Chapter 45
I shrugged my shoulders at Kaiden and then looked around Asdal, adding a word.
“Ah, but since there could be poisonous mushrooms, don’t eat just anything—make sure to show them to me first.”
Then, Yuanna picked a few mushrooms and handed them to me.
“Are these okay?”
She usually said a lot of strange things, but when it came to tasks she was given, she carried them out diligently, like a top student.
I checked and confirmed that they were the same cow tongue mushrooms I had found, then nodded.
“Yes. These are edible. Please look for more like these.”
Yuanna nodded earnestly, her face serious.
She then returned to Diego’s side and seemed to converse with him about the mushrooms before starting to look for more together.
No, let me correct that. She was showing Diego the mushrooms she had brought me and having him search for the same type.
She wasn’t a top student—she was just lazily making someone else do her homework.
I should live like that too.
Asdal, still shaken from the earlier shock, was clutching one of his arms, muttering like a ghost, “My arm almost got cut off.”
“What have you been eating until now?”
While picking mushrooms, I asked Yuanna, who was not far away. She paused thoughtfully, then sighed and answered:
“I mainly survived on fruits I gathered or shells I found by the water. It was really tough. Ah! I also caught a rabbit once.”
At her words, Asdal, now somewhat revived, smiled and responded.
“I caught the rabbit.”
“Then what? You didn’t have anyone to prepare the animal, so we couldn’t actually eat it.”
Yuanna’s reply made Asdal shut his mouth again, looking as if he had interfered for no reason—he got nothing out of it.
I tilted my head in curiosity at their conversation and asked:
“Lord Diego, can’t you prepare animals? When you go to hunt monsters or to battle, don’t you camp?”
Diego, who had been silently picking mushrooms beside Yuanna, paused. Yuanna glanced at him and suddenly burst into laughter.
I couldn’t believe it—Kaiden, Asdal, and Yuanna were all people of high rank, yet they laughed so freely.
“Lord Diego just can’t resist cute things. He loves rabbits and squirrels too much.”
…Huh?
“I don’t know about the knight. He’s never been to a battlefield? Must be an honorary position.”
Yuanna sighed and shook her head, making Diego blush bright red.
“Ah, that’s a misunderstanding. I would act if necessary. And combat with humans is different from animals.”
“Really?”
Yuanna answered casually, and Diego closed his mouth, realizing it was better not to argue.
Judging by this, his survival skills really seemed nonexistent. How has he managed to stay alive until now?
“I heard you don’t know how to make fire. How did you manage?”
“Ah, I luckily found some embers, which allowed me to survive for a few days until it rained.”
“Excuse me… found embers…?”
So now I’ve heard about finding embers in this tropical rainforest. As expected, the heroine can apparently get away with anything.
“I was walking in the forest when I smelled smoke. I went over and found dry leaves catching fire. It was pure luck.”
I rested my chin in my hand and thought for a moment. In a tropical area with high humidity, dry leaves catching fire… Well, if it was a sunny spot, maybe it could happen?
Anyway, we gathered enough fruits and mushrooms and returned to the cabin.
We drank some purified water that Rusef had stored and started a fire. Then we put the mushrooms and water in a coconut bowl and boiled them.
Diego and Yuanna ate the mushrooms absentmindedly, while Asdal, still suspicious, cautiously took a bite.
Chewing the mushrooms, Asdal’s eyes widened. He looked between the mushrooms and me as if he couldn’t believe it.
Finally, without hesitation, he swallowed the mushrooms in one gulp.
Watching him, I spoke up:
“Before we talk about future plans… should we at least introduce ourselves properly?”
“I think all the major figures from the Empire and the Kingdom are here?”
Yuanna asked in return.
Enoch kept his arms crossed, observing quietly, while Asdal, mouth full of mushrooms, swallowed and spoke.
“Well, it seems so. But in the case of Lady Flone, she’s not really a major figure in office… just a well-known personality.”
He seemed completely sincere. Honestly, it felt a bit awkward…
“Haha, our Margaret isn’t just famous. Her nickname is ‘the Madwoman.’”
Kaiden burst into laughter at Asdal’s remark.
I glared at Kaiden with an annoyed expression. I can never tell whose side he’s on.
“Don’t butt in and just shut up. You’re crazy too.”
“Oh right. We make a good pair, then. Mad couple.”
Kaiden replied, clearly enjoying himself.
“I’m not as crazy as you are.”
“Who would believe that?”
“Enoch will understand.”
I looked hopefully at Enoch, my savior, and he sided with me.
“You’re the only mad one, Lord. Don’t put Margaret on the same level as you.”
As expected of Enoch. I smiled brightly at him. He met my gaze and chuckled.
I looked at Kaiden triumphantly.
“See?”
“You two being a mad couple is why the Crown Prince is jealous. Don’t be fooled, Margaret. You are crazy.”
“…Do you want to die?”
Rusef buried his face in his palm, apparently used to our conversations, avoiding our gaze. We must have embarrassed him.
Yes, honestly, it’s embarrassing—especially Kaiden.
Yuanna and Diego stared at us, bewildered. Asdal looked fascinated by our conversation.
“You two don’t look like nobles at all. Your way of speaking is like street ruffians. The freedom is refreshing to see.”
Street ruffians, but refreshing to see? I couldn’t tell if Asdal was insulting us or complimenting us.
“You were both born from noble bloodlines, though. Enviably so.”
Yuanna answered Asdal for us. It didn’t sound sarcastic, nor did it seem genuinely envious.
And she wasn’t wrong. The Flone family’s prestige rivaled even royal authority.
And Kaiden’s Rohade Marquess family was also a conservative noble house.
The Langrid Empire could almost be said to have been founded by mages, whose power was enormous, and the Rohade family’s influence matched that.
To put it simply: the Flone Dukes represented civil officials, the Bilterheim Marquesses represented military officials, and the Rohade Marquesses represented arts, sports, and commerce.
For such powerful families, having people like Margaret and Kaiden emerge was practically a mutation.
In a way, Kaiden was right—we really are a suitable pair. A mad pair.
“I will introduce myself properly. I’m not crazy, I’m Margaret Rose Flone.”
I stood, holding the torn and messy hem of my dress, bowed gracefully, and introduced myself.
Margaret’s etiquette was flawless. Aspiring to be Crown Princess and wanting to impress others, she knew how to polish her exterior.
Even if she was a madwoman, as a noblewoman of a prestigious family, she had received top-notch education and could perform admirably if she set her mind to it.
Kaiden, watching my bow, mumbled in admiration.
“Why didn’t you do that for us? I want to see you bow that beautifully too.”
“Please be quiet, Kaiden. It’s embarrassing in front of people we’re meeting for the first time.”
I gritted my teeth at Kaiden and then sat down.
The saint smiled at us, rose from her seat, placed her palm over her chest, lifted the hem of her ceremonial robe, and bowed—an ecclesiastical greeting.
“It’s an honor to meet the lady I’ve only heard of in rumors. I’m Yuanna Luci.”
I, Yuanna, Rusef, and Diego stood and returned the bow, while the rest remained seated.
“Does anyone have any idea how we all ended up on this island?”
Yuanna again took the lead in the conversation.
Here, the highest-ranking people were Enoch and Asdal, but neither seemed interested in taking the lead.
Enoch, in particular, was too busy putting mushrooms into my bowl to take charge.
Enoch was working while I was enjoying tea at the mansion, Kaiden was about to overturn the temple, Rusef had been praying, and when they opened their eyes, they were here.
The others’ stories weren’t much different. Diego had been training in swordsmanship, Yuanna had been praying at the temple, and Asdal had woken from a nap.
Asdal, resting his chin and staring at me, finally spoke.
“You’re really unusual, Lady. Also suspicious. As I said before, among these people, you’re the only one not in a major position.”
Asdal gazed at me thoughtfully and asked:
“Lady, you really don’t know anything? I would think you’d know something but still follow Enoch here.”
“…Are you saying we’re on a deserted island?”
At my retort, everyone, even Enoch and Kaiden, looked at me with strange expressions.
The maddening thing was, I couldn’t refute them. Damn it. Margaret would really follow Enoch even if she knew the truth.
If it were just Enoch and me on this island, I mean.
I truly had nothing to say. Nothing at all.
