Chapter 9
Chapter 9
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 9
Chapter Title: The Princess Arrives
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The woman passed lightly by Beth's side. As if Beth had never been there in the first place. The woman's eyes were fixed solely on Dever.
"How did you end up in such a dangerous place?"
"Nexus's fate lies here. How could I stay away?"
Looking up at him from around chest height, her flushed face would have seemed utterly endearing to anyone. But Dever simply took a step back.
Dever's gaze shifted to Beth, who was still standing off in the distance. Beth, who had been staring blankly at the two of them, noticed his look and abruptly turned away. Her ears turned bright red at the realization that she'd lingered there so awkwardly.
Dever watched Beth hurry off with her basket, then turned back to the woman before him.
Golden blonde hair and blue eyes. A face that resembled someone he knew.
"Oh, there's blood here."
The woman's hand reached toward Dever's face. The artificial floral scent she'd been exuding grew even stronger as she drew near.
"Ah."
Dever reflexively turned his head away, leaving her hand hanging in the air. In that fleeting moment, the woman's face, which had been beaming like sunshine, turned icy cold.
But before Dever could notice, her blue eyes curved into gentle crescent moons.
"I'm sorry, Dever. I forgot you hate this sort of thing."
The woman carefully lowered her eyes and took a step back from him. It was a picture of such pure innocence that any man seeing it would have scolded Dever for failing to appreciate the delicate heart of a lovely lady.
Dever roughly wiped his cheek with a hand that was still damp from water and brushed past her.
"Let me show you to Arthur."
"Thank you."
Her red lips smoothly took up his words. The face following behind him was filled with composure.
"Oh, Raphaelle!"
"It's been too long. How have you been?"
Madam Molly, who had been checking charts, lit up and welcomed Raphaelle. Raphaelle, in turn, embraced the madam without hesitation, as if greeting a close relative.
In the ward where wounded soldiers lay in filthy disarray everywhere, Raphaelle stood out like someone from another world in her pristine white cape coat.
"How did you make it here? It's dangerous."
"I knew the way here was all through our occupied zones. And..."
Raphaelle glanced at Arthur. His expression was stiffer than ever.
How amusing. Raphaelle flashed a bright smile at him.
"My brother's hurt. I had to come. And there's someone I wanted to see."
"Oh, uh, r-really?"
Madam Molly glanced awkwardly at Dever in response to Raphaelle's bold words, but Dever acted as if it were none of his concern.
"I was hoping we could have a meal together, but I need to head back before sunset. Such a shame."
"No, that's fine. I plan to stay the night here. The ladies of Nexus are working so hard in a place like this—feels wrong for me to sit idly in Wayne as if there's no war on."
"Raphaelle!"
Unable to hold back, Arthur shouted.
"You can't yell in a place where patients need rest."
Raphaelle patted his chest as if to calm him.
"Let's have a meal together, the four of us. It's been ages."
"Sounds good. But I'm busy right now—let's catch up later, Raphaelle."
Their conversation cut short as nurses called for Madam Molly here and there. Arthur clenched his teeth and muttered under his breath.
"Look at me."
Arthur grabbed Raphaelle's wrist roughly and dragged her out of the hospital.
She followed obediently through the corridors, but the moment they reached the deserted back entrance, she yanked her hand away irritably. Her pale face was etched with annoyance, nothing like the person she'd been around Dever.
"What do you think you're doing?"
Raphaelle's sharp voice stabbed at him.
"You tell me—what stunt are you trying to pull coming here? Do you have any idea what this place is?"
"I'm not here to see you, so quit making a fuss."
"Does His Majesty know?"
"You think His Majesty cares about someone like me? Whether I meet someone or fire off shots somewhere, the Emperor couldn't care less. Don't worry your pretty little head."
"Please, just live quietly for once!"
Veins bulged on Arthur's neck as if they might burst. But Raphaelle's voice, unlike her brother's, remained eerily calm.
"Do you want me to rot away quietly in some back room of the palace like Mother did?"
"Don't say that."
Arthur's eyes wavered.
"Then don't you go lecturing me about behaving myself. I'll find my own bowl of rice."
"Why Dever, of all people? There are plenty of fine nobles out there. If you want, I can even arrange a marriage with foreign royalty. I'll talk to His Majesty."
Raphaelle let out a long sigh and looked at Arthur. Her eyes brimmed with pity.
That's why you're just a sheltered young master.
Her sharp index finger poked his shoulder repeatedly.
"I'm going to be Nexus's greatest woman. Not second or third—first."
Arthur looked down into eyes so like his own. Venom flowed thickly in those blue depths.
What the hell made you like this?
"Unless you're going to become Emperor and put me on the throne as Empress, keep your nose out of it—whether I want Dever or some mutt from the back hills."
Raphaelle turned and left after saying her piece.
Arthur watched her go. Someone recognized her from afar and called out a greeting. His sister returned it with an angelic smile.
"Ha."
A futile frustration gripped his throat.
Raphaelle returned and stood blankly in the middle of the bustling ward, as if demanding someone pay attention to her. Unable to stand it, Madam Molly asked Dever, who was heading back to the barracks, to give her a tour of the hospital.
She'd come looking for Arthur, but he was nowhere to be seen. The nurses couldn't leave their posts, so it was the only option. Still, they couldn't let a princess wander around unescorted.
Dever showed Raphaelle around the hospital, which held nothing worth seeing. It was absurd to think there was anything to introduce in a military hospital, but at the lady's request, he complied without complaint.
Raphaelle followed silently until her steps suddenly halted.
She stood on tiptoe, peering through the small window in the iron door. Her eyes sparkled.
"What's in here?"
Beyond the tiny glass pane, someone wrapped head to toe in bandages on shoulders and legs lay like a corpse.
It was the isolation room of the Imperial Guard who'd caused trouble just before Raphaelle arrived—thanks to Dever.
"Oh, that must hurt so much."
Raphaelle looked up at Dever with an innocent expression. It was a cunning face clearly demanding an explanation.
In truth, she already knew.
In a battlefield where every bed was precious, to isolate someone and post a guard at the door? Had to be an enemy soldier or a spy.
"A spy."
Dever's voice was dry.
"Pathetic. To betray Nexus like that. Planning to execute him?"
There was no fear or hesitation in Raphaelle's voice.
Only then did Dever, who'd been looking straight ahead, turn to the princess. Unlike Beth, who'd paled at his actions, Raphaelle somehow looked excited.
"Probably."
"You should. It maintains discipline in the ranks. I like this decisive side of you."
Raphaelle smiled faintly at Dever, then walked a few steps ahead. In contrast, Dever's steps slowed markedly. That insignificant woman, Beth, kept getting under his skin.
The way her steps had halted at the back entrance when she saw him. Her weary face. Yet those pitch-black eyes brimming with clear resentment.
Why had she called his name then? Was she trying to make some lame excuse? For whatever reason.
Feeling Dever not following, Raphaelle turned back. His eyes stared not at her, but into empty space, lost in thought.
Raphaelle's lips, which had been curved prettily the whole time with him, twisted subtly.
Fine. This is enough. Even Raphaelle was growing tired of dragging around a Dever who showed no interest.
"I need to go to the nurses' quarters. Thank you for the tour, Dever."
Only when Raphaelle, fed up, spoke first did Dever look at her. He bowed neatly, as if he'd never been distracted, the picture of perfect professionalism.
"Arrogant."
In the empty stairwell, Raphaelle's resentful whisper lingered.
"Aines."
"Raphaelle?"
Aines's eyes widened as she was changing out of her stained nurse's uniform. Aines was one of the noble daughters who'd played with Raphaelle as a child.
"What brings you here?"
"Heard everyone was suffering here, so I came. And my brother's injured."
Raphaelle plopped down on the bed with a pout.
"Just staying one night. That's okay, right?"
"Of course. But everyone's so busy—you'll be alone a lot. You sure?"
"Yeah."
Raphaelle looked around the sparse room.
Worn beds crammed together, personal baskets by each one serving as closets. Everyone was too busy with their duties to greet her first.
Aines was the only noble lady who'd endured in this battlefield hospital. The commoner nurses, scraping by just to survive, had no reason to recognize the princess's face.
"Introduce me?"
Raphaelle spoke kindly.
"Aines! Tonight we can finish what we—"
Dixie burst in boisterously but fell silent at the unexpected guest. Beth, following behind, noticed Dixie's sudden quiet and looked to Aines.
"This is Princess Raphaelle. She's staying just for today."
"Ah, g-greetings, Your Highness."
Dixie quickly grabbed her skirt and curtsied. Raphaelle simply sat on the bed, watching.
"This is Dixie Coleman. The youngest daughter of Mr. Coleman, who runs a big shipping business at the docks."
Raphaelle nodded knowingly. She vaguely recalled the name from the society pages.
In rapidly modernizing Nexus, magnates like the Colemans were forming a new class of their own.
Lowborn scum, even so. Raphaelle swallowed a sneer and spoke.
"I figured she was from a count's or marquis's family since she's so close with you. No ranks here, huh? All chummy regardless?"
Dixie's face flushed at Raphaelle's barbed words. The soft tone masked it, but the meaning was clear: slumming it without regard for station?
Seemingly oblivious to the awkward air she'd created, Raphaelle's eyes calmly shifted to Beth, who'd followed them in.
"And this is Beth Jens. A friend from nursing school."
'Beth.'
The woman Dever called.
"Have I seen her in society?"
"Oh, no, Beth's not from nobility. But she was top of the class the whole time at nursing school. Impressive, right?"
Aines hurriedly added praise, but Raphaelle wasn't listening.
"She has a mouth—why's Aines speaking for her?"
No mouth? An awkward silence blanketed the room.
Aines floundered in panic, while Dixie, intimidated into silence, shot Aines a displeased look screaming, What's her problem?
Those icy blue eyes scanned each face in the room.
No way.
A red velvet lace glove rose to Raphaelle's mouth.
"Oh, she really can't speak?"
It was enough to cover her lusciously upturned lips.