“Moreover, hiding the fact that you’re a female knight until coming before the Emperor. Am I the only one who feels like all the pieces fit perfectly?”
What did he mean by all the pieces fitting? Even if I listened carefully, I still couldn’t understand. Whether he remembered the war or not, the war in the Land of Snow had been ongoing for 37 years, and it was a fact that Sahara and the 128th Knight Division had ended the war. To shorten the time it took to come from the Land of Snow to here, the 128th Knight Division had run tirelessly day and night. Cheshire coming out to greet us probably had something to do with some deal with the Princess, but since I didn’t know about that, I’d set it aside, but there had been no hiding of the fact that we were female knights. We just didn’t know we had to declare it.
“I was wondering why my brother would devise such an obviously transparent plan, but I understood when I saw it at yesterday’s victory party.”
“?”
He reached out to Sahara and lifted her bowed chin.
“But still. Bringing a woman who looks like this…”
Sahara looked at him with indifferent eyes. Eric, who had been looking at Sahara with contemptuous eyes, flinched for a moment when their gazes met. He released her chin as if burned by fire.
“―For a woman like you, it wouldn’t raise any suspicions, would it?”
He spoke in a mocking tone, pretending as if he had never been surprised.
“……”
…What on earth is this? Sahara rubbed her captured chin with the back of her hand. Whether she understood the situation or not, the knights gathered near Eric began to nod in agreement little by little upon seeing Sahara’s raised face.
“Come to think of it…”
“Hmm.”
“Chew on eyeballs? For such a victory report, you must have thought His Majesty would be pleased and grant titles or territories. Whose head did this plan come from? Did you propose it and have your brother devise it?”
Honestly, for a plan devised by my brother, it’s sloppily done. ―Even to Eric’s question, Sahara couldn’t respond because she was trying to understand what he meant.
“Hey, it seems like they’re saying the captain is the Crown Prince’s lover…”
It was only after Buzz interpreted from behind that Sahara suddenly startled and responded.
“A lover? No.”
The Crown Prince’s lover? It was an utterly absurd statement.
“Not a lover? And you walk around proudly wearing that on your nape while lying about even that? It seems like the two of you caught up on old times after deceiving His Majesty last night.”
At his sarcastic words, Sahara touched her nape. Since it was her first time, she hadn’t thought to cover the marks.
“Whether I should praise you for diligently pretending to train by clumsily wielding a sword you’ve never used before, or say that it’s too obvious.”
“……”
As she listened, the story really seemed strange.
“Why is he saying that?”
“The captain has never used a sword. ―He’s saying that even though she’s the Crown Prince’s lover, she’s pretending to be a knight to get a title, right now?”
Sahara’s subordinates whispered from behind. Ah, so that’s what he meant. Sahara raised her hand to quiet her subordinates and said to Eric.
“You seem to be misunderstanding, Your Highness. I am not the Crown Prince’s lover, nor have I lied.”
Deceiving His Majesty? How could she commit such an act that would anger heaven and earth?
“You would say that.”
“……”
She couldn’t understand why this Prince, whom she was speaking to for the first time today, was sharpening his blade against her, or why he was treating her like a liar.
“If you’re finished speaking, may I stand?”
“Ha… Your brazenness is astonishing. How bold must you be to make even your defense so half-hearted.”
He waved his hand as if to say do as you please. It wasn’t half-hearted, she just had no words to defend herself. She didn’t know how to respond to accusations that were twisted from the start. Moreover, he was a Prince.
As Sahara stood and turned to go train, Eric sneered.
“Well, that’s why you could deceive His Majesty. I didn’t know His Majesty had such a naive side.”
When she turned to look at him, he stared blatantly as if asking if she had anything to say.
“Please refrain from such dangerous words.”
It didn’t matter if he insulted her, but she couldn’t just let him insult His Majesty. Even if he was his father.
“I was impressed yesterday too, but you really are good at acting. You look just like a sincerely loyal subject.”
Eric approached Sahara with full sarcasm. Then he tapped the scabbard she was holding.
“Isn’t there an easy way to prove your skills? Just throw a gauntlet at me.”
Sahara looked up at him. Eric seemed to flinch a bit before lifting his chin and saying.
“If it’s not true, a knight wouldn’t tolerate such an insult. Isn’t that right?”
He looked around at the surrounding knights as if asking their opinion. Murmurs arose. She heard words like whether they should at least have a duel regardless of truth.
“Captain, just throw the gauntlet.”
Theo interjected from behind. His bristling voice suggested that if Sahara didn’t throw it, he would. What was he talking about throwing when she wasn’t even wearing gauntlets? No, it was talk of challenging to a duel, but Sahara let out a small sigh.
“I can’t point a sword at the Prince.”
If by any chance he hurt her or wounded her, it would be a big problem.
“―Nonsense.”
At Sahara’s words, Eric flushed red as if he himself had been insulted and drew the sword from his waist.
“I’m the one challenging you to a duel. Sahara Illoud, draw your sword.”
“……”
Sahara looked down at the handkerchief fallen at her feet and then lifted her head. Eric was glaring at her with serious eyes.
All his words were nonsense, but even if they were true by some chance, he was now pointing a sword at someone he thought was a fragile lady. It wasn’t a wooden sword, it was a real one. His hand holding the sword didn’t tremble, exuding a clear intent to slash her down.
“I cannot point a sword at Your Highness the Prince.”
“Then you must pay the price for your lies.”
Eric’s sword flew straight toward Sahara’s neck in an instant. The moment she felt it was faster than expected. As she reflexively tried to dodge backward, something approached from behind. And at that moment.
Slash. Something hot splashed.
Sahara, who had crouched low to avoid the attack, raised her head at the hand embracing her shoulder instead. Blood had splattered onto platinum blonde hair. What was this situation? Sahara stared at Cheshire, who was holding her, her face paling in shock.
Cheshire had pulled her and blocked Eric’s sword with his bare body in her place.
“Your Highness…”
Sahara’s blue lips trembled.
Clang! The sound of Eric dropping his sword rang out, and Sahara grabbed Cheshire with trembling hands. Cheshire was looking down at Sahara with his brows furrowed. Only when their purple eyes met did she realize it was really Cheshire.
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
At his calm question, Sahara nodded absentmindedly. Blood was flowing to the floor, but Cheshire meticulously checked if even a single hair on Sahara’s head or a fold of her clothes was damaged before looking at Eric.
“B-Brother. This is…”
Eric stammered in panic. Cheshire looked down at the bloodied sword on the ground and then back at Eric.
“Your recklessness hasn’t changed at all.”
“If you hadn’t interfered, Brother, this wouldn’t have…! It’s all because of that woman’s lies.”
Eric tried to make excuses, but Cheshire raised his hand. His brows furrowed slightly as if his injured arm hurt.
“If you weren’t a Prince, the moment you challenged Sahara to a duel, your neck would have been split open.”
“Are you still spouting such lies?!”
Eric shouted with a flushed face. What was a lie? Cheshire sighed nonchalantly.
“I’ll formally protest this matter later, Eric.”
He wouldn’t let it slide. ―At Cheshire’s words, Eric’s face turned pale. But it wasn’t as deathly pale as Sahara’s, who had been ghostly white the whole time.
§ § § § §
The injury on Cheshire was on his left forearm. It was about a handspan long and as deep as a knuckle. It was quite a serious wound.
“Blocking a sword with your arm, how reckless can you be.”
The court doctor who stitched the wound was quite sarcastic.
“Did you think your arm had iron attached or something? If the Prince had wielded the sword even a little better, you wouldn’t have an arm right now. Who would sign documents if the future Emperor of the empire had no arm?”
“Are you saying Eric’s skills are poor?”
Cheshire tried to interrupt as if asking if he was insulting Eric, but.
“It’s a good thing they’re poor.”
The white-haired court doctor nodded indifferently. It was insolent, but Sahara agreed.
If it had been Sahara swinging the sword, not only the arm but the torso would have been sliced. Heavens, how could he think of stepping in front of a blade?
“What on earth were you thinking?”
“I wasn’t thinking much.”
Cheshire answered honestly.
After telling Sahara about the training ground, he had gone out to suggest having lunch together since it was about lunchtime while handling work. Not far from the training ground entrance, people were gathered around something.
He had a bad premonition that the source of the disturbance was someone he knew. It was actually a reasonable premonition.
Sahara was the type who divided opinions.
Beautiful, strong, upright and loyal without a hint of sarcasm. At first glance, who would dislike her? But she lacked tact and social skills. With an expressionless face, she only said what she needed to and then lowered her eyes.
She seemed to chat a lot and even joke with her long-time subordinates, but that wasn’t enough to blend smoothly among nobles.
Moreover, coming from a distant land, she had monopolized the Emperor’s favor in one go and was trying to establish herself in the capital. She had all the conditions to offend people.
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