Chapter 38

The Beauty and the Troublemaker (3)

Legina, leading the protesting Aaron, arrived at the capital’s most prestigious tailor shop and sat in the VIP lounge, Browse catalogs. It was a menswear-focused tailor, and a formally dressed tailor (Tailor) brought various types of fabric and draped them over Aaron. Legina, glancing at them, chose a design and called out to him, her face flushed with excitement, as he continued to display more fabrics.

“This one and this one, and this one. How soon can you have them ready, my lord?”

“I pledge Omar’s name; I will have them ready within a week!”

“…You don’t have to overwork yourself, you know?”

“No! I’ve just been struck by inspiration! This can be done! It absolutely will be done!”

She didn’t know what would be done, but it was clear he was inspired; his eyes, with a tape measure around his neck, were excessively bright.

“Your Highness, I am fine.”

“Just accept it, my lord. I need this.”

Legina knew that her deal with Aaron—their contract relationship—was a grotesque form of what could be called ‘dating.’ Dating, after all, was originally done when two hearts were drawn to each other. However, Legina and Aaron’s current relationship was one where she was unilaterally clinging to him, and Aaron was reluctantly associating with her due to the barrier of her status.

It’s a story where I desperately cling and cling to him, eventually opening his heart. He’s the one I love so much I feel like I’ll die, the one I fought for by defying His Majesty’s orders and annulling my engagement. A genuine romantic relationship will only be possible after we’re engaged, I suppose.

So, for now, she had to give and give and give. Whether it was her emotions or material things, without distinction! Especially, she mustn’t forget to give in ways that were clearly visible to others.

Don’t forget, I’m desperately courting him right now.

Legina looked at the overly sparkling tailor and Aaron, who was avoiding his gaze with a troubled expression, and decided that next, she would head to a jewelry store.

After leaving the tailor and having a late lunch, she entered a jewelry store and swept up all the men’s accessories. The shouts of joy from the store owner, welcoming a big spender who had cleared out a year’s worth of inventory in one go, could be heard. Ignoring that sound, she dragged Aaron to a blacksmith’s, where she bought every sword Aaron’s eyes touched. Afterward, Legina continued to spend money like water, buying gifts for Aaron.

“This is excessive.”

“Do you know one of the common traits of tyrants who ruined their countries, blinded by their concubines, my lord?”

“No.”

“They don’t know the value of money.”

Was money the only thing they didn’t value? Without valuing anything, they dedicated everything to their concubines, eventually even surrendering their country. And the end was tragic. The tyrant died, the concubine died, and even the concubine’s dog died.

“Ah! Speaking of those dogs.”

“What?”

Aaron stopped and tilted his head at Legina’s inexplicable words.

“The two I brought recently.”

“Ah, yes.”

“They’re not just dogs; they’re black wolf-dogs.”

Jesse was the first to realize the true identity of the two puppies—no, young black wolf-dogs. The day she returned after burning the castle, Theore came to Legina, demanding that she restore his blocked secret passages, and his escort knight, Jesse, arrived right after. And seeing the two, freshly bathed and drying their fur, he informed her that they were not ordinary dogs but wolf-dogs.

[“They said the species went extinct because of witches, but that was a lie after all.”] [“Witches? The ones said to be extinct?”] [“Yes. Witches apparently often used the fresh blood of fully grown black wolf-dogs as a primary ingredient when making their nasty potions.”] [“How do you know that?”] [“My father…”] [“Count Tarahan?”] [“…is quite serious about witch research.”]

Theore had briefly summarized what Jesse had explained as mildly as possible, in rough terms, as he couldn’t speak ill of his own father. Truly, it was fortunate Theore was born an Imperial Prince; if he had been born of slightly lower status, he might have lived a life of constant beatings.

“They’re siblings, and I named them Leon and Riga. The girl is Leon, the boy is Riga.”

“Good names.”

“Right? I think so too.”

She named the girl Leon because she would never approach no matter how desperately called, like ‘Come here’ (이리 온 – iri on), and the boy Riga because he would stick close no matter how much she pushed him away, like ‘Go away’ (저리 가 – jeori ga). Aren’t they truly intuitive and pretty names? Of course, her brother, upon hearing the names, gave her a half-request, half-warning: ‘Don’t you, Noona, ever name your future children.’

“By the way… you felt it too, didn’t you?”

“Yes.”

The two, chatting, reached a dead end in a secluded alley and turned their backs to the wall. Johan and one of Vestein’s knights, who had been escorting them, had briefly left to transport the gifts Legina had given Aaron to the Vestein mansion.

“This must be targeted at me, shouldn’t it?”

“Yes.”

The sun had set, painting the sky crimson. It was still too early for unwelcome guests, but perhaps seeing this moment, with the escorts gone and only the two of them left, as an opportunity, individuals with faces hidden by black masks began to appear one by one.

“To think there would be those targeting me in the capital of Ellias. It seems I’ve been seen as quite easy to deal with.”

“Prepare yourself.”

Legina casually discarded her folded parasol and drew Titi from her leg holster. She gripped its handle lightly, scrutinizing the masked figures. They were five assassins who had no common traits other than their masked faces. No, to call them assassins was wrong since they weren’t even trying to hide their presence; just thugs?

“I think there’s a better word for them.”

“Your Highness. When engaging in combat, it is better to maintain a relaxed posture than to be excessively tense. However, one should not completely let down their guard.”

“I know, my lord. I am quite an excellent student; I don’t easily forget what I’ve learned.”

“Yes.”

Legina lightly tapped her palm with the club, confirming the hazy eyes of the attacker at the very front. The sorceress of Slyveig seemed truly infuriated.

Come to think of it, is this the first time I’m hitting someone other than Theore with this?

Jesse had been hit plenty, but it was only because he volunteered to be a shield during Theore’s training that she reluctantly struck him. If he heard that, he would feel incredibly wronged and protest that he hadn’t volunteered but was forced to be a shield, but she didn’t want to consider the opinion of someone not present.

“Your disciple is entering real combat for the first time. What are your thoughts?”

“I am displeased.”

“That’s too harsh, my lord. I studied so hard. Don’t I have talent?”

“That and real combat are different matters.”

Before her regression, Legina had survived like a tenacious demon, wielding a chipped sword and beheading her enemies. Legina, unable to tell him that she had died and returned from rolling through battlefields, felt frustrated. From Aaron’s stance, it seemed he wouldn’t let a single one of them past him.

If they were ordinary enemies, perhaps. But wolf-hounds controlled by a sorceress are difficult opponents, no matter how strong Aaron is.

It would have been better if she had a sword in her hand, but it was a club made of Dacon wood, sturdier than most swords, so she wouldn’t be easily defeated.

I need to capture at least one alive. If I can’t find a way to break the spell, I’ll be at a disadvantage in the long run.

Before her regression, she couldn’t find a way to break the spell either. However, the situation was different now. Imperial authority was strong, and there were capable individuals gathered under its power. They would surely find an answer. Legina lightly loosened her wrist, took a deep breath, and then, without giving Aaron a chance to stop her, swiftly lunged forward, swinging her club at the nearest attacker.

“Your Highness!”

Aaron’s urgent voice was heard, but stopping the enemy before her was more pressing. Legina struck the attacker’s hand axe with her club, then pushed deep into his personal space, right to his face, and forcefully stomped on his big toe with the heel of her shoe, making a dull thud. Whether the pain registered even while under control, the opponent flinched for a moment, missing his chance to counter-attack. Legina then used her club to strike his jaw with all her might.

Something shattered, and the large attacker’s body fell backward. Blood flowing from his mouth and his eyes rolled back, revealing whites, signaled Legina’s victory. However, the enemy still remained. She had only dealt with one out of five. Of course, while she moved, Aaron had also swiftly swung his sword, dealing with two attackers, leaving three out of five.

A short man with a small dagger and a large man with a two-handed axe. Legina lunged at the short man before Aaron could say anything.

“You’re not under a spell!”

“Her Highness knows more than I expected.”

Dagger and club clashed, a brief struggle of strength ensued. Legina gritted her teeth, looking at the man’s clear black eyes.

“Why on earth! What’s the reason?!”

“I do not know.”

“What?”

“I merely move as my master desires!”

The man pushed Legina back with all his might, and as Legina lost her balance, he lunged at her. Legina barely managed to block the dagger, which moved powerfully, swiftly, and excessively honestly, as if intending to take her life in a single blow. She then forcefully struck his shin with the tip of her shoe.

“Though I don’t know about the others, you, it seems, must die here.”

“You don’t intend to capture me, do you?”

“There’s no use in capturing someone who easily throws away their life.”

“You speak cruel words with a beautiful face.”

Legina instinctively realized that this man was focused on escaping rather than killing her. It must be to convey information to his master about what Legina knew.

“You’re underestimating me.”

Flames surged in Legina’s violet eyes.

– Mochinuna.