Chapter 16: Tangled hearts

A clearing, a step away from the camp’s clamor, faintly illuminated only by the moonlight.

A taut tension hung in the air between the two women.

Renate was about to draw her sword and step forward in response to Irene’s hostile attitude, who made no attempt to hide her animosity and even radiated killing intent, but Anastasia raised her hand to stop her.

Irene’s dark eyes glared fiercely, as if ready to burst into flames at any moment, but Anastasia’s red eyes, unlike hers, met the gaze calmly and serenely, without a hint of wavering.

As they stared each other down, as if in a battle of nerves or a standoff, it was naturally Irene who broke the silence first.

“What on earth have you done to Logan?”

She asked bluntly.

She had no intention of beating around the bush from the start.

What in the world had she done to change Logan’s attitude so drastically, when just the day before the demon lord subjugation, he couldn’t seem to decide what to do about her?

Logan had always been one to never show any sign of hardship, no matter how difficult things were, but this time had been so grueling that when he first brushed off her hand, she had merely thought he was tired.

But then, inexplicable things kept happening.

Not only did he brush off her hand again, but as soon as they left the demon lord’s castle, he dared to be embraced by another woman.

And Anastasia’s audacity in accepting it so naturally was astounding.

That wasn’t all.

The next day, today, they were even giggling together in the carriage.

What could those two have been doing in there?

Just imagining it for a moment was enough to make Irene’s patience run out.

Therefore, Irene thought that depending on Anastasia’s answer now, she might very well cast a fireball and smash it into this woman’s face.

It was obvious this Crown Princess must have used some cheap trick like enchantment or a spell on Logan.

Logan, who had always looked only at her, suddenly changing like this was something her common sense simply couldn’t comprehend.

Anastasia remained unmoved even by Irene’s agitated reaction.

Instead, she looked at her with eyes that held a slight hint of pity and spoke softly.

“Instead of asking what I did, shouldn’t you first reflect on what you did to Logan, Lady Irene?”

Anastasia genuinely couldn’t understand what Irene was thinking, asking her such a question.

Hailed as a once-in-a-generation genius at the Magic Tower, deemed intelligent and talented enough to become a member of the hero’s party.

Did she truly, sincerely believe Logan had changed because she had played some trick?

Of course, from Irene’s perspective, Logan’s attitude, who had devoted everything to her, changing overnight could be bewildering.

It was the same for Anastasia.

She never imagined he would try to lean on her.

Even if it was only used as a temporary refuge for solace, Anastasia was overjoyed.

If she could, she truly wanted to use any means necessary, just as Irene said, to keep Logan by her side.

“Are you trying to shift the blame onto me now? Don’t make me laugh! Logan is mine! He’s always been by my side since we were young, and he always did everything for me! But then a woman like you showed up and…!”

How could she spew such absurdities so confidently?

Irene’s voice grew increasingly agitated, and her eyes seemed filled with the conviction that Logan’s change was entirely Anastasia’s fault.

Anastasia silently stared at Irene for a moment.

What was it about this woman that made Logan dedicate all those years to her?

She couldn’t understand how he could love so blindly.

What was so good about such a self-centered and selfish person…

Thinking she would never find the answer, she soon opened her mouth and softly called out to her.

“Lady Irene.”

This woman would probably neither understand nor accept what she was about to say.

However, she had to say it clearly.

She had to let her know.

“Logan… is not an object. He is not someone who can be owned by anyone. How can you say such things after receiving his devotion for so long?”

“What… what did you say?”

“You speak as if Logan was yours from the very beginning. I, too, never imagined he would change so suddenly like this. But why do you presume it’s all my fault? Could it be… do you truly believe you’ve done nothing wrong yourself?”

At Anastasia’s sharp question, Irene was momentarily speechless.

‘I did something wrong…?’

Countless memories flashed through Irene’s mind like fragments.

The moment she fell for Lian at first sight, the moments she ignored Logan’s worries, the many days she took his devotion for granted.

But soon, she shook her head.

Because no matter how much she might have been at fault, there was no way that Logan would ever turn away from her.

No matter what happened, it was only natural for him to forgive and accept whatever she did!

Therefore, Irene grew even angrier and lashed out at Anastasia.

“Don’t try to play word games with me like you enchanted Logan! You… you used your status as the Crown Princess to seduce and bewitch him, didn’t you!”

“How dare you!!!”

Renate, who had been listening beside them, could bear it no longer and this time shouted, about to draw her sword.

However, before the sword could be drawn, Anastasia placed her hand on Renate’s scabbard, stopping her.

“Calm down, Renate.”

“But Your Highness! Even if she is a member of the hero’s party, this is too much!”

“Renate.”

“…I will obey your command. My apologies.”

Renate wanted to protest strongly, but Anastasia firmly restrained her with her red eyes, so she could no longer disobey her liege’s command, bowed her head, and stepped back.

Watching the two, Irene scoffed as if to say she wasn’t wrong.

“Look at this! You did threaten Logan using your status and authority like this, didn’t you! Hurry up and give Logan back to me!”

“Ha…!”

At Irene’s continued outrageous remarks, Anastasia couldn’t hold back a burst of laughter.

“Using authority and status, you say…”

To be honest, it wasn’t that she had never thought about it.

No, she had thought about it countless times.

Starting from when he saved her from her incurable disease in the past, to their reunion, and including the numerous moments she saw Irene infatuated with the hero, neglecting Logan and hurting him.

“Unlike someone, I have never done anything that disrespects Logan’s feelings.”

“Don’t lie! Who would believe that…”

Irene, about to argue back, was forced to shut her mouth.

Anastasia’s red eyes flashed ominously, warning her as if exuding killing intent.

Daring her not to interrupt.

“But I’ve changed my mind. If, by any chance, Logan seems to waver and go back to you, then that’s when…”

Anastasia slowly leaned closer to Irene’s ear and whispered.

Her voice was as cold as ice.

“I’ll use any means necessary to take him. I can’t hand Logan over to a d*mned b*tch like you who doesn’t know gratitude and is infatuated with another man.”

With those words, Anastasia felt no further need to converse with Irene and walked past her.

Renate also cast a disdainful glance at Irene before quietly following her master.

Left alone, Irene trembled all over with anger, shame, and a faintly rising sense of anxiety.

‘What did I do wrong for her to say that? In the first place, I was going to… properly respond to Logan now…’

Was she really going to… respond?

She asked herself that question but couldn’t find an answer.

No, she didn’t try to find one.

Thus, she soon shook her head and burst out in anger.

‘It’s all that woman… That woman ruined everything!’

In the end, she chose to deny reality and shifted all responsibility onto Anastasia.

---

The area around the campfire was quite boisterous thanks to Baldur and Elara.

The two had Logan seated between them and were busy bickering while offering him drinks.

“Kahaha! Yes, lad! You gave that demon lord a taste of my special flashbang, did you? Come on, take this dwarf’s drink! We must celebrate!”

“Hmph. If he drinks the booze of a dwarf who can’t hold his liquor, he won’t wake up until tomorrow morning. Logan, why don’t you try the fruit wine our elves brought instead? It has a nice aroma and a clean finish.”

“Yes, thanks to you, I was able to overcome a great crisis. If it weren’t for Baldur’s help, I might not have been able to defeat the demon lord. Ah, and I’ll gladly drink Lady Elara’s wine as well.”

Logan expressed his gratitude as he accepted the cups of alcohol offered by Baldur and Elara respectively.

However, he didn’t bring either drink to his lips.

At this, Baldur and Elara exchanged glances, put down their cups, and quietly observed his mood.

They had deliberately been boisterous to lift Logan’s spirits, but it seemed his mood was not easily lightened.

Therefore, Elara immediately spoke with a serious expression.

“Logan, I can listen to anything, so if you have any difficult worries, just bring them up. I’ll help in any way I can. Me, and this dwarf here too.”

“…It’s nothing. I’m just a little tired…”

Logan forced a smile and mumbled.

Baldur and Elara were genuinely worried about him, but he couldn’t bring himself to talk about his precognition or his twisted relationship with Irene.

“Tired? Heh heh heh… That Logan is tired? You expect me to believe that!”

Baldur laughed heartily and patted his back.

This was Logan, who hadn’t slept properly during the long journey to subjugate the demon lord, always strategizing, and in his remaining time, even went out to gather medicinal herbs himself for the injured.

Of course, the fatigue from the journey so far could have caught up to him.

But to look at him now and believe he was just tired would be truly foolish.

“…….”

Instead of replying, Logan picked up the cup Baldur had offered and downed the ale.

As if that wasn’t enough, he even emptied the cup of fruit wine Elara had given him.

“Oh dear… If you do this, it just makes it seem like we forced you to drink because we weren’t drinking, lad…”

“You foolish dwarf! You should be quietly comforting him, not making things worse!”

“Hmph! Alright, since it’s come to this, I’ll just say it bluntly! You’re doing well right now, lad!”

“Yes…?”

Surprised by Baldur’s sudden encouragement, Logan looked at him.

Elara nodded in agreement and continued.

“Yes, Logan. This dwarf is right. Don’t foolishly cling to something that gives you no reward any longer. It would be much better for you to get closer to someone who appreciates you, like the Crown Princess today.”

“Heh heh heh! That’s right, that’s right. Ah, and even if things don’t work out with the Crown Princess, you don’t need to worry at all. Although she’s significantly older, there’s this pointy-ear here too…”

“Will you shut up, you dwarf!? Are you drunk already!?”

Watching the two start bickering again as usual, Logan gave a bitter smile.

It was obvious that their exaggerated actions were all meant to comfort him.

Therefore, Logan didn’t show his feelings any longer and accepted their goodwill, spending some time with them.

After that.

As Logan was returning to his tent, he paused for a moment and looked alternately at two other tents.

One was Irene’s tent, and the other was Anastasia’s tent.

“….”

Many thoughts intertwined complexly, like at a crossroads.

He didn’t know why he had gained the ability to see the future, but now that he knew how things could go wrong, couldn’t things work out if he talked to Irene now?

A lingering attachment arose, wondering if he could fix what went wrong and restore their relationship.

In a way, perhaps the reason Irene had become so selfish was because he had unconditionally accepted everything from her.

However, Logan soon shook his head.

No matter what, the future he had seen was too horrific and cruel.

Next, he thought about Anastasia.

When he leaned on her yesterday, and when they were in the carriage together, he had felt truly comforted.

But a wave of guilt also washed over him, feeling as if he was merely using her as an escape.

He felt that this made him no different from Irene.

Was it right to think of responding to her feelings so that, unlike him, her feelings for him wouldn’t go unrewarded?

Who was he to even dare… was it okay to do that… or was this just deceit…

He hadn’t even properly sorted out his feelings for Irene yet.

Therefore, Logan soon turned away from both tents and slowly returned to his own.

He still needed a little more time to clearly sort out his thoughts, not just for himself, but for both of them as well…

---

Meanwhile, there was someone secretly watching Anastasia and Irene argue from afar.

‘Tsk… foolish b*tch. What on earth is she thinking, daring to talk back to the Crown Princess?’

Sera was hiding behind a tree, eavesdropping on their conversation.

She had been anxious that Anastasia or Renate might get angry and draw their swords.

She was a truly lacking and idiotic woman, but Sera still had many uses for her, so she couldn’t afford to lose her to something as trivial as lèse-majesté.

(TL note: “Lèse-majesté” (pronounced lez-ma-jes-TAY) is a French term that literally means “injured majesty.” It refers to the crime of violating majesty, an offense against the dignity of a reigning sovereign or the state.)

‘Haa… It would be so much less of a headache if that stupid woman just dropped out and only Logan remained…’

Instead, it was Logan who had become difficult to use easily, making Sera’s head throb.

Just then.

“Sera! We have to be together tonight too!!”

The voice of a grinning idiot approaching grated on her nerves even more.

“Yes~ Go on in and lie down first, Hero-nim, I’ll be right there~”

“Really? Alright!”

“Haa…”

Watching Lian enter the tent with a blatant, silly grin, Sera sighed and shook her head.

‘Tsk. I guess I’ll have to use illusion magic again tonight.’

Sera was annoyed that she, a saintess, had to use magic like illusions every night.

Still, it was far better than actually sleeping with such a stupid fool.

Therefore, Sera immediately cast the spell and slowly made her way, thinking she should rest early tonight.