I stopped struggling because the voice was familiar. No, it wasn't just familiar. It was a voice I knew very well.
Dmitry Lionel Batistan. The man who has been spreading rumors about my love affair with him lately.
Dmitry slowly released his hand and let me go as if he seemed genuine.
“What the heck, what the heck, what the hell is this? No, how did you even know I was here in the first place?”
A gasp of surprise and a thud came together haphazardly. I wanted to speak more commandingly, but I couldn't calm down quickly. Because I thought something was really going on.
“I came as soon as I heard that Your Highness was here.”
“Who the hell...”
“I am a person who values the honor of ladies, so it is difficult for me to reveal who it is.”
He answered cheerfully.
Thalia. It was clear that this was Thalia. I told her to stay put and not wander around the carriage, but she was clearly wandering around the town, and she met Dmitry.
She really doesn't know how dangerous the world is. I frowned and worried about Thalia, then suddenly looked up at Dmitry.
“What on earth were you doing in this town?”
“It looks heavy, so give it to me first.”
He said, pointing to my backpack.
“I can bring it too.”
“I know.”
“...”
“But I want to bring it.”
“Young master, why?”
“I don’t really want to see the person I like suffer.”
It was a confession that came out so naturally that I couldn't believe my ears. Of course, since it was said by that snobby person, it was also partly because it was unbelievable.
While I was looking at him doubtfully, he cleverly snatched the bag from my arm.
“Didn’t you clearly say last time that it was “until now”?”
“Yes, it was.”
“Have you changed your mind in the meantime?”
“I like cats and dogs too.”
So what this man was saying was that he likes me like a cat or a dog.
I was so shocked that I burst out laughing.
“Here it is. It’s my luggage, I’ll carry it, and I can find my way by myself.”
“You probably don’t have time to do this.”
“What is that...”
“I saw Your Highness’s maid earlier. In front of here. If that maid were to wander around alone and something were to happen, wouldn’t it be a problem?”
Now it was a real threat. Let's see, let's see, this guy clearly wanted to see how far I could go.
I barely held back the urge to throw myself at him right away. I couldn't fight him here.
If the security forces saw even the slightest attempt, the guards would be called, and if the guards came, it was a problem that could also be blushed by the summoning of the Imperial Knights.
The next day, we'll be published side by side on the front page of the newspaper. With a title like 'The Princess and the Marquis' Love Quarrel'.
As I calmed my breathing, he said with a faint smile.
“Then please cooperate obediently.”
I looked at Dmitry with unfamiliar eyes. He seemed to know the geography of this place very well. He showed no signs of the mistakes of someone who is new to this labyrinthine slum.
Usually, you just walk straight along the wall, but he went inside the building and looked for hidden paths and found narrow but quick shortcuts along the sidewalk.
The winding and complicated back alleys felt like they had been unified.
I knew this way. Tilata did it, and if it were George, I would have done it this way too.
I couldn't find the answer to my curiosity, so I leaned close to him and asked.
“Have you been here many times?”
“You still don’t know?”
He answered with a smile.
“What else do I need to know?”
“I must tell you another story about the Marquis Batistan.”
“...How many generations of history does that family have?”
“A family of founding fathers. Probably one of the top five families in the entire empire that are as old as this damned Batistan.”
That's true. I shrugged and got back to the main point.
“So why do you know this place so well?”
“Didn’t I tell you last time that the first Marquis was a traitor from the East?”
“...”
“Emperor Lydrian wanted to leave the East to the Marquis, but he never set foot near the East in his life as a form of atonement. So the other sea he chose, his second home, was the Rilke Strait in the south. In other words, this is the lowest point of the Batistan territory.”
"...Oh."
I had completely forgotten. Even though I memorized the names of the clans and specialties of each region. This is why simple rote memorization education is so ineffective.
Anyway, now I can understand even the parts he didn't say.
Perhaps Dmitry spent his childhood in this small fishing village.
He was officially given the title of son of Marquis of Batistan when he was seven, and before that, he lived with his mother in a slum called Terre-Agent. I guess it's like George to me.
It was only then that I realized that he knew the geography of this place so well.
“I told you to tell me that in advance. I was surprised because of you.”
“Because I have the blood of a traitor in my veins?”
Dmitry's words were about whether he suspected my betrayal.
It was an elegant way of speaking. As is typical of nobles. He never speaks directly, whether with good or bad intentions.
I couldn't answer easily and chose my words. Sure, I had doubted that for a moment. Embarrassed, I coughed and changed the subject.
“...I didn’t say that. So, how far are we now? If we’ve walked this far, it seems like we’re almost there.”
“You are wrong.”
He smiled gently.
“Rather, we moved away from the carriage.”
I just stood there with my eyes wide open.
“You look even cuter when you make such a scary face.”
“What on earth are you planning...”
“There’s no particular ulterior motive. Just, just.”
He took a step closer to me, trailing off. He bent down and whispered in my ear.
“I think I’m too late.”
“...”
“It was an unfair competition from the start, so I’m asking you to give me just half a day more.”
"...Is this a request to you?”
“I am not in a position to be picky about the means and methods.”
As he snapped his fingers, a servant appeared from somewhere and took his luggage.
I looked at the sight in amazement. I had no idea how long they had been following us. But I had a good, half-serious excuse.
“That won’t work, even for Thalia’s sake. I’m worried about her, and Enoch will be waiting too...”
“I sent those two back safely a long time ago.”
“...”
“Your Highness, now there is neither an invitation nor an imperial carriage.”
...There’s no way a person could be this incompetent.
The problem was, damn it, his face was so damn pretty that I couldn't even get mad. I was just a little annoyed.
To be honest, I've seen a lot of these people in back alleys. They look flashy on the outside, but they're rotten on the inside. Getting involved with these people always ends in exhaustion.
So originally, it would have been right to refuse no matter what excuse he made.
I'm currently in the race for the successor, and Lady Veronica has been practicing very hard with both guns and bows since she got here, so this was clearly a joke.
I crossed my arms and grumbled.
“You were threatening Thalia earlier as if something big was going to happen to her...”
“Yes. Actually, it was all an excuse.”
The voice he used to say that was quite affectionate.
The sea breeze suddenly blew between us. Dmitry reached out and gently stroked my disheveled hair.
“I want to be alone with Your Highness today.”
“...You know the competition is in two days, right?”
“There will be a festival in the evening. There will be fireworks. There are only a few hours left, so please bear with me until then.”
“...”
“I won’t dare be greedy anymore.”
Despite saying that he would not be greedy, his eyes were very serious and settled.
His absinthe-colored eyes were often captivating just by looking at them, like a storm that urges and sweeps you into madness.
I finally crossed my arms as if giving up.
“Take the lead.”
To be honest, it wasn't such a good plan for Dmitry and I to go see the village festival together.
In the novel, when two children from a noble family go out to explore the town, they see new things and develop new emotions in an environment different from usual.
For both of us, these back alleys were a very familiar space, especially for me, who had lived in a place like this until just half a year ago.
There was nothing special about the street food. Of course, the southern-style grilled seafood and fruits felt a little unusual, but for the most part, they were the same as those I could find in George.
Cheap stew shops, or trinkets made from imitation stones. All crude, low-quality, and with one or two flaws.
Nevertheless, the feeling of satisfaction that gradually came to me was due to a strange sense of liberation.
Here, there was no one to nag me about my manners, and no Princess to be treated with respect. As proof of this...
“You should go this way, Miss.”
Dmitry was calling me that instead of Your Royal Highness the Princess. I stood there with my arms crossed.
“How long are you going to keep calling me unlucky?”
He burst into laughter.
“Then what should I call it so that it doesn’t bring bad luck?”
“Sasha.”
Sasha. He said it as if he was repeating it to himself. It was a tone that I couldn't tell if it was a soliloquy or a call to me. It was faint and broken.
Suddenly, he stood there with a pitiful expression and looked down at me.
“Somehow I don’t like that name.”
On the topic that I had been calling out vaguely just a moment ago! I got angry and raised my voice a little.
“Why? It’s the best name in the world!”
To be honest, I was proud of my name. It was easy to remember, easy to pronounce, and most importantly, it was the name Olga had given me.
“But isn’t that the name everyone calls you? Today is a day that is reserved for me, so I will call you whatever I want.”
“What are you going to call me?”
“Asha. My princess.”
“...”
“Because no one has called you by that name yet.”
Dmitry Lionel Batistan. The man who has been spreading rumors about my love affair with him lately.
Dmitry slowly released his hand and let me go as if he seemed genuine.
“What the heck, what the heck, what the hell is this? No, how did you even know I was here in the first place?”
A gasp of surprise and a thud came together haphazardly. I wanted to speak more commandingly, but I couldn't calm down quickly. Because I thought something was really going on.
“I came as soon as I heard that Your Highness was here.”
“Who the hell...”
“I am a person who values the honor of ladies, so it is difficult for me to reveal who it is.”
He answered cheerfully.
Thalia. It was clear that this was Thalia. I told her to stay put and not wander around the carriage, but she was clearly wandering around the town, and she met Dmitry.
She really doesn't know how dangerous the world is. I frowned and worried about Thalia, then suddenly looked up at Dmitry.
“What on earth were you doing in this town?”
“It looks heavy, so give it to me first.”
He said, pointing to my backpack.
“I can bring it too.”
“I know.”
“...”
“But I want to bring it.”
“Young master, why?”
“I don’t really want to see the person I like suffer.”
It was a confession that came out so naturally that I couldn't believe my ears. Of course, since it was said by that snobby person, it was also partly because it was unbelievable.
While I was looking at him doubtfully, he cleverly snatched the bag from my arm.
“Didn’t you clearly say last time that it was “until now”?”
“Yes, it was.”
“Have you changed your mind in the meantime?”
“I like cats and dogs too.”
So what this man was saying was that he likes me like a cat or a dog.
I was so shocked that I burst out laughing.
“Here it is. It’s my luggage, I’ll carry it, and I can find my way by myself.”
“You probably don’t have time to do this.”
“What is that...”
“I saw Your Highness’s maid earlier. In front of here. If that maid were to wander around alone and something were to happen, wouldn’t it be a problem?”
Now it was a real threat. Let's see, let's see, this guy clearly wanted to see how far I could go.
I barely held back the urge to throw myself at him right away. I couldn't fight him here.
If the security forces saw even the slightest attempt, the guards would be called, and if the guards came, it was a problem that could also be blushed by the summoning of the Imperial Knights.
The next day, we'll be published side by side on the front page of the newspaper. With a title like 'The Princess and the Marquis' Love Quarrel'.
As I calmed my breathing, he said with a faint smile.
“Then please cooperate obediently.”
***
I looked at Dmitry with unfamiliar eyes. He seemed to know the geography of this place very well. He showed no signs of the mistakes of someone who is new to this labyrinthine slum.
Usually, you just walk straight along the wall, but he went inside the building and looked for hidden paths and found narrow but quick shortcuts along the sidewalk.
The winding and complicated back alleys felt like they had been unified.
I knew this way. Tilata did it, and if it were George, I would have done it this way too.
I couldn't find the answer to my curiosity, so I leaned close to him and asked.
“Have you been here many times?”
“You still don’t know?”
He answered with a smile.
“What else do I need to know?”
“I must tell you another story about the Marquis Batistan.”
“...How many generations of history does that family have?”
“A family of founding fathers. Probably one of the top five families in the entire empire that are as old as this damned Batistan.”
That's true. I shrugged and got back to the main point.
“So why do you know this place so well?”
“Didn’t I tell you last time that the first Marquis was a traitor from the East?”
“...”
“Emperor Lydrian wanted to leave the East to the Marquis, but he never set foot near the East in his life as a form of atonement. So the other sea he chose, his second home, was the Rilke Strait in the south. In other words, this is the lowest point of the Batistan territory.”
"...Oh."
I had completely forgotten. Even though I memorized the names of the clans and specialties of each region. This is why simple rote memorization education is so ineffective.
Anyway, now I can understand even the parts he didn't say.
Perhaps Dmitry spent his childhood in this small fishing village.
He was officially given the title of son of Marquis of Batistan when he was seven, and before that, he lived with his mother in a slum called Terre-Agent. I guess it's like George to me.
It was only then that I realized that he knew the geography of this place so well.
“I told you to tell me that in advance. I was surprised because of you.”
“Because I have the blood of a traitor in my veins?”
Dmitry's words were about whether he suspected my betrayal.
It was an elegant way of speaking. As is typical of nobles. He never speaks directly, whether with good or bad intentions.
I couldn't answer easily and chose my words. Sure, I had doubted that for a moment. Embarrassed, I coughed and changed the subject.
“...I didn’t say that. So, how far are we now? If we’ve walked this far, it seems like we’re almost there.”
“You are wrong.”
He smiled gently.
“Rather, we moved away from the carriage.”
I just stood there with my eyes wide open.
“You look even cuter when you make such a scary face.”
“What on earth are you planning...”
“There’s no particular ulterior motive. Just, just.”
He took a step closer to me, trailing off. He bent down and whispered in my ear.
“I think I’m too late.”
“...”
“It was an unfair competition from the start, so I’m asking you to give me just half a day more.”
"...Is this a request to you?”
“I am not in a position to be picky about the means and methods.”
As he snapped his fingers, a servant appeared from somewhere and took his luggage.
I looked at the sight in amazement. I had no idea how long they had been following us. But I had a good, half-serious excuse.
“That won’t work, even for Thalia’s sake. I’m worried about her, and Enoch will be waiting too...”
“I sent those two back safely a long time ago.”
“...”
“Your Highness, now there is neither an invitation nor an imperial carriage.”
...There’s no way a person could be this incompetent.
The problem was, damn it, his face was so damn pretty that I couldn't even get mad. I was just a little annoyed.
To be honest, I've seen a lot of these people in back alleys. They look flashy on the outside, but they're rotten on the inside. Getting involved with these people always ends in exhaustion.
So originally, it would have been right to refuse no matter what excuse he made.
I'm currently in the race for the successor, and Lady Veronica has been practicing very hard with both guns and bows since she got here, so this was clearly a joke.
I crossed my arms and grumbled.
“You were threatening Thalia earlier as if something big was going to happen to her...”
“Yes. Actually, it was all an excuse.”
The voice he used to say that was quite affectionate.
The sea breeze suddenly blew between us. Dmitry reached out and gently stroked my disheveled hair.
“I want to be alone with Your Highness today.”
“...You know the competition is in two days, right?”
“There will be a festival in the evening. There will be fireworks. There are only a few hours left, so please bear with me until then.”
“...”
“I won’t dare be greedy anymore.”
Despite saying that he would not be greedy, his eyes were very serious and settled.
His absinthe-colored eyes were often captivating just by looking at them, like a storm that urges and sweeps you into madness.
I finally crossed my arms as if giving up.
“Take the lead.”
***
To be honest, it wasn't such a good plan for Dmitry and I to go see the village festival together.
In the novel, when two children from a noble family go out to explore the town, they see new things and develop new emotions in an environment different from usual.
For both of us, these back alleys were a very familiar space, especially for me, who had lived in a place like this until just half a year ago.
There was nothing special about the street food. Of course, the southern-style grilled seafood and fruits felt a little unusual, but for the most part, they were the same as those I could find in George.
Cheap stew shops, or trinkets made from imitation stones. All crude, low-quality, and with one or two flaws.
Nevertheless, the feeling of satisfaction that gradually came to me was due to a strange sense of liberation.
Here, there was no one to nag me about my manners, and no Princess to be treated with respect. As proof of this...
“You should go this way, Miss.”
Dmitry was calling me that instead of Your Royal Highness the Princess. I stood there with my arms crossed.
“How long are you going to keep calling me unlucky?”
He burst into laughter.
“Then what should I call it so that it doesn’t bring bad luck?”
“Sasha.”
Sasha. He said it as if he was repeating it to himself. It was a tone that I couldn't tell if it was a soliloquy or a call to me. It was faint and broken.
Suddenly, he stood there with a pitiful expression and looked down at me.
“Somehow I don’t like that name.”
On the topic that I had been calling out vaguely just a moment ago! I got angry and raised my voice a little.
“Why? It’s the best name in the world!”
To be honest, I was proud of my name. It was easy to remember, easy to pronounce, and most importantly, it was the name Olga had given me.
“But isn’t that the name everyone calls you? Today is a day that is reserved for me, so I will call you whatever I want.”
“What are you going to call me?”
“Asha. My princess.”
“...”
“Because no one has called you by that name yet.”
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