Chapter 13
Chapter 13
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: Boyhood ~Let's Settle the Situation~
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"Kyaaah…!"
Crack—
The moment she landed, Se-hee felt the protective artifact in her arms shatter.
Did the artifact absorb the impact instead?
After tumbling across the ground several times upon landing, she confirmed there were no serious injuries on her body and hurriedly stood up.
"Hurry! I have to let them know!"
Dusting off the dirt didn't even cross her mind as Se-hee frantically started moving to find people around her.
After wandering for a while, she spotted the servants bustling about and realized the situation was far from normal.
Warriors gripping sharp weapons charged out with frightening momentum, while the mansion's servants fled with faces pale with fear.
It was nothing like the usual Yeon Clan.
Yes, it looked just like a clan under attack...
"Don't tell me I'm not the only one who was targeted!"
The thought of her family, who had come to the Yeon Clan with her, flashed through her mind, turning her face ashen as she grabbed a nearby maid.
The woman had black hair down to her waist and an air of cold elegance.
"W-Wait!"
"We see the Empire's treasure."
"What's happening right now? Has something happened to His Majesty...!"
"An insolent assailant has attacked His Imperial Majesty. Your Highness, you are also in danger—please seek shelter at once."
Se-hee, who had grabbed the maid sprinting away at full speed, cried out in shock at the response.
"What!? What about Father!? Is Father safe!?"
"Worry not. The Clan Head himself, along with the clan's main forces, are guarding His Majesty and the imperial family. His Majesty is a warrior who has reached a profound realm, so the assassins who attacked were utterly annihilated instead. They're currently searching for any remaining stragglers."
"I-Is that so? Thank goodness. Really, thank goodness..."
"More importantly, Your Highness, that mask on your head... could it be...?"
The moment the maid spoke those words, Se-hee suddenly remembered her purpose here and shouted loudly.
"Right! Maid! This is bad! In the garden over there, Yeon Je-seong and the assassins...!!"
At the same time, the maid's presence sharpened intensely.
"Could you tell me more about that?"
"I was playing with Je-seong when assassins suddenly attacked. I managed to escape thanks to him, but he's probably still fighting them alone right now!"
"The Young Master surely had guards with him... Could it be a barrier?"
The maid furrowed her elegant brow in thought, then nodded and turned to Se-hee.
"Understood. We'll take responsibility for protecting the Young Master, so please join His Majesty by following the other servants' guidance."
"No! I will stay with you!"
"But Your Highness...!"
"No! No! No! He stayed there for my sake! How could I alone flee to safety!?"
It was an unreasonable tantrum, but Se-hee desperately voiced her opinion.
The maid looked greatly troubled, but unfortunately, the nearby servants had all either joined the search for assassins or retreated inside for protection.
It was hard to even find a servant to escort the princess.
"Sigh... Very well. But only up to the vicinity. We won't let you into the garden until the situation is resolved."
"Got it!"
At that moment, thick darkness flowed from the hem of the maid's skirt, enveloping the princess.
"Eek!?"
"Please bear with it just a little. This will protect Your Highness."
"Uwaaaaah!?"
With those words, the maid hoisted Se-hee over one shoulder and raced toward the garden at tremendous speed.
'The Young Master surely had guards nearby. I need to hurry.'
Se-hee had said five, but from what she'd heard, the maid judged there were definitely more.
The other guards must have been overwhelmed blocking those assassins.
Kicking off the building's roof, the maid accelerated even further.
"Chae...hyeon?"
"Young Master, you've held out well."
Chae-hyeon, the maid who had received Se-hee's distress call, gazed at the unharmed Young Master with a mix of relief and infinite guilt. As a shadow of the Yeon Clan tasked with his protection, this was an unforgivable failure. No matter that she had been away—this was abandoning her charge to face the enemy alone. What did they think she even existed for?
Suppressing the rising killing intent, she bowed even deeper.
"For failing in my duty to protect you and allowing harm to come to your body—this worthless life atones...!"
"S-Stop. That's enough."
She drew her blade to pay for her sins, aiming at her own throat, but as always, the Young Master's words blocked her.
"You're always so dramatic. Don't die over something like that."
Something like that. This was a grave incident that nearly endangered the Young Master's life. To call it "something like that."
Chae-hyeon interpreted even that as the Young Master downplaying it for their sake.
'He's deliberately minimizing the incident to cover for our failure.'
The kindness and gentleness emanating from the Young Master made it impossible for her to lift her head. To such a Chae-hyeon, the Young Master continued.
"We got them all, so it's fine. I didn't expect attacks elsewhere too, but as long as it ended without casualties, that's what matters."
"You!"
At that moment, Se-hee, who had been watching from outside the garden, came flying in.
"Are you okay!?"
"Huh? What? Why'd you come back?"
"Argh! Is that what's important right now!? You're hurt! Q-Quick, get treatment...!"
Se-hee flailed as she grabbed his bleeding arm. To her biting her lip and twisting her face, Je-seong tossed out flatly.
"I'm fine. It doesn't even hurt much."
"Don't be ridiculous! Of course it hurts!"
"Her Highness is right, Young Master. Please get treated first. We can talk after."
With Chae-hyeon backing up the teary, angry Se-hee, Je-seong finally relented calmly.
"Alright. Let's head back then."
"Leave the cleanup to us."
"Come on! Let's go quickly!"
As he was led by the hand out of the garden by Se-hee…
A voice flowed from her as she walked ahead.
"Don't do anything that reckless next time."
"But at the time, that was the best option..."
"Still! You nearly died because of it..."
A sniffle echoed.
Yeon Je-seong silently followed her, closing his eyes. Before he knew it, he had overtaken the girl walking ahead and was now in front of her. Looking back, Se-hee stood frozen in place, hands covering her face.
"I don't like it. You getting hurt because of me. Or drifting apart from the first friend I've ever made."
Her sobs grew louder.
Yeon Je-seong scratched his cheek as he listened quietly. An unfamiliar sensation gripped his chest tightly.
'Have I ever had a friend worry about me this much?'
He was certain. It was the first time. He had never had a single friend who cared enough to cry for him.
Or so it should have been.
Yet…
'Who would've thought I'd meet a friend like that here.'
So this is what it feels like to be worried about by someone. It was bewildering, yet the ticklish warmth in his chest wasn't bad at all.
And so, Yeon Je-seong approached Se-hee.
Se-hee, momentarily flustered by his approach, soon squeezed her eyes shut and trembled faintly.
"What's with the fuss?"
His voice was a touch softer than usual as it spread. At the same time, the mask on Se-hee's head was now in his hand.
"Who said anything about drifting apart?"
The intermittent sobs slowly faded.
"If something this dangerous could make us drift apart, I'd be dead already."
No joke—dead serious. Compared to the dangers ahead, this didn't even qualify as risky.
"And we haven't even properly introduced ourselves, so don't just call me a friend on your own."
"Uh... snif...!"
As the sniffling started again, the follow-up came right away.
"So, let me introduce myself again."
To the wide-eyed, surprised Se-hee, Yeon Je-seong tilted the mask onto his head with a grin.
"Uh... eh?"
"Yeon Je-seong, eldest son of the Yeon Clan's 20th Clan Head Yeon Chang-hyeok and next in line as Clan Head. You?"
Yeon Je-seong's golden eyes turned her way. Was it his imagination? The surroundings suddenly seemed blurry. Her gaze fixed solely on his face.
Staring blankly at him, Se-hee spoke as if entranced.
"H-Hwang Se-hee, First Imperial Princess and eldest daughter of Emperor Yeongnak, the 13th Emperor of the Imperial Empire."
Suddenly locking eyes felt burdensome. She fiddled with her hair, a slow blush rising on her face.
Come to think of it, this scene was just like one from a fairy tale book. The prince who rescued the princess confessing to her.
'Who knew that was based on a true story!'
Se-hee desperately tried to mimic a haughty mask to hide her pounding heart. A mask imitating her respected mother. Fortunately, the mask honed through public activities performed well enough, letting her stammer out words.
"Right, Se-hee."
"Y-You again...!"
"Wanna be friends?"
"You know who I am and you're talking down to meeeee!?"
F-Friends? Him and her? Se-hee was bewildered. She resented Je-seong for the sudden attack when she'd been bracing herself, yet felt endeared.
'Friends? Yeon Je-seong as my first friend?'
Joy mixed with regret. Her face twisted comically amid the conflicting emotions.
"Hahaha! What a silly face!"
"Argh! Sh-Shut up, you idiot!"
"So, what'll it be?"
To Yeon Je-seong's question, Se-hee nodded slowly, wiping her tear-streaked eyes.
"Well, you're no prize, but I'll specially take you as a friend! Consider it an honor!"
Thwack—
"Ow!"
She hit him again! And this time, even knowing she was a princess!
Glared in protest, and Yeon Je-seong replied leisurely.
"Oh, and I forgot to mention—even as friends, keep basic manners. Hit you again if you talk down to me."
"Argh! I'm a princess! You think you'll get away with this!?"
Se-hee huffed, asserting her authority. But Yeon Je-seong didn't budge and nodded.
"Of course! This Yeon Je-seong isn't soft enough to hold back just because of gender!"
"No, at least consider my status!"
Se-hee stood on tiptoes to attack Yeon Je-seong. Je-seong dodged by tilting his head, refusing to yield.
The guards watching from afar as the two bickered hid their presence and followed quietly.
It was summer.