Chapter 17
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Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 17
Chapter Title: Protecting Joseph
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How had she not noticed it the last time they met?
Even considering that she'd only just entered Charlotte's body—a body with no internal energy to speak of, one that had never even attempted meditative breathing.
The flow of qi was in utter disarray.
This went far beyond a simple matter of poor health.
Every single day, it seemed like she was barely clinging together to keep herself from crumbling apart.
But contrary to her expectations, the Empress pressed Joseph even more harshly.
"Unwell? Do you have any idea how worried His Imperial Majesty is over that feigned illness you prattle on about every day? He corners every physician who's examined you and questions them endlessly."
"But I've never lied."
A feeble voice responded with calm composure.
"No. Lies spill from your mouth the moment you open it. You might fool Father, but you won't fool me."
"...So what is it you want to say?"
"In this Shadow Blade Day tournament, I'd like you to prove that illness of yours."
There was a momentary silence.
Joseph appeared to be choosing his words. His face twisted as he glared at the ground, then slowly raised his head to regard the hulking man standing silently nearby.
And then he spoke.
"Are you telling me to deliberately hold back against Brother Ricardo right now? With his pathetic skills?"
The burly man was apparently Second Prince Ricardo.
He raised a hand the size of Joseph's face high into the air.
"...How dare you mouth off like that!"
Thwack.
Even from a distance, the sound carried the full weight of a sincere blow. Joseph's fragile body, which already seemed too weak to even support itself, flew halfway into the air before crashing into a pile of grass.
Charlotte was so startled that she bolted from her hiding spot without a second thought about her cover.
The instant she burst from the bushes, she saw Second Prince Ricardo winding up to kick the fallen Joseph.
'Too far to make direct contact!'
Instead of aiming for his raised left foot, Charlotte directed a subtle burst of qi toward the foot planted on the ground for balance.
It was Finger Projectile Force—a standard technique any martial artist could perform without issue. Even unarmed, one could launch a small clump of qi from their fingertip.
"...Argh!"
The Finger Projectile Force struck Second Prince's right foot dead-on.
As if he'd tripped over a rock, Ricardo lost his balance and staggered.
In that split-second opening, Charlotte rushed forward to Joseph's side, spreading her arms wide to shield him.
"Who are you?!"
"What's going on?!"
Shing-.
Her sudden appearance prompted guards from all directions to draw their swords and level them at her.
Even that familiar, heavy rasp of steel felt oddly welcoming. Charlotte couldn't help but smile.
Having confirmed she was from a noble house, the guards held back from subduing her outright. Instead, they shot glances at Her Majesty the Empress, awaiting orders.
Charlotte seized the brief standoff to turn and check behind her.
There lay a black-haired boy curled up on the grass.
The very protagonist of the novel she'd been seeking.
Joseph had taken such a brutal hit that he couldn't even stand right away. He just groaned pitifully.
'...A child. Beating a kid that young and frail. Half-brother or not, it's worse than treating a stranger. Insane.'
Charlotte ground her teeth without realizing it.
It wasn't because she was a martial artist who couldn't stomach injustice.
During that endless year before Dohwa's death, when boredom filled her sickbed days, Third Prince Joseph in the novel had always shone like a beacon.
He'd toiled alone to restore the Cheiker Kingdom, ruined by his brother and the new Setia House Lord—scrambling desperately, rallying talents from everywhere.
In the story, it had come too late. The kingdom's depleted strength couldn't hold against invading neighbors, and he'd ended up the princess's prisoner...
Even so, his unyielding efforts right up to collapsing on the battlefield had been a tremendous comfort to her, bedridden and helpless.
That had to be why.
Why it burned her up inside to see clueless fools laying into Joseph like this.
Especially the Second Prince—the very one responsible for wrecking the kingdom.
"That girl..."
"The youngest of House Setia."
"Ah, that... the Setia family's little troublemaker, huh? Fearless one. Can't even tell when to butt in and when to stay out."
The Empress seemed to recognize Charlotte. She gave her a pitying look and lightly raised her hand.
The guards sheathed their swords in unison. Ricardo scowled and shook out his foot.
It had gone numb all of a sudden, like it'd been struck by a stone. Just his imagination?
The Empress shot a quick glance at Ricardo as he rubbed his foot, then fixed Charlotte with a glare.
"No matter how young you are—or how much the Setia Ducal House has contributed to the realm—acting so recklessly will get you in real trouble one day."
Ricardo scowled deeper.
"Mother, that Charlotte wench is acting way out of line..."
The Empress—with her striking purple hair—raised a hand to silence Ricardo.
The sight of Charlotte so brazenly guarding Joseph struck her as utterly ridiculous.
'What a fool, too stupid to realize House Setia backs the Second Prince. Clueless enough to barge in like that—probably on the verge of being disowned by her own family.'
The Empress clicked her tongue inwardly and turned away.
"Enough. Who would she run off to tattle to anyway? Come along. His Majesty must be waiting. You're the guest of honor tonight—can't have you missing."
"...But!"
"Ricardo."
Ricardo looked frustrated at not getting to torment Joseph further, but he couldn't budge against the Empress's low, commanding tone.
"You. If you cross my path for the time being, you'll end up just like Joseph. Watch yourself. Family ties won't save you from me."
He spat on the ground, shot a warning glare at Charlotte, and turned on his heel.
Only once Ricardo had turned away—and the other escorts began following the Empress and Ricardo—did Charlotte finally relax her taut nerves and stop scanning for a makeshift weapon.
'Still, the Setia Ducal House backs the Second Prince, huh. Hilarious.'
"...Ugh."
As she turned back, another groan rose from Joseph on the ground.
Charlotte dropped to her knees in a hurry.
Seeing him clutching his knees and whimpering was heartbreaking.
"You okay?"
When Charlotte asked quickly, a pained glare slipped through his long bangs.
"...You again?"
"I went out of my way to help, and that's the thanks I get?"
"Didn't you hear me last time? Stay away."
His response carried less the tone of an answer and more a strange undercurrent of anger.
But Charlotte let his irritated words slide off her.
No matter what he said, she couldn't just leave him writhing in pain.
Getting on the bad side of the Empress or Second Prince?
She didn't care.
If she'd worried about that, she never would've stepped in to begin with—letting someone get bullied and isolated right in front of her.
As Charlotte knelt and pulled Joseph toward her, grass stains bloomed on her knee-high white stockings and the white lace hem of her rare red dress.
"...What're you..."
Even as Joseph groaned his complaints, Charlotte clicked her tongue.
She lacked the strength to lift him outright, so the best she could do was rest his head in her lap.
She felt the disapproving stares from Joseph's two guard knights, but neither moved to stop her.
Probably for the best—or maybe not. It was common knowledge that Charlotte Setia had zero aptitude for martial arts.
Otherwise, even a child like her could've been restrained without issue.
'...Well, these knights are such pushovers they just watched Ricardo pummel Joseph without lifting a finger. Might not even occur to them to intervene.'
Acting like the story's male lead and still living like this. Why?
Charlotte tsked inwardly several times more as she gently placed her hand on the boy's back.
That back felt scorching hot, as if it might burn her hand clean off.
Not from actual fever, but from the qi roiling wildly inside, rampaging in total chaos as it sought any outlet.
'...No wonder he didn't run last time and just stayed put. He didn't even have the energy.'
At a loss, Charlotte stroked him soothingly.
'Can't blame him. Joseph's back must be covered in scars from the Second Prince's beatings. To survive, he had no choice but to toughen up like this...'
Seeing how terribly blocked and tangled his qi and blood flow were—impossible to detect from the outside—Charlotte let out sigh after sigh.