EP.38
Fortunately, Maria was unharmed.
The reason Wilhelm had used his hands instead of his sword was due to his concern that Maria might get hurt, so it was only natural.
However, this actually led to more problems.
“You seem to be quite shocked.”
“…Is she really that unwell?”
“There’s nothing physically wrong with her. She’s just lost her grip on reality.”
The sight of a blood-stained hand emerging from a person’s body was grievous enough to shake even the most hardened spirit, especially after everything that had happened. Maria had been out of it for over a day.
Of course, the healer had said she would wake within a few days at the latest, but that wasn’t the problem.
“…Excuse me?”
Wilhelm could hardly believe what Matilda was saying.
“Could you repeat that once more?”
“I would like you to stay in the lady’s room.”
The maids were asking Wilhelm to remain in Maria’s room to provide protection. Since Maria was incapacitated and had no capacity for resistance, and having the maids around wouldn’t change much, Matilda and the maids had to make a reasonable decision.
However, this also applied in reverse. If Wilhelm stayed in Maria’s room, no one in the mansion would be able to stop him from doing whatever he wanted.
Though the maids were well aware of this, they still insisted on Wilhelm’s close protection of Maria.
“…Is that really okay?”
“It couldn’t be less okay.”
This wasn’t merely a matter of trust. Nobility was a domain where one never knew when or where trouble might arise. Those entrusted with secrets could just as easily be the ones divulging them, and those who had been loyal for a lifetime could end up robbing one’s estate.
Although Wilhelm didn’t yet grasp the full extent of this, when it came to the princess, it was even more dire.
“But there’s no other way. I guess I have to trust you.”
With that, Matilda bit her lip. Wilhelm could sense the weight of her words.
From what he had witnessed, Matilda treated the princess like her own child. It was only natural to be anxious about entrusting the life or death of her unconscious daughter to the hands of a man she hardly knew.
“…Alright.”
Thus, Wilhelm had no choice but to accept.
It wasn’t without its burdens. If word of this incident got out, bizarre rumors would surely swirl. However, Wilhelm wasn’t the type to turn down a request made by someone revealing their helplessness.
In the end, he positioned himself beside Maria’s bed to protect her.
During the day, with the maids coming and going for various reasons, it wasn’t too burdensome.
But as night fell and the hour grew late with no one around, Wilhelm began to feel an overwhelming pressure.
In a room where no one else was present, it was just him and the unconscious young lady of nobility. Even the slightest misstep could lead to scandal or suspicion.
Of course, he was assured that the maids would never think of such things, but Wilhelm was more hesitant about creating any sort of awkward situation for himself. Ultimately, he moved his chair to a spot where he could defend against any intruder or flying dagger.
In a pitch-dark room without even the moonlight seeping through the closed window, he sat quietly, sword in hand, merely gazing at Maria.
‘…By the way, where are this girl’s parents? What are they doing?’
At that moment, Maria was still just a couple of years shy of adulthood, and her youthful face hadn’t quite lost its innocence. The extreme stress she was under caused her expressions and actions to negatively contrast with her age, making it hard to recognize when she was awake, but now that he looked closely, she definitely resembled a girl who hadn’t yet come of age.
And only then did Wilhelm start to become concerned about the fact that he hadn’t seen Maria’s parents at all.
Since they were tightly guarding the information about Maria’s identity, Matilda and the maids had never even mentioned anything related to her parents that could potentially serve as a clue. Though Wilhelm wouldn’t have known even if they did, they had no way of knowing that.
Then, miraculously, Wilhelm could hear an answer from the girl herself.
“…Ma.”
Wilhelm sprang up immediately as he heard Maria mumble something.
“Are you awake?”
Since the incident, Wilhelm had been addressing Maria informally. Though there were plenty of nobles in the world, how many had a rank higher than him that he had to worry about, anyway?
The maids couldn’t help but stifle a laugh, while Maria, taken aback by the informal address—given she had never experienced such a thing outside her family—found herself at a loss. Yet, no one could correct Wilhelm for his rudeness, and the maids certainly had no intention of doing so.
Wilhelm rushed over to check on Maria’s condition. He ignited a flame on a stick of candle using basic-level magic and, under its light, examined her face and pulse.
“Oh dear, was that just sleep talking?”
But it seemed she was at least better than when she was unconscious, barely breathing.
Thinking this, Wilhelm attempted to step back.
At that moment, Maria grabbed his wrist. Though her grip wasn’t very strong, the sudden situation left Wilhelm flustered, and he couldn’t pull his hand away.
“Mom, don’t go away…”
Since he was close by, he could hear Maria’s words clearly.
“Mom… nanny…”
The sentences didn’t flow neatly. However, Wilhelm, though lacking in noble knowledge, wasn’t completely clueless.
“Stay… by my side…”
Her words were spoken in fits and starts, but by now, Wilhelm could certainly guess what was going on.
Of course, he couldn’t be completely sure.
But it was evident that for some reason, she had been separated from her mother. And in this world, such reasons usually implied a death. Although he had little evidence to confirm it, one thing was clear: separation from a mother at a young age was a painful experience for a child.
Wilhelm looked down at the hand that was gripping his.
While the hold wasn’t particularly strong, he could sense the desperation behind it. Just to humor her, he took Maria’s hand in his own. Maria, who had been groaning with a slight frown, relaxed her expression when his much larger hand enveloped hers.
“Mom…”
Instead, a faint smile appeared on her lips. Soon, only gentle breathing could be heard repeatedly.
In the end, Wilhelm couldn’t leave and remained standing there, holding Maria’s hand.
Until morning when the maids would come in.
―――
Maria woke up the following dawn.
“Ugh, ughh…”
After lying down for days, it wasn’t easy to open her eyes. She hadn’t eaten properly or moved at all, so her body felt as if it wasn’t even hers.
Yet, after several days of sleep, her mind was clear, and she struggled to open her eyes and assess her surroundings.
And there was no way she wouldn’t be taken aback.
“…Huh?”
“Oh, you’re awake.”
As soon as she opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was Wilhelm’s face.
Looking around, she confirmed that this was indeed her room, yet there stood Wilhelm in front of her bed. Furthermore, aside from the two of them, there was no one else in the room.
It was the perfect set-up for the newly awakened princess to jump to conclusions.
Naturally, her subsequent reaction followed suit.
“KYAAAAAAH!”
A scream shook the mansion.
“What’s the matter?!”
Matilda and the maids, who had been waiting nearby, rushed in.
“This, this man dares to be in my room…!”
Having fled to the farthest end of the bed and pointing an accusing finger at Wilhelm, Matilda couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
“Pfft.”
“What, what are you doing?! This man has audaciously invaded my bedroom!”
At Maria’s words, Matilda decided enough was enough.
“Ahhahaha!”
As the maid head and the young lady of nobility were caught up in a comedic scene, Wilhelm blinked in confusion.
“…Dare? Audacious?”
Hadn’t I already revealed that I’m the son of a prince-elect? And yet, she says such things?
With bewilderment clouding his thoughts, Wilhelm’s brain finally connected the dots.
Whoever she was, it was clear that this young lady hadn’t inherited any titles yet. The only type of person in this country who could speak to him like that was of a very specific class.
“…Is it the imperial family?”
Only then did Wilhelm’s complexion turn pale.
The maids froze at his words. According to plan, they were not supposed to reveal their identities. However, Matilda thought differently.
They had already involved themselves in a bedroom.
Regardless of the reason being for protection, it still appeared to be an inappropriate act from the outside. Given the situation, rumors could not be allowed to spread under any circumstances. They wouldn’t be the ones to spread rumors, so it was Wilhelm who needed to be kept in check.
However, at this point, intimidating him was difficult for Matilda because she owed him a debt of gratitude.
Thus, she decided to ensure that Wilhelm would choose to be careful with his words on his own.
“Yes, indeed. This is Her Highness, Princess Maria Hofburg, the second daughter of His Majesty the Emperor.”
Revealing her identity was part of her strategy.
Though she may be treated poorly within her own family, the power that came with her status was irrefutable. Even a prince-elect wouldn’t dare to act recklessly towards someone of imperial blood.
“…Goodness.”
Hence, hearing confirmation, Wilhelm’s complexion turned even more pallid.
So, I just went and casually spoke like I was the son of a prince-elect in front of a princess. Even Wilhelm, of all people, knew that was not the best move for his personal safety.
What gave him some relief was Maria, who had heard the whole story from Matilda.
“…Oh, it’s fine. Just because you suddenly decide to act politely, it won’t erase the rudeness from before. I’ll consider it a favor for protecting me and let the rudeness slide.”
“R-really…?”
“Just make sure not to draw attention from others. That’s something I can’t help you with.”
That was how Wilhelm ended up speaking informally to the princess.
―――
Following that, the escorting continued.
While staying in the same room, Wilhelm protected Maria from assassination attempts on several occasions. Of course, there were no direct attempts on her life like before, but there were plenty of attempts to eliminate Maria through various other means.
Unable to suppress his curiosity, Wilhelm asked Maria one day.
“Can’t you confront the Emperor about this? No matter how scary court politics are, is it really acceptable for there to be so many assassination attempts on a princess?”
In response, Maria just gave a bitter smile.
“…It’s the victim’s fault in situations like this.”
Having been sheltered by a close-knit family and with the Brandenburg duchy firmly in control, he had never really experienced this, but in regions where noble families were powerful and affluent, political intrigues were part of daily life.
Moreover, this held true even among the imperial family. When in the capital, they would politically try to undermine each other, and outside the capital, they would physically eliminate one another.
The infamous triplet of wine, coaches, and terraces, suspected of having killed the most nobles in Europe, was also thriving in this other world.
Maria couldn’t imagine that Wilhelm would know all of this, but having learned about her family situation during her sleep talking, Wilhelm felt a sense of sympathy for her. It was an overly harsh environment for a young teenager who might still be in high school back on Earth.
Thus, he decided to offer her enjoyable experiences within the limits of what he could provide.
“How about this?”
“…What is that?”
He took her to the market. The maids were anxious about the risk of assassins, but they allowed it thanks to Wilhelm’s enthusiastic persuasion.
“…Let’s go again!”
“You brought it confidently, but isn’t this too easy?”
He introduced various games, including board games that could be played with multiple people. Anything requiring three or more players involved Matilda as well.
“D-don’t go. Mother, Mother…”
“……”
On nights filled with nightmares or thunderstorms, he held her hand and comforted her.
Slowly but surely, they began to understand each other and grew closer.
Maria felt for the first time since her mother and nanny had passed away that the emptiness in her heart was being filled. Although Matilda had tried her best, the void left by two people who had been with her since infancy was difficult to fill.
Wilhelm squeezed himself into that very space. He barged in boldly through the heavily locked door, leaving behind a myriad of locks.
Maria thought that these happy days would last forever.
Until one day, when he vanished, leaving only a single letter behind.
―――
“……”
What should have been a warm nostalgic memory suddenly soured. The rage of a 6th-tier wizard was enough to distort the flow of magical energy in the air, leaving both Wilhelm and Mal, for reasons unknown, feeling a sudden chill.
Yet, seeing that expression on his face made Maria feel somewhat relaxed.
‘That’s right. Anyway, right now, Bill is right in front of me.’
Two years. For two years, Maria had tried everything to bring Wilhelm back.
Her return to the capital and her obedience to the Emperor’s commands as a princess had all been preparations for this day.
Now, many preparations were finally complete.
She had received permission from her father and spread rumors to ensure he couldn’t simply back out. Above all, she had chased him down and physically caught up with him, unwilling to let him escape again.
“I’ve experienced losing far too much already.”
“Hmm? What did you say?”
Wilhelm, who had been playfully jabbing at her, asked back. Maria simply smiled at him and shook her head, indicating it was nothing.
So now, she was determined never to let him slip away again.
With that thought firmly in mind, she lifted her gaze to the horizon in the distance.
There, the walls of the holy kingdom, adorned with its flag, slowly began to reveal themselves.
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