CH 78

“What? How dare you accuse us as thieves!”

The knight, who clearly didn’t know me well, was screaming for a whole minute.

“To a Northern man like me who smells of wheat! What does our Princess lack that she would steal your lousy charm necklace!”

It was an exhilarating scene of local pride. The knight defending me with a heated voice continued loudly as if he had not yet found out that I was present. 

“And! If our Princess wants Euclid’s junk, well then she can steal it.”

“That’s right! Don’t be stingy over one necklace.”

‘No, I didn’t steal it.’

Fortunately, the knight in front of the gate quickly stepped back and no one was injured. I walked heavily forward feeling as if I would pass out from the scene. 

“My lady!”

“Stop. There are many eyes watching as this is the middle of the capital.”

The people currently staying in the capital mansion were only Marilyn, an old butler, and a few knights so what kind of violence is this? 

The only one who would be at a disadvantage if there was any ruckus here would be Dietrich who had yet to receive approval to succeed as the Grand Duke. And also, the Lagrange knights were not dressed in proper armor as the Euclid knights. 

“What business do the Euclid knights have with this mansion?”

The knights who had raised their spears in warning of someone who would approach withdraw their weapons after confirming that I was just a girl.

“What the! Don’t interfere, kid!”

I frowned at the knight’s insolent words and repeated my question. 

“My name is Anissa Lagrange. My brother is currently not present, so if you have any business, you can tell it to me.”

‘Southerners were said to be polite and kind, everything seems to be a lie.’

I pouted my lips at the threatening expressions of the knights. Well, kind people wouldn’t have abandoned a newborn just because it had characteristics of a northerner. 

“Are you the Princess which Charlotte spoke of?”

A tall man emerged from among the knights who were looking at me with excitement as steam came out of their noses. He was a little smaller than Dietrich, but he was so well-proportioned that I had to lift my head to properly look at his face.

‘Don’t tell me…’

A dark pink hair contrasting his blue eyes, he had a splendid beauty which clearly presented he’s the main character of ‘The Rose Wars of Men.’

“I asked if you are Anissa Lagrange.”

My eyes lingered for a moment at the boy’s delicate appearance before nodding. 

“I am Hermann Euclid, a knight of Angoulême.” [1]

He could have said he was Euclid’s eldest son, however, the ‘protagonist’ emphasized that he was a knight, and politely kissed the back of my hand. 

I felt a little uneasy and looked down at Hermann who was kneeling in front of me. Although he was Anissa’s real older brother, he didn’t feel like family at all. It just felt amazing that he and I resemble each other. 

‘Even the mole under the right eye is the same.’

The gentle drooping of the eyes and the pale white skin was the same, yet I didn’t feel any sense of closeness. 

‘It doesn’t seem to be the case of blood is thicker than water.’

Maybe it’s the same for Hermann, although his eyes were polite it was as cold as winter. 

“I heard you stole the sacred item of my benefactor, Charlotte.”

“.....Pardon?”

What the hell did that crazy woman say? I tilted my head to the side in disbelief and waited for Hermann’s next words. He seemed to be a little surprised at my confident attitude that his lips twitched before speaking again. 

“It’s a necklace that is very important to her so I’d like you to give it back.”

“Are you referring to this?”

“Yes, it’s a plain purple amulet. Don’t be greedy and give it back.”

I took out the necklace I bought at the merchant ‘at a reasonable price’ earlier and shook it. Hermann quickly reached out, but instead of handing him the necklace, I crossed my arm and stepped back. 

“Did you say I stole this? Did Charlotte say that?”

“She didn’t say you stole it, but she said it was an object that should have rested in God’s arms. It must have been the Princess’s lack of knowledge, but a sacred object –”

“I bought it with money, so why are you saying I stole it? How rude.”

Hermann’s eyes grew wide when I added something in a low voice not caring if he heard it or not. 

He frowned as if displeased and immediately approached me. 

“What did you say just now?”

“I said, I bought it with money, so why are you saying I stole it?”

“To whom did you pay your money? Trading sacred objects are forbidden.”

“Whether it’s a sacred object or whatever, I bought it with money, so why are you just asking for it?”

At my question, Hermann shrugged his shoulders and chuckled. There was nothing funny with my words, so his chuckle was obvious ridicule. 

“I’ll have to pay for it then. Though you’re still a child, it’s obvious you’re a person from Lagrange. How calculative.”

‘I’m originally a Southerner, though? You stupid male protagonist.’

I  wanted to annoy him with that but I couldn’t reveal my identity just like that so I just bit my lips. 

“All right. If you pay the price, I won’t stop you.”

“How much?”

“A thousand blois.”

I lifted my chin and answered slowly. If you lose in the power struggle, the bargaining would be over. 

“What?”

Dumbfounded, Hermann’s mouth went agape. Even if he was a duke, he wouldn’t be able to move a large amount of money such as a thousand blois. 

“A thou-thousand blois?”

However, even if Hermann was the male protagonist, suddenly treating a person as a thief didn’t sit well with me so I didn’t want to return the necklace nicely. 

“Yes.”

Hermann’s hand, which had been vigorously opening his pocket, embarrassingly got stranded midair as I nodded my head with audacity. 

“Yes, I’ll sell it at a thousand blois.”

“What was the price you paid to the merchant?”

“It was ten blois.”

“Aren’t you overpricing it too much?”

I  opened my mouth, waving my index finger in front of Hermann’s nose. 

“What do you mean by overpricing? Don’t you know the law of supply and demand? The amulet which you want is the only one in the world right now, Duke.”

“Ha. Are you doing business with me right now?”

“Then, what should I do with you, Duke? Would you like to have a duel?”

Hermann’s lips stiffened, thinking that I was insulting his chivalry. He let out a warning, grinding his teeth. 

“Be careful of what you say, a duel with me against a woman? It’s an unladylike answer.”

I shoved my hand over my earlobes at Hermann’s stereotyped remarks and feigned indifference. 

‘I guess Lancel wasn’t wrong when he was swearing at the Southerners for being old-fashioned.’

Originally, he wasn’t my favorite protagonist, but the more we talk, the more I felt less affection. 

“Well then, if you don’t mind, please get out of the way. I need to go in.”

Hermann’s mouth dropped open as if he was shocked by my outspoken disregard.

I grabbed the front door as I passed by him who seemed to have no thoughts of leaving. 

“Wa–wait!”

Hermann caught me as I was entering the open front gate as if it was waiting for me. He didn’t seem to have learned that it was rude to touch the body of an unknown ‘lady’. 

“Don’t touch me as you please.”

When I shook off his hold on my wrist, he bit his lips and frowned but soon politely apologized. 

“I’m sorry. But I can’t pay you a thousand blois right away. I’ll give you a hundred blois.”

“Now, I don’t want to sell you the necklace even if you give me a thousand blois.”

And even if I did my best to return the necklace now, it’s not like Euclid and Lagrange’s relationship would improve. 

“Then, excuse me.”

I firmly drew the line and turned my back. I heard Hermann moving behind me to grab me, but unlike before, his hand didn’t reach me. 

Thump!

There was a sound of something falling and in an instant, my view was covered in black.

It was because a coat decorated in glossy marten fur was covering my head. 

‘It’s too thick to wear in the capital.’

A pungent smell of winter nights. I grabbed the coat filled with familiar scent and quickly raised my head. 

“I was wondering where the sound of a dog barking was coming from.”

Dietrich, who had grabbed Hermann with one hand as if he was a straw doll, threw him away without waiting for an answer. Hermann’s body flew off the road at the strength of the throw. 

“Duke!”

There was a clinking sound and everybody pulled out their swords and began to raise them. 

“Stop.”

The Southern knights who tried to rush towards Dietrich were stuck in the middle of the road, unable to move because their shadows were tied to the ground. 

“Did you j-just use your abilities in the capital?!”

“This is treason! Kill the traitors!”

‘Oh, it was forbidden to use one’s abilities in the capital.’

Somehow, I thought that even though Hermann was the main character, he was easily overpowered by Dietrich. 

I got up from my place and glanced at Hermann who was glaring at Dietrich from his position. 

“What is your intention in using the power of the shadows in the capital?”

He drew his sword with a hard expression on his face. The sword engraved with the symbol of Euclid, a white lion, shone coldly under the sun. 

“If you don’t answer, I will report this to Her Majesty!”

“Do as you wish.”

Instead of confronting Hermann who was glaring at Dietrich as if he was about to kill him, Dietrich approached me who was standing blankly in place. 

He extended a large hand, a hand which grew large without my knowledge.

“Did you just come back from your outing?”

“Yeah. I went to the market.”

“Come here. It’s cold.”

‘Is he just going to stand up like a folding screen?’

I was wondering if it was all right to ignore the male protagonist like that but Dietrich dragged me into the mansion. 

Note:

[1] from Wikipedia = Angoulême is a commune, the prefecture of the Charente department, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of southwestern France. The inhabitants of the commune are known as Angoumoisins or Angoumoisines. Located on a plateau overlooking a meander of the river Charente, the city is nicknamed the "balcony of the southwest".