Chapter 65
Chapter 65
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Silver Wolf (3)
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"Don't go... Is something wrong?"
I asked Irina, who was clutching my collar.
"Ah, um..."
She panicked at her own impulsive action.
She hurriedly let go of my sleeve.
The princess racked her brain for an excuse to smooth things over.
Dasha, watching us from afar, stared silently in anticipation.
"Lea is busy today. She's probably at the Magic Tower right now."
The moment she finally answered.
The sound of a newspaper fluttering came from the distance.
Dasha, covering her forehead.
She clearly wasn't pleased with Irina's response.
"I heard there's an official schedule for visiting the Magic Tower today."
"I see..."
I rested my chin on my hand, lost in thought.
'Come to think of it, I assigned Lea to handle the arsonist who attacked Irina.'
In a way, her busyness was my fault.
It would be unreasonable to head to the alliance right away in that situation.
"Then it might be hard to meet today."
Irina's anxious face gradually brightened.
Soon, she regained her calm, intellectual princess expression and made a proposal.
"So, how about touring the city with me today?"
"You mean here?"
"Yeah, it's my territory, but I haven't really explored it much."
In her previous life, Irina had holed up at home reading books.
This life, perhaps thanks to forming the knight order, her sense of responsibility as a princess had grown stronger.
"Understood. I'll accompany you."
Her demeanor was commendable, so I gladly accepted.
"Really...?"
"Yes, just for today, I'll patrol and assist."
Irina's lips curved shyly upward.
She covered her mouth with the back of her hand to hide it.
"Shall we start with the city streets? Observing the people's lives is part of a royal's duties too."
"Understood. Let's go."
Irina's territory, Center Village, was famous as a city of culture.
Theater and street performances were everywhere.
We strolled slowly along those streets together.
Fortunately, no citizens recognized her as the princess.
Probably thanks to the changed outfit.
"There seem to be more people on the streets than usual today."
"Yeah, it's a holiday, so there are various performances in the streets."
Crowds of people.
They lined up to enter a particularly ornate dome-shaped theater.
The Second Princess stared blankly at the throng.
As if she wanted to see a play herself.
"Vale, shall we go watch a play too...?"
Irina looked up at me carefully.
And asked timidly.
"Aren't we on patrol?"
"Th-the theater needs patrolling too. Incidents happen most in crowded places..."
Her ponytail swayed, mirroring her excitement.
"So, just once. If you don't want to, forget it."
Irina had loved literature and theater even in her previous life.
But this life, she'd been busy with knight order operations and schedules.
She must have been thrilled to see the theater after so long.
It wouldn't hurt to give her a break, considering her recent hard work.
"Understood. That does make sense."
"Right? This is all part of ruling the territory."
The princess let out a deep sigh of relief.
Then, she confidently bought tickets at the counter.
"Here, your ticket."
I took the ticket.
And checked what performance it was, wondering why so many people.
And if it was what Irina wanted to see.
"The Northern Grand Duchess's Slave Knight... All Ages version...?"
What was this title?
It felt familiar, like I'd seen it a few days ago...
I frowned and looked at Irina.
Her emerald eyes met mine.
They held a subtle smile.
"What are you doing? Let's go in."
Was it the outfit accentuating her figure?
Her expression seemed strangely mature.
Irina walked ahead of me.
Her ponytail danced lightly behind her.
I watched the excited princess's back with a warm smile.
But soon, I wiped the smile away and hurried after her.
"...!"
As the play's start time approached, crowds surged from behind.
Irina's shoulder bumped in the sudden influx.
The moment she stumbled.
I wrapped my arm around her back.
"Are you alright?"
Was it because the knit was thin?
Irina froze at the feel of my palm on her back.
"My clothes..."
She looked up at me, face flushed.
"No, thank you, Vale..."
"The entrance gets crowded, so please be careful."
Irina rubbed her arms as if chilled.
Then, she stuck close to my side as we entered the theater.
Our seats were in the packed general section.
She squeezed through the narrow seats and sat among the commoners.
"Why not the VIP seats?"
When I asked, Irina forced a smile and shook her head.
"It's fine, there were no seats left—"
Hearing her, I glanced up at the second-floor VIP area.
'It looks plenty spacious...?'
Finding it odd, I looked back at Irina.
Then, my gaze drifted to her black leggings.
One hand hidden between her thighs.
A small note caught my eye in her palm.
I focused mana into my eyes.
And peered closely at the note's contents.
「Go to the theater, and make sure to sit in the 'general seats'!」
Dasha's handwriting.
The theater made sense, but why general seats?
"Vale?"
While focused on the note, Irina spoke.
I withdrew the mana and answered calmly.
"Yes?"
"What were you looking at?"
She glanced down at her thigh, where my gaze had been.
Then, she smirked, lifting the corner of her mouth.
"Did something fall on my seat?"
She tugged her knit down lightly, smiling shyly.
Her face said Dasha's coordination had succeeded.
But her smile vanished instantly.
My response was completely unexpected.
"I saw the white note in your palm."
"N-note...?"
"Yes. May I ask what's written on it?"
Irina hurriedly hid the secret message from Dasha.
Realizing her mistake, she bowed her head deeply.
"No... You don't need to know..."
"Understood."
I leisurely turned my head.
Scratched the back of my neck, and relaxedly watched the play.
"..."
Ironically, Irina, who suggested the play, kept her head down for a while.
She just cupped her face with both hands, as if trying to cool the burning heat.
"Haaa..."
She let out a frustrated groan.
「―――.」
The play was straightforward.
A story of a bodyguard knight protecting a woman in crisis.
A clichéd romance novel, basically.
But why had Lea hidden the novel's content back then?
Finding it strange, I glanced at Irina.
"..."
She seemed mostly calmed.
She watched the play intently with serious eyes.
"Excuse me, Irina."
"Yeah."
She answered without taking her eyes off the stage.
When I asked about the plot, her green eyes flashed.
"By any chance, do you know how the story continues?"
"The next part?"
At the mention of the original story, Irina grew serious.
And began explaining the plot faithfully.
"The slave knight who helps the grand duchess escape has to buy time alone."
The princess pointed to the black-haired male actor, like me.
"Exhausted from fighting alone, the knight collapses, awaiting death in solitude."
Mid-explanation, Irina swallowed hard.
Her emerald eyes sparkled as she continued.
"Then, thanks to the duchess returning with reinforcements, he survives, and they get a happy ending."
"They lived happily ever after, I suppose."
I said, staring blankly at the stage.
But no reply from the princess.
Feeling something off, I turned.
And saw her fidgeting with her hands.
"Yeah... In the escaping carriage, they share hot love..."
Sensing the oddity, I tilted my head.
"Share what in the carriage?"
As my face drew near, Irina's pupils shook.
She forced a smile and shook her head.
"Ac-tually, I haven't read the ending, so I don't know—"
"I see. Then I'll look it up later."
I nodded indifferently.
Irina waved her hands frantically.
"No! You don't need the ending. They just made love, really?"
"Made love?"
"Yeah... love!"
The princess flushed as if something flashed in her mind.
I asked her flatly.
"But earlier, didn't you say you didn't know the ending?"
Her eyes lost focus.
Her face paled, speechless.
"Ah."
That's when I realized why Lea had rushed to stop her from reading.
And why this play was all-ages.
"..."
Irina pressed her lips tight.
I asked no more questions, sparing the broken girl.
I just silently watched the play.
「―――.」
The final scene approached.
Ruined castle.
A knight buried under debris.
He awaited death in solitude.
「He dies protecting his lord.」
Satisfied with saving the grand duchess, the man closed his eyes with a bitter smile.
But.
Urgent footsteps echoed from afar.
He opened his eyes at the sound.
And...
He reunited with the grand duchess he'd sent away.
「Kyle, are you okay?」
「Why did you come back... I told you to escape, urgh...」
The knight asked tenderly as his hard-saved lord returned.
The grand duchess smiled faintly.
「I thought about it the whole way.」
「Could I really be happy surviving alone like this?」
The knight answered, mustering his remaining strength.
「You have to live to be happy...」
「No, I can't be without you.」
The woman supported the fallen knight.
She pulled him from the rubble somehow and headed for the exit together.
「So please, live. Kyle...」
The two staggered toward the light in the darkness.
In that moment, the packed audience fell completely silent.
Everyone hoping the pair would survive.
I glanced at Irina.
"..."
Her earlier bowed head from embarrassment was long gone.
She was more focused on the play than ever.
Her ponytail revealed her smooth profile perfectly.
Her emerald eyes, reflecting the lights, sparkled like jewels.
The jewel became a tear, trailing down her smooth jaw.
Irina wiped it with the back of her hand.
Unconsciously, she placed her hand on the armrest.
"Ah..."
The Second Princess flinched at the warm body heat from the armrest.
She realized her palm was covering the back of my hand.
I noticed then too.
Why people chose cramped general seats despite having money.
I gently withdrew my palm from the armrest.
Cleared my throat, and watched the ending play.
Irina pulled her hand back too.
She pressed her touching hand to her chest and exhaled deeply.
Throughout the play's close.
"Time to get up. The play was enjoyable."
I rose from my seat.
Watched the exiting crowds, pondering when to leave to protect the princess.
But Irina just stared at me blankly.
No reaction from me despite our hands touching.
"..."
Irina looked down at the note from Dasha, head bowed.
Then, as if resolved, she crumpled it and pocketed it.
Crowds exiting the heated theater.
I slipped into the flow with the princess.
Leading to ensure her safe exit.
But.
Normally, she'd wait for me to clear the way, but Irina suddenly approached.
"Too many people."
And...
She slipped her arm between mine.
The note long discarded.
She decided to follow her own convictions.
Her first step.
Pressing her linked arm softly against mine.
Even I, who'd stayed impassive, twitched an eyebrow at the soft sensation.
Dasha watching from the second-floor VIP seats reacted the same.
She gripped the railing, poised to jump down any second.