Chapter 71: The Direwolf and Desmond
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 71: The Direwolf and Desmond
“Yeah, go heal the injured people.”
“Okay.”
Nathaniel nodded with a smile and approached the knights. I watched him with anxious eyes.
“Ugh…”
“Heal.”
Nathaniel spoke calmly, reaching out his hand. Soon, a brilliant white light erupted from his palm.
“I-It’s Divine Power!”
“Good heavens. Was that child a priest?”
“A child that young…”
To everyone’s surprise, Nathaniel’s Divine Power quickly mended the wounds of the injured. The nobles, already frantic from the chaos, were now utterly dazed by the miraculous sight.
“I did everything Dia told me to do.”
“Mm-hmm! Good job.”
Nathaniel returned to my side and spoke with a docile air. I stood on my tiptoes and patted his head.
“My goodness, Niel. Did you really do that?”
“Yes.”
A stunned Veronica grabbed Nathaniel’s shoulders and asked, as if she couldn’t believe her own eyes.
Nathaniel nodded without a hint of fluster. Veronica was left speechless, unable to find any more words.
‘You said you were good at blocking it. How did it end up exploding like that?’
[Ugh, this is unfair! I was definitely erasing it! It’s all because of that demonic beast that’s nothing but a corpse!]
‘A corpse?’
At Luers’ resentful words, I whipped my head around. Perhaps because the situation was still so chaotic, no one was paying attention to the Direwolf, the source of the explosion.
The cage that had held the Direwolf was shattered from the blast, and the creature lay sprawled inside.
‘It looks surprisingly intact for something that exploded.’
[It seems its wounds were healed by that brat’s Divine Power earlier.]
‘Is it really dead?’
[It is.]
Nathaniel’s Divine Power was truly admirable. If I hadn’t known the demons had already killed the Direwolf, I would have mistaken it for being alive.
‘Hmm? Wait a minute.’
If the Direwolf looks that intact, wouldn’t it be possible to use the corpse secretly without anyone knowing?
The moment that thought crossed my mind, Desmond’s voice echoed in my head.
[Master! Give that to me!]
‘You want to go into that Direwolf’s body?’
[Yes! A Direwolf is a high-ranking demonic beast, so it’s the perfect vessel for my physical form!]
Desmond shouted loudly, unable to hide his excitement. I nodded at his words.
‘Fine, then get in quickly.’
[Understood!]
I felt a little bit of regret. Desmond was the first demon I had contracted with, and his teddy bear body had actually suited him quite well.
While secretly thinking that Desmond would throw a fit if he knew, I was absentmindedly hugging the now-limp teddy bear when it happened.
“What is the meaning of this?”
“Hick, Your Majesty!”
“...!”
Turning my head, I saw Dantalion standing there with a scowl, holding a bouquet of white flowers. Upon spotting a pale-faced Veronica, he tossed the bouquet aside and ran to her.
“Berry, are you alright?”
“Your Majesty, that is…”
“What on earth happened here, hmm?”
Dantalion pressed Veronica for answers in his shock, yet he never lost his tenderness. To anyone watching, he looked like a man desperately worried about the woman he loved.
“Oh my, His Majesty came all the way here…”
“It seems he came secretly without even telling the Ducal Lady.”
“I had no idea he was such a romantic.”
Perhaps because of that, even though the situation was hardly appropriate, the young ladies nearby murmured with dazed expressions. They all looked at Veronica with envy.
“There was a small accident, Your Majesty.”
“An accident?”
“Yes. The demonic beast I received as a gift from Lady Chernoke…”
“You received a demonic beast as a gift?”
Dantalion’s face contorted in a flash as he whipped his head around. His sharp gaze landed on the broken cage.
“Is it this beast?”
“Grrr…”
Dantalion glared at the Direwolf with terrifying eyes. The problem was that the one currently inside that body wasn’t a real Direwolf, but Desmond.
Shring.
“...!”
In his agitation, Dantalion even drew his sword. Terrified, I ran forward.
“Nooo! You can’t!”
“Dia, it’s dangerous, so come away from there.”
“No! The wolfie didn’t do anything wrong!”
I desperately blocked Dantalion. As I stood in front of the Direwolf, waving both hands, Dantalion looked troubled and lowered his sword.
“Dia!”
Veronica rushed over in an instant and scooped me up. Holding me tight, she spoke to Dantalion in a calm tone.
“Your Majesty, the Direwolf is evidence of the explosion. Rather than eliminating it, it would be better to keep it alive to find the cause of the blast.”
“I see. I wasn’t thinking clearly.”
At Veronica’s words, Dantalion immediately sheathed his sword. Then, reaching out, he caressed Veronica’s pale cheek.
“I think I was just so angry at the thought that I might have lost you.”
“Your Majesty…”
“...”
Blegh, they’re really at it.
Since I hadn’t been much of a fan of romance even in my past life, I watched the two of them being all lovey-dovey with cold eyes.
However, as expected, the young ladies were beside themselves with joy, watching with envious gazes.
Well, I suppose this kind of display also appeals to the people of the allied families. The more Veronica is showered with the Emperor’s love, the more solid her position will become.
“Take the Direwolf away and investigate it.”
“Yes, Sire!”
At Dantalion’s command, the garden began to be quickly tidied up. Desmond, inside the Direwolf, shouted in a panic.
[Ma-Master! These guys are dragging me away!]
‘Just bear with it for a bit. Once they find there’s no problem, I’ll beg them to give it to me.’
[You must take me back quickly. Do you understand?]
‘I got it.’
Since only a corpse would remain if Desmond left the Direwolf’s body, being separated for a while was unavoidable.
I waved my hand toward the receding Desmond, shouting urgently.
“Your Majesty!”
“Yes?”
“Can Dia have that wolfie?”
“The wolf?”
“Yes. Its fur is red and pretty, just like my friend.”
I smiled brightly while holding up the teddy bear that Desmond had vacated. At that, Veronica and Dantalion looked troubled.
“Well, that’s…”
“Pleeease? Dia wants to be friends with that wolfie.”
“But…”
It wasn’t a small puppy or a kitten, but a demonic beast. Moreover, wasn’t it the primary suspect behind the explosion that just occurred?
Naturally, they couldn’t leave such a thing by the side of the Winston family’s precious Little Lady. Furthermore, once Veronica and Dantalion married, I would become the Empire’s only Imperial Princess.
‘Still, if I keep pestering them, they’ll give in.’
I curled the corners of my mouth upward, thinking wicked thoughts. So far, there was nothing I hadn’t achieved by begging.
“What should we do? It’s not just any wolf, but a Direwolf…”
“Can’t we find a similar-looking one?”
“It seems Dia is already set on that beast.”
Veronica and Dantalion whispered in low voices. Listening to them, I realized that the moment was finally here.
“Everything is ready.”
“Mm, alright.”
Before I knew it, the garden had been restored to its former pristine state. Dantalion put his arm around Veronica’s shoulder and addressed the nobles.
“You must have all been startled. I offer my apologies on her behalf. I hope you enjoy the rest of your time here.”
“We are humbled, Your Majesty.”
Fortunately, the startled nobles regained their composure thanks to Dantalion’s appearance.
Soon, the servants even retrieved and brought back the bouquet Dantalion had tossed aside.
“Now that I think about it, I haven’t properly proposed in front of everyone.”
Dantalion said with a bashful face as he took the bouquet. Indeed, there hadn’t been many witnesses when he made his grand proposal at the Imperial Palace recently.
“Will you marry me? Lady Veronica Winston.”
Dantalion spoke in a serious voice, holding out the bouquet. Veronica’s face turned red.
“Yes, of course…”
Veronica smiled shyly and reached for the bouquet. However, I moved faster.
“Yes! I’d love to!”
“Oh my.”
Having snatched Dantalion’s bouquet on Veronica’s behalf, I beamed brightly. At that, everyone present burst into laughter.
“The Little Lady is quite mischievous.”
“How adorable.”
“It’s a relief that His Majesty also cherishes the Little Lady so much.”
The three of us, smiling at each other, looked like a perfect family to anyone watching.
In truth, to Dantalion, I was no different from a stranger. But perhaps because he had clearly shown the nobles how much he cherished me, the gazes directed my way became much warmer.
“By the way, did you say this child healed the knights?”
Dantalion finally showed interest in Nathaniel. For some reason, Nathaniel was biting his lip firmly, looking tense.