You Have to Repay Your Savior

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

Jerald stared at Pristin’s question. Pristin stared at him the same way, narrowing her brow.

“Is there a problem with my question?”

“You’ve asked that five times now, Pristin.”

“…”

“Can’t you believe my answer?”

Jerald smiled and asked, and Pristin still replied with a worried look,

“Your Majesty tends to minimize your own suffering.”

“But I’m really fine at the moment. I just can’t bring a doctor to confirm it.”

“…I’ll trust you now.”

Pristin responded with a shrug, but soon brought up another topic cautiously.

“At that time, when I first learned that Your Majesty took the arrow in my place…”

“…”

“I thought my heart was stopping. I was so scared that something might go wrong because of me.”

“Someone had to take the arrow.”

Jerald went on in a gentle voice.

“I’m glad it wasn’t you. I still have no regrets about my actions.”

“…If someone hears this, it could cause trouble.”

“Think logically, Pristin. It’s much more efficient for me to take the hit instead of you, both in terms of treatment. I am stronger and recover faster than you.”

“But you are overlooking the most important thing, Your Majesty.”

“The most important thing?”

“You are the emperor. The most precious person in this empire.”

Jerald chuckled at the words.

“Pristin, you are the most precious person in my life.”

“…”

“That was the most important thing to me, and I didn’t overlook it.”

He whispered to Pristin with a smile so radiant it was almost dazzling.

“Thank you for being safe, Pristin.”

His words, strangely stimulating her heart, made Pristin feel a warm sensation welling up inside. Her eyes quickly became warm, and it felt prickly, like being poked by tiny needles. Seeing Pristin’s reddened eyes, Jerald quickly asked in confusion,

“Are you crying?”

“No, no, no…”

Pristin had already cleared her voice, trying to calm down her emotions.

“I’m not crying.”

“Don’t cry.”

Jerald gently stroked Pristin’s face, facing her, as if consoling her.

“Your smiling face is much prettier.”

At his words, Pristin eventually followed his wish and smiled. However, a short while later, Pristin’s expression darkened again. Jerald, noticing her change, asked,

“Why does your expression darken again?”

“I’ve heard that we haven’t found the culprit who tried to kill Your Majesty.”

To be precise, the culprit who tried to kill her, but Pristin didn’t reveal that fact to others. Because the crime of attempting to kill Jerald would lead to a much greater punishment.

For someone attempting to kill a woman who had just become a countess, there was not enough justification to severely punish them. Even if Jerald almost died because of it.

“The culprit apparently fled the scene immediately.”

Jerald asked Pristin with a serious expression,

“Do you have any suspicions?”

“…As Your Majesty probably expects.”

Pristin replied with a serious expression,

“I suspect Princess Gennant.”

No one was more spiteful of her than her. Jerald nodded as if he agreed.

“I feel the same way.”

“It’s not just a simple suspicion. Actually, just before the hunting competition, I had a collision with one of her maids.”

Jerald looked at Pristin as if wondering what she was talking about.

“At that time, a glass bottle containing a transparent liquid fell from that maid… I picked it up, and she seemed quite startled.”

“Pristin, what you’re saying…”

“But it won’t be evidence. Just the experience alone won’t be enough.”

Pristin asked Jerald carefully,

“If clear evidence doesn’t emerge, the investigation will end without any results, right?”

“…Yes, that’s right. We can’t punish based on mere suspicions.”

Although it was regrettable, there was nothing they could do.

‘But with the situation getting this big, I’ll have to deal with it for a while.’

Apart from that, it was shocking. She didn’t think Tanya would really try to kill her.

‘Although I brought the antidote just in case…’

She didn’t expect it to actually be used. Pristin involuntarily clenched her fist, recalling the terrifying memories from back then.

At that moment, someone warmly held Pristin’s hand. Surprised, Pristin lifted her head, and Jerald was looking at her with a gentle smile.

“Your Majesty…”

“You don’t have to be sorry, Pristin. That day’s events…”

“…”

“Regardless, I will make sure they pay a price, no matter how.”

“After trying once, it should be easier next time.”

Pristin predicted with a serious expression.

“I’m sure they’ll try to kill me again. She’ll never miss the second time.”

“I hope you don’t have to put yourself in danger just to catch Gennant.”

Jerald frowned with worry and clasped Pristin’s hand.

“I’ll increase the knights around you. Don’t say no.”

“… Yes.”

“Even in this serious atmosphere, I feel good.”

In the midst of a conversation, Jerald made a sudden remark, making Pristin look at him in confusion. With a smile, Jerald spoke.

“The fact that you worried about me keeps lingering in my mind.”

“Your Majesty, really…”

At some point, she noticed Jerald looking at her intently. He continued to silently gaze at Pristin, then slowly parted his lips.

“The words you said earlier, that you would even love me like this.”*

*TN: I double checked and it says this even though previous chapter, she didn’t say it aloud. I can only think that maybe she did it off screen?

“…”

“Were you sincere?”

To start with, it was sincere from the beginning.

She wouldn’t care what kind of person he was in the first place. Having already experienced him, she knew that he was a wonderful person, and anyone who received his love would truly be lucky and happy.

Pristin stared at Jerald with various emotions, and then carefully approached him. As she got closer to Jerald, she could hear his breathing and heart better.

As always, his heart was beating fast in front of her, and the sound filled Pristin’s emotions.

“Yes.”

Near him, Pristin whispered.

“I’m sincere.”

When he heard the answer he wanted to hear the most at the moment, Jerald couldn’t hold back and pulled her toward him. Soon, the lips of the two met, and Pristin, holding hands with Jerald, shared her breath. The warm and moist sensation created a tingling feeling as they exchanged their breaths.

Pristin smiled and got closer to him. It had been like this from the beginning. Their kiss felt as if time and space had come to a halt. As if only the two of them were left in the world.

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

After regaining consciousness, Jerald’s recovery speed accelerated, and before long, he fully recovered. 

Jerald made every effort to find the culprit of this incident as soon as he woke up, but there was no progress because the criminal ran away as soon as Jerald was shot. There was no evidence found at the scene of the incident, so the investigation ended without any special results.

Shortly after the investigation was completed, Jerald moved from the Summer Palace in Itidian to the imperial palace in the capital, and it seemed that everything was returning to its original state.

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

“…Ah.”

Walking down the street, Pristin found a familiar face and smiled gracefully.

“It’s been a while, Princess Gennant.”

Meeting face to face right after the incident, Pristin felt a mix of joy and nerves. Unusually, she initiated a smile first and greeted Tanya. However, Tanya received Pristin’s greeting with a less-than-welcoming expression.

“Yes, it has been. Countess Rosewell.”

“I heard you returned to Gennant Manor after the hunting competition.”

“I was quite shocked by what happened that day.”

Tanya replied with a more serious expression.

“I was genuinely surprised that there were forces willing to harm His Majesty. My fragile heart could not withstand it.”

Watching Tanya act calmly, Pristin became perplexed. It was something she expected, but it was ridiculous to see her acting like this in front of her eyes.

She pursed her lips for a moment to choose what to say, then opened her mouth with a dry tone.

“Yes. I was surprised, too. Who could it be? As you know, no one was allowed into the woods that day except verified aristocrats.”

“Yes, it is terrible that any of those who swear allegiance to His Majesty harbors such resentment. It seems, of course, that one cannot grasp what is inside by just how they act on the surface.”

“…Indeed.”

For a moment, Pristin’s expression quickly turned blank.

“So Princess, you don’t have to keep up such pretenses in front of me.”

“…”

“Although you escaped unharmed this time, I won’t simply overlook it next time.”

“…Countess.”

“I’m telling you to be careful. Even an inconspicuous worm will squirm if trodden on repeatedly.”

Pristin left with those words, walking away.

Left alone, Tanya glared fiercely at Pristin’s retreating figure, her face gradually twisting with frustration.

“What does she think she’s doing, warning me like this? Is she out of her mind?”

“Calm down, Princess. You’re outside.”

Brelin urged Tanya, looking around hurriedly.

“Now that this incident has ended in failure, you should be more sensible for a while. If you move wrong, His Majesty may get involved.”

“Don’t worry, Brelin. I’m well aware of that.”

Tanya quickly calmed her anger, as if she had never raised her voice.

“But that wretched woman, I’ll make her suffer sooner or later.”