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“…Um, Marielle?”
The next morning, on the way to the imperial capital after leaving Balletta. Yui approached Marielle. Marielle looked at her inquisitively and smiled warmly.
“What’s wrong?”
“What happened last night?”
“What do you mean!?”
Marielle was startled. Her shoulders shook and she immediately turned her face away. Serika approached her, looking amused at her reaction, red to the ears.
“What is it now, Marielle, are you hiding something?”
“I-I’m not hiding anything, I swear!”
“Did something happen with Eisuke?”
“Whaaat!?”
What a surprise! Marielle’s shoulders shook with fright. She was a princess who wasn’t very good at hiding her feelings. Yui began to question Marielle with more eagerness.
“I knew it, I was already suspicious. You’ve been looking at Eisuke’s face out of the corner of your eye.”
“I-I haven’t looked at him! At no time did the idea of looking at Mister Eisuke’s face even occur to me!”
“Hey, it’s hurtful when you say it like that.” Eisuke looked sideways at Marielle who was denying everything and groaned. He spoke lazily while scratching his ears. “Don’t get so agitated, Marielle, there’s nothing to hide. Last night, you and I…”
“Whawha!? Are you an idiot, Mister Eisuke, or did your mother drop you when you were little!?”
“Marielle, aren’t you getting more and more foul-mouthed? I’ll bet you’re hanging out with some bad influences.”
“And those bad influences are you, for sure.”
Serika said to Eisuke in a contemptuous tone. Marielle was fuming with a red face, as she thought she had done something rather daring. Though, in fact, there was nothing to hide anyway. Rukino cleared her throat.
“…Aren’t you a bit agitated? Look straight ahead.”
Rukino urged them with a sigh. In front of Eisuke and the others, the imposing walls surrounding the Imperial City cast an intimidating shadow.
“That’s the imperial capital. That heart of this country, and serves as the home of my lady and the Imperial Knights… it is our destiny to retake that place, isn’t it? And yet here you are as relaxed as ever… I wish you would get a little more serious.”
“I am serious. Even for a while now I’ve been pretty excited, you know?”
“That’s not the same as being serious! You don’t know what kind of powerful abilities this Hero has!”
Rukino scolded Eisuke, who was trembling with excitement. Marielle and Rukino escaped to summon Eisuke and the others before the Heroes’ invasion of the capital. As expected, they did not know the details of the Heroes’ cheating abilities. However, Eisuke was excited about this.
“If they’re the Hero who invaded the heart of this country, you’d expect his abilities to be flashy, evil and ridiculously strong, wouldn’t you?”
“What? No, I wouldn’t want to expect that, I’m not an idiot.”
“What about the ability to blow away clothes? That’s how Eisuke’s clothes ended up in tatters.”
“Who the hell would want to have that kind of pervert’s luck?!”
“I can see that it’s just me.”
“I can’t imagine anyone else!”
Marielle laughed at the silly exchange. Who could believe that they were the ones who had been instrumental in defeating three Heroes so far? Yet Marielle had been saved by this cheerful and open attitude. The bitter memories that had haunted her were overwritten by happy memories.
If it was them, they could surely take on the Hero of the Imperial Capital.
Eisuke and the others arrived at the castle gate. At the place, two imperial knights stood guard. Rukino advanced calmly in front of them.
“Imperial Knight Rukino, I have just returned with Princess Marielle. Open the door.”
“Rukino plays the superior.”
“You’re telling me. I think it’s the only scene where she can be so cool.”
“Would you guys shut up for a second!?”
Eisuke and Serika teased Rukino for acting superior. But….
“An Imperial Knight…? Who are you again?”
“What…?”
The knight doorman casually turned Rukino away. Serika and Yui teased her again.
“Wow, how embarrassing, they don’t know you…”
“It’s pretty funny, like a celebrity who went to get involved with people who don’t watch TV.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, but I know you’re making fun of me! Hey, I may not know you directly, but you really don’t know me!? I’m Rukino, the Imperial Knight of the princess!”
“Princess? I don’t know what you’re talking about, but impersonating an imperial knight is not allowed.”
“W-What nonsense! Whatever, forget about me right now! Princess Marielle has returned to the capital! Open the door!”
Rukino demanded desperately. Marielle bowed her head towards them, bewildered.
“Good day, sir knights. I thank you for protecting the Imperial City in my absence.”
Marielle turned her princess smile toward them, and at that moment….
“You’re the rebel Kaito, the Hero, was talking about!”
“………Excuse me?”
The imperial knights became aggressive and drew their swords towards Marielle.
“Silence! You’re definitely the blonde woman who said she would take revenge on Kaito, the Hero, someday! I’ll capture you right here!”
“What the…!? Huh…!?”
No one could understand what was going on. Rukino quickly stood up to protect Marielle.
“Don’t you know what you’re doing?! The one in front of you is the princess of this country!”
“There is no such thing in this country!”
The imperial knight said without hesitation. Marielle’s throat constricted as if she had been strangled.
“You are the ones who have rebelled against the king of this country, Kaito, the Hero, even inventing a princess! In the name of the imperial knights, you will be…!”
What silenced the men was Eisuke’s painful slap. With a bang, the ferocious force of the slap slammed the imperial knight into the door behind him, sending the wooden door crashing down. Amidst the dust, Eisuke clapped his hands roughly.
“It’s useless to keep talking, they don’t know you.”
“But… that’s…!”
Marielle bit her lip hard at Eisuke’s open and honest statement. Serika spoke in a serious tone.
“Were they brainwashed too, like they did me?”
“I don’t think so. They seemed to be too aware for that to be the case.” At what Serika said, Eisuke put his finger to his chin.
The dust cleared, and what they saw before them was the cityscape of the imperial capital. The city, similar in appearance to a European castle, which had been overrun by the Heroes, but was still beautifully landscaped and without appreciable damage. The citizens passing through the streets, perhaps not as attentive to their personal appearance, were slightly disheveled in their hair and clothes, but showed no signs of fear or disappointment. There was a scene that could be described as quiet peace.
But…
“…Isn’t that the rebel…!?” exclaimed one of the citizens. …Pointing to Marielle.
“Hey! Call the imperial knights quickly!”
“Here come the rebels who want to overthrow the Hero!”
Everyone’s face turned pale and they fled from Marielle and the others like spiders. Not a single person rejoiced at the triumphant return of the princess. On the contrary…
“I-It hurts…!”
Marielle frowned at the sudden pain. …A pebble rolled under her foot. …It was thrown towards her by a small child.
“Get out of this city, you villain!”
“…!?” Marielle’s face contorted.
…Every person in this town considered Marielle to be a total and absolute enemy.
“What do you mean…!? Why… my lady…!?”
“…It’s obvious why…!” Eisuke said sharply to Rukino, whose lips were trembling, without turning around. “It’s because of that bastard Hero, isn’t it?”
Before his gaze… was the royal castle, which even had a strange atmosphere.