episode_0055

Fingers spread apart forcibly as if anchored on both sides.

“Hoo.”

Instead of resisting, the Duke was amazed and fell under Elin’s spell.

“Even with that curse attached, it’s like this. That’s impressive.”

Where did the look of intent to kill go?

The Duke looks at Luke with an indifferent expression.

“Coolook, coolook… .”

A brief gap created by Elin.

Woof-

Luke had escaped in the meantime and surrounded himself with eight layers of mana barriers.

A barrier that would take a long time to break through, even for a sword master.

The peacock completely withdrew his hand and stepped back.

“Ugh… Ugh… … .”

Elin, who had been trembling, collapsed.

It wasn’t just because of fear.

90% of mana.

The power of the peacock could only be stopped by pulling out as much as possible.

“Cool… .”

The backlash from squeezing out mana belatedly came.

“I’m sorry, Your Majesty.”

Luke supporting Elin.

He patted her on the back and put a mana barrier on her.

It was clearly Luke’s fault just now.

Even though I knew my opponent was a Sword Master, I didn’t put up a mana barrier in advance.

I couldn’t bring myself to make the excuse that I wasn’t paying attention.

Shu-

This time, we’re focusing excessively on defense.

He opened his mouth, tasting blood.

“If you just saw it, you would know how excellent the princess’s level is.”

“Yeah. It’s a talent too good to waste in the family for the rest of your life.”

“Then―”

“That’s why it’s a shame. It would have been better if you weren’t Elin’s tutor.”

The duke shook his hands and cleared the air that was spreading throughout the office.

“That’s all for today. I believe you understand.

Then he returned to his desk and glared at me as if giving me a final warning.

“Stop cursing Elin.”

Kuk.

Elin, who was burying her face in Luke’s arms, also grabbed his collar as if telling him to leave quickly.

If it were up to me, Luke would want to leave right now.

Who in the world wants to be in a room with a monster that just tried to wring their neck?

but.

“Please tell me the reason properly. What is the curse that is on the princess that you can’t do it?”

Even if we just keep going like this, nothing will be solved.

Even if I get grabbed by the neck again.

Even if something breaks.

This time, I opened my eyes wide with the determination to persevere.

“After… ….”

But the Duke only sighed.

“Don’t you dare try to find out Bertain’s circumstances.”

A cool, lowered tone of voice.

Elin’s body trembled with a start.

“Don’t try to stand up. Don’t wonder. Just like you always have. Always stay hunched over and hide in Bertain. That’s your place, Elin.”

Every word flew like a knife and pierced Elin.

Swish.

The strength drains from Elin’s hand holding onto his collar.

Elin, who now seems to have no strength to fight back, is slipping away.

widely.

Luke held on tight.

“If you don’t tell us, we won’t give up.”

“… What?”

In an instant, a murderous atmosphere fills the office again.

Thanks to that, my neck where I was caught feels tingly.

Exactly.

I opened the portal in advance by snapping my fingers.

“I don’t know what the circumstances are, but I will make you the next head of the household.”

“Do you think that’s possible without my permission?”

“Yes.”

It wasn’t unfounded confidence.

I gained confidence from seeing it come out so aggressively.

“Your Highness, you don’t know how I curse you.”

“… What does it mean?”

“The curse of speech restriction that is currently in effect can be removed at will.”

A threat that everything Bertain did could be exposed at any time.

“The liver is out of the stomach.”

It wasn’t the duke who couldn’t understand that.

“You don’t think I can lock you up too?”

“Coincidentally, I’m a space wizard.”

Luke was more confident than anyone else in running away even if he was pushed back a little in battle.

“It sounds like you’re trying to play hide-and-seek with the continent.”

“There’s no way I can’t do it.”

“It would be better not to waste the life that was saved.”

“You only had a moment to kill me.”

The duke glared at him as if he was weighing whether he should kill him now or not.

Luke took hesitant steps toward the portal.

“Tsk.”

He clicked his tongue and closed his eyes tightly.

It meant that they had given up on attacking Luke right away.

“I don’t want to destroy the Empire’s talents with my own hands.”

A somewhat random story.

But Luke quickly figured it out.

“Can I consider that as permission to participate in the next house race?”

I couldn’t say I wasn’t going to touch him right away because I was scared, so I had to act tough.

“Keep in mind that you can be punished at any time if you go off topic.”

But that wasn’t just an empty promise.

Anyway, I had no intention of doing anything noticeable for the time being.

He nodded quietly.

“Go out. I have something to say to Clavel.”

Luke achieved a subtle victory after a tense battle of nerves.

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

Enduring the feeling that my neck was about to break.

He nodded and threw himself into the portal.

* * * * *

Meanwhile, in Luke’s room.

“There’s nothing to clean up about this guy.”

Anne grumbled, her hands on her hips.

Anne is Elin’s personal maid.

Luke’s room was also visited frequently.

The first reason is that Luke is my close friend.

“I think I smell like a princess now.”

The second reason was that Elin used it as her own room.

Now we sleep separately.

That’s because living in Luke’s room while my eyes were open wasn’t much different.

So sometimes he comes to clean the room.

Because it was always neat, there wasn’t anything I could really do.

“Umm… What do I do now?”

Anne, who was scratching her head because she had nothing to do.

Shu-

Suddenly a portal opened.

Inside the mansion… no, actually, on the continent, Luke is almost the only one who uses the portal.

“Hey, here… … Oh my god, what the hell?!”

Anne, who was about to wave her hand, jumped.

“Ah. You’re here. Would you please take my hand, my lady?”

“No, hey. What’s wrong with your neck… … .”

Anne was handed to me by Elin by chance.

“Coolook… ….”

“Why is the princess like this again?”

Luke with a bruise on his neck.

Elin is breathing hard.

“What the hell happened?”

Of course, I couldn’t help but be worried.

“There were a lot of things going on. First, let’s put the princess to bed… .”

“Hey, hey, hey! I’ll do it. Stay still.”

Anne quickly moved her hand toward Luke, who was trying to move.

He quickly wipes every nook and cranny of her body with a wet towel and lays her neatly on Luke’s bed.

Anne covered Luke with the blanket up to his chest and looked at him.

“As expected, you have skilled hands. It was good to bring you.”

“Don’t talk nonsense and stay still. I’ll put some medicine on you.”

“Can this be solved with medicine?”

“I don’t know either, kid.”

Anne took out some ointment from her pocket.

Contrary to his harsh words and actions, he applies the ointment with very gentle touch.

“Ugh… .”

“Are you sick? So why did it turn out like this?”

Luke struggled to hold back his pain as he told what had just happened.

From what happened at the restaurant to what happened in the office.

Because we were both under the curse of being unable to speak, I was able to tell Anne everything without missing a single thing.

So, I’m happy to report that Ellin has also been selected to compete for the next position.

Crack-!

“Are you crazy, you bastard?”

“… … !”

A mana-enhanced palm struck Luke’s back.

Luke, who couldn’t even make a sound.

I finally opened my mouth after screaming silently.

“… … What the heck is this? When you have a headache, hit your leg hard. Is that it?

I thought it was a treatment that created another pain to alleviate the original pain.

“Are you still joking?”

Anne’s hand went up slightly and she tightly closed her mouth.

“Oh, what kind of crazy thoughts do you usually have to have to get hit on by a duke? Are geniuses really all just crazy?”

Anne clenched her fist a few times and then put her hand down in annoyance.

It was because I thought that if I hit him any more, he might really die.

Anne, who didn’t want to hit Luke with the last blow for no reason, carefully wrapped a bandage around his neck.

“Don’t show off for a week or so. If you’re not careful, you’ll really fall behind.”

“It’s not that serious of an injury. Just rest for a day or two… .”

“No, be careful before I kill you first. Are you worried about the wounds now? After you blatantly fucked the Duke.”

While making cruel threats, her touch is warmer than that of a saint.

It felt like I was half-immersed in cold water and half-immersed in hot water.

“Haaah… I’m really shaking. So what are you going to do next?”

“Are you talking about the princess’s education?”

“That’s right. How are you going to spend your time in Bertain? If you’ve done a wide-area provocation, you’ll have some thoughts.”

Since he left behind a statement saying that he would reform this rotten family by making Elin the next head of the family (no fabrication).

It was natural that the gaze coming from within Bertain would not be kind.

but.

“If you show overwhelming dance skills, you can’t just look down on them.”

There have been quite a few servants trying to stick to Elin since two years ago.

Even if all signs of that disappear for the time being.

“Do you think it makes sense that a 15-year-old, a novice who has only been learning magic for two years, can overcome the power of a peacock?”

“That’s true, but.”

“Don’t worry, it’s all a matter of time.”

If Ellen eventually takes power.

They are all coming over here.

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

Luke walked to the bed, his neck stiff because of the bandages.

“… … What?”

Elin, who had been listening silently with all her strength drained, raised her head with difficulty.

“I saved my life today thanks to you, Princess.”

I lay down on the bed in a stiff posture.

Luke and Elin lie in bed together for the first time in years.

Shudder.

For a moment, Elin shivered.

I didn’t get out of bed.

It was because I didn’t even have the energy left to get up.

“I didn’t know you would keep your promise to protect me so quickly.”

“… … Me too.”

“Please take care of me in the future. There may be many dangerous situations after today.”

Because even if the Duke were to make up his mind to attempt assassination, it would be a serious threat to his life.

“… … It’s because of the teacher.”

“It was for the princess.”

“I know that… … .”

Ellen’s words trailed off.

I know.

If Luke hadn’t come forward today.

-That’s your place, Elin.

It would never have changed in my entire life.

As it has been so far.

The duke must have spent the rest of his life using a sandbag as a stress reliever.

But the one who saved my life today was Elin.

So now I’m in debt to Luke again.

Sneak.

As we narrowed the distance, our fingertips lightly touched.

Since I received sex education.

I never slept next to Luke.

Thump, thump.

Ever since that day, whenever I was with Luke, my heart started beating strangely fast.

Because I hoped this sound wouldn’t be heard.

But just for today.

It was dangerous enough to make your flesh tremble.

Because everyone did it for Elin without thinking twice.

I wanted to be by your side even if I could feel your heartbeat.

“It won’t work.”

“What do you mean?”

“The teacher is so weak, I have to protect him for the rest of his life.”

“I would like to refute the claim that I am weak, but I will skip it for today.”

“… I promise I won’t do something dangerous like this again.”

“I’m sorry, Your Highness. I can’t do that. I’m ready to take risks for you, Your Highness.”

I have to look at it and say, “Tingrit.”

“… … ”

My eyes are slowly closing.

Because I’ve never felt my mana heart this empty before.

I suddenly felt so tired.

Knock knock knock.

Before falling into dreamland.

He asked, slowly raising his eyelids.

“… … What are you going to do about my curse?”

“We have to solve it.”

“But Dad told me not to do it.”

“But we can’t just leave it like that.”

“… Isn’t there some reason?”

“There must be a reason. But… .”

The Duke is a swordmaster who is respected by all knights outside.

Even though he is a psychopathic child abuser who abuses his youngest daughter at home.

I don’t think he would have tried to kill Luke for such a frivolous reason.

Because it means that we must maintain Elin’s curse even at the cost of killing the children of the Bucklin family.

I don’t know what the reason is though.

It didn’t really matter.

“Don’t worry about it, Princess. I’ll take care of everything.”

At those words, Elin’s hair stood on end.

Again.

It’s clear that you’re making a lot of irresponsible promises.

A situation where you can believe in Luke.

I said I believed it until now.

It can’t just be like that anymore.

Didn’t you see it today?

Luke is not invincible.

This is a wizard who can die in vain if he is allowed to approach a knight.

so.

“I will definitely become the next head of the household.”

Ellen made up her mind.

“… I can’t just rely on you, teacher. I’ll get stronger and gain more power so that no one can touch you. ”

“You’re all grown up. You don’t need me anymore.”

“… That won’t do.”

Ellen gripped Luke’s collar tightly.

It was because it was a smile that made it seem like she would really grow up and go somewhere.

“Get a good night’s sleep, Princess. And you too, Luke. You almost died, so you need to rest quickly.”

“Anne is right, Your Highness. You should just sleep like this tonight.”

“… … Yeah.”

It was still a little early for him though.

Both Elin and Luke were already exhausted and half out of their minds.

“I’ll come tomorrow morning. Sleep well.”

Click.

Anne turned off the lights in the room.

A moment when drowsiness suddenly sets in.

Knock knock.

“… … !”

A sound that made my nerves tingle pierced my ears.

A sound I haven’t heard in two years.

A terrifying sound that makes your body move instinctively even after hearing it for a long time.

Could it be that my father has come back again?

Then I will tell the teacher… … .

Elin tried to jump out without realizing it.

“It’s okay, Your Majesty.”

Kwak.

Luke couldn’t get up because he was holding Elin tightly.

“Absolutely not, Duke. Take a deep breath.”

“Whew… Haa… .”

I break out in a cold sweat and my breathing becomes rapid.

When your body doesn’t respond as it should due to trauma that hasn’t been there for a long time.

A voice was heard from beyond the door.

-Senior, are you there?

Senior.

As soon as I heard those three letters.

Crackle.

Without even a moment to react.

A vein appeared on Elin’s forehead.

-I’d like to talk to you for a moment.

Clavel’s voice, which sounded somewhat anxious, was irritating.

I was just about to fall asleep with Luke.

Why now of all times… … .

A black aura flows out slowly.

“Haa… What? I’ll go out, Your Majesty.”

If Anne hadn’t opened the door.

If only there was enough mana left.

It was a voice that made me want to crush it right away.