"Achoo!"
rlin suddenly sneezed. He looked around warily, then asked in surprise, 'Who's talking about behind my back? Abel, maybe? But that seems impossible, doesn't it?'
He frowned, feeling uneasy.
Charlotte, who was beside him, turned her head curiously. "What's wrong? Are you sick?"
rlin shook his head. "Nothing. By the way, is this kind of escort really necessary?"
He peeked out the window and saw at least twenty sixth-stage core spirit soldiers. Every one of them was a knight, perfectly suited for escort duties.
"Hah…" Charlotte sighed helplessly. She massaged her temples and complained, "I don't want this either. But what can I do? My father has always been strict. Whenever I leave the palace, there are guards watching . Even after I beca strong, his stance never changed."
It would be a lie to say she wasn't annoyed with her father. Still, as a princess, her status was far too important to be ignored.
Don't be fooled by the royal family's apparent prosperity and peace. In reality, countless enemies lurked in the shadows.
Many factions wished for the royal family's destruction, including certain nobles and hostile kingdoms.
No one could guarantee that the capital was completely free of spies or assassins waiting for the right mont to strike if she appeared alone.
"Pfft! I understand. It's fine. I used to dream of having an escort like this. I never thought it would actually co true." rlin chuckled as he leaned back into the soft chair.
Unlike the capital, the city of Droswen was naturally safe and almost free of threats—aside from the plague that had nearly wiped out its population and the kidnappings carried out by those mysterious people.
However, he had dealt with both easily.
After two years, Droswen could now be considered safe, with no significant danger remaining.
An escort like this was sothing he had only ever seen in novels or royal-thed comics.
Back then, rlin had often imagined himself as a prince, surrounded by guards whenever he went out.
Although the current situation wasn't exactly as he had imagined, it wasn't too far off either.
"You're really funny, rlin." Charlotte giggled, covering her mouth with her palm.
She herself hated being escorted by soldiers like this, yet rlin actually enjoyed it.
The contrast was so amusing that she couldn't hold back her laughter.
rlin only smiled and shook his head.
The horse-drawn carriage carrying them finally arrived near the city center.
To avoid attracting too much attention, Charlotte had asked the head guard to drop her off at a spot slightly on the outskirts, where it wasn't too crowded.
At first, the head guard refused, but rlin persuaded him, and in the end, the request was approved.
rlin and Charlotte slowly stepped down from the horse-drawn carriage. When Charlotte saw the crowd in the distance, her eyes sparkled with happiness.
"Wow! It's so crowded!" she exclaid excitedly.
rlin glanced at her and couldn't help but chuckle softly. Unlike Luna, who could sneak into the city of Dralmor whenever she wanted, Charlotte couldn't do that at all.
As a result, she almost always stayed in the palace. Even when she went out, she was surrounded by strict guards. Without them, Vargan would never allow it.
Because of that, rlin didn't find her excitent strange in the slightest.
"Then let's go!" Charlotte said impatiently as she grabbed rlin's right hand tightly.
But just as she was about to pull him along, the head guard suddenly stopped her.
"Wait, Princess! Let us lead the way!"
Charlotte imdiately halted. She turned toward the head guard with a dissatisfied expression. "No. I want to walk alone with rlin. You stay here or go do sothing else."
She had once read a fairy tale about romance.
In it, there was a scene where the protagonist and the heroine went on a date in an ancient city called Loyindar.
Now, she and rlin were about to walk together through the capital—just like in that story.
Because of that, she didn't want this precious mont ruined by guards interfering with her date with rlin.
Furthermore, rlin would be returning to the Clay family ho tomorrow. She had also heard from her father that rlin would soon be heading to Saint Freya Academy.
When that happened, no one knew when they would be able to et and enjoy a mont like this again.
"But, Princess, this is a direct order from His Majesty the Emperor. I cannot disobey it," the head guard insisted.
Even if it was a direct order from Charlotte, he didn't care. The highest authority he had to obey was still Vargan, the king and the princess's father.
The atmosphere grew tense as the head guard continued to insist on following rlin and Charlotte.
Suddenly, Charlotte's face turned cold. Her hair glowed with a bright golden light and lifted upward.
Her eyes flashed sharply as her pupils turned vertical.
In a deep, furious voice, she declared, "I don't want to be disturbed!"
A trendous rumble instantly knocked the head guard and the guards behind him to the ground.
Fortunately, they fell in a quiet, secluded area.
Even so, the impact was strong enough to draw the attention of people in the distance.
rlin stood frozen, his face filled with shock. He hadn't expected the gentle and kind Charlotte to reveal such a fierce side.
Realizing that letting this continue could endanger those around them, he quickly placed his hands gently on Charlotte's shoulders.
"Okay, Charlotte. Don't let your anger consu you. Let handle this, alright?" he said softly, trying to calm her.
Charlotte's anger faded, and her appearance returned to normal.
She lowered her head sadly and whispered weakly, "I'm sorry, rlin."
rlin simply smiled and patted her head. Although Charlotte was half a head taller than him, it didn't make him feel awkward at all.
After all, he was actually over twenty-five years old. No matter the reason, Charlotte was still a child in his eyes.
Turning toward the head guard and the guards, who were slowly getting back to their feet with stunned expressions, rlin walked over to them.
"Head guard, I understand that you and your subordinates are only carrying out your duty. But could I ask for so leniency? Just for today, please grant Charlotte's request," he said sincerely.
The head guard took a deep breath and shook his head.
"No, Young Master rlin. This matter is extrely important. If anything were to happen to the princess, there would be no second chance," he replied earnestly.
rlin fell silent in thought. Then, an idea suddenly ca to him.
"How about this…"
Five minutes later...
"Let's go," rlin said, taking Charlotte's hand and pulling her along.
Charlotte was startled and looked back, only to find that the head guard and his n were no longer following them.
"This… what's going on?"
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