Chapter 96: Leslie (7)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 96: Leslie (7)
Katarina glared at me, her eyes narrowed to slits. I held up my palm, telling her to calm down.
“Katarina. Calm down, let's talk—”
“Cloud, shall we have a talk?”
An icy voice cut me off.
Somehow, I had a feeling this “talk” wouldn't be the kind I was familiar with.
“Cloud?”
When I hesitated for a moment, Katarina called my name again, urging me on.
“Right. Let's talk.”
“See? If it's a misunderstanding like you said, we can clear it up by talking, right?”
“Of course. Yep. Absolutely.”
I answered, nodding quickly. In my experience, hesitating in situations like this gets you fucked. And right now, I had nothing to hide, so there was no need to hesitate.
Seemingly satisfied with my quick response, Katarina's expression softened a little.
“I see you're quite the jealous type. They say jealous women get old fast... I suggest you fix that now.”
Ah, fuck, give me a warning first.
I quickly covered Katarina's ears, but from her deeply furrowed brow, it was already too late. She pulled away from my embrace and strode toward Leslie.
“What did you just say?”
“I was just advising you to fix your jealousy quickly, since a concubine's envy is so unsightly.”
“What? A concubine? A con-cu-bine?”
Katarina's voice was tight with suppressed rage, like a balloon that would pop at the slightest touch.
“Yes. A concubine.”
Leslie, unfazed, jabbed again.
“Why am I the concubine?!”
Finally exploding, Katarina yelled. Leslie replied with an expression that said, Why are you asking something so obvious?
“Because I am a noble and you are a commoner, aren't you? Surely you're not suggesting that a noble should enter as a concubine under a commoner wife? That would be a remark that disrespects the authority of the nobility.”
“Hnngh...”
Katarina couldn't bring herself to undermine the authority of the nobility. She bit her lip in frustration, her mouth twitching, but soon fell silent again.
Instead, she turned her head and shot me a look.
Huh? What? Ah, don't tell me you want me to say it? With my own mouth?
...Right. It would be awkward for you to say it.
“Katarina is not a commoner. She's the daughter of a count's family in the Alitia Kingdom.”
“Oh, is that so? I'm sorry. I misspoke.”
Despite Leslie's apology, Katarina's expression didn't improve. It was probably due to shame. After all, she had to bring up her enemy's family name just to win a petty argument.
Only after a few deep breaths did her expression ease slightly. Having regained her composure, she spoke to Leslie.
“You heard him, right? I'm no concubine.”
“Pardon?”
Leslie tilted her head.
Then, with a small “Ah,” as if she'd realized something, she smiled.
“You seem to be mistaken about something, but the fact that you're a count's daughter changes nothing.”
“What?”
“Why are you making that face? Surely you don't think a count from the Alitia Kingdom is on the same level as a duke of the Empire—a Grand Duke of a duchy, no less?”
“...”
Once again, Katarina was rendered speechless.
Her eyes darting around for an escape route, she suddenly narrowed her brow with a look of disbelief.
“Wait a minute. Forget the concubine business for a second. Why do you suddenly want to be with Cloud? You've barely even known him for long, have you?”
“Because my father wished for me to be with Lord Cloud.”
“...Is that all?”
Leslie shook her head.
“Of course, that's not all. Lord Cloud holds the irreplaceable title of Hero, and he is braver and stronger than anyone. On top of that, he is handsome and even kind.”
Leslie briefly touched the top of her head, then cleared her throat and continued.
“Is he not a perfectly suitable spouse?”
“What? So in the end, you want Cloud for his qualifications, not out of love.”
“I like Lord Cloud.”
“You like him? So it's not love, then.”
“I love him.”
“Are you trying to play word games with me right now!?”
“It's not a word game; it's the truth. And who are you to arbitrarily judge my love?”
“What? No, that's...”
“It's unpleasant. Apologize.”
“I'm sorr—no, wait. Why should I apologize? You're the thieving cat trying to steal another woman's man!”
“But he's mine now, isn't he?”
“That's it! I've had it with you!”
The tone of their voices—or more accurately, Katarina's—rose, and the atmosphere grew hostile.
I'd hoped they might resolve this by talking it out, but that was clearly too much to ask.
I quickly stepped between them.
“Both of you, calm down. This is going to turn into a real fight.”
“The one who needs to calm down isn't me, it's Katarina—”
“Shut it.”
“...Pardon?”
“I said, shut your mouth.”
“...Yes.”
Leslie blinked, then lowered her head and replied, looking dejected. Sorry, Leslie. I figured I had to go this far to placate Katarina.
I shifted my gaze to Katarina.
Just as I thought, she was puffing out her chest with a triumphant look on her face. I chuckled, kissed her on the forehead, and said,
“Sorry, but I'm going to step out for a moment and talk with Leslie.”
The grin on Katarina's face froze.
“...The two of you? Alone? Are you serious?”
“It'll just be for a second. I won't do anything weird. I promise.”
I held out my pinky.
But Katarina just stared back, her eyes trembling with a look of utter betrayal.
“Do whatever you want! Go fuck each other for all I care!”
Then she stomped back to the bed, turned her back to me, and lay down.
I scratched my head, then led Leslie out of the room.
“Bastard... I tell him to go, and he actually goes...”
Katarina muttered weakly. Tears trickled down, soaking her pillow.
“How could he fall for her when they've known each other for such a short time...?”
He's been with me for months, and he's going to follow that woman who he's known for less than a month?
Why?
Could he really be tired of my jealousy, just like she said? If not my jealousy, then my nagging?
Just as Katarina's sorrow erupted and she began to sob quietly to herself, the door clicked open.
Wh-what? He's back already? He just left.
Flustered, she sucked in a breath to stop her crying. Meanwhile, the footsteps grew closer, and she felt the bed shift as he lay down.
“You asleep?”
Cloud asked, placing a hand on her waist. She debated dozens of times whether to answer. As his hand began to gently stroke her waist, the scales tipped.
“...Not sleeping.”
“I see.”
Cloud shifted closer.
Feeling his hard body against her back for the first time in a while made her heart pound, separate from her troubled mind.
...What is it? Why isn't he saying anything?
After holding her, he just kept stroking her waist without a word. Finally, just as her patience wore thin and she was about to speak first, he opened his mouth.
“Are you very angry?”
“Do you even have to ask?”
“I'm sorry.”
Silence fell again.
Katarina hated this silence.
It felt like if it continued, it would lead to a rift in their relationship. And she didn't want that.
Even though something hard to ignore had just happened, she still loved him very much.
He was already a part of her life.
There was no way she could cut him out now.
So, as her own way of making up, Katarina placed her hand over his as it stroked her waist.
He stopped.
Instead, he planted a soft kiss on the nape of her neck. Katarina flinched but thankfully didn't make any strange noises. He resumed stroking her waist and spoke.
“I managed to calm Leslie down and sent her back to her room. Nothing you were worried about happened in the process.”
“And what was I worried about?”
“Do I have to spell it out?”
“No. Don't. I think my stomach would turn if I heard it.”
“Alright.”
With that, Cloud said no more. Instead, he began to kiss her neck repeatedly, sometimes whispering that he loved her.
At this, Katarina realized the corners of her mouth were trying to curl into a smile.
No. If I forgive him this easily, something similar will happen again. I have to be properly angry so this never happens again. No half-assed forgiveness!
But with each soft kiss, her resolve wavered, and in the end, it crumbled. Katarina sighed and spoke.
“You really just talked, right?”
“I swear.”
“Oh yeah?”
Katarina whipped around. Before Cloud could react, she grabbed his hair and kissed him, slowly licking his lips as if savoring them.
No sweet taste or sticky feeling.
Okay, the mouth check passes.
She pulled away and buried her face in the crook of his neck, inhaling his scent.
It was his pure scent, unmixed with any other woman's perfume. Her nose, sharpened by her life as a dancer, could tell the difference.
It seemed he had been telling the truth.
Still, just in case.
Katarina lifted her face from his neck and met his eyes.
She spoke in a commanding voice.
“Strip.”
“...Yes.”
Swallowing hard, Cloud took off his clothes.
Soon, the two were a tangle of bare skin, and coquettish moans filled the room.
By the time the bed stopped creaking, Katarina was nestled in his arms with a satisfied expression.
“It's true.”
It really is.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
“...You said you calmed her down and sent her away?”
“Yeah. I did.”
“Then why is she here?”
Katarina pointed at Leslie, who was loading a backpack onto a white horse.
“Because she's a companion who will help us defeat the Demon King?”
“...”
“Don't look at me like that. Listen. I'm the Hero, and the Hero's duty is to defeat the Demon King and his minions who are plaguing the continent, right? Naturally, that journey is incredibly dangerous. We'll probably have several life-or-death battles. That's when you need trustworthy companions.”
“So you're taking her along because she's useful?”
Cloud nodded.
Katarina sighed deeply at the sight. She wanted to scream at him to kick Leslie out immediately, but the memory of the recent fight between Cloud and the Grand Duke held her back.
She hadn't been able to do anything in that fight.
Leslie, on the other hand, could have intervened in some way.
She had the ability.
Thinking logically, it was better to take her along.
“...I don't trust her.”
But thoughts are rarely just logical.
As Katarina spoke sullenly, Leslie gathered the sides of her dress and gave a slight bow.
“I apologize for last night. Please, forgive my rudeness.”
“Huh...?”
Katarina was quite taken aback by Leslie's sudden subservient attitude. That's not like her at all.
As she stood there with her mouth agape, Leslie spoke again.
“Please, forgive me.”
“Huh? Ah, yeah... Okay. I get it. Just don't do it again.”
“Thank you. You are very generous, Lady Katarina.”
“Uh, yeah...”
“Then, while you're in a forgiving mood, would you also permit me to become Lord Cloud's wife?”
“Yeah, alrigh—wait, what did you say?”
Katarina's hand, which had been scratching her cheek awkwardly, froze. Leslie clicked her tongue in disappointment and muttered,
“I thought that would be easier.”
“Wh-what? What are you talking about?”
Leslie answered her question without hiding the deep disappointment on her face.
“Last night, Lord Cloud offered to let me join him as a companion. The terms he presented were quite tempting. However, they couldn't compare to the condition that I must leave the duchy. I proposed engagement as a new condition, but Lord Cloud said that wouldn't be possible. So, as a compromise, we came up with the condition that I must receive your permission.”
“...”
Katarina stared at Cloud in silence. He gave an awkward laugh.
“All you have to do is not give your permission. Yep.”
Katarina rubbed her face with her hands and sighed.
“Shedia.”
At her call, Shedia peeked her head out from the shadows.
“Yes, sister.”
“These two... can you kill them for me?”
“Umm...”
Shedia glanced back and forth between the slightly surprised Leslie and Cloud. Then she shook her head.
“I can't. I can't kill Cloud, and if I kill her, I don't think Cloud will give me the Moonstone.”
“Right... I see...”
Katarina licked her lips and dismounted her horse. She patted Cloud's thigh, making him move back, and then sat in front of him on his horse. Leaning against him, she said,
“I will never, ever give my permission.”
“Don't worry, that won't be an issue.”
“I wasn't talking to you...”
“I wasn't talking to you either, was I?”
“You little—”
Watching the two women bicker, Cloud gave a bitter smile. This was a far cry from the harmonious party he had imagined.
But it was fine.
This was a problem he could solve with some careful mediation. As he was planning their next steps, another problem suddenly occurred to him.
'We're going back to the Prona Kingdom now, but what if these two fight with the other three?' What should I do if the other three try to haze the new companions?
“Your vocabulary is so vulgar. Are you sure you're a noble?”
“And you, a high and mighty noble, are coveting another woman's man? Isn't that something a prostitute would do?”
“...I've miscalculated. If you were to disappear, I wouldn't need to get permission at all, would I?”
“You gonna shoot? Go on, shoot. Do it if you have the guts to be hated by Cloud!”
He continued to worry, but soon shook his head. These two seemed more likely to be the ones doing the hitting than the ones getting hit.
His worries assuaged, Cloud began to plan their route back to the Prona Kingdom.