The Swordmaster Wants to Fall in Love! 52. I Hate Politics, So I'll Run Away
Her hair was so sleek it seemed oiled, a glossy black cascade. Her skin was nearly white from years of avoiding the sun, and her unadorned, neglected features had been transformed by the royal maids' makeup.
Layered with Carnelly's own gloomy aura, the result was surprisingly ethereal — a princess wreathed in mystery.
Evan let out an involuntary gasp at the Carnelly who had changed so dramatically overnight.
"Wow... Are you really Carnelly?"
"Y-yes. That's... right."
"It's amazing. Is this alchemy too?"
"T-that's..."
"You don't usually go around looking like this."
"It's a woman's alchemy, Swordmaster."
Elenoa answered on Carnelly's behalf, since the transformed girl was too flustered to speak for herself.
When Evan turned his head to meet her gaze, Elenoa offered a graceful, princess-like greeting.
"Long time no see. I hope you've been well."
"Yes. It's been a while, Your Highness."
"Oh my, isn't this the second time? You can call me Elenoa, you know. No need for formality."
"Ah... then, Elenoa-ssi?"
"No need for -ssi either."
"...Elenoa."
"N-no need for that either...!"
Evan felt a strange, unnameable emotion at the fact that he was addressing a princess's name without any honorifics. It felt like he had somehow become a very important person.
He knew being the Swordmaster was impressive, but speaking casually to royalty was a truly special experience. Even the heroes in fairy tales used honorifics when addressing nobility, after all.
While Evan smiled to himself with quiet satisfaction, Elenoa glanced past him and locked eyes with the 1st Prince sitting at the same table.
"—What are you doing here, big brother?"
"I was speaking with the Swordmaster."
"I never heard of our busy prince having time for casual conversation in a place like this! And besides, didn't you already have lunch earlier?"
"Huh? Your Highness, you already ate? But you said you hadn't eaten earlier..."
"I'm still growing. No matter how much I eat, I'm always hungry."
Elshadai smiled faintly at Elenoa's pointed question and answered as if nothing were amiss.
Evan nodded, thinking that made sense. Wasn't he always hungry too? Anya had once wondered why he never gained weight, given how much he ate.
"E-Evan...!"
"Ah, yes. Carnelly-ssi."
"N-no need for honorifics... C-Carnelly is fine...!"
"Okay. Carnelly."
"Hiiiiiit...!?"
Carnelly let out a strange groan and collapsed onto her chair. Evan tilted his head, wondering what she was doing, while she blushed furiously and panted hot breaths. Then she raised a finger and pointed at him.
"O-one more time..."
"Carnelly."
"Kyaaah-!"
Ignoring her as she buried her face in the table and trembled, Evan turned his gaze to Elenoa, who had already seated herself and was chatting with the 1st Prince.
"Growing pains. To have grown that much by your age — I'm truly envious. I wish my chest would grow more too."
"You're already beautiful enough. You could marry right now if you wanted."
"I'm planning to marry the Swordmaster here. Is that okay? Evan?"
"Y-yes? Um... would the Spear King approve...?"
"If Evan says it's fine, who's going to object? Right?"
Evan looked at Elenoa, who had suddenly called his name, and finally understood why Carnelly had let out that strange scream moments ago.
His heart was pounding wildly just from the situation of an attractive woman calling his name. And the familiarity — something he'd never felt from other women — the casual way she dropped honorifics and spoke to him directly, it sent waves of fluttering through his chest.
"—Elenoa. Do not trouble the Swordmaster."
"Trouble? Where in the world is someone who would reject a beauty like me? Evan likes me too, doesn't he?"
"If it's just Elenoa..."
"...Swordmaster. A woman's appearance is not everything. Especially not my sister's."
The 1st Prince spoke those words while looking at Evan. The die was already cast. His weakness was women. If he'd known this, he should have put her in a room full of maids and melted her down slowly instead of trying to charm her with words.
But regretting it now was useless. The 1st Prince immediately changed his approach.
"You dressed up Miss Carnelly like this and brought her here, claiming you'd take the Swordmaster for yourself. How pitiful for her."
"Oh, it's fine. We're friends, right? Aren't we, Carnelly?"
"...We're not friends."
"Eee~ That's so mean~ I did your makeup and brought you to see Evan's face like this~"
"B-but. I came because the princess ordered it, and honestly, our personalities don't match — just being around you makes it hard to breathe..."
"If you're friends with me, you can marry Evan!"
"...Even without that, Evan is already mine."
Evan watched the two of them, a dry laugh escaping him as he realized he was being traded back and forth without even giving his permission.
He couldn't understand what was going on. Elenoa, Carnelly, and the 1st Prince — what were they all doing?
'Ah, so this is what they mean by royal politics, with hundreds of vipers lurking beneath the surface.'
Evan, who had learned absolutely nothing about political science, couldn't grasp what intentions or hidden motives lay behind their words.
But one thing was clear: they all wanted him, and they were all trying to use him to screw over the others.
If he refused to be taken by one of them, that alone would be a major blow to the others.
"—Carnelly."
"Y-yes!? W-what's wrong?"
"Let's go. We're done eating."
Evan knew exactly how to escape this situation. It was very simple.
Just get away from it. Run from an uncomfortable situation.
And indeed, when Evan led Carnelly out of the dining hall, the prince and princess could only watch him go with blank expressions.
"E-Evan...?"
"Ah—sorry."
Once they were out of the dining hall, Evan realized he had been holding Carnelly's hand and let go.
Carnelly paused, staring intently at her own hand, then slowly began rubbing her palm.
"He-hehe~ Evan held my hand... I'll never wash it again... ever..."
"...Wash it a little."
"Y-yes! I'll wash it clean! Just not my palm!"
"If you smell bad next time we meet, I won't hold your hand."
"...H-huh?"
Carnelly thought for a moment about what Evan had said, then her eyes lit up as she understood.
In other words, he would hold her hand again next time too. Carnelly's eyes trembled wildly, and she gathered her courage to grab Evan's hand first.
"I-I can't hold it right now...?"
"...Just this time."
Evan said that and took Carnelly's hand. Carnelly felt a bit puzzled by Evan's sudden kindness, but at the same time, she understood why he was acting this way.
'It's really true...'
Princess Elenoa, who had done Carnelly's makeup, had said that makeup alone could completely change a man's behavior.
It had sounded dubious, but she had no choice but to try it under the princess's orders... and when Evan saw her transformed face, he was far kinder to her than he had ever been before.
Her makeup had truly changed Evan's behavior.
'I've really changed.'
There was only one reason a man's behavior would change.
He had started seeing her as a woman.
Compared to the past, when he hadn't even known she was a woman — this was an enormous change.
She had gained this change. She would never let it go. With that thought, Carnelly gripped Evan's hand tightly. Evan tilted his head, wondering if something was wrong, at the sudden strength of her grip.
"Y-yeah, nothing."
She couldn't tell him with words that she was so happy Evan saw her as a woman that her skirt was getting wet.
Truly, it was a pity.
"Welcome! This is my workshop!"
Carnelly was gloomy and timid outside, but in her own workshop, she was a brave lord.
Arriving at her workshop, Carnelly let out a relieved shout, feeling the comfort of being home.
Seeing her confident demeanor, Evan murmured with curiosity.
"What about earrings?"
"Ah, yes! Here..."
"I've never worn earrings before..."
"I-I'll put them on for you! Yeah!"
Carnelly, holding the earrings, slowly approached Evan and attached them to his ears. They weren't the kind that pierced the ear — they were magically adhered, so there was no pain.
Evan, with an earring on his left ear, looked at himself in the mirror and nodded with satisfaction.
"Looks good."
"I think so too...! S-so handsome! Evan!"
"Thank you, Carnelly. I don't really have anything to give you in return..."
"No! E-Evan coming to my workshop is thanks enough...!"
"Then, could I ask one more favor?"
"Anything!"
Carnelly answered confidently. She could do anything for him. Whether he asked her to make a new tool, lend him money, or even... give him her body...!
But what Evan asked for was none of those things.
"I want to go to the library. Where is it?"
"...The library?"
What library, all of a sudden? Carnelly thought, but she guided Evan to the library without any suspicion.
To where her only friend, Saya, was.
"Here!"
As soon as they entered the library, Carnelly shouted loudly, and Saya, the librarian, scowled sharply and glared at her.
Saya sighed, looked at Carnelly, and made a shushing gesture, demanding silence.
"—Librarian?"
Evan approached Saya.
And asked where the books with titles starting with the letter 'S' were.
But when Saya saw Evan's face, she couldn't give any answer at all.
"Librarian? Are you okay?"
"...Yes. Over there."
"Ah, thank you."
—
Watching Evan's retreating back from far away, Carnelly had a bad feeling creep into her mind.
Feeling suspicious, Carnelly cautiously approached Saya and asked.
"S-Saya? No way...? Y-you said you weren't interested in romance, right? Right...?"
"...Yes. I'm still not interested in romance."
Saya half-covered her face with a book and stole another glance at Evan's back. Seeing that, Carnelly realized her words were completely untrustworthy.
This was the look of a female in heat.