⟨4. The Red-Haired Woman⟩

Theodore discovered that one side of Ice Valley had collapsed and rode his horse relentlessly with a few elite knights, following the traces of monsters. He was worried that the monsters might have headed toward the Portia Kingdom procession heading to the imperial palace. This was because the monsters’ movement was directed toward the north of the Arepe Empire. The Portia Kingdom was not just a vassal state under the Arepe Empire’s control. Its military power matched the empire’s military strength, and it was an economically prosperous kingdom with active trade across the strait with the eastern continent. So marriage with Princess Arnica was an unavoidable choice and the best choice for the Arepe Empire. A marriage agreement for strengthening imperial power and the empire’s peace. So Theodore had to secure the safety of the princess in the Portia Kingdom’s bridal procession first.

When he reached the procession after riding day and night for a week, they were already under attack by monsters. To check the princess’s safety first, he confirmed inside the shield Pearl had set up, but the princess who should have been there was nowhere to be seen.

“Find the princess immediately!”

Since the Imperial Knight Order led by Greg was enough to deal with the monsters, he focused on finding the princess.

Then…… a woman with fluttering red hair pushing Greg away caught his eye.

‘What?’

It was rare for an ordinary person to be able to move their body in front of a monster three or four times larger than themselves. First, because the overwhelming size would freeze the body. Even trained knights had to be intermediate level or above to properly face monsters. He had never even imagined that a noble woman’s body could have the courage to save someone in front of a huge monster.

But…… the red-haired woman fearlessly threw her body to help Greg, not caring that her expensive dress became covered in mud. Though she was eventually caught by Greg’s hand and saved her life, it was certainly a dangerous situation.

But what was strange was what happened after that.

When Greg pointed to the shield, she headed there but suddenly stopped and began running in a different direction.

‘Why is she doing that?’

As soon as he had doubts, he ran toward her. A monster that had separated from the group was approaching her. The woman who had fearlessly shouted ‘Get away!’ even after taking a hit from a monster was already unconscious when he looked after stabbing his sword into the monster’s heart.

What happened next was even more absurd. Worried when told she was Princess Arnica, he was keeping watch by her bedside when she opened her eyes and immediately delivered a fearless kick at him. How agile she was. He almost staggered from her kick. When he barely caught her foot and looked at her, she met his eyes and suddenly messed up her own hair.

Huh? After saving her from monsters…… Finding her impudent, when he told her to let go of her foot, he carelessly dropped it. She had quite a temper, screaming loudly, which was rather cute. Though her voice was sharp, as if saying ‘I’m angry so be a little scared,’ there was no way the woman who seemed like she would break if held in one hand could be frightening. As he watched wondering what to do, she rolled her eyes this way and that, tilted her head, and at some point, her eyes sparkled with light.

She seemed to realize his identity and tilted her head again. Looking at him without greeting and tilting her head?

Finding her small head tilting left and right amusing, he barely held back a smile and asked.

— Do you have your wits about you or not? You should have stayed inside the shield, why were you wandering around alone?

There was curiosity but also reproach for why she had acted so dangerously. On the battlefield, especially in combat with monsters, there was no place safer than a magic shield. She couldn’t have been unaware of this, yet her actions were incomprehensible. So naturally, rather than puzzlement, reproach followed from worry. Because one mistake on the battlefield was directly connected to life and death. But the answer that came back was truly absurd.

— It looked full.

Her reason was as absurd as her actions, making him shake his head.

She was as unafraid of him as she was absurd. To change her clothes that reeked from being covered in monster blood, he closed his eyes appropriately and wiped her body with a wet towel. He had no choice since the maids had fled in terror. But…….

— Why are my clothes like this?

— Why are you avoiding my eyes?

When she glared and questioned him, he was at a loss for words and broke out in cold sweat. And then she couldn’t even meet his eyes afterward.

She was an unpredictable woman. What was even more surprising were her words toward Biella.

— I’ll protect my own life. Even if I die in the process, I won’t blame others. So lady, protect your own life too. Don’t die a dog’s death trying to take care of others.

He could tell that her words spoken without hesitation were not lies. He acknowledged her courage enough to swing a club at monsters. When Ella went outside the barracks, he followed. It was to ask Biella to arrange bedding to give the safest crown prince’s barracks in the field to the princess. When he returned to the barracks, he could hear the conversation between Greg and her from outside the barracks.

“But don’t fall for me. I’m not into romantic melodrama!”

Hah. He was quite pleased to see her firmly rejecting Greg, showing proper courtesy toward others. Her conversation with the boy named Patrick was also very interesting. It was uncommon for a princess to converse with a commoner, and her crouching beside him and chattering was not typical royal behavior either. In the midst of this, she even smiled brightly with clear, sparkling eyes. For no reason feeling bad, he told Greg to bring the princess, but when did they become close enough for her to whisper something in Greg’s ear and laugh.

She laughed, looked serious, then sparkled her eyes brightly again. Her small face had various expressions. What on earth were they talking about to be laughing ha-ha ho-ho even while he was watching? Didn’t she say she wasn’t into romantic melodrama?

Throughout dinner, his mind kept getting complicated and he couldn’t concentrate on conversations with old friends at all. The princess he glanced at looked tired, her eyes vacant like a dog whose soul had left its body. Finally, when she couldn’t bear her drowsiness and stood up, he saw her off, but she said something absurd.

— I want to break off our engagement.

He couldn’t gauge what was in that small head of hers, bouncing around unpredictably like a ball. Since it wasn’t a matter he could decide immediately, when he firmly said it wasn’t allowed, she became dejected with a pitiful expression as if she would burst into tears.

In the quiet moonlight, her heartbroken face combined with her red hair was mysteriously beautiful.

— I don’t love Your Highness!

Though she said she didn’t love him, her eyes somehow looked relieved.

‘What is it?’

Curiosity arose. The reason why she suddenly wanted to break off the engagement after heading to the empire to get married. Right on the day she met him, that very night.

Could it be that she really didn’t like his face even after seeing it, when he was rumored to be the empire’s greatest beauty? Or was she telling Greg not to fall for her while actually liking him? Absurd thoughts occurred to him. The sight of Greg and her casually whispering and smiling kept flickering before his eyes, making irritation surge.

She didn’t know how to give up. Even when he went to check if she was uncomfortable during a brief rest during the march.

— I’m too tired to go on. Let’s break off our engagement.

Even when he went to check if her back hurt from riding the carriage for a long time.

— The carriage is too bumpy. Let’s break off our engagement.

Even when the guide informed them they had to go around because of a large rock ahead and he spurred his horse forward to check.

— Why is the empire’s land so vast? Let’s break off our engagement.

Even when he went to check if lunch would suit her taste, worried because the food supply carriage was damaged in the monster attack and there wasn’t much proper food.

— Why is the food so delicious? Huh? Your Highness! Let’s break off our engagement!

Since she uttered ‘let’s break off our engagement’ every time their eyes met, it became increasingly annoying. He was also concerned that someone might overhear. Thinking he should make her keep quiet, he climbed into her carriage. But when he actually faced her, he was cautious about how to bring up the topic and was lost in thought for a while before speaking.

“Do you want to break off the engagement that badly? If we break off the engagement now, what will happen to the agreement between the empire and the kingdom? Do you have a plan?”

But then something lightly touched his chest. When he looked down, absurdly, the woman who had been shouting ‘break off the engagement’ just moments before was already fast asleep.

“Ha.”