I Tried To Be Her Loyal Sword

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63 Chapter

The growling voice desperately suppressed an uncomfortable mood.

“Well, I guess. He did hate it when I treated him like a child back then.”

I almost said that it wasn’t that I looked down on him, but that he was really young, so I quickly zipped my lips. I stared intently at Leo, who skillfully raised the tension with little actions and words. To my eyes, he still looked young, but he had certainly grown much more than the days when he was just being pushed around by me.

“You’ve grown a lot.”

I smiled with a bit of pride and gently ruffled his soft, light brown hair. It wasn’t the round head that used to be like a ball, nor did it have the touching softness I remembered from when he was little, but his grown hair was still soft enough.

As my hand reached out, Leo stiffened his face in fear.

‘Is he angry?’

I thought maybe he was displeased with my hand on him, so I bit my lips slightly as I eyed him cautiously. Upon seeing that, he let out a deep sigh.

“Ha…”

With his head down, Leo splashed some water on his face, and his earlobes slightly flushed. It seemed he didn’t entirely dislike it, but he did look quite displeased.

“Please, enough with treating me like a child.”

“I’m not treating you like a child; you really are…”

I swallowed the follow-up thought, ‘a real child,’ upon seeing Leo’s grim expression. Speaking that out loud would probably lead to some kind of trouble.

“Um… first, should we go inside and have a chat? If you have time?”

I hastily brought up a conversation before something boiling in his eyes burst out and led him back into the tavern.

Honestly, Leo’s expression made me a little anxious.

“So… you were originally a noble child of the Atara Kingdom, but because of a succession dispute, you got injured and had to escape to the Empire.”

“Ugh.”

“Thanks to my help, you survived and returned to the kingdom to inherit your noble title, and then came to the Empire as part of a diplomatic delegation?”

“That’s exactly it.”

I stared intently at Leo, who nodded with a smile.

‘If the noble title just changes to a throne, this is the story of Alexandros.’

I poured vodka into my glass and downed it in one go. For some reason, it seemed like he wanted to hide the fact that he was the king, but knowing the original story, there was no doubt left in my mind that Leo was indeed Alexandros.

‘Damn it! So I did all that stuff to a prince?’

Thinking of my childish past misdeeds made cold sweat trickle down my back. I wanted to assassinate my former self who had treated Leo like a slave.

‘Ah, no. First of all… it doesn’t seem like Leo came looking for me to get revenge. He doesn’t seem to harbor any malice. He must understand the favor I did for him when he was younger.’

Pouring myself another shot of vodka, I subtly watched Leo for a moment. As I drank from the glass he had prepared and touched it to the area where my lips had left a faint mark, he took a drink, making clear eye contact with me. It felt like I had seen something forbidden that I shouldn’t have.

‘…Why the heck did he grow up like this?’

He used to be a sharp Turkish Angora, but now he had turned into some kind of white lion. I wondered if this was how a farmer felt when he diligently cultivated hibiscus but ended up with hemp.

“So you’ve been working as a mercenary since I left, and now you’re a Sword Master, Mir.”

“Correct.”

“And then, by coincidence, you found out your father is the Duke of Caesar Crisis, and that’s how you became a princess; that’s also why Mir’s activities stopped.”

“Yup.”

Stumbling over his responses while I had already confirmed it, I still checked to see if anyone was eavesdropping on our conversation. After my identity as Mir became known in the tavern, no one dared approach me.

“That’s really hard to believe.”

Leo let out a hollow laugh, sharing his feelings. I slightly nodded in agreement. Honestly, cutting out all the fluff and going straight to the conclusion, even I found this drama absurd.

Leo, who had spent time with me when we were young, already knew I was Mir. However, he probably didn’t know about me becoming the Princess of Crisis, so this was a good opportunity to inform him.

‘My life… there are already five people who know I’m Mir.’

Excluding my family, El, Rainer, Lewellin, Leo, and Diego; I hadn’t explicitly told them I was Mir, but having seen the sword’s aura, they had surely picked up on it by now. So it felt like five people had discovered my secret. Still, I took solace in the fact that all five were trustworthy individuals and let out a soft sigh.

“This must be kept a secret. I’m counting on you.”

I fixed a serious gaze on Leo. I would reveal it with my own mouth soon anyway, but for now, it shouldn’t be known. What’s crucial for my plans is the dramatic and theatrical presentation.

Seeing my stiff expression make him chuckle, Leo nodded.

“Of course. If that’s what you want, I’ll carry it to my grave. Maybe swear by the sun?”

“That won’t be necessary.”

Although time might have faded it, it was still a precious memory for me. Leo remained a trustworthy companion. I narrowed my eyes slightly at Leo, who looked puzzled.

“I trust you.”

His expression stiffened with surprise. A slight tremor in his pupils. Eventually, after a moment, Leo let out a hollow laugh.

“…You’re really merciless.”

I just laughed at his ambiguous mumbling.

“Anyway, we’ll meet again at the welcoming banquet for the diplomatic visit. If you find it hard to believe that I’m a princess, you can confirm it then.”

It was inevitable that I would confront Leo as a princess at the welcoming banquet. He had been staring at me with a serious gaze, but he eventually smiled.

“No. That’s enough. I already believe in you.”

His eyes narrowed mischievously.

“You wouldn’t lie to me.”

Leo still had his hood pulled up, but since I was sitting right across from him, I could catch a glimpse of his eyes. They were filled with unwavering trust in me. I was momentarily at a loss for words.

Five years isn’t such a short time. We had grown up far from the childish days and had become perfect strangers walking different paths.

‘Still, you still believe in me, just as I believe in you.’

That feeling was quite heartwarming. I still trust you, and the fact that this trust is mutual makes it all the more warming.

“We’re still friends, right?”

I asked gently with a soft smile that had mostly relaxed.

“……What?”

Leo’s expression was as terrifyingly tense as the complete opposite of mine. His eerie look made me flinch slightly.

“…No o：?”

I thought we were at least friends when we used to fight and bicker as kids, but it seemed I was the only one thinking that way.

‘Looks like I’m the only one being serious…

With a downcast spirit and a forlorn look on my face, Leo buried his face in his hands.

“Ha… Seriously, this is frustrating…”

His voice was a mixture of lamentation and sighing. After a few times splashing water on his face with a troubled expression, Leo sighed deeply.

“…Okay. For now, let’s say we’re friends.”

‘That doesn’t seem quite right…’

I made a sour face seeing Leo’s twisted smile as he bit down hard on his teeth. His expression was so fearsome that I would believe him even if he said we were enemies.

“We’ll start as friends.”

Slowly raising his hand, Leo lingered for a moment before brushing his cheek concealed by a mask as he entered the tavern, then he slipped his hand under the hood and grabbed my nape to pull me closer. His leather gloves lightly tickled the sensitive skin of my neck. His touch was incredibly careful and gentle, I instinctively accepted it without hesitation.

Just like earlier in the alley, our foreheads touched again. His warm forehead pressed against the cold mask. It seemed Leo liked forehead contact. He gazed at me with persistence, as if trying to melt me down from such a close distance, then he gave me a chilling smile.

“But don’t assume that being friends is the end.”

The growl rumbled as he ground his teeth. Despite that, it was laden with discontent. I stared blankly into his fluorescent, emerald eyes that boiled fiercely. The lemon scent enveloping us eased the tension in the air.

For a while, our gazes crossed at a distance that could have easily reached us if I leaned a little forward.

“…I better go before I cause any trouble.”

Leo, who had been gazing at me with an increasingly intense look, suddenly withdrew his gaze. The warmth we had shared with our foreheads touching faded away. Leo hurriedly pulled down his hood and swiftly emptied the remaining absinthe, licking his lips that glistened from the drink.

“See you soon.”

As Leo reached out his hand towards me, he made eye contact as if asking for permission. I thought maybe he wanted to hold my hand like when we were kids for a farewell, and when I slightly nodded my head, he gently grabbed my wrist.

But my expectations were completely off the mark.

His warm, soft skin brushed against my exposed wrist. Through a slightly parted, wet gap, the scent of absinthe seeped through. His red lips, which had been holding my wrist for quite a while, slowly parted with a moist ‘smack’ sound.

“You’ll miss me.”

His eyes, which had been slightly closed, gradually opened wide. It was a smile that dripped with sweetness, yet something about his fiercely burning gaze made it feel like the charm was meant to lure me in and devour me like a siren.

As I met his gaze, I flinched, and he made an expression of disappointment as he released my hand, smiling mischievously.

“Goodbye, Shushu.”

The black robe swayed, and the shadowy figure that had been stirring me disappeared swiftly. I stared blankly at his fading silhouette, contemplating.

‘Just now, he said don’t assume that being friends is the end…

I buried my face in my palm in frustration.

‘Is this a warning that he’ll cut off ties if I don’t handle it right?’

My surreal first encounter with Leo after five years ended like that.

A few days later, a celebratory banquet for the delegation from the Atara Kingdom was held in the Imperial Palace.

“His Grace Duke of Crisis, Caesar Crisis, His Highness Prince Crisis, and Her Highness Princess of Kashmir Crisis, along with Her Highness Princess Aria Crisis, are entering the banquet hall!”

The banquet hall, which I arrived at later than planned, was overcrowded. Ignoring the piercing gazes that pricked at my skin, I scanned my surroundings. It seemed most of the nobles had arrived, excluding the imperial family, the Pope, and the delegates.

“Oh my, Young Lady of Crisis! Your dress is so beautiful today!”

“Today, you’re wearing a body chain decorated with rubies. I just got a body chain adorned with sapphires not long ago.”

As soon as I stepped into the banquet hall, Aria was swept away by a group of young ladies. I waved at Aria, who turned back looking a bit disappointed, with a smile.

“I’ll stay with you throughout the banquet.”

It was Caesar’s solemn promise at the first banquet we were attending since our debut. It seemed he felt guilty for not being able to join me from the start due to the Emperor’s orders.

“Your Grace the Duke, I have something urgent to convey.”

Caesar’s determination was shattered in less than five minutes by a middle-aged man who suddenly approached.

‘He looks just like Rainer.’

I glanced at the elderly man who could easily be mistaken for an older version of Rainer. With his hair completely gray, he looked like he must have been over sixty.

Since Rainer was born as the late Baron’s grandson of the current Marquis Ainheart, it was easy to deduce that this elderly man was Noah Ainheart, the current head of Ainheart.

“……Marquis Ainheart. Is this something that needs to be discussed right now?”

There was evident frustration in Caesar’s crimson eyes.

Even seeing Caesar’s face, which sent chills down my spine, the Marquis simply nodded.

“It’s a matter concerning the North.”