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The Golden Leopard Protecting the Wand
“But you won, right?”
Rubinia only knows that the Marquis of Vermont is detained somewhere in the Grand Library. As Kyrie nodded her head, Rubinia spun around in her seat, arrogantly raising her chin.
“Well then! It’s the Crown Princess’ order.  Stop sitting at the desk and go out together!  You wouldn’t dare disobey the Crown Princess’ orders, would you?”
“Yes…….”
Kyrie turned to look at the papers once and Rubinia’s face once. And she swallowed her sigh that was about to come out.
‘I didn’t get the protocol, so I’ll have to listen to this. I’m going to have to look into the public sentiment as well.’
Kyrie put the pen down as if she couldn’t help it.
“I can’t refuse the order from the heavenly Crown Princess. When?”
“Today.”
“Yes?”
“Right now!”
Rubinia clapped her hands twice, and the door opened and female servants rushed in.  Seeing Kyrie, who was stunned, Rubinia spread her fan and smiled.
“They say it starts today, so don’t waste your time? Decorate her moderately like a commoner!”
At Rubinia’s command, her servants flocked like shoals of fish.  Kyrie smiled bitterly at her.  It looks like it was pre-appointed. Even MarryAnne followed her and looked at Kyrie with eyes that seemed to say ‘please’.
‘It’s nothing. I have no choice but to give in to you today.’
Kyrie was taken helplessly, and in the meantime, Rubinia threw her irresistible words insignificantly.
“Ah.  Of course, I also told the Legendary Lord!”
***
They changed their clothes like a commoner, and changed their hair color by magic.  When Kyrie and Rubinia came down to the entrance of the Grand Library, they found Nathaniel waiting in advance.  When they saw him, even Kyrie, who had made up her mind that she would never react to him, flinched.
Nathaniel was surprisingly childlike. A boy of about ten years old, with his black silky hair and a pressed hat.
“Your Highness, I have work……”
“No- This is the order of the Crown Princess!  And outside, call me Ruby!”
Rubinia crossed her arms with Kyrie and hurriedly approached Nathaniel with. She, of course, was not in good spirits even if she was in front of Nathaniel.
“Legendary Lord!…..Are you okay?”
A boy who looked like a doll, with white, round cheeks, laughed silently.  He had a smile that made it difficult to judge his age.
[Yes.]
“That……Could you change your age?”
Rubinia asked skillfully. Nathaniel stared at her without answering her.
Yes, you are annoying.
Rubinia laughed hard. Looking at his attire, it seemed that he was disguised as a commoner, but his shabby attire seemed to make it difficult to hide his elegance.
Still, there will be no misunderstanding that he was a Legendary Lord. Rubinia nodded her head and looked back at Kyrie, who stiffened.
“You’re doing it like that, but you have to stick with me!”
“Your Royal Highness.”
Kyrie avoided her gaze with her gloomy eyes.  She continued to avoid making eye contact with Nathaniel, while Nathaniel looked only at Kyrie, as if nailed to it.
“Even if I don’t go with you……”
“No. You must go!”
“Your Royal Highness, I…..”
[You don’t want to go with me.]
Kyrie bit her lip at the boy’s giggle. Rubinia, who was sandwiched between them, tried hard to ignore Kyrie’s expression.  She grabbed Kyrie’s arm and pulled her away.
“Then let’s go!”
***
The street in the early evening, when the twilight began to fall, was more exciting than usual. Spring flower decorations made by magic hung here and there, shining in five colors.
“Wow! It’s prettier than I thought! How did they use magic like this?”
Rubinia looked around and laughed.  Kyrie, who had now given up on her escape, nodded her head.
“Certainly, they use magic on a daily basis.”
“Kir! Look over there! Have you eaten that?”
“No. But you can’t eat it.”
“It’s okay! I grew up eating stuff like that!”
Rubinia dragged Kyrie who had a tired face and headed to a stall. Kyrie instinctively covered her mouth when she saw the fruit cut into small pieces and sprinkled with sweet sauce. Seeing that, Rubinia laughed softly.
“Mister, it’s not three… plates but two!”
Rubinia glanced at Nathaniel and then changed her words. The fruit shop owner made a puzzled face.
“If it’s three, you have to order three!”
“Oh! The Lady talks a little cutely, doesn’t she? I will just give you one! I need to, because you were safe when you went against Vermont!”
“Gosh, really? No weakness!”
Even if the brilliant blonde hair disappeared, Rubinia’s loveliness did not disappear. For five minutes, she even talked about the store owner’s neighbor’s son having twins this time. Kyrie, who was watching, admired her.
Rubinia soon turned around and held out a small paper bowl of fruits. Kyrie reached out reflexively. However, a small hand popped out in the middle and pushed Rubinia’s hand out.
“Ah!”
The bowl fell to the floor. It was a deliberate act if anyone saw.
“…….”
“…….”
[Mistake.]
Nathaniel with a boy’s face smiled broadly. Because the meaning of ‘I don’t want to eat street food’ was so clearly revealed, Rubinia put on a bitter expression.
“…….Yes, it is. It’s okay.”
At that time, Kyrie stepped up.
“I’ll buy it again, because it’s my order.”
Kyrie ordered another fruit and ate it. Of course, it wasn’t too sweet or delicious. But Nathaniel looked at Kyrie with a very grumpy look, and that was enough for Kirier.
Rubinia looked sick and tired of it. She whispered in Kyrie’s ear so that Nathaniel could not hear her.
“Are you sure you can’t? I feel like I’m going to die!”
“I didn’t know you were so close with him in the first place.”
“I ran into him at the library! And for courtesy’s sake, it’s better to invite him once…….”
“Then I’ll go back now that I’m done with my face.”
“No!”
Rubinia shouted rather desperately, yikes and moved her neck. She whispered again.
“Can’t you two please talk?”
[Leave her alone, she’ll be furious that she can’t do anything about me.]
The boy walked ahead and said as if singing.  Kyrie’s expression hardened again, and Rubinia between them let out a deep sigh.
“What the hell is going on……, uh, wait a minute.”
As she walked through her crowd, Rubinia looked down at the hem of her robe and cried.
“I spilled the sauce! What to do? Surely there was a water tap when we came, right?”
“Ruby? Wait a minute, let’s go together……”
“No! I’ll be right back, you two stay! Okay? Two of you!”
Rubinia disappeared into the crowd as fast as a fish avoiding a net. She had already gone too far to follow her.
‘Then all that’s left is……’
[It’s a situation that you hate it.]
“…….”
Kyrie touched her forehead.  She let go of her feelings with a sigh, then quietly left the central street. As a city of scholars who do not know how to play, the festival was not very big, so it was quiet just off the street.
It was past evening and it was near night. The lantern, seen through the narrow alleyway, swayed yellow and flickered. Sitting on the bench under the tree, Kyrie stared blankly in front of her.  Nathaniel, in the form of a boy, took off his hat and dangling his legs next to Kyrie.
[Your friend is late.]
Kyrie tried to ignore Nathaniel’s muttering.  Looking at such Kyrie, Nathaniel laughed coldly.
[It would be quite painful for you to have just the two of us.]
Strength entered Kyrie’s fist.  Even if she tried to think differently, it was hard to do so. All because of his voice
Nathaniel’s voice echoes from a deeper depth than others. A perfect pronunciation, but sometimes it sounds like the ears are melting because of the mixed breath.  Although the appearance was younger, that point did not change.
Kyrie didn’t answer. Then Nathaniel came down from the bench and stood in front of Kyrie. The boy with terribly beautiful features looked at her with an innocent smile.
[You are very patient.]
Kyrie’s eyes blinked. Nathaniel’s transparent sea-blue eyes watched kyrie’s every move without a single blink.
[One’s stubbornness is great. I don’t know how long you’ll be able to do that.]
Nathaniel smiled softly and leaned ahead. It was a disgustingly lovely and natural gesture.  Kyrie turned her head away. She didn’t look, and she didn’t want to answer. Thanks to this, she didn’t see the slight smile on the boy Nathaniel’s face.
It’s boring. (T/N: no brackets were written here, maybe the author forgot, who knows lol)
Nathaniel muttered slowly.
For quite some time, the two did not even move. It was not Rubinia who woke up that sharp stillness. It was a bell that rang throughout the city.
Ding ding ding!
Kyrie and Nathaniel raised their heads at the same time. Black smoke filled the night sky in an instant.
“Fire!”
“Call for water!”
“Escape everyone! Fire!”
“Does anyone know how to use water magic?!”
People were screaming and running across the alley. Kyrie jumped up from her seat.
[Kyrie. Don’t move.]
Before she could move, Nathaniel said coldly. He was looking into the distance, searching for something with those creepy clear eyes.
Kyrie ran out into the central street. She heard Nathaniel kicking his tongue behind her, but that didn’t bother her anymore.
The streets were abysmal. It seemed difficult to evacuate because there were a lot of people gathered for the festival.
[Kyrie. Go back to the library. Now you can’t do anything.]
Nathaniel, approaching from behind her, spoke strongly again. There was a great sense of pressure just by the fact that the pupils stuck like black oysters between the blue irises were enlarged. Kyrie hesitated for a moment.
‘Shall I go to the fire scene? No. There is nothing I can do if I go.’
She can’t even use water magic. She doesn’t know the geography of the city as well as Pronoia’s Fire Guard. She felt her anger surge up, but Nathaniel was right.  Kyrie bit her lip.
[Kyrie.]
Nathaniel called out her name again.
At that moment. Needless to say, Kyrie’s shoulder was hit by people running frantically.
Kyrie immediately fell over the street.
As someone stepped on her hand, the first thing she thought of was Nathaniel.  If it was Nathaniel, he would have pulled her and trampled on those who stepped on her instead. Kyrie, who had dust all over her body, raised her head hurriedly.
But surprisingly, he didn’t take out his sword.  However, with a very annoyed face, he was standing in front of Kyrie.  People were running around him like sardines avoiding sharks.
He said sternly before Kyrie realized that it was very strange that Nathaniel hadn’t killed anyone yet.
[Wake up. Or should I teach you to walk?]
The beautiful boy’s face was very fierce.  Kyrie felt a slight embarrassment and stood up quickly. At that moment, a young man passing by her reached out his hand.
“Hey, are you okay? Get up!  It’s dangerous!”
“Ah yes. Fine……”
Kyrie, who was reflexively trying to grab his hand, stopped for a moment.  Something shimmering protruded through the robes of the young man who bent over.  The young man seemed unaware of it.  However, Kyrie’s eyes were instantly drawn to the sparkling thing.
“Hold my hand!”
The amulet hung around the young man’s neck was engraved with a gold leopard pattern protecting the wand. The golden leopard is the symbol of the royal family Orewinbridge. The fact that there is a wand drawn on it……
‘The crest of the magic corps under the direct control of the king.’