I wiped the tears that had gathered in my eyes with the back of my hand and scolded myself that now was not the time to cry.
'Wake up, Yvonne Argenthoz!'
I looked back at Rudnine, who was lying flat with his eyes closed, and I felt very uneasy because he seemed to be sleeping so deeply.
He is breathing, but he is motionless.
I brought my hand in front of his eyes and shook it wildly, but he didn't budge at all.
As far as I know, the Sword Master has very sensitive senses, so even if he's asleep, he'll wake up if someone comes near him.
‘It’s not like he's asleep, it’s like he's slowly dying...’
I turned my head towards Pembe and looked at him with suspicious eyes.
"Pembe! When is this guy going to wake up? Is he really asleep?"
The voice coming out of my mouth was trembling.
Pembe sighed slightly and patted the back of my hand with her own.
"Yvonne. Seriously, the Duke is fine. I can't guarantee when, but if he sleeps well and gets plenty of rest, he'll wake up soon. He's naturally in good shape, so he's recovering on his own."
"But..."
"But there's something he absolutely must be careful about. He overdid it, sucking the venom out of the familiar and running all the way here. He mustn't move at all until his stamina stabilizes."
“You’re saying he shouldn’t move?”
"Yeah. Just let him lie here quietly until he wakes up on his own."
Pembe repeatedly warned me in a strong tone, as I was startled.
He said Rudnine watched Pembe treat me until the very end. Only after seeing my complexion return to normal and the wound on my calf healed did he close his eyes and fall into a deep sleep.
Pembe is said to have stuck out his tongue at the sight.
"A normal person would have died, of course. Perhaps he was confident because he was a Sword Master? Thinking of removing the venom from the familiar with his mouth! It was a surefire way to save you, but it seemed a bit reckless..."
“...Yeah. I agree. That was just outrageous.”
I muttered, gently brushing back the jet-black hair that had fallen from Rudnine's straight forehead.
Really...!
What if there was a small wound inside his mouth that he wasn't even aware of? The venom would have been absorbed into his body as he sucked it.
Even if he were a sword master, he would have died on the way here with me.
'Fool.'
You seem like a foolishly kind person. How can you be this kind?
Surely you weren't just going around saving every single person who collapsed on the street?
If you do that, you won't have anybody left. Why is your noble Duke using his body like this?
As I looked at Rudnine, lying comfortably on the hard laboratory floor, I was overcome with a mixture of pity and resentment.
I took a deep breath and slowly got up, thinking that I couldn't stay like this.
I was worried that I might feel dizzy or my legs might hurt.
'Hmm.'
Fortunately, the calf that had been bitten by the damn snake familiar was now fine, so I had no trouble walking, and my vision was clear, so the venom had been completely removed.
Is it because my physical strength is so strong?
Or was Pembe's healing technique superior?
Or maybe... it was because Rudnine threw himself into saving me and saved me from the optimal golden hour.
I looked at him longingly again and inwardly cursed the guy who had put us in this situation.
'Damn snake.'
The snake familiar who threatened me twice.
He's already dead by my hand, but honestly, the real danger is just beginning.
'Let's get our heads together.'
I instructed Pembe as I walked towards the lab door.
"Pembe, take good care of the Duke. He can't move, so he'll have to sleep here. I'll go get some blankets. I also need to check on the situation outside."
"Yes, Yvonne."
I glanced back at the cute pink familiar that quickly ran over and sat down next to Rudnine, and let out a weak laugh.
I never thought that the familiar I caught by chance would become such a great help.
It's an ironic situation that the one who attacked me was a familiar, but it was also a familiar that helped me.
Pembe heard my laughter, raised his head, tilted his head, and spoke cautiously.
"Hey, Yvonne. The familiar that attacked you is a snake familiar called 'Omoko.' Only the highest-ranking black magician can contract with it. By the way, did you kill that Omoko?"
“Yeah. I killed him.”
“Wow... As expected, Yvonne is amazing.”
Pembe, blinking slowly, didn't particularly feel sorry for the dead familiar.
He just looks at me and expresses a mixture of awe and shock, thinking, 'What, there are such scary people?'
I chuckled, shrugged, and replied politely.
"So, I'm facing off against that 'highest-ranking' warlock you mentioned. The situation is dire. It's a nuisance."
"I see."
“Yeah. It’s okay. Well, I’ll go for now.”
The situation where you face off against Empress Giselle, the highest-ranking black magician who has made a contract with the snake familiar, the highest-ranking familiar.
Empress Giselle clearly doesn't know I'm the culprit. She didn't notice it the year before last, and she doesn't now. If she did, she would have come after me long ago.
'But...'
I bit my lower lip and clenched my fist.
I don't know what will happen from now on. They might even openly track me.
As I walked down the long, narrow hallway and came out into the living room, Carol, Eudela, and Liana, who were standing there in a tense posture, noticed me and ran towards me at the same time.
“Princess!”
“Are you okay?”
“Princess!”
'Ugh, my ears hurt.'
I glanced at my watch to see what time it was, and it was dawn.
My children were so worried about me that they couldn't sleep and were crying with red eyes.
‘I’m sorry for being so normal...?’
Feeling a little embarrassed, I scratched my head and opened my mouth.
“Aren’t you asleep yet?”
“How can we sleep! The Princess came home unconscious!”
Carol burst out in anger, her voice sharp and sharp, though she was still sobbing.
As I was startled by her force and fell silent, Liana patted Carol on the shoulder and stepped forward.
“Forgive me, Princess. Carol was very worried...”
"It's okay."
Liana, who decided that Carol, the maid, had been too rude, apologized on her behalf.
I was just surprised, not angry at all, but I needed to calm them down a bit, so I smiled softly.
“Listen carefully. I’m really okay. See? Right?”
“Are you sure?”
"Yes."
I deliberately approached Carol and spun around to show her how fine I was.
It felt strange to see Carol examining my body with a serious expression.
I remembered the time I went to Adrian's birthday party two years ago and was subjected to black magic.
At that time, I didn't want anyone to see me sick, so I locked myself in the lab and suffered for a week.
If I had known that Carol was such a good person who cared about me and was so loyal to me, I would have leaned on her even then.
'I regret it.'
Only after she had carefully examined my condition herself did Carol breathe a sigh of relief. Beside her, Eudela sobbed and added.
“Duke Iels issued a terrifying warning that absolutely no one was allowed into the lab... I was so worried, but I couldn’t go in. Seriously, I was so scared!”
“Yes, that’s right. He’s a stubborn, unconvincing person... no, he’s authoritarian.”
Carol frowned, having had quite the argument with Rudnine, who had been preventing her from entering the lab.
'Rudnine must have been trying to keep the maids from finding out that Pembe wasn't an ordinary hamster.'
I nodded and answered calmly.
"His judgment was right. You would have been in trouble if you had come in."
“What do you mean?”
"It's difficult to say the details. Anyway, I've recovered well, so don't blame the Duke."
“I see... Since you say so, Princess, I will believe you. I am truly relieved.”
Contrary to her answer, Carol looked towards the lab with a suspicious look in her eyes.
Liana asked curiously.
“But, Princess? Why isn’t Duke Iels here?”
"Well, he must be tired. He's asleep. I think he should rest in the lab. Can someone bring some extra bedding?"
“Yes! I’ll get it.”
Eudela answered briskly and quickly left the room.
“Oh, you’re tired... I guess so. He came in through the window.”
“Through the window?”
When I asked back in surprise, Carol nodded and slowly explained the situation again.
“Yes. The Duke opened this window and came in himself, holding the unconscious Princess in his arms.”
“Me, holding myself?”
I walked over to the window Carol was pointing to.
And I leaned against the windowsill and stared blankly down at the floor that seemed so far away.
How on earth did you manage to climb this high carrying me?
Liana came up to me, who was at a loss for words.
"What's even more surprising is that no one knows the Duke entered the Argenthoz mansion. He truly entered without anyone noticing."
"You're saying the guards didn't notice him? Not even the wizards or knights? Not at all?"
"Yes."
My mouth just drops open.
This is the Argenthoz Townhouse, the mansion where the Duke, the Young Duke, and the Princess reside.
There's a lot of high-level defensive magic, and the security is very tight, and you managed to break through that and carry me on your back?
Rudnine is really great.
“Then, don’t my father and brother know about the current situation?”
I asked in a hurry.
“Yes. Duke Argenthoz hasn’t returned yet, and I’m sure the Little Duke doesn’t know.”
"Really?"
"I deliberately kept it a secret from anyone. First of all, I trusted Duke Iels, and I believed the Princess's recovery was paramount..."
Every question I asked, Liana answered quickly and calmly.
"Good job."
I checked to make sure there was no disturbance outside the mansion, then returned to the table and sat down.
And I opened my mouth heavily towards Carol and Liana, who seemed to have a lot of questions.
"I've definitely taken care of what needed to be done at the Palace of Peace. Something went wrong, and I got injured. That's probably why someone's been tracking me."
"Ah."
“Is there anyone tracking you, Princess?”
Carol's voice changed strangely.
I rested my chin on my hand and stared at her.
As memories return, Carol appears different.
Carol Demirant. The niece of the Information Guild leader.
I've only ever been interested in magic before, so I don't really know how great and powerful the Information Guild is.
However, I know very well that the information Carol brings is not easily accessible to the general public.
And it is also said that this kind of connection is a very rare fortune.
Although it was shameless, I decided to take advantage of Carol, who had a crush on me.
"Carol, I have a question. Are you sure you'll continue to help me? If you interfere any further, you and the entire Information Guild could be in danger."
Since you have a conscience, I will give you one last warning.
But Carol didn't hesitate at all.
She placed her right hand on her left chest, near where her heart was, bent down, and looked at me with extremely serious eyes.
"I've decided to dedicate my life to you, Princess. The Information Guild will survive on its own. If I die here, I'll have to throw away my reputation as the continent's greatest information guild."
'Wake up, Yvonne Argenthoz!'
I looked back at Rudnine, who was lying flat with his eyes closed, and I felt very uneasy because he seemed to be sleeping so deeply.
He is breathing, but he is motionless.
I brought my hand in front of his eyes and shook it wildly, but he didn't budge at all.
As far as I know, the Sword Master has very sensitive senses, so even if he's asleep, he'll wake up if someone comes near him.
‘It’s not like he's asleep, it’s like he's slowly dying...’
I turned my head towards Pembe and looked at him with suspicious eyes.
"Pembe! When is this guy going to wake up? Is he really asleep?"
The voice coming out of my mouth was trembling.
Pembe sighed slightly and patted the back of my hand with her own.
"Yvonne. Seriously, the Duke is fine. I can't guarantee when, but if he sleeps well and gets plenty of rest, he'll wake up soon. He's naturally in good shape, so he's recovering on his own."
"But..."
"But there's something he absolutely must be careful about. He overdid it, sucking the venom out of the familiar and running all the way here. He mustn't move at all until his stamina stabilizes."
“You’re saying he shouldn’t move?”
"Yeah. Just let him lie here quietly until he wakes up on his own."
Pembe repeatedly warned me in a strong tone, as I was startled.
He said Rudnine watched Pembe treat me until the very end. Only after seeing my complexion return to normal and the wound on my calf healed did he close his eyes and fall into a deep sleep.
Pembe is said to have stuck out his tongue at the sight.
"A normal person would have died, of course. Perhaps he was confident because he was a Sword Master? Thinking of removing the venom from the familiar with his mouth! It was a surefire way to save you, but it seemed a bit reckless..."
“...Yeah. I agree. That was just outrageous.”
I muttered, gently brushing back the jet-black hair that had fallen from Rudnine's straight forehead.
Really...!
What if there was a small wound inside his mouth that he wasn't even aware of? The venom would have been absorbed into his body as he sucked it.
Even if he were a sword master, he would have died on the way here with me.
'Fool.'
You seem like a foolishly kind person. How can you be this kind?
Surely you weren't just going around saving every single person who collapsed on the street?
If you do that, you won't have anybody left. Why is your noble Duke using his body like this?
As I looked at Rudnine, lying comfortably on the hard laboratory floor, I was overcome with a mixture of pity and resentment.
I took a deep breath and slowly got up, thinking that I couldn't stay like this.
I was worried that I might feel dizzy or my legs might hurt.
'Hmm.'
Fortunately, the calf that had been bitten by the damn snake familiar was now fine, so I had no trouble walking, and my vision was clear, so the venom had been completely removed.
Is it because my physical strength is so strong?
Or was Pembe's healing technique superior?
Or maybe... it was because Rudnine threw himself into saving me and saved me from the optimal golden hour.
I looked at him longingly again and inwardly cursed the guy who had put us in this situation.
'Damn snake.'
The snake familiar who threatened me twice.
He's already dead by my hand, but honestly, the real danger is just beginning.
'Let's get our heads together.'
I instructed Pembe as I walked towards the lab door.
"Pembe, take good care of the Duke. He can't move, so he'll have to sleep here. I'll go get some blankets. I also need to check on the situation outside."
"Yes, Yvonne."
I glanced back at the cute pink familiar that quickly ran over and sat down next to Rudnine, and let out a weak laugh.
I never thought that the familiar I caught by chance would become such a great help.
It's an ironic situation that the one who attacked me was a familiar, but it was also a familiar that helped me.
Pembe heard my laughter, raised his head, tilted his head, and spoke cautiously.
"Hey, Yvonne. The familiar that attacked you is a snake familiar called 'Omoko.' Only the highest-ranking black magician can contract with it. By the way, did you kill that Omoko?"
“Yeah. I killed him.”
“Wow... As expected, Yvonne is amazing.”
Pembe, blinking slowly, didn't particularly feel sorry for the dead familiar.
He just looks at me and expresses a mixture of awe and shock, thinking, 'What, there are such scary people?'
I chuckled, shrugged, and replied politely.
"So, I'm facing off against that 'highest-ranking' warlock you mentioned. The situation is dire. It's a nuisance."
"I see."
“Yeah. It’s okay. Well, I’ll go for now.”
The situation where you face off against Empress Giselle, the highest-ranking black magician who has made a contract with the snake familiar, the highest-ranking familiar.
Empress Giselle clearly doesn't know I'm the culprit. She didn't notice it the year before last, and she doesn't now. If she did, she would have come after me long ago.
'But...'
I bit my lower lip and clenched my fist.
I don't know what will happen from now on. They might even openly track me.
As I walked down the long, narrow hallway and came out into the living room, Carol, Eudela, and Liana, who were standing there in a tense posture, noticed me and ran towards me at the same time.
“Princess!”
“Are you okay?”
“Princess!”
'Ugh, my ears hurt.'
I glanced at my watch to see what time it was, and it was dawn.
My children were so worried about me that they couldn't sleep and were crying with red eyes.
‘I’m sorry for being so normal...?’
Feeling a little embarrassed, I scratched my head and opened my mouth.
“Aren’t you asleep yet?”
“How can we sleep! The Princess came home unconscious!”
Carol burst out in anger, her voice sharp and sharp, though she was still sobbing.
As I was startled by her force and fell silent, Liana patted Carol on the shoulder and stepped forward.
“Forgive me, Princess. Carol was very worried...”
"It's okay."
Liana, who decided that Carol, the maid, had been too rude, apologized on her behalf.
I was just surprised, not angry at all, but I needed to calm them down a bit, so I smiled softly.
“Listen carefully. I’m really okay. See? Right?”
“Are you sure?”
"Yes."
I deliberately approached Carol and spun around to show her how fine I was.
It felt strange to see Carol examining my body with a serious expression.
I remembered the time I went to Adrian's birthday party two years ago and was subjected to black magic.
At that time, I didn't want anyone to see me sick, so I locked myself in the lab and suffered for a week.
If I had known that Carol was such a good person who cared about me and was so loyal to me, I would have leaned on her even then.
'I regret it.'
Only after she had carefully examined my condition herself did Carol breathe a sigh of relief. Beside her, Eudela sobbed and added.
“Duke Iels issued a terrifying warning that absolutely no one was allowed into the lab... I was so worried, but I couldn’t go in. Seriously, I was so scared!”
“Yes, that’s right. He’s a stubborn, unconvincing person... no, he’s authoritarian.”
Carol frowned, having had quite the argument with Rudnine, who had been preventing her from entering the lab.
'Rudnine must have been trying to keep the maids from finding out that Pembe wasn't an ordinary hamster.'
I nodded and answered calmly.
"His judgment was right. You would have been in trouble if you had come in."
“What do you mean?”
"It's difficult to say the details. Anyway, I've recovered well, so don't blame the Duke."
“I see... Since you say so, Princess, I will believe you. I am truly relieved.”
Contrary to her answer, Carol looked towards the lab with a suspicious look in her eyes.
Liana asked curiously.
“But, Princess? Why isn’t Duke Iels here?”
"Well, he must be tired. He's asleep. I think he should rest in the lab. Can someone bring some extra bedding?"
“Yes! I’ll get it.”
Eudela answered briskly and quickly left the room.
“Oh, you’re tired... I guess so. He came in through the window.”
“Through the window?”
When I asked back in surprise, Carol nodded and slowly explained the situation again.
“Yes. The Duke opened this window and came in himself, holding the unconscious Princess in his arms.”
“Me, holding myself?”
I walked over to the window Carol was pointing to.
And I leaned against the windowsill and stared blankly down at the floor that seemed so far away.
How on earth did you manage to climb this high carrying me?
Liana came up to me, who was at a loss for words.
"What's even more surprising is that no one knows the Duke entered the Argenthoz mansion. He truly entered without anyone noticing."
"You're saying the guards didn't notice him? Not even the wizards or knights? Not at all?"
"Yes."
My mouth just drops open.
This is the Argenthoz Townhouse, the mansion where the Duke, the Young Duke, and the Princess reside.
There's a lot of high-level defensive magic, and the security is very tight, and you managed to break through that and carry me on your back?
Rudnine is really great.
“Then, don’t my father and brother know about the current situation?”
I asked in a hurry.
“Yes. Duke Argenthoz hasn’t returned yet, and I’m sure the Little Duke doesn’t know.”
"Really?"
"I deliberately kept it a secret from anyone. First of all, I trusted Duke Iels, and I believed the Princess's recovery was paramount..."
Every question I asked, Liana answered quickly and calmly.
"Good job."
I checked to make sure there was no disturbance outside the mansion, then returned to the table and sat down.
And I opened my mouth heavily towards Carol and Liana, who seemed to have a lot of questions.
"I've definitely taken care of what needed to be done at the Palace of Peace. Something went wrong, and I got injured. That's probably why someone's been tracking me."
"Ah."
“Is there anyone tracking you, Princess?”
Carol's voice changed strangely.
I rested my chin on my hand and stared at her.
As memories return, Carol appears different.
Carol Demirant. The niece of the Information Guild leader.
I've only ever been interested in magic before, so I don't really know how great and powerful the Information Guild is.
However, I know very well that the information Carol brings is not easily accessible to the general public.
And it is also said that this kind of connection is a very rare fortune.
Although it was shameless, I decided to take advantage of Carol, who had a crush on me.
"Carol, I have a question. Are you sure you'll continue to help me? If you interfere any further, you and the entire Information Guild could be in danger."
Since you have a conscience, I will give you one last warning.
But Carol didn't hesitate at all.
She placed her right hand on her left chest, near where her heart was, bent down, and looked at me with extremely serious eyes.
"I've decided to dedicate my life to you, Princess. The Information Guild will survive on its own. If I die here, I'll have to throw away my reputation as the continent's greatest information guild."
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