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Chapter 34
May My Sword be Clothed with Power II (2)
Translated by Wook
Edited by Wook
A week after subjugating the monsters, my eyesight had recovered enough to walk around without the help of others. The injured arm also healed at a speed that surprised even the doctor.
But as the north wind grew stronger, the people around me began to annoy me for other reasons.
“My lady, if you wear thin clothes like this, you will catch a cold!”
“Who cares? I’ll be staying in my room.”
“You can’t say that! Come on, wear this outfit! Put this on, too! Wear another pair!”
Agoth, who had found me walking around wearing only two layers of clothes, immediately dragged me into the room and began to change my clothes quickly.
I was still not sure if I should change, but in the end I just dressed accordingly as I picked the clothes up.
It might be a challenge to see how many layers a person could wear.
“Ugh, Agoth, stop for a second. I could almost roll over like this.”
I grumbled as I looked at my body that had become too fat to breathe.
“I can’t even bend my arms.”
“It’s better than catching a cold.”
“Even without all of this, I won’t get cold.”
“The lady is injured, so she must be weak. At times like this, she has to be more careful of minor illnesses.”
Agoth nagged at me.
“I’ll bring some more firewood later. Ginger tea is good for the cold, so I got a lot from the maids here. Make sure you drink it before you go to sleep, okay?”
“Hey… I haven’t caught a cold yet.”
“It’s best to prevent a cold.”
After subjugating the monsters, Agoth had become more sensitive to my attendance.
She seemed to be feeling a sense of indebtedness because of my injuries.
But it really wasn’t anyone’s fault. Of course, there was no reason to blame Agoth.
But even saying that wouldn’t work. In the end, even if it was bothersome, I had no choice but to follow Agoth’s insistence for the time being.
I let out a long sigh.
“… Can’t I just take off one layer?”
“No.”
Agoth was rebelling against me.
Eventually, I gave up taking off my clothes.
***
Four days after the subjugation, all the trainees of the Red Knights returned to the capital.
Everyone seemed to be protesting saying they couldn’t leave the captain behind, but at the command of Dalton, the commander of the Red Knights, they eventually returned silently.
“I could barely stopped Sir Dalton from coming here right away after hearing about your injury.”
Rowena, who had come to assist me and Caesar’s return, delivered the news of the capital to me in a distinctive, businesslike tone.
I leaned against the railing on the second floor of the hall. While listening to Rowena’s report, my gaze remained fixed on Caesar, Hamilton, and Lot, who were fighting in the hall on the first floor.
‘Haa, I want to fight too.’
I had thought I was tired of the sword, but seeing this, I didn’t know anymore.
After sighing, I continued the conversation with Rowena, who was standing next to me.
“Are you all surprised by my injury? Why were they making a fuss to come and see me?”
Even so, I got hurt because I had been careless, so even my pride was hurt. What did they want to see?
“Everyone must be concerned. You have a great reputation.”
“If you have good skills, people will attach themselves to you just by breathing.”
“Still, if you don’t have a good personality, people around you won’t even worry about you.”
“But aren’t there many people who would sorry about Caesar too?”
“… There are exceptions.”
In the end, she didn’t say that Caesar didn’t have a bad personality.
“Anyway, the return schedule is at 8 am in three days. Oh, and.”
“And?”
“There is no confirmed schedule yet, but it seems that His Majesty will hold a party in honor of this matter.”
“Wow… The most ungrateful thing.”
I frowned blatantly.
It bothered me just thinking about it. But apart from my mood, it was a good thing for Caesar.
This time, the subjugation of the monsters was an achievement for the crown prince. Since it was a party given by the emperor, a lot of nobles would also participate, and of course Caesar’s prestige would rise.
‘For me too.’
This event would make it easier to enter the Imperial Palace.
The empress’s mouth will be dry. This will be refreshing.
“Our side would like to take care of the preparation, invitation, and organization of the party. What do you say?”
“Okay, I’ll leave it up to you.”
“That’s all for the important report. And I have a personal question that might be a little rude, but would you allow it?”
Rowena asked me, taking off her glasses.
Since it was a business woman who had a personal question, I must say I was rather curious.
“What is it?”
“Are you dating His Highness?”
“Ubh! Cough! Cough!”
I was so surprised that I choked while inhaling.
But Rowena stood staring at me without a change of expression, making me a little scared of her.
‘Hamilton…!’
I shouldn’t have consulted with him!
“Oh, well… I think so. …maybe.”
“Maybe?”
“Maybe… yes. Probably.”
He hadn’t exactly asked me out.
Well, it was my first time dating in my entire life, so I wasn’t sure.
My cough was so loud that the people on the first floor found me and Rowena on the second floor.
Caesar looked at me with a sweaty face and called out, “Helena!” He smiled brightly and waved his hand.
“Since when have you been here? Oh, I’m coming up!”
After saying goodbye to Lot, Caesar started running towards the stairs leading up to the second floor.
Maybe it was not Hamilton. Just from looking at Caesar’s excited attitude must have been enough for Rowena to notice.
“We’re dating, that’s right.”
Rowena hmm’ed with a loud voice.
“But why on earth…”
I didn’t know Rowena was interested in such gossip. She actually felt a little friendly.
However, Rowena’s answer that followed was not what I expected.
“Until now, there has been a limit to the work of presenting Princess as a ‘candidate for the crown princess’ to keep the Brandes in check. So I was wondering if it would be okay to set it up as an established fact now.”
Ah.
That was the reason. That’s right. I suddenly came to my sense.
“I will go back to the capital and tell you the details. For now, enjoy your date.”
What do you mean date?
Rowena nodded at me, then turned and walked away. At the same time, I heard the sound of footsteps running fiercely behind my back.
When I turned around, Caesar, who had run all the way to my nose, had a smile that didn’t fit his ferocious image and hugged my waist tightly.
“Helena!”
This guy.
Had became less hesitant about skinship after my confession.
“Wow, Helena. Why are you wearing so many clothes? You can’t even hold me back.”
“Ugh, you’re so noisy.”
Embarrassed, I frowned and scolded him. But Caesar still smiled at my nagging.
“You’re like a cute teddy bear.”
What a lie.
“You feel so fluffy when I hug you. Can I keep hugging you?”
“No. You smell like sweat right now.”
“Oh, I need to go wash up. Can I hug you after washing?”
“No.”
“Let’s just wash together— Kugh!”
Before Caesar could finish his words, I quickly slapped him on the chin and made him shut his mouth.
My face was heated up and my ears hurt.
“Shut up! Keep your words!”
I wouldn’t have said that I liked him if I had known that he would evolve into a beagle!
In spite of my anger, Caesar was always smiling. He didn’t even think about loosening his arms around my waist.
I’d like to say…
‘I will let this slide because you’re handsome.’
Even with such a stupid expression on his face, he was still handsome. How great.
In the end, I let out a long sigh because of my own attitude.
***
“You’re going back tomorrow.”
Caesar and Hamilton gathered in the study at the initiative of Marquis Ben.
Caesar, who sat with his legs crossed at the top of the table, nodded his head with an expressionless face at the words of the marquis.
“We’re indebted to you, Marquis.”
“No, I should be thanking you.”
After the marquis finished his speech, he looked at me and gave me a slight nod.
“The damage caused by the monsters is noticeably reduced. It’s all thanks to you.”
“That’s great news.”
“How can I repay all this?”
The marquis’ eyes saying so looked sincere.
Caesar spoke to the marquis in his unique, overwhelming voice.
“Don’t worry about it. I just don’t let go of my people’s difficulties.”
Tch. In other words, he was saying From now on, you are now mine.
The marquis was not surprised.
No, he must have predicted all of this when he asked Duke Peresca for help.
The marquis said in a cheerful voice.
“Anything I can do for Your Highness, I will do it without backing down.”
“It’s good. I feel like I’ve won a thousand horses.”
Caesar, who seldom smiled, grinned. That arrogant smile overlapped with the beagle smile that was shown in front of me, and I felt a strange sense of incompatibility.
If you looked closely, his attitude in front of me and in front of other people was surprisingly different.
‘Is it the power of love?’
When I thought about that, I felt embarrassed and the back of my neck became hot.
“Oh, and… Actually, there is something I want to show you before you return.”
An amicable atmosphere continued, but the marquis suddenly opened his mouth in a serious voice.
I looked at Caesar and Hamilton in confusion. However, the two did not seem to understand the situation as well.
“What’s the matter?”
Hamilton asked with some concern.
The marquis called the butler to deliver something. Soon afterwards, three knights under the marquis’ command brought something over.
‘It doesn’t look very heavy, but three people are carrying it? The three are even knights, not mere servants.”
The object was a thin rectangular glass box. When put on the table, I could see the contents of the box.
“… Leather?”
It was a part of a monster’s hide.
The pattern I had found during subjugation was stamped on it.
‘… What?’
And the moment I saw that pattern.
I felt a strange pain in my heart. Panicked, I unconsciously grabbed my chest with one hand.
Sudden pain as if the heart were split in two. My fingertips instantly became cold, and cold sweat trickled down my back.
What is this feeling?
Obviously before…
“Helena, what’s wrong? Are you sick?”
Caesar was the first to notice my change.
But the pain did not last long. When I lifted my head to look at Caesar, the pain spread like ink in water, and then slowly disappeared.
“Ah… Nothing.”
I smiled bitterly and shook my head.
“So, what is this?”
Not wanting to worry Caesar anymore, I quickly switched the topic, pretending not to know.
In fact, even if they asked me, it would be hard for me to answer. Because I didn’t understand anything either.
‘I think it has something to do with this pattern.’
At the forest, I had definitely felt this kind of chest pain the moment I found this pattern.
And since it had something to do with the monsters, it couldn’t be anything good.
“It looks like a magic circle.”
When I changed the subject, Hamilton added quickly.
By this time Caesar had missed the chance to speak to me and bit his mouth. Phew, that’s relief.
“This is a part of the skin of Lukrokota from our last hunt. It seems like this is the cause of trouble.”
“The cause of trouble… You mean—”
“Yes, the same thing was found on the Wyrm’s hide. Now it has been sent to the Magic Society.”
“What did they say about it?”
Hamilton asked. However, the marquis just shook his head quietly.
“They don’t know.”
“What?”
“I sent it because I thought it might have something to do with magic, but they said it wasn’t a rune language.”
Magic was practiced in a unique language system called “runes”. However, it seemed that the characters engraved on this pattern were not the “rune language.”
“Then what is this?”
Caesar muttered, his smooth forehead wrinkled.
“We don’t know yet. But guess what, I think this has something to do with Dracoism.”
“Do you mean the religion that worships dragons?”
“Yes. After they appeared, the number of monsters increased. And on the body of the monsters, a pattern like this that we had never seen before came out.”
Well, that’s true in terms of circumstances.
I opened spoke in deep thought.
“Does the pattern have the ability to control monsters?”
“Who knows? We’re not sure if it’s magic.”
“Do we need to think about this?”
Following my and Hamilton’s words, Caesar said some very rebellious words. Thanks to this, everyone’s attention was focused on him.
“If it has anything to do with Dracoism, we can call in their church members or even the leaders and ask them.”
“Isn’t it just circumstantial evidence?”
“But how can the three of us who don’t know magic know something that even magicians don’t know?”
“That’s true, but…”
“If we still don’t get the information after we catch a religious person of that religion, we will think of another way.”
After saying that, Caesar frowned again and asked.
“Or can anyone think of another effective way?”
No.
The other three, including me, looked down with a hmm.
“Marquis, if you don’t mind, can I copy this pattern?” I said, when everyone remained silent, neither affirming nor denying Caesar’s words.
“That’s all right, but what’s the reason?”
“I thought of someone I could ask about this emblem.”
“Who is that?”
Caesar asked me.
“It’s a secret, Your Highness.”
I didn’t answer.
Because that person was none other than our enemy, Yulika Brande.
‘It’s worth trying. I’ll have to figure it out as far as I can.’
Because this pattern seemed to have something to do with ‘me’.
Concealing that thought, I gave a harmless smile to the three men who looked at me suspiciously.