He reached out his hand to take my hand as I was thinking depressingly. “There isn’t a lot of light. We had better hold each other so we won’t fall apart.”
“…..Yes.” There were calluses here and there, and their hands were ridiculously large and cold in comparison to mine. “Come to think of it, I don’t have the coat. I believe I dropped it in the lake. What should I do?”
“It can’t be helped.”
“Yes, actually, I was thinking the same thing.”
He would have a lot of money if he were a Prince, but that’s just the clothes he wore. Ixion looked down at me and smiled as if it was ridiculous. “You’re bolder than I thought.”
“Do you think it’s reasonable?”
We started walking through the maze of winding caves while holding hands.
Even though it was a devil’s cave, I felt safe in his large hand. All I could hear in the cave was the sound of water dripping from somewhere. Ixion first opened the gate after a long walk.
“Come back now, if you’re such a reasonable person.”
‘What came back? I was never there in the first place.’
“I’ve been waiting for a long time, but I can’t help but be nervous.”
‘You know I’m going to appeal to my emotions now, don’t you?’
But I couldn’t claim to be possessed, so I simply sighed. I can’t deny it any longer because I admitted to myself that I saved him because I liked him previously.
“Of course, I know you’ll like it just the way it is.”
“—Yes?”
“You may want to erase everything in the Palace. Still, I—”
“That’s not true.” I said it firmly. “It’s me in the Imperial Palace, too, and I can’t say I like the way I look now.”
I simply thought I should get in shape for my health. I didn’t want to be pretty at the risk of becoming a monster. Elsia made all of these decisions in the past. No, it was also questionable whether the decision had been made. I thought it was just a simple wish.
“I—I’m just living my life to the fullest, no matter what. I’m not going to lose ‘me.'”
Whether it’s an ordinary woman in her twenties who has lived in Korea, Elsia Artise or Elsia Evgeny.
“Anyway, life is a precious thing.”
“I’m sure your childhood wasn’t easy.”
For a brief moment, his words caused me to think for a moment. What Elsia and I have in common is that we both had a difficult childhood. Aside from my parents’ early death, we had something in common.
Elsia has been abused by her brother since then, and I have been abused by my aunt.
“However, you must continue to live well. Whatever your circumstances, don’t blame others and don’t be ashamed.”
Is it only me? As I hold Ixion’s hands, I feel as if power has entered my hand.
“You’re better than me.”
“….Yes?”
“I told you. I lived my life to the fullest because I was a Prince.”
The cave was long and quiet.
“My mother, who came from a commoner family and I had never met her, had no support for her, and the only way for me to be recognized as a Prince was through martial arts.”
“……”
“I didn’t even like war.”
I kept looking up at him.
“Meanwhile, there were times when I blamed others and times when I was embarrassed in front of the enemy. It was like pretending I didn’t know your brother abused you—”
I had to raise my head a lot because the height difference was so big, but I wanted to look into his eyes. As far as I know, he was nothing more than a cold, undefeated war hero. The overwhelming pity I felt while healing his back earlier was nauseating once more.
“It’s not a shame, it’s just the way it is.” I shook my head. “By the way, Prince is always a good person to me.”
There was a brief silence.
Ixion’s fingers are tightly intertwined with my fingers. Because I was unfamiliar with the sensation, I was a little out of breath.
“For a long time, I’ve been losing myself—” He turned his head and looked at me. “But for the first time, I seem to forget that I am a Prince these days.”
“—Huh. Really?”
“You don’t know?”
I blinked.
“Unlike a Prince, you’re trying to talk a lot.”
*******
Niel knew that even Aiden was unaware of his master’s disappearance.
“Did they not return?” Aiden smiled as he rolled his round green eyes. “They must have a lot to talk about.”
“They’re unlikely to have anything in common.”
“As a result, it’s time for them to have a lot of conversations.” Aiden nodded deftly despite Niel’s dubious words. Niel was frustrated in the same way he did to Mela.
“Actually, for the importance of the relationship, there wasn’t a lot of interaction between the two. It’s time to start getting to know each other.”
“No, it’s been an entire day.”
“Uhm, that’s a little much. The Prince doesn’t talk much.”
“Aren’t you concerned about what might happen?”
“Not at all.” Aiden shook his head.
“He’s done well on the battlefield elsewhere, but what will happen in the Marquis? Besides, Isith had not returned. Isith would have returned if anything had happened to the Prince. He is smart.”
“No, what exactly do you mean by that—”
“That’s the horse.” Aiden’s eyes changed as if he was really offended. “In our Knight Feltron, there’s also a joke about Isith being the smartest.”
“That’s a joke about yourself.”
Niel clicked his tongue and sarcasm.
“Isn’t that the case for imperial family deception? Prince Ixion must be a member of the Feltron Knights as well.”
“He’s the one who technically leads us, but he doesn’t belong to us.”
Niel changed the subject again because he didn’t want to keep making sarcasm. “Anyway, Elsia isn’t close enough to the prince to be with him for such a long time—”
“They’ll get closer if they stay together for a long time. That’s a good point. It is necessary for the two to become closer.”
Niel let out a sigh. In the first place, there aren’t many people who can beat this slick guy with words.
“For a long time.”
How long is the ‘long’ as Heim said? But Aiden and Mela’s easygoing attitude didn’t last until the next day. This is because Ixion’s coat and sword were discovered along a remote lake, stained with the monster’s body and blood.
******
“Excuse me—”
Ixion moves forward, easily slashing the small monsters in his path and attacking them with his dagger. I followed him and spoke to him calmly.
“I have a question.”
“What is it?”
“Is there a Priest who can see the future, or Shaman, so— someone who can see the future? Is there such a person here?”
“What are you talking about?” Ixion asked, seemingly out of the blue. “How do people see the future?”
Of course, it doesn’t make sense, but Heim said something unusual.
“I’m referring to Heim. He claims that when the Marquis collapsed, he got it right—”
“I’m not sure, but Marquis Evgeny’s second son is naturally weak and sensitive, and he’s been cursed by everyone.”
“Uhm—”
“It’s just one of those things that happened by chance.” Ixion abruptly cut off, as if it was no longer worth discussing. But I didn’t feel like the kid who was right about my body being broken just talking nonsense.
“Oh, you know, uh— It’s just a phrase that has been passed down through the Artise family.” I brought it up, being careful. “Doesn’t God know what the future holds?”
“God?”
“So, if you come into contact with that god or whatever— don’t you have that concept here?”
“Elsia.” He sighed and added, “God has long since disappeared.”
“Uh—”
“God’s magic is no longer as effective as medicine. The gods of this land have long since disappeared.”
“How do you know that?”
“It’s just obvious.”
“Where is the obvious?”
“Because that’s what everyone thinks?”
I stopped talking to him. Divine magic, whether powerful or ineffective, has not vanished. I thought it was proof that God still exists, but I didn’t have to argue with anyone who denies it.
“I’m sorry, I mentioned Artise to someone with a sense of duty.”
“It didn’t matter from the start. So, never mind.”
‘Huh?’
“Whatever kind of person you are, Young Lady.”
There was a condition known as ‘person.’ He’s a serious person. For a brief moment, I thought I had my thoughts together.
“In the distance, I can see a light. This space is coming to an end.”
“That’s a relief.” I squinted my eyes.
‘How come there seem to be so many people here? But is that possible?’ It was finally time to breathe a sigh of relief
“Darn it, Elsia! Run!”
“What?”
“Run! Gvestin’s back!”
He clenched my hand and began to run. “We can’t fight them all with a dagger! We must first go outside!” There was a thump, thump, and the sound of the angry monster’s feet from behind.
‘Oh, my gosh. What happened at the last minute!’
Gvestin had lost a cub, so they must have been even angrier. In the distance, I could see a doorway to the outside world. Ixion narrowed his eyes. The familiar cries of a horse indicated that Isith was nearby.
But even if I didn’t think about it, the worst-case scenario was almost certain to occur. This is due to Elsia’s slow running, regardless of how steep the downhill was.
Regardless of how easy it was, she was not wearing comfortable shoes and was dressed in a skirt. He decided that running with her in his arms would be faster, but he couldn’t do it because Gvestin was too close.
“Prince! Are you there?”
“Lady! Are you there?”
Perhaps it was obvious from the outside that they could not enter this side, which is the area of the devil monster. Because there is a Knight outside, killing Gvestin will be simple.
Gvestin, on the other hand, had already been chasing around the corner. I could even hear the devil’s breath, but it was time to run before I lost my last hope.
He reached out his hand to take my hand as I was thinking depressingly. “There isn’t a lot of light. We had better hold each other so we won’t fall apart.”
“…..Yes.” There were calluses here and there, and their hands were ridiculously large and cold in comparison to mine. “Come to think of it, I don’t have the coat. I believe I dropped it in the lake. What should I do?”
“It can’t be helped.”
“Yes, actually, I was thinking the same thing.”
He would have a lot of money if he were a Prince, but that’s just the clothes he wore. Ixion looked down at me and smiled as if it was ridiculous. “You’re bolder than I thought.”
“Do you think it’s reasonable?”
We started walking through the maze of winding caves while holding hands.
Even though it was a devil’s cave, I felt safe in his large hand. All I could hear in the cave was the sound of water dripping from somewhere. Ixion first opened the gate after a long walk.
“Come back now, if you’re such a reasonable person.”
‘What came back? I was never there in the first place.’
“I’ve been waiting for a long time, but I can’t help but be nervous.”
‘You know I’m going to appeal to my emotions now, don’t you?’
But I couldn’t claim to be possessed, so I simply sighed. I can’t deny it any longer because I admitted to myself that I saved him because I liked him previously.
“Of course, I know you’ll like it just the way it is.”
“—Yes?”
“You may want to erase everything in the Palace. Still, I—”
“That’s not true.” I said it firmly. “It’s me in the Imperial Palace, too, and I can’t say I like the way I look now.”
I simply thought I should get in shape for my health. I didn’t want to be pretty at the risk of becoming a monster. Elsia made all of these decisions in the past. No, it was also questionable whether the decision had been made. I thought it was just a simple wish.
“I—I’m just living my life to the fullest, no matter what. I’m not going to lose ‘me.'”
Whether it’s an ordinary woman in her twenties who has lived in Korea, Elsia Artise or Elsia Evgeny.
“Anyway, life is a precious thing.”
“I’m sure your childhood wasn’t easy.”
For a brief moment, his words caused me to think for a moment. What Elsia and I have in common is that we both had a difficult childhood. Aside from my parents’ early death, we had something in common.
Elsia has been abused by her brother since then, and I have been abused by my aunt.
“However, you must continue to live well. Whatever your circumstances, don’t blame others and don’t be ashamed.”
Is it only me? As I hold Ixion’s hands, I feel as if power has entered my hand.
“You’re better than me.”
“….Yes?”
“I told you. I lived my life to the fullest because I was a Prince.”
The cave was long and quiet.
“My mother, who came from a commoner family and I had never met her, had no support for her, and the only way for me to be recognized as a Prince was through martial arts.”
“……”
“I didn’t even like war.”
I kept looking up at him.
“Meanwhile, there were times when I blamed others and times when I was embarrassed in front of the enemy. It was like pretending I didn’t know your brother abused you—”
I had to raise my head a lot because the height difference was so big, but I wanted to look into his eyes. As far as I know, he was nothing more than a cold, undefeated war hero. The overwhelming pity I felt while healing his back earlier was nauseating once more.
“It’s not a shame, it’s just the way it is.” I shook my head. “By the way, Prince is always a good person to me.”
There was a brief silence.
Ixion’s fingers are tightly intertwined with my fingers. Because I was unfamiliar with the sensation, I was a little out of breath.
“For a long time, I’ve been losing myself—” He turned his head and looked at me. “But for the first time, I seem to forget that I am a Prince these days.”
“—Huh. Really?”
“You don’t know?”
I blinked.
“Unlike a Prince, you’re trying to talk a lot.”
*******
Niel knew that even Aiden was unaware of his master’s disappearance.
“Did they not return?” Aiden smiled as he rolled his round green eyes. “They must have a lot to talk about.”
“They’re unlikely to have anything in common.”
“As a result, it’s time for them to have a lot of conversations.” Aiden nodded deftly despite Niel’s dubious words. Niel was frustrated in the same way he did to Mela.
“Actually, for the importance of the relationship, there wasn’t a lot of interaction between the two. It’s time to start getting to know each other.”
“No, it’s been an entire day.”
“Uhm, that’s a little much. The Prince doesn’t talk much.”
“Aren’t you concerned about what might happen?”
“Not at all.” Aiden shook his head.
“He’s done well on the battlefield elsewhere, but what will happen in the Marquis? Besides, Isith had not returned. Isith would have returned if anything had happened to the Prince. He is smart.”
“No, what exactly do you mean by that—”
“That’s the horse.” Aiden’s eyes changed as if he was really offended. “In our Knight Feltron, there’s also a joke about Isith being the smartest.”
“That’s a joke about yourself.”
Niel clicked his tongue and sarcasm.
“Isn’t that the case for imperial family deception? Prince Ixion must be a member of the Feltron Knights as well.”
“He’s the one who technically leads us, but he doesn’t belong to us.”
Niel changed the subject again because he didn’t want to keep making sarcasm. “Anyway, Elsia isn’t close enough to the prince to be with him for such a long time—”
“They’ll get closer if they stay together for a long time. That’s a good point. It is necessary for the two to become closer.”
Niel let out a sigh. In the first place, there aren’t many people who can beat this slick guy with words.
“For a long time.”
How long is the ‘long’ as Heim said? But Aiden and Mela’s easygoing attitude didn’t last until the next day. This is because Ixion’s coat and sword were discovered along a remote lake, stained with the monster’s body and blood.
******
“Excuse me—”
Ixion moves forward, easily slashing the small monsters in his path and attacking them with his dagger. I followed him and spoke to him calmly.
“I have a question.”
“What is it?”
“Is there a Priest who can see the future, or Shaman, so— someone who can see the future? Is there such a person here?”
“What are you talking about?” Ixion asked, seemingly out of the blue. “How do people see the future?”
Of course, it doesn’t make sense, but Heim said something unusual.
“I’m referring to Heim. He claims that when the Marquis collapsed, he got it right—”
“I’m not sure, but Marquis Evgeny’s second son is naturally weak and sensitive, and he’s been cursed by everyone.”
“Uhm—”
“It’s just one of those things that happened by chance.” Ixion abruptly cut off, as if it was no longer worth discussing. But I didn’t feel like the kid who was right about my body being broken just talking nonsense.
“Oh, you know, uh— It’s just a phrase that has been passed down through the Artise family.” I brought it up, being careful. “Doesn’t God know what the future holds?”
“God?”
“So, if you come into contact with that god or whatever— don’t you have that concept here?”
“Elsia.” He sighed and added, “God has long since disappeared.”
“Uh—”
“God’s magic is no longer as effective as medicine. The gods of this land have long since disappeared.”
“How do you know that?”
“It’s just obvious.”
“Where is the obvious?”
“Because that’s what everyone thinks?”
I stopped talking to him. Divine magic, whether powerful or ineffective, has not vanished. I thought it was proof that God still exists, but I didn’t have to argue with anyone who denies it.
“I’m sorry, I mentioned Artise to someone with a sense of duty.”
“It didn’t matter from the start. So, never mind.”
‘Huh?’
“Whatever kind of person you are, Young Lady.”
There was a condition known as ‘person.’ He’s a serious person. For a brief moment, I thought I had my thoughts together.
“In the distance, I can see a light. This space is coming to an end.”
“That’s a relief.” I squinted my eyes.
‘How come there seem to be so many people here? But is that possible?’ It was finally time to breathe a sigh of relief
“Darn it, Elsia! Run!”
“What?”
“Run! Gvestin’s back!”
He clenched my hand and began to run. “We can’t fight them all with a dagger! We must first go outside!” There was a thump, thump, and the sound of the angry monster’s feet from behind.
‘Oh, my gosh. What happened at the last minute!’
Gvestin had lost a cub, so they must have been even angrier. In the distance, I could see a doorway to the outside world. Ixion narrowed his eyes. The familiar cries of a horse indicated that Isith was nearby.
But even if I didn’t think about it, the worst-case scenario was almost certain to occur. This is due to Elsia’s slow running, regardless of how steep the downhill was.
Regardless of how easy it was, she was not wearing comfortable shoes and was dressed in a skirt. He decided that running with her in his arms would be faster, but he couldn’t do it because Gvestin was too close.
“Prince! Are you there?”
“Lady! Are you there?”
Perhaps it was obvious from the outside that they could not enter this side, which is the area of the devil monster. Because there is a Knight outside, killing Gvestin will be simple.
Gvestin, on the other hand, had already been chasing around the corner. I could even hear the devil’s breath, but it was time to run before I lost my last hope.
