ESL Chapter 71

The one who was surprised was Lanster. The Kaien ducal house was famous even across the continent as the family that protected the Yurasen Empire. He himself had heard many stories about the Kaien ducal house since childhood. In particular, he had long admired the current Duke Kaien, due to the myth of his undefeated record in battle. People had described how he swept across the battlefield with his black hair flowing and his crimson eyes blazing like flames — truly like a god of war.

‘Black hair… crimson eyes… come to think of it…’

Lanster chided himself for not having noticed even while looking at Lea’s appearance. Was she not the daughter of the man he so admired? Overcome with excitement at that realization, Lanster forgot Luciel’s presence entirely and grabbed both of Leas’s wrists, expressing his delight with great vigor. Caught by that forceful grip, Lea scrunched up her pretty face slightly.

“To think you were Duke Kaien’s daughter! Is your father in good health? It is my wish to meet your father at least once. And to think that our meeting like this must all be fate—”

“‘Fate’ is not a word to be used in that way.”

With a cold voice, the hands that Lanster had clamped around Lea’s wrists were forcibly pried away. Luciel had already positioned himself between the two of them.

“Oh, come on — I’m telling you I have no ulterior motives. I was just genuinely happy to see her. It’s the happiness of meeting the daughter of someone I admire!”

Lanster cried out as if it were deeply unfair, but Luciel ignored him and took Lea’s wrists, examining them carefully. Upon confirming that red handprints had been left behind from how tightly he had gripped her, Luciel’s expression turned frightening.

“Your Highness.”

At Luciel’s call, which carried a chill through the air, Lanster, who had been complaining to Thomas about the injustice of it all, spun around in surprise.

“Wh-what?”

“I will let it go this time, but if you do something like this once more, you had better be prepared for the consequences.”

So — what exactly had he done? Lanster felt like he was going to go mad. Of course he had gripped her a bit firmly, but it was only because he was so happy to see her. Experience told him it was better to keep his mouth shut given the atmosphere, yet it was too unfair to simply stay quiet. Just then, as if to speak on his behalf, Lea opened her mouth.

“It’s all right, Luciel. His Highness didn’t do it on purpose.”

And Lea smiled and added that when had she ever worried about such things — and to Lanster, she looked in that moment like an angel.

Just like Duke Kaien, she has such a good nature too… How did a lady like that end up with that ill-tempered fellow… Lanster’s face had reddened without him realizing it at Lea’s smile, and he muttered the words he could not bring himself to say out loud. But this time, Luciel was not going to let things slide just because of her smile.

“It’s not good to just let it go like that. Look — there are red handprints. Does it hurt?”

As Luciel’s fingers gently passed over the handprints on Lea’s wrist, Lea gave a small shiver. It was a sensation unlike ticklishness — something indescribable that she could not quite name. And Luciel did not miss even that subtle reaction. Before long, the corners of his eyes curved softly, and a smile naturally settled at his lips. He took both of her hands gently in his, and as he met her eyes, he called her name as if urging her to answer.

“Lea.”

With serious emerald eyes that held only her within them fixing her gaze and refusing to let go, Lea stared blankly at him. She had felt it even when he had come at her under the influence of an aphrodisiac, but he was beautiful. So bewitchingly beautiful that she could not tear her eyes away from him. Was this what it meant to be enchanted…? Even so, she had pushed him away without a second thought the last time — yet strangely, pushing him away felt difficult now. And on top of that, he was worrying about her. Having confirmed the beautiful crimson eyes beginning to waver — faintly, but unmistakably — Luciel deepened his smile further.

‘I should tip her off balance just a little more. Can’t have her startled and running away, after all.’

Luciel naturally shifted the hand that had been holding hers down to her wrist, in a way she would not notice. As he gently stroked the handprints Lanster had left and was about to whisper her name again, Lanster’s disgruntled voice shattered the atmosphere.

“You of all people — take that sort of thing somewhere else, would you? Did you have a reason to rub salt in someone’s wounds?”

…Truly useless… At Lanster’s words, Lea startled and made to step back, and Luciel, suppressing his irritation, naturally released the wrist he had been holding — as though he had never been holding it at all.

‘…What was that?’

Lea looked down at her own two wrists, her eyes still wavering from the strange feeling she had experienced moments before. When Luciel’s fingers had touched the marks on her wrists — and when he had stroked them gently — it had felt as though something somewhere inside her had responded. It was a sensation she had never felt before in her life, which made it both curious and unsettling. And as Luciel watched her in that state, he directed a cold gaze toward Lanster. He had been slowly awakening that part of her with every means at his disposal, and having been interrupted, it was only natural he was displeased. Interpreting that look as a demand to apologize, Lanster gave a dry cough and offered Lea an apology.

“Ahem… I am sorry, my lady Kaien. I was so glad to see you that I inadvertently committed a rudeness. I offer my apology.”

“Ah… it is all right, Your Highness. Please do not concern yourself.”

At Lanster’s words, Lea shook her head, drawing herself out of her thoughts. Then she looked at Luciel and asked:

“So, is everything ready now?”

“For the time being. Everything that’s needed has been prepared.”

Luciel glanced down at the bracelet of Rosia fastened around his wrist. Everything had been prepared without exception, exactly as he had intended — which meant this was a fight he could not lose.

This time, he planned to crush him thoroughly. So thoroughly that the thought of challenging him again would never even cross his mind… and so that he could never lay hands on his people again.

“So it begins two days from now? I’m really looking forward to this.”

Anticipating the sight of the acting Duke Mihael’s face crumpling, Lanster’s vermillion eyes gleamed.

Two days later.

Lea took Ian with her and headed for a tavern near Cerberos’s 9th District, 41st Street, as Zender had told her. They were both wearing robes in case there was anyone who might recognize them.

Razen had told her to bring Guster as well, but she had Guster stay by Razen’s side in preparation for any unforeseen circumstances. She had been worried that Cheor might harbor ill feelings toward Razen over the previous incident. She had also considered leaving Ian behind as well, but remembering that she had gone to the palace last time without him, she had brought him along after all.

Ian seemed to have fully recovered thanks to Razen’s drastic remedy. However, his eyes were sunken, and his expression was dark. Even when she spoke to him, he replied only in short, single answers. He had always been on the quieter side, but he had grown so seriously reticent that Lea found herself concerned.

In the end, with their destination right before them, she stopped and turned around. Seeing Ian startle and step back a pace at her sudden movement, Lea opened her mouth.

“Ian — do you perhaps regret becoming my escort knight?”

“…No, I do not.”

After a moment’s silence, Ian shook his head heavily. That much was sincere. He had not once regretted becoming the young lady’s escort knight. What he felt, rather, was shame in himself. He had believed himself to be reasonably skilled. He had known that the young lady possessed remarkable ability, but he had trusted that he could at least ensure she would never need to take up a sword herself. And that trust had been shattered to pieces the moment he encountered that red-haired man.

The instant he saw the young lady standing before the man with sword in hand, blocking his blade, he realized how deeply lacking he was. And the fact that the young lady had left him behind and gone to the palace had compounded the shock he had already received.

‘Am I truly worthy of guarding the young lady…’

If he had ever failed a mission even once before, perhaps he would not have been so despondent about it now. But Ian had been an elite who had not failed a single mission since he began working for the ducal house — not once. It was precisely because of that that the fact of his first failure weighed on him so heavily. Ian, who had been sinking deeper and deeper into gloom, raised his head at the sound of Lea’s voice.

“You know, Ian — I know that your abilities are more outstanding as a shadow than as an escort knight. Because that is the role you have carried out all this time. Even so, why do you think I chose Ian as my escort knight?”

“…I don’t know.”

“Because I trust Ian.”

She trusts me…? At her words — words he had not expected — Ian’s eyes wavered.

“That’s right. I trust Ian. Enough to trust him with my back. For me, an escort knight must be someone I can rely on no matter the circumstances — not simply someone who protects me. And another thing—”

Ian stared at her blankly as Lea placed one hand on her hip and smiled with self-assurance.

“Lack of skill? Don’t think about that. By that measure, no one in the Kaien Order of Knights would be qualified to escort me — not even Sir Hugo, the captain of knights.”

Ah… Ian found himself nodding in conviction without even realizing it. Now that he thought about it, no one in the Order had ever beaten the young lady. Even Hugo, the captain, had only lasted half a quarter of an hour. Thinking of it that way, everything he had been agonizing over until now suddenly felt hollow. Perhaps that feeling had shown on his face. Lea grinned playfully and came closer, patting him on the shoulder.

“So pull yourself together, and for now let’s focus solely on rescuing the hostages. I have no intention of removing you from your position as escort knight, even if you tell me you don’t want it.”

“…Understood, my lady.”

Watching the young lady’s back as she turned and walked away, he raised his hand to the shoulder she had tapped. Remarkably, everything he had been weighing himself down with just moments before now felt light.

“…Is it truly that the young lady’s words are absolute truth…”

Suddenly recalling Berchel’s words, Ian smiled without realizing it.