Chapter 4
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 4
Chapter Title: Ah, This Is Intense
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The first thing he saw was her clear face.
Transparent skin without a trace of makeup, clean and bright blue eyes.
Long golden hair tousled and loose, eyes trembling faintly.
Cheeks flushed with a reddish tint, plump pink lips.
The Chloe he'd seen that morning had been prim, bright, and full of energy, but the Chloe before him now looked disheveled, a touch precarious.
"Wh...what's the matter?"
At the tremor in her voice, Tail stared blankly at Chloe for a moment before snapping back to his senses.
"Ah. Yes. I came to speak with you briefly."
Chloe gazed at Tail for a second, then offered a faint smile.
"Ah. Well, come in, then. It's cold outside..."
Tail froze at her words.
It felt like his brain had short-circuited.
'Me, alone in this tiny tent with her?'
The tent was unmistakably small, no matter who looked at it.
This meant he'd have to press right up against Chloe.
His heart itched incessantly, followed by a flood of improper thoughts that made it impossible for him to step inside easily.
What if something really happened with Chloe in there?
'Get a grip. You're here to make the coin skyrocket, not become the coin itself.'
Hoo.
He took a deep breath to steady himself.
Closing his eyes briefly, he snapped them open again and thought,
'But if it does happen, what should we name the kid?'
A simple wedding, and for the child's name, they could each contribute one syllable from theirs.
With that in mind, he slowly stepped inside.
"Huh?"
The interior was surprisingly spacious.
No, spacious didn't even begin to cover it.
'This is practically a palace.'
It felt like he'd stumbled into a secret two-story house.
The clean interior was adorned everywhere with jewels and gold plating, filled with obviously expensive furniture throughout the vast space.
'I couldn't figure out why the nobles were using the tents they brought...'
This wasn't just any tent, was it?
Even a major tycoon's home might not be this luxurious.
As he stood there with his mouth slightly agape, taking it all in, Chloe approached.
"It's flashy, isn't it?"
"Yes. It's a truly beautiful home."
Though for some reason, a pang of regret tugged at him.
At Tail's response, Chloe's droopy puppy-like eyes sank a little further.
She smiled sadly and said,
"...My father had this made for me so I could escape if needed."
Tail knew exactly who that 'father' was.
'Probably the emperor of this empire.'
But Tail replied calmly,
"I'm jealous."
"Pardon?"
Chloe's eyes widened at his words.
"To have such a caring father."
Parents who could gild everything on a whim like this.
He really envied their wealth and status.
But Chloe, hearing it firsthand, fell silent.
Silence fell.
Tick-tock, tick-tock.
Only the sound of the clock echoed.
Suddenly coming to herself, Chloe spoke first.
"Oh, right. You said you had something to say..."
Tail smiled faintly at her words.
"You seem like you haven't been sleeping well these past few days. Helping with your worries is part of our duties."
Chloe hesitated at Tail's words.
After a pause, she slowly spoke.
"Tail..."
She hesitated a moment longer before continuing.
"The truth is... my father is on the battlefield."
Her eyes grew misty.
"But... will Father make it back alive?"
She cried out desperately.
"Can... can our country win?"
Tears welled up in her clear eyes.
"Please. Please, just tell me."
She trembled pitifully.
Struggling not to cry, she evoked a pure, heartbreaking fragility.
Tail watched her silently for a moment, then took her hand.
"God hears Chloe's heartfelt plea and will protect your father."
Tail chuckled inwardly.
God, my ass.
'There's no such thing as God.'
If there were, after seeing all my hard work, it wouldn't have let me die like that.
'But one thing I do know.'
The flow of this novel that Yerin told me about.
'This country doesn't fall.'
That's why he could take this stance—as a capital monk.
'If I pretend to pray while using the skill, she won't sense it as one.'
The plan was perfect.
Tail's warm hand enveloped hers.
"So don't worry. God will handle everything."
Tail immediately assumed a praying posture.
And slowly circulated his mana.
To activate the skill right away.
"Our Father who looks down upon the world, your servant offers this prayer."
At that moment, Chloe felt a warm energy spreading through her body.
Warmth filling her, her whole being brimming.
Like being cradled in her mother's arms after so long.
Lulled by the sensation, her eyes drifted shut unwittingly.
Just before they closed completely, Tail murmured softly, still holding her hand.
"Please let Chloe sleep well tonight."
With those words, Chloe fell fast asleep.
A faint light twinkled in the darkness.
Chirp chirp chirp!
Clear birdsong reached her ears.
"Mm..."
Chloe let out a soft groan and shifted slightly.
'Morning already?'
She slowly opened her eyes and sat up.
"Huh? Did I fall asleep slumped over my desk?"
All night in that position?
Yet astonishingly, despite the uncomfortable posture, she felt more refreshed than usual.
Her mind was as clear as a bright blue sky, leaving Chloe stunned for a moment.
Had she ever slept this deeply?
The deep slumber she'd fallen into after so long was utterly sweet.
It even made her mistake her long-lost 'happiness' for something nearby.
'Was it Tail?'
Recalling last night, Chloe's cheeks flushed.
It was the first time.
She'd ever opened her heart like that.
Even behind her ever-present mask of smiles, she had to keenly read every situation with her eyes.
Exposing emotions, expressing them—they were forbidden.
She simply had to be the kind, gentle imperial princess who smiled through anything.
In this precarious reality, not even a peaceful night was allowed her.
Yet she had to act as if nothing was wrong.
Because she was the imperial princess.
Because she had to be the ideal one.
She tried.
She gave it her all.
But the weight of the title 'imperial princess' was crushing.
Even bearing it with gritted teeth, last night was the first time she'd stumbled—right after Tail visited.
Fear that her country might vanish.
Fear that her father might die.
Fear that everything would end in ruin.
To her, sleepless amid crashing waves of anxiety, he had extended a hand.
He hadn't pitied her flowing tears.
He'd simply granted her peaceful sleep.
"Maybe it's because he's a capital monk—he's different."
Murmuring softly, Chloe smiled brightly.
Not the mask smile she always wore, but one bubbling up genuinely from within.
"Thanks to you, I can make the most of today."
With that, she slowly rose from her seat.
As usual, Tail and Chloe sat in a corner of the monastery building, sharing snacks with the workers.
"Tail, have some of this."
Just like always, Chloe offered Tail a snack, and he took it casually, popping it into his mouth.
As she kept handing him more based on his eating pace, the nearby workers chuckled appreciatively.
"Chloe really takes extra good care of Tail, doesn't she?"
"Haha, yeah. Even with a guy like that, she's got a big heart."
As the workers geared up to tease like lovesick matchmakers, Chloe looked a bit embarrassed.
"Oh, come on, no. It's just that Tail helped me out recently..."
One of the workers, an older man, cut her off, eyes widening.
"Helped you? That guy?"
"Yes? Yeah..."
"No way. He didn't ask you for money or anything, did he? That one's not the type to help for free."
"Oh, Charles, really. Tail just helped me out of pure kindness."
"Huh..."
Tail smirked inwardly at the worker's disbelief.
'Not for free, no. This is all an investment.'
From then on, Tail visited Chloe's tent every night.
Pretending to pray, he used his skill.
Her baby fat melted away, her dark circles faded, and vitality returned to her.
'Perfect! The coin's pumping hard!'
That alone put Tail in high spirits.
He wouldn't let remarks like that slide.
That was when it hit him.
'Ah. Hold on.'
Tail furrowed his brow.
A fishy smell in the air, different from usual.
Faint tremors rippling through the ground.
He felt it. The vibe was coming.
"Ah, this is intense."
Chloe, sitting beside him, tilted her head.
"What's wrong? Something happen?"
As Chloe cocked her head curiously, Tail replied softly,
"Nothing's happened yet."
The problem is, something's about to.