Chapter 495: Silent Night, Holy Night (7)
Chapter 495: Silent Night, Holy Night (7)
One look at that dark blue hair, the color of the midnight sky, was enough to recognize her. It was one of my companions, Cien, the 5th Princess of the Empire.
Unusually, instead of Sir Irene, another woman was accompanying the Princess.
It was a face I had missed, so I immediately brightened and waved my hand.
“Your Highness! Emma!”
As usual, Emma merely waved back with an awkward smile.
Because of the difference in our social status, she had to keep our relationship under wraps. The Princess, on the other hand, approached with quick, pattering steps, making no effort to hide her delight.
“We finally meet, Sir Ian! Have you been well? I heard news of your exploits in the Holy Kingdom. As expected of Sir Ian… there is no one else I would rather have as my knight!”
The Princess, with her hands clasped together and eyes sparkling, looked—well.
She looked no different from a young girl meeting an actor she idolized.
I, however, could only manage a strained smile.
To say there was no one else who could be her knight...
If Sir Irene heard that, she would surely burst into tears.
Still, not wanting to spoil the mood of the Princess I hadn't seen in a while, I asked after her in a warm voice.
“Have you been faring well, Your Highness?”
“Thanks to you, Sir Ian! And also…”
The Princess’s eyes drifted subtly behind her.
There stood Emma, maintaining a polite posture. Judging by the beads of cold sweat on her forehead, she still seemed quite uncomfortable around the Princess.
Then again, given the relationship between royalty and a commoner, it would have been stranger if Emma didn't feel burdened.
“…Senior Emma has been a great help as well!”
“Emma has?”
I couldn't help but ask back in a bewildered tone.
Emma was someone who usually kept her distance from the nobility. The idea of her hanging around a Princess was a scene I couldn't easily imagine.
The mystery was solved by Emma herself.
Approaching me demurely, Emma finally spoke up.
“Her Highness has been looking after me quite a bit.”
“Ah,” I let out a soft exclamation.
It seemed the Princess had looked after Emma while I was away. I had been worried that Emma might suffer from unnecessary jealousy in my absence, so I was nothing but grateful that the Princess had stepped in.
Emma was one of the women dear to me, after all.
Feeling a sudden pang of guilt, I bowed my head to the Princess in gratitude.
“Thank you, Your Highness. I was actually worried because Emma tends to skip meals or eat poorly…”
“W-who said that?! Honestly, you say the strangest things.”
Emma chided me while fanning herself with her hand, but the Princess nodded as if in total agreement.
It seemed the Princess had also witnessed Emma’s mushroom-centric diet.
Despite this, Emma couldn't wipe the look of indignation from her face.
“I-I’m really fine… Mushrooms are…”
Of course, no one here was listening to the mutterings of a commoner’s woes.
Everyone agreed that Emma’s diet needed an overhaul.
Instead, I found myself sinking into a different dilemma.
How should I repay this favor?
The kindness shown to Emma was essentially kindness shown to me. Naturally, I had to return the gesture.
It was right around then.
“By the way, Sir Ian! Have you… found a partner to dance with for the Holy Night Festival?”
The Princess asked the question while stealing glances at my reaction.
I looked at her, completely puzzled. My gaze signaled that I needed more explanation, but the Princess was so nervous she couldn't even meet my eyes properly.
She just stood there, staring at the ground and swallowing hard.
That was when Emma stepped in to mediate.
“The thing is, Her Highness is also looking for a partner for the festival.”
“…Is that so?”
Even so, the look of doubt didn't leave my face.
The Princess looking for a partner?
Young lords from every prestigious family would be lining up for the chance. Who would refuse the honor of escorting a Princess who possessed both high status and exceptional beauty?
Of course, Emma knew this as well.
She quickly added a quiet explanation.
“She’s at an age where she’s sensitive to scandals, right? Also, to pair up at the ball, the ranks have to match… So, she was hoping you could be her partner, since you’re relatively free from such rumors.”
“Ah,” I nodded.
That made sense.
Currently, rumors of a scandal between me and the Saintess were shaking the entire continent. Even if we paired up for the famous Holy Night Festival, there was little room for people to suspect anything between the Princess and me.
At most, rumors would spread that the Imperial Household had their sights on me.
I could handle that much.
Besides, neither the Saintess nor Senior Elsie were in a position to be my partner anyway.
And so, I was about to readily accept the Princess’s proposal.
If not for the cold sensation that suddenly gripped my hand.
It was Seria’s hand.
“…Senior?”
My junior was smiling, but I knew.
I knew this was a polite warning.
Seria had come here under orders from her family to claim me ‘by any means necessary.’ I didn't think she would go as far as to touch royalty, but with her, you never knew.
This was Seria, after all.
If Seria laid a hand on the Princess, a catastrophe was guaranteed.
It wouldn't just be Seria; it would escalate into a massive incident involving the Princess and Senior Delphine as well.
Realizing this, a drop of cold sweat rolled down my back.
What should I do?
As I was wavering—
“Senior Yurdina?”
At the low call, Seria’s blue eyes slowly turned.
The gaze she directed at the Princess was nothing short of frigid. It was a look that blatantly signaled her intent to cut down anyone who kept getting in her way.
Yet, the Princess didn't flinch in the slightest.
In fact, she wore a triumphant smile, as if she had expected this.
Soon, the Princess reached into her robes and pulled something out.
“…Ta-da!”
It was a doll made in my likeness.
To my eyes, it was a perfectly ordinary object. Above all, if it was a doll that looked like me, Seria surely already owned dozens of them.
In the end, do I have to step in?
As I sighed and turned my gaze away, I witnessed a shocking sight.
“Ah, ahh…!”
Seria’s eyes were wide with shock.
She was so startled that she had even covered her mouth with both hands. Her uncontrollably trembling pupils betrayed her utter astonishment.
Why on earth?
But there was no one to answer my question.
The Princess simply smirked with an air of superiority.
“As expected of Senior Yurdina… You recognized this rare limited edition immediately!”
“H-how much?!”
Seria asked back with a desperate voice.
Her trembling hands were already fumbling inside her robes. She looked like an addict who had just discovered a rare stash.
She looked ready to pay whatever price was demanded.
“To think… to think one was still left… This is an early work made to commemorate the exploits during the Homecoming Festival! I heard only three were ever made as prototypes…!”
“Hehe, that’s right. This very item is one of those three limited editions.”
At the Princess’s subtle persuasion, Seria grew even more frantic.
It was just as Seria, unable to endure any longer, pulled out an entire pouch of gold coins.
“…By any chance, were you planning to partner with Sir Ian for the Holy Night Festival?”
Seria’s movements froze.
Like a broken automaton.
“I have more than enough gold myself. There is one condition I want, but… well, never mind.”
“Ah, ugh, hnn…”
With every word the Princess spoke, beads of cold sweat began to form on Seria’s forehead.
It was a sight she hadn't even shown when facing the Agent of the Evil God.
“Then again, I suppose Senior Seria is also aiming for that ‘superstition,’ right? The one that says a man and woman who pair up for the Holy Night Festival will see their relationship progress afterward… Hehe, though it’s nothing more than a superstition, isn't it? This doll, however, is real and eternal.”
“Ugh, ah, uuuuuugh…!”
By now, Seria’s pupils were spinning, unable to find focus.
It meant her brain was overheating. I could only let out a hollow laugh at the absurdity of it all.
What was so special about that doll?
But to Seria, a doll that resembled me seemed to hold value beyond imagination.
“…Please.”
“Yes?”
The Princess tilted her head, feigning ignorance.
Seria’s body was trembling violently. She looked incredibly frustrated, but the tide had already turned.
In the end, Seria had to raise her voice through tears.
“Give it to me! I’ll… I’ll let you have the Holy Night Festival!”
Everything went smoothly after that.
The Princess handed over the doll with a satisfied smile, and Seria hugged it to her chest as if finally finding peace.
“T-thank goodness… I was missing exactly one.”
She was so happy that there were even tears glistening at the corners of her eyes.
I shook my head and turned my gaze toward Emma. She was the only one here who might sympathize with my feelings.
Emma had already approached the Princess and was whispering in her ear.
“Um, Your Highness? By any chance, are there any of those dolls left?”
Right. I see.
I decided to stop thinking.
And then, the day of the Holy Night Festival arrived.
The Princess, who had arrived at the banquet hall with an excited face, was soon met with an unexpected obstacle.
It was a girl with striking black hair and golden eyes.
The moment the Princess saw her, her face turned pale. After the girl whispered a few words into her ear, the Princess looked visibly discouraged, her shoulders drooping in defeat.
I didn't know the circumstances, but she looked truly pitiful.
However, the time I spent paying attention to the Princess was extremely brief.
Instead, I had to focus all my attention on the girl who was gracefully approaching me. Upon reaching me, the girl held her skirt with both hands and curtsied politely.
“Shall we dance, then? My wonderful knight.”
I remained silent for a moment.
I agonized over what to say.
Then, my hand gripped the hilt of the sword hanging at my waist.
“Are you insane? Do you realize where you are, how dare you…!”
At the threat that escaped my throat in a rough rasp, the girl simply giggled.
No one else noticed.
But I knew. I knew this girl’s true identity.
“Don’t be like that, Oppa…”
Her golden eyes burned alone in the air.
It was an intense gaze, as if sucking in all the light in the world.
“Today is the day for lovers to pair up, isn't it?”
On this holy night, an uninvited guest had arrived.
Her name was ‘Greed.’