mary took my hand and pulled me into bed.

And I fell into a restless sleep.

The next day, after nearly a full day’s sleep, I woke up and was eating the breakfast Mary had brought to me in bed.

“Eat a lot, my lady. You have to get your stamina back.”

“Yes, I am eating.”

“You should eat more. I will bring you more bread and meat, so please eat!”

“No-.”

Before she could say it was okay, Mary walked out.

I stared blankly at the door Mary had left, then started eating again.

Eating such a peaceful meal made yesterday feel like a dream.

‘I’ll have to go back soon.’

I couldn’t hide my pride knowing that my parents would be proud of me.

I stared at the ring on my left hand.

Then, gently stroking the ring, whispered quietly.

‘Thank you.’

Then, as if he had understood my words, the ring glowed red in an instant and then disappeared.

“And.”

I was amazed at the sight.

Meanwhile, Mary came into the room with both hands full of bread and meat.

“Miss!”

For some reason, Mary’s voice was full of excitement.

“Miss! The festival starts tomorrow!”

“Festival? What do you mean, suddenly a festival?”

“The lord of Agger Castle said he would hold a grand banquet before we go back. And they say that the festival is also held so that everyone in the castle can enjoy it.”

According to Mary, it was a victory festival to commemorate the war victory.

“Oh, but I didn’t bring a pretty dress and jewelry! I can’t. I will go to the store alone, so the lady is resting.”

Mary knew best the size of my clothes and what looked best on me.

“Don’t go alone, go with Sir William as an escort.”

I nodded slightly and added an afterword.

“With the knight?”

Mary’s face lit up at my words.

“Yeah, I want to go too, but I’m still a bit tired and I can’t move. So, go with Sir William.”

“…Yes, thank you, lady.”

“What. It’s cold, so wear tight clothes.”

“Yes I will.”

Mary blushed as she replied as if she was ashamed of the fact that she was going with someone she liked.

I looked at it with admiration.

After eating, I went back to bed.

And I slowly thought about the things I couldn’t do yesterday because I was too tired.

First of all, when you return to the capital, you have to finish the wagon case.

It has already been over a month since I left the capital.

‘Adela….’

While I was going to subdue monsters, I thought Adela didn’t know what to do with Owen Est, so I specially placed some of my family’s knights around Owen.

However, the necklace made of iron power seemed to exert power even when it was not nearby.

I noticed the other day, through Aiden and Owen Est, that my power weakens the necklace.

So when Owen Est passed out, he imbued the necklace with the power of fire.

Then the necklace seemed to sparkle silver for a moment, then it turned gray.

The difference between the two is so subtle that it’s hard to tell them apart unless you look closely.

‘Has the power gone?’

It was the right time for Adela to get rid of Owen Est, as I was not in the capital to expose everything.

If anything happened to him, he had been told to let me know without delay, but given that there was still no news, it could be that Adela had no power over him at all.

“Ha….”

Really why….

I couldn’t understand why she went so far in order to bring me down.

I had no intention of forgiving her for driving me like that.

But thinking of Aiden made me feel stuffy.

Still, he believed in my innocence and supported me, who said he was terribly afraid of my sister, so I was both fortunate and unexpected.

Because he thought it was natural for him to doubt me and kill me for his sister’s sake.

Anyway, it was a great harvest for me to clear up the misunderstanding about each other and get closer to him.

‘And the Luden family….’

When I thought about the Luden family, Clayton’s face came to mind.

What will become of the Luden family?

Can Clayton get his family back?

If it’s not really treason, what can I do to help?

I hope our family….

At that time, the prince’s words lingered in my head.

Saying that I, the Heitz family, am glad I found him.

What the hell does that mean?

I used my brain to find the clue as much as possible in the unknown riddles, and I felt like I was going to get a mouse.

“Ah, let’s stop thinking about it today.”

It was still hard on the body, but there was no need to torture the mind.

I went back to sleep until Mary arrived for a speedy recovery.

The next day, the festival of Agger began.

The lord of Agger held a small banquet for the crown prince and nobles who were credited with defeating the monster.

I finished my preparations after putting on the light blue dress Mary had bought for me.

Smart-.

I was about to leave the room to go to the banquet hall when someone knocked on the door.

“Who is it?”

“I’ll go out and see.”

Mary hurried over and opened the door.

“Duke Luden!”

Seeing that it was the Duke of Louden, it seemed that Clayton had come.

Mary bowed down to him without a sign of hesitation, probably accustomed to serving him as a nobleman.

“My lady, Duke Luden has arrived.”

The door opened and Clayton entered the room.

“Uh?”

As soon as I saw him, an exclamation leaked out involuntarily.

He was wearing a dark blue tailcoat, and his gray hair, which fell down to his waist, was shortened.

“Did you cut your hair?”

“Yes, I cut my long hair because it was so annoying. Is it strange?”

“No, it suits you very well.”

The long hair also went well with his beauty, but his current appearance was much neater.

At my words, he smiled and lowered his head slightly.

“Ah!”

His bow tie was slightly crooked.

I moved closer to him and reached up.

Then, as if surprised by my approach, Clayton visibly flinched.

“I won’t hit you.”

“Yes? It’s not like that….”

His face blushed slightly, as if he was taken aback by what he said as a joke.

“You’re not hitting me?”

“…sorry.”

As expected, even if a person’s appearance changes, his personality does not change.

I couldn’t take a prank as a joke, and when I saw him with an infinitely serious, familiar look, I burst into laughter.

I could feel him staring blankly at me as I smiled.

“The bow tie is a little crooked. I’ll do it right.”

Saying that, he raised his hand again.

This time Clayton stood still, stiff.

I quickly touched his bow tie lightly.

“That’s Okay.”

“…thank you.”

What was so embarrassing about it, Clayton’s face was still red.

“Duke, you look really cool wearing this.” Mary even clapped and cheered him up. “I’m two minutes late. Go quickly.”

Come to think of it, the banquet was about to begin.

“Shall we go?”

“Yes, I, I will escort you.”

When he said that he would escort me, I nodded with a hearty smile.

“Great.”

So we left the room side by side and headed to the banquet hall.

Upon arriving at the banquet hall, the gatekeeper opened the door.

Other nobles had already come and filled the inside.

Not only the nobles who participated in the war this time, but also the nobles living in Agger attended the banquet.

I could feel the attention of everyone inside focused on Clayton, who was standing next to me.

Well, since a duke who had disappeared for over 20 years, or didn’t even know existed, appeared, it was natural to be interested in it.

I approached the nobles with Clayton and greeted them.

Clayton came to visit me first, and I purposely stayed by his side so that he could adapt quickly to such a banquet.

‘By the way, where is Aiden?’

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