“Well, uh… do it.”
I stared intently at Miragen, who was shoving a spoonful of soup into her mouth.
With a frown that seemed to say “Open your mouth quickly,” I cracked my lips just slightly, and the spoon slipped in, spilling soup everywhere.
Anyone watching would think I was disabled or something.
It’s just that I’ve got a bunch of bandages wrapped around me, I can still move, no problem.
“I can eat by myself.”
“You hurt your arm, remember? And… I’m sorry about it. It happened because of me.”
“I never thought I got hurt because of Your Highness. I said I would block it in the first place.”
As I picked up the spoon from Miragen’s hand, her moody expression suddenly turned into a stare that pierced right through me.
But I can’t just accept being fed like a baby.
It wasn’t that serious; it was just a lot of blood.
Well, enough to make me pass out for about three days.
Miragen and Adele were pretty shocked about it, though.
I didn’t think I would faint, but I guess my stamina was really low.
I was slowly recovering from the treatment by the priest dispatched from the Order.
They said I’d be able to move freely in about two days, so it seemed like I’d need to start building my strength then.
“But, I’m not sure if it’s okay for you to keep staying here. I heard someone was coming from the Imperial Palace too.”
“It’ll take quite a while to get here. The distance between the North and the Center is pretty far. Besides, the Grand Duke is currently on the campaign, so I should stay here.”
“…What does the Grand Duke’s campaign have to do with your stay, Your Highness?”
“Should I just leave an injured person behind? If I looked that heartless, I’d want someone to tell me I was mistaken.”
I awkwardly laughed at her sulking expression. When I woke up, her eyes were all puffy.
I suspect she had been crying.
Knowing her character, she was probably worried a lot when I got hurt, and it must’ve weighed on her mind when I fainted.
Was it then that I lost consciousness right after seeing Miragen join me? It was the first time I had been fully sane since that moment.
Maybe that’s why it felt so peculiar seeing Miragen speaking in front of me.
An unharmed, living Miragen, without a single wound. Along with the feeling that I had changed something, the voice that used to echo in my ears started to fade.
In truth, it was little different from auditory hallucinations.
Was it really okay to say that a voice I had heard over a hundred years ago was returning?
That seems to be a mental illness.
It was just such an intense memory remaining.
Always regretting and strongly promising I wouldn’t repeat that situation if it ever came again.
Did I succeed this time? I chuckled at the thought that popped up suddenly. Didn’t I succeed splendidly?
Both me and Miragen were still alive.
Though I did get pretty hurt, adding a few more scars didn’t bother me at all anymore.
“Oh, there’s something I want to say. Can I go ahead?”
-Oh, I have something to say too. I guess it’s time to say it.
I turned my head at the voice that came in unison.
One was clear and right next to me, but the other voice was gradually fading and dissolving away.
It was a memory from the past. A voice that shouldn’t be heard, no longer existing. The words spoken by the thirty-fifth Miragen.
“Not doing it. What Miragen said on the thirty-fifth.
Miragen no longer had blood flowing through her.
The blood that had surged out and the wound in her chest were just the hesitations of a woman.
After blinking once, the illusion that covered my eyes vanished completely.
Only Miragen was visible. I watched her hesitate, repeatedly flicking her lips, unsure of what to say to me, and I smiled faintly.
“You’re welcome to speak.”
There was no longer a need to plead for her to live.
If I were to say such things to her, who was without a single wound, it would be considered quite strange.
I felt oddly good. The frustration blooming in a corner of my chest vanished, as if something refreshing filled the space.
“I think I should repay you for saving me. Next time, I’m thinking of inviting you, Robert… um.”
– “I’m thinking of inviting you, Robert…”
“I’m considering officially inviting you to the Imperial Palace. I plan to drive the carriage to Taylor’s place myself. Would that be alright?”
– “…Can I like that?”
The overlapping voices were incredibly faint.
Only Miragen’s voice was clear, the one that soon drowned out in the breeze.
Many things were different. Though the words were similar, the questions she asked, what she desired from me, and even the situation of hearing such words were not the same.
As I quietly watched Miragen wait for my answer, I nodded and finally responded.
It was something I couldn’t answer at the thirty-fifth meeting, and thus I finally spoke at the one hundred first.
That answer had always been cherished in my heart.
It had been intertwined with regret, a response I had carried for decades.
Back then, didn’t I convey such an answer?
“It’s okay.”
When we first met, it ended without any relationship.
At the thirty-fifth meeting, I sent you away without becoming lovers.
In the fifty-fifth, I lived for you and died for you.
And then at the one hundred first.
Seeing you alive like this, I finally shared the answer I couldn’t say.
Isn’t that enough? It proved that my life wasn’t in vain.
Just the fact that you were still alive… was enough for me.
Looking at Miragen, who smiled brightly, Robert smiled faintly.
The voice that had been ringing in my ears no longer resounded. Probably it wouldn’t from now on either.
Regrets or lingering feelings had already disappeared with the northern wind, and only the cool breeze gently tickled my cheeks.
#
The expulsion of the Immigrant Tribe was expected to take a month, but after Robert personally killed Temujin, it ended rather quickly.
A week was the time Adele took to complete the expulsion, fiercely driving her soldiers.
The Immigrant Tribe, having lost their great chief, Temujin, crumbled too easily, and seeing this quick result, Lothos wore a bitter expression.
“If this was going to happen, we should have kidnapped the prince.”
“I was fine alone. It only caused trouble and hurt.”
“…Anyway, now that we’ve cleared almost everything except for the uncharted territories, there’s no need to waste resources in the name of expulsion for a while.”
“It has become clear. For the time being, there’s no need to waste resources on the hunt.”
As soon as Robert’s name was mentioned, Lothos’s gaze sharpened, and his body flinched as he locked eyes with Adele.
Ever since Robert fainted, he had been in such a state.
In fact, he should have mentioned that he had woken up a few days ago, but perhaps he intentionally concealed it until the hunt was over.
What if this is revealed now? Lothos absentmindedly brushed his chill-inducing neck.
After all, there was no lieutenant who had been there longer than he had; surely he wouldn’t get cut off.
If there’s one thing he’s become certain of lately, it’s that while Robert may not be Adele’s beloved, he definitely cherishes her.
Remembering Adele’s attitude when Robert fainted, Lothos chuckled softly.
– “Contact the Order.”
– “Regarding the Order, I will request a priest’s dispatch.”
– “Bring the Saint. And be sure to tell them that if there’s even a moment’s delay, I’ll turn things upside down.”
Whether he meant it genuinely or not, the deadly atmosphere that had pervaded the day finally calmed down only after Robert’s condition stabilized.
The feelings he had experienced before seemed unlikely to have been mere illusions.
Robert Taylor… whatever words he exchanged with the Grand Duke, he might just become someone who will overturn the balance in the North.
Lining things up was Lothos’s specialty; he had already sent various communications to Robert.
He even slipped in some information about Adele.
Watching Adele advance with a grip on the wolf’s reins, Lothos, having settled his resolve, quietly approached and spoke up.
“A letter arrived from the main estate a few days ago.”
“A letter?”
“It says the Prince has awakened. Right now, Her Highness the Princess is taking care of him.”
Suddenly stopping in her tracks, Adele scrutinized the letter Lothos presented.
Her eyes narrowed, and her brows creased. It was obvious her mood was gradually worsening.
After a brief moment of keeping her distance to avoid potential fallout, Adele stuffed the letter into her bosom and murmured softly.
“…He’s awake.”
There was a palpable sense of relief in her words.
Even she was surprised by her own expression, but it was true; she felt gratitude that Robert had awakened.
When he fainted, she was more flustered than ever. How could he faint for days on end? It was rather upsetting.
“Let’s pick up the pace a bit.”
“Understood.”
Yet, despite those thoughts, a faint smile graced her lips.
There wasn’t much left until they reached the main estate.
As Adele tightened her grip on the reins and urged the horse forward, the other lieutenants also began to quicken their pace.
When Robert first collapsed, his thoughts were simple.
Confused by the situation, he felt flustered, and that agitation turned into misplaced anger that he vented in strange ways.
Looking back now, he realized his inability to judge calmly.
Had he thought it through more rationally, he would have understood it was just exhaustion.
He was unable to remain composed for the first time experiencing such emotions.
The anxiety blooming in his mind didn’t seem to fade.
…He always found himself in a feeling that seemed poised to vanish.
Each time he saw Robert, the déjà vu and anxiety he felt never faded away with the passing time.
The anxiety and unease did not vanish with the passage of time.
In fact, they only amplified, leading one to become trapped in such emotions.
When not together, there was a sense of insecurity, and irritation arose from being with someone other than oneself. A feeling that could not be understood.
Upon arriving at her territory, Adele headed straight to where Robert was.
The other lieutenants, while puzzled, moved along with Lothos.
After all, Adele always did as she pleased after the hunt was over, so most did not harbor any suspicions.
“By now, he must be with the princess.”
She had resolved not to let it bother her, but the words of Robert kept swirling in her mind, causing Adele to frown slightly.
It irked her that he had tried to sacrifice his life to repay a favor that even the princess did not know about.
So, she felt bad. Angry, and felt it was okay to speak a bit harshly.
Knock, knock, as she tapped on the door, the voice that had been coming from within suddenly cut off.
“It’s me, Robert.”
When a moment of silence passed, Robert’s face appeared beyond the suddenly opened door.
He still had a pale face.
With a sharply defined nose and hair similar to ash gray.
However, the difference was the unusual light in his eyes.
The emptiness of his gaze was now filled with another emotion. But whose emotion could that be?
“I heard the hunt has ended, but you’ve come quickly.”
A small laugh escaped her lips at the ridiculous thought, and she reached out her hand toward Robert’s face.
The sensation felt on her palm was still soft. He was alive.
Not dead, not gone. He was right there in front of her.
Why was it that just that made her smile?
She contemplated touching his cheek like last time but lowered her hand again and shrugged her shoulders.
There was no need to be swayed by this unnamed feeling.
If she acted as she always did, things wouldn’t feel awkward.
As Robert stared at her intently with that movement, Adele chuckled and spoke.
“You’ve woken up quite early. I didn’t know you had the talent to make someone worry.”
“…I apologize. I didn’t realize I was pushing myself that much.”
Feeling the presence of the princess inside, Adele looked at Robert intently and parted her lips.
She didn’t like the fact that they were together that much. Anyway, he had finally woken up, and besides, wasn’t there work to be done ahead?
A way to separate them. That thought crossed Adele’s mind as she continued.
“Change your clothes and come to the banquet hall; I’ll be holding a banquet shortly.”
“Isn’t today a rest day? When is the schedule…”
A rest day, indeed. But no one would question this decision.
At least not in the north, which was Adele Igrit’s land, solely ruled by the Grand Duke.
With a small smile, Adele continued to look at Robert as she spoke.
“I’ve made that decision.”
In this northern land, even the princess was no different.
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