Princess Audrite
Two hours later.
When Maru finally came face to face with the princess at the breakfast table, he froze on the spot.
"That woman from yesterday… huh?"
"Not 'that woman.' The name is Audrite."
The princess, dressed in a beautiful gown, lifted the hem of her skirt with both hands and offered a sly curtsy.
"A pleasure to meet you. So you're the kkonjaengi who used to travel with the Hero whose name I didn't even know."
Edward tilted his head in confusion.
"You two already knew each other?"
"We ran into each other in the city yesterday, by chance."
"Oh-ho, I see!"
"And I only just learned that this person has been staying at our royal palace. Can you believe such an incredible coincidence? I was shocked. Just now."
Audrite flashed something unsettlingly sly smile.
Maru covered his face with a hand and let out a long groan.
Good grief.
The moment yesterday's events flashed through his mind, he wanted to tear his hair out. Inside the royal palace, he was supposed to be an ordinary clerk with no talent for combat whatsoever — and yet he'd blurted out one dumb piece of TMI after another to the princess, playing up his grand exploits from his days in the Hero's party like an absolute fool.
It was a colossal mistake, one that would dog every step he took from here on out.
'Let this matter be known only to the three of us — myself, you, and Edward. The fewer people who know a secret, the better. Not a word to the Queen or the Princess either.'
The breakfast that followed, the moment the three had exchanged greetings, was deathly quiet.
In the stillness, only the clinking of cutlery filled the room.
Edward, who for some reason felt like he was suffocating, glanced at Maru, trying to liven up the atmosphere.
"Maru. What do you think of my sister's beauty? Surely you haven't fallen for her?"
Audrite shot back immediately.
"Don't ask strange questions in front of me."
"W-was the question strange? Ahem."
Edward cleared his throat with all the dignity he could muster, then turned his gaze back to Audrite.
"Audri, you should hear how Maru counted down the days until you…"
Until then, Maru had been staring fixedly at his plate. His head snapped up at once.
"Never did that."
"Oh. Th-then, is that so?"
Edward laughed awkwardly.
"Well then, shall we just eat quietly? There's a certain charm to it, I suppose. Haha…"
A little later, he dabbed his mouth with a napkin and rose from his seat.
"I should go grab some more bread."
"Have the servants do it."
"It's fine, Audri. It's better to pick out the tasty bread myself. I'll be right back."
The moment Edward left, the dining room grew even more silent.
Only the sound of spoon and fork striking porcelain could be heard.
Audrite kept sneaking glances at Maru until, apparently fed up herself, she finally let out a sigh.
"Did you sulk because I teased you about being a kkonjaengi?"
Maru answered without so much as looking up, chewing away at his food.
"No."
"Then what's the matter? Yesterday you were chatty enough to burst my ears."
"I don't talk in the mornings. Don't take it personally."
"……"
Audrite stared hard at him and his stubbornly brusque attitude — then the corner of her mouth slowly curled up.
"While I was away in the provinces for the past month, I came back to some interesting rumors. Apparently Edward, who could never do anything right before, has changed quite a lot lately."
Maru felt a jolt inside — so it's finally come — but betrayed nothing, calmly draining a long gulp of cold water.
"And they say Edward's transformation began right around when a certain Royal Clerk appeared — a man whose origins and background nobody knows. Doesn't something smell off to you?"
She arrived just yesterday, and she's already finished investigating me?
"Smell what? This is delicious, by the way. You should try it."
"No thank you. Right now I'd rather talk than eat. In any case — a bandit subjugation with only two men going. You'd think they'd bring royal soldiers along. How strange."
"I heard the royal soldiers tend to disrespect the Prince."
"People's lives are on the line. Does that really outweigh having more hands?"
Audrite flashed a mischievous smile.
"Oh, and I heard this too. Yesterday, you told me quite clearly that you were from the Hero's party — but everyone in the palace seems to think you're a hopeless good-for-nothing with zero talent for combat. So which is it?"
"The latter. I am, in fact, a kkonjaengi. A kkondae plus a liar."
"So you finally admit it?"
"Yes."
"Which only makes it stranger."
Maru scratched his head furiously and rose from his seat.
"Thank you for the meal."
He wiped his mouth with the napkin and looked at the princess.
"It was a pleasure meeting you. That will be all."
As he turned to walk away, Audrite's voice rang out behind him.
"Where do you think you're going? We're not finished talking."
When Maru kept ignoring her, she called out with firm authority.
"That's an order from your Princess! Stop right there!"
He stopped.
Maru halted mid-stride and turned back around.
"Was there something you wished to say?"
"Come here and sit. You will keep conversing with me until I tell you to stop."
"I'm afraid the only person with the authority to give me such an order is the Prince."
He bowed his head with perfect courtesy and walked right out of the dining room.
The princess, left all alone, pulled a sour expression.
"Khondae."
Just then the door swung back open, and she turned toward it with a bright smile.
It was Edward, carrying a plate piled high with bread, already munching contentedly on one of the soft, freshly baked rolls.
Audrite's shoulders slumped with disappointment.
"Mmm, it just melts in your mouth. Audri, want to try one?"
"I'm fine."
Edward was exactly the same as ever — before and now.
Audrite narrowed her eyes at the table, her gaze locked in place.
"He's definitely hiding something."
***
Back in his room after the meal, Maru let out a long breath of relief.
"Oh, thank the gods. I survived. Smoothed it over nicely enough."
Shaking his head, he dropped into the chair and slouched back.
"I never should have gone to that dining hall yesterday."
He tipped his head back and was gazing blankly at the ceiling when the King suddenly surfaced in his mind — shirtless and muscular, driving his fist square into Maru's abdomen.
"Neeeeinoooohm! Did I not forbid you from getting entangled with the Priiiinceeeess!"
"Gwaaaagh!"
Launched into the stratosphere by a single punch, he snapped out of his daydream.
"Whew… Well, in for a penny. I'll just do better from here on."
He'd simply have to avoid crossing paths with the princess whenever possible. Nothing good would come of it but headaches.
Letting out a deep sigh, he turned his thoughts elsewhere. What was done was done, and agonizing over it would only waste time.
He looked down at the single book lying on his desk.
Unit Command Field Manual.
He'd been reading it since last night.
Back when he'd lived with his mother, he had received all manner of advanced education from the kingdom's finest instructors. But during his years with Kiera, he'd done nothing but manual labor, and much of that knowledge had rusted away. These days, thanks to Edward, he had started studying again.
Simply crushing bandit dens didn't feel like enough anymore. Even if Edward had given up on the scholarly half of a prince's essential education, Maru wanted him to at least grasp the theory of warfare — so he pored over the book whenever he found a spare moment.
"Now, where did I leave off yesterday…"
Lost in the book, time slipped by in no time at all. Before he knew it, the hour had come for him and Edward to ride out and deal with the bandits.
Maru closed the book and changed his clothes. And when the appointed hour arrived, he left his room and headed for the stables.
"You arrived precisely on time. You keep your promises better than you look, don't you?"
There, waiting for him with a smile, was — unexpectedly — Princess Audrite in white riding trousers.
Beside her stood Edward in light armor, scratching his head in embarrassment.
"She kept begging to come along, so… haha… you know how it is."
"I want to watch Edward crush a bandit den. That's allowed, isn't it?"
"You must be quite the curious one, Your Highness."
Inwardly troubled, Maru nevertheless kept up an easy air as he looked her up and down.
Her long blonde hair was braided into a neat bun, and she wore an outfit somewhere between a riding habit and fine traveling clothes. What stood out most were the tight white trousers that showed off the curves of her hips without a shred of modesty. Her legs were slender enough that a sliver of daylight showed between her thighs. All in all, elegance and femininity poured off of her.
The bandits would lose their minds and come charging at her.
"Dressed like that, it'll be dangerous out there, won't it?"
"Edward will protect me. I hear he's gotten awfully good at fighting lately. Right, Edward?"
Edward whistled and looked pointedly away.
"Or perhaps you'll protect me. After all, you're someone who used to travel with the Hero himself."
At her words, Maru only laughed in silence.
It was the laugh of a man with nothing left to hide.
I don't know myself anymore.
He didn't object to her coming along.
The three of them rode out of the castle, each on their own horse. But their destination had changed.
Maru reined his horse to a stop in a scenic stretch of forest.
"Why are we stopping? Isn't this just… a forest?"
When Audrite looked puzzled, Maru dismounted and took hold of her horse's bridle.
"I'm sleepy. Let's get a bit of fresh air first, then head out."
"How long has it even been since we left, and you're already yawning?"
Edward let out a long, lazy yawn of his own.
"Oof, I'm beat too. Let's lie down a bit before we go."
The two men acted as though they'd rehearsed it in advance. They picked a comfortable spot with a good view of the surroundings, plopped their backsides down, and launched into idle, pointless chatter.
"So apparently the chamberlain said yesterday—"
"Ah-ha, no kidding?"
Watching the men who were supposedly off to subdue a bandit den lazing about shooting the breeze, Audrite felt her temper prick slightly. She stood watching for a moment behind them, then seemed to make up her mind, strode over in long, purposeful steps, and sat down cross-legged facing the two of them.
"Are we out here on holiday?"
"Whoops, you're right, time to sleep. I'll just rest my eyes for a bit. You two chat."
Edward swiftly passed the buck, flopped down onto the grass, and was snoring in seconds.
"Zzz… khhoooll…"
Audrite heaved a small sigh as she looked at Edward, then turned back to Maru.
"What exactly is this supposed to be? Wasn't our objective to subdue the bandits?"
Maru just smiled, a blade of grass between his teeth.
"A person has to rest in order to work. You can't live flat-out every single day."
"You rested plenty before we even left, didn't you?"
"Aw, that's just because you only arrived yesterday and don't know the whole story. Both the Prince and I have lived very hard lives until now."
"Are you messing with me right now?"
"Who, me?"
"You and Edward."
"Perish the thought."
Audrite fixed him with a petulant, sullen stare.
"Then tell me the truth. You're hiding something from me, aren't you?"
"Busted, am I?"
"Out with it. What are you hiding?"
Maru shifted from his seated position, dropped onto his stomach, and crawled toward her.
From so close that their breath mingled, he looked straight into her eyes and said in a low voice:
"That you're so beautiful my heart is pounding like a drum right now. Don't tell me you noticed?"
"……!"
Stunned by the completely unexpected confession, Audrite's eyes flitted about, wavering, as she blinked again and again.
"D-don't lie."
"It was a joke."
Maru grinned and scooted back to his seat.
"I don't make lovers anymore."
Audrite pressed a hand to her chest and took a long, deep breath in and out. Once her composure returned, she scowled.
"I hate that kind of joke. People who toy with other people's hearts are the lowest of the low, you know that? Aiya—!"
Startled by her sudden cry, Maru froze mid-motion and whipped his head toward her.
A venomous snake had sunk its fangs into her left thigh without warning and was slithering away in a zigzag.
"Your Highness!"
He sprang up from his seat and rushed to her side.
Two tiny puncture holes marked the white fabric over her thigh. The snake's fang marks.
Audrite looked around in confusion, thoroughly terrified.
"I-I-I got bitten by a snake?"
"Don't move! The venom will spread!"
Maru moved without hesitation to pull down her trousers. But Audrite grabbed the waistband with all her strength and refused to let go.
"Wh-what are you doing?"
"I have to suck out the venom! There's no time to lose!"
His expression was so desperately grave that Audrite, dazed, released her grip. In one motion, Maru dragged her trousers down to her knees.
Pure white underclothes came into view, along with her two pale, slender thighs. The bitten spot was already darkening to a bruised purple.
If he left it alone, the venom would swell her entire leg grotesquely — and things could turn far uglier than a swollen thigh.
Maru swiftly clamped his mouth over her thigh and sucked hard. Drawing the blood up with all his might, then spitting it out — he repeated the process over and over.
"Sluuurp! Pah! Sluuurp! Pah!"
Audrite wriggled her toes and let out moan after moan.
"Ahh… ahn! Ah, it hurts! Mmmhn… ah…!"
"Sluuurp! Pah! Bear with me! Sluuurp!"
Through it all, Edward was fast asleep beside them in blissful slumber, dreaming away.
"Your Highness, I have returned from another purge. Hahaha… mmm, yaawwwn…"