The atmosphere at the Shattonil royal court was more chaotic than ever after Princess Resilia returned with her elite knights.
“How is the Princess’s condition?”
Prince Tesla encountered the palace doctor coming out of his examination room in front of Princess Resilia's bedroom door.
“Fortunately, everything else is fine.”
“What are the chances that the Emperor will notice?”
“It may differ from person to person, but if the Princess drinks the potion I will prescribe just before her wedding night, she will be able to avoid suspicion on the day of her wedding night.”
“I will give instructions shortly, so be prepared to make the potion right away.”
“I will do so, Your Highness.”
“Yeah. Oh, and the palace.”
Prince Tesla opened the door to Princess Resilia's bedroom, then looked back at the palace and asked seriously.
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Is there any such thing as a potion that will make her stronger?”
“What are you talking about..."
When the palace doctor asked in confusion, Prince Tesla gestured to the princess's bedroom door and said.
“It’s a medicine that makes her able to distinguish right from wrong and make her head work better.”
“A potion like that... is beyond my ability.”
The palace doctor realized why Prince Tesla was asking such a question and answered with a smile.
“I can’t help it. You worked hard.”
Prince Tesla sighed deeply and entered the bedroom.
“Let’s all step out for a moment.”
He sent out all of Princess Lesilia's attendants who were in the bedroom. The Princess turned to her side, pulling the blanket over her face as she looked at her brother's unkind gaze.
“Resilia, sit up.”
Princess Resilia did not budge at Prince Tesla's words.
"Hurry."
"No."
“Shouldn’t we be talking about that stupid thing you did?”
“Aren’t you going out?”
I asked Linel, looking at the edge of the tub, who seemed to have no intention of getting up.
“A cold woman.”
Linel muttered softly and splashed water on my face.
“Ah.”
You had a lot of fun splashing water on me.
“I was going to go now.”
“Your clothes are very wet. Would you like to put on my robe and go? The attendants following you might misunderstand.”
I seriously suggested it because I was worried about his wet ass.
“Wow, that’s really considerate.”
He crushed my sincerity in one breath.
“Why? Why don’t you just lend me a dress? So that my legs won’t get cold.”
“Well, since the shame will be on the servants anyway, that’s not a bad thing.”
I finally said with a laugh. My fearless laughter echoed through the bathroom. Linel also seemed to be twitching his face, but when our eyes met, he quickly changed his expression and forced a frown.
“But you know, when the Emperor leaves, you’re the only one in the world who would sit comfortably like that and send him off without even saying goodbye.”
Oops, Linel's words made me feel polite towards the Emperor who had left the house for a moment. I quickly bent forward to get out of the bathtub, but then realized my reality and sat down again.
“How is the Princess’s condition?”
Prince Tesla encountered the palace doctor coming out of his examination room in front of Princess Resilia's bedroom door.
“Fortunately, everything else is fine.”
“What are the chances that the Emperor will notice?”
“It may differ from person to person, but if the Princess drinks the potion I will prescribe just before her wedding night, she will be able to avoid suspicion on the day of her wedding night.”
“I will give instructions shortly, so be prepared to make the potion right away.”
“I will do so, Your Highness.”
“Yeah. Oh, and the palace.”
Prince Tesla opened the door to Princess Resilia's bedroom, then looked back at the palace and asked seriously.
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Is there any such thing as a potion that will make her stronger?”
“What are you talking about..."
When the palace doctor asked in confusion, Prince Tesla gestured to the princess's bedroom door and said.
“It’s a medicine that makes her able to distinguish right from wrong and make her head work better.”
“A potion like that... is beyond my ability.”
The palace doctor realized why Prince Tesla was asking such a question and answered with a smile.
“I can’t help it. You worked hard.”
Prince Tesla sighed deeply and entered the bedroom.
“Let’s all step out for a moment.”
He sent out all of Princess Lesilia's attendants who were in the bedroom. The Princess turned to her side, pulling the blanket over her face as she looked at her brother's unkind gaze.
“Resilia, sit up.”
Princess Resilia did not budge at Prince Tesla's words.
"Hurry."
"No."
“Shouldn’t we be talking about that stupid thing you did?”
“Eeeee, I can’t hear you, I can’t hear you...”
Princess Resilia muttered, covering her ears with both hands.
“This is completely out of your mind. How dare you run away right before the wedding of the Emperor of Lapion? How could you do something so reckless!”
“Huh, why did I do that? Was it my brother who did it?”
Princess Resilia, who had been covered with a blanket, sat up in anger at Prince Tesla's words.
"What?"
“I never said I would marry Emperor Lapion!”
“So you’re going to disappear with a guy who doesn’t even know his origin?”
“Watch what you say! Even though he comes from humble origins, he’s smarter than my brother.”
“Resilia, are you still out of your mind? Do you want to go against that mercenary now?”
"What?"
“You were the one who abandoned that mercenary and followed the Royal Knights after living on the run for so long. Do you understand? Oh, let’s stop talking.”
Prince Tesla sat down on the bed and pressed his hands to his temples.
“Wouldn’t it have been hard for me, who had lived as a Princess my whole life, to suddenly live like a commoner? Of course, why would I do that?”
“If you knew so well, why did you run away with that rascal who had no personality in the first place? Did you think it would be as comfortable as royal life?”
“I thought I would be happy just by looking at the handsome Norton face... Hu, hu hu hu!”
Princess Resilia pursed her lips and sobbed, then finally burst into tears.
“Don’t cry. You’re getting old. Your face is already hurting. Tsk.”
“Yeah, I shouldn’t cry. I'll get ugly wrinkles on my face. Wait, what was I trying to say earlier? Oh, that’s right!”
The princess, who had stopped crying, tapped her eyes with her fingertips and glared at Prince Tesla again.
“And, I couldn’t help it because my stomach was already full!”
Princess Lesilia was already pregnant before she ran away with Norton. If she had given birth in the royal palace, the baby and even Norton would certainly not have been safe.
“So? Look, neither of them is next to you right now! How pathetic.”
Prince Tesla snorted and sat up from his seat on the bed. The Princess, who had been bowing her head, raised it again.
“Brother!”
"Why."
“That day... you just let Norton and the kid go, right? The Knight Commander said he would do that. Right?”
Prince Tesla hesitated for a moment. How could he have dared to let go of a mercenary who had run away in the middle of the night with the Princess of the Shattonil Kingdom?
"Yes..."
He couldn't tell his sister that Norton had fallen off the cliff while fighting the Knights. The same could be said of the child the Princess had given birth to eight months later.
Princess Resilia muttered, covering her ears with both hands.
“This is completely out of your mind. How dare you run away right before the wedding of the Emperor of Lapion? How could you do something so reckless!”
“Huh, why did I do that? Was it my brother who did it?”
Princess Resilia, who had been covered with a blanket, sat up in anger at Prince Tesla's words.
"What?"
“I never said I would marry Emperor Lapion!”
“So you’re going to disappear with a guy who doesn’t even know his origin?”
“Watch what you say! Even though he comes from humble origins, he’s smarter than my brother.”
“Resilia, are you still out of your mind? Do you want to go against that mercenary now?”
"What?"
“You were the one who abandoned that mercenary and followed the Royal Knights after living on the run for so long. Do you understand? Oh, let’s stop talking.”
Prince Tesla sat down on the bed and pressed his hands to his temples.
“Wouldn’t it have been hard for me, who had lived as a Princess my whole life, to suddenly live like a commoner? Of course, why would I do that?”
“If you knew so well, why did you run away with that rascal who had no personality in the first place? Did you think it would be as comfortable as royal life?”
“I thought I would be happy just by looking at the handsome Norton face... Hu, hu hu hu!”
Princess Resilia pursed her lips and sobbed, then finally burst into tears.
“Don’t cry. You’re getting old. Your face is already hurting. Tsk.”
“Yeah, I shouldn’t cry. I'll get ugly wrinkles on my face. Wait, what was I trying to say earlier? Oh, that’s right!”
The princess, who had stopped crying, tapped her eyes with her fingertips and glared at Prince Tesla again.
“And, I couldn’t help it because my stomach was already full!”
Princess Lesilia was already pregnant before she ran away with Norton. If she had given birth in the royal palace, the baby and even Norton would certainly not have been safe.
“So? Look, neither of them is next to you right now! How pathetic.”
Prince Tesla snorted and sat up from his seat on the bed. The Princess, who had been bowing her head, raised it again.
“Brother!”
"Why."
“That day... you just let Norton and the kid go, right? The Knight Commander said he would do that. Right?”
Prince Tesla hesitated for a moment. How could he have dared to let go of a mercenary who had run away in the middle of the night with the Princess of the Shattonil Kingdom?
"Yes..."
He couldn't tell his sister that Norton had fallen off the cliff while fighting the Knights. The same could be said of the child the Princess had given birth to eight months later.
***
“Aren’t you going out?”
I asked Linel, looking at the edge of the tub, who seemed to have no intention of getting up.
“A cold woman.”
Linel muttered softly and splashed water on my face.
“Ah.”
You had a lot of fun splashing water on me.
“I was going to go now.”
“Your clothes are very wet. Would you like to put on my robe and go? The attendants following you might misunderstand.”
I seriously suggested it because I was worried about his wet ass.
“Wow, that’s really considerate.”
He crushed my sincerity in one breath.
“Why? Why don’t you just lend me a dress? So that my legs won’t get cold.”
“Well, since the shame will be on the servants anyway, that’s not a bad thing.”
I finally said with a laugh. My fearless laughter echoed through the bathroom. Linel also seemed to be twitching his face, but when our eyes met, he quickly changed his expression and forced a frown.
“But you know, when the Emperor leaves, you’re the only one in the world who would sit comfortably like that and send him off without even saying goodbye.”
Oops, Linel's words made me feel polite towards the Emperor who had left the house for a moment. I quickly bent forward to get out of the bathtub, but then realized my reality and sat down again.
Oops, I'm naked. The sound of water rubbing against the bathtub was loud. Because of that, a lot of water splashed on him who was still sitting at the edge of the bathtub, or to be exact, on his pants. It was already too late to handle the situation, and he was already too wet. A large earthquake occurred in Linel's pupils. My pupils trembled as well as I watched him.
"...Ah!"
I stopped as I reached out my hands to him, letting out a slow, one-beat scream.
“What is this…? Are they telling me to go and freeze to death?”
Linel now looked down at his wet pants, which looked to anyone who saw them as a real embarrassment.
“Then see you tomorrow. If I’m okay.”
He finally lifted his butt off the edge of the tub and stood up.
"...Ah!"
I stopped as I reached out my hands to him, letting out a slow, one-beat scream.
“What is this…? Are they telling me to go and freeze to death?”
Linel now looked down at his wet pants, which looked to anyone who saw them as a real embarrassment.
“Then see you tomorrow. If I’m okay.”
He finally lifted his butt off the edge of the tub and stood up.
“Your Majesty... I can’t go far. Please be careful on your way back.”
I greeted Linel in a timid voice. He looked back at me with a frown on his face.
“Zelda, are you really going to just let me go... Huh, huh?”
His body swayed violently.
"Be careful!"
In a split second, the water in the bathtub gushed out like a fountain with a splashing sound and then disappeared. And before my eyes.
“Your Majesty, Your Majesty...?!”
There was a man who looked like a drowned rat. There is no rat as handsome as that anywhere in the world.
“Ouch, floor!”
He shouted, pointing to the floor with his hand.
“Huh? Soap bar, the floor?”
“Who left soap on the bathroom floor.”
He said, wiping his wet face elegantly. I quickly pulled my face out of the bathtub and looked down at the floor. The soap I had used before he came into the bathroom was horribly crushed on the floor. That was a really precious soap...
I greeted Linel in a timid voice. He looked back at me with a frown on his face.
“Zelda, are you really going to just let me go... Huh, huh?”
His body swayed violently.
"Be careful!"
In a split second, the water in the bathtub gushed out like a fountain with a splashing sound and then disappeared. And before my eyes.
“Your Majesty, Your Majesty...?!”
There was a man who looked like a drowned rat. There is no rat as handsome as that anywhere in the world.
“Ouch, floor!”
He shouted, pointing to the floor with his hand.
“Huh? Soap bar, the floor?”
“Who left soap on the bathroom floor.”
He said, wiping his wet face elegantly. I quickly pulled my face out of the bathtub and looked down at the floor. The soap I had used before he came into the bathroom was horribly crushed on the floor. That was a really precious soap...
When I left the Shattonil Palace, Bonis, who was sharing a room with me, had secretly taken one from the royal bathroom storage and put it in my luggage. As for this soap, it was a rare soap that left a faint lavender scent all over my body even if I used it in the morning. Haa, what a waste.
“If you fell, why did you fall into the bathtub?”
I looked at him with a look of deliberateness and asked.
“I’m sorry. You left the soap on the floor.”
“It was my fault... right? I’m sorry.”
“If you fell, why did you fall into the bathtub?”
I looked at him with a look of deliberateness and asked.
“I’m sorry. You left the soap on the floor.”
“It was my fault... right? I’m sorry.”
“And I was the one who fell safely into the bathtub, so I felt bad about that too.”
"... Yes?"
“I should have slipped on the floor and cracked my head, right? Isn’t that right?”
“I was careless. Please forgive me.”
At the intimidating sound of Linel's voice, I slowly lowered my eyes that had been glancing at him.
“I didn’t know I’d get this wet, but since it’s like this... I guess I have to do it.”
"... Yes?"
“I should have slipped on the floor and cracked my head, right? Isn’t that right?”
“I was careless. Please forgive me.”
At the intimidating sound of Linel's voice, I slowly lowered my eyes that had been glancing at him.
“I didn’t know I’d get this wet, but since it’s like this... I guess I have to do it.”
“What?”
“Take a bath.”
Suddenly, my body felt hot. At the same time, the temperature of the water in the bathtub also rose. At Linel's declaration that we would bathe together, my blood flowed quickly from head to toe.
Suddenly, my body felt hot. At the same time, the temperature of the water in the bathtub also rose. At Linel's declaration that we would bathe together, my blood flowed quickly from head to toe.
“Did you happen to put a thermal stone in the bathtub? The water seems to be getting hotter.”
Linel tapped the bottom of the bathtub with both hands, searching for the thermal magic stone that wasn't there yet.
“Linel? That’s my foot.”
“Oh, really? Then is this it?”
“That’s my knee.”
“I see.”
“There’s nothing in the bathtub.”
“Really? There’s no thermal magic stone inside? How could that be...?”
He was waving his hands around and accidentally touched the side of my thigh.
“No, I said it all!”
I answered with my teeth clenched.
“Oh, I apologize. It’s a bit too soft for a thermal energy stone.”
“Did you do it on purpose?”
“Would it make you feel better if I said no?”
Linel sat down in the bathtub and asked with a smirk.
“...In the end, my clothes got wet.”
“Yes, what should I do with this?”
I sighed as I looked at his face, which seemed to have some kind of hidden agenda.
“Surely they wouldn’t just strip a naked person naked and kick them out?”
Aha, so that's what you wanted to say?
“I don’t think my face matches that color well enough to wear your gown.”
He pointed to an antler-shaped coat rack against one wall of the bathroom. A pink silk robe hung on the rack.
“Told the servants to bring you clothes...”
“It’s late at night. They need to get some rest too. Don’t they? They already have a reputation as tyrants.”
Linel suddenly spoke in a kind tone.
“This tyrant wants to exploit you during the day, but let you rest at night.”
He placed one hand on his chest and smiled languidly.
“By the way, why does water maintain its temperature?”
He tilted his head, scooping up the steaming bathtub water with both hands.
“It seems like it’s getting even hotter?”
“It’s probably because the water was so hot from the start...”
I couldn't tell him the truth, so I had no choice but to beat around the bush. But his face changed into an expression that showed even more incomprehension.
“Even so, when I get into the bathtub, the hot water cools down quickly. The water temperature drops to the point where it almost turns into ice.”
"...Ah."
“So, I can’t stay in the bathtub for too long...”
He looked at the steam rising above the bathtub with a curious look and then looked at me sitting in front of him with a strange look.
“Zelda, is it really because your heart is so warm?”
He asked the question and then immediately shook his head to correct himself.
“No, but there’s no way the water would stay warm like this forever, that’s really strange.”
Aha, Linel's curse would be an advantage in the summer. It would be much cooler to be next to him in the hot summer. We had something that each other absolutely needed. Look at it now. If he hadn't fallen into the bathtub a moment ago, the water would have been hot enough to burn me by now. I often used this phenomenon. When something made me angry, I would soak in the bathtub and when the water temperature started to rise, I would put two raw eggs in the bathtub. The eggs would be deliciously soft-boiled by the time I finished bathing. Those who haven't tried it won't know the joy of eating boiled eggs after bathing. It would be hard to expect boiled eggs if you bathed with Linel. He closed his eyes tightly and leaned back against the bathtub.
“Haaah... Good. I stopped by the training hall before coming to the Empress’s Palace.”
“Was it so?”
Hearing that, I also felt the urge to go to the martial arts studio. I looked down at my hands. As I imagined swinging a sword, my hands began to tremble as if I were experiencing withdrawal symptoms. Later, I should ask Sharon where the martial arts studio in the palace is.
“Yeah, it feels like all the muscles that were tense from swordsmanship are loosening up.”
Linel's expression looked so relaxed that all his fatigue seemed to have disappeared. Seeing that, I couldn't tell him to get out of the bathtub quickly. In the end, I just waited for him to open his eyes again, admiring his moist face appearing and disappearing through the steam. But after a while, I couldn't see him sitting across from me.
Linel tapped the bottom of the bathtub with both hands, searching for the thermal magic stone that wasn't there yet.
“Linel? That’s my foot.”
“Oh, really? Then is this it?”
“That’s my knee.”
“I see.”
“There’s nothing in the bathtub.”
“Really? There’s no thermal magic stone inside? How could that be...?”
He was waving his hands around and accidentally touched the side of my thigh.
“No, I said it all!”
I answered with my teeth clenched.
“Oh, I apologize. It’s a bit too soft for a thermal energy stone.”
“Did you do it on purpose?”
“Would it make you feel better if I said no?”
Linel sat down in the bathtub and asked with a smirk.
“...In the end, my clothes got wet.”
“Yes, what should I do with this?”
I sighed as I looked at his face, which seemed to have some kind of hidden agenda.
“Surely they wouldn’t just strip a naked person naked and kick them out?”
Aha, so that's what you wanted to say?
“I don’t think my face matches that color well enough to wear your gown.”
He pointed to an antler-shaped coat rack against one wall of the bathroom. A pink silk robe hung on the rack.
“Told the servants to bring you clothes...”
“It’s late at night. They need to get some rest too. Don’t they? They already have a reputation as tyrants.”
Linel suddenly spoke in a kind tone.
“This tyrant wants to exploit you during the day, but let you rest at night.”
He placed one hand on his chest and smiled languidly.
“By the way, why does water maintain its temperature?”
He tilted his head, scooping up the steaming bathtub water with both hands.
“It seems like it’s getting even hotter?”
“It’s probably because the water was so hot from the start...”
I couldn't tell him the truth, so I had no choice but to beat around the bush. But his face changed into an expression that showed even more incomprehension.
“Even so, when I get into the bathtub, the hot water cools down quickly. The water temperature drops to the point where it almost turns into ice.”
"...Ah."
“So, I can’t stay in the bathtub for too long...”
He looked at the steam rising above the bathtub with a curious look and then looked at me sitting in front of him with a strange look.
“Zelda, is it really because your heart is so warm?”
He asked the question and then immediately shook his head to correct himself.
“No, but there’s no way the water would stay warm like this forever, that’s really strange.”
Aha, Linel's curse would be an advantage in the summer. It would be much cooler to be next to him in the hot summer. We had something that each other absolutely needed. Look at it now. If he hadn't fallen into the bathtub a moment ago, the water would have been hot enough to burn me by now. I often used this phenomenon. When something made me angry, I would soak in the bathtub and when the water temperature started to rise, I would put two raw eggs in the bathtub. The eggs would be deliciously soft-boiled by the time I finished bathing. Those who haven't tried it won't know the joy of eating boiled eggs after bathing. It would be hard to expect boiled eggs if you bathed with Linel. He closed his eyes tightly and leaned back against the bathtub.
“Haaah... Good. I stopped by the training hall before coming to the Empress’s Palace.”
“Was it so?”
Hearing that, I also felt the urge to go to the martial arts studio. I looked down at my hands. As I imagined swinging a sword, my hands began to tremble as if I were experiencing withdrawal symptoms. Later, I should ask Sharon where the martial arts studio in the palace is.
“Yeah, it feels like all the muscles that were tense from swordsmanship are loosening up.”
Linel's expression looked so relaxed that all his fatigue seemed to have disappeared. Seeing that, I couldn't tell him to get out of the bathtub quickly. In the end, I just waited for him to open his eyes again, admiring his moist face appearing and disappearing through the steam. But after a while, I couldn't see him sitting across from me.
Support Novellate!
Comments
Post a Comment