The Person Who Stays by Your Side in the Hardest Times #7
“The king said to his subjects and knights, ‘My end has come to this place, so all of you should return. I have no army left to slay dragons and giants, nor any hero to display my might, so I do not wish you to die with me. I only lament my misfortune.’ Everyone was too ashamed to answer, until one man rose and spoke……”
“A dragon? You mean an actual dragon?”
Daisy, who had been quietly listening while Emil read to Leni, suddenly cut in.
“Priest, have you ever seen a dragon before?”
Emil had encountered Daisy while carrying Leni on his back. Jealous of the sight, she had thrown a tantrum and insisted on tagging along, following them all the way into Leni’s room. Now she sat beside them, listening intently as he read aloud.
If she would just stay quiet, there wouldn’t be a problem… but of course that was never going to happen.
Emil offered a bitter smile and explained.
“Well, there are tales that the emperors of the ancient empire raised dragons and worshipped them as sacred creatures, but they are only legends. Their truth is unclear. They are as difficult to believe as the existence of demons.”
Of course, I have seen a demon, so perhaps dragons truly existed as well.
Emil took a breath and resumed reading.
“I swear on my father’s honor and this sword that I shall slay the dragon. That evil beast is strong and ferocious, yet knows no honor. The giants are foolish and dull-witted; once the dragon falls, they will surely flee in terror. I beg you, grant me this honor……”
He had only just begun reading again when Daisy interrupted once more.
“Priest, what about giants? Did they really exist?”
“…That is uncertain as well. However, the barbarians beyond the mountains are all taller than us, and some claim it is because giant blood flows in their veins.”
“Barbarians beyond the mountains! That’s right. Father told me about them. He said they really are huge and incredibly strong.”
“Indeed. Lord Alon led the charge in the battle beyond the mountains five years ago, so… he would know a great deal about those barbarians.”
Daisy showed no sign of stopping her questions.
When Emil glanced at Leni, she wore her usual blank expression, yet she clearly looked somewhat displeased. He cleared his throat once and lifted the book again.
“The king asked, ‘Who are you, and whose son are you, that you would face the wicked dragon no one else dares fight?’ The man answered, ‘I am Roman, son of Gord, from Mels……’”
“Roman? Oh! Priest, I know this story! It’s the tale of the knight who killed the dragon! Mother said he was one of her ancestors.”
The girl truly did not know how to keep her mouth shut.
Still, he could not simply ignore Daisy, so he answered despite himself.
“That is correct. The Romanden family, Lady Cately’s maternal line, traces its origins to Roman, the dragon-slayer.”
“Yes, I once met my uncle and he told me this story……”
“—Shut up.”
Leni finally lost her patience and cut in.
“The priest is reading to me. If you want to chatter so badly, go bother your maids instead of interrupting him.”
Leni looked distinctly annoyed. Reading time was personal and especially precious to her. Daisy’s constant interference had clearly irritated her.
Daisy immediately flared up in response.
“Who do you think you are, speaking to me like that? You’re the one who keeps butting in while I’m talking to the priest!”
“You weren’t talking—you were interrupting the reading. I only answered because you kept pestering him.”
Leni replied in a cold, measured tone.
“I was only asking questions so the priest wouldn’t be bored. I was trying to make things enjoyable for him! What about you? You just sit there with that sullen look on your face and do nothing!”
“Make things enjoyable? You think answering your stupid questions isn’t boring?”
Daisy’s voice grew louder and louder while Leni answered calmly, refusing to back down.
“Lady Daisy, Lady Leni, both of you, please calm down……”
“Of course he isn’t bored! The priest said talking with me is fun!”
“Yes, I’m sure he did. Of course he would say that if I were in his place.”
“What did you just say?”
“It seems your ears don’t work either. How tragic.”
At Leni’s provocation, Daisy ground her teeth.
Like any child throwing a tantrum, she drew in a shaky breath, eyes glistening with tears.
“Who are you to keep bothering the priest anyway! He was reading a book this whole time. Have you even thought about how tiring that must be for him?”
“You seem to be mistaken. The priest is simply doing his duty as my personal priest. If that displeases you, go to Lord Alon and throw one of your tantrums to have him assigned as yours instead.”
Leni knew exactly where to strike to hurt Daisy most. Especially the subject of a personal priest……
This was going nowhere good.
Finally Daisy could endure no longer and screamed.
“You—bastard child born of a whore! Don’t you dare speak to me that way! Just because the priest is kind to you, you think you’re something special……”
“—Lady Daisy!”
Even Emil had to raise his voice.
“There are things that must never be said, even in anger. Why would you speak such words?”
“…Ugh.”
Daisy bit her lip hard before speaking again.
“Priest, why do you always take her side……?”
“Lady Daisy, I am not taking sides……”
“She started it first, so why are you only scolding me? I was only trying to keep you from getting bored……”
Daisy could not continue. She burst into tears, frantically covering her face with both hands, but the tears still spilled between her fingers.
“Lady Daisy……”
“Hic, sob—don’t come near me!”
Still sobbing and desperately hiding her face, Daisy kicked the door open and fled.
Emil meant to chase after her immediately, but he hesitated, worried about Leni.
“Why are you looking at me? Go comfort her, Priest.”
Yet that was exactly what Leni said.
In truth, Emil had plenty he wanted to say to her. Her behavior toward Daisy had been remarkably childish—especially considering how Leni usually acted.
Still, calming Daisy came first.
“…I will return shortly, my lady.”
With that, he ran out.
He scanned the area, but Daisy was nowhere in sight. Iredain’s castle was a labyrinth, and she knew all its hidden passages.
With no other choice, Emil looked down at the floor. Footprints would remain.
He quietly analyzed the traces left behind. Small footprints, signs of frantic running. At first she had darted about in emotional chaos, but eventually she chose a direction and kept to it…… There.
The footprints led toward the garden near the castle entrance. Ah, that was where she had gone.
As expected, he found her quickly.
“…How did you find me?”
Daisy was crouched in the grass in a corner of the garden.
“Because I know everything about you, Lady Daisy.”
Of course, he said nothing about the footprints. Emil was a shameless man.
“Let’s go back.”
“Lady Daisy……”
“I said go back! You need to look after that girl. Are you even allowed to wander around outside like this?”
Emil took one step closer.
“Please calm your anger, my lady.”
“Go away. Just leave!”
Daisy answered without turning her head.
“In the end, you always take her side anyway. I know that. You have no interest in me……”
“You know that is not true.”
“Liar!”
Daisy began sobbing again.
“It’s all lies… I know everything. The maids told me. You told her she was beautiful and lovely.”
“Good heavens, my lady. That was……”
“You’ve never said anything like that to me!”
He had no idea how to respond. For a moment he even wished Pidea would offer some assistance.
Children could be so capricious.
“You carried her on your back again today. But when I asked you to carry me, you left me behind.”
“I am truly sorry for that, Lady Daisy. I only carried Lady Leni because you were walking barefoot.”
“Then tell me to walk barefoot! Why are you so kind to her? She never acts cute for you or throws tantrums—she just sulks, yet you treat her so well!”
Daisy spoke through her resentment.
What could he possibly say to soothe her?
At that moment, for some reason, Pidea’s words came to mind.
As I see it, Emil, you’re a little strange. You make women fall for you so easily, yet you’re completely helpless with children. Just try your own way, Emil. You’ll realize the two aren’t so different after all.
That probably wasn’t the answer.
Still, Pidea wasn’t entirely wrong. The foundation of every technique he used to seduce women was reading and using the other person’s psychology… and he had certainly used those methods on Leni as well.
Emil fell deep into thought.
Once again Daisy raised her voice.
“Priest, are you even listening to me?”
“…Yes, please continue, my lady.”
“Liar! You’re not listening again! Am I really that annoying to you? Then just say so! I should just disappear from your side, right? Isn’t that what you want, Priest……”
Daisy could not finish.
Because Emil had pulled her into his arms.
“…Ugh, let go. Go away……!”
Why did I do that?
While his mind reeled in confusion, Emil’s mouth moved smoothly, as though someone else were speaking through him.
“My lady, is that truly what you wish?”
“Yes. Disappear……!”
“Do you truly want me to vanish from your side?”
At some point Emil had begun using a deliberately pitiful yet sweet tone—one that overwhelmed the angry person before him and left them unable to speak.
“If that is what you desire, I shall do so. You know how precious you are to me, don’t you?”
“Priest, to me……”
“If you cannot forgive me, push me away right now. Then I will leave Iredain forever. It would be better than causing you pain.”
Even as he spoke, he thought the rhetoric was vicious. He had no intention of actually leaving Iredain, and he knew perfectly well that Daisy did not truly want that.
Emil had skillfully steered the conversation so that Daisy now had to choose between forgiving him or never seeing him again.
The original topic—her complaint that he paid attention only to Leni and never to her—had quietly vanished.
“Is that what you want, my lady?”
By now Emil had released his arms, yet Daisy could not pull away from him. There was no way she could push him back.
“I… I… the priest… the priest……”
Daisy repeated the same broken words like a malfunctioning doll. Poor Daisy.
Emil deployed his final move.
Using the most pitiful voice he could manage, he whispered into her ear.
“Do you hate me, my lady?”
Releasing the shaken emotions. That was the key to solving the problem.
Most conflicts tended to dissolve once the tears finally broke free. Emil knew this very well.
“Hic, sob… No. Priest. It’s not… it’s not like that… I could never hate you… Hic, I was wrong. Sob, I was wrong.”
As expected, Daisy immediately burst into tears.
She clutched tightly at Emil’s robes, buried her face in his chest, and began to sob.
“No, it is my fault, my lady. I was lacking and failed to give you the attention you deserve.”
“No… hic… Priest, you did nothing wrong……”
Just moments ago she had looked ready to devour him alive.
Yet Emil simply held her, gently patting her back as he comforted her.
“Don’t cry, Lady Daisy… It was my mistake. Please, stop crying……”
As he soothed her, Emil wondered whether Pidea’s words had been right after all.
Good heavens, it seems I was a master of childcare all along. If I ever quit being a priest, I could become a nanny. Though honestly, the difference isn’t that great right now.
Emil walked along, rather smugly thinking to himself.
Now that Daisy had been comforted, it was time to speak with Leni.
Honestly, Leni’s handling of the situation had been far from mature… and the same could be said of her attitude toward Lady Cately.
He felt he ought to offer her a few stern words.
“Lady Leni, may I have a moment……”
But Leni was nowhere to be seen.
“…My lady?”
Had she gone looking for him? Had they simply missed each other?
…No.
Emil examined the room. It was noticeably messier than when he had left. Uneven dust patterns on the windowsill. No traces near the door at all.
Every sign pointed to one conclusion.
Someone had taken Leni away.