After Claire's relentless pinches Andrei was finally let off and slept back at his room, the girl was also no longer there, and when he woke up he heard a girl's voice.
"Did you sleep well darling?"
"Yeah, thanks, wait I am not your darling"
"You are"
"No, I'm not"
"But I've decided already?"
"I don't think that will happen sorry"
Suddenly, Michaela's eyes started building up tears, which made Andrei stand-up on instinct to comfort the girl. Andrei's weak to crying girls... and to the golden knights staring at him with daggers at the door side.
"No, no no, I don't think that it will happen… NOW okay? Okay? If it's okay with you I'd like to know more about you, it's not that I don't like you or anything, you saved me afterall...I mean from the arena and all, but what I mean is give me some time, I need to catch up on all the things happening here" he hopelessly tried to explain.
The girl simple looked up to him with tears still in her eyes.
"Promise?"
"Yes, I think that you're a great person already, but marrying immediately, I can't keep up with such developments this time"
For Andrei this isn't just lip service to comfort the girl who started crying, he really owes her his life in this world. "It may be not so bad to marry such a cute girl like her in two or three years in the future" he thought.
They looked at each other in the eyes, the girl was still wearing her white one-piece dress, with the same hairstyle. Andrei was captivated by the blue eyes which complemented her blonde hair well.
"Then is it alright with you if we call ourselves engaged at the moment?" the girl asked with her red face staring directly and bravely at the man she fell in love with.
"Yes, Yes if you're okay with me" Andrei smiled and patted her head again. "Ahhh what the hell have I done, well let's just go along the flow or she'll cry," he thought to himself.
"I really don't know what will happen, but currently I'm in the protection of their country and territory.
I don't find her dislikable at all, and even if I set in an adventure, it would be more unrealistic as I only have a stun gun and a phone, I guess I should learn from them about this world, after all sooner or later she'll find out that I'm really just a lazy and damned human without any real talents and break off the engagement with me soon, so it's no problem to accept this engagement for now, hearing about her from Claire, and remembering the 'almost kidnapping' scene, makes me want to help her a little.
If currently making me engaged to her will ease her pain a bit then I'll not hesitate.
This isn't a page from a manga and an episode from an anime, the things that I see here are really happening in reality, I need to adapt as I don't have any clue on how to return.
I may even live here if in the future I'll feel like it, so I need to support the people who are helping me."
"Still the way she cries when she doesn't get what she wants, it really reminded me of Ann when I pulled off a prank that I bought her commemorative Japanese wooden chopsticks instead of the Korean chopsticks that I promised her for Christmas."
"With two beauties here with me, I think I'll just enjoy the days with them until I return, or perhaps not?
We'll see, if my adventure starts with them, then it's much better than going off alone"
Andrei remembered in his darkest days where he felt the comfort of his ex-girlfriend Ann, who never stopped in supporting him. Eventually, he became a caring person who wants to support others as how he was supported by his loved one.
Andrei smiled and looked at the girl again and wiped her tears with his handkerchief which he took from his pocket, it was a white handkerchief with pretty colors.
"It's soft, can I have it" the girl held Andrei's hands on her cheeks.
"My hand?? No you can't cut it!" He got up from the bed.
"Idiot! Why would I do that! Who do you think I am? This cloth!" Andrei looked and saw that his hand was holding his handkerchief.
"Ahhhh haha, alright alright," he folded his handkerchief and gave it to her and looked at each other, Andrei couldn't help but look at the sapphire eyes that were focused at him, it was captivating. However the moment didn't last as in Andrei's peripheral vision he saw another girl sipping from her tea like nothing is happening. He forgot the girl was even there.
"Hey Ms. Claire! Say something if you're there!"
"Ahh don't mind me, just continue with your flirting," she gave him a V sign.
"What flirting?! Just so you know that's not how to use the peace sign you know!" Andrei stood up to argue, while the blonde girl was still curiously feeling up the unfamiliar cloth that was given to her with her hands.
"Yeah, it's flirting," she looked at her V sign and balled it into a fist.
Michaela then interrupted, "Both of you, you seem to have gotten close haven't you?" she suspiciously looked at the two. First, at Andrei, this gaze made him force a fake smile, the next she stared at her sister, however, Claire only calmly took a sip on her tea like it wasn't her problem.
"Ahhh it's your imagination sister, why would I - a delicate and pure maiden, get close to such an obviously suspicious-coward person? Anyway, sister, now that he's awake let's talk about everything that had happened"
"Yes, I would like to know too" Andrei added nervously and raised his hand.
Michaela closed her eyes and joined Michaela on the mahogany table beside Andrei's bed, "Okay, but this is confidential okay, Andrei"
"This is my room right? You guys are royalty right? Why are you having an important conversation here!" he protested, as he still wasn't dressed.
"I guess you're right, let's have breakfast while we talk," Michaela stood up.
...
The three arrived at a large dining area, they immediately sat comfortably while Andrei scanned the whole place.
The three of them were in a long dining table, never in his wildest dreams Andrei thought that he would be dining in a table like it in his life, at the same time it weirded him out. He was sitting opposite Michaela who's at the other end of the long table. And Claire, was sitting between them on the long side.
"So, I think it's time for you to tell me the whole story, sister?" Andrei then focused his attention on the two.
"Being a queen, it's natural for me to find a way to improve relations with other nations. That is in order to gain alliance and other benefits for a kingdom as small as ours
This time a proposal came from the Kydus Empire, I went there to see what kind of person the prince was, but it was a disappointment, he was worse than trash than I thought he was, I don't want to deal with such a person even if it's for political reasons, so I ditched him"
"But why did the carriage come out of the settlement like that?" Andrei asked curiously, he was the one who was there to witness such a scene, knowing about the girl's battle prowess as Claire bragged, he wanted to know how the queen was defeated and ended up in an unconscious state being carried by a dead man.
"I don't know either, all I could remember was that, after leaving the capital city, we took the route back that passes through Mizar settlement.
However, after eating dinner I remember sleeping too much to the point that when I woke up you were lying beside me and with the carriage and my servant gone and with the stains of blood on your hands"
"Ahhh so that's what happened huh, are you sure he didn't do anything to you while he was asleep?" Claire looked at Andrei with dead-fish eyes.
"No no I didn't do anything than cover ourselves with my coat, but didn't you notice any sensations?" Andrei asked.
"Good I successfully brushed it off" he thought.
"What sensations? If my sister fell in love with you because she didn't have any choice because you already touched her, then…" Claire's dead-fish stare was now accompanied by a dark aura oozing out from her.
"Cut that out Claire, no, he didn't touch me and that's also not why I fell in love with him" she looked at Andrei and continued.
"Going by my story, I'm sure you've figured out something right? It was also too odd for me, just as Andrei has said I should have noticed the commotion, the sensations, like the bumps from the carriage, the screams of the pursuers. However not even one of those woke me up"
"Do you mean?" Andrei asked.
And Claire immediately interrupted with her flat and sweet voice and her eyes returned to normal
"A sleeping spell maybe? But if it's you sister - a witch who can control fire, such a low-level spell… I'm sure the enemy must have already been incinerated the moment they tried to chant."
"That's the problem, a low-level spell like that could be cast five meters near the target however there was no one within that range, and the inn where we were staying was guarded by my servants, maids, and butlers that had combat experience." Michaela's mood became sullen thinking of what might have happened to those who were accompanying her.
"Then they are all…" Andrei tried to assert what had happened "They are the ones who helped her escape, and since I haven't seen anyone returning but her… then they must be" Andrei thought, but he kept the words to himself, seeing her expression.
Michaela tried to suppress her mood and tried to fake a smile, but her eyebrows still showed the remains of her frustration, "Anyway changing the topic, going by that flow, if you haven't covered for me Andrei, then I would have been already on the enemy's hands"
Then she looked at Claire, "That's why I chose him as my husband Claire"
"But the people who were with you, the maids, butlers and even the coachman who tried his best at the end, they were really the ones who saved you"
"That may be true, but it may be harsh to say this but regardless of the situation they would really have to save me as their duty, and yes they were my subjects, but losing them because of such a mistake frustrates me," Michaela banged the table with a teaspoon still on her hand, but she tried to change gears and continued, "You saved me not because of my standing and loyalty, in other words, you saved a complete stranger, these days it's very rare for someone to do that in that situation," she showed somewhat a slight smile, being burned by worries while being thankful to her savior, but she knew that thanking him first would be much better, she decided to find the answer to her troubles when she was alone, the same way she did it since she was a queen, no one except for Claire was there for her, and she knew well the Claire had given her all the support she can ever receive, and that she also didn't know the solution, it was all up to her.
"Why?" Andrei asked in confusion, he observed that she forcefully tried to change her mood.
"Well, if you would pick between risking your life and getting a reward, what would you choose?" She asked him as if one choice was obvious to be picked over the other.
"Of course I would get a reward, that's common sense right? Unless you're an M," he answered her quickly without thinking.
"M?" Michaela tilted her head in curiosity not understand the word, looking at him with her crystal-like eyes.
"Ahhh you don't need to learn that," while his hand was folded, he swung his hand, telling her not to think much about it.
"Anyway, the bottom line is that you saved me despite those terms, you could have been rewarded if you handed me to those soldiers, but instead you risked your life to save a woman you don't even know"
Michaela stood up and sat beside him and closed in her face. "That is why I when I saw your face when you lied together with me and realized these things, I fell in love with you at first sight" She didn't try to hide her beet-red face, and even closed in her face more.
Andrei moved to another chair in the long table, he was almost beside Claire this time, "Umm I don't think you should fall in love just because of that, and don't people normally do that? I mean, save people if they're in trouble," his tone was stern, he needed to uphold his morals, for him such a love was fuzzy and it goes against his thinking on love.
"No they don't, if they did then they would be someone who's confident with their power to do so, however looking at you, you don't look like a noble, you're also not a knight, even if you could fight, there wasn't any weapon on that situation right? Even if you did, as you said they were many" by the time she was saying these things she went closer to him,
"Also I know what I want if I say I'm in love with you… then I'm in love with you okay?" she closed in her face again until their nose touched.
Andrei fell from his seat when he tried to switch to another chair as if the chair it moved on its own, besides it was Claire. "Ouch, why did you move the chair! I was going to switch to that!"
"Who knows... " it was Claire's usual deadpan response while slurping her tea unbothered.
With him, on the floor Michaela tried to crawl onto him without warning.
"Come Andrei..."
"No!"
"Yes!"
Michaela was on full attack when Claire interrupted just at the right time when she was almost atop Andrei.
"So sister, what do you think made you sleep?" Claire asked while asking a maid to pour tea for her.
"What's with your sister's lack of presence Michaela, I almost forgot that she was there"
"Well, I think that what makes her Claire, so ignore it"
Andrei was surprised by Claire's sudden interruption but at the same time he was relieved, as Michaela finally stopped her attacks.
"I had a romantic experience in the other world, but I never encountered girls like her type, nice save Claire!" he gave a good job sign to Claire.
Michaela stood up and sat on the chair again and Andrei fixed himself and also sat on a chair this time he was facing Claire.
"That… I don't know"
"Maybe it's a sleeping 𝑝𝑖𝑙𝑙?" Andrei suggested.
"Sleeping what?" Michaela and Claire asked in unison, Michaela having a surprised tone while Claire in her usual tone.
"Geh… what are these two a duet? It was like they had a blending. Ah they might not have the word here, let's try a different term" Andrei thought, when he came into the world, he could immediately understand what they are saying, but he realized that when he switches to another language like English it would be understandable for some reason.
"Ahhh ehh… you don't have sleeping pills here? I mean… it's a kind of medicine that when taken makes the person sleep for hours peacefully, it's a medicine for people who can't sleep during the night," he tried to describe by making actions with his hand to make it more realistic.
"I never heard such a medicine, first and foremost if someone has a sickness we use healing magic, if its a curse we use holy magic from the clerks of the Holy Land of Adrar" Claire responded while wiping her lips."I'm also surprised that there are people who have such a condition, don't they get tired and sleep after the day's duties? Medicines are obsolete, magic is better"
"So don't have many advances on technology huh? They are upgrading their magic instead," Andrei muttered again to himself.
"Me too, but if that exists in your country then it makes sense, without magic they would be able to make me sleep that long, maybe someone bought it from your country and put in my drink," Michaela said in surprise with her hand on her chin "Hey what's the name of your country?" he looked at Andrei curiously.
"Ummm…" being pressed by the question Andrei couldn't help but regret his decision, Michaela was looking at him seriously waiting for an answer with her hands folded, even if Claire was glancing at him while sipping her tea. He was backed into the corner.
"Crap I dug my own grave, maybe I should make a run for it?" Andrei instinctively looked at the door.
Then he felt something behind his back.
"No… dear, you're not running away" she felt a girl hugging him from behind while smiling happily, Andrei looked at the chair where Michaela was sitting before but she wasn't there anymore.
"When did she…" he felt chills behind his spine, and a soft sensation behind his back. He was reminded by Michaelas figure, who has the curves and bust that young men in his country would be crazy for, even for Andrei who has his guard on, these sensation definitely felt good to resist.
"These sizes… C?.. no D?", however, he came to his senses when on his peripheral vision he could see Claire making a V sign but this time she's opening and closing the gaps as if they were scissors.
"If you try to escape again you know what will happen," Claire said flatly looking directly at him with her dead-fish eyes.
"Okay okay, I will not escape! But I want you to hear the story from the start so don't go doubting me like that especially Claire you're scary so stop that!" Andrei grasped some air and sighed.
Claire's dead-fish eyes turned to normal, "Ahhh I don't know what you're talking about, I was just reminding you about the consequences if ever you decide to run again"
"Reminding my ass, you were threatening me earlier!"
Andrei could only sigh in relief, "Okay listen to me both of you" Andrei then started talking about how he came from a faraway country and that when he woke up he ended up in the place, and all the things that happened until he saved Michaela in the carriage.
He also added the reason why he tried to escape, however this only irritated Claire, which made Andrei stop halfway to apologize.
"So that's all" Andrei was exhausted, "Can I have some water?" but the request was ignored as both girls were in deep thought, he could only look at them with his dried-up face. "W-w-water please"
"So you saved me because it was the natural thing to do in your country? Not because you thought I was so cute to be left behind?" Michaela asked Andrei still hugging him from behind.
"That's what she's worried about?!" Andrei couldn't believe what he heard, he calmed himself and thought of a reply.
"Ummm yes, but yeah I have to be honest that being cute is part of it" Andrei said seriously while shrugging with sweat on his face and the girl on his back immediately turned red. Andrei has a romantic experience so he knew when to appreciate a person's features, it wasn't something to be shy saying about.
The girl behind him who was always on her all-out offensive was taken aback of this compliment, she tried to hide her red face from the two by looking down.
"But you at least know the name of your country right?" Claire asked as she was now pulling her beet red sister away from Andrei and put her back to her seat.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhh I think I know… but… it doesn't seem clear" Andrei pretended to not answer the question directly as he doesn't want to dig his own grave again.
"If you'll feign ignorance then that's it" Claire sighed in resignation, "We'll let you off this time since you made a great effort of rescuing my sister"
"You don't find me suspicious anymore?"
"Yeah", Claire is not on her seat while her sister Michaela is on her seat on cloud nine murmuring words they both can't decipher.
"Why?" Andrei asked.
"It simply doesn't suit you, and if someone really tried to kill my sister they wouldn't bother to send a spy when at that commotion they could easily kill her. And I already have a clue on who's behind this," Claire answered bluntly.
"Ahhh ahh, let me guess," Andrei raised his hand, as if wanting to answer his teachers question.
"Okay, go," noticing that her tea was already cold, she stood up and poured her own.
"The prince that Michaela ditched?"
"No, are you dumb?" Claire shook her head.
The word "dumb" struck Andrei on his back, but he recollected his thoughts and tried to guess again.
"Then, maybe some lower nobility who wants to marry off your sister to the prince so he could get a reward from that empire,"
"Close, but no, ahhhh that confirms it you're dumb" another imaginary arrow flew through Andrei.
"What the hell! I give up, I give up! stop calling me dumb!"
"Yes it's some nobility but it's not of lower rank, but its at least in the rank of a minister, but the goal wasn't to get a reward, if there was an event that I was killed while I was on the empire, this kingdom would have taken its arms against the Empire, in other words, war, and this Kingdom will be certainly crushed," Michaela this time recovered to her usual self and gave the answer on her own without minding the two's guessing game.
"Why are you certain that the kingdom would be crushed? Is the war that one-sided? You have strong knights right? Like those golden plated ones?" Andrei recollected crashing at the barrier Erneis created.
"No their military strength is nothing compared to ours, if it happens, we could only last for a month or two, their individual soldiers are about as strong as our golden order of knights, and their numbers are far greater, even if we do hire mercenaries, they would simply turn around against us because of the overwhelming difference in strength," Michaela shrugged as if such a situation was inevitable.
"Then… "
"Yes, you did not only save the queen but the kingdom itself, that is why you are suited to be my dear h-h-husband" Once again Michaela became beet red.
Suddenly a knock echoed through the dining room, it was hurried that they were all surprised and stopped the conversation.
"Your highness, a letter was sent from Mizar settlement"
"Get in" Michaela immediately responded. The door opened and the old knight with white hair came in, first he was surprised to see that the man that stole the armor sitting together with the two royalties.
"Ohhhhh Sir Referee!" Andrei didn't have any bad emotions towards him, "it was my fault in the first place for trying to run away." he muttered to himself.
"Glad to see that you're well and okay" the knight bowed.
"So where's the letter Erneis?" Michaela asked.
The old knight took a parchment from his side pocket and gave it to Michaela.
"Who brought the letter to you? Whose flags were they carrying?" asked Michaela as she was opening the letter with the kitchen knife.
"They… were carrying no flags, your highness, they were dressed in bronze plated armor, I suppose they were average soldiers from Kydus based on their appearance," the old man explains. By the sight of a knight bowing before Michaela, Andrei was reminded of her queenly appearance when she stood on the platform.
"This girl… really is a queen huh?" he thought while watching the exchange between the two while sitting at the table. But while observing them, Michaela's expression suddenly darkened that the letter was crumpled.
Blood gushed from the letter.
"This is… " Claire got up from her seat.
"Yeah definitely" Michaela responded and took off the contents of the letter.
Andrei nonchalantly gets a cupcake from the table and puts it in his mouth, seeing Michaela's expression, he became curious and moved closer to Michaela to peek at the contents, however, his curiosity got the better of him, Andrei was grossed to the point that he choked on the cupcake that he was trying to eat.
The content of the letter was a finger with a gold ring.
"This [cough] is?" [cough][cough]" Andrei asked while holding his throat, Claire didn't say a word and her expression was the same with Michaela.
"This ring represents the family of the loyal maids and butlers who has served the family for generations, it is said in the letter that they are alive and are willing to let them go if I personally retrieve them," Michaela took off the ring and put it on the table there were still bloodstains with it, crumpled the finger together with the letter and asked the maid to throw it.
"This is clearly a trap sister" Claire interrupted.
"Yeah it's clearly a trap, of course I won't go" Michaela responded.
"But, if we don't retrieve them, they would be…" Claire looked down to hide her face.
"Yes most likely, we can't put a force and charge to the Mizar settlement either, it's a miracle that they are still alive… or they might not be alive at all and this is just a trap to lure me out since they failed to kill me," Michaela imagining the situation of her servants, gritted her teeth, clenched her fists so much that it started to bleed.
Andrei was silent, he does not have enough combat experience, nor does he have any experience in the killing. In his country, kidnappings are mostly done by terrorists and rebels, he remembered how foreigners were beheaded on TV. "Kidnapping is the same eh? Whether what world you are" he thought, as he made a deep sigh.
"Then I'll go and see them sister" Claire stood up with the same expression, Andrei couldn't see her eyes, but she was shaking enough to make Andrei surprised.
"Wait, Claire, don't be rash, I know well about your ability, but it's good as useless against many enemies at once, if we go together..."Michaela tried to suggest.
"We won't go together! What do you think will happen if you go out there and have another accident again? Don't you want to get married to that dumb-looking male right there?" She pointed at Andrei.
Michaela couldn't say a word and just looked at Andrei who was helpless being pointed out as dumb-looking, Claire stood up from the table and went to the door but the knight Erneis blocked her path.
"You must not your highness, the moment they saved her highness Michaela from the evildoers they have already resolved to die in that place," the old man tried to convince her.
"But… they might be still alive," she tried to reason, but the old man didn't move a single muscle.
"You said yourself, your highness, this is clearly a trap," the old man put's his hand on his chest and made a bow.
"But what if they're still alive? I might be the queen's sister but I'm only the daughter of the King's concubine. The queen's and my will are of the same, however, she can't go, it's my duty to fulfill her desire to save her attendants if they were alive"
Andrei couldn't say a word, he could only see Michaela with a hopeless expression, torn between chosing her kingdom or the servants.
"It's okay Claire, let's not save them, as Erneis have said, they already resolved themselves to die… for… me," Michaela wasn't crying but her face had a clear expression of regret.
"Are you sure about that? I hope you would keep your word, I know you sister, who knows you might go off without telling me?" Claire turned to face his sister, this time her voice wasn't devoid of emotion, it was full of concern and anger.
Michaela didn't answer but simply nodded her head, seeing this Claire backed off and went back to the dining table silently.
Andrei couldn't help but empathize with the two, he knew the feeling of wanting to save someone whose death is inevitable.
"Wanting to save someone whose unsavable huh? I was just like them back then, I guess with this worlds political structure, those who are above like them can't act on the things that they really want to do because of their rank and the weight that they carry with it, they have these ranks to lead their people, and them dying would mean more chaos and more death for their people.
Even if they did go, the possibility of it being a trap is 99.9%, it's a cliche plot in movies, this is why the situation is easier to read for me, being from a world with a far more bloody history.
Saving huh? If I was in their position I would have done the same, for the greater good, anyone can do the math,"
Andrei reminisced on the day he wasn't able to save his loved one.