“You went into the training hall and didn’t come out... I thought you had a guest.”
The man stared at my face and answered Commander Macrom.
“My name is Norton Asalman of the Parsha Empire.”
He was the first to reveal his identity. Oh, this is the Third Prince. But why did he arrive in the Lapion Empire so early? There is still a week left until the arrival of the dignitaries from each country.
“Hello, Your Highness.”
As I greeted Prince Norton and took a look around, Commander Macrom came forward and introduced me to him.
“This is Sir Bonis, in charge of Her Majesty the Empress’s escort.”
“Aha? Sir Bonis...”
Prince Norton's eyes looked like someone who knew my identity. But that couldn't be true. Prince Norton and I had clearly met for the first time.
“Macrom, I was wondering who you were talking to...”
Prince Norton trailed off, the corners of his lips rising softly as he trailed off. The situation was truly difficult. Even if I were to become the Empress’s escort knight today, my true identity would be revealed when I formally meet Prince Norton with Linel tomorrow...
“Have you finished worrying about whether or not you should get rid of me?”
A playfulness flashed through Prince Norton's purple eyes... How did you know?
“What, what do you mean by that?”
I glanced at Commander Macrom, whose gaze was unclear, and asked Prince Norton.
“I was wondering if you were looking down at the sword.”
The Prince smiled with an incomprehensible smile.
“How dare I have such impure thoughts toward the Prince of the Parsha Empire!”
I swallowed hard and answered back.
“Hahaha, I’m nervous. The Crown prince was joking.”
As Commander Macrom interrupted with a hearty laugh, Prince Norton also burst into laughter.
“Yes, I’m joking. Actually, I recently had a near-death experience, so I’m very sensitive to the other person’s life force....”
His words sounded meaningful. He died and came back to life? Why?
“Did you have any bad accidents recently?”
I asked him the question out of simple curiosity.
“Here, I got hit hard here.”
Prince Norton responded by hitting the back of his head with his palm. I was confused as to whether he meant that he had been really hit in the back of the head by someone, or if he meant that he had been betrayed indirectly. Either way, it didn’t seem like a very good memory, so I didn’t ask any more questions.
“But, Prince, why do you speak so politely to Sir Bonis?”
Commander Macrom asked him with a questioning tone. After listening to Commander Macrom, I realized that the Prince was speaking to me in a respectful tone. No matter how much of a knight I was the escort of a foreign Empress, it was strange for anyone to see a member of the royal family always speak to me in a respectful tone. And he was even speaking to the captain of the knights, Macrom, in a condescending tone.
“Well, why is that?”
Prince Norton answered vaguely, holding back a laugh.
“Is it because you feel that the energy is unusual? Well, that’s what I felt when I first saw this guy.”
Commander Macrom said, patting my shoulder with his thick hand.
“If you could see Bonis... right now, you would know why I’m doing this. What a pity.”
Damn, does Prince Norton really know my identity?
“Your Majesty may not know of my existence, but I have seen you several times in the royal palace.”
“...Where? At the Shattonil Royal Palace?!”
Unlike me, whose face was frozen in embarrassment, Prince Norton nodded with a relaxed expression.
“There are so many people in the royal family, how can you remember me...?”
I tried to remain calm, but the tension was already evident in my tone.
“No, more to that. Why did you visit the Shattonil royal palace?”
I fired a barrage of questions at Prince Norton.
“I had a corps of mercenary knights hired by the royal family.”
"Aha!"
The Shattonil royal family once called in a group of mercenary knights specializing in monsters to eliminate the troublesome first-class monsters that were destroying diamond ore. But why was Prince Norton among the mercenary knights?
“When a power struggle broke out in my home country, the Empire of Parsha, I left the empire, hid my identity, joined a mercenary knighthood, and wandered around various places until I ended up in the Kingdom of Shattonil.”
“Oh, I see. Sorry, I didn’t recognize you.”
“No. You don’t know me since we’ve never met before.”
Prince Norton waved one hand and laughed.
“Then what should Your Highness do with me...”
“I happened to see Your Majesty the Empress by myself near the valley where I often go for walks.”
“That valley, by any chance?!”
Prince Norton's words sent sweat running down my back.
“Yes, the Poiden Valley, close to the royal palace.”
If you saw me there... You saw what I did in the water?
“I heard the news of your becoming Empress a while ago from a friend I’ve made from the Kingdom of Shattonil.”
Prince Norton paused for a moment and answered seriously.
“Is he from Shattonil? Is he a noble? Since you know that I came to the Lapion Empire as an Empress.”
“Yes, he is a great nobleman.”
He nodded slightly.
“Then why did you pretend not to know me at the training camp?”
“It seems that Commander Macrom is still unaware of Your Majesty the Empress’s existence. That must mean that Your Majesty must keep your attendance at the martial arts training ground a secret from His Majesty.”
"Thank you."
“Don’t worry. I’m used to hiding my identity, so I completely understand.”
Prince Norton smiled softly and started walking again. There is a secret bigger than that secret to me... I looked down at the ground and smiled bitterly for a moment. This time, I stopped walking as I approached the backyard of the Empress’s Palace.
“Your Highness, I have a favor to ask.”
“Yes, I’ll do that.”
“...Yes? Without even listening to what I’m asking you to do?”
“Isn’t that a request, please, to pretend not to know anything even in front of His Majesty?”
"That's right..."
It seemed that Prince Norton was good at mind reading.
“Yes, then. Come on in. There seems to be a servant waiting at the back door.”
As Prince Norton had said, Sharon's face was poking out from the back door of the laundry room.
“Thank you for today. See you tomorrow... Ah!”
I was greeting him with sincere gratitude when Prince Norton suddenly covered my mouth with his hand and pushed me against the corner wall of the Empress's Palace building. Then he put his index finger on his lips and looked at me.
“!”
As I nodded, he turned his back to me as if trying to hide me. Prince Norton's broad back and dark blond hair came into view. A few seconds later, the voices of guards could be heard from somewhere. When the sound disappeared, Prince Norton turned to me again and whispered.
“It was dangerous.”
“That, that’s right...”
“I almost broke my promise to keep your access to the training ground a secret.”
“Thank you very much. Well, I’ll see you tomorrow, Your Highness.”
I greeted him again with a puzzled face.
“Yes. When we meet again tomorrow, please greet me warmly as if it were the first time we met.”
Prince Norton kissed the back of my hand and leisurely disappeared.
My voice was a whisper, but his shoulders were shaken hard on purpose. He flinched and opened his eyes with difficulty. In the meantime, I climbed onto his thighs.
“Zelda, what are you doing...?”
His sleepy blue eyes looked up at me in surprise.
The man stared at my face and answered Commander Macrom.
“My name is Norton Asalman of the Parsha Empire.”
He was the first to reveal his identity. Oh, this is the Third Prince. But why did he arrive in the Lapion Empire so early? There is still a week left until the arrival of the dignitaries from each country.
“Hello, Your Highness.”
As I greeted Prince Norton and took a look around, Commander Macrom came forward and introduced me to him.
“This is Sir Bonis, in charge of Her Majesty the Empress’s escort.”
“Aha? Sir Bonis...”
Prince Norton's eyes looked like someone who knew my identity. But that couldn't be true. Prince Norton and I had clearly met for the first time.
“Macrom, I was wondering who you were talking to...”
Prince Norton trailed off, the corners of his lips rising softly as he trailed off. The situation was truly difficult. Even if I were to become the Empress’s escort knight today, my true identity would be revealed when I formally meet Prince Norton with Linel tomorrow...
What should I do? But revealing that I was the Empress of the Lapion Empire right away wasn’t a good idea either. Since Commander Macrom had introduced me as an escort knight, it would have been strange to immediately say that I was the Empress. How should I deal with this?
My mind was in turmoil, with no solution in mind. Prince Norton has already seen my face... I bit my lower lip and looked down at the sword in my hand, then raised my head again because I felt like I had been avoiding Prince Norton’s gaze for too long.
“Have you finished worrying about whether or not you should get rid of me?”
A playfulness flashed through Prince Norton's purple eyes... How did you know?
Just a moment ago, looking down at the sword, I thought, 'If I could just get rid of Prince Norton, my presence in the training grounds would no longer be known.' So I briefly seriously considered getting rid of him, but gave up, and then he saw right through my mind. It was a strange thing.
“What, what do you mean by that?”
I glanced at Commander Macrom, whose gaze was unclear, and asked Prince Norton.
“I was wondering if you were looking down at the sword.”
The Prince smiled with an incomprehensible smile.
“How dare I have such impure thoughts toward the Prince of the Parsha Empire!”
I swallowed hard and answered back.
“Hahaha, I’m nervous. The Crown prince was joking.”
As Commander Macrom interrupted with a hearty laugh, Prince Norton also burst into laughter.
“Yes, I’m joking. Actually, I recently had a near-death experience, so I’m very sensitive to the other person’s life force....”
His words sounded meaningful. He died and came back to life? Why?
“Did you have any bad accidents recently?”
I asked him the question out of simple curiosity.
“Here, I got hit hard here.”
Prince Norton responded by hitting the back of his head with his palm. I was confused as to whether he meant that he had been really hit in the back of the head by someone, or if he meant that he had been betrayed indirectly. Either way, it didn’t seem like a very good memory, so I didn’t ask any more questions.
“But, Prince, why do you speak so politely to Sir Bonis?”
Commander Macrom asked him with a questioning tone. After listening to Commander Macrom, I realized that the Prince was speaking to me in a respectful tone. No matter how much of a knight I was the escort of a foreign Empress, it was strange for anyone to see a member of the royal family always speak to me in a respectful tone. And he was even speaking to the captain of the knights, Macrom, in a condescending tone.
“Well, why is that?”
Prince Norton answered vaguely, holding back a laugh.
“Is it because you feel that the energy is unusual? Well, that’s what I felt when I first saw this guy.”
Commander Macrom said, patting my shoulder with his thick hand.
“If you could see Bonis... right now, you would know why I’m doing this. What a pity.”
Damn, does Prince Norton really know my identity?
My nerves were starting to get tense. But even if he knew my identity, I didn't think he would reveal it to Commander Macrom.
“Why? Is Sir Bonis’ face so grim?”
Commander Macrom asked with a serious tone.
“Why? Is Sir Bonis’ face so grim?”
Commander Macrom asked with a serious tone.
Srrrrung- bang!
Before I knew it, I half-pulled my sword out of its scabbard, then mustered up my patience and put it back.
“Just now... what was that sound?”
Commander Macrom raised one eyebrow nimbly, turned his head towards the Prince, and asked.
“You just came back from the dead.”
Prince Norton smirked and answered the captain.
“Ahem, I think I should go now. Your Highness, you are staying at the villa where the distinguished guests stay, right? If you are heading to the villa, I will escort you. Shall we go together?”
Since my identity would be revealed to Prince Norton tomorrow anyway, I thought it would be best to walk through the cypress forest together and talk to him privately.
“Yes, it is an honor.”
Prince Norton followed me obediently.
“Bonis, I’ll show you around.”
“Yes, sir.”
Commander Macrom continued to look puzzled by the Prince's speech to me but greeted him without asking him any further questions.
“Prince Norton, I’ll see you later. If you need a sparring partner, just call me anytime.”
“Thank you.”
“Just now... what was that sound?”
Commander Macrom raised one eyebrow nimbly, turned his head towards the Prince, and asked.
“You just came back from the dead.”
Prince Norton smirked and answered the captain.
“Ahem, I think I should go now. Your Highness, you are staying at the villa where the distinguished guests stay, right? If you are heading to the villa, I will escort you. Shall we go together?”
Since my identity would be revealed to Prince Norton tomorrow anyway, I thought it would be best to walk through the cypress forest together and talk to him privately.
“Yes, it is an honor.”
Prince Norton followed me obediently.
“Bonis, I’ll show you around.”
“Yes, sir.”
Commander Macrom continued to look puzzled by the Prince's speech to me but greeted him without asking him any further questions.
“Prince Norton, I’ll see you later. If you need a sparring partner, just call me anytime.”
“Thank you.”
***
I'm really uncomfortable, really. I left the training ground with Prince Norton and entered the cypress forest path. I had to talk quickly before arriving at the Empress's Palace, but I couldn't open my mouth. I spoke to him, recalling what Commander Macrom had said earlier.
“Your Highness. If you have arrived in the Lapion Empire today, you have not yet met His Majesty?”
Caw, caw, caw-.
“Your Highness. If you have arrived in the Lapion Empire today, you have not yet met His Majesty?”
Caw, caw, caw-.
After much hesitation, I finally opened my mouth, but a flock of crows was cawing loudly from somewhere. I had an ominous feeling for no reason.
“Yes, I plan to formally request an audience tomorrow and pay my respects. I will also take this opportunity to thank Her Majesty the Empress.”
Prince Norton looked up at the place where the crows were heard and answered.
“Oh, yes... Your Highness, you will also participate in the hunting competition?”
“Yes, I came here because there was a particular animal I wanted to hunt.”
“Oh, what kind of beast is it?”
“It is a very cunning and dangerous beast.”
Prince Norton's voice sounded cold for some reason.
“Dangerous? Well, I heard that there are no monsters in the forests on the northern continent where the hunting competition is held.”
“The ones I came to hunt aren’t monsters. They’re beasts that are harmful to humans, just like monsters...”
What are you saying? Prince Norton seemed reluctant to say anything.
“Of course, Her Majesty the Empress will attend, right?”
“Yes... Yes?”
I answered Prince Norton's question naturally like an idiot and then flinched. Should I just confess the truth at this point?
“Yes, I plan to formally request an audience tomorrow and pay my respects. I will also take this opportunity to thank Her Majesty the Empress.”
Prince Norton looked up at the place where the crows were heard and answered.
“Oh, yes... Your Highness, you will also participate in the hunting competition?”
“Yes, I came here because there was a particular animal I wanted to hunt.”
“Oh, what kind of beast is it?”
“It is a very cunning and dangerous beast.”
Prince Norton's voice sounded cold for some reason.
“Dangerous? Well, I heard that there are no monsters in the forests on the northern continent where the hunting competition is held.”
“The ones I came to hunt aren’t monsters. They’re beasts that are harmful to humans, just like monsters...”
What are you saying? Prince Norton seemed reluctant to say anything.
“Of course, Her Majesty the Empress will attend, right?”
“Yes... Yes?”
I answered Prince Norton's question naturally like an idiot and then flinched. Should I just confess the truth at this point?
Before I knew it, the cypress forest path had ended and we had arrived at a field full of blooming rapeseed flowers. I stared at the Empress's Palace right in front of me, and then slowly turned my head to Prince Norton.
“I... Your Highness.”
“Yes, Your Majesty the Empress.”
“!”
I had no idea... Prince Norton already knew my identity. But when did he know? How did he know my face?
“I... Your Highness.”
“Yes, Your Majesty the Empress.”
“!”
I had no idea... Prince Norton already knew my identity. But when did he know? How did he know my face?
I called Prince Norton over and stared at him in surprise, unable to continue speaking. I needed to confirm once again whether he really knew my identity.
“What did you just... say?”
“What did you just... say?”
“Your Majesty may not know of my existence, but I have seen you several times in the royal palace.”
“...Where? At the Shattonil Royal Palace?!”
Unlike me, whose face was frozen in embarrassment, Prince Norton nodded with a relaxed expression.
“There are so many people in the royal family, how can you remember me...?”
I tried to remain calm, but the tension was already evident in my tone.
“No, more to that. Why did you visit the Shattonil royal palace?”
I fired a barrage of questions at Prince Norton.
“I had a corps of mercenary knights hired by the royal family.”
"Aha!"
The Shattonil royal family once called in a group of mercenary knights specializing in monsters to eliminate the troublesome first-class monsters that were destroying diamond ore. But why was Prince Norton among the mercenary knights?
“When a power struggle broke out in my home country, the Empire of Parsha, I left the empire, hid my identity, joined a mercenary knighthood, and wandered around various places until I ended up in the Kingdom of Shattonil.”
“Oh, I see. Sorry, I didn’t recognize you.”
“No. You don’t know me since we’ve never met before.”
Prince Norton waved one hand and laughed.
“Then what should Your Highness do with me...”
“I happened to see Your Majesty the Empress by myself near the valley where I often go for walks.”
“That valley, by any chance?!”
Prince Norton's words sent sweat running down my back.
“Yes, the Poiden Valley, close to the royal palace.”
If you saw me there... You saw what I did in the water?
I liked to go into the stream sometimes and swing my sword. I enjoyed the feeling of my hand and arm holding the sword being resisted by the current. When my body couldn’t move freely as if I had met a strong opponent and I tried to escape the pressure, my body and the sword would always come up with a new solution. It was a place where I felt a strange pleasure all by myself. I never thought that someone was secretly watching me.
That means... this isn’t the first time you’ve seen me in this state, right?
"...Why?"
I wouldn't have been particularly happy if Prince Norton had spoken to me in the valley, but I was still curious as to why.
“Every time you came out of the valley, your clothes were soaking wet, so I couldn’t bring myself to talk to you.”
“!”
Oh, that's right. Just like Prince Norton said, I was always soaking wet after training in the water. So I changed my clothes as soon as I got out of the water...
“It was spectacular, and many times I wanted to walk up and talk to you, but I couldn't.”
"...Why?"
I wouldn't have been particularly happy if Prince Norton had spoken to me in the valley, but I was still curious as to why.
“Every time you came out of the valley, your clothes were soaking wet, so I couldn’t bring myself to talk to you.”
“!”
Oh, that's right. Just like Prince Norton said, I was always soaking wet after training in the water. So I changed my clothes as soon as I got out of the water...
Huh! Did you see all that?! I rolled my eyes and looked at him without realizing it.
"No."
Prince Norton spoke firmly and immediately as if he knew what I was worried about. He looked at me, still straining his eyes, and immediately added:
“That’s true. At that time, I was also obsessed with something, so I had no reason to watch you change clothes.”
Prince Norton spoke with a faint smile, but it was a smile that seemed somehow melancholy.
“The one you were missing? Oh, do you have a lover?”
Or was there someone he liked in the royal family? Only then did I relax my gaze. The face of Prince Norton, who seemed to be shrouded in mystery, aroused a strange interest.
“Not now.”
Did you break up?
“Anyway, please rest assured, I have never seen a scene like that which Your Majesty the Empress is worried about.”
“Then, Your Highness, the fact that I am the Empress..."
"No."
Prince Norton spoke firmly and immediately as if he knew what I was worried about. He looked at me, still straining his eyes, and immediately added:
“That’s true. At that time, I was also obsessed with something, so I had no reason to watch you change clothes.”
Prince Norton spoke with a faint smile, but it was a smile that seemed somehow melancholy.
“The one you were missing? Oh, do you have a lover?”
Or was there someone he liked in the royal family? Only then did I relax my gaze. The face of Prince Norton, who seemed to be shrouded in mystery, aroused a strange interest.
“Not now.”
Did you break up?
“Anyway, please rest assured, I have never seen a scene like that which Your Majesty the Empress is worried about.”
“Then, Your Highness, the fact that I am the Empress..."
“I heard the news of your becoming Empress a while ago from a friend I’ve made from the Kingdom of Shattonil.”
Prince Norton paused for a moment and answered seriously.
“Is he from Shattonil? Is he a noble? Since you know that I came to the Lapion Empire as an Empress.”
“Yes, he is a great nobleman.”
He nodded slightly.
“Then why did you pretend not to know me at the training camp?”
“It seems that Commander Macrom is still unaware of Your Majesty the Empress’s existence. That must mean that Your Majesty must keep your attendance at the martial arts training ground a secret from His Majesty.”
"Thank you."
“Don’t worry. I’m used to hiding my identity, so I completely understand.”
Prince Norton smiled softly and started walking again. There is a secret bigger than that secret to me... I looked down at the ground and smiled bitterly for a moment. This time, I stopped walking as I approached the backyard of the Empress’s Palace.
“Your Highness, I have a favor to ask.”
“Yes, I’ll do that.”
“...Yes? Without even listening to what I’m asking you to do?”
“Isn’t that a request, please, to pretend not to know anything even in front of His Majesty?”
"That's right..."
It seemed that Prince Norton was good at mind reading.
“Yes, then. Come on in. There seems to be a servant waiting at the back door.”
As Prince Norton had said, Sharon's face was poking out from the back door of the laundry room.
“Thank you for today. See you tomorrow... Ah!”
I was greeting him with sincere gratitude when Prince Norton suddenly covered my mouth with his hand and pushed me against the corner wall of the Empress's Palace building. Then he put his index finger on his lips and looked at me.
“!”
As I nodded, he turned his back to me as if trying to hide me. Prince Norton's broad back and dark blond hair came into view. A few seconds later, the voices of guards could be heard from somewhere. When the sound disappeared, Prince Norton turned to me again and whispered.
“It was dangerous.”
“That, that’s right...”
“I almost broke my promise to keep your access to the training ground a secret.”
“Thank you very much. Well, I’ll see you tomorrow, Your Highness.”
I greeted him again with a puzzled face.
“Yes. When we meet again tomorrow, please greet me warmly as if it were the first time we met.”
Prince Norton kissed the back of my hand and leisurely disappeared.
***
I safely climbed up the stairs connected to the laundry room to the bedroom with Sharon, and after finishing my bath, I collapsed on the bed.
“No matter how much I think about it, I feel like he came here for some purpose...”
I muttered, thinking of Prince Norton. Anyway, I was relieved that he had decided to keep my visit to the training ground a secret from Linel. Lately, my eyes have been closing on their own, perhaps because I haven’t been getting enough sleep.
“No matter how much I think about it, I feel like he came here for some purpose...”
I muttered, thinking of Prince Norton. Anyway, I was relieved that he had decided to keep my visit to the training ground a secret from Linel. Lately, my eyes have been closing on their own, perhaps because I haven’t been getting enough sleep.
***
How long have I slept? What time is it? It felt like it was still dark in the early morning. My eyes opened as I felt refreshed in my sleep. I wondered if the terrace door was open, so I raised my upper body slightly and turned my head toward the terrace.
“Ah, what a surprise... !”
Linel was lying next to me. He was curled up against me and sleeping soundly. When did this man come and sleep so soundly? I loved the way he slept quietly without waking me up. Compared to Linel, I definitely lack consideration. Without realizing it, I started waking him up.
“Linel, wake up...?”
“Ah, what a surprise... !”
Linel was lying next to me. He was curled up against me and sleeping soundly. When did this man come and sleep so soundly? I loved the way he slept quietly without waking me up. Compared to Linel, I definitely lack consideration. Without realizing it, I started waking him up.
“Linel, wake up...?”
My voice was a whisper, but his shoulders were shaken hard on purpose. He flinched and opened his eyes with difficulty. In the meantime, I climbed onto his thighs.
“Zelda, what are you doing...?”
His sleepy blue eyes looked up at me in surprise.
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