Chapter 9 - Chapter 8

A P H I A

That frog prince is honestly getting into my nerve. What has gotten into him to challenge me in a horse racing competition? Is he drunk?!

"I'm not going." I quickly said before closing my room's door, leaving Howard and Elbrus stunned.

My stomach rumbled when I smelled the breakfast that my attendant had prepared for me. I hurriedly sat and started eating. My attendant prepared a scrambled egg, bread, butter, and milk. If I were in my world, mom would unmistakably prepare a heavy breakfast meal for me before going to work.

In this world, I had to work first before having breakfast. I suddenly miss mom and dad. I hope they are taking care of themselves. I sighed as I ate the egg.

I was spreading a thick layer of butter on the bread when suddenly the door opened, revealing Howard and Elbrus while smirking at me. "What?" I asked innocently. I thought they left already. What are they still doing here?

I bit a portion of my bread before looking at them boringly. "Tell the frog prince that I am not stupid to accept his challenge," I said while chewing. I don't care about manners any more. I'm hungry, and that is all that matters at this time.

Howard and Elbrus look and send each other a mischievous grin. It's a kind of smile that made me nervous out of the blue. I unconsciously gripped my bread tightly as they walked towards me. I swallowed the lump in my throat as I waited for their next move.

They both stopped a few inches from where I was seating, and the next thing I knew, Howard suddenly lifted me and put me over his broad shoulder. I am lying on my stomach. My upper body is at his back, and my lower body is upfront.

"What the hell?!" I cursed as I looked at Elbrus, who was walking beside Howard. They walked out of the room and are now walking in the hallway. "What are you two doing to me?! Put me down, Howard!" I yelled as I tried to get off from him.

"Stay put, priestess, or else you will fall," Howard said as he laughed.

"What? I don't care, just put me down right this instance!" I yelled as I punched his back to escape. I left my precious breakfast back in my room, you two idiots! I just started eating!

"We want you to have fun with us," Elbrus said while smiling and looking at me with amusement. Is he amazed by my current situation? Howard looks like carrying a pig right now!

"Have fun?!" I shouted in frustration. "So, you are taking me to Prince Kalmin?!" I asked, and he nodded. "For Pete's sake, I don't know how to ride a horse! I don't want to take his challenge! Isn't obvious!?" I ranted, and I continued punching Howard's back.

"Don't take it seriously, priestess. It's just a game." Howard said as he held my thighs tightly to prevent me from falling.

"I don't care. What I need right now is a peaceful breakfast." I answered. "Can ask someone else other than me?"

Elbrus chuckles. "You are the only priestess, so I think it's impossible." He said, and I noticed the people passing us were looking at us while laughing.

"I can't believe you would carry me this way just to take me there! People are making fun of me, Howard. Put me down!" I think I already lost all the energy I have just by shouting at these two.

"We are also surprised that you have this kind of personality, priestess. You look prim and proper whenever you talk to us." Howard said, ignoring my complaints.

"I never was a prim and proper kind of a girl, Howard. I just met all of you, and I don't know yet how to express who I truly am. Wait, why do I have to explain myself to you! Put me down!" I rant, and they both laugh loudly.

"You certainly are an interesting girl, priestess," Elbrus said while laughing.

"Can you just call me Aphia?" I said.

"We will think about it," Howard said before laughing like a jerk.

"How about you put me down, and let's talk about going to the frog prince?" I suggested.

"Sorry, priestess. I cannot do that since I have trust issues with girls." Howard said, and Elbrus laughed.

"Don't tell me Aloisia rejected you!?" I asked, and they both laughed. "W-What?" I asked innocently.

"Where did you get that, priestess?" Howard asked. I cannot say that I was observing and shipping them.

"So, it's a no?" I asked, ignoring his question.

"Of course, it's a no!" He shouted. I should've seen his face while saying that. So, I am wrong? I thought there was something romantic between them.

"Put me down," I ordered, and he just laughed at me. "For heaven's sake, are we there yet?! I want to finish my bread first before beating the frog prince!" I yelled, and they both burst into laughter.

What's funny?!

Since I don't think I could escape this situation, I might as well accept the challenge. I don't want to back down from that frog prince!

G U N T H E R (Commander of 1st Order of Knights)

Not more than 50 knights are here in the "downs", it's a grassy plain or area where we hold our horse riding training and horse racing competition. Prince Kalmin invited them to watch, and they were from different Orders.

"What taking them so long?" Aloisia asked, losing her patience to wait for Howard and Elbrus to return with the priestess.

Prince Kalmin came up with this idea after his shameful encounter with the priestess the other day. He couldn't move on from embarrassment, so he wanted to make even with the priestess.

I look at Clovis, who is in his usual self, he tried to stop the crown prince from challenging the priestess, but the crown prince insisted. I think he is worried about the priestess. She is from the other world, so probably she doesn't know how to ride a horse.

"W-What are they doing?!" Aloisia said, and that caught our attention. We followed her gaze, and I was shocked to see Howard carrying the priestess on his shoulder. "What a moron!" She shouted while Prince Kalmin burst into laughter.

All knights present in this area are looking at them in amusement, and several of them are laughing.

Howard and Elbrus are also laughing while the priestess is shouting at them. I wonder what they are talking about in that situation.

"It looks like they are having fun," I commented while looking at them.

I heard Aloisia sigh. "I think the priestess is fine." She said. "What has gotten into them?! They are unbelievable!" She exclaimed.

"The priestess probably did not want to go with them," I said.

"So, they forced her?!" She asked.

"Hey! I think it's not that bad." I said while chuckling, and she punched my arm lightly. "Okay. I'll stop." I said. She loves punching men.

I look at Clovis, and I find him looking gravely at them. He looked serious and worried but did not say anything about it.

Howard and Elbrus finally reached our spot. The moment Howard put the priestess down, he instantly received a hard punch on the stomach from the priestess. All of us gasped, and Howard winced in pain. Elbrus tried to escape, but the priestess caught him, and she landed another punch on his stomach too.

"That is for disturbing my meal and for carrying me like that!" The priestess shouted while holding a… bread?

She breathed out before biting her bread angrily. She is definitely hungry and angry. Prince Kalmin did not stop laughing and looked like the priestess did not care.

I looked at Clovis, and my eyes widened in surprise to see him slightly smiling at the priestess. His eyes soften too.

Is this real?! Am I positively looking at the Clovis that I know?!

Say something, man! Don't let the crown prince get all the attention you want!

"You told us that you were not going to hold it against us?!" Howard exclaimed while holding his stomach.

"I can't believe you can punch that hard!" Elbrus commented while caressing his stomach. The priestess looked at them and stuck her tongue out before finishing her bread. Howard and Elbrus chuckled at her childish act.

"So, is my opponent ready?"