Chapter 39

The Beauty and the Troublemaker (4)

Legina’s demeanor changed. As the short man flinched in surprise, Legina swiftly closed the distance and struck his dagger-wielding hand. As soon as she saw him drop the dagger from the unbearable pain, Legina spun half a turn, kicked him in the stomach, and used the momentum of her rotation to snatch the fallen dagger from the ground, regaining her stance. It was an elegant and beautiful movement, like a dance, but the short man, seeing her lion-like presence, missed his chance to escape.

“It is your defeat for failing to properly assess the enemy’s skill.”

Legina leaped as if to fly, closing the distance to the man’s face, and, holding the dagger in a reverse grip, slit his throat. The man met his end without even a scream, sliced by the dagger’s sharp trajectory.

“Your Highness Legina! Are you alright?!”

“I’m fine. Don’t worry, my lord.”

“What on earth were you thinking, rushing out like that?!”

Though she had quickly retreated after slitting his throat, she hadn’t completely avoided the splattering blood, leaving red stains on her yellow summer dress.

Selma’s going to scold me.

But to Legina, it was merely that fleeting thought. She casually tossed aside the dagger she held and looked at Aaron, who was angrily scolding her with a serious expression. Somehow, at this moment, she could look directly into his red eyes.

“I did it because I could.”

“That was reckless!”

“My lord, you’re too agitated right now.”

“Your Highness!”

“I merely did it because I could.”

“This is not something one can do after merely touching a real sword a few times!”

“My lord. I can do anything to survive.”

“What are you saying?!”

“It was a situation where if I didn’t kill them, I would die. So, I could do it.”

Aaron, who always gave precise, knife-like answers, was speechless for the first time, his lips trembling. Legina, who remained strangely calm and composed despite having just taken a life, felt unfamiliar to him.

“It was a dangerous situation.”

“I trusted myself and you.”

“Do not act recklessly again.”

“I’m sorry, I cannot promise that.”

She had never once hidden behind a shield. It was the same now, even after a miracle had given her a chance at a new life.

“I am the sword that stands at the very front.”

“Imperial family members should not be swords.”

“Nevertheless, I have no choice but to choose it, my lord.”

It was a riddle-like exchange. But Legina and Aaron simply stood looking into each other’s eyes, as if they already knew the answer.

“Your Highness! Are you safe?!”

“I’m fine, Johan.”

Legina, who had lightly waved a hand towards Johan rushing towards them with a horrified voice, ignored Aaron’s gaze and continued.

“It is I who wish to ask you a favor.”

“What is it?”

“You are a precious person. Someone indispensable to this Empire and to me. Become even stronger.”

Legina walked forward without waiting for Aaron’s reply. The crimson sunset, pouring onto Legina’s straight back, left a deep afterimage as it faded away.

Among the attackers, the only one who survived was the man holding the hand axe, whom Legina had dealt with first. She had intended to hit him just enough to knock him unconscious, but her swing had been ever so slightly—truly, just a tiny bit—too strong, causing the man’s jaw to lose its function. However, apart from that, he was pulled to the Imperial Palace’s underground prison in perfectly fine condition, where he had no choice but to receive treatment while his limbs were bound.

“…Didn’t you say only his jaw was slightly injured?”

“Exactly. I did my best to hit him gently, my lord.”

“Your Highness, is your conscience safe?”

“I suppose so?”

“Haa…”

Imperial Physician Derain, pushing up the glasses that had slipped down his nose, sighed deeply. What on earth had happened to the once meek Legina to make her change so much? He was certain this was the Emperor’s karma, and he looked at the princess, who was avoiding his gaze as if embarrassed.

“It will take some time.”

“Just don’t kill him. There’s a lot to find out.”

“Is it related to that unidentified liquid you brought last time?”

“Roughly? And I’d like you to pay close attention to this man’s eyes too.”

“It’s not difficult, but what do you intend to do by observing dead eyes?”

“If light returns to those dead eyes, you must inform me. Understood?”

Yes, what did it matter if her personality changed? She was so adorable! Though she was now old enough for ‘beautiful’ to suit her better than ‘adorable,’ to old Derain, who had cared for Legina’s health since her very, very early childhood, Legina was still the young and small princess.

“By the way, about what you entrusted to me. Do you truly not intend to tell me where you got it from?”

“I asked you precisely because I want to know that myself.”

“You sternly told me it was top-secret and that I should look at it alone, so I had to work alone without an assistant, and this old man’s bones are aching.”

“Just kidding.”

Her slight chuckle was a perfect copy of the deceased Empress Sylvia. What on earth was the Emperor doing, having such a gentle and beautiful daughter? Derain, who had worked as an imperial physician and cared for the Emperor’s health even when he was still a prince, recalled the Emperor’s face, which hadn’t matured at all from his childhood, and briefly clicked his tongue.

“He’s truly digging his own grave.”

“Derain?”

“It’s nothing. Now, please return to your room. I know you’re here to avoid Selma.”

“Was I caught?”

“Yes, even if not for that, it’s not good to stay long in such an unpleasant place. And please change your clothes quickly.”

Legina, pushed by Derain, exited the underground prison and found Selma waiting for her at the entrance like a grim reaper. Seeing Una and Johan standing far away, nervously watching, it seemed Selma’s anger was beyond imagination, making Legina feel like she wanted to go back down into the underground prison.

“Your Highness. Where do you think you’re going?”

“…Selma, your smiling face is terrifying.”

“Hohohoho, what part of my smiling face could be terrifying, Your Highness?”

“Se-Selma? Are you very angry?”

“Angry, you say? How dare I be angry with Your Exalted Highness, the Imperial Princess? Although Your Highness returned covered in blood, went straight to the underground prison without even changing, and didn’t come out for a loooong, very loooong time, leaving me to wait, I cannot possibly be angry.”

She was truly, incredibly angry. Legina trembled slightly as cold sweat ran down her spine. This was the first time she had seen Selma so angry.

“It’s not, not covered in blood…”

Legina, subtly folding and hiding the blood-splattered part of her dress with her hand, forced a smile. The problem was that Selma truly, genuinely exploded at Legina’s excuse.

“Are you saying that! Right now! Is that! A joke?!”

At her incredibly loud voice, everyone’s attention was drawn to Selma. However, Selma paid no mind to the surrounding gazes and continued speaking.

“Yes! It’s all fine! It’s fine! Have I ever won against Your Highness? It’s all fine! It’s fine, but! You should never have rushed into dangerous situations! Why did Your Highness personally face the assailants when Sir Aaron was there?!”

“Ah, no. But Selma. There were five of them. It would have been against my conscience to leave them all to Sir Aaron…”

“Since when did Your Highness care about your conscience?! What did you tell me?! You said you would become a troublemaker! What in the freezing hell is a troublemaker doing talking about conscience?!”

“Se-Selma? Just, just calm down a little…”

“Am I! Right now! In a state! To calm down?!”

Legina, desperately looking around for someone to help her, realized that only she and Selma existed in the suddenly empty space. No, she could see Johan and Una hiding behind a distant tree, but they looked as small as ants, which was the problem. Furthermore, even the guards protecting the entrance of the underground prison had vanished. Legina, seeing Selma approaching her with determined strides, radiating the presence of at least a tigress, if not a lioness, swallowed dryly and began to tremble.

While Legina endured Selma’s anger and trembled, Aaron, who had returned to the mansion and holed up in his room, was contemplating today’s events. Legina’s unwavering resolve despite her first real combat, her calm, serene violet eyes. And her significant last words. His mind was complicated, thoughts not easily organized. He knew she had talent with a sword, but how could she kill an enemy without showing a hint of fear? How could she be so composed after taking a life? And what exactly did those words mean?

[“You are a precious person. Someone indispensable to this Empire and to me. Become even stronger.”]

It wasn’t something someone with the noblest blood in this Empire would say to a mere second son of a ducal house.

Knock-knock.

“Aaron.”

At that moment, the soft knock and Gissley’s voice were like a rope descending from heaven. Aaron, who had been sitting diagonally, leaning against the bed frame, quickly got off the bed and opened the door.

“Brother.”

“I heard there was an attack.”

“There were no casualties.”

“Was it aimed at Her Highness Legina?”

“There’s a high probability of that.”

“What crazy bastard…!”

“Her Highness left one alive. If we interrogate him, we’ll find the mastermind.”

Gissley, who sighed and sat in the seat Aaron offered, began to observe his brother, who sat opposite him. He didn’t seem to be injured anywhere, but his dark expression worried him.

“Aaron, are you troubled by something?”

“Brother.”

“Yes. This brother will listen!”

Gissley blinked, not understanding for a moment what his brother had blurted out, who had been setting the mood as if to confide a serious concern. Had he met someone else in the middle of returning from meeting Legina?

“It could be interpreted differently depending on the situation… A woman? A man?”

“It was a woman.”

“…Doesn’t that mean that woman is interested in you?”

– Mochinuna.