CH 48

Chapter 48: It’s far away now 1

Ivan froze in his tracks at the unreasonable proposal from the pharmacist.

Return of the Iron-blood Sword Houn...

“That’s right, that’s right. It’s customary for the wife to do this kind of thing. I shouldn’t have taken it away from her.”

While it was true that such custom existed in this country, it was not necessary to apply it to the royal couple. It was strange to ask a purebred princess to do such a thing when they had a full staff of servants.

Without waiting for a response, Jaromir began to pack up his tools. The old pharmacist, who slipped past the completely frozen queen, said with a smile.

“Your Majesty will be pleased. Well then, I’ll take my leave.”

——This meddling old man.

Ivan cursed in his mind.

As the door closed with a loud noise, Ivan awkwardly opened his mouth.

“Ellie, he said that, but you don’t have to force yourself. Let’s call someone else——”

“No, I’ll do it. I’ll do my best.”

“…Huh?”

Ivan was surprised and sounded almost dazed.

While he was still stunned, Ermengard walked up to her with a serious expression and took the medicine from him.

“Wait, hold on! I need to check my wound. It’s too much for you.”

“I’m fine with that. I don’t have the cuteness to faint from blood.”

There was no hesitation in her dark green eyes, but Ivan was surprisingly flustered.

The scent of disinfectant that he had become accustomed to throughout the day was mixed with her fruity scent, bringing a refreshing feeling. Her eyes, which never met, were bordered by long eyelashes and her lips looked unnaturally lustrous.

“It’s the wife’s job, right? Let me do it.”

As she deftly opened the lid of the medicine, she spoke softly.

Unable to utter a word due to the indescribable feeling of happiness brought on by her words.

Ermengard only said that out of a sense of duty. She didn’t really care about her husband’s lack of wit, and her actions were always defenseless. It was precisely because she was not aware of it that he wanted to kiss her in return.

That was why he found himself wanting to enjoy this unexpected stroke of luck.

Ivan gave in and decided to let Ermengard do as she pleased. If she wants to do it, there will be no harm in indulging her.

“Okay. Please.”

However, as soon as she nodded and looked at her husband’s body, her expression froze unnaturally.

She quickly understood what it was.

There were countless scars on his body. They were not so simple as to show a young woman, claiming their existence with a hue more red than fresh ones.

“I’m sorry, I knew. It’s too much after all.”

“What happened to those scars…?”

As if she couldn’t hear Ivan’s voice, she asked, perplexed.

It was the expression of someone who had unexpectedly discovered something new, but Ivan couldn’t sense it to that extent. He followed her gaze and arrived at the largest scar on his body, where he understood once again.

“I got this when the former king was still alive. It happened eight years ago.”

Most of them were from the battle that took place nine years ago, but this scar that traced from his right upper arm to his chest was different.

This is a scar from an injury sustained in a certain incident. It was a difficult injury that eventually led to meeting his “benefactor”.

“If it’s okay with you, I want to hear that story.”

Ermengard said fearfully.

If she wanted to hear, there was no hesitation in telling her. It might be a bit bloody, but she was the one who had listened to his war stories. It would be fine.

“In that case, I’ll tell you while we’re at it. It might not be an interesting story though.”

Ivan gently closed his eyes. He still remembered that day vividly.

❂❂❂

Eight years ago, on a summer day, Ivan was on his way back from the Bral Empire.

At the time, Ivan was still a prince, and on his father’s orders to seek an alliance, he visited the emperor of another country for the first time.

The result was a complete failure. They revered and feared the werewolf clan, but also loathed them. The group left the palace, feeling pushed out and crossed the border with a sense of unease.

The town they passed by earlier was called Weisbergk, and even Ivan and his companions, who had taken on a human form until then, were now in their werewolf forms. This form allowed them to carry their luggage during their long journey, and they could run faster than a horse-drawn carriage if they needed to.

The elite group of about ten people quickly made their way through the forest and found themselves on a mountain path before they knew it.

Summer in Bral was hot, and with the cicadas’ chirping, it sapped the werewolves’ energy. The journey was not enjoyable, as everyone carried a faint sense of annoyance.

“Sigh… it’s so frustrating. That idiot has no brains and yet he challenged me to a war of words. Only Engeberg, who was appointed as the unfortunate Shanka ambassador, can communicate properly. Honestly.”

Johan grumbled with annoyance, but his voice lacked its usual sharpness.

Everyone had just lived through how difficult it was to form an alliance with Bral.

“Being unable to return to human form on the night of a full moon is dreadful. It’s like a curse… I beg your pardon? It’s a curse on their sorry heads.”

“Stop it, Johan. There’s nothing we can do about it by talking here.”

“Your Highness, aren’t you angry about it?”

“I would not voice it. I’m in the presence of my subjects.”

As he quietly spoke, Johan fell silent, gobsmacked. This was an exchange that had been repeated many times on their journey.

Since the end of the war with Leutravia, Ivan had become increasingly stubborn.

He was aware that he had to lead Shenka, and he wanted to support his father, who lay prostrate on the floor. The numerous bodies piled up during this battle had become a harsh lesson, bringing him much pain.

But the difficulties they were facing now, in addition to the memories of the gruelling battle, were more than enough to cast a shadow on the young man of only twenty.

His gloomy thoughts were entangled due to the long journey, swirling around and settling in the middle of his head. As he lowered his gaze to banish his oppressive mood, Ivan caught the sound of leaves rubbing against each other with his ear.

His body moved reflexively. The moment he pushed Johan, who was walking beside him, a strong heat ran from his right upper arm to his chest.

“Ivan!”

He heard his friend call his name.

Ignoring the call, Ivan drew his sword from his waist and slashed towards the attacker. He felt it was only a shallow strike, but his arm wouldn’t move again when he tried to swing it once more.

“Your Highness!”

“Damn, who are you?!”

The vassals were all outraged and drew their swords to protect the only prince. It was a male werewolf who had struck Ivan, and he was immediately brought down by the vassals.

——Oh, I’ve done it.

It was not something an heir to the throne should do. He knew that, and there should have been a better way to react than to act impulsively with emotion. Making such a misjudgment in a critical situation, what should he say to his father? This would also cause trouble for Johan.

As he thought about these things vaguely, werewolves clad in armor emerged from the trees. Their numbers were around fifteen, and now that they were without Ivan’s strength, the situation was undoubtedly critical.

“We are warriors of the anti-alliance faction! Your Highnesses Ivan Leopold Urbashek. We will take your life!”

As the rebels jumped forward and shouted in a battle cry, Ivan remained calm and even smiled dryly.

Of course, he knew about the existence of the anti-alliance faction. However, being targeted even to the point of assassination made him understand their seriousness.

King Radoslav once said about relationships with others, “It’s not about whether it’s possible or not, but that we must do it.” But is that really true?

Humans still don’t recognize us as equals. They have no interest in alliances and attack us for unjust reasons, trampling on what should be the most important thing: life.

Being shunned by the werewolf tribe in this way, what lies ahead in this ordeal? What can one do, sitting alone on the throne?

Does anyone in the world truly want to understand and get along with others…?

“Ivan, get a grip!”

Ivan regained his senses after being slapped by his best friend. It seemed that he had lost consciousness for a short period of time while leaning on his sword like a cane.

The surroundings appeared to be in the midst of a fierce battle. His chest wound seemed to be quite serious, as he was experiencing an unprecedented level of pain. His arm was not moving, and the bleeding continued without any signs of stopping.