Chapter 10: 10

Episode 10: As Long As You Let Me Live

If one is like a doll then it’s a doll indeed. Phew, the eyes of the children were horribly accurate…….

“Princess.”

Oh, my gosh, that scared me. Why has everyone decided to emerge out of nowhere right now?

Arien, who was licking her lips as she was laughing and holding out a bouquet of flowers, froze on the spot. I also stilled for a moment when I was receiving the bouquet.

I didn’t expect to see him again today.

His grey-silvery hair was glistening. Isaac approaching step by step on the small walkway between the elegant statues looked even more terrifying as he blended with the peaceful surrounding scenery.

I could feel Arien’s body trembling as she held my skirt tightly.

No, I would understand if I acted like that, but why are you so scared? He’s your cousin.

Isaac was about two meters away from us and said in a blunt tone without a hint of politeness.

“Her majesty is looking for you. I told you last time that you shouldn’t walk around alone.”

Huh?

In the next moment, the little princess threw a bouquet of flowers in my hand and ran past my cousin as swift as a kitten and toward the palace.

As if it were a frequent occurrence, Isaac didn’t even try to stop her.

The stubborn husband stood upright without looking back.

There was a glint of dumbfoundedness in his widened eyes.

“We were playing with each other…….”

Isn’t that what you wanted to ask?

I gently straightened myself up while holding a bouquet of flowers in my arms.

I felt bad because I was treated the same as a six-year-old kid, but I naturally just smiled shyly on the outside.

“Were you looking for the princess?”

“No, I was looking for you. I’m not a guard.”

What? Were you looking for me? You had left me. So why? Are you trying to beat me in a place where no one is looking?

I was a little scared, but I opened my eyes wide while trying to control my expression.

“Me? Really?”

“……Yes, indeed.”

As before, he, who had an insincere tone,  approached me.

Oh, you’re really going to hit me? All right, well, if you’ll let me live later…….

“What are you doing?”

“What?”

“Open your eyes.”

I instinctively opened my closed eyelids.

I saw his big chest right in front of me.

When I raised my head, I saw his indifferent face looking down at me.

“Did the Princess of Romagna get beaten up?”

How did you know that?

Well, it’s natural to be scared when a big man like him approaches so frighteningly.

How tall is he? I think he reached two meters.

“You wanted to see me even if you were hiding.”

“Well, it’s good to just watch.”

“Really? Then what’s wrong with you? Did you expect a kiss?”

It was very strange to see him tilting his head and muttering like that.

If he just stared at me as usual, I’ll be accustomed to it, but the way he stared with his red eyes wide open like now, felt even more dangerous.

If I told him that I really expected a kiss, I’m sure he’ll soon notice that it was a lie.

Do you think that I was only born yesterday?

“Well, I’m sure you were upset about me earlier…….”

“So you thought I’d hit you or something?”

“Not necessarily, but if you do…….”

“So… you like me even though you know I’ll hit you?”

“Should I not? You’re the first person to protect me. Please don’t hate me because I’ll try hard to correct my mistakes.”

There was a brief silence.

While I held the bouquet with both hands and blinked sadly, Isaac was staring at me with an incomprehensible gaze.

Is he staring at me again? What a consistent person.

It was then that the sound of rough footsteps was heard.

It was obvious that it was approaching this way, but neither of us looked away.

“Sir…! Sir Isaac!”

My husband, who was looking at me without moving, only turned his head when called. 

The boy in armour, who was gasping for breath, looked at us and paused with a slightly bewildered look on his face, then said cautiously.

“There is something you need to see for a moment.”

Hmm. What’s going on with all the paladins hanging around the palace?

“Wait here.”

It was the words that my husband, who was turning right away, said to me.

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Ho-oh, do you still have business with me? That’s a big deal. Should I wait for you with flowers in my hair?

I glanced for a moment at the man’s huge back as he moved away, then sat down on a nearby flat rock.

The fresh wind shook my braided hair.

By the way, I wonder what kind of delusion that Freya’s brother was in.

It’s hard to say that he was showing such hostility simply because of rumors about me.

It’s too far-fetched to think that it was because the senior he respected ended up marrying a woman like me…… Does it have something to do with Freya?

While organizing my thoughts for a while, I suddenly looked down at the bouquet in my hand.

It was Rudbeckia now that I have a proper look at them.

A flower with my name. Eternal happiness in the flower language, but it’s ironic…..….

It was then that cold water splashed from behind.

As soon as I tried to get up reflexively, something wet and slippery swirled around my body and literally pulled me into the water in an instant.

There was no time to scream or struggle.

Splash!

The water was bone-chilling.

My heart seemed to stop for a moment.

I should have thought, “Am I going to die like this?” or “What kind of vain ending is this?” But strangely, I wasn’t afraid.

I could have said that it was futile for me to react about being held up by some crazy pond monster, but something that’s holding me tight right now was not about killing me, it’s just…….

After struggling a bit, the monster’s arms loosened a bit.

It felt so ridiculous that if I let it go and swam up like this, it would just let me go.

What is it doing? As if it wanted to play a joke with me.… Or am I just delusional because I’m so scared? Or am I currently having a psychological breakdown from the attack?

Feeling the oxygen in my lungs gradually emptying out, I instinctively tried to push away the pond monster and swam up.

I was about to move my hand in the water to grab the arm that wrapped around my waist.

A blinding intense light struck as if a torpedo[1] had exploded causing everything around me to tremble.

I thought the feeling of holding my body completely disappeared, but the next moment, something from on top held and pulled me up with strong force.

Pooha, the breath that had been blocked came out at once.

My head was all muddled, and the whole place was noisy.

“How is she there…….”

“How the hell did this happen…….”

What are they talking about? Trying to come to my senses, I managed to open my eyes and the first thing that immediately came into view was none other than my husband who had a terrifying face like the reaper of the abyss.

But why did he suddenly become shorter?

Oh, he’s holding me.

The distorted ruby-like eyes that stared at me was speechless.

I didn’t know what’s going on, but judging by the atmosphere, the pond monster was just a monster, so did he think I did it on purpose again? Like the last time the torch went out?

“…uwwwaa!”

I thought I’d be the victim. When I burst into tears of fear and clung hard on Isaac’s neck, he flinched noticeably.

Either way, I clung on him as if  strangling him and wept bitterly.

“Ahhhhhhhh, it was scary! You’ve protected me again, you’re the only one!”

In an instance the surroundings became silent, only the sigh of Isaac’s rang loudly.

It was a very dark sigh.

* * *

The incident where a monster appeared in the pond containing the romantic legend of Angevin Palace seemed to have escalated into a rather serious commotion.

It was an incident where the monster suddenly appeared and attacked people in a palace where absolute safety was expected, and it even happened in a famous pond where there had been no problem for decades, so everyone seemed to be shocked.

And even if I’m currently known to be the modest bride, I’m sure as the Pope’s favorite daughter—at least known as one— Briannia would have been pretty embarrassed if something went wrong with me.

Looking back on my vague memories, I didn’t think monsters have always popped out like this.

The center of Earendil, close to the gathering of nobles, temples and palaces, belonged to a fairly safe and clean area.

What happened on the first night of arriving here is strange in many ways.

Of course, the Rudbeckia in the original story did not go through the first night of the torch being extinguished, or escape from the palace banquet and go near the pond, but…… If I keep doing this, they’ll think I’m a witch who attracts monsters.

“Whoa….”

The usual situation then happens.

My physical condition became a little strange after the night when I fell into the pond and was drawn to the love monster.

At first, I thought it was a cold, but it wasn’t.

There was a burning sensation that felt like being stabbed with a needle all over my body. It was a symptom that I experienced twice a year after entering this body.

This pain came around two months ago this year, so I thought it would come back at the end of the year, but it came early at this time of the year, damn it.

At first, my family had called the doctor because I said I was sick, but the doctor just tilted his head and repeated that I had no symptoms. The same was true with other doctors.

The next time something similar happened again, everyone started to think I was pretending to be sick because I didn’t want to get engaged. So I decided to endure it.

I was used to enduring pain anyway.

It was a symptom that would disappear in a few days. It would end up the same here if I called the doctor,  it would be difficult to be branded as a fraudulent fool.

Especially, that filthy husband might think I’m concocting something else.

What was he trying to tell me by the pond anyway?

The love pond monster appeared and I was shaken out, but…… Whatever the reason was, he had told me to wait as he would find me and wait. It was surprising that a man who seemed to not budge at all gave me such an excuse.

So I have to row when the water comes in.

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