MTLNOVEL Chapter 15 - The Princess's Heart
The next arrow also pierced straight through a wolf’s head.
And the next arrow, and the one after that too.
Edward’s archery was hitting every single target.
Before long, wolf carcasses had piled up.
“This can’t be possible…?”
Audrite turned to look at Maru with a shocked face.
Her expression said ‘There must be something, something!’
She quickly looked over Maru’s entire body, and not satisfied, reached out her hands to feel his body directly.
“Is it proper for a lady to touch a man’s body?”
“How did you do it?”
“Do what?”
“Don’t pretend you don’t know.”
Maru spread both hands.
“I didn’t do anything.”
Finding nothing unusual even after searching his body, she finally gave up and touched her chin.
“Did Edward really…?”
Maru smiled as he passed by her.
“Let’s continue with the schedule.”
The second petition was about a group of corrupt merchants who had been making unfair profits from the people.
The corrupt merchants resisted violently, but Edward knocked down all the mercenaries they had hired.
Strangely, whenever he swung his fists, they would fall on their own.
“I, Edward, have punished the villains who sucked the blood of the people!”
The third petition was about finding someone’s father, and after inquiring around, they found him in a goblin cave outside the village.
“I, Edward, have found the father too!”
The fourth wasn’t a petition but an unexpected succubus attack while they were traveling.
“A succubus has appeared at the rear of the procession trying to kidnap two servants!”
“What a brazen wench!”
Just as the royal guard hurriedly turned their horses around.
Maru poked Edward repeatedly.
“Go. Go. You go.”
“Me?”
“Just pretend to swing your sword.”
Whether he understood or not, a broad smile spread across Edward’s face.
“Alright!”
The succubus, showing red eyes and sharp fangs, was flapping her wings in the air while holding the collars of two unconscious men, trying to lift off.
Edward rushed in at once and swung his sword through the air a few times, and the succubus fled in shock.
“Prince Edward has driven away the demon!”
“A-amazing! When did he become so strong?”
“His Majesty will be proud!”
Cheers and applause from the officials and villagers. Excitement.
Watching this scene quietly, Audrite looked at Maru again.
However, Maru just shook his head and spread his hands as if it had nothing to do with him.
After finishing the day’s work and returning, Audrite went straight to meet the King to report the results.
When she came out of the room an hour later, the surroundings had already grown dim.
She walked through the garden lost in thought after leaving the building.
“Was I misunderstanding?”
She thought Maru was Edward’s proxy knight, but was she wrong?
Edward’s achievements today were clear.
She couldn’t find any lies or manipulation.
Yet her doubts weren’t fully resolved.
It was because of Maru.
He kept bothering her mind.
It seemed like he was hiding something.
Just looking at his firm physique, he couldn’t possibly be seen as an ordinary administrative officer.
His sturdy muscles seemed too good to be just holding a pen.
“Haah…”
She sighed while looking up at the early evening sky darkening.
Still, to resolve her doubts she would have to confront Maru directly.
How he came here.
What his purpose was.
And… why he treated her coldly in the treatment room.
Having firmly decided to uncover the truth, she went straight to Maru’s room.
Knock knock.
There was no response to her knock.
While standing there for a while, a maid passing by said:
“I saw him going somewhere with the prince earlier.”
After that, Audrite searched for the two and eventually entered an old building.
It was a building abandoned after new construction elsewhere during the previous generation.
Recognized for its historical value, it was being preserved rather than demolished.
It was also where Edward hid when he was emotionally hurt.
“Could they be here…”
Audrite headed to the second floor with a lamp.
If they were here, they would definitely be in that room.
The room where Edward always used to hide and cry in his childhood.
The interior was eerily dark and quiet.
She swallowed and climbed the stairs.
Reaching the second floor, light was leaking from a room at the far end of the corridor.
Audrite smiled slightly in relief.
She approached carefully with muffled footsteps and listened.
“Listen. In this situation, you need to do it like this. Look. Look at my diagram.”
“Hmm. It’s difficult even looking at the diagram.”
From the voices, it was Maru and Edward talking.
It seemed Maru was teaching something.
“If you don’t understand, memorize it. What will you do in a few months when I’m not here?”
“Ugh, I don’t even want to imagine that. Do you have to leave?”
Audrite, who was eavesdropping, found her mouth opening involuntarily.
‘Leave…? What are they talking about?’
Maru’s voice was heard.
“I need to find my own path too, how long do you expect me to clean up after you? Anyway, when leading troops, the commander doesn’t have to step forward directly. Just order your subordinates. Pick and use people who are good at fighting and smart. Then your weaknesses won’t be exposed. Look at your father. He just sits on the throne while working me hard. So you too, don’t try to do things yourself, develop your ability to command others. Later when I’m gone, if you just manage people well, the prestige we’ve built up will be maintained. Understand?”
“But will those capable people want to work under me?”
“While I’m here, I’ll raise your reputation as much as possible so later there will be many people bowing to be recruited. And look here. I almost died studying this yesterday. I learned this about 10 years ago but forgot it all, then had to learn it again because of you. So watch carefully. In this part…”
Audrite’s face had unconsciously filled with warmth.
The doubts that had troubled her all day were melting away like snow.
She now understood everything.
Ah, this person isn’t bad.
He was doing his best for her brother.
‘Right. I already knew he was a good person.’
Leaning against the dark corridor wall, Audrite looked up at the ceiling and recalled the events from two days ago.
“suck spit pant pant”
Maru raised his head from sucking Audrite’s thigh.
Wiping his blood-stained mouth with the back of his hand, he asked:
“I drew out some blood. How do you feel now? Can you see me?”
“My body feels languid and my vision is blurry…”
Audrite’s eyes were becoming increasingly unfocused.
Had the poison spread after all?
Thinking this wouldn’t do, Maru shook Edward’s body.
“Edward! Edward!”
“Mmm… hm? Wh-what? What’s happening?”
“Your sister was bitten by a snake. Let’s quickly return to the city.”
“A s-snake?”
Leaving Edward who was fumbling around after waking up, Maru lifted Audrite with both hands and ran to where the horses were.
Then he sat Audrite facing forward on the horse with no strength in her body and wrapped one arm around her waist.
Maru struck the reins with one hand.
“Hyah!”
“Maru! Wait for me!”
Edward also urgently mounted his horse but soon fell off while trying to follow.
“I-I’m fine, go ahead! Hurry!”
Every time Maru struck the reins, the horse neighed and increased its speed.
Audrite, held in his arms, raised her gaze with difficulty.
“Am I dying…?”
“You won’t die. I’ll definitely save you. I promise.”
When Maru answered resolutely while looking ahead and riding, Audrite smiled weakly.
“That line sounds familiar… Ah… was it from a novel with a hero… I really liked that…”
“Keep thinking about the novel until we arrive. Don’t close your eyes no matter what.”
“Yes… I will…”
Audrite with half-closed eyes obediently agreed in a languid voice.
“cough cough! Now I’m coughing… I don’t think I can hold on…”
Maru quickly extended the hand that had been wrapped around her waist.
“Hold my hand.”
“Your hand…?”
“When you hold someone else’s hand, you’ll feel a bit more energetic. I heard my ex-girlfriend felt better when holding hands when she was sick. You try holding my hand too. Quickly.”
Audrite slowly reached out and held his hand.
It was warm and soft.
At the same time, an inexplicable sense of relief washed over her.
“This feels nice… nice…”
As Maru said, another’s hand gave her new strength.
Audrite gripped his hand harder to keep this comfort from slipping away.
She didn’t let go of his hand until they reached the temple.
Knock knock.
Maru, who was resting in his room late at night, got up at the sudden knock.
When he opened the door, Audrite was standing there in a white dress embroidered with gold thread.
“You’re not asleep yet?”
“I was going to sleep in a bit.”
“Stay up late today. Talk with me.”
She smiled brightly, showing her neat teeth.
Her unbound golden hair flowed down over her slender shoulders to her waist.
On her head she wore a silver tiara sparkling with dozens of small diamonds.
“Are you going to keep me standing here? I can come in, right?”
“Yes, well. Come in.”
Maru awkwardly let her in.
He was bewildered by the princess visiting at such a late hour.
“I thought a man’s room would smell, but it doesn’t at all? Somehow feels like a woman’s room.”
“Why did you come?”
“Obviously because I have something to say.”
Audrite pulled out a chair, sat down, and said while looking at him:
“I’ve been curious by nature since I was young. If I was curious about something, I couldn’t stand it and had to dig into it.”
“That’s a good habit.”
“I thought so too. Until now. But today I finally realized – there are some things in the world that should be left covered up.”
She paused for a moment before speaking shyly.
“…I won’t ask anything more about you. I’m sorry.”
“……”
Maru stood looking down at her intently.
When he just stared at her with a trace of a smile without saying anything, Audrite seemed embarrassed and avoided his gaze while mumbling.
“If I apologized, you should say something.”
“I think it’s my turn now. The saved wish. You remember?”
“What wish? Ah…”
“I want to make a wish now. Will you grant it?”
“Tell me.”
“You’re so admirable that I want to kiss your forehead.”
“Y-you’re joking?”
“I’m serious.”
“B-but we’re not in any kind of relationship, and doing something like that already…”
Maru couldn’t help but smile at her cute face as she fidgeted uncomfortably.
“Should I change it to the lips then?”
“No!”
“Should I go around telling everyone about a princess who doesn’t keep her promises? I remember the princess wanted to send me to jail with her wish.”
“Wh-who said I wouldn’t keep it! G-go ahead! Kiss!”
The princess shouted proudly while her shoulders trembled, but she looked quite tense.
Maru smiled mischievously looking at such an Audrite.
She closed her eyes and held out her face.
“Hurry up and do it.”
“Since this is a wish, you won’t hold a grudge, right? Since you’re granting it because you said you’d grant anything.”
“I won’t!”
Maru immediately approached before Audrite could change her mind.
Then he brushed the hair covering her forehead behind her ears and lightly kissed the center of her smooth forehead.
Chu.
“Thank you for living.”
At those words, Audrite suddenly opened her eyes and looked up at him with clear eyes.
“…You mean about the snake bite?”
Maru straightened up from his bent position and smiled brightly.
“Yes. I wanted to say thank you for being admirable enough to live. I’m the type who worries whenever I see sick people, so I can’t just let it go. It’s my habit to keep watching with concern even after they recover. Today too, I carefully watched to see if the princess was walking well. I was secretly relieved seeing you walking firmly while scolding me.”
“This is a s-sneak attack…”
Audrite stared at him with a dazed expression.
‘To think he was thinking of me while pretending not to care.’
It was the first time the smile of the man before her looked wonderful.
The next day.
Maru was meeting with the King.
“See? Didn’t I say you could do it?”
The King handed over a parchment scroll from his desk with a hearty laugh.
“What is this?”
“I told you. That I would give you a glorious position.”
The King continued while looking out the window.
“Soon, Hero Kiera will arrive here with Duke Toledo. I want you to become the chief in charge of their reception.”
Maru’s eyes widened the moment he heard Kiera’s name.
“An administrative officer won’t be enough to deal with a Hero and Duke. So I’ve decided to elevate your position to the rank of general. From today, you’re no longer an administrative officer but a ‘Royal Banner Guardian’ who can command thousands of subordinates.”