CH 38

“You read the confidential message.”

“……”

Zelle looked at the confidential message she tied back onto the bird.

It appeared as if no one touched it. 

But Valhayle, who read and tied countless messages over the years, could have noticed even the slightest change in it. 

‘Shoot, I got caught red-handed.’

Zelle bit her lips. She had nothing to say. But if she remained silent any longer, she would only raise more suspicion. 

Zelle shrugged her shoulders looking at Valhayle.

“I didn’t even know they were confidential.”

Valhayle looked at her with distrust. Zelle quickly added. 

“Also, I couldn’t understand it too.”

It made perfect sense since as a princess, she would be completely unaware of the military codes. 

“…..”

Valhayle looked at Zelle’s hands silently.

Zelle grew nervous at his silence. Since she knew his silence usually meant something negative from her experience. 

‘He is probably still suspecting me right…?’

I still can’t understand what he is suspecting me of but…

‘I have to shift his attention to something else.’

Zelle contemplated for a moment and finally spoke. 

“Uh, Sir Valhayle.”

He answered coldly.

“Yes.”

Zelle pointed at the bird. 

“Is this bird a messenger bird?”

“Yes.”

“Is it this camp’s bird?”

“No.”

“Where is it headed to?”

“I can’t tell you that.”

As the conversation went on, she could feel his suspicion only deepened. 

‘Come on, think of a better question.’

Something you actually want to know from him.

“D-Did you send a reply”

Valhayle raised his brow.

“A reply to?”

“To Granoir about the message they…”

Ah.

Zelle shut her mouth. 

But she couldn’t take back the words she already spoke and Valhayle’s face turned even scarier. 

‘Shoot.’

Zelle bit her lips even stronger. 

‘I should have just shut up. I’m human Zelleine right now.’

Zelle didn’t find the need to tell Valhayle that she was the messenger bird. 

She wasn’t sure of the reason why he was suspecting her but she was sure he would withdraw his suspicion since she did nothing wrong so she wanted to keep her accomplishments to herself and remain unnoticed. 

That’s why she didn’t tell him. 

Valhayle could never guess that Zelle and the messenger bird were identical in soul. 

But that didn’t mean the time and everything Zelle and Valhayle went through could be forgotten. 

To Zelle, it was difficult to be wary of Valhayle since she already fully trusted him. 

Zelle had to admit she made a mistake. 

A mistake of trusting Valhayle one-sidedly. 

While Zelle resented herself, Valhayle came closer. When they were at a reachable distance, Zelle noticed how large he was. 

When I was a bird I didn’t really feel it since everyone was larger than me but…

‘Was he always this large?!’

Valhayle asked coldly. 

“How do you know Granoir sent a message?”

“W-What?”

Valhayle asked again. 

“Who told you.”

Zelle tried her best to hide her bewilderment and answered. 

“I don’t understand what you’re talking about.”

“There are not many people that know about Granoir’s message. And I have the responsibility to punish whoever leaked such information with no caution. Give me the name.”

Ah, damn.

‘I saw it with my own eyes!’

Zelle yelled internally in frustration.

But she couldn’t turn it into actual words.

“You.”

Valhayle scowled.

“Me?”

“Yes. You told me when I first woke up that there was a message from Granoir about them poisoning me.”

“Yes.”

“Then obviously their messenger soldier would have come here to deliver the message. So what I wanted to know was whether the messenger soldier returned or not.”

“….”

Valhayle pressed his lips in displeasure.

He seemed displeased that he leaked such confidential information to the princess without knowing.

“…I see. I’ll be more careful fro, now.”

As soon as Valhayle took the blame, Zelle quickly apologized.

“I won’t open whatever’s around the bird’s leg from now.”

Valhayle nodded sternly and accepted her apology.

He glanced outside.

“The doctor will be here soon.”

Zelle stopped Valhayle before he could leave.

“Sir. Are we to stay here for the moment?”

Is what the confidential message says true? Are we maintaining this station for 10 days?!

“No.”

Valhayle replied.

“We advance tomorrow.”

Zelle widened her eyes.

‘It wasn’t about our position that he’s delaying?’

She was relieved to know about the advancement since if she is of no help in recapturing the Central region, her regaining her human body was meaningless.

But at the same time, she was upset.

“Sir, do you think it’s right for the princess you serve to know about this the day before?”

Guessing by his attitude, he must see her equal to a mere squire or a spy. 

‘It’s offensive!’

Valhayle, who obviously knew that she would be offended, answered coldly.

“You must understand. I will take responsibility for this in the future.”

He dismissed himself and left with the male cavier falcon. 

Zelle sighed deeply.

‘Valhayle was easier to deal with as a bird.’

She finally earned his trust after going through all the hassle and now that she was human, she lost everything.

Even worse, now that they could converse, he doubted her even more than when she was a bird.

It was to the point his suspicion before was him being shy compared to him suspcion of her now.

“Your Highness.”

The doctor arrived at the entrance and spoke uneasily.

“So, your cycle has begun…”

Zelle flung the door open and calmly spoke to the terrified man.

“I appreciate your hastiness but it wasn’t.”

“Sorry?”

The doctor asked again.

“I must have mistakened it. I’ll call for you when I really need something. You may go back.”

She closed the entrance and sat on the chair.

‘Tomorrow, huh.’

She still didn’t know what he was planning to delay for 10 days but it was a relief that it isn’t the advancement.

Since the recapturing of the Central region must be done as soon as possible so that they regain control before the Granoir reinforcements arrive.

Zelle was dissatisfied that she couldn’t do anything during the whole process just because of her title as princess. 

As she spent her time in the tent, Zelle realized one thing. 

Back when she was a bird, when her life was worth a thousand times less than a princess’s.

She was free. And could therefore do the thing she’ve done.

‘Princess Zelleine is most meaningful when she isn’t.’

It was a ridiculous irony. Zelle mulled over the freedom she lost.

She flexed her wings in vain. 

“Haah.”

She leaned back into her chair and started tearing paper to spare the time. 

*･ﾟ:༻✦༺･ﾟ:*

‘What the heck!’

Zelle groaned. 

Thinking of it now, there were good parts and bad parts to this advancement.

The good part was obviously the continuation of the recapturement of the Central region. 

And the bad part was…

“Hold on tight.”

She was to be with Valhayle the whole time. In secret.

Zelle strongly claimed her ability to ride alone.

“I rode alone the day I escaped the palace.”

But Valhayle was stern.

“It’s too dangerous.”

“I am a Roymonde royal, I rode my whole life.”

In Roymode, horse-riding was one of the first things taught as a royal so Zelle was skilled in horse-riding.

Despite her logical reasoning, Valhayle remained unbothered. 

“If you ride alone, we have to protect around you so you will be easily spotted.”

He continued.

“It could not only raise confusion among our own military but also ineffective for your protection.”

“….”

Zelle was left with no choice but to ride with Valhayle.

She wore a cloak to cover herelf.

He lifted her up on the horse and followed. 

Valhayle held the rein in one hand and wrapped his other arm around Zelle to secure her and spoke softly behind her. 

“If there is any inconvenience please let me know.”

Zelle mumbled internally.

‘Everything about this is inconvenient to me.’

She never rode with someone ever since she mastered horse-riding at the age of 8.

‘Also, is there a need to be this close?’

Zelle shifted in his closely secured arms.

Her face flushed from the fact that their bodies were touching.

“Can we get going now?”

Valhayle asked and Zelle nodded in haste.

She never got nervous when riding but her lips dried up. 

The elite troop that knew of her existence surrounded Valhayle like a dark cloud to cover her completely.

Valhayle signed the horse to move and the advancement began.