Chapter 73: Izel Ryurik (2)

Every day she had to teach the princess swordsmanship, so Kallin visited the training ground in the afternoon as well. Her eyelids felt heavy from the intense morning session. Her fatigue was almost unbearable. She tried her best not to show it, but there were limits to that.

Especially since she was in the worst condition. The princess, who had just finished warming up, showed a dissatisfied expression.

"You look very tired. Didn't I tell you to rest today?"

"I'm fine."

Because things weren't going as planned, the princess frowned and pouted slightly.

A faint sigh followed.

"Alright. Have you learned a lot from Sir Ryudern?"

Kallin couldn't hide her fatigue when they switched, so she told her that she had practiced with Ryudern. She couldn't mention Duke Ryurik in detail with Emitter around.

"Yes. It was a valuable time."

"That's good. The more you know, the more you can learn."

That was true. The more you know, the more you see. Kallin focused on reviewing after the practice, and she did the same even after switching.

Emitter, who understood the situation, didn't approach her. It was a considerate gesture as a fellow swordsman.

"You should think about your training at this time."

"My duty as a bodyguard is to prioritize the princess over myself."

"Your growth is also beneficial to me."

Despite saying she was fine, the repeated words were a burden to Kallin. She was grateful in her heart, but she couldn't act on it.

The other party was the princess. No matter the situation, changing the princess's schedule for a bodyguard was not an option.

"You also told me to treat my subordinates well. You are one of my subordinates."

Kallin, who had lost her words for a moment, continued.

"I appreciate your consideration, but I'm really fine. I have a good memory, and there's something I want to say about Duke Ryurik."

"It wasn't just a casual encounter, then."

"Yes. I used Haisen's power to converse, so I couldn't mention it when Sir Emitter was around."

The mention of Haisen made the princess realize that the conversation with the Duchess of Ryurik was not ordinary.

"But now you can tell Emitter, can't you? He is someone I trust, unlike other knights."

"I can't. The fewer people who know, the better. Some might find the knowledge burdensome."

Kallin thought Emitter was trustworthy, but he wouldn't be pleased to know something. Moreover, it wouldn't be good for their relationship to become awkward.

"Understood."

"Let's start the lesson."

They couldn't talk for too long while standing still. Kallin picked up her sword.

A practice session at a lower intensity than usual. From the outside, it looked like she was moving slowly and teaching.

Kallin's report didn't take long.

"Secret? There's a secret for healing?"

The princess showed interest in the secret. It was a natural curiosity, as she also possessed a secret.

Especially in the situation where the Duke of Ryurik's sister was ill, it was fitting.

"Amazing. How did you find out? Were you originally from Haisen?"

Kallin hesitated for a moment. It wasn't a major secret, but it wasn't insignificant either. They were on the same side, after all.

"I will tell you if you promise not to tell anyone."

"I promise. Tell me."

The princess nodded immediately.

"I was a slave. A archaeologist took me in."

Kallin told the story of what happened at the ruins. Of course, she couldn't lie, so there were many omissions, such as the original purpose.

The princess listened with interest. Stories from outside the palace were usually boring, filtered by status. Moreover, this kind of story often piqued curiosity.

"Amazing."

"It was luck. I'm not one of your agents. I still work as an archaeologist and help when needed."

After the story, the princess looked at a distant tree for a moment before speaking.

"The Duchess of Ryurik is watching me... Do you think it's okay? After all, as you said, I'm not acting for the empire."

"As you said, you can do as you please. Your actions, even for your own benefit, ultimately support the empire."

Kallin spoke with confidence. She hoped the princess would see the truth.

But the princess couldn't see through Kallin's intentions, so she was always puzzled.

Of course, this time she thought Kallin's words weren't wrong. Her brothers weren't fit to be emperor.

In fact, the outside view was similar. All three princes had a bad reputation.

The First Prince, despite his outward appearance, was sadistic. Raping women he liked was common, and he enjoyed cruel murders and torture. There were even rumors of cannibalism.

His infamy led to a reprimand from the emperor, but rumors still circulated.

The Second Prince was a pedophile. He once caused a scandal by molesting a nobleman's daughter.

The princess vividly remembered the Second Prince's gaze when she was young. Even now, it made her shudder and feel as if bugs were crawling on her skin.

The Third Prince was stupid. He knew a bit of swordsmanship but enjoyed bullying and tormenting others. His capriciousness, shallow ears, and ignorance were well-known among the imperial nobles.

'Not that I didn't know, but it's more apparent now.'

The bloody path she didn't want to walk was clearer now.

Yes, the princess agreed that Kallin's words were not wrong.

"Let's end here for today."

Although the session was shorter than usual, Kallin nodded without a word. It wasn't because she was tired.

But the princess's face, after hearing the story, looked complicated.

The princess, sitting on a chair at one side of the training ground, sighed lightly and looked at Kallin standing beside her.

"You look tired. Come and sit next to me. It's uncomfortable to look at."

"I can't... I'm fine."

The princess meant it as a gesture to make Kallin more comfortable, but she didn't ask again.

A pleasant breeze blew, brushing against the princess's forehead.

The princess enjoyed the breeze in the silence, while Kallin thought about the morning practice.

* * *

It had been quite some time since the duke left. Looking back, it was quite fortunate.

He talked to the emperor and left the next day, meaning he only stayed in the capital for one day.

Perhaps he found the princes' approaches annoying.

After that, some powerful nobles were summoned by the emperor, but they were already part of the princes' factions, so there was little I could do.

'Still, things seem to be going well.'

It had been five days since I heard that Sedric visited the duke's territory.

I heard the treatment was completely finished.

According to the duke's men, it didn't even attract the empire's dogs.

I don't know if he handled it himself or if he just hid well, but it was fortunate.

'How will he move?'

The duke said he would judge based on the princess, but that didn't mean he would side with us in the war against the west.

A bird flew into the sky. I ended my short contemplation. Ultimately, we would know when the time came.

There was nothing I could do by thinking. Guard duty was quite boring, after all.

At least I had sword training recently, but conversations with Emitter were becoming less frequent.

I recited the Moon Shadow technique and refined my sword skills in my mind.

Around 4:00 PM, I noticed someone approaching from the emperor's quarters.

'It's about the west.'

I realized instinctively. The atmosphere in both the west and the empire was tense. The time had come.

Sure enough, the person who arrived announced the emperor's summons.

Erendil said he was taking a nap. It wasn't a frequent occurrence, but it happened occasionally.

I headed to the next room to wake the maid. I knocked and grabbed the doorknob.

"I'm coming in."

Even though the maid was a noble, she wasn't the princess, so there was no need for such formalities.

As I opened the door, a surprised voice came from inside.

"Wait, just a moment!"

But the door was already half-open. Through the gap, an unexpected scene unfolded.

Erendil and the maid were sitting at a small table, eating chocolate and cookies. Their cheeks were puffed up, as if they had just put something in their mouths.

"..."

"..."

For about two seconds, time seemed to freeze. I couldn't hide my surprise.

Her cheeks turned red, perhaps from embarrassment, and I quickly turned my head.

"Please forgive my rudeness. The emperor has summoned you."

I closed the door as if I hadn't seen anything. I couldn't understand the situation.

Why were they secretly eating in the maid's room? Especially when she said she was taking a nap.

Suddenly, I remembered what the princess of Haisen had said. She loved sweets, I thought.

I thought it was a lie because I hadn't seen the princess eat sweets separately since coming here.

Did she secretly eat them whenever she took a nap?

I only monitored the outside, not the princess's daily life, so I didn't know much about the inside.

'There's no need to hide and eat...'

It wasn't a bad thing. Hmm, but from the princess's perspective, it might be different.

According to the empire's etiquette, meals should be abundant but eaten with restraint. The same applied to desserts.

Moreover, in this world, sweets were often associated with children.

For the princess, who needed to show dignity, it was a behavior to avoid. Emitter smiled.

"Are you eating sweets again?"

"Yes. It seems to happen often."

"The empress dislikes it. She has been telling the princess to act more mature since she was a child."

Ah, I understand the situation. The maid trusted her, so she did it secretly.

Hmm. Perhaps her childhood experiences made her like sweets even more.

"Besides, even if it was fine in the past, it's not a good image, so you eat them secretly. Tsk. You should cut down a bit."

It revealed the perception of those around her. I nodded in agreement.

"Yes. I'll be careful."

"I don't worry about you."

Emitter smiled slightly and sighed, looking down the corridor.

"War is coming."

"Yes. As you predicted."

Emitter's expression was heavy. The atmosphere of someone who understood the weight of war was unfamiliar to me.

I had seen war in games, but I had never experienced it in reality.

"Go."

Soon, the princess came out. Her golden hair was tied up. She seemed to have anticipated the situation, as she was dressed for battle.

She glanced at me and quickly averted her gaze when our eyes met.

Hmm, I really have no thoughts on it. The princess, with slightly flushed cheeks, quickly moved forward.

* * *

"A letter came from the prince of Rohalak."

In a room where even the sound of breathing was silent, the emperor, who had been silent, spoke.

He took out a piece of paper from his pocket and waved it, completely unconcerned that the prince was now a king.

"I don't truly want to wage war with the empire, but the internal turmoil leaves no choice."

The emperor smiled and then suddenly turned serious, his stern anger filling the room.

The audience listened in silence.

"The empire is also in a complex situation due to the succession dispute, so he suggested using the war to eliminate unnecessary people."

The prince of Rohalak was wise. In fact, a war that ended at an appropriate point would benefit both sides.

The prince could eliminate those who threatened him in the west