IT WAS ALREADY PAST an hour since I went to save the princess lass. And as to why I was carrying her in my arms like this? Well, she was too tired, it seemed (or so she claimed). Maybe because she was confined in such tiresome basement that she was mentally exhausted? That should be it.
"…"
I thought that women hated being touched by men they've just met? My master had made sure to always told me to be careful when it comes to handling ladies. I was told that their brains work a whole different dimension from men. But this girl… she looked strangely happy. Is this because she was finally saved? Anyway, that keeps me off some trouble. It would have been more challenge if she started squirming around while being carried like this.
Ugh… I'm getting hungry. Is there still any open restaurant at this hour?
I put the princess down for a bit.
"Noella." As I uttered the word, the necklace hidden under my scarf shone a bright light and dispersed into mana particles…
"Nyaa!" …and appearing from there was a feline with black fur, silver eyes, long ears, and twin-swinging tails.
"Huh? Who—kya!" The princess yelped in surprise…that's a cute reaction if I ever seen one.
"Relax. This cat over here is my familiar." My magical beast, Noella. Though, I said beast, she was just like a house cat. She rested atop my head and started stretching her seemingly stiffened limbs.
"Oh? Really? How cute! Come here little cutie—hyaa! What's wrong with her?!" Oh, now this is new. Noella acted hostile, hissing at the princess.
"Oh, she's the type that's hated fellow women. I guess?" Though, this might be the first time I saw her acting like this.
"What?! Is that a thing nowadays?! Ouch! She just scratched me! Hey, she did it on purpose!" What's wrong with this lass? Has she gone nuts?
"Oh, come on. She's a magical beast ya'know. As if she'd do something like that."
"I can tell! Look at that smug expression of hers!" Smug expression…?
"Meowrrr!" Come on, you too. Stop teasing her…
"See that? She's even hurt me!"
"Huh? She did? Where?" Did she really? No good. If the princess gets wounded even for a scratch; the king might deduct some in my rewards. And a less gold is a less worth. I cannot let that happen!
"Here, look. In my hand."
"Huh? These red marks?" Hey, hey, now little princess. You can't even call that a scratch.
"Yes. It stings. Blow it for me."
Seriously…?
"Huh? There's no need for that, is there?"
"There is! Ouch. Ahh! My hand… it hurts."
Oh, I guess, that really hurts for her? She's a princess and all, so she's maybe not used to pain. She's tearing a little and her face is a little red.
"Sigh. Alright, alright," I turned to my mischievous familiar, "Noella, please behave. She's our client, so hurting her is bad for us, okay?"
"Meowrr…" I feel bad for her, but Noella really is acting strange. I wonder what made her act like this.
"Here?"
"Yes. It hurts…"
It is just me, or her eyes turned a little bit more alluring? Is it the tears?
"Okay," we won't be able to move on if I don't do this, is that it? Well, blowing on her hand isn't a big deal anyway. I started doing my thing, "fuuu… hooo."
"Hyan!"
"Hey! Stop with that weird sound."
"Huh? What sound? I didn't."
"Oh, yes, you did." I huffed another blow, "Fuuu."
"Kyaan~."
I stared at the lass; a question hung in my mind.
What are we even doing…?
After indulging the princess with her request of blowing her hand, we decided our next course of action.
And for a moment there, I saw this princess sticking out her tongue towards Noella. What are you, a kid? And Noella's taking the bait!
Sigh… what should be done with these two…
***
The place where the princess was taken to was at the west side of the kingdom; just before exiting the outer wall. Of course, they never even mange to get her out of the domain. This merry-band of wannabe bandits were nothing but amateurs. As if, they were just formed to kidnap someone and then that's it. They did not even put up a fight.
The flare. Ah, here it is.
"Light the flare and our agent will do the rest for you." Or so said the four-eyed prince.
I lit the flare and shoot it towards the sky. This should signal the guards positioned near the outer wall to come here. For what purpose? So that the cleaning of the place will not fall onto me. Hehe.
"Elle, stay here for a bit. You see that poor guy over there?" I pointed at the boss of the abductors. "He just injured his hand so he was in a bad shape. Watch him until the guards arrive. Don't let him scape, okay?"
"Nyaa~." She seemed to want to complain but I take that as a yes. I'll buy her some of her favorite meat later…
I'll leave everything else to the guards. The captain should know exactly what to do with that guy. I turned to the princess.
"Should we get going then?"
"Are we not going to meet with the guards?" The princess quired, tilting her head.
"Nope. We are not going to meet with anybody else other than the king."
"Hmmm. Okay then. The decision is for the man to make. I am nothing but a damsel in distress." She said in a humming tone.
"A damsel in distress would not say that while literally smiling."
"Oh, shouldn't I? Fufu." She's awfully in a good mood for someone who's just kidnapped.
"Come quick, I will carry you."
"Huhwee?!" I let out a squeak.
That's more like the distressed tone that you were talking about.
"Or are you saying you're going to walk back? You can even barely stand."
"Wait. Wait just a moment, okay? Are you planning to take me back while carrying me?!"
"What are you making fuss for? Did I not make myself clear?"
"You made yourself so clear and that is why I am confused!" Her hands are flapping while talking in a comedic way. Why so frantic? What's so bad about being carried? Or, is she a person who hates being carried?
"What about the carriage?"
"Too expensive."
"H—how about a horse?"
"Too troublesome."
"Do you have any idea how far we are from the castle?"
"I do. And that is why we should do this. This is faster."
"B-bu-but…"
"Oh, come on." She was hesitating so much that it made me lose my patience. I knelt in front of her, my back against her. I grab her legs and forced her into a piggyback ride.
"Wha—what are you trying to do?!" She squealed but non-resistant.
"Hold on tight your highness."
"No…" I put strength to my legs. Not paying heed to the soft sensation on my back.
"Here goes nothing!" After making sure of the route to take, I jumped towards the roof of a nearby building.
"NOOOOOOOO!!!" As I jumped to my next roof, the wail of the princess echoed about the empty district.
***
"Open your eyes. It's not so bad right?"
For the first time, in my life, I, Andrea Altruist Maecenas, had been subjected to a humiliation… I, who had never even raised a tone, who was never ones made to shout… was made to wail by this man.
"Wha-what do you mean, 'not so bad?!' We are up high here!" We are now on our way back to the castle. And of course, what we are doing right now can't be called as a normal way of transportation. We are literally jumping around… flying.
"What are you so worked out for? Your castle is even higher than we are now."
"The castle had walls!" This man really is imbecile! Stupid! I am not good with heights! "If we fall now, we will both surely die!"
"Don't worry." He said in a gentle tone, "That is the only thing I will not allow."
"What…?" budump. My heart…
You damned smooth talker! Enemies of women!
"Come on. Open your eyes. Believe me just this once." How can I refuse when you are saying it like that?
In the middle of the cold mid-winter night, the moon shimmers; Like a gem afloat in the midst of the clear sky. Shining amongst of the million stars. It glistens, illuminating his face from above. His glossy black hair swaying by the caress of the wind, as if beloved by the breeze, reveals his untainted, youthful face. Not a face of a mercenary, not a face of a man, but of an innocent boy—not too childish, not too rough. The face of a boy without a single worry. The face of a boy enjoying this very moment.
Oh, mid-winter; you tease. You are supposed to be cold and yet here you are. Warm to my heart, calm to my mind. A peace to my soul.
"I really might have come to love," this hopeless knave.
"Right? Told you so."
"Huh?!" What did I just say?! Did I just confess?! Me? The second princess of the kingdom?! "F-fo—fo—forget what I said!!!" Oh, what a blunder I've made!
"Huh? Why, though? Even I love…" huh? what? He does?! He loves me? But we've just met! "…this view at night."
"Huh…?" What?
"I said I love this view, especially at night. Somehow, it calms me down."
"Huh? Oh… you mean the scenery?"
"What else should I mean?"
"Oh, no. Nothing~." Oh, what a blunder I've made…
Oh, mid-winter you tease. Why would you keep on making me have the wrong idea!
Even so… "this is the first time I've seen this." the scenery really is picturesque. By the whisper of the cold breeze, my eyes meandered along the tranquility of the evenfall. The light of the watch towers, the view of the town. The fireflies that illuminates the trees of a nearby forest. The lake that reflects the ethereal glow of the stars and the moon. I've seen these before, but not like this. It's even more spellbinding up high. My heart feels like it was about to sing.
"I… I frequently went out to visit the Castletown. I love how lively it was. I've come to know the people and how they lived. Their everyday life was a wonder for me. For me who was raised inside the high wall of the castle, it was a simple mystery. That's why I was mesmerized. So, I went to town again and again; and when I did, I was abducted. Fufu. Silly right?"
"Well. I guess it really was silly. Keke."
"Right? Ufufu."
"But that's quite a surprise, if you ask me."
"Hmm? What is?"
He jumped from building to building, sometimes to a branch of a tree. But even once, I never felt uncomfortable. It was as if we were sailing smoothly in an unbothered water.
"I mean, I was told how nobles and royals were indifferent towards commoners and peasants. That's why, you, who is a princess finding our way of life mesmerizing was quite a shock."
He confessed.
"Is that so? But just so you know, my family was all like that. Especially Andrew, my eldest brother; he never even bothers acting like a prince. And Marcus? All he cares is money…" I don't know why, but when I said things about Marcus just now, his face lit up, "…and Luke, he was very caring while also so nosy and overly protective… and Alex, my older sister… she never even cares about us being royals. All she cares about was the sword." I heaved a long sigh, "haaa… I worry about the future of this kingdom."
"Oh, I see!" he exclaimed as if realizing something, "so that was why you were dressed so simple right now? I was told that royals like you wears clothes that cost many gold coins!"
"What? You just realized it now? This clothe was prepared by my maid. Uh… I'm guessing how she's beating herself right now. She's one who blames herself too much. Still, you really only realized?"
"Uhh, uhmm…" Not even making an excuse, eh… But this is a chance, I'll tease him a bit.
"Fufun~ How was I? I look beautiful even with a simply garb like this, am I not?" Fufufu, take that! My womanly charm!
"Hm? Well, you sure are."
"Hweuh?!" What did he just say…?
"What is it this time?" he grumbled in complaint.
"Did you just praise me?" he did? This knave?!
"What? Should I not?"
"No, wait! I said 'I was beautiful,' and you said, 'you sure are.' You think I'm pretty?! You think I'm beautiful?!"
"Oh, come on. Are you entertaining a new hobby of being dumb?"
"Just answer me! The whole kingdom is at stake here!" and how can you be so rude to a princess!
"You are beautiful. I don't know about others, but at least for me, you truly are beautiful. There's no doubt about that." …to call an unmarried woman beautiful without batting an eye…
"So? What makes me beautiful, then?"
"Huh?"
"Come on! Just out with it."
"Ugh… you're so demanding."
"Well, I am a princess."
"Haaa…" He sighed in resignation. Your beautiful long golden-blond hair. Your round blue eyes. Your shapely face. Your tiny ears. Your pointed nose… and uh… your red lips… I think that's what makes you pretty," Oho, is that a hint of shyness, my dear mercenary? "uh, I mean beautiful."
But everything he said just made my heart go crazy… Oh, my heavens! I was praised by many before, but never once I felt like this!
"How can you say that so easily with such straight face?"
"You told me to! And well, sister Ellishabelle always told me to be honest." …ahh, this calls for marriage!
"Ehehe. Ufufu. I see! I see. For you I am the most beautiful girl in the entire world, eh? Ufufu, ehehe."
"I did not say that much."
"You flatterer, you."
I felt like he mentioned someone's name? Well, whatever. I'm in a very good mood right now! I'll forgive his infidelity for once.