Chapter 49
“Lady Viola. I heard the Saint will be going to Prince Rix’s palace today.”
The teacup paused in Viola’s hand. Sophia, who had glanced at her, answered instead.
“I see. Thank you.”
With a gesture, she dismissed the maid. Viola set her cup back down as if nothing had happened. Sophia, watching her sister flip through her book without reaction, opened her mouth.
“Should we go to Prince Rix, too?”
“What?”
Viola reacted immediately. Sophia chuckled.
“Let’s use Brother Victor as bait.”
At that, Viola finally laughed.
“That’s not fishing, you know. What is that supposed to be?”
“Well, Brother Victor will be glad he gets to see the Saint, and you…”
Sophia trailed off. There was no need to say the rest. Viola’s ears were already turning red.
Sophia teased her.
“Then let’s ask His Highness.”
“How could we dare—”
“Just wait.”
Sophia stood up, threw open the window, and shouted outside.
“Victor!”
Down below, the handsome young man frowned and looked up. Sophia called again loudly.
“Help my sister out!”
“What?”
“It’s really urgent!”
“Sophia!”
Viola tried to stop her, but Sophia simply beckoned wildly for Victor to come up. Tilting his head in confusion, Victor finally went in through the front entrance. Watching this, Sophia sat back down with a grin.
“These days, whenever the Saint and His Highness go out to hunt monsters, they bring Brother Victor, too. We’ll just use that as our excuse.”
“That’s still a little—”
She wanted to say that’s too rude, but in the end the words never left her lips.
While Viola hesitated, Victor rushed upstairs two or three steps at a time, thinking some disaster had struck. He opened the door, slightly breathless.
“What’s going on?”
Contrary to what he expected, Viola was perfectly fine. He realized he had been tricked. Frowning, he turned just as Sophia scurried over to him like a squirrel.
“I need a favor!”
Victor let out a disbelieving laugh. Sophia puffed her cheeks and insisted,
“It’s not for me—it’s for Viola!”
Their eyes met. Viola’s face turned crimson. Unlike Sophia, Viola wasn’t the type to joke around with him. Stealing a nervous glance at Victor, she finally nodded, summoning all her courage. Victor sighed, raking a hand through his hair.
“What is it?”
Sophia smiled mysteriously.
“Leave the capital?”
Ren slid down from Kis’s back, staring at Rix. He nodded while stroking Kis’s mane.
“You haven’t even finished organizing things here yet.”
“That’s why we’ll start tomorrow.”
Ren thought she had misheard, but Rix’s tone was firm.
“Within about a week, most of it will be done.”
“E–Every day?!”
“No.”
She started to relax—until he added:
“Three balls and four hunts a week.”
“That’s basically every day!”
Ren’s face went pale. The last imperial ball had been sheer torture. Even national team training hadn’t been that grueling! She barely stopped herself from shouting, You crazy human!
She remembered how drained she had been just restoring three former monsters back to human form. She had slept like the dead afterward, her strength completely spent. Not to mention the desperate cries of their families—voices she could never forget.
When Rix tried to walk away, Ren grabbed his arm.
“Please, give me just two more days!”
“Two days?”
“I haven’t found a single clue about that ‘ability’ yet!”
Rix frowned.
“You can’t even read the books.”
“That’s—”
“And Hatasha is still in a coma, isn’t she?”
“Well, yes, but—”
A vein bulged on Ren’s forehead. She forced herself to smile, recalling her days enduring rude customers at the convenience store.
“At the very least, I want to know how and why I was able to restore those people.”
She gripped his arm tightly. Rix looked down at her hand clutching him, saying nothing. Their eyes met—her blue ones, his golden ones. Ren flinched and let go.
It was the coldest she had ever seen him. Colder even than the day he had first appeared before her, casually shooting a priest who was turning into a monster and stepping across a pool of blood.
Expressionless, without his usual sly smile, Rix said icily,
“We don’t have time.”
“…What?”
Ren clasped her chilled hands against her chest, staring up at him. Rix brushed the wrinkles from his sleeve where she had grabbed him and continued flatly,
“We don’t have the luxury to care for each of those people.”
Those people.
He felt like a stranger.
Just then, Scarlet came running like a deer, perfectly composed despite her speed.
“News from Count Mafla. He asks if it would be a bother for him to visit Your Highness’s palace.”
Rix scowled.
“When did this place turn into a meeting hall?”
His voice was so sharp that even the usually unflappable Scarlet stiffened. Ren, too, felt unsettled. Passing her by, Rix ordered,
“Tell Victor to head toward Saya Village tomorrow instead.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“And schedule Mafla’s ball quickly. That day will be…”
Glancing at Ren, he muttered,
“…the most important day.”
A chill swept through Ren, from her toes to the crown of her head. This wasn’t the Rix she knew. Kis snorted and rubbed against her as if sensing her fear.
Ren watched silently as he walked away. Scarlet asked carefully,
“Will the Saint be returning now as well?”
“…Yes.”
Then, under her breath, Ren added,
“There’s no reason to stay any longer.”
Scarlet bowed. Ren climbed back onto Kis’s back—an action now second nature—and turned in the opposite direction from Rix.
Sophia gasped.
“He refused?!”
“Yes, he said he was busy today.”
“But the Saint was there with him!”
“They said she only trained and left.”
Sophia bit her lip hard. In the end, Viola waved the maid away.
“Alright. Thank you. You may go.”
The maid closed the door quietly. Victor, checking his shotgun, cast Viola a sidelong glance. Her expression was bitter.
He had long known she liked Rix. But since she never wanted to show it, he hadn’t been able to help her directly. All he could do was create chances for her to see him more often.
Viola forced a faint smile.
“Maybe I should’ve learned how to shoot, like you.”
Victor chuckled—not mockingly, but as though he had just heard an amusing joke.
“If you had, Mother would’ve fainted dead away.”
“True. I can’t even imagine you with a gun, Sis.”
Sophia chimed in. Viola smiled bitterly.
If only…
If only she could shoot, would she have been of more help to Rix, like Ren?
Watching Victor check his shotgun, her gaze grew heavier.
“Well, at least tomorrow is Viscount Taryen’s ball. The Saint and His Highness will both be there.”
Viola nodded, forcing a brighter smile.
“I’d better decide what to wear.”
“Blue looks really good on you, Sis.”
Viola flinched.
Blue.
The blue ribbon tying Ren’s silver hair. The magical blue eyes that made people fall for her.
Viola shook her head.
“No… blue doesn’t suit me.”
“Really?”
“I want to wear…”
In her mind, she saw Rix’s large hand sweeping back her red hair, his mischievous smile flashing.
“…red.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
This time, her nod was firm. Victor, putting his guns away, gave her a long look.
“I never thought you’d like that color.”
At Sophia’s playful tone, Viola’s cheeks flushed.
“Since we’re in the capital… I feel like trying something new.”
Sophia clapped her hands with a bright laugh.
“Then let’s go see Madame! All your red dresses are too dull.”
“R-Really? I thought they were fine…”
“No way. I’ll pick something for you. Let’s get ready to go out!”
Sophia seemed more excited than Viola herself. The sisters quickly forgot Victor was even there. In the distance, Sophia’s voice rang out, calling for a maid to ready the carriage.
Victor glanced down at his shotgun, then stood as well—he too had to prepare for tomorrow’s ball.
He wondered idly, What kind of dress will the Saint wear this time?
I suddenly became curious.
