“Are you okay?!”
Why did the iron bar that was perfectly fine on the wall suddenly fall?
It was literally an iron bar in the middle of nowhere.
An iron bar is one of the weapons that knights usually use in the training grounds to warm up before they take up their swords in earnest.
Just as you feel as if you could fly when you take out a sandbag on your ankle while running, an iron bar plays a similar role in swordsmanship training.
So, that iron bar, the dozens of wooden bars erected on the wall, were fine, but it happened to hit his head. If you miss that iron bar while practicing swordsmanship and it even slightly grazes your instep, it hurts so much...
“What’s with your expression? Are you out of your mind? Nelly, are you okay?”
I shook his shoulder slightly with a worried face.
“Who are you?”
Nelly asked, looking at me blankly.
“...Huh?”
How did you come to your senses after getting hit in the head with an iron bar?
Did he lose his memories?
Even if he did, it was a shock that wouldn’t be strange at all.
“See. I told you that nothing good would come of getting involved with me...”
It felt like it was all my fault.
Why would an iron bar fall on his head right after he cheerfully shouted, “Starting today, day 1!”?
Thanks to the magic tower, I was completely cured of the evil aura infection, but since then, accidents big and small have been happening around me much more often than before.
Isn’t this kind of unfortunate event caused by the devil’s influence?
“Do you, do you know who I am?”
I asked, turning his body towards me and waving my hand in front of his absent-minded face.
“Aren’t you my lover of the day?”
“...Phuhuhuhu.”
Although my tone was soulless, he was aware of us exactly.
I let out a short laugh and then let out a long sigh of relief.
“I’m so glad you weren’t seriously hurt.”
As soon as I finished speaking, a thick line of blood slowly flowed down from the center of his forehead as if mocking me.
Oh my god...
Yes, if the iron bar fell on the crown of his head and he was fine, that would be a more unsettling situation.
I braced myself first and opened my mouth.
“Nelly, don’t be surprised and listen.”
I said as I grabbed his cold hand. He nodded with dilated eyes.
“Whoa, whoa... Don’t move your head.”
Surprised by Nelly’s nod, I quickly lifted his chin with my hand.
“Dazel, do you feel something hot on my forehead?”
He blinked as if he hadn’t come to his senses yet and spoke slowly, taking a beat.
“Ugh, it’s blood. You're bleeding now.”
“...Did it break?”
He asked if that was why he was so dizzy.
“I heard a sound of something breaking... but I don’t think it was. It can’t be. It shouldn’t be.”
That’s how I should live.
I carefully tangled Nelly’s black hair and patted his shoulder.
Then I ripped half of the white apron I was wearing.
The blood that had flowed from the crown of his head to his forehead was now running down his high nose.
I wiped the blood flowing with my torn apron, then pressed the apron cloth lightly against his scalp without applying much pressure.
“You’d better get treated by a doctor quickly.”
I held his arm and helped him up from the straw.
“I can get the treatment later.”
Nelly wanted to stay here.
“Blood is gushing out of your head like a fountain. What’s wrong?”
“Blood like a fountain? ...Gushing?”
It wasn’t gushing, but the white apron on his scalp was quickly soaking in blood.
“We have to stop the bleeding quickly. You don’t want to lose too much blood and not remember me.”
It was only our first day.
“Yeah, I don’t want to forget anything else.”
Nelly muttered something to himself before opening the warehouse door and going out first.
He forgot about me following him and closed the door. He stood blankly in front of the door for a few seconds, dumbfounded.
The warehouse door creaked open again.
“Sorry. I forgot.”
He apologized awkwardly.
Oh, this is not a good sign.
When I stared at him with my mouth open in surprise, he, who had been keeping a blank expression, burst into laughter.
“I was just kidding. I won’t forget you even if my head bleeds out.”
He said firmly and grabbed my hand.
“Never forget.”
I think I heard that from someone before... When was it?
Hmm, I don’t know.
Sometimes I experience this symptom.
When I try to remember something, my mind becomes foggy as if it were clouded.
“Are you really going to take revenge on your ex-husband?”
When we left the training ground and were about halfway through the cypress forest, he asked me, still alive.
“Actually, there’s someone else who will take revenge. He’s someone related to my ex-husband.”
“Who is it?”
“Don’t try to know too much about me from day one.”
I said, looking up at the night sky.
Lightning flashed in the sky and disappeared.
Was it about to thunder?
I raised one hand to protect his head.
A perfectly good iron bar would be a head that fell off, so I wondered if lightning would be any different.
“Is this something you’ll hear after you take revenge?”
“Well, maybe I’ll never be able to tell you.”
In fact, I was a little scared.
Will Nelly be able to accept the fact that I was the former Empress of the Lapion Empire?
“As I said before, whether I take revenge or not, I cannot live here.”
“I was careful with my words earlier, but I will find a way.”
He countered my words.
“What way?”
“A way to live here together.”
Nelly pointed to the ground and said.
When he said this place, he obviously meant the imperial palace, but for a moment, I thought he meant inside the palace, so I laughed quietly without realizing it.
“Nelly, no matter how high a position you hold, there is no way for me to live here.”
Give up.
We will have to part ways sooner or later.
But I do not want him to give up all the glory of this place and choose me because of me.
So we should have a short but intense relationship while we are here.
I made that decision for myself and decided not to be greedy anymore.
“If there is?”
“Huh?”
“If I find a way, then promise me that you will be with me.”
“...Yes.”
I knew it wouldn’t work.
But I couldn’t say to his serious face, and even to him bleeding from his head after being hit by an iron bar, ‘There’s no way I can stay here unless you’re the Emperor.'
Why did the iron bar that was perfectly fine on the wall suddenly fall?
It was literally an iron bar in the middle of nowhere.
An iron bar is one of the weapons that knights usually use in the training grounds to warm up before they take up their swords in earnest.
Just as you feel as if you could fly when you take out a sandbag on your ankle while running, an iron bar plays a similar role in swordsmanship training.
So, that iron bar, the dozens of wooden bars erected on the wall, were fine, but it happened to hit his head. If you miss that iron bar while practicing swordsmanship and it even slightly grazes your instep, it hurts so much...
“What’s with your expression? Are you out of your mind? Nelly, are you okay?”
I shook his shoulder slightly with a worried face.
“Who are you?”
Nelly asked, looking at me blankly.
“...Huh?”
How did you come to your senses after getting hit in the head with an iron bar?
Did he lose his memories?
Even if he did, it was a shock that wouldn’t be strange at all.
“See. I told you that nothing good would come of getting involved with me...”
It felt like it was all my fault.
Why would an iron bar fall on his head right after he cheerfully shouted, “Starting today, day 1!”?
Thanks to the magic tower, I was completely cured of the evil aura infection, but since then, accidents big and small have been happening around me much more often than before.
Isn’t this kind of unfortunate event caused by the devil’s influence?
“Do you, do you know who I am?”
I asked, turning his body towards me and waving my hand in front of his absent-minded face.
“Aren’t you my lover of the day?”
“...Phuhuhuhu.”
Although my tone was soulless, he was aware of us exactly.
I let out a short laugh and then let out a long sigh of relief.
“I’m so glad you weren’t seriously hurt.”
As soon as I finished speaking, a thick line of blood slowly flowed down from the center of his forehead as if mocking me.
Oh my god...
Yes, if the iron bar fell on the crown of his head and he was fine, that would be a more unsettling situation.
I braced myself first and opened my mouth.
“Nelly, don’t be surprised and listen.”
I said as I grabbed his cold hand. He nodded with dilated eyes.
“Whoa, whoa... Don’t move your head.”
Surprised by Nelly’s nod, I quickly lifted his chin with my hand.
“Dazel, do you feel something hot on my forehead?”
He blinked as if he hadn’t come to his senses yet and spoke slowly, taking a beat.
“Ugh, it’s blood. You're bleeding now.”
“...Did it break?”
He asked if that was why he was so dizzy.
“I heard a sound of something breaking... but I don’t think it was. It can’t be. It shouldn’t be.”
That’s how I should live.
I carefully tangled Nelly’s black hair and patted his shoulder.
Then I ripped half of the white apron I was wearing.
The blood that had flowed from the crown of his head to his forehead was now running down his high nose.
I wiped the blood flowing with my torn apron, then pressed the apron cloth lightly against his scalp without applying much pressure.
“You’d better get treated by a doctor quickly.”
I held his arm and helped him up from the straw.
“I can get the treatment later.”
Nelly wanted to stay here.
“Blood is gushing out of your head like a fountain. What’s wrong?”
“Blood like a fountain? ...Gushing?”
It wasn’t gushing, but the white apron on his scalp was quickly soaking in blood.
“We have to stop the bleeding quickly. You don’t want to lose too much blood and not remember me.”
It was only our first day.
“Yeah, I don’t want to forget anything else.”
Nelly muttered something to himself before opening the warehouse door and going out first.
He forgot about me following him and closed the door. He stood blankly in front of the door for a few seconds, dumbfounded.
The warehouse door creaked open again.
“Sorry. I forgot.”
He apologized awkwardly.
Oh, this is not a good sign.
When I stared at him with my mouth open in surprise, he, who had been keeping a blank expression, burst into laughter.
“I was just kidding. I won’t forget you even if my head bleeds out.”
He said firmly and grabbed my hand.
“Never forget.”
I think I heard that from someone before... When was it?
Hmm, I don’t know.
Sometimes I experience this symptom.
When I try to remember something, my mind becomes foggy as if it were clouded.
“Are you really going to take revenge on your ex-husband?”
When we left the training ground and were about halfway through the cypress forest, he asked me, still alive.
“Actually, there’s someone else who will take revenge. He’s someone related to my ex-husband.”
“Who is it?”
“Don’t try to know too much about me from day one.”
I said, looking up at the night sky.
Lightning flashed in the sky and disappeared.
Was it about to thunder?
I raised one hand to protect his head.
A perfectly good iron bar would be a head that fell off, so I wondered if lightning would be any different.
“Is this something you’ll hear after you take revenge?”
“Well, maybe I’ll never be able to tell you.”
In fact, I was a little scared.
Will Nelly be able to accept the fact that I was the former Empress of the Lapion Empire?
“As I said before, whether I take revenge or not, I cannot live here.”
“I was careful with my words earlier, but I will find a way.”
He countered my words.
“What way?”
“A way to live here together.”
Nelly pointed to the ground and said.
When he said this place, he obviously meant the imperial palace, but for a moment, I thought he meant inside the palace, so I laughed quietly without realizing it.
“Nelly, no matter how high a position you hold, there is no way for me to live here.”
Give up.
We will have to part ways sooner or later.
But I do not want him to give up all the glory of this place and choose me because of me.
So we should have a short but intense relationship while we are here.
I made that decision for myself and decided not to be greedy anymore.
“If there is?”
“Huh?”
“If I find a way, then promise me that you will be with me.”
“...Yes.”
I knew it wouldn’t work.
But I couldn’t say to his serious face, and even to him bleeding from his head after being hit by an iron bar, ‘There’s no way I can stay here unless you’re the Emperor.'
“Let’s part ways here.”
The cypress forest was ending.
I stopped walking and let go of his hand, saying,
“We can’t go as far as the dog hole, but if we go back to the back road, we can go together to the palace’s quarters.”
Nelly gestured with his chin in the direction we were going to walk together.
Well, even if we ran into guards, they wouldn’t seem that suspicious since they were between the secretary and the servant. They would be a little surprised to see him with a head injury, though.
“Yew, let’s go together.”
We were just walking side by side, but somewhere in my body was tickling, and I felt good for no reason.
Fortunately, I wasn’t the only one who felt that way, because he occasionally looked at me and laughed to himself.
Our fingertips kept brushing against each other.
Sometimes by accident, sometimes on purpose...
It was more thrilling than when we were walking while holding hands.
Every time, I asked him, “Are you okay?” and he replied that he was fine, but when we got close to the courtiers’ quarters, he confessed that he seemed quite dizzy.
“We really have to part ways here.”
I was the first to greet him.
“Dazel, before you take revenge on your ex-husband or anyone else, I have something to tell you.”
“What does what you have to say have to do with my revenge?”
“You’ll understand when you hear it. I want to meet you tomorrow. Where would you like to go?”
Is this, is this, a date request now?
“It’s a bit difficult to meet every day just because we’re lovers...”
I trembled a little.
“Are you busy? Then let’s not meet tomorrow...”
The cypress forest was ending.
I stopped walking and let go of his hand, saying,
“We can’t go as far as the dog hole, but if we go back to the back road, we can go together to the palace’s quarters.”
Nelly gestured with his chin in the direction we were going to walk together.
Well, even if we ran into guards, they wouldn’t seem that suspicious since they were between the secretary and the servant. They would be a little surprised to see him with a head injury, though.
“Yew, let’s go together.”
We were just walking side by side, but somewhere in my body was tickling, and I felt good for no reason.
Fortunately, I wasn’t the only one who felt that way, because he occasionally looked at me and laughed to himself.
Our fingertips kept brushing against each other.
Sometimes by accident, sometimes on purpose...
It was more thrilling than when we were walking while holding hands.
Every time, I asked him, “Are you okay?” and he replied that he was fine, but when we got close to the courtiers’ quarters, he confessed that he seemed quite dizzy.
“We really have to part ways here.”
I was the first to greet him.
“Dazel, before you take revenge on your ex-husband or anyone else, I have something to tell you.”
“What does what you have to say have to do with my revenge?”
“You’ll understand when you hear it. I want to meet you tomorrow. Where would you like to go?”
Is this, is this, a date request now?
“It’s a bit difficult to meet every day just because we’re lovers...”
I trembled a little.
“Are you busy? Then let’s not meet tomorrow...”
I didn’t say I was busy.
“Where should we meet?”
I asked quickly without realizing it.
“How about a tavern? Or the inn where we met would be fine.”
I thought about his suggestion carefully.
If I kept visiting taverns, I would be in trouble if I met someone who knew my face.
There might be someone who came to the tavern like Nelly, who worked at the palace.
The inn was safe, but there was a risk of being discovered by the group.
The first time was fine, but the second time was definitely nerve-wracking.
“How about the palace? I’d like to come see Her Highness Rosie one more time...”
Since I’d have to come to the palace a few more times anyway, I’d do it half-heartedly.
“Where should we meet?”
I asked quickly without realizing it.
“How about a tavern? Or the inn where we met would be fine.”
I thought about his suggestion carefully.
If I kept visiting taverns, I would be in trouble if I met someone who knew my face.
There might be someone who came to the tavern like Nelly, who worked at the palace.
The inn was safe, but there was a risk of being discovered by the group.
The first time was fine, but the second time was definitely nerve-wracking.
“How about the palace? I’d like to come see Her Highness Rosie one more time...”
Since I’d have to come to the palace a few more times anyway, I’d do it half-heartedly.
“Should I? Then let’s widen the hole a bit. It’s something I have to do secretly, but there are a lot of people who’d be happy if I gave them a reward.”
That’s why people only feel comfortable when they have money and power.
“I appreciate your consideration, but I don’t think I’ll need it. When I was coming out earlier, there was a big rock sticking out of the hole. If I just remove that rock on my way out, my butt won’t get caught.”
“Really? Then let’s meet here tomorrow at this time.”
“Oh, what floor are you staying on? Since I’ll be coming in dressed like a servant anyway, wouldn’t it be better if I went into the dorm?”
“...I see?”
Nelly looked up at the dorm building, seeming to hesitate a little.
“Rather than meeting here and going in together, wouldn’t it be more natural to go to a restaurant and grab something to eat or drink and go to your room?”
“I see.”
“Which floor and where are you staying?”
I asked again, as he rolled his eyes around and hesitated.
"On the 4th floor. The room is on the far right on the 4th floor.”
I nodded, mulling over what he had said so I wouldn’t forget.
“Yes. Then I’ll come by tomorrow at this time. I’ll go!”
“Wait.”
He grabbed my arm as I turned around and hugged me tightly.
The apron cloth that I had placed on his head to stop the bleeding fell to the floor.
He didn’t care and focused on hugging me.
“I’ve been a little strange since I met you.”
“I’m worried that you’ll get even stranger in the future.”
I said worriedly, recalling the dizzying moment when the iron bar hit his head.
“After that night... I wondered if what I was feeling was right or if it was a momentary illusion. But...”
“But?”
“After meeting again today, I know my feelings for sure.”
“Really?”
“Oh, I do. I wonder how you feel.”
He took a deep breath and asked casually.
“I honestly... think I need to try it one more time to find out.”
“...What?”
“I mean, I’m not sure yet.”
“Then we can check tomorrow night.”
“...”
He said with a determined, cold look in his eyes.
If I said yes, I thought it would look too immodest, so I left his embrace without saying a word.
“...Nelly, I have to go in quickly!”
My voice trembled as I looked at the blood that had started to flow in three streams from his forehead.
“Don’t worry about it and go back safely. Don’t forget to meet me tomorrow at this time. If you don’t come, I’ll search the entire palace, so know that.”
“I promise. Nelly, promise too, you won’t die tonight.”
I said as I looked at the blood flowing from his forehead.
“Of course.”
He wiped the blood with the back of his hand as if wiping away sweat, and waved at me.
I walked back, watching him for a while with a worried heart, and then turned around, relieved to see his face still smiling.
How long had I walked?
I heard a crash from afar and turned around.
'Ugh, Nelly!'
He was lying on the ground. He seemed to have lost a lot of blood and passed out.
Fortunately, the guards who were circling around him happened to find him passed out and carried him on their backs in a hurry.
"Why are you going to the main palace?"
The quarters where Nelly was staying were right in front of us, but the guards ran towards the main palace.
It seemed like they were taking him directly to the palace doctor who resided there.
Just by looking at how fast the guard carrying him ran, I could tell how important he was.
I turned around with heavy steps, lamenting my situation where I had no choice but to turn around after seeing my lover, who had only known me for a day, pass out bleeding.
Will he be okay?
Will he be okay?
We won't break up right after we started dating, right?
Let's calm down.
"We'll find out tomorrow night. Whether he's dead or alive."
I spoke calmly, but I couldn't help but imagine something terrible.
Tomorrow, when I opened the door on the far right of the fourth floor where he was staying, there would be no one there...
"No, no! Why would you imagine something so unlucky?"
I wrapped my arms around myself and shook my head, shaking my body.
About a hundred meters away from the castle wall with the hole in it, I slowly slowed down my pace and walked.
Because someone has been following me for a while.
At first, I thought it was Nelly, but there was no way someone who had passed out and been carried by guards to the main palace would suddenly wake up and chase me. On top of that, they were doing it while making quiet footsteps.
Could it be that someone recognized my face?
If so, should I get rid of them?
I deliberately walked slowly, giving the person following me a chance to get closer to me.
After a while, as expected, a long shadow loomed in front of me.
It would have been much easier if they had attacked me from behind first.
Just like they were doing now.
“Ugh!”
Someone covered my mouth with their hand from behind.
That’s why people only feel comfortable when they have money and power.
“I appreciate your consideration, but I don’t think I’ll need it. When I was coming out earlier, there was a big rock sticking out of the hole. If I just remove that rock on my way out, my butt won’t get caught.”
“Really? Then let’s meet here tomorrow at this time.”
“Oh, what floor are you staying on? Since I’ll be coming in dressed like a servant anyway, wouldn’t it be better if I went into the dorm?”
“...I see?”
Nelly looked up at the dorm building, seeming to hesitate a little.
“Rather than meeting here and going in together, wouldn’t it be more natural to go to a restaurant and grab something to eat or drink and go to your room?”
“I see.”
“Which floor and where are you staying?”
I asked again, as he rolled his eyes around and hesitated.
"On the 4th floor. The room is on the far right on the 4th floor.”
I nodded, mulling over what he had said so I wouldn’t forget.
“Yes. Then I’ll come by tomorrow at this time. I’ll go!”
“Wait.”
He grabbed my arm as I turned around and hugged me tightly.
The apron cloth that I had placed on his head to stop the bleeding fell to the floor.
He didn’t care and focused on hugging me.
“I’ve been a little strange since I met you.”
“I’m worried that you’ll get even stranger in the future.”
I said worriedly, recalling the dizzying moment when the iron bar hit his head.
“After that night... I wondered if what I was feeling was right or if it was a momentary illusion. But...”
“But?”
“After meeting again today, I know my feelings for sure.”
“Really?”
“Oh, I do. I wonder how you feel.”
He took a deep breath and asked casually.
“I honestly... think I need to try it one more time to find out.”
“...What?”
“I mean, I’m not sure yet.”
“Then we can check tomorrow night.”
“...”
He said with a determined, cold look in his eyes.
If I said yes, I thought it would look too immodest, so I left his embrace without saying a word.
“...Nelly, I have to go in quickly!”
My voice trembled as I looked at the blood that had started to flow in three streams from his forehead.
“Don’t worry about it and go back safely. Don’t forget to meet me tomorrow at this time. If you don’t come, I’ll search the entire palace, so know that.”
“I promise. Nelly, promise too, you won’t die tonight.”
I said as I looked at the blood flowing from his forehead.
“Of course.”
He wiped the blood with the back of his hand as if wiping away sweat, and waved at me.
I walked back, watching him for a while with a worried heart, and then turned around, relieved to see his face still smiling.
How long had I walked?
I heard a crash from afar and turned around.
'Ugh, Nelly!'
He was lying on the ground. He seemed to have lost a lot of blood and passed out.
Fortunately, the guards who were circling around him happened to find him passed out and carried him on their backs in a hurry.
"Why are you going to the main palace?"
The quarters where Nelly was staying were right in front of us, but the guards ran towards the main palace.
It seemed like they were taking him directly to the palace doctor who resided there.
Just by looking at how fast the guard carrying him ran, I could tell how important he was.
I turned around with heavy steps, lamenting my situation where I had no choice but to turn around after seeing my lover, who had only known me for a day, pass out bleeding.
Will he be okay?
Will he be okay?
We won't break up right after we started dating, right?
Let's calm down.
"We'll find out tomorrow night. Whether he's dead or alive."
I spoke calmly, but I couldn't help but imagine something terrible.
Tomorrow, when I opened the door on the far right of the fourth floor where he was staying, there would be no one there...
"No, no! Why would you imagine something so unlucky?"
I wrapped my arms around myself and shook my head, shaking my body.
About a hundred meters away from the castle wall with the hole in it, I slowly slowed down my pace and walked.
Because someone has been following me for a while.
At first, I thought it was Nelly, but there was no way someone who had passed out and been carried by guards to the main palace would suddenly wake up and chase me. On top of that, they were doing it while making quiet footsteps.
Could it be that someone recognized my face?
If so, should I get rid of them?
I deliberately walked slowly, giving the person following me a chance to get closer to me.
After a while, as expected, a long shadow loomed in front of me.
It would have been much easier if they had attacked me from behind first.
Just like they were doing now.
“Ugh!”
Someone covered my mouth with their hand from behind.
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