Chapter 86

Chapter 86

I was trying to hide today as well, but I was noticed in an instant! I looked around in embarrassment and looked up at the Grand Duke with small tears welling up in my eyes.

But the Grand Duke and Wyndert had brazen smiles plastered all over their satisfied faces.

“My daughter is the spirit this year.”

“It’s a natural result. There is no way the spirits wouldn’t choose Shushu.”

I was shy because of the two of them being so openly proud that my cheeks instantly heated up. I didn’t really believe in the protection of the spirits in particular, but I think I liked the fact that I was chosen by the Spirits and that my family was happy.

“But, by the way… what do you do when you become the Spirit of the Year?”

I already knew about the belief that you’ll receive the Spirit’s protection and pass the year safely if you become the Spirit of the Year. But it wasn’t clear what the Spirit of the Year was doing specifically.

The Grand Duke opened his mouth to answer my question and at that moment, the high priest came down from the altar and reached out to me.

“Then, Spirit of the Year, please come here.”

“Yes, yes!”

The high priest called for me before I could even hear anything properly, so I had no choice but to approach him.

I would look bad if I acted timidly at a time like this, so I walked confidently, but deep down I just wanted to be stuck next to the Grand Duke. I felt like a hedgehog covered with thorns, with everyone’s eyes glued to me from every angle. I could feel their prickly gazes that seemed unable to understand why I was chosen and not a member of the Imperial Family, and so their congratulations were very quiet and full of unsaid questions.

‘The Empress and Azuela…’

They were looking at me with sharp eyes that seemed as if they wanted to drill a hole in my face. Azuela’s lips were trembling, but then she calmed down again after the Empress’ hand rested on her shoulder.

‘As if I stole what was hers…’

It was the same expression the last time I saw her. Strictly speaking, you were the one who stole my spirit power and was chosen as the spirit every year…!

I turned my head and looked only at the high priest, then stopped at the altar.

“Now, come here. Just hit the bell three times.”

I held up the silver rod that the high priest gave to me and proceeded towards the front of the bell.

The moment when the clear bell rang twice, something big shook the ground, and a huge monster fell from the ceiling.

It was Miya who had a more ferocious appearance.

* * *

Azuela was staring blankly at the huge monster that had fallen in front of the altar.

A huge majestic monster with golden eyes and white fur. Its fur was so strong that the knights were unable to damage even the tips of her hair when they swung their swords. Moreover, she became more ferocious when the blue ribbon the cat was holding in its mouth was torn, to the point where the temple was damaged and torn up from her violent thrashing.

Thanks to that, there were people who only wanted to run away. Coincidentally, some of them might have been evacuated if the entrance of the temple wasn’t blocked and surrounded by the spirit power.

‘What, what, what is that!’

Azuela felt the fear of death the moment she met the monster’s eyes. Her frightened figure was reflected on the monster’s large golden eyes, her fragile and pitiful appearance she always imitated came out of nowhere, only this time it was a genuine reaction.

“H-help me…!”

Azuela reflexively looked at her mother first. However, the Empress had already shielded her own body after putting a very shocked knight in front of her. Then, she saw her father saving her older brother and throwing himself towards Shuelina who was next to him.

“Kyaaah! Please come this way, Your Highness the Imperial Princess!”

Fortunately, the nanny, Countess Orsena, was brave enough and yanked Azuela back. As if freed from magic, she moved her trembling legs and stepped back.

‘Why do you keep looking at me!’

I’d rather you bite and kill the hateful Shuelina! But the monster was only staring at Azuela no matter what she thought.

Azuela fled to her mother’s side and gripped the hem of her skirt.

“Ella, take a look. That’s…”

Then the Empress whispered in Azuela’s ear very softly. That monster that suddenly popped out seems to be the one they thought was running rampant in the Grand Duchy.

“The plan… seems to have gone awry.” The empress whispered, biting her smooth red lips.

They were originally planning to let the monster run rampant in the Grand Duchy throughout the New Year’s festival, and if the Grand Duke could not handle it, Azuela was then going to come up with a solution. She was planning to use the power of charm to defeat the monster.

‘Ah……! This might be the best opportunity.”

She will be the most talked about topic if she succeeds in defeating the monster in front of all the nobles. If that was the case, then it was nothing compared to being unable to be chosen as the Spirit of the Year.

‘That was my position…’

My ambition to be chosen as Spirit of the Year every year was shattered this year. It’s all because of Shuelina. The spirit made the wrong choice because Shuelina kept trying to intercept me without returning my power.

‘Not all the bells rang.’

The last bell hasn’t rang, so this year’s event isn’t over yet.

Perhaps, even the spirits will admire and recognize the true owner of that position if I defeat the monster.

Azuela took one step ahead with a determined face, along with a hopeful imagination.

“Listen to me for a moment!”

Realizing that no one could escape, the temple was filled with screams of fear and lamentation. Meanwhile, everyone’s screams became even louder when Azuela suddenly stepped out in front of the monster. They were all imagining that the fragile Imperial Princess would be torn to pieces at once.

“Kyaaah! Imperial Princess, please step back!”

“No!”

Stimulated by the screams of the people, the monster’s tail pounded on the floor, making it even more ferocious. Azuela put her finger on her lips and shook her head.

“Everyone, please be quiet. I’ll try to solve it with my spirit power!”

“Azuela! Sweetheart, it’s dangerous…!”

The Empress faithfully played the role of a pitiful mother fearing that she would lose her child while knowing Azuela’s plans – a situation where a six-year-old Imperial Princess set out to save everyone.

Everyone watched the heroic spectacle with their eyes wide open, except for those who were fainting or sobbing.

“I will edify this monster with the power of my enchantment.”

Those who had seen Azuela enchanting animals on a regular basis looked at her hopefully. The situation attracted everyone’s attention as she had hoped.

Azuela glanced at Shuelina. She was foolishly ignorant of where she should belong, but she will soon admire her greatness. I am looking forward to seeing what kind of expression you will have.

‘Why are you so calm?’

Next to the bell, Shuelina remained calm for her age. She wasn’t having a seizure, crying, or fainting. She was just looking at Azuela and the monster with a slight frown.

‘Anyway, that face will soon disappear.”

Firmly believing that Shuelina harbors a great sense of inferiority towards her, Azuela decided to focus on the task in front of her.

The monster was blocking all incoming attacks with one of its front paws. Azuela put her hand on her chest and used her enchanting powers on the monster in front of her.

She was a little worried that the remaining power in her Brilliant was less than she expected, but she was mostly certain that she wouldn’t fail. Moreover, there was no way that the monster wouldn’t obey her since it was a monster born with a portion of her own power.

“Come here.”

Azuela reached out her hand with her nightingale voice and called out to the monster. The monster then rushed like an arrow in front of Azuela.

“That’s right – kyaaah!”

The moment Azuela was convinced of her success and smiled happily, the monster raised her front paws and tried to slam them into her body.

“Imperial Princess!”

Fortunately, the knights who were protecting Azuela blocked it with their swords. They were thrown by the enormous amount of force from the large feline even though they had braced themselves for the impact.

“No way! It can’t be like this!”

It was a monster created through her transformed spirit power, but she couldn’t understand why her ability wasn’t working on it. However, what she was certain of was that the monster had murderous intent towards Azuela.

There was no one to stop it this time; sharp claws flew towards her. She trembled and closed her eyes. A large shadow stretched over her body.

“Stop!”

At that moment, a loud voice resounded inside the temple.

With a stern expression on her face, Shuelina was held in the Emperor’s arms and held out her hand towards the monster. The monster that Azuela couldn’t even stop even though she tried so hard, stopped like magic at Shuelina’s words.

* * *

After Miya stopped in response to my voice, the inside of the temple became silent. If it hadn’t been for the squeaks from skidding paws, I wouldn’t have known what had just happened.

“Th-that monster listened to the orders of the Grand Princess!”

“How did this happen?”

The voices of people in confusion were heard.

I tapped the Emperor’s arm, meaning for him to let go of me.

‘I didn’t know the Emperor would lift me up…’

After Miya attacked, the Emperor who rescued Lucas immediately threw himself at me. Then he hugged me tight as if he wouldn’t let me get hurt.

Thanks to the Grand Duke and Wyndert who flew towards me as well, there wasn’t even a speck of debris that flew near me.

‘The ribbon being cut was unplanned.’

The ribbon was a means of controlling Miya. It was like a bond with me, and as soon as the ribbon was cut, Miya immediately started running rampant. Thanks to this, the temple was torn down a little and people were very scared.

I didn’t know in the first place that it would become such a rough atmosphere…

‘This was my mistake.’

I had to give up on the trap set up for Azuela and recreate Miya’s ribbon to fix it, now that everything had come to this. Miya might actually run out to a noble’s territory and attack them if her wild nature continues to be revived like this. It had to be stopped somehow.

“……How did you stop it?”

The Emperor looked at me curiously and asked after I jumped out of his arms. I puffed my cheeks, then sighed.

“The cat’s name is Miya.”

The nobles began to roar when my words were finished. Many of them protested that a big accident happened while I was trying to raise a monster, and that I should be punished right away.

“That kid (the monster) was found at the Grand Duchy’s Monster Forest. If she had been left there, the Grand Duchy would be the one devastated by now.”

“Isn’t the Grand Princess turning the Imperial Palace into a mess instead of the Grand Duchy?”

“Your Majesty, we must punish that monster and the Grand Princess together right now!”

Before I could even finish my words, the cry of the panicked nobles immediately resounded. Of course, my voice as a child was easily buried by that loud cacophony.

Then the Emperor and the Grand Duke growled as they threatened the nobles.

“No one should speak until the child has finished speaking.”

“You dare to punish my daughter, are you out of your mind?”

The surroundings became quiet in an instant when both the Emperor and the Grand Duke got angry at the same time.

(T/N: I am living at the moment when the Emperor was finally hugging Shuelina kyaaah)

────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────