Chapter 5: 5

Chapter 5

 

After disobeying Princess Della, she joined a sorry lot of knights, and it was then that she met Prince Ethan.

“Had you kicked me out then, Your Highness would’ve been at ease.”

“How could I have done that?”

Prince Ethan laughed bitterly. Count Reise intervened.

“I tend to tell him he should have done it.”

“Count Reise, what does a nerd like you know?”

“This ‘nerd’ defended you!”

“Phew, Your Highness. Don’t waste your time hanging around such a petty nerd.”

Count Reise flared his nose in irritation. Prince Ethan shook his head.

“Sir Du, I’m sorry to say this in a place like this, but…”

Strangely stuttering and hesitating, it was time for an apology or something more uncomfortable than an apology. The prince still held her hand, but Adrian did not want to hear an apology or an expression of regret for what had already happened. So she grinned, showing her teeth.

“Was there ever a time when Your Highness and I exchanged words that might fit a decent occasion? Feel free to speak to me.”

“…The seat next to me has yet to be filled.”

Count Reise’s face crumpled, and Adrian frowned, rearing her head back. Her double chin turned into a triple chin, creating a blatantly disgusted expression. Prince Ethan slightly choked up.

“I wonder if there has ever been a lady who has reacted to a prince’s proposal in this manner.”

“Oh, Your Highness. For Pete’s sake.”

Adrian squirmed with a grimace, pulling her chin back even more.

“If I marry Your Highness now, what will I become?”

“…A princess who was proposed to as a criminal in the Hall of Apelard?”

Prince Ethan jutted his chin and replied with a noble gesture as if to shake off his embarrassment. As the most handsome man in Acela, his sharp jaw and nose stood out, but Adrian turned to Count Reise with a face that said, “yikes.”

“Count Reise. What is my nickname?”

“…The Mad Dog of the Second Prince?”

“Isn’t there a more crude nickname I go by?”

Count Reise immediately understood her and made a face, not wanting to say the words with his mouth. But he also had to say something to dissuade the proud prince.

Count Reise rubbed his nose once and opened his mouth.

“A prostitute with a sword?”

It was a rumor that had followed her tirelessly from the moment she chose Prince Ethan over Princess Della. A label that precedes the nickname “Mad Dog.” The Acela women were knighted more than a decade ago, yet it seems like a stigma that always accompanies these knights. Pointing fingers at the female knight who clings to the unmarried prince.

Adrian noticed that Prince Ethan’s expression indicated that such matters didn’t require an explanation. So instead, she jokingly told Count Reise,

“I think it sounded a little more vulgar than that.”

“You want me to use that word while in the presence of Apelard?”

“That’s true. Anyway, Your Highness.”

Adrian smiled.

“You will only lose by welcoming me as a princess. What’s so charming about a princess who has a history of openly rebelling against the God Apelard?“

“Even if I lose, it doesn’t matter if I’m willing to step away from the throne if you are pardoned.”

Prince Ethan said solemnly, holding her hand.

Oh, gosh. I really adore this prince.

Adrian thought inside her mind.

If he shows this much concern for his subordinates, how could it not make us want to serve him?

However, she cannot become a princess just by pleading for immunity. When she vowed to serve Prince Ethan as her master, her oath did not include serving her master in bed.

She believed that exemplary servants should not hesitate to hit their master’s nose when they make a wrong decision. But if she hits the prince’s nose as a criminal her sentence will increase. So Adrian decided only to speak.

“Ah, that’s very beneficial. But you know what, Your Highness?”

“Tell me, sir.”

“A king is more appealing than a prince, so if you’re going to propose, please propose after you become king.”

At the rude remark, Count Reise looked around in a panic, but Prince Ethan groaned and asked,

“If I propose, will you accept?”

Adrian shrugged.

“No. But I will brag about my grandchildren. My dream is to become a cute grandmother with ten grandchildren. If I’m going to brag to them, wouldn’t it be better to be an old lady who almost became a queen rather than an old lady who almost became a princess?”

“Sir Du, please shut up…”

Count Reise groaned, covering his face. Prince Ethan grinned in amazement. Naturally, his knight’s glorious nickname of “Mad Dog” was due to her exceptional military prowess but also because she spoke without hesitation.

“Apologies, but we must go now.“

“Ah.”

Sir Alffein, the Knight Commander, approached as he waited nearby out of courtesy as a loyal servant and for the prince who would soon be leaving, but he did not hear the inappropriate jokes. Prince Ethan nodded, and the soldiers lined up nearby turned Adrian around.

Thus, the last thing she said to Prince Ethan was, “My future dream is to become a grandmother who almost became a queen.”

Well, in a way, it was something only she’d say, Prince Ethan thought and watched her green hair fade farther away.

…It was very, very like her that when he let go of the woman, she left behind a foul scent. Prince Ethan laughed bitterly, flexing open his sticky hands.

* * * 

“Did Ethan propose to Adrian Du?”

Bright blue eyes sparkled with interest. The reason why Princess Della is called the “Saintess of Acela” is because of her eyes. It’s said that when Apelard, the heavenly god, descended to this earth, his eyes were filled with the light of the sky. It was such a common color for the Acelains, but Princess Della’s eyes were especially clear and cold blue.

The princess, who was just having a drink, pressed the soldier who delivered the news, and the soldier stammered and repeated exactly what Prince Ethan had said to Adrian Du in the Hall of Apelard. When Kayley Du turned around after handing the soldier a few gold coins, the princess was smiling at the window, emptying the entire glass.

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“Not bad, Ethan.”

“…Couldn’t this backfire?”

Kayley said, looking at Princess Della with a frown. Princess Della’s room had a very beautiful front window, where she could see the royal palace straight ahead. The princess was also currently staring at the prince’s palace. Princess Della turned away and smiled cheerfully.

“Oh, dear. Kayley. Your beloved sister was proposed to by the prince, and that’s all you have to say?”

“…I’ve never thought of her as my sister. “

“Well, being siblings from a prestigious family does make it hard to get along.”

The princess set down her drink and smiled violently.

“Even more so as the prince gets closer to the throne.”

“It is natural that a child cannot even come near the throne as they are.”

Kayley bowed his head.

As a little boy, Barbate Du picked up a very different child on the street. Gray hair runs in the Du family, but Barbate surprisingly treated this girl with green hair and pink eyes just like Kayley. He even went on to register her as his daughter.

Acela’s law states that the head of the family must relinquish their inheritance and title to the person they have deemed their successor, man or woman, regardless of the order. So it’s no wonder Kayley felt a sense of crisis.

“Well, I don’t think so. She would’ve caught someone’s eye had she grown up on the street.“

“I consider it an honor for the Du family to see that girl be so highly regarded.”

There was a thorn in Kayley’s words. Princess Della was fully aware of how much he detested and despised his step-sister. But she had no reason to care for Kayley’s feelings. Because Kayley was her subordinate. After a snort, Princess Della observed the window once more and crossed her arms.

“Ethan would not have proposed to her simply for immunity. He never willingly chooses to lose.”

“…I heard General Deflan is suffering from a major chronic illness on the Eastern Front.”

“Yes, General Deflan took charge of the White Rocky Plains, but he was too old to stay there for an extended time.”

“We have Sir Alffien and the Teterborough chivalry…”

“Sir Alffien was able to become the Knight Commander because he excelled as a captain rather than a knight. He doesn’t fight for His Majesty; instead, he removes the idiots that approach His Majesty. He is hardly the best candidate for a prolonged local war. And those hideous fools of Teterborough are out of the question.”

Kayley looked displeased. Princess Della was merely pointing out what Kayley already knew. He knows it, yet he turns a blind eye to it. Princess Della also had similar feelings for her younger brother, so she didn’t want to blame him.

“But all we have to do is provide General Deflan with a good doctor.”

“…”

“How much does it cost to employ a man to Yogyakarta?”

Princess Della tilted her head.

“You once wanted her.”

“Oh, Kayley. That’s when she was on my side.”

The princess, who came dangerously close to owning Adrian Du, smiled. It was a malicious smile.

Born to the best beauty of the Acela Kingdom, Princess Della inherited both her mother’s beauty and King Acela’s insidiousness, and she knew it herself. Kayley still couldn’t understand why Adrian rebelled against Princess Della as her master.

“If she can’t be mine, I’ll just have to crush her thoroughly. Without a trace.”

And the princess propped her elbow on her knee, her chin in her hand, and looked at Kayley.

“You must be the one who wishes for that the most. Sometimes, even a stuck-up master such as myself needs to consider her subordinate’s welfare.”

At that moment, what flashed through Kayley’s mind were images of his father, who loved his younger sister dearly despite maintaining an indifferent expression, and his mother, who sang that she wished for nothing more than to go flower viewing with Adrian. What would his parents think if they heard how he replied to the princess?

…Kayley thought it was none of his business. But still, a little stirred, he carefully spoke.

“She’s already broken one leg, so it’s difficult for her to act the part of a knight.”

“Oh my, Kayley!”

Princess Della let out a laugh as if she’d heard a strange thing.

“You, too, broke a leg, but you’re still working as hard as my right hand!”

Her words could be considered insulting to some people. If Adrian had said that, Kayley would’ve killed her. But Princess Della’s words moved him dearly, and Kayley bowed.

“An undeserved compliment.”

The princess’ pink lips drew up into a long curve.

“In rough terrain like Yogyakarta, it is natural for Acelains to die no matter the cause. Even if they consume poison, are exposed to endemic diseases, or are killed by a sword…”

“…Simply crossing the road can get an Acelain slaughtered by a Yogyakartan.”

“That would be a reasonable excuse. If the regent sent from our home country dies unexpectedly, there will be a good reason to hold Yogyakarta liable.”

With her slender fingers, the princess traced the crest of Apelard hanging on one side of her room.

The Saintess of Acela. Her title ironically justified her desire for power and ambition.

“Shall I let you in on something?”

“What…”

“My father is strangely concerned about that scorching hot land. That’s why he had different plans for Adrian Du at first. Frankly speaking, being a deputy regent comes close to having the privilege of honor. Even if the inhabited territory is undeveloped.”

“If…”

The woman’s pale purple eyes thinned.

“Isn’t it typical for older men to utilize young, unmarried girls as pawns? The prince, who pushed out the royal daughter of Yogyakarta and became the heir to the throne, is also said to be unmarried.”

“…”

“She nearly had a royal marriage instead of becoming a regent. And you know what? To my surprise, Barbate Du implored my father to renounce the royal marriage.”

Kayley kept his mouth shut. The princess continued.

“Prime Minister Du is such a good father. Don’t you think?”

“…It is an honor.”

The man’s words crumbled in his mouth and disappeared. He was grinding his teeth. The princess pushed, wondering when Kayley’s molars would shatter.

“What a shame. If she married, she wouldn’t have to die and become an unmarried corpse in a barbaric land.”

There was not a trace of a joke in her cold words.

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