Episode 73. Misha's Plan
I thought I flinched slightly, but it seemed to Sir Rond that his expression was fierce.
He frowned and thrust his thick chest out threateningly as he walked out the door.
Misha, who met him as soon as the door opened, opened her eyes and mouth wide in surprise.
I quickly came to my senses and called out to him.
"Sir Rond, y-you're okay."
I stuttered without realizing it. I was also embarrassed because I couldn't think of how to introduce Misha to others.
Half-sister? Misha would try to kill me if I said that. Legitimate daughter of the Loire family? That would sound sarcastic if I said it wrong.
It would be easy for Misha to describe me.
'The bastard who is a disgrace to our family.' Or, 'The woman who caused our mother to suffer all her life.'
I barely managed to say.
"Misha Loire, Sir Rond, the knight guarding Her Highness the Princess."
“Lord Rond.”
Misha didn’t even make eye contact with him and just nodded her head.
‘The royal escort knights are of different ranks than the knights of Loire!’
I looked at Lord Rond in confusion, but he snorted shallowly and returned to his chair.
He seemed to understand who she was because of her last name, Loire.
Misha ignored Lord Rond and smiled a smile that suited her pretty face. However, her eyes were cold.
Misha came to visit me...
Misha said as if she were annoyed by my complicated expression.
“My father sent me. He must be worried that you might have died.”
“No way. You know how tough I am.”
“Yes. Tougher than a cockroach.”
Misha blurted out without thinking and then looked at Lord Rond. She seemed to be displeased with me and the fact that someone was protecting me.
I quickly said,
“I’m fine, so go back and tell the Count.”
“I haven’t told you what I’m doing yet?”
“...”
“Come back home as soon as you can walk. It’s my father’s orders.”
Lord Rond turned his head toward me and furrowed his brows. I couldn’t hide my shock.
This isn’t the first time I’ve been beaten in my life, and to come back for something like this?
Is Her Majesty the Empress still angry? Or has Prince Kydel been caught lying to me? All these thoughts flashed through my head.
Meanwhile, Misha bit her lip slightly, watching Lord Rond’s expression.
When she saw that, she came to her senses. I know that expression.
That’s the expression Misha makes when she’s anxious. She was lying right now.
I asked calmly.
“Then who will take Her Highness’s place as maid?”
“That’s not something you should worry about. You’re the one who messed things up like this.”
“...You can do it, right? Since Her Highness the Princess has already won the competition twice, you thought it would be okay for you to interfere now, right?”
“What are you talking about? Can’t you be careful with what you say when you have ears to hear?”
Misha widened her eyes, watching Sir Rond’s expression. And I became more and more dumbfounded.
“Is this your idea? Or Countess? Does the Count know that you came here today?”
“Of course...! What did you hear from me? I said that my father sent me!”
“To visit the sick. Right? It was your wish that I return to the Count’s residence.”
“You really seem sick? How many times must you have been beaten to say such nonsense...!”
“Misha.”
“You’re incurring the wrath of Her Majesty the Empress. What damage do you plan on causing to our family? That’s why I have to step forward!”
I thought sincerely.
‘You little rascal, my life isn’t as simple as you think.’
“Misha. I’m not going.”
“...!”
Misha’s eyes filled with tears for a moment.
But I said calmly.
“I know that. I’m not going. You should graduate from the academy safely. This isn’t where you want to be, Misha.”
“You...!”
Misha was about to swear at me, but when she saw Lord Rond’s expression, she turned around and left.
As she left, the room suddenly felt quiet. It felt like a shower had passed.
“Are you okay?”
I came to my senses at Lord Rond’s heavy voice.
I waved my hand and laughed.
“Oh, that’s always the case with Misha. It’s nothing.”
I tried to act calm, but I couldn’t help feeling good.
I was gradually changing, and Misha felt like she was chasing me from the past. No matter what I became, Misha might hate the girl from the mountain village who made her mother angry.
I chewed over the words I had been about to say to Misha.
‘I won’t go back to the Count’s mansion after I leave the palace, Misha. So I won’t leave the palace until I have a place to go.’
I sighed. If this continues, there might not be anyone who will hire me as a tutor because they are afraid of Her Majesty the Empress’s hatred.
The Princess came to see me when Lord Rond got up to leave. The sunset shining through the window covered the Princess’s face red as she faced Lord Rond. When he bowed, she turned away from him and said coldly,
“Go out now.”
You could have been a little more kind.
Lord Rond quietly left, and the Princess stood by my bed. The gaze looking down at me was so fierce that I felt unnecessarily nervous.
I spoke awkwardly.
“Lord Rond has been by my side, protecting me. Thank you, Your Highness.”
“Lord Rond.”
Misha didn’t even make eye contact with him and just nodded her head.
‘The royal escort knights are of different ranks than the knights of Loire!’
I looked at Lord Rond in confusion, but he snorted shallowly and returned to his chair.
He seemed to understand who she was because of her last name, Loire.
Misha ignored Lord Rond and smiled a smile that suited her pretty face. However, her eyes were cold.
Misha came to visit me...
Misha said as if she were annoyed by my complicated expression.
“My father sent me. He must be worried that you might have died.”
“No way. You know how tough I am.”
“Yes. Tougher than a cockroach.”
Misha blurted out without thinking and then looked at Lord Rond. She seemed to be displeased with me and the fact that someone was protecting me.
I quickly said,
“I’m fine, so go back and tell the Count.”
“I haven’t told you what I’m doing yet?”
“...”
“Come back home as soon as you can walk. It’s my father’s orders.”
Lord Rond turned his head toward me and furrowed his brows. I couldn’t hide my shock.
This isn’t the first time I’ve been beaten in my life, and to come back for something like this?
Is Her Majesty the Empress still angry? Or has Prince Kydel been caught lying to me? All these thoughts flashed through my head.
Meanwhile, Misha bit her lip slightly, watching Lord Rond’s expression.
When she saw that, she came to her senses. I know that expression.
That’s the expression Misha makes when she’s anxious. She was lying right now.
I asked calmly.
“Then who will take Her Highness’s place as maid?”
“That’s not something you should worry about. You’re the one who messed things up like this.”
“...You can do it, right? Since Her Highness the Princess has already won the competition twice, you thought it would be okay for you to interfere now, right?”
“What are you talking about? Can’t you be careful with what you say when you have ears to hear?”
Misha widened her eyes, watching Sir Rond’s expression. And I became more and more dumbfounded.
“Is this your idea? Or Countess? Does the Count know that you came here today?”
“Of course...! What did you hear from me? I said that my father sent me!”
“To visit the sick. Right? It was your wish that I return to the Count’s residence.”
“You really seem sick? How many times must you have been beaten to say such nonsense...!”
“Misha.”
“You’re incurring the wrath of Her Majesty the Empress. What damage do you plan on causing to our family? That’s why I have to step forward!”
I thought sincerely.
‘You little rascal, my life isn’t as simple as you think.’
“Misha. I’m not going.”
“...!”
Misha’s eyes filled with tears for a moment.
But I said calmly.
“I know that. I’m not going. You should graduate from the academy safely. This isn’t where you want to be, Misha.”
“You...!”
Misha was about to swear at me, but when she saw Lord Rond’s expression, she turned around and left.
As she left, the room suddenly felt quiet. It felt like a shower had passed.
“Are you okay?”
I came to my senses at Lord Rond’s heavy voice.
I waved my hand and laughed.
“Oh, that’s always the case with Misha. It’s nothing.”
I tried to act calm, but I couldn’t help feeling good.
I was gradually changing, and Misha felt like she was chasing me from the past. No matter what I became, Misha might hate the girl from the mountain village who made her mother angry.
I chewed over the words I had been about to say to Misha.
‘I won’t go back to the Count’s mansion after I leave the palace, Misha. So I won’t leave the palace until I have a place to go.’
I sighed. If this continues, there might not be anyone who will hire me as a tutor because they are afraid of Her Majesty the Empress’s hatred.
***
The Princess came to see me when Lord Rond got up to leave. The sunset shining through the window covered the Princess’s face red as she faced Lord Rond. When he bowed, she turned away from him and said coldly,
“Go out now.”
You could have been a little more kind.
Lord Rond quietly left, and the Princess stood by my bed. The gaze looking down at me was so fierce that I felt unnecessarily nervous.
I spoke awkwardly.
“Lord Rond has been by my side, protecting me. Thank you, Your Highness.”
“Ha. Lies!”
“...Me?”
“Aren’t you swearing at me in your heart right now? Saying that you almost died because of me.”
“You’re wrong in the beginning, but right in the end.”
“Ha! You, really...”
I mustered up my strength and sat up. Then I threw back the blanket to reveal my pitiful and ridiculous legs.
“It’s like this now, but it’ll get better soon because the infirmary and pharmacy are taking good care of it.”
“...”
She bit her lip in surprise at my appearance. I felt a little sorry for her flustered eyes.
I asked calmly.
“How are the negotiations with Agael going?”
She stared at me until she confirmed that I didn’t blame her. Only then did she sit down in her chair with a cold face.
She spoke as if she were pouting.
“I really. Because of you, I ended up worrying about this.”
I laughed awkwardly as if to say, “You’ve had a hard time.”
“The Agael messenger held out for several days. He said he wouldn’t give up his iron smelting technology. Instead, he’d supply limestone and coke... well, whatever, for free.”
“So?”
“What’s so? Of course, His Majesty the Emperor won.”
Agael hadn’t received any iron ore from the Amata tribe for the past two years since the last Amata War. They didn’t have the financial resources to hold out any longer.
“We’re going to build a new ironworks near the Tunbar Mountains. If we use the river that runs below, we can transport the iron ingots made there throughout the empire. Of course, we’ll have to give some to Agael.”
“The trade route through the mountains that was closed during the war will open again.”
“Regardless, the important thing is that the empire’s iron supply problem will be completely resolved. Agael tried every trick, but in the end, they only helped the empire become richer.”
I asked with a laugh.
“You bragged about it at the tea party? You won two consecutive competitions.”
“This is real. Am I crazy? I’ll be the one dragged out and beaten next? The tea party is canceled for the time being.”
I’m glad you know.
I smiled proudly, and Her Highness the Princess stood up with a very upset face.
“A maid is supposed to sacrifice her life for her master. Don’t even think about making a fuss about something like this.”
“Maidservants? How dare I!”
I waved my hands in surprise and answered exaggeratedly.
Her Highness the Princess turned around as if she didn’t like that either, and said,
“I’ll do whatever you say in the next competition.”
I watched her long silver hair swaying and moving away until the very end.
Tagar’s silver hair always gave off an inhuman vibe. It was closer to a god than a human.
However, after hearing Her Highness Miliora’s clumsy apology, she now looked like a girl I had to protect.
...This is ridiculous.
***
The competition was temporarily suspended for a month until His Majesty concluded negotiations with Agael and signed the agreement.
In the meantime, I had fully recovered from my injury, which was fortunate for me.
The third competition problem was delivered directly to each of their attendees.
The problem was simple.
“The Princesses are to participate in the hunt.”
Her Highness Milliora scratched at the scroll with her fingernails as if she wanted to tear up the competition problem.
“What do you want me to do? How would I know if you just told me to participate in the hunt and catch a fox or a bear?”
“...”
“And hunting? That’s blatantly advantageous to my second eldest brother.”
“That’s not necessarily the case.”
“Why?”
“The competition isn’t about choosing a great hunter. Besides, there’s also the health issues of His Highness Orl, so I don’t think it’s something that could raise questions about fairness.”
“Well, if that’s what you’re saying.”
Even though she was really annoyed, Milliora agreed with what I said. It was both pitiful and a little funny.
Besides, she didn’t hold a tea party after that day. She had made up her mind.
“Huh. What does it matter? I can do it if I make a mistake. If I just ride for a while and my butt hurts and I can’t ride any further, that’s fine. I can do that without your help.”
“Then His Majesty might question your sincerity.”
“Then I just have to follow my brothers around, right?”
“I guess we’ll have to see what happens that day.”
“I’m confident I can’t do it. I don’t have any improvisation skills.”
“...”
I couldn’t admit it or deny it, so I just laughed awkwardly. From some point on, our conversations became a mess.
“Are you good at horseback riding? Do you enjoy hunting?”
“Only when you like your hunting clothes?”
I stood up.
“Where are you going?”
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