Chapter 124 – Thank you, for waiting ( side  Iris )

 

 

The Twin Flowers of Teresia.

I wonder when it started. I wonder when did people start to call me and elder sister like that.

Internally and externally.

Dynamic and static.

The surface and the underside.

Elder sister and I are known both within and outside of the kingdom as Princess Helene, the expert in military affairs, and as Princess Iris of the domestic affairs.

And I felt happy being called as such.

Because I can stand shoulder to shoulder with my favorite and beloved elder sister that I admired ever since I was young, every time I hear the name「Teresia’s Twin Flowers」, and most of all, every time I am told as such in my presence, I would feel elated.

I will do anything for elder sister. I chose the path of focusing on developing the kingdom in the underside, so that she can show her military skills as much as she wants.

However, elder sister, she was caught by a man.

A wicked man. At least, that was I thought at first.

 

Kakeru Yuuki.

 

A man whose history is even unknown.

That man thought of an idea called “paper notes”, but a man who I thought he is just a one-shot guy.

But, elder sister was caught by such a man.

She admired him, got infatuated with him, and even gave him her purity.

When I first heard about that, I thought it was a mistake.

I thought, there was no way elder sister would do such a thing.

A man who matches elder sister does not exist in this world. No matter what kind of man it is, he would best be able to not pull elder sister’s feet.

That, was what I thought.

But, however, that slowly changed.

It was when elder sister and I were going to Kakeru’s mansion, that I completely changed my thoughts.

Inside that carriage, when we are to give him the title of a Viscount.

Elder sister showed me two faces. Both of them were faces that she had never shown to me.

One is, a woman’s face.

A woman’s face that was satisfied, meeting her partner in life.

Another, is a princess’s face.

A beautiful face, far more dignified than ever before.

Elder sister has changed. There was no doubt that the one who changed her was the man called Kakeru.

Both private and public, Kakeru made elder sister rise up.

Although it is frustrating, such a feat was something that I was unable to achieve.

The only thing that I was able to do, was to not be on elder sister’s way.

When I realized that, I became very interested in the man called Kakeru.

I wondered, what kind of man is it, to be able to pull up elder sister that much.

Since then, I have focused on him.

 

Calamba, Comotoria, Siracuza.

 

He was always there, in the events that change kingdoms, or maybe even the world.

No, he was in the middle of all of it, deeply involved.

If this world was a story in a book, there is no doubt that he is the main character of that story. He achieved things that made me think as such.

When I noticed it, I fell for him.

And, right now.

I wonder, what kind of face I am making?

 

☆

 

「For the mean time, get some clues where Xiphos is」

「I got it. Leave it to me. I’ll probably know quickly」

「Is that so?」

「I am a princess of Mercouri Kingdom. There are almost none that I cannot find out, and even if there is, an open, blank space would be made」

「I see. You’ll find it by both adding or subtracting huh」

「That is right」

 

I nodded.

Leaving the mansion in the night.

Kakeru send me out.

Walking side by side with him, his presence, his warmth, I can somewhat feel it, even through my cloak.

 

「Then, I’ll leave it to you. Well, it would be finished quickly once you’ve found it. I only need to get there and destroy Xiphos」

「If so, I’ll think of a good excuse」

「I don’t need one」

「Eh?」

「I’ll use Eleanor. Once I sent out Hell’s Emperor or something to Xiphos, I’ll have a reason to destroy it」

「You can do such thing?」

 

I was surprised.

Hell’s Emperor, Sandros.

An incarnation of destruction that once made the world fall in terror, leaving a mark in history that cannot be erased.

And, Kakeru who said that as if he would ask a child for an errand.

He is, really unfathomable……

 

「Fu!」

「What is it?」

「Eleanor said『Don’t treat me conveniently』」

「Haa……are you, on good terms?」

「Pretty much」

「Although she’s, the legendary demon sword……?」

「Recently, she’s starting to class change into a doting parent」

 

A man on a different scale.

Right now, I can really tell why elder sister fell for him.

He is unfathomably strong, wise, and a man of a high caliber.

I became fraught with great emotion.

My throat felt dry as if it was barren.

I maddeningly want to do something, I want to do something for Kakeru.

I want to become a woman who could be his match.

I thought of that, very strongly.

I wonder……did elder sister feel like this as well?

And while I was like that, we reached my mansion.

My official residence in Reiusu.

 

「Thank you, for escorting me back」

「Don’t mind it. Rather than that, I’ll leave Reiusu for the whole day tomorrow」

「Are you going somewhere?」

「I’ll convince Althea to go to Siracuza. The new queens needs some wisdom」

「I see. I got it. Well then, I will make it so that we’ll know where Xiphos is, the day after tomorrow」

「Yeah」

 

Kakeru said that, turned back, and left.

I stared at his appearance until he disappeared after warping.

My chest feels hot, I desperately stopped myself, wanting to stop and call out to him.

If I let myself get controlled by such feelings and stopped him, I am not a woman befitting him.

I thought of such, and did my very best, to hold back my feelings.

Even after Kakeru has left, the speed that my heart beats raised, rather than slowing.

Is it this painful? Thinking of a man.

I wonder how it is with elder sister. I should ask her the next time we meet.

I thought so, took a deep breath, and turned around to enter my mansion.

 

「ーー!!」

 

I felt that my back was frozen. A terrible thing suddenly crawled up to my back.

I quickly turned around.

There were five black clothed men there.

They were clad in black, and only their eyes that give off a black light can be seen.

They were men clothed as assassins holding daggers.

 

「Who are you?!」

 

I drew my sword while asking who they are.

The men did not answer. Rather, as if my call was used as a sign, they quickly scattered and attacked from many directions.

I parried their dagger that was lighted by the shine of the moon with my sword. They jumped back while showing a well-trained coordination.

And another assassin attacked. I also parried once again, but felt a numbing pain between my thumb and pointing finger.

Their attacks were not only sharp, but also powerful.

And most of all, it is deadlyーーthey literally shows killing intent that wants to kill me.

I was pushed back, continuing to block their attacks.

Then, I finally noticed. There was no one inside the mansion.

Metal sounds made by the clashing swords and dagger.

It was quite loud and echoed, but the guards in the mansion did not appear.

They were probably killed or captured.

Either wayーーit’s a desperate situation.

And within that slight gap when my thoughts were away.

One of the assassins parried away my sword, and another slashes his dagger to my throat.

I’m deadーー.

 

【Swordsmanship will be lent to Iris Teresia Mercouri. Time Remaining: 2 minutes 59 seconds】   

「ーー!!」

 

I pulled back my sword that was parried away, and cleaved faster than ever before.

That one horizontal slash slices two assassins into two.

It is not my power, but, I know whose it is.

 

「Kakeru!」

 

I saw Kakeru at the back of those three assassins.

He appeared clad with a dark aura, and his appearance of walking with an air of composure was exactly that of a Demon King.

However, I was relieved.

If he was the Demon King, then I have long been captured by the Demon King.

 

「Why are you here?」

「By their voices, I felt that it was weird inside the mansion, and knew that some people were hiding. And so, I tried to declare that I’ll leave far away. And as you can see, they got relieved and attacked you」

「It was like that. But, can you at least tell me first」

「If you want to deceive your enemies, then start with your allies. Also, I believed that you could hold on」

「Eh……?」

 

My quickly pounded.

He believed me? Kakeru, he believed me?

He……believed me……? So he left it to me?

 

「ーー!!」

 

I could not help but cover my mouth. I can feel it myself. I felt that my mouth could not help but make a grin.

I did not know that I could feel this happy being trusted by him.

 

「Shaaa!!」

 

And while I was doing that, the remaining assassins attacked me at once.

Comparing Kakeru and me, they probably thought that they had higher chances if they attacked me.

However, that was a mistake.

Right now, I do not have any mercy. After all, I want to do my best to answer to Kakeru’s trust.

I cleaved my sword, killing two assassins, and made the last one faint with the hilt of my sword.

 

「You held back?」

「I need to make him tell me who’s the mastermind after all」

「I see」

 

Kakeru nodded and made his dark aura disappear.

I stood in front of Kakeru, and looked up to him.

I want to be this man’s woman!

Andーー.

 

「Thank you, Kakeru」

「Don’t mind it, saving my woman isーー」

「U〜un」

 

I silently shook my head.

 

「Thank you for, waiting to embrace me」

 

I shall aim higher, became a woman befitting this manーーand become finally his.

I thought of such, very strongly.

 

 

 

Chapter 123 – Kujibiki Tokushou – Chapter 125