Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The next day, I followed my regular routine. I had no choice but to go on my usual days.

Despite my tiredness, I woke up at the designated time with an erection. I took a long cold bath, which didn’t help much but continued on with my routine. I ate the food given to me, and thankfully, by the time I finished my breakfast, it wasn’t as noticeable.

The morning was spent working on simple administrative works, and as usual, the afternoon involved teaching the prince. The boy prince seemed different, which was understandable. Any average person who went through such a traumatic event would remain in shock for a prolonged time. After all, the prince saw someone die in front of him for the first time. He also ended up burying this person and getting rid of any evidence of it too.

I remembered the first time I killed a man. I was much younger than the prince, and at the time, I was engulfed by red hot fury that I acted clumsy and got caught by the enemy.

… If not for the Goddess’ blessing, I would have been killed then and there. Compared to how awkward and stupid I was at his age, Prince Camille was a calm and well-rounded young man.

Even if he still wasn’t good enough of a swordsman who could be capable of killing, let alone win against me in a spar.

I held my wooden sword for his protection and stood in front of him. It was plenty to win against a novice soldier.

“Hya!”

“As I told you many times before, your highness, you can’t attack in such an obvious and honest way. It will be a sure way for you to be killed quickly. We, The Innocent Ones, are all honorable fighters, but in a battle, we know enough not to rely on honesty and honor. We know to hide behind cunning and deceit to survive against our enemy.”

“But Juya, you didn’t make your move, so what was I supposed to …!”

I suddenly closed the distance between us. It was funny how the prince fumbled. His legs and arms moved on their own accord, and I moved quickly behind him and stabbed his back with my wooden weapon. The prince fell helplessly.

“Arrgghhh…?!”

“This is how you attack, your highness.”

I usually moved very little to counteract the prince, so this was a huge surprise to him. The boy flinched and quickly turned around towards me. He held his sword tightly and, with a loud roar, ran towards me.

I knew I taught him better than this. I told him many times not to attack in this fashion. Rushing to one’s enemy like this… Unless it was done by a skilled and strong swordsman, such as Hakim Karid, of course.

Everyone knew this boy prince had always admired his older brother, so it was understandable that he would want to mimic his hero, but… Prince Camille was no soldier. In fact, he was getting worse. How could anyone send this boy to a war?

For the past few days, I have given him a task. It was for him to hit me successfully at least once, but the way he was attacking me was ridiculous. To hold the sword like that with both of his hands and running towards me, swinging his weapon… The chances of a sword accurately hitting its mark at that angle was slim. The risk of the enemy acquiring an opportunity to counterattack was huge.

I moved aside very slightly. I planned on kicking the boy’s wrist as he tried to swing down at me. It was an effortless and effective way to disarm a swordsman. In fact, I used this move against him many times before. I explained it to him very thoroughly, but it seemed that he has forgotten it yet again.

I readied myself and kicked.

However, when I blinked… what happened wasn’t what I expected.

“…?”

The boy was just there where I thought he would be, but he unexpectedly turned his body around and appeared from the opposite side. He quickly swung down at me, and by the time my reflex kicked it and blocked it, it was only after the sharp edge had sliced my right cheek.

“…!”

I felt the hot sticky pain burning on my face.

“Juya!”

“Huh? Wow, your highness. You did so great…?”

It only took a second if distraction.

Suddenly, I found it hard to stand. I realized that my reflex just now against the prince’s attack was slower than usual.

Why?

Of course, I knew he put much thought into this move. He probably tried his best to fool me. Perhaps I was too lazy and unfocused as well. Maybe all these components are coming together, and that was why his move worked on me.

I had to admit that he did very well. It was only right to compliment him. Praise him for his excellent work. I tried to do so with a smile. This was what a good teacher was supposed to do…

But… But… Why? Why did his highness’s proud face suddenly turn to confusion and anxiety? Prince Camille was panting, and he looked concerned. He threw away his sword and came towards me.

“Iztal Juya, are you okay?”

He seemed surprised as he grabbed my arms hard. He asked, “What the! Y, your body… it’s too hot… Are you sick? Why didn’t you tell me?”

What was he talking about?

“No… N, no… I, N, no… y, your highness… I, I’m… fi…fin…?”

However, as I held my right cheek, which was bleeding heavily, my eyes blurred suddenly.

I lost consciousness.

***

I knew I was being moved, and I assumed that it was the prince’s servants that were carrying me. When I woke up, I found myself in a luxurious bed that did not suit me. I felt so embarrassed that I sighed deeply. The owner of the bed was beside me, looking anxious as he placed a cold, wet cloth on my forehead.

“Prince Camille? Oh, no… How long have I been out?”

“Oh, I am so glad you woke up quickly. You were brought here only a moment ago.”

“Please forgive me for my rudeness, your highness.”

I tried to sit up and touched my right cheek. It stopped bleeding, and I could tell that it wasn’t a deep cut. Even so, I felt dizzy and nauseous as if I lost a lot of blood.

Why?

Here in the prince’s quarters, it felt a little different than those of The Innocent Ones. The scent here was sweeter and thicker, making my body feel heavy. Was it why my eyes were having a hard time adjusting? The addictive fragrance and his dreamy voice enveloped me.

“Juya, you can stay and rest here for a while longer. It’s still too early, and we are supposed to be in the middle of my lesson anyway. Besides… there is something I have wanted to talk to you about, Juya, so I think this is a perfect time. With that excuse, it should be okay for you to stay here till dinner. I will explain it to my brother.”

Being taken care of by someone else was an unacceptable thing for The Innocent Ones, but… I felt so weak that I didn’t have the courage to refuse. I felt ashamed. As someone who served the goddess, not being able to take care of myself was an embarrassment. It meant that I have done something terrible.

I knew it. I knew that something was wrong with me lately. The signs were there, and I was afraid that it would get worse.

“Your highness… What was it that you wanted to talk to me about? If you would like to discuss something, you can do so now.”