The Emperor frowned slightly, as if thinking he had misheard, and asked again.
"He is the Captain of the Imperial Guard."
As Roselyn spoke emphatically once again, the Emperor rarely hardened his expression.
"...So, are you saying the current captain of the Imperial Guard is the King of Makluxa?"
"Yes."
“Are you sure?”
"Yes."
After all, I just came back from talking.
Roselyn kept her words to herself up to that point. It was because she could be blamed for the crime of sealing.
"...Is the captain of my personal guard saying that he is the King of Makluxa right now?"
"Yes."
"Princess, I do not mean to joke. You. You can take responsibility for these words, can't you?"
"Yes. So, please take the Abyss to the bead."
Roselyn held out an orange stone and said.
The Emperor frowned.
"If I put the Abyss into this stone, how will it be summoned?"
"Hmm..."
She doesn't know. This is because even Roselyn didn't see this being used directly, but only heard about it.
"...You will be summoned."
"...Are you saying you're going to use something on me right now that you don't even know what it is?"
"There is no danger, so please do not worry."
How could I not be worried?
The Emperor, after contemplating for a moment, suddenly smiled with an even more mischievous look.
"Fine. However, Princess, I am helping you with this because you are the girl who is scheduled to become my daughter-in-law."
"..."
"I hope you don't forget that point."
"No, then that's enough...!"
Roselyn, who was about to quickly pull the bead back at the Emperor's words trying to entice her, bit her lip tightly when she saw the Emperor's Abyss seeping into the bead.
"I hope the Princess is safe."
"...Yes."
Roselyn lowered her gaze to the truly bitter day.
"But let me ask you just one thing. Why is the Royal Guard Captain the King of Makluxa?"
Roselyn stopped walking at the Emperor's question.
"I recommend that you find that out yourself."
"The Princess really walks the fine line."
"I apologize if I offended you. I will gladly accept the gift you offered. Well then, it is getting late, so I will be heading back now."
At the Emperor's words, Roselyn smiled and politely expressed her gratitude, then turned around but stopped briefly in front of the door.
"Your Majesty, the child of a murderer has been born. Is this child a sinner or not?"
"...Are you suddenly trying to debate guilt by association with me?"
Roselyn laughed softly.
"Then, are the King's children, born unwillingly, sinners or not?"
While the Emperor remained silent, Roselyn bowed her head once again and left the reception room.
***
"So, what should we do about this, Roselyn?"
And Roselyn, having returned to the present, clamped her mouth shut at Arma's bright voice, asking with an innocent face.
'Let's not be defiant.'
Roselyn thought.
In fact, it was a natural human instinct. This was because the man in the skull mask who had attacked her had been subdued by Arma and was lying sprawled on the floor while she was lost in thought for a moment.
It happened in an instant. The moment the 'Reaper' rushed to kill Roselyn, Arma drew his sword and stood right in front of her to block his path.
It was only for a moment that she almost had a trauma triggered again, as it overlapped with Arma, who had told her to run away in front of the assassin.
This is because Arma was strong and subdued his opponent in the blink of an eye. In other words, there wasn't even time for her trauma to flare up.
“...They play with people.”
Her doubts vanished, replaced by a surge of slight annoyance.
"...Yes?"
"No, there's a high probability they were brainwashed, so it would be better to prevent the suicide first..."
Shaaaa!
No sooner had the words been spoken than a chilling sound and the stench of blood spread.
Both of them lowered their gazes at the same time. Arma hurriedly flipped over the Reaper he had been subduing and opened his eyes wide.
"...Child?"
He muttered softly and frowned as he forcibly opened the mouth of the boy, who was bleeding from the corner of his mouth.
"...This will be difficult unless a healer comes right away."
He is still alive, but his condition is already too poor to live.
“Get out of the way.”
Roselyn detached a yellow stone from the Seven Star Stones and gently placed it on the boy's forehead.
A warm yellow light began to flow from the stone.
The blood that had been gushing from the corners of the mouth stopped flowing, and the pale complexion gradually returned to normal.
Among the seven stones, the yellow one was the stone of purification and healing.
"Roselyn, what is this?"
"...Yes. I received it from a god who was playing."
Arma stared blankly and retorted to Roselyn's sudden confession.
"...I see."
“Do you believe it?”
"It's hard to believe, but if Roselyn says so, then I suppose that's how it is."
Roselyn burst into laughter at Arma's words.
"But seeing that, you look like someone who's been scammed by a smooth-talking con artist."
Arma blinked blankly at the sight of Roselyn bursting into laughter.
"Arma? Why are you standing still?"
"Ah... because I suddenly want to kiss you."
“...Here?”
"Ah. No, no! Well, I misspoke. Roselyn is just so pretty. I mean... it's the first time I've seen you smile. I'm sorry for that sin."
Arma, who had been answering in a rush, quickly bowed his head low.
Roselyn, who had been quietly watching that, shrugged her shoulders.
“Do you want to try?”
Arma's eyes widened at her words.
"...No, I don't want to do it like this. I want to set the mood a bit more, then stroll through the garden or the beach before doing it..."
Arma, who had been speaking reflexively in embarrassment, bowed his head low with a flushed face.
"Sorry."
The low murmuring voice was mixed with shame, wanting to run away immediately.
"...You're so romantic. I didn't know you'd even drawn up such a detailed plan..."
At Roselyn's murmuring, Arma raised his palm and buried his face in it.
"Sorry."
"Anyway, shall we tie this? I'll be right back after I speak to Dad and Grandpa for a moment."
Arma nodded at Roselyn's words.
"Have a safe trip. I will tie him up in the garden so that your room doesn't get dirty."
"Yes."
Roselyn turned away after watching Arma glance at the boy and sling him over his shoulder as he was about to grab him by the collar.
"Ah. It doesn't smell like me, so please don't steal it."
"...I don’t.”
"Yes."
Roselyn turned around again.
Arma sighed as he watched Roselyn walk away. The problem was that he didn't dislike the way he acted awkwardly.
'...Why on earth would you say you want to kiss her there, you idiot?'
Arma slammed his forehead against the wall and let out a small groan. He couldn't stand how stupid he was.
He was about to jump out the window, but stopped, clicked his tongue, and slammed his forehead against the window frame again.
But...
'It's the first time I've seen Roselyn smile like that.'
Honestly, he was surprised.
At the fact that she is someone who can laugh like that.
"...I've never thought about wanting to be liked by people, so this is awkward."
It wasn't that difficult to pretend to be kind, weak, or naive. However, Roselyn is not easily swayed by such things.
No matter how much he pretended to know nothing, or even when he suddenly stepped forward to use his abilities and acted as if he were something special, her indifferent and listless expression did not change much.
She seems like she isn't here even though she is here.
Arma wiggled his finger.
He tightly bound the unconscious boy with black darkness pulled out like a rope from his fingertips.
"Love..."
He had never loved anything.
To Arma, nothing with life was worthless. They were merely things to be used, things that would fall away at a mere wave.
He realized that trustworthy people are rare in the world, and he lived a life of suffering terribly at the hands of two-faced people.
Nevertheless, Arma was someone who believed that people were necessary to live life.
You can't live alone.
He exists because there are things in the world that are insignificant, foolish, and full of malice, yet are sometimes good, wise, and valuable.
So Arma did not fall into foolish arrogance. He did, however, harbor the uncharacteristically romantic thought that someday he might meet someone who is just for him.
“...I think we met.”
Arma lightly rubbed his cheek with his palm and muttered softly.
“Ah. I want her.”
Arma muttered softly.
Support Novellate!
Comments
Post a Comment