Chapter 19
Leto shared a story with .
“When I was younger, I attended the Royal Academy with those guys. My father allowed young mages to receive royal education. Since we were of similar ages, we always took the sa classes.”
This wasn’t in the original story. I listened intently.
“It was truly unbearable.”
He shook his head.
“The Matreion twins and even Luminus, who is now the Guild Master. The three of them ran around, made noise, and developed absurd magic all the ti. Even my father was taken aback by their antics. Can you imagine?”
It was understandable. Sean was always trouble, and Louis wasn’t much better as a child. Their friend Luminus must have been just as mischievous.
“At first, I tried to avoid them. Ignored them, of course. I even asked my father for separate lessons but got scolded for it. At so point, though, it beca frustrating.”
“Frustrating? How so?”
“Isn’t it unfair? So people are born with friends they’ll have for life. Others, like , have nothing but servants who tremble in fear around them just because they’re a prince.”
For a mont, I could picture it.
A young Leto standing alone in the academy, watching the trio playing nearby. His blue eyes silently observing them.
‘He was envious. Of their bright childhood, of a freedom he would never have.’
Leto gently brushed a leaf with his fingertips. He spoke calmly.
“But now I know. A crown prince shouldn’t have precious people. They beco weaknesses.”
“……”
“And an emperor even more so.”
I hesitated, watching his back as he walked ahead.
No. You’ll have ril by your side. So don’t talk so sadly.
I unconsciously reached out and grabbed Leto’s arm. He turned around with a soft smile.
“What’s wrong?”
“It’s okay to have precious people.”
“……”
“You just have to protect them well.”
I wanted to tell him that he’d et a good woman. Just like I did in the ‘Empress’s Garden.’
But strangely, those words didn’t co out.
‘What is this reluctance? This feeling that I shouldn’t say that?’
Instead, I said,
“Trust . I’ll never let you be lonely.”
His eyes widened slightly.
There was a mont of silence. He cautiously caressed my cheek. The fragrant scent of grass wafted in.
His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down noticeably. His face looked uncharacteristically tense.
“You have no idea. How careful I’ve been.”
“What?”
“How anxious I’ve been.”
At that mont, he seed to sense sothing. He quickly turned around and shielded .
“…Your Majesty?”
Leto scanned the surroundings, then shouted in a low voice.
“Who’s there?”
Only then did I hear it. A chilling, sticky breath. Footsteps that shook the entire forest.
Unbelievably, monsters were running towards us from the horizon.
Thud— Thud— Thud— Thud—
The monsters looked like lumps of mud. Their skin was covered in mucus, and their tongues almost touched the ground, they were so long.
And there were three of them.
“…Ah.”
My legs gave out, and I collapsed. Leto knelt down and looked
in the eye.
“Livia. Take this.”
He handed
the magic stone Sean had given . The one that supposedly repelled monsters.
“This won’t do. This is your stone.”
“Take it. Now.”
“I have one too. It’s okay.”
Leto forcibly placed the magic stone in my hand. He looked
straight in the eye.
“Lies. You’re not okay. You’re trembling.”
“……”
“You said you trusted , right?”
I nodded.
“Then stay behind
and don’t move.”
He stood up calmly. With fluid movents, he drew his long sword. The veins on the back of his hand stood out.
Thud— Thud— Thud— Thud—
The ground, no, the world seed to tremble with each step of the monsters. Leto raised his sword.
Glint.
The sword glead in the sunlight. The monsters beca more excited and charged.
“GRAAAAHHH!”
With a roar, the monsters lunged at us. From the left, right, and center. I felt like fainting. I squeezed my eyes shut and covered my ears.
But it was no use. Sounds I’d never heard before assaulted .
The sleek sound of the sword cutting through the air. The tearing of tough flesh. The snap of sothing breaking. The monsters’ agonized screams.
It was pure chaos. If hell existed, it would be right here.
I don’t know how much ti passed.
“Livia. Livia.”
A hand gently shaking my shoulder woke . I opened my eyes to see Leto’s concerned face. And around …
“……!”
Pieces of monster carcasses were scattered everywhere. The sll of blood from the shredded flesh was overwhelming. I covered my mouth, fighting nausea.
“…Ugh.”
“This is… You were really scared.”
“I’m… okay.”
I managed to suppress the nausea. I took deep breaths to calm myself.
Leto is strong. His unshaken eyes said it all. He was so used to situations like this.
“Let’s move. Lean on
to stand up.”
I grabbed his arm and stood up. My legs wobbled, but I could walk.
I looked around. The forest was calm and peaceful again, as if nothing had happened.
“There won’t be more monsters, right?”
“I think those three were it for now.”
“It’s strange. The Guild Master said he would check for monsters. Did he miss them?”
Leto shook his head.
“Luminus wouldn’t make such a mistake. But monsters can appear or disappear suddenly. We might have just been unlucky.”
I cald my mind. There was still work to be done here.
“Anyway, it seems we’ve overco the crisis. Let’s continue searching for the herb—”
As soon as I said that,
Plop, plop.
Rain began to fall as if it had been waiting. We looked at each other, speechless.
“…When it rains, it pours.”
“Indeed. I thought being an emperor ant no more adventures like this.”
The raindrops grew visibly heavier. It didn’t seem like it would stop anyti soon.
“Take the coat. My dress isn’t too torn.”
I tried to give him back the coat. But Leto grabbed the lapels, preventing
from taking it off.
Leto’s shirt was getting wetter by the second.
“…Your shirt is getting soaked.”
“It’s better than your back getting wet.”
Oh. Again. It felt like he was treating
specially.
“Keep it on.”
I held onto the coat tightly. There was a faint sll of monster blood. But it was warm, perhaps because soone’s body heat lingered in it.
“It looks like it’s going to pour.”
He looked at the sky. I was worried. What if Leto decided to turn back?
Important opportunities don’t co twice. At least in my life, they haven’t. The mage guild would never allow us back into the forest.
I asked him cautiously.
“Are we going back?”
“If you don’t mind getting a little wet, I’d like to keep searching.”
“……”
“You can bla
for not suggesting we return to the carriage. You can call
an ill-mannered man for letting you get wet.”
He ran a hand through his now wet hair. He looked at
intently.
“The dicine you’re trying to make is essential for the empire. So I’d appreciate it if you could help
a bit more.”
“……”
“It’s not an order. Not even a suggestion. It’s a request.”
In that mont, Leto truly seed like an emperor. He knew what needed to be done for the empire. He was willing to set aside his pride for it.
I think I understood why ril would co to love Leto so much. What she found so attractive about him.
The rain showed no sign of stopping. The herb garden stretched endlessly.
‘But let’s try. I can’t back down just because of so rain.’
I tightened the coat around .
“I don’t want to return to the carriage either. Not until we’ve searched every herb here.”
I smiled at him.
“Shall we start again?”
Elisana sat on a thick tree trunk. With her robe and leaves, she looked like a shadow.
She had created the monsters. Normally, even one would be a challenge for a knight. Three were enough to tear apart two people.
‘That man, defeating the monsters so quickly. Impressive.’
He hadn’t allowed a single attack. He seed unshakable, fearless. He was no novice to the battlefield.
‘I’ve never seen such a strong human. Sending more monsters won’t help.’
It seed she would have to return the ten gold coins. Still, she wasn’t disappointed.
She had grown interested in the two.
‘What are they searching for, in this rain, for hours?’
The rain grew heavier with ti. Yet Elisana could clearly see it. The man’s gaze directed at the woman.
Affection and desire. A cautious yet blind attraction. All mixed in that gaze.
The woman seed unaware of his gaze. Or was she pretending not to notice?
Elisana watched the man’s gaze for a while, as if entranced.
Then,
Flash, a bolt of lightning illuminated the sky. Thunder roared as if it would tear the heavens apart. The woman flinched in surprise.
“Ha.”
Elisana smirked.
‘How long will she last?’
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