episode_0109
by fnovelpia
The tears in my eyes stopped.
Julia didn’t say anything until then.
For a long time, he just looked at me. He watched me hold back my groans and shed tears silently.
Rattling-
The silence was broken only by the occasional sound and shaking of the carriage as it hit a rock.
Other than that, silence.
An uncomfortable silence plagued us.
When the tears finally stopped completely, Julia said:
“Miss.”
Neither Lady Beatrice, nor Her Highness, nor Lady Trixie.
She called me ‘Miss.’
“…Yeah.”
I answered the title that had an unknown meaning.
“You asked me before if I was serving the young lady because of the memories of the clan.”
This is the story of the day I first heard that story from Matthias.
Secrets about the imperial family.
They say that they have no choice but to be loyal to the royal family due to the power that has been passed down through generations.
I asked Julia if she also had the power of a servant who had been the head of the imperial household for generations, and if that was why she was so devoted to me.
And what came back was Julia looking embarrassed, confused, and desperate.
I didn’t ask any more questions because I didn’t want to see that pitiful, painful sight.
“I can tell you now.”
Julia responds to that.
“I will never be swayed by the power of the subordinates. My true feelings cannot be judged by such things.”
“That—”
Her purple eyes do not avoid my gaze. I, too, am flustered, but do not avoid them.
“I served the young lady… and Master Theo.”
My heart felt like it was being torn apart by the two letters ‘Theo’.
“Because you two were so precious to me.”
“?”
“It was so precious that I couldn’t trade it for anything in the world. So, I hope you don’t misunderstand that I served you as a servant with only the power of a maid.”
Rather than questioning whether it was possible to resist the power of the clan or whether one’s personal will could be superior to that of the clan, I felt Julia’s sincerity first.
“From the first time I saw you at the palace… no, even before that!”
Julia continued speaking.
“I promised to live for you, my light.”
“……”
‘Light’? I was surprised and thankful at the same time that Julia would say that after seeing my terrible and dark magic.
It made me feel, for a moment, as if I was receiving endless, unconditional love.
“So don’t worry about it. Whether you live as Dahlia’s daughter, or as a princess, or as an ordinary woman whose name is unknown! I will be by your side, if you allow me.”
“Julia…”
“Revenge… If Theo’s revenge is too heavy and overwhelming, you can put it down. The blood of the royal family… If the power inherited from the Green Emperor is too much, you can ignore it. Even if the followers who only look at the young lady turn away in disappointment, and even if you end up living alone, turning your back on the world… Please let me be with you.”
She didn’t hesitate a single bit. She said it as if it was something she had always wanted to do.
Her lively face and neat attire made her sincerity all the more convincing.
“I want to be by your side. That’s all I want.”
truth.
Her expression told me nothing but the truth.
I should be happy, it was a reassuring answer, it was a reaction I had been hoping for.
“I see.”
I just gave an embarrassed smile.
Maybe I wanted Julia to scold me, to reproach me, to look at me with a look of disappointment.
Maybe he wanted you to catch me when I was trying to run away.
Because I knew deep down that this was wrong.
Otherwise it would be like this…
There’s no way I could feel this uncomfortable and depressed.
“Thank you, even if it’s just words.”
Otherwise, I wouldn’t be this anxious.
“But that won’t happen. I’m just kidding.”
This feeling of thirst that seems unquenchable.
It feels like this.
“Miss……”
“Why am I like this? Haha… I’m talking nonsense because I’m so tired. What a fucking nightmare. ”
Rather than feeling relieved that I have an ally, my anxiety only grows.
“How about visiting Yeongji?”
“…Huh? What is that—”
“It’s the weekend now. I think it would be nice to spend some time at Dahlia Mansion during the weekend.”
“How did you get to the Kingdom of Primera…”
Even considering that it is the weekend, the distance from the center of the empire to our territory in the Kingdom of Primira is too far to stop by for a while.
“You can get there quickly by using the teleport station.”
“!?”
You want me to burn down a teleportation station just to change the mood?
“Ha, but Julia… I’m going to start the station to stop by the estate for a while on the weekend—”
Swish-
At that moment, Julia’s warm hands wrapped around mine.
“Don’t worry about the cost. I’ll tell the Count.”
“……”
“So please… Please come back.”
Julia’s purple eyes sparkled as if they were filled with water.
The word ‘count’ also pierced my heart.
Will the Count and Blair still stay by my side even if I stop being the princess?
I felt sorry for the Count who had to pay for the teleportation station for me who had such weak thoughts.
Because the one he’s devoted to is not some lowly ice maker, but the Princess Trixie Green.
“Yeah…..”
But I reluctantly agreed to Julia’s earnest request.
In a voice as weak as the will that had become weak.
*
“If it’s Silver Terdeni, then he must have a power that is beyond the envy of others?”
Matthias looked to the person who would bring great change to the imperial army.
“Why do you insist on joining us? To stand against the Empire would be a great threat to your very existence.”
“Well…”
The man with reddish brown hair laughed.
Matthias took in the sight of the man without missing a beat.
The Green Arms’ underground, secret meeting place was filled with the smell of cigarettes and magical lighting that softly illuminated the dark interior.
Alex, a man who was running his hands through his auburn hair, spoke as he exhaled smoke from a long pipe.
“You know, I’m not just some mercenary.”
“I heard you’re very skilled.”
Matthias agreed calmly.
The notoriety he had heard about Alex was more than just his skill.
“I needed a new stimulus. After taking over the ghetto, everything felt trivial.”
“So you want to fight the Empire on the royal side?”
“That’s right. It’s thrilling just to imagine.”
Alex snickered, his legs crossed on the table.
Of course, what he was imagining included fighting, but a bigger part of it was the ultimate target, the princess.
“You seem crazier than I thought.”
“You, the one who has nothing to lose, are actually a traitor, a continental tycoon… You must have a lot to lose, right?”
“Everyone is mistaken. Everything I have acquired is thanks to the grace of the royal family.”
Matthias said, not caring about Alex’s boots dirtying the table.
Even though the table was made of expensive wood, I didn’t care about it.
Alex let out an exclamation of “Wow.”
I almost burst out laughing.
It was truly amusing that Alex himself knew the other person’s true name, but Mathias did not recognize his former colleague at all.
“But Matthias, when are those two gloomy men and women, excluding you, going to take off their masks?”
Alex pointed to the illusion of communication magic with his pipe smoke.
There, two figures, a man and a woman, were seen in the distance, created as a magical tool for communication.
There was a blonde woman wearing a mask, as well as a brown-haired man wearing a mask.
“I still can’t trust you. Please understand.”
Alex clicked his tongue.
“I met Her Highness in person, and yet I am being treated like this…”
“Isn’t that just your words? I haven’t heard anything from Her Highness the Princess yet, so I can’t take off my mask until I confirm it.”
The brown-haired man, Count Dahlia, answered.
“Well, you’ll hear from me soon. But you know what? If I hadn’t met her in person, she would have been an Imperial Aka—”
Alex continued to speak confidently, then clutched his left chest in sharp pain.
“Ugh… This is a pain I can’t get used to.”
I could barely hold back the pounding in my heart.
Because he dared to break the oath of darkness and reveal the princess’s true identity, the contracted magic targeted Alex’s heart.
“Could it be right now…!?”
Blair, wearing a mask, said in horror.
“Oh, right. I guess you guys would know. It’s the oath of darkness given by Her Highness the Princess herself.”
“……”
Beyond the communication magic, the Count and Blair hesitated for a moment, then looked at each other and nodded.
Swish-
Then they each put their hands on their faces and removed the masks that had hidden their identities.
Alex was surprised by the sight of the two people revealed.
“Count Dahlia! And his wife too… The twin swords of Primira were serving the empire.”
“Watch your mouth. You serve the ‘royal family’, not the ’empire’.”
“Our only master is Green.”
Blair added.
“Hoohoohoo… Maybe we really have a chance against the Empire. I’ve heard enough about your skills.”
Alex laughed out loud.
“If Her Highness the Princess used the Dark Oath, then it must be certain. Alex, I formally approve of your joining with Silver Terdeni.”
“Thank you very much.”
The conversation between the four was about to end thanks to Matthias’ mediation.
Squeak-
The door to the secret room opened.
All four of them looked toward the door.
“Who are you?”
Matthias asked.
If he was his subordinate, he would have knocked and come looking, so there was no one who would have suddenly opened the door and come in.
“I interrupted you.”
Only the voice could be heard, obscured by the dim lighting.
“Nexio, I don’t have time.”
“?”
A woman dressed in an academy uniform strode in.
It was pretty Julia, with silver hair falling over her shoulders.
“Please prepare to activate the teleportation station immediately.”
But her expression was stiff, which did not suit her pretty face.
“What’s going on?”
The count, not Matthias, asked.
“Quadras, I’ll explain later. Her Highness the Princess will be staying at Dahlia Estate over the weekend.”
“Why are you coming here all of a sudden?”
“Yes, so please prepare the cost quickly.”
“Suddenly using a teleportation station in the middle of a semester is unprecedented in the history of the Imperial Academy.”
Operating a teleportation station is no ordinary task.
No student would pay such a huge fee to visit their hometown during the semester.
“That’s right. It might attract unnecessary attention. It’s not like there’s anything big happening in the territory…”
“The Count and Blair are right. It is difficult to focus attention on Her Highness the Princess. I think I need to explain the situation, maid.”
A shadow fell over Julia’s face.
Alex, who had been continuing to smoke his pipe, was blankly admiring her, but soon he was startled by a pair of blazing violet eyes in the shadows on her face.
“You guys.”
It was an intimidating feeling that made not only Alex, who was nearby, but also the count and countess beyond the communication magic hold their breath.
Alex watched her with his pipe out of his mouth, bewildered at the aura that such a frail-looking woman in uniform could exude.
“There’s no time… Your very existence could disappear. Don’t do anything you’ll regret.”
It was a voice that had no trace of its usual politeness.
But no one asked questions.
Julia spoke again in her usual manner.
“Her Highness the Princess will be staying at Dahlia Estate over the weekend. Understood?”
“……”
Matthias, who rarely gets scared, answered with difficulty, breaking out in a cold sweat.
“Okay, I’ll prepare the budget to pay the station.”
Only then did Julia smile.
The Count and Blair watched the scene from beyond the communication magic, unable to hide their bewilderment.
The two people just exchanged glances with each other, unable to resolve their doubts.
0 Comments