Your taste is (8)
Boom! The assassin fell like a tree.
Ian approached me only after making sure there were no hidden remnants.
"Are you okay?"
"...What about you, Little Duke?"
"It's okay."
Lie.
Ian's left sleeve was torn, revealing a gaping wound that exposed his raw flesh.
But I shouldn't pretend to know. I couldn't cure it.
I swallowed the bitter water and forced a smile.
"... That's fortunate. What happened to Rahon?"
Rahon lay on the floor, not moving.
Looking at the color of her lips had returned to a crimson hue, it didn't seem to be poison, but I was worried that it might be the result of abusing her power.
Ian looked at Rahon calmly. He sighed and ran his hand through his hair, which was covered in blood.
"His breathing is steady. It seems you fainted for a moment due to exhaustion."
"Ha..."
Only then did all the tension in my body release.
Ian helped me up onto the bed as I sat on the floor helplessly.
"The First Prince is dealing with the remaining men. Can I leave you alone for a moment?"
What does this mean? Kalit is here?
The words came out before I could even understand.
"Go ahead and take a look."
"I'll be back soon."
"No, you can take your time. Just be careful."
Ian smiled faintly and went back outside.
I took out the blanket, covered Rahon with it, and checked outside the window.
"...It's really Kalit."
Kalit was fighting four assassins. Black-clad corpses lay scattered around him.
I don't know for sure because I don't have an eye for swordsmanship, but it didn't seem like Kalit was being pushed around.
'Was Kalit that good?'
I knew from Oslo that Kalit had been learning swordsmanship for a long time, but I didn't know that his skills were extraordinary.
Once Ian went outside, the situation was quickly resolved.
The two men who had dealt with the four in the blink of an eye chatted for a moment. Their soft voices carried by the wind reached my ears.
"The Guardians."
"I hope they are safe. How did you get here?"
"It's the older sibling's job to clean up any accidents the younger sibling causes."
"As expected, they are the ones sent by the Third Prince. Does His Majesty know?"
"He said that if I bring him solid evidence, he will make me Crown Prince."
"Is that so?"
"Instead, we decided to handle this incident quietly."
Oslo has twice targeted me, neglecting his duty as a royal to protect the guardians.
What's more, this time it wasn't a kidnapping, but a clear assassination attempt. And what's more, wasn't Rahon involved too?
If it became known that Shancrecia's guardian had been attacked by the Empire, international embarrassment would be a secondary issue, and Shancrecia's cooperation would be considered to be out of the question.
So it was natural that the Emperor wanted to settle the matter quietly.
From Kalit's point of view, there was no reason to refuse.
In return for handling this case, he was promised the title of Crown Prince.
For that price, it's worth traveling all the way here, a week away from the capital.
"It was Young Lady Astrod who was threatened with her life. I need Young Lady's consent."
"She's a smart woman, so she'll make the right decision."
I quietly looked down at the backs of the two people.
Why is Kalit, who is respectful to everyone, so rude to Ian? Were the two of you that close?
'No.'
The Eldern family was loyal only to the Emperor, and so they kept their distance from the Prince.
So I remember thinking it was surprising when I saw a future where Ian supported Kalit.
Even at that time, it was known that the two had no personal relationship.
After a brief conversation, Ian and Kalit worked together to gather the bodies of the assassins in one place and then entered the villa.
The downstairs area is noisy. It looks like they're dealing with the assassins who passed out while trying to break into the villa.
After a while, Ian cleared the second floor, dragged the dead assassin out, and wiped away the bloodstains.
Then he brought a bowl of water and a towel and started wiping my hands and face.
"...What are you telling me?"
"They are washing downstairs."
Blood was also spurting from Ian's downcast eyelids. Every time he moved, blood flowed out from the wound on his left arm.
I was shocked to see him wiping the blood off my hands as if it were the most important thing in the world, even though he was the one who needed to wash and treat my wounds right now.
"I wiped off the hardened part. I put bath water in the bathroom in the next bedroom. Can you wash by yourself?"
"I can do it."
"I put the clothes to change into on the chair."
As he said that, I put my hand on Ian's shoulder as I stood up. When I pressed down, Ian sat down quietly, looking puzzled.
"Why does the smell of blood come from you so strongly, Little Duke?"
"I used the sword roughly and a lot of blood splattered. Now wash it off-."
Ian stopped talking because I touched his face.
As I was about to walk down his broad shoulders, past his hair soaked in blood and his chiseled features, he grabbed my hand.
"What are you trying to check?"
"Let go."
"..."
"Please let go."
Ian reluctantly let go of my hand. My fingertips trailed down the muscle of his upper arm, finally reaching the wound.
"You said you weren't hurt."
"..."
"Did you think it would be easy to fool me because I can't see?"
"...No. I don't want to worry Young lady..."
"Go wash up and come back. I'll treat you."
"I will do it."
"No, I don't believe you. I don't think you'll answer like that and then do it."
"..Yes, I'll do as you say, so please take care of yourself."
"Please wash up and come to this room. I told you clearly."
"Yes. I understand."
When I came out of the bathroom after washing up, Rahon, who had been on the floor, was lying on the bed. Ian had washed him and moved him.
"It smells like soap. Have you washed up already?"
He took my hand silently and placed it on his arm. The wound was wrapped with a clean cloth.
"I treated it and bandaged it. I'm sorry I lied to you."
"...I said I would treat you."
"You hate the smell of blood."
"..."
"Are you very angry?"
I was never angry at Ian from the beginning.
I wonder if I'm mad at myself for not being able to do anything for the person who saved my life twice.
I shuddered at my own weakness. At the same time, I was scared. It seemed like nothing had changed even though I had gone back in time.
"What are you two doing?"
At that moment, Kalit, who had just finished bathing, stuck his face into the bedroom.
He was wearing a light-knit top with his sleeves rolled up. His black hair was damp and not completely dry.
"His Highness the First Prince."
I lowered my head calmly. I could already tell by the sound of his footsteps that he was coming up.
"Hmm? You don't seem all that surprised."
"I heard from the little Duke that you helped us."
"I came here to take refuge because the capital was too hot, and strange men were surrounding the villa. I was lucky."
Even though he knew that there was an assassin sent by Oslo, his tone of speaking as if he were a villain was clearly intended to bury it quietly.
"I have been greatly indebted to Your Majesty."
"Pay it back, then."
"... Yes?"
"I'm planning to stay here for a few days. Come play with me during that time."
Kalit smiled, her eyes curling into crescent moon shapes. The dry tone of his voice, which had been present until he spoke to Ian, was hidden behind that sweet smile.
When I saw Kalit, I felt sorry for him. I thought that I didn't care if he was a devil as long as I could pay for my sins in my past life. But now I'm a little curious. Which one is this man's true self?
"Your Highness, it's too late. Go to sleep and we'll talk tomorrow."
Kalit nodded at Ian's suggestion.
"I'm already tired because I haven't moved around in a while. Where should I sleep?"
You're being so polite in front of me. Do you want to keep your relationship with Oan a secret?
"Your Highness, please give the priest's bedroom to His Highness. I will stay by Rahon's side."
"I will do it."
"Then should I sleep in the living room?"
Kalit and Ian shut their mouths. They looked quite displeased, but there was no other way.
Because you can't let a woman sleep in a place where anyone can come and go, and you can't let a Prince sleep on the floor.
Ian and Carlt hesitated for a while, then when I started to look sleepy, they went back to their respective beds.
I sat on a chair next to the bed where Rahon was sleeping.
"Phew..."
Suddenly, my hands started to feel numb. I realized later that I had been clenching my fists so hard that my joints were aching.
As I forced my frozen fingers to straighten, the tips of my fingers began to tremble.
I almost lost someone precious again because of Oslo.
I buried my face in the bed, almost screaming. I clutched the sheets so hard that they almost tore.
The Emperor and Kalit intended to handle this incident quietly, but I had no intention of doing so.
It is obviously important that Kalit be crowned Crown Prince.
Being a Crown Prince doesn't necessarily mean you become the Emperor, but it does mean that Oslo is no longer in the line of succession.
It also roughly matched my goal of changing the future.
'That's not enough anymore.'
Oslo killed me and my family in my last life, and in this life, he is trying to take my life and the lives of those around me.
I don't feel satisfied even if I can't keep him from entering the royal family, so you want to bury it quietly?
No way.
"Ha..."
I looked at Rahon while taking a slow, deep breath.
As I focused on the low breathing sounds he was making, my heart, which had been beating so fiercely, slowly found its pace.
"It hurt a lot."
"..."
"I'll protect you next time."
As the tension eased, drowsiness came over me. I fell asleep while holding onto Rahon's finger tightly.
So I didn't see him open his eyes.
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