Chapter 21

Lilica swallowed a scream. Screaming in this kind of situation would only cause it to worsen.

What she had to do was act.

Lauv came over and stopped her just as she was about to run over. Lilica turned her gaze away, and Lauv gave a slight shake of the head.

Atil pulled him closer by the collar again and spoke lowly.

“Get lost, Barat’s masterpiece. Before I find the urge to ascertain whether the rumour is true or not.”

“Ha.”

Fjord smiled briefly.

“Is that so? I also wonder if that rumour is true.”

Reddish gold eyes stared straight into his eyes.

“Shall we find out?”

Clatter clatter. 

Lilica’s gaze turned towards the table inadvertently. The tableware placed on the table was trembling.

It was the raspberry juice that remained in the glass that was shaking. The table wasn’t moving.

The tableware was shaking like it was responding to something.

No.

She didn’t know what this was, but this can’t continue. Lilica shook Lauv off, ran over and pulled on Atil with all her might.

“Stop it! This is a guest that I’ve invited! I won’t forgive anymore of your discourtesy!”

She squeezed in between the two that were grabbing each other, and began to push them in both directions.

Her struggling appearance caused Atil to let Fjord go, and they both retreated a few steps back. He looked like a fighting dog staring at his opponent.

Lilica stood in front of Fjord and said,

“He’s my guest. I said he’s my guest.”

Lilica stretched herself as much as she could.

“As such, I’m fully responsible for Fjord’s safety. Atil, please just leave.”

“What? Hey, what wrong with—”

“Your Highness the Crown Prince.”

Brynn cut in then. Her dark purple eyes were chilly.

“This is the White Dragon Chamber, where the Princess resides. Please forgive my rudeness for cutting into the conversation between the high ones. However, I just can’t stand any further disrespect towards the Princess.”

At Brynn’s words, Atil balled his hands into fists tightly and left after leaving a few words behind.

“If you like that punk so much, do as you please.”

When Atil left the room abruptly, Pi greeted Lilica and left the room with him.

The door slammed shut. Lilica turned to Fjord, trying not to show any signs of nervousness.

“Are you alright? I’ll tell him to call a doctor right away.”

“This is nothing much. There’s no need to call one for my sake.”

Fjord said with a smile and asked Lilica.

“But is this alright? You’ve just gotten to know the Crown Prince, and yet you’ve made him an enemy because of me. Isn’t he one of the few people that you want to show your curtsy to?”

Lilica’s shoulders flinched slightly, but she spoke resolutely.

“I wasn’t pretending to argue. Also, Atil was obviously in the wrong. Fjord is my guest.”

Lilica shook her head.

“And what do you mean, this is nothing? It’s not nothing. Sit down. If you don’t like doctors, I’ll apply some medicine on you.”

At the commanding tone in her words, Fjord blinked and fiddled with his split lip.

“It’s really alright. Princess. The injuries I’ve gotten during sparring might be worse than these.”

“It’s different from sparring.”

Getting hit is both scary and painful.

Violence makes people hesitant and incapable of thinking.

“I don’t want to. I won’t just let Fjord leave like this. Because I don’t like it, even if you say that you’re alright. Brynn, can you bring something that’s easy to consume? Something sweet.”

“Yes, Princess.”

She was the highest authority in the White Dragon Chamber. With authority, it is always accompanied with responsibility. Lilica gripped her hand into a fist.

‘I have to perform well from the get go.’

She seemed to be flustered as they were both men that were at least a head taller than her. Additionally,

Lilica glanced back at Lauv sulkily. His gray eyes blinked once.

‘I’ll have to talk to Lauv later.’

After a while, a maid brought over the medicine box and Lilica found the tweezers and cotton balls herself.

“Here you go.”

While she was applying the ointment, Fjord’s eyes were kept down meekly.

When he stole an occasional glance at the princess’ face, she was so engrossed in applying the medicine that she didn’t even notice his gaze.

“All done.”

Lilica returned the tweezers to the maid and dragged Fjord to the tea table that was newly set up.

A cup of hot milk chocolate was present. It was also Lilica’s favourite drink.

“Drink it and you’ll feel calmer.”

After saying that, Lilica drank the milk chocolate in front of her.

The bittersweet taste of warm milk chocolate warmed her stomach.

She also felt her tension gradually fade away. Although she knew that Atil was quite rough, she didn’t expect him to swing his fist.

When she thought about this, she remembered being hit in the past, and something within her shrunk.

‘What should I say to Atil?’

Lilica agonised over it as she ate chocolate-dipped castella.

After taking a big bite, she gained the confidence that it would somehow work out with Atil.

“Isn’t it yummy?”

Fjord nodded at Lilica’s question.

All of this was novel to him. Now, the maids of his family would no longer ask if he’s alright, even when he was punched.

A certain something that stood out inside of him seemed to disappear.

As he slowly drank the sweet chocolate, listened to a voice worrying over his well-being, and the careful touch of a hand that applied medicine.

‘What is this?’

He pondered.

It was a period of calm, as though a disturbance had never occurred before.

Warm sunlight filled the drawing room, and a sweet scent emanated from the glass.

Even the silverware seemed to gleam brilliantly. There was an atmosphere that made both the body and mind at ease.

It must have been made by the master of the White Dragon Chamber, the princess.

Fjord made a faint smile unknowingly. When he realised that he was smiling, he pressed on the corners of his lips lightly.

His glass was quickly emptied.

“I’d better get going now. Since His Highness, the Crown Prince, will only feel at ease when I leave. “

Lilica shook her head.

“That’s a problem between me and Atil. Fjord doesn’t have to worry about that.”

“As a loyal subject, that shouldn’t be the case. It’s because I’ve also crossed the line today. My sincere apologies, my princess.”

Fjord apologised respectfully. Lilica shook her head.

She should have responded properly from the beginning, when Atil grabbed him by the collar…

Fjord once again said that he’s alright, and asked.

“Although I should go back like this today.”

He hesitated for a moment. There weren’t many things worth hesitating over in his life, but this was worth hesitating over.

As such, he knows that he could never come here again. He’s aware.

He looked back at Lilica. A pair of clear, transparent eyes looked back into his eyes.

“If it’s alright, could you invite me again next time?”

Although he thought that this was a mistake, he was unable to change his opinion. Fjord looked at Lilica.

Lilica thought about Atil. She then looked back at Fjord, who’s right in front of her. The appearance of his split lip made her sad.

“Mm.”

Lilica nodded her head, and Fjord greeted her with a bow and a smile.

“Then, this lowly one will take his leave. I wish you peace, my robin princess.”

After sending off Fjord, Lilica asked Brynn.

“Would Fjord be attacked by Atil on his way back?”

“There’s no need for you to worry about that. Princess.”

“Why in the world are they on such bad terms? Did something happen between them?”

“I think it’ll be better if you heard it from the people involved. If it’s the princess that’s asking, both of them will surely give you an answer.”

“Hm, true. Alright.”

Rather than listening to idle gossip, how about asking them directly?

Lilica took a deep breath and turned her head around suddenly.

“Lauv, let’s have a chat for a second.”

Lilica took Lauv to the room adjacent to the drawing room and closed both of the doors.

After Lilica pretended to put a hand on her waist in a talking pose, Lauv knelt on a knee and looked up at her.

“Why did you stop me?”

“Because I deemed that it was dangerous.”

“Then why didn’t you stop me from running over?”

“At that time, I thought that both of them would accept a compromise.”

“Wouldn’t it be alright if I stopped them from the very beginning?”

“I thought if the princess dissuaded them from the beginning, you’d draw the fire towards yourself.”

“Why?”

When Lilica asked with a tilted head, Lauv spoke slowly like he was wondering how to explain.

“His Highness likes the princess and thinks of you as someone on his side. If such a person sides with someone else, it’ll make him angrier.”

“Hmm……”

Lilica groaned with her arms folded. Lauv smiled faintly and continued to explain.

“But after a punch, the both of them would have been a little dazed internally. As they’ve crossed the line slightly.”

When a person is trying to dissuade another, it’s best to do so when they’ve stopped fighting.

Lilica’s shoulders drooped at Lauv’s words. She lamented.

“But two people fought in the White Dragon Chamber. No matter what, I had to do something about it. Whether it draws the fire onto me or not. If I had cut in then, wouldn’t Lauv have protected me? Or is it that Lauv can’t because of the Crown Prince?”

How would an outstanding princess have dealt with it? Lilica was completely lost.

“Of course, if the princess wanted to cut in there, I would have protected you. But there’s a method that’s clearer.”

“What is it?”

“You can call for me.”

Lilica looked at Lauv Wolfe. There was a faint heated gleam within his gray eyes.

“If you told me to clean up the situation, I would have done so. Whether it’s by drawing my weapon or stepping in between the two.”

“Lauv is my escort. Can I still ask you to do something like that?”

His face became clouded by the words that came out unknowingly.

It seemed difficult for him to speak, but then he told her again.

“I am the princess’s shield. But I want to be a sword, as well as a shield.”

Can’t I do so?

Those words contained such a question. Lilica was quite surprised.

She was a child, and people were used to talking carelessly in front of her.

There wasn’t anyone that held back what they wanted to say in front of Lilica.

But Lauv was talking very cautiously. He wasn’t requesting this arbitrarily because she was an eight-year-old.

Lilica glanced down at her hand.

A small palm.

She’d always wished that she could grow up soon.

That way, she can do more things, earn more money, and be able to protect her mother better.

To grow up quickly and do the things that she couldn’t do now. To be wiser in thought and better in judgement.

‘But an outstanding princess might not be someone that does everything herself.’

If her opponent was Brynn, she wouldn’t have met her alone and questioned her like this.

She would just be curious and ask, “Why did you do that?”

Perhaps it was because Lilica herself didn’t trust Lauv completely?

Just because she brought him over due to that ominous premonition that she had—she bore the feeling of putting out the pressing fire, but maybe she didn’t really think of him as her escort.

Was that what Lauv found difficult?

‘How does a high-ranking person compliment others?’

Lilica pondered. When His Majesty or His Highness were praising her, how did they do it?

‘Head pats.’

Lilica reached out a small hand and began to pat Lauv’s head gently.

The wolf flinched and stole a glance at the young princess. Lilica made eye contact with him and smiled.

“Alright. Then from now on, I will regard Lauv as my shield and sword. I’ll definitely call for you if something difficult happens.”

It was her first time gently stroking an adult man’s head, but his hair was surprisingly soft, and she felt very pleasant.

She could see why His Majesty or Atil likes to stroke her head.

“I’ll respond with all my might.”

Lauv replied and bowed deeply. After Lilica thought she had patted his head moderately, she removed her hand.

“Then I’ll be in your care, Lauv.”

“It would be my pleasure.”

With a light heart, Lilica came out to the drawing room. She also felt like her relationship with Lauv has risen up a level.

But there was someone unexpected waiting in the drawing room.

“Mother?”

Lilica ran over happily with a big smile. Ludia forced a smile and put her arms around Lilica, who was hugging her wide skirts.

Ludia held her tightly and looked up at Lauv.

Her dark blue eyes were like a dagger. Lauv bowed his head, like he knew why had the Empress come here.

Nervousness ran through his body.

Ludia moved her gaze from him to look down at Lilica. Her face relaxed unknowingly.

“The meeting with Fjord was today, wasn’t it? How was it?”

“Uh, he managed to teach me the curtsy.”

She hid the story of fighting with Atil without her realisation.

“I see.”

That wasn’t what Ludia came here for today, so she moved on without noticing her daughter’s strange behaviour.

Ludia quickly got to the point.

“Lily, sit down for a while. I need to talk to you.”

“Yes, please go ahead.”

Lilica said as she quickly sat on the sofa, and Ludia said lightly as if it were nothing.

“About your new escort, Mom wants to change it to someone that’s to my liking. That’s fine, right?”