Chapter 19
The Princess Palace intruder incident.
That day, as soon as Ricardo jumped out the window, the Princess Palace was in an uproar.
The knights had awakened from the hypnosis magic.
Ricardo was the only disciple of the Great Sword Mage Cheron.
It didn’t make sense that the magic had been lifted because he couldn’t maintain it, so it meant he had done it on purpose.
The knights made a huge fuss and chased the intruder, but in the end failed to capture Ricardo, and thanks to that, the captain of the Princess Palace knights almost got replaced.
Elonia barely stopped that from happening.
“Your Majesty keeps chopping off, no… keeps chopping off the knights’ heads like that, so only talented people are dying. Why do you keep taking away my knights?”
“…What did you say just now? Like that? Are you done talking, Princess?”
“I’m done talking. What are you going to do about it?”
Well, if he doesn’t like it, he can try killing her.
Of course, Artius, who couldn’t kill Elonia, only frowned.
“The important thing isn’t my disrespectful way of speaking. If you keep chopping off knights’ heads like this, I’ll end up getting my head chopped off by the knights because of you later. It’s you who cut off the knights’ heads, not me. This is too unfair.”
“Princess…!”
In fact, it was right to hold them responsible when an intruder gets in.
But Artius had already killed too many knights.
He was already being called a tyrant as it was.
She didn’t care if he got cursed at, but if she let him do as he pleased, Elonia would be the one to suffer in the end.
Perhaps angry at being pointed out by his young successor, Artius spared the captain’s life.
The captain looking up at Elonia with moved eyes was a bonus.
‘The high-ranking knights will probably be locked up for a few days before coming out.’
In fact, it had been too dangerous to just give them a pay cut, so some knights including the captain of the Princess Palace knights would be locked up in prison for a few days before coming out.
The knights thanked her for saving their lives and pledged their loyalty to Elonia with tears, let alone complaining about the pay cut.
And Artius left the Princess Palace after saying he should assign new escort knights, and the incident was settled for now.
And a few days later.
‘Ah, it’s bothering me…’
The incident had been wrapped up nicely, but the uneasiness still remained.
It was because of the words Ricardo had left behind.
‘Saying he’ll come find me again.’
She felt sorry for the disciple she had reunited with, but she hoped he wouldn’t come looking for her again.
It would become troublesome in many ways if it was discovered that Ricardo was from Heilan.
If it became known that he was not only from Heilan, but also a veteran soldier and an intruder in the Princess Palace, even Elonia wouldn’t be able to guarantee his life.
“Sigh.”
Elonia sat under the biggest tree in the rear garden and sighed.
Then someone approached Elonia.
“Already sighing when you’re still wet behind the ears.”
“…Your Majesty.”
It was Artius.
Elonia dusted herself off, stood up, and looked up at him.
Artius looked Elonia up and down.
‘Is he picking a fight?’
Elonia frowned.
It often happened that Artius barged into the Princess Palace and picked fights with her, but she especially didn’t know what he was doing today.
If he picked a fight, it was only proper to respond.
“Your Majesty, if you have something to say, say it with words. Why are you unpleasantly looking me up and down?”
“…”
Elonia didn’t hold back.
At the princess’s usual blunt words, Artius frowned.
“You don’t hesitate to talk back to the emperor.”
“I was taught that a ruler must never be looked down upon by others.”
“…I am the ruler.”
“I am next after you, Your Majesty. A ruler must not be looked down upon from a young age.”
Artius hadn’t known that the book on rulership he had her learn, thinking to raise her strictly, would come back to hit him on the head.
Elonia looked up at the emperor disrespectfully with a face resembling Philemia’s.
Even though she was clearly looking up, somehow it felt like she was looking down on him, making Artius’s mood unpleasant again as he wrinkled his nose.
And as if talking to himself, he muttered,
“Aren’t you too unscathed for someone visited by an intruder…?”
“Are you dissatisfied?”
This bastard should just think it to himself.
What, did he want me to die or something?
At Elonia’s sharp glare, Artius sighed and brought up the main point.
“I have one question, Princess.”
“What is it?”
Just try asking something useless.
I’ll ignore it and leave.
But Elonia couldn’t do that.
“Did you fight the intruder?”
“…!”
At the question that hit the bullseye, Elonia flinched involuntarily.
As if that was enough of an answer, Artius turned his back and left the Princess Palace.
“…What, why did he come?”
Did he really come to check if I was dead or alive?
It wasn’t a completely impossible story, as she had almost died once as a baby after using magic.
Elonia swallowed all sorts of curses inwardly.
‘Sheesh, that petty jerk.’
Did Artius know?
That the way Elonia addressed Artius was increasing day by day.
Elonia sincerely missed the old Artius.
Even if he was a bit of a pushover, he wasn’t this pathetic.
Anyway, a few days after Artius had come and gone like that.
The captain of the main palace knights visited the Princess Palace.
“Greetings, Princess. I have brought the knights who will be in charge of guarding you from now on by the order of His Majesty the Emperor.”
Ah, that’s right, he said he would assign escort knights.
She had forgotten because there was no news even after a long time since he had said he would assign them.
When Elonia nodded roughly, a platinum-haired knight in a knight’s uniform came out from behind the captain and knelt before Elonia.
“Greetings, Princess. Starting today, I have been ordered by His Majesty the Emperor to be in charge of guarding you. I am Ethan Flang.”
‘Oh.’
Honestly, she was a bit surprised.
If it was Ethan Flang, she had seen him before when she was Cheron.
He was definitely the captain of the emperor’s direct knight order, the Tite Knights, now scattered to the borders.
They were elites who could be counted on one hand in terms of skill no matter which knight order they were placed in, composed of loyal knights the emperor had personally gathered regardless of background.
‘What’s up with that bastard?’
She thought he would never give them to her since they were knights he had painstakingly gathered, and he even gave her the captain at that.
Elonia held out the back of her hand to Ethan.
“I look forward to working with you, Sir Ethan.”
“I will protect you with my life, Princess.”
‘How grandiose.’
Elonia laughed inwardly.
What life-threatening situation would there be when the war was over?
‘Ah, no. Last time, Rica came to kill me.’
Well, the palace was a place that could turn into a mess at any time even if the world was peaceful.
Since she was going to run away anyway, it would become a story unrelated to her, so she roughly accepted it and tried to send the captain away.
“I see. You may leave now.”
“Princess. There is one more person.”
“Hm?”
One more person?
Could it be the other one was also from the Tite Knights?
The question was soon resolved.
The door opened again and a man with messy brown hair entered, and Elonia doubted her eyes.
A giant figure overshadowing the captain.
With innocent blue eyes, he approached with big strides, knelt before Elonia, and greeted her.
“Greetings, Princess. I am Ricardo Harriet.”
“…?”
“I will protect you with my life, Princess.”
Until he arbitrarily took Elonia’s hand and kissed it, Elonia couldn’t speak.
Even after blinking a few times and rubbing her eyes, she couldn’t believe it.
‘Why are you coming out from there…?’
In just a few days, the disciple who had come to kill her had become her second escort knight.
* * *
“Oh! Are you crazy? Huh? Are you joking?!”
Elonia dismissed everyone except Ricardo.
She tried to dismiss Ethan too, but he insisted that he couldn’t leave the princess’s side even for a moment, standing his ground like a bear.
As soon as she managed to get rid of Ethan and was alone with Ricardo, Elonia mercilessly beat his back.
She also cast a solid spell to prevent any sound from leaking out.
“Ah, Princess. Ouch. No, listen to me. Ouch.”
“No, how did you become my knight! This is crazy!”
“Ah, why are you only doing this to me! Ah, ouch. His Majesty the Emperor, ouch. Hired me!”
“That’s what I’m saying! You’re both crazy!”
“Ah. Ouch. Anyway, I’m sorry, Master. Ouch, ah. It really hurts, ah.”
Ricardo curled up his body and pretended to be in pain.
But right now, Elonia was not using magic, but pummeling him with a baby’s tiny hands.
Getting hit by such fists and making a fuss about it couldn’t be more disgusting.
Elonia stopped the pummeling and interrogated Ricardo.
“Anyway. How did you do it? There’s no way Artius doesn’t know you.”
“Um, it’s a bit complicated to explain. Can’t you just let it slide?”
“No. Spill everything without leaving out a single word.”
Unable to withstand Elonia’s glare, Ricardo finally explained the situation.
The more Elonia heard his story, the more absurd it became.
“…You bought a title as soon as you deserted? You said you worked as a mercenary.”
“I only bought it because I needed an identity to live in Ravanta, and it’s true that I worked as a mercenary. I’m not exactly the type to live honestly as a knight, you know? Anyway, I’m now Viscount Ricardo Harriet. A legitimate knight of Ravanta.”
“…That’s nonsense. No matter what, that dog bastard wouldn’t just pick anyone as a knight. Even Ethan Flang is a member of the Tite Knights!”
“Well, that’s simple. I manipulated the roster.”
What?
Elonia doubted her ears.
“There were originally some guys scheduled for an interview. I slipped my name into that roster and succeeded in having a private audience with the emperor—”
“Wait, wait, it’s that lax?”
“Oh my, Master. What do you take me for? I am the one and only disciple of the Great Sword Mage Cheron. And have you forgotten that hypnosis magic is my specialty?”
Anyway, I passed the interview, Ricardo grinned.
On the other hand, Elonia couldn’t laugh.
‘He’s really a crazy bastard, even if he’s my disciple.’
She could tell very well from this incident how much Ricardo had sharpened his blade.
“Anyway, that’s how it is, so please take good care of me, Princess.”
“Are you sure you don’t have any ulterior motives?”
“Of course. You’re not thinking of killing that bastard either, so I can’t lay a hand on him first.”
“Are you sure it’s okay for you to be here?”
“I’m telling you it is. It’s even better. I get to see your scary side all the time and now I get to see your cute side too. It’s totally adorable. Can I touch your cheek just once? It looks like it’ll be super squishy.”
“Don’t get fresh with me again.”
Elonia lightly hit the head of Ricardo, who was crouching at her eye level.
But Ricardo grinned for some reason.
Elonia sighed and messed up Ricardo’s hair with her small hand.
“I guess I have no choice. How can I refuse what that bastard sent?”
If it had come to this, she had no choice but to back down.
Elonia reached out her hand to Ricardo.
“Once again, I look forward to working with you, Sir Ricardo Harriet.”
“It is an honor, Princess Elonia.”
Ricardo corrected his posture, knelt down, and kissed the baby princess’s hand.
However, there was a truth Ricardo hadn’t told.
It was much later that Elonia found out about it and gave Ricardo a dusty love tap.