93. Prince and Princess (2)

It’s been a while.

Leon Benning stood behind the second prince and smiled at Theodora. There was no way to know if it was intended to provoke or if it was just a simple greeting, but Theodora had to work hard to swallow the anger welling up inside.

don’t frown

Theodora muttered inwardly. It was fortunate that she quickly bowed her head to bow to the prince. Over his back, he could feel several glances glancing at him. The gaze of the knights who do not know what is intertwined between them and that father. It was usually a look of curiosity or anticipation, which Theodora could sense.

“Excellent.”

The voice of the two princes came out. His voice was arrogant rather than solemn, and he was trying to suppress the opponent with coercion disguised as dignity. The gaze to see the world was blatant. However, behind all that coercion, a glimpse of an unfulfilled interior was visible.

“To think that His Majesty raised such a great knights in such a short period of time. It is the red suit of the kingdom.”

Among the members of the Jackdaw Knights, the knights who were affected by the coercion of the 2nd prince admired inwardly, and those who were not affected by the coercion felt the emptiness of the 2nd prince and had doubts, and some even harbored disgust.

“Isn’t that so, Count? Being able to keep these people under my command is like a pumpkin coming in whole.”

“It is as you say, Your Highness. Since they are knights who have made a name for themselves in the frontier, they will surely be of great help to Your Highness.”

Count Benning’s voice answered in a nonchalant voice. The knights who questioned the quality of the 2nd prince listened intently to the words of that count.

“Well, no matter how good they are, will they be only you, Count? You are my greatest strength.”

“It is overrated. Even my daughter, who is the leader of the Knights of the Ravens, will soon become a far superior warrior than I am.”

The voice of the 2nd prince brightened beyond recognition when he mentioned Theodora.

“Yes, I guess. I am familiar with that rumor. Isn’t it the knight who defeated hundreds or thousands of demon beasts in the north and brought the leading demon beast, Behemoth, to his knees in the east? What about the mother? Is it so beautiful that all the knights are thrilled?”

“He is a child with a very promising future.”

The words that boosted herself, Theodora couldn’t be as uncomfortable as she is now. When he began to seriously consider whether to cut off the conversation by suddenly interrupting, the second prince finally turned to the knights and ordered them.

“Raise your head, no, my brave jackdaws of the kingdom.”

As if the raven knights were already an armed group under his personal control, the second prince ordered the kneeling knights.

“Everyone has a courageous appearance. The leader is like a pretty flower. As a heavenly soldier, I fell in love with it.”

Self-praise that frowns and self-praise that turns inside out. Theodora almost distorted her expression for a moment, but she was able to calm herself down with the weight of the cloak being held down gently with her toes from behind. Judging by the position of the weight, it must have been the quick-witted Paola who helped.

Theodora was deeply grateful for the consideration.

“I hope that you will now help me to take care of setting up the order and laws in the palace, so that I can use that mighty sword for the right thing.”

The second prince looked down at Theodora and said that. The word ‘order in the palace’ bothered her, but Theodora lowered her head and responded calmly.

“I will do my best as a dog.”

The 2nd prince seemed to like that concise answer and let out a satisfied laugh. It was never meant to be, but Theodora couldn’t help but hear the laugh through her decaying heart.

“Yeah, much better than those guys who stretch their allegiance to dozens of sentences like some kind of long speech. It is an answer worthy of that cold appearance.”

It seems that the second prince did not realize yet that loyalty is all that is revealed on the outside anyway. As a couple with the Count, talking about nonsensical things was all the same anyway. Theodora let out a deep sigh at the shameless appearance of interpreting it as she liked.

“Your Highness, I think it would be good to stop here for knight inspection.”

It seemed that even Leon Bening couldn’t bear to open his eyes to see that scene, so he urged the second prince to stop. The 2nd prince heard that and narrowed his eyes.

“I’ve been happy to meet them for a while, but they’re hitting a candle.”

“There’s not much time left before the appointment with the wizards of the Mage Tower.”

Should I say it’s great, or should I say that I’ve gone through it and lost my inspiration? Leon Benning did not blink an eye at the arrogant attitude of the second prince. The second prince nodded at Leon Benning’s explanation.

“… Yes, there was a magic tower.”

“If you see the most outstanding equipment of the Mage Tower, you will be as satisfied as when you saw them.”

“I get it. In that case, I will go back first, so you can take a look at them on your own.”

“I will.”

The 2nd prince, accompanied by an escort knight who had caught up with him, turned around and disappeared along the hallway of the palace, making trembling footsteps. Leon Benning saw off the back of the second prince with his characteristic inorganic eyes, then turned his attention to the Raven Knights. It was at the same time that the two princes turned around and disappeared and they stood up silently.

“What a man. Isn’t it?”

With a twisted mouth, Leon Benning said so. Theodora looked at her father with a pale expression of disgust.

“Isn’t it the Count that’s great?”

“Isn’t this a place only for you and your subordinates? You can just call me father.”

“Yes, Count.”

Theodora laughed lowly. There was no reason to fall for such an obvious provocation right away. Leon Benning seemed to have no intention of continuing the scuffle, so he tapped the sword at his waist and looked around the raven knights. Passing by some of them, the inorganic eyes are curious and disappears in an instant.

“You will form groups of two and will be in charge of escorting Her Highness from now on. I have a separate living space in the palace, so I can stay there and train autonomously on days when I don’t have a mission, and keep myself on standby at all times. As for the guide, an attendant will come soon to wait here.”

Count Leon Benning gave the command, then turned his head towards Theodora and smiled mechanically. Theodora hardened her face and took a couple of steps away from the Count.

“Then, please, Theodora.”

The fishy words floated in the air like a smell. Leon Benning walked slowly towards the corridor where the second prince had disappeared. Theodora followed the gait with her eyes for a while, then gave up and sighed.

“… I hope you are not alone in suffering.”

Paola’s voice, which was welcome for now, awakened Theodora’s spirit. The knights who seemed to have realized the disposition of the second prince and the nonsensical relationship between the second prince and the count were looking at Theodora with worried eyes.

“I feel much more tired now than when I swung my sword all day. Doing this damn thing for months.”

“I think it would be better not to keep the period in mind. Judging from their words, they are already full of thoughts of making them their direct subordinates, so even if we struggle to say no, what big change will happen?”

said Paola in an annoyed voice. I didn’t know that the burden of being the vice-captain on my shoulders would feel so heavy. Rione cautiously approached them. She looked around and spoke up.

“Captain, the second prince… .”

Theodora raised her hand to stop Lyone from speaking further.

“First, let’s go back to our place of residence. An attendant is coming over there just in time.”

An attendant was approaching with a busy gait at the place Theodora pointed out. The servant greeted with a terrified voice, weighed down by the knights’ coercion.

“Guides, I will take care of the guide.”

“… Please.”

The attendant quickly turned around and moved on, not wanting to meet eyes at least. Paola said in a relaxed voice as she watched the attendant recede.

“Complex issues aside, we follow suit. Sleeping in the palace, I never thought I would enjoy such a luxury for the rest of my life.”

Following Paola’s words, the members raised their sympathy.

“I can’t wait to see how great the residence is. If you think it’s worse than our headquarters, you just leave, right?”

“Right now, even the air in the royal palace is different from our headquarters, man. Even if I expel them to our headquarters, I will lie down in this hallway and sit-in.”

At the jokes thrown by the members one by one, Theodora relaxed her hard expression and followed the attendant.

The presence of the Jackdaw Knights seemed to have been diluted by the morning busyness of the royal palace. The attendants who passed them trembling in fear casually glanced past them as they joked among themselves.

The attendant who was walking in front of him suddenly stopped and turned his head toward the hallway. Theodora, who stopped at the same time, tilted her head.

“Oh, wait.”

“What is it?”

“His Majesty’s escort knights are passing by. They are in charge of the most important duties in the palace, so if you are passing by, you should move out of the way so that you can be the first to pass.”

At the attendant’s explanation, Paola next to her showed a curious expression.

“Five. Is it the 1st escort? I want to see your face.”

“They are the most outstanding knights in the palace. No, not the royal palace, but the most outstanding knights in the entire kingdom.”

“Interesting. What skill level would you have? The captain of the escorts I’ve seen before seemed like an amazing person.”

Seeing even Ho Seung-shim at a glance, the attendant looked frightened.

“No matter how many of you will be assigned to the 3rd Guards, you must not touch His Majesty’s Guard Knights.”

“I know. It’s a joke, a joke.”

It was like Leon Benning. I couldn’t hear footsteps at all, but the presence was intense and getting closer. Theodora pretended to be calm, but deep down, she was curious about the skills of the knights. The captain of the escort had the momentum to be called the strongest knight in the kingdom, but what about the knights under him?

“coming.”

Paola hinted in a warm voice. Theodora raised her eyes slightly and faced the escort knights in sight.

The number of people is three. The person at the forefront was the first to see it. A female knight with a strong impression and hair hanging down to her shoulders. Beside him was a short man walking with a loose smile on his lips. The two people behind them were listening to what the two people were saying, as if they were successors to the two people in front.

The man who was walking from the back.

Theodora’s gaze was fixed on the black-haired man for an instant.

Although he had a sharp impression, he was basically a man of great beauty. His jet-black hair was moderately curly and covered his cheeks. He was quite tall. Perhaps, it would be similar to Maxim. For a moment, Theodora’s heart sank as she watched Maxim overlap.

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No, Theodora. Don’t think about it now.

Theodora clenched her fists until they turned white. And deliberately, he raised his momentum little by little to gauge his opponent. Skills could not be measured right away. That’s proof that the man’s skills are amazing.

“All three look very strong. Not to mention that man who seems to be the successor, no, is that man the strongest… .”

Paola sighed alone. Beside him, Rione was blushing as she followed the knight in the rearmost row.

I don’t know if he was worried about Theodora’s spirit, felt Rione’s gaze, or listened to Paola’s words, but the black-haired knight turned his head toward the hallway lined with the raven knights.

eyes met

oh

He has pure white skin, different from black black hair. Those black eyes, like those of a deep well, were looking into Theodora’s cloud-colored eyes.

It was a strange feeling. It was the first time he had met this person in his life, and Theodora could affirm that he had met him at some point.

A moment like eternity passed. The knight of the 1st Guards soon turned his head toward his superiors, and Theodora, little by little, suppressed his rapidly beating heart.

“It sounds like you’re a new escort driver who just joined. Aren’t you pretty handsome?”

Paola nodded, and Rione, whose face was still painted a light pink, said yes, with a small nod.

“Captain?”

Knights passed by. Paola called in a puzzled voice to Theodora, who did not start again.

“Ah yes. Come on, let’s move.”

Theodora started walking again, led by an attendant.

A strange sense of discomfort was still tickling Theodora.

—

“What, what do you keep looking at, Arsene?”

Maxim was able to keep his head fixed on his superiors with a transcendent will to keep going back there. The short, boy-like knight with baby face kept pace with Maxim and gave his gaze to the place where Maxim’s head turned.

“They are all black guys. Is that the Order of the Ravens that the two princes are trying to get hold of? worth the name Why were they watching?”

“Dennis, can you stop teasing your mouth?”

As if she was getting tired of it, the strong-looking female knight scolded Dennis, the knight in her baby face.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been a rookie, aren’t you curious about this guy? I beg the captain, but nothing comes out.”

“Stop harassing me. If you can’t even properly educate them.”

“No, Charlotte, what can we teach this guy in the first place? It was the leader’s fault for throwing a guy who was far past the stage of completion to us for training. The only thing I can tell you is the structure of the palace. Isn’t that right, Arsene?”

Maxim smiled awkwardly at Dennis, who asked him with his eyes twinkling.

“No, we still have a long way to go.”

“What, does a guy who has already been alone with His Majesty leave his humility because he has something lacking? Not fun.”

“Frivolous, Dennis.”

While talking like that, they were reaching the deepest part of the palace. I passed through the maze-like corridors and climbed the stairs that were not used very often.

There were many places in the palace where the king could see his official duties. The same was true of the government office in the middle of the corridor blocked by a door that no one could enter.

“Then, newcomer. Come and have a good time with Your Majesty.”

“This bastard needs to get his snout stitched up anyway.”

Charlotte pinched the side of Dennis, who casually uttered words that were not strange even if they were called blasphemy. Dennis screamed and fell out of the terrifying grip.

“… I’ll be back.”

“yes. Talk to me and come back.”

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Not everyone in the Order of the Guard is solemn and silent like the leader. Maxim thought that and entered the hallway.

In front of the official office, Maxim deliberately showed his presence. Then, before the finger could knock on the door, the king’s voice permitted Maxim to enter.

“Come in.”

Maxim opened the door and knelt down facing the king who greeted him with a satisfied face from beyond and the commander of the escort knights who always stood by the king.

“Well, I said you don’t need to set an example anymore.”

“How could something like that obscure His Majesty’s dignity?”

The king, Georges II, let out a wild laugh.

“Stand up. you talk so well I like it, but sometimes it’s just so embarrassing.”

And then we got straight to the point.

“I can’t say enough praise for the achievements you’ve made in the East. Thanks to that, even the royal family was able to get some time to take care of themselves.”

“It’s thanks to the good cooperation between Count Agon and the Marquis.”

The Margrave, when Count Agon directly persuaded him, unexpectedly willingly accepted. The Jeon Seo-gu, which had flown in not long ago, contained the intention of sending troops and manpower to help the first prince sooner or later. The king nodded.

“The hasty move has poisoned them this time. In order for the poison to transform into an extreme poison and target their breath, we must move carefully this time.”

The king was tapping his fingers on the desk.

“Did the Margrave say how long it would take for someone to be sent to the palace?”

To the king’s question, the captain of the escort knights beside him answered immediately.

“They said it would take a month at the most and three weeks at the shortest.”

“Right… , In a situation where you are facing the Demon Beast, you can’t arbitrarily appoint people.”

As if the king had made up his mind, he summoned Maxim.

“Sir Arsene Bern.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“I heard that Count Agon of Murat dispatched several knights and a maid to help the 1st princess. Is that lady-in-waiting the child Leon Bening tried to kidnap?”

Marion. His fiancée, who smiled more brightly. Maxim remembered her face and nodded.

“Yes. That’s right.”

“Then, Michelle will be safe for the time being. If Count Agon was paying special attention to sending people, there’s no way he would have sent them as normal people.”

The king’s fingers, which had been tapping on the desk, stopped.

“Sir Arsene, it hasn’t been long since you’ve been appointed here, but I have to ask you a favor.”

“Please do as much as you like.”

“Only until the men of the Marquis arrive.”

A sigh similar to a sigh flowed from the king’s lips. For some reason, a voice that lacked the usual spirit gave an order to Maxim.

“Guard the first prince in the name of swordsmanship master. If only one month, if only one month passes and the people of the Marquis gather around the first prince-”

As if it had never happened, the king’s voice returned to normal.

“I will start cutting off their limbs with you.”