Chapter 203. Beggar Siblings – Necessity
In the sweltering summer, the scorching sun beat down mercilessly. However, Leo stood in the clearing, unable to think about avoiding the heat, staring blankly at the red-haired woman in front of him.
He was at a loss, unsure of what to do with her.
“Hey, why are you acting like this? I was just joking about having learned everything. Hiding one move in a series of strikes? Aside from that, I haven’t even grasped anything else yet,” said Katrina, lightly scratching her neck. Having lied to her master, which she had never done before, she sought forgiveness.
“It turned out like this. I’m sorry.”
“Sorry? If you’re sorry, quit the knighthood immediately. If quitting right now is difficult, then do it within two months… no, before the end of the year.”
“…I’ve wanted to ask for a while now, why? Why do I have to quit the knighthood?”
Katrina scratched her red eyebrows with frustration, feeling exasperated by her master’s reluctance to explain. Leo, equally frustrated, almost pleaded.
“Didn’t you say your wish was to learn swordsmanship from a Sword Master? Are you upset because you haven’t learned enough? If that’s the case… I can spare a couple of days to teach you.”
“I’d be grateful for that. But what does that have to do with me quitting the knighthood?”
“…Then how about this? Come with me. I’m planning to go to the Kingdom of Conrad. There’s a carriage and money, so you don’t need to worry about the journey…”
Leo realized how foolish his suggestion was and trailed off.
Katrina would never leave Orville. She had a lover named Ellen who was crippled. Unless it was a war or something that a knight had to participate in, she would never leave his side.
Katrina’s confused expression confirmed her lack of understanding of Leo’s nonsensical words. Frustrated, Leo finally revealed the truth.
“…There will be a war with the Kingdom of Austin next year. On that battlefield…”
But this was also a foolish statement. He had no evidence, and more importantly, Katrina was a knight. “Oh, is that so? I must quit immediately then.” She wouldn’t say something so cowardly, and Leo was disheartened.
Katrina’s reaction was that of someone listening to a clumsy liar. She was extremely confused by Leo’s prophecy. “Oh, really?” she forced out, her words lacking belief.
It’s hard to move others.
They always move differently than expected, and to persuade them, you need sufficient evidence, goodwill that endures losses, or guaranteed benefits.
How regretful to have used up the [Bracelet of Barbatos].
But Leo had nothing. No way to prove the war would start next year, no way to convince her she would die on that battlefield.
All he had was
[Achievement: The Man Saved by Katrina’s Sacrifice – Gained Great Favor from Katrina.]
But that favor was meaningless, it differed from person to person. Katrina was not Cassia.
Should I really cut off her arm?
Without a way to persuade her, Leo thought of extreme measures. If he cut off her arm, she couldn’t go to the battlefield…
─ “…What would you do with a cripple like me?”
Lena Einarr came to mind. In the second engagement timeline, he experienced the sorrow of losing an arm with Lena Einarr, stopping Leo’s extreme thoughts. Everything seemed pointless. Finally, Leo said, “Do as you wish,” and left Katrina in the clearing, bewildered.
On the way back to the Orange Theater.
Walking slowly, Leo’s thoughts were tangled. He suddenly thought of Cassia.
‘Cassia…’
She had been so easy to move. No, rather than saying he moved her, she willingly followed him, to a degree that was hard to understand in hindsight.
As if she had been made and prepared solely for the beggar siblings’ scenario.
When he was chased by Irene, she threw herself into danger without being asked. She had said she would earn money for the unfamiliar beggar siblings, and she brought back a gold coin.
And when he said he was leaving for the Kingdom of Conrad, she even closed her shop. Without a word, Cassia followed him to a distant foreign country.
And then she left satisfied with just a single hug.
Stopping in his tracks, Leo suddenly missed her. But feeling too ashamed to see her, he resumed walking.
In front of the Orange Theater, there were theater people, including Xenia and Bretin Sauer, as well as thugs from the Rauno family, led by Ober.
They were bidding farewell to Xenia, telling her to take care, but their gazes toward Leo were not friendly.
Ober made a remark that was either a threat or advice, but Leo didn’t have time to pay attention to that. Repeating “Yes, yes,” like a parrot, he reached out to Xenia.
“…You’re here?”
Xenia smiled somewhat complicatedly. She was dressed simply for travel. Her sleeveless arms were thin. Her wavy black hair was tied up, revealing a white neckline.
If Minseo had been there, she would have thought of Chaeha, but Leo, feeling restless, saw Xenia overlapping with Cassia.
He couldn’t help but think of Xenia as the woman who appeared in place of Cassia. Even though they were completely different people with entirely different emotions.
When he saw the former prostitutes living on the third floor of the Orange Theater coming to see Xenia off, his feelings solidified even more.
“Did something happen?”
“It’s nothing. Well then… let’s get on. Where is Lena?”
“She went to talk with Santian for a bit. She’ll be back soon.”
Not wanting to wait while standing, Xenia boarded the carriage. She told the people who came to see her off, “Go on inside. Short farewells are the best,” and sent them away, then turned her gaze to Leo sitting beside her.
“By the way, Leo. What’s your relationship with Count Peter? How did you get this carriage?”
The carriage that Count Peter had lent, complete with a coachman, was enormous. Although larger carriages could be found depending on rank, this one was already rare. Its ample width and weight required at least three horses.
Even Leo had never ridden in such a large carriage before because it was Count Peter’s personal carriage. Modeled after the frugal count, it had no decorations at all.
“There’s no special relationship. I just received his support… Actually, I have something to tell you. I’ll say it when Lena arrives.”
He planned to reveal everything honestly. He would tell them that he was a prince and that he was going to the Kingdom of Conrad to reclaim his lost {bloodline}.
But Leo was inwardly anxious.
He worried about how Xenia would react when he revealed he was a prince. Would she despair, thinking she couldn’t be a prince’s partner like Cassia did, or would she be excited, which might disappoint him a bit?
Although it didn’t seem likely that the mature Xenia would react in such a way.
Feeling uneasy, Leo took Xenia’s hand, intending to reassure her before she would be surprised.
But with a start, Xenia pulled her hand away. Her eyes were also trembling with unease.
What’s going on?
Was it a woman’s intuition? Sharing his worry, she remained silent. I must not have managed my expression well.
The two of them anxiously waited for Lena, biting their lips. Finally, the younger sister arrived. But Lena, who had run up hurriedly, also had a resolute expression.
“Brother, I have something to say. We…”
“Lena. Come on up. Actually, I have something to tell you too.”
“Let’s not leave. I like it here.” Lena, who was about to speak, sensed the tense atmosphere inside the carriage.
Her brother’s tone was unusually firm, and Xenia, who usually maintained clear boundaries in personal relationships, seemed very unsettled, so Lena cautiously climbed into the carriage.
– Clack.
The door closed. Although the inside of the carriage was very spacious, the three of them felt cramped due to the tension. In the silence, Leo spoke up.
“Xenia, my real name is Leo de Yeriel. Lena, your name is Lena de Yeriel. You’re… a princess. We are the prince and princess who were expelled from the Kingdom of Conrad over ten years ago.”
Silence followed. Leo waited for them to understand his words, but both Lena and Xenia had strange expressions.
Lena looked obviously confused. However, unlike before, she didn’t accuse her brother of being a foolish idiot. This was probably due to the influence of the ‘dream’.
On the other hand, Xenia’s expression was so complicated that it was hard to describe.
Relief? Disappointment? Worry? It was impossible to read her emotions from her expression unless you were the person involved.
Xenia asked in a low voice.
“…Is there anything else you want to tell me? I really hate lies. So, Leo, no, Prince, why did you confess to me? Maybe… no, just tell me why you confessed. Did you ‘need’ me?”
It was a peculiar reaction. She didn’t seem shocked or surprised that Leo was a prince. Instead, her eyes, which stared intently, seemed to be seeking some kind of answer.
“Yes, I need you.”
Despair crossed Xenia’s face. But her expression changed as Leo continued.
“I need you. I want you by my side, and that’s why I confessed. Whether I’m a prince or not doesn’t matter. I hope you won’t worry about it. I… love you.”
Cassia struck his heart, but he never saw her as a woman. Pity and mixed feelings. However, the woman in front of him…
“I love you.”
From the moment he first saw Xenia, his heart raced. His fate was directed toward her. This might also be a trick of the gods, but even that was fine. He was grateful.
Xenia’s ever-changing expression brightened completely. As if deeply relieved, she held Leo’s hand.
“I feel the same way, too. Prince… no, I’ll just call you Leo.”
Why does this woman always grab me by the collar? Xenia leaned in for a kiss.
Unlike the kiss on the theater’s third-floor balcony, her movements were certain. She was delighted that the beggar boy who had unexpectedly poured water on her was indeed her fate.
Leo’s vision was obscured.
Thin, long eyebrows. A small mole slightly to the left of her nose was right in front of him.
“Wait, wait a minute. Beside us…”
Leo broke off the long kiss. When he turned his head, he saw Lena staring at them wide-eyed.
“Ahem. L-Lena, this is…”
“It’s fine~ I knew brother and sister Xenia were dating for a long time. And you said I’m a princess, right? So… I guess I can do at least one thing my way?”
“Wh-what?”
“You’ll see. I’ll tell you later.”
Lena’s golden eyes sparkled as she spoke.
She turned her head away, leaning her arms against the window (when did that window open?), smiling slyly as if to show she was annoyed with her brother for hiding the fact that she was a princess.
I’ll do it my way.
Leo understood what she meant only after the carriage had departed and left the outskirts of Orville. By the time the evening sun was setting, and the coachman stopped the carriage in front of an inn.
“Uh, hello there?”
A curly-haired boy with brown hair, Santian Rauno, crawled out of the luggage compartment of the carriage.
Leo looked at his sister in shock. But Lena just rolled her eyes, pretending to be innocent while whistling a tune she must have learned from someone.
These little brats…
Leo thought, now there really isn’t anyone I can trust.
