Chapter 15

“Monette, did you assume I would drink this water after getting attacked by those three?”

“That is no longer in the realm of just being a witch if I did.”

Taken back by Monette’s answer, Alexis made a bitter smile and muttered, “I suppose so.” Of course now, Alexis was supposed to run with a joke beginning with, “That water is….” but like a first time daikon radish actor, he let it die. I made my complaints known through the glare I gave him.

Still, it was him who drank the water without permission, but I was the one who made the water unpleasant. Although it would not have tasted unpleasant if anyone other than him had drank it. I decided to take some pity on him and gave him a sugar confection to roll around and melt in his mouth. A sigh of relief passed through his lips.

“Sorry Monette, I have prevented you from resting.”

“It’s fine. I can just go to sleep now. I’ve also prepared a spell to repress the effects of your curse.”

“I rely on Monette for just about everything. ………Sorry.”

To Alexis who started muttering some things on his own, Monette did not respond and lied back down.

It is a fact that he is inconveniencing me. He dragged me out of the old castle, and now he is taking me to a different country. Annoying would be the perfect word to use here. But Alexis’s mumbling is falling hard, and I can’t understand what he is saying. However, I don’t feel like saying something like good night or acting friendly, so I’ll just drift off in silence.

The sounds of the carriage’s rattling and creaking wheels along with Alexis’s occasional mutterings of “Sorry,” did not make a good lullaby. The driver is just being a driver, but the Lord is bringing down the mood. Thinking so, Monette picked herself up a little bit to appease the Alexis drowning in guilt.

“Sorry Monette, I don’t remember what you look like.”

My voice caught in my throat, and my short breaths trembled a little in my helmet.

Alexis hid his face behind his hands. For someone who was taller than me, he sure did look small right now.

“…You don’t remember?”

“Aah, I can’t remember. I said such terrible things, and I can’t even remember the reason…”

“Well, it was the first time we ever met. The only time we ever met. Only that moment…”

“So it can’t be helped.” I try to say something like that, but the only thing that came out was my own gasping breath. My throat is trembling, my voice won’t come out, and I don’t know if I’m just having trouble breathing or about to vomit. What sounds I could make were bruised and inaudible, and a strange pressure was building up on my chest.

Alexis does not remember my face. He does not remember the intentions behind that word. Seriously, does he really not remember?

But if so…then, why did I become such a pathetic armor girl? I hid my face and my entire figure, I was afraid of anybody even learning what the tips of my nails looked like.

Thinking about such things, Monette’s heartbeat sped up rapidly and her breathing became shallow. A damp wind was blowing through the armor, and her muddled clothes stuck close to her body. The young voice  of so long ago echoed in her head, and that scene began playing in front of her.

Unlike the Alexis whose voice was trembling when he admitted that he couldn’t remember, Monette recalled every detail of that moment. Of course, that included his appearance as those cruel words passed across his lips. Even now, she clearly remembered the sight of her kind parents giving away her sister Emilia as she wailed in her bedroom.

Her breathing turned into gasping and a bad sweat was gluing her skin to the inside of her helmet.

“…..Monette……..Monette!”

When someone forcefully grabbed her shoulders, Monette returned to her senses.

Deep brown eyes were staring at her. Alexis has grown much since that time, but the color of his hair and eyes have not changed since then. Somehow a remnant remains. His lips slowly part the same way as that time……”

“Monette, sorry.”

He apologized with a pained voice and slowly let go of Monette.

“I’m sorry to have reminded you of something unpleasant.”

“Alexis…”

“It was wrong, and I won’t do it anymore. Please rest up.”

Trying to be as soothing as he could, Alexis pushed on my shoulders. I guess he was urging me to lie down. Seeing as there was no reason to resist, I took a deep breathe in my helmet. The sound of the creaking wheel continued with a constant rhythm, but it helped my heart return to normal. Soon the dark and uncomfortable emotions inside me gave way to an uncomfortable drowsiness.

I probably won’t have any good dreams… as I thought that, I slowly closed my eyes, and Alexis’s appearance remained in my narrowing vision until the end.

A few hours later.

“Monette, you are a good child. Sleeping soundly is good.”

“Uwaa, she’s going to be angry…”

Such a ‘conversation’ was being exchanged inside the carriage.

As a matter of fact, Percival was sleepy. Poor Monette, woke up with her head in his lap and him petting her helmet again. This time, though, there was something intermixed in. Was this a lullaby? How annoying.

When Monette turned to Alexis, he was looking really apologetic ….. although it was a different from the painful sorry from before, this one also made her extremely tired.

“From that heavy air, why is this situation…. wasn’t this guy sleeping the entire time?”

“Yeah, but he was leaning his head against a window when he fell asleep…”

“So?”

“The whole carriage shook a little while ago, and his head hit the window waking him up.”

According to Alexis, the shake of the horse-drawn carriage’s shaking made Percival ‘Awesome!’ when it slammed his head into the window. Then slowly looking around, his gaze fell on the sleeping Monette, and he gradually brought her helmet to his lap.

He began to stroke…and.

Listening to such a story, Monette took a heavy breath and shook off the hand that was still stroking her helmet. Still, Percival gently laughed, and he tried to catch the Monette who was trying to escape.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t do anything to help you Monette, but Percival should be back to normal in about five minutes.”

“Five minutes … … ah, doesn’t that mean I’ve been like that for ten minutes already?”

It’s hopeless … … and Monette began to mourn.

However, I cannot keep mocking myself here. Any moment now Percival will extend his arms to hug me. I must avoid it by slapping away his arms. I do not have time to mourn in between.

“Is there a way to knock him out of it?”

“If there is, I don’t know it.”

When Alexis responded with a bitter smile, Monette became slightly disappointed, dropped her guard, and was immediately captured by Percival’s arms. As expected of the Prince’s escort, the speed of his blows when shown a gap was truly instantaneous, and it was impossible for a girl to dodge, even if she is a witch.

I was careless. I was strongly hugged into his chest, and his big hand gently stroked my helmet.

At the end of such a battle, when the horse-drawn carriage calmed down after Percival returned to his senses, the sky outside the window had already started to brighten up. Alexis sits off on his own and admires the beauty of the rising sun. Then he gazed at Monette who had gone back to sleep, and he was relieved that she was no longer groaning or making any bitter sounds while she slept. There was a small voice that was leaked occasionally, and sleeping gradually continued.

She was peaceful, and that’s good for now.

Even if there was nothing good for himself.