Chapter 30

Although her opponent was none other than the Crown Prince, he still possessed a great light. It would remain the same for anyone.

“It was nothing.”

“I really thought something was going to happen.”

“So did I. You were being chased by my soldiers.”

As soon as Elvin witnessed the peculiar scene, he ran like crazy. He wondered if they had misunderstood her.

“Thank you for the handkerchief.”

“Well, I’m more grateful for you to have accepted it without much resistance.”

“Yes, that.”

Irene recalled the pattern embroidered on the handkerchief. She glanced at the sword Elvin had purposely brought to accompany him.

“That’s…”

It was something Elvin wouldn’t carry with him on a daily basis. He must have brought it after agreeing on the meeting with Irene.

“Did you bring it in case I didn’t believe your identity?”

“Well, perhaps.”

Elvin smiled vaguely.

“If I were to speak something out of the blue, I concluded it might’ve seemed suspicious.”

“That’s true.”

For example, Irene was incredulous when Nicholas Arkel had said, ‘In fact, I wish to become the Prince’s assistant in the future.’

Irene would have asked him, ‘Where is the evidence?’

“I wasn’t very confident.”

He fiddled with his sword as he hesitantly spoke.

“What?”

“I wasn’t confident I’d seem like the person I am when meeting you.”

So he had no choice but to depend on the object in order to prove himself.

“Well, because I was able to help you, it turned out to be the right thing to do.”

‘He would have been able to help even if he didn’t hold the sword. He proved his identity wholly with his existence.’

Irene couldn’t say anything, although she thought she should let him know. A false assumption doesn’t mean much.

Then, the conversation cut off for a while.

The two were still squatting in the garden, facing each other.

Irene parted her lips carefully as she leaned further into her knees.

“Hey…”

Irene spoke the first word, yet she actually didn’t have anything to say.

However, she didn’t wish to leave this heavy atmosphere ongoing, so Irene tried her best to draw a smile.

After creating a smiling face, she asked in a friendly voice. Irene was careful not to mix in her doubts while speaking.

“You, uh… are the Crown Prince?”

With that said, Irene recalled the definition of ‘Your Highness the Crown Prince’ inside her mind.

The person who forced Irene’s brother to overwork in the original novel.

A person who will hand all his love to the female protagonist, which would appear one upcoming day.

The boy in front of her.

He was still a bit different from the original, since the Crown Prince right now was just a young child.

“Well…”

Elvin seemed hesitant to answer.

It was a very easy question for him, so it seemed a bit strange for him to ponder over the answer.

“I am.”

His way of speaking was a bit slower than usual, and polite.

“My name is Elvin Manuel Terence.”

It meant, after all, he was the Crown Prince.

His name was inscribed in the history of the Empire.

However, something was different.

“I am the Crown Prince.”

Irene didn’t catch what the variation was, however, she could sense that the two different, but similar answers held contrasting meanings.

“I am Irene Webber.”

It was strange, but she concluded it would be better to answer this way. Come to think of it, Irene had never introduced herself officially.

They’ve met several times and talked, so it was strange to introduce themselves only now.

“…Thank goodness.”

Eliving sighed deeply as he buried his forehead between his knees.

“What?”

“I thought it was better off not to let you know about this. I’m glad I had a chance to speak.”

“Just in case.”

“Yes?”

“My brother… He knows, right?”

“Of course he knows. He’s my most precious friend.”

“And my parents?”

“Well, I couldn’t help it. They’re the guardians of Benjamin Webber.”

“It was only a secret for me.”

Irene, of course, knew of his identity before he could confront her about it, but that had only occurred recently.

“I didn’t want to get you involved in anything useless.”

“I understand it’s a security issue. But now that you’re telling me…”

“Yes.”

This means the Imperial Family would no longer keep him hidden.

“I will come forward. Officially. So I’m apologizing to the people who hadn’t known of my identity.”

He bowed his head.

“I apologize for letting you know only now.”

Irene shook her head.

“No, if that is the case, there is something I’m much more worried about.”

“Worried?”

“Ah… Well, I don’t know if I could tell you. It’s regarding the security.”

“Please tell me. If I have any sense of anxiety, I will have to get rid of it.”

“By any chance, did you allow Roger Blake… to know?”

“…!”

Eventually, Irene had no choice but to explain what happened with Roger Blake.

Security is important when any change occurs.

Irene thought Elvin would be angry after she completed the story. Since Roger was stuttering endlessly after he confessed his identity.

“Aha, that’s what happened… That’s why… I’m not surprised… All right. Well, I see.”

However, Elvin only smiled kindly. She didn’t anticipate he wouldn’t be angry.

Since then, they had a few more conversations, but it seemed he didn’t care much about it.

Does he have an unexpected generosity?

Of course, it was only Irene’s idea.

The phrase remained in the ‘Court Journal’ written by the officers since the day after they met.

「The Duke of Blake’s successor who finished his meetings with the Crown Prince had an appearance of one trembling endlessly with a blue face. A living body seemed to crawl out.」

***

Elvin offered to accompany Irene back to the mansion, however, she refused.

The moment her parents witnessed her returning with the help of the Crown Prince, they’d know she left the house secretly.

…She’d be severely scolded.

Irene forcibly removed Elvin, reassuring him not to worry as she would head back on her own.

After confirming his distance, she was left alone in the quiet garden. At that moment, she felt a twinge of dizziness.

“…?!”

When she glanced upwards in surprise, Nicholas Arkel had suddenly appeared. He raised Irene, his complexion pale.

“*Gap Lady, are you alive?”

*TN: Those who are in a higher position within a contract are referred to as the ‘Gap.’

He seemed very surprised to see her face. Didn’t you mean to disappear alone?

Still, it was true Irene felt a bit grumpy, so she wore a slightly sulky face.

“Teacher.”

“Yes, My lady.”

“Details.”

“No, actually. It’s weird here. I don’t know what kind of device the wizard hired enforced.” (P/N: the wizard the Imperial Palace hired.)

“Let’s write down the details.”

“My lady is awful!”

After he shook his head fiercely and shouted, blood flowed from his forehead. It had been concealed before because of his hair.

Irene hurriedly stretched out her arms and rolled up his bangs. There was a wound.

“Are you hurt?! How did this happen?!”

“Oh, it’s nothing.”

He landed Irene on the floor and shrugged.

“The teleportation magic had transported me to a different place.”

“Different place?”

“Near the Black River.”

“If it’s the Black River.”

Irene recalled a book she had recently borrowed from the library called ‘The River of the World.’

The Black River was the center of the monster population, and it is infested with all sorts of dangers. The adventurers who died on the way to the upper reaches of the area were incalculable.

“That’s a very dangerous place!”

In some ways, it was more dangerous than being caught here. It was a place where humans would be fed on.

“Well, the Court wizards were more useful than I thought. Rather, I was more worried that my lady was left alone.”

“You weren’t in a position to worry about me!”

“But still. I have to worry about you.”

He clamped his sleeves using his hands and swept his bleeding forehead. Blood stained his black shirt.

Irene looked at Nicolas Arkel as she clasped both her hands.

She couldn’t believe he worried about Irene, although he was in an even worse situation.

As expected, he is a good person.

‘I cursed such a man to have an itch in the middle of his back, step on mud in his brand new shoes, and to have a copy of every book he bought.’

Irene was ashamed of herself for pouring such hellish curses.

“If Lady Kid is in danger, my money connections will disappear.”

“…What?”

“In addition, the delicious meals and comfortable accommodations that will be provided indefinitely until I run away.”

“…”

“Hey, but it’s fortunate. The lady’s not caught nor hurt, is she?”

He glanced back and forth at Irene’s appearance and was delighted.

“It’s also because you’re my diligent discipline! My teaching was deemed very useful.”

“Just what are you saying after doing something like this!”

“I must have a promising talent for teaching.”

“You don’t have any?!”

“Today’s class was the ‘Great Survival.’ If Irene Webber doesn’t have any questions, that concludes it!”

Irene slapped him on the arm, threatening him not to speak anymore nonsense. It didn’t seem to hurt him.

Anyhow, both Nicholas and Irene were exhausted. The two decided to step away from the library garden and perform mobile magic.