Chapter 47

Aristine tilted her head with a serious expression and said, "I think it would be uncomfortable with the skin being pressed by the eye patch..."

Aristine even stood on tiptoe to examine the structure of the eye patch in detail.

Since it was designed to fit snugly over the eye socket without straps, the skin would likely be compressed and hurt, and there was also the worry that it might fall off.

"Isn't it quite heavy with the malachite gemstone and gold?"

Bolton, who had expected a positive reaction, gave an awkward smile.

"Haha, General Mukali must transcend such issues. After all, he often wields that large sword with one hand."

Aristine thought that the muscles in his arm and the skin around the eye socket were different, but she didn't delve into that aspect.

"If that's the case, it's fortunate, but General Mukali is a warrior who faces life-and-death battles. It seems like it would only add to his discomfort."

Bolton was at a loss with this unexpected criticism.

"Even a slight movement during battle could make it fall off. That would be even more distracting."

"Ah, that's... "

"It would need to move slightly to stay in place. If it falls, you'd wonder where it went. It might make it hard to focus on the battle."

"That, this is not meant to be used in battle..."

Bolton finally replied.

It was made for Mukali to wear in front of people.

To cover that hideous scar.

While scars are a warrior's honor, that only goes so far.

"General Mukali is a warrior, and battle is his profession. Even if he doesn't go to battle, he trains every day. It would be the same during training."

"Um, that's true, but..."

Bolton didn't know how to respond.

Aristine wasn't taking the premise of covering the scar for granted.

But if he told her, it would be like saying Mukali should hide that hideous scar in front of everyone.

"Is that so? There's no need to wear something uncomfortable."

Aristine seemed to genuinely think there was nothing wrong with Mukali's face.

Otherwise, she wouldn't have reacted this way.

'Hmm...'

Bolton glanced at Mukali, then paused.

Seeing Mukali's face as he looked at Aristine, he suddenly realized something.

A face of disbelief, as if witnessing something unbelievable.

His single large eye was fixed on Aristine's face.

'I was wrong.'

He knew Mukali was concerned about his left eye, even if he didn't show it.

That's why he had the eye patch made.

But what Mukali needed wasn't an eye patch to cover the scar beautifully.

He needed someone to see the scar as it was.

'I've committed a grave offense.'

Bolton sighed and gave Mukali an apologetic smile.

"I was shortsighted. I just wanted to give it as a gift."

"I know your intentions best, Lord Bolton."

Mukali replied quietly.

Earlier, he couldn't forgive the condescending gesture, but now he felt it was fine.

He felt more at ease.

"Next time, I'll prepare a gift that the general will like."

"There's no need to..."

"Please accept it as an apology."

"In that case, I will not refuse."

The atmosphere between the two was warm.

Aristine watched this and gasped.

"Ah, I said some harsh things about the gift. I didn't mean to be rude."

"No, I asked for your opinion. Your Highness gave a serious and thoughtful response. There's no rudeness in that. I should be grateful."

"I'm relieved to hear that."

Aristine smiled.

She looked at the eye patch in the box and said, "The intricate craftsmanship is impressive, but I'm more amazed that it was made to fit General Mukali's eye socket perfectly. Without a mold, too."

It must have been made from memory, as a surprise gift.

To make it by eye, it truly showed the skill of the best blacksmith.

"I'm glad you appreciate it."

Bolton was somewhat surprised.

Aristine's discerning eye, focusing on the craftsmanship rather than the outward appearance, was quite impressive.

"Though I presented a wedding gift to Your Highness in Catalaman, I also want to make a personal gift. Will you accept it?"

"Of course, I'll be happy to wait for it."

Bolton's wrinkled face broke into a smile at her acceptance.

With this topic somewhat resolved, Aristine took a sip of tea to clear her throat.

It was time to achieve her purpose for coming here.

Aristine, trying to act as if she had just thought of it, said, "By the way, before entering the forge, I saw something that worried me."

"Something that worries you...?"

In response to Bolton's question, Aristine briefly explained about Rithren.

Bolton's face darkened.

"Those brats... They've shown their shameful side to Your Highness and the general."

"Please don't worry about it. More importantly, the blacksmith might have lost the ability to wield a hammer if I hadn't intervened."

If she hadn't, it would have happened, as she had seen in the future with her imperial eye.

"...I thought that if I ignored him, the others would gradually stop paying attention. It seems I was wrong."

Bolton said with a heavy voice.

His face suddenly looked much older.

"Would you mind telling me the story if you don't mind?"

Bolton looked at Aristine for a moment, then nodded.

"Your Highness is his benefactor, so you have the right to know."

Rithren had a shining talent.

Bolton recognized it immediately and brought him into the forge.

To prevent him from picking up bad habits, he didn't entrust him to anyone else but taught him everything himself from start to finish.

Rithren's talent was indeed remarkable, far exceeding expectations.

'This boy is my successor!'

That was the level of achievement.

Bolton took Rithren in as an adopted son.

"Of course, there were those who envied him, including my own son. But they had to admit Rithren's talent. He was that good."

Rithren had excellent physical strength and endurance, essential for a great blacksmith, but that was true for everyone in Catalaman.

"Rithren had a keen sense, sharp eyes, and a good mind. These are innate qualities."

Bolton's face was wistful as he looked into the distance.

"When that young boy could spot the subtle twists in a sword, it felt like finding a treasure."

"But why is it now...?"

According to the profile Aristine had seen, Rithren was described as a problem in the Catalaman forge.

Those who had bullied him also said he was a burden to Catalaman.

"Blacksmiths must be in front of the forge and anvil."

Thinking of Rithren, Bolton felt frustrated and reached for his tobacco pipe, then stopped himself.

"But that boy started to prefer sitting at a desk. I don't know where he got that strange idea."

Tsk, he clicked his tongue.

He didn't deny the value of knowledge.

But the most important thing for a blacksmith was skilled experience.

Rithren, still young, hadn't accumulated enough of it.

"Isn't a blacksmith supposed to hammer metal and control the fire with the bellows?"

Thinking of that precious talent, Bolton's anger rose, and he spoke passionately.

Mukali nodded deeply.

"It's as ridiculous as a warrior preferring to sit at a desk over handling a sword! Practice is more important than knowledge!"

Aristine looked at Mukali curiously.

'I thought General Mukali liked studying?'

Mukali, noticing her gaze, cleared his throat.

"Blacksmiths will lose their spirit if they sit around like that! That's why he's making fewer swords and more strange, crude things..."

Originally, Rithren had a gentle personality and liked small, delicate things.

These were not very helpful in the rough world of blacksmithing.

He tried to change his personality a few times but to no avail.

"Thinking it might be a stimulus, I took him to the palace last month... but he ended up locking himself in his room even more."

"Ah, was that the welcome banquet? I remember seeing him there."

"It must have been a great honor for him that Your Highness remembers."

Bolton sighed.

"Perhaps taking Rithren there was the catalyst for today's incident."

Blacksmiths usually bring their apprentices to royal banquets.

Rithren had been locked in his room for a long time and was no longer an apprentice.

He was even called a disgrace to Catalaman.

Taking Rithren along must have made the others feel betrayed.

Especially since Bolton had pretended to ignore Rithren.

"I hoped he would snap out of it soon. Now, I'm not sure. Maybe it's just my lingering attachment..."

Hearing that the others had gone so far as to commit a crime, it seemed the time had come to let Rithren go.

"I can't keep insisting on him while enduring discord and conflict, as the one responsible for this forge."

If he continued to hold onto Rithren, it would eventually lead to internal division.

That dissatisfaction would soon be directed at Bolton, leading to the downfall of Catalaman.

"Then what will happen to Rithren?"

"With his basic skills, he should be able to support himself."

Recognized for his skills in Catalaman, the undisputed best forge, he would have no trouble finding work elsewhere, even if he didn't meet expectations.

"Only, it's a shame that his talent will fade completely."

"Such a pity."

Aristine genuinely felt sorry.

'So, they concluded that Rithren's talent had withered, called him a disgrace to the forge, and bullied him because he didn't follow the path they wanted?'

Bolton seemed to have many concerns, but ultimately, that was it.

'Don't worry. I'll revive that talent, no matter what.'

Talent never truly dies; it just needs a chance to flourish.

Now that she knew about Rithren, it was time to act.

'Good.'

Aristine placed her hand on her chest and took a deep breath.

In an instant, she looked like a delicate lady calming herself.

With her beautiful and delicate appearance, it seemed she needed to be asked if she was okay and offered help.

Mukali looked at Aristine with a puzzled expression.

'Why is she acting like this all of a sudden?'

He knew how far from 'delicate' Aristine was.

She was so composed and indifferent that even his own lord seemed more sensitive in comparison.

Of course, Bolton, who was unaware of this, was surprised and checked on Aristine.

"Are you feeling unwell, Your Highness? Should I bring a cold towel...?"

"No, it's just that talking about Rithren reminded me of what happened earlier..."

Aristine lowered her head.

That alone made her look like the most fragile and sorrowful person in the world.

"To be honest, it was the first time I saw a sword pointed at someone. I never had the chance to see a sword up close... As you know, only those permitted can carry swords in the palace of Sylvanus..."

Mukali let out a hollow laugh.

The person who had fearlessly examined a sword as tall as herself, and even bravely jumped into the commotion earlier, was saying what?

"Just a few hours ago, Aristine laughed and thanked Mukali for breaking someone's egg.

'And praised him for having a sense of righteousness for pulling out a tooth.'

Mukali's eyes narrowed.

But to the outside, Aristine looked like an innocent bird, shocked by the cruelty she had never seen before.

How much suffering must the princess, who had been cherished in the gentle Sylvanus, be enduring in the rough world of Ailugo?

"Your Highness, I feel ashamed. Please take a deep breath and..."

Bolton, at a loss, tried to calm Aristine. Even the servants bustled about, bringing cold water and towels.

Everyone felt sorry for the delicate princess who had endured such a terrible psychological trauma.

Aristine took a deep breath and smiled.

Without intending to, people thought it was a truly painful smile.

"To say you feel ashamed, that's not right. Thanks to you, I've calmed down a bit."

"That's good to hear, but you should rest..."

"How can I rest when Rithren is suffering the most? What must he be thinking after going through such a terrible experience..."

Aristine sighed.

Her worried face was so touching that everyone in the room, including Bolton, was moved by her character.

To be so concerned about others even in her own distress.

Aristine was the epitome of a kind and compassionate princess.

"I want to help, even if it's just a little."

Everyone wanted to help Aristine, who said this.

"Your Highness, what help could you possibly lack?"

At this, Aristine smiled.

"Then, I would like to meet the victim separately."

* * *

"Your Highness...?"

Rithren blinked in disbelief at Aristine, who had come to his quarters.

Then, he was startled and knelt.

"I am grateful to Your Highness."

His face, looking up at Aristine, was gentle.

As she had thought before, he reminded her of a large, friendly dog.

Was his hair brown, or did it look blonde in the sunlight?

Forget about a husband, I'll earn money.