Chapter 26: I fell for you. At first sight.
“Aaaaahhh!”
With a panicked scream, the eye-patch-wearing bandit collapsed to the ground.
It was Coleman.
And he was the last remaining member of the Coleman Bandit Group.
Just moments ago, the bandits had charged forward with great bravado, but now all of them lay defeated, leaving Coleman as the sole survivor.
From the very beginning, the bandits were no match for their opponent.
“W-why… with skills like that, why would you…”
“Why would I have bothered to deal with you?”
The man in the golden mask replied in a cold, ominous tone.
“Just as each task requires the proper tool, dirty work demands a dirty blade.”
“Then I did what you asked!”
“Yes, you did. But you also did something you shouldn’t have.”
“That woman? All that happened was a rope burn! If she’s so precious, you should have kept her from meeting other men in the first place!”
“That woman?”
The golden mask’s aura of murderous intent grew heavier.
Feeling the suffocating pressure, Coleman screamed in a panic.
“Okay, I take it back! I take it back! The lady! The beautiful lady! The most precious person in the world!”
Surprisingly, the absurdity of his words seemed to diminish the golden mask’s killing intent.
‘What kind of lunatic is this…?’
Coleman swallowed hard, a dry gulp audible in the tense silence.
“You’re right; the score must be settled properly. Let’s see. You make twenty-three total. It’s unfortunate, but I think I can manage with that number.”
“Please, spare me!”
Coleman dropped to his knees, begging.
“I’ll do anything you ask. Just let me live!”
“Why would I do that?”
The man in the golden mask raised his sword again.
The blade, already soaked with the blood of the other bandits, gleamed ominously.
“Eeeek!”
Coleman let out a shriek of terror.
At that moment, a voice cut through the tension.
“Enough.”
The smooth, captivating tone belonged to a striking figure who had just arrived.
It was Leonard.
“……”
The golden mask’s aura of killing intent faltered at the sight of him.
The black-masked men behind the golden mask stepped forward to block Leonard’s path, assuming a defensive stance.
“Stand down.”
The golden-masked man spoke in a low voice.
“But…”
“However…”
“I said, stand down.”
The golden mask’s command was resolute.
The black-masked men exchanged hesitant glances before bowing slightly and retreating into the shadows.
At some point, Coleman had also disappeared without a trace.
Now, only the golden-masked man and Leonard remained amidst the wreckage of the burned-down cabin.
Leonard’s eyes lingered on the smoldering ashes that had once been his treasured childhood hideout.
After a moment of reflection, he turned to face the man in the golden mask.
“Was it because she was with me?”
“……”
“Or was it for another reason?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Not even after seeing this?”
Leonard tossed something toward the golden-masked man’s feet.
A long dart rolled to a stop on the ground.
“A poisoned dart, not just an ordinary one. I’ve built up an immunity to most poisons, yet…”
It was the weapon used to strike Leonard earlier.
“You wouldn’t go through the trouble of using such a tool unless you had something important to say.”
“Who knows…”
The golden-masked man chuckled faintly.
“I simply meant to warn you.”
His head tilted slightly to one side.
“Stop disrupting the order of the Imperial Court.”
“It seems you’re mistaken. I’ve never disrupted the order of the Imperial Court.”
“Ha.”
The golden mask scoffed.
“How shameless. I let it slide when you jokingly proposed to become the Empress’ paramour. But now, you resort to this?”
“I didn’t intend to hide anything.”
Leonard shrugged.
“In fact, I wouldn’t mind if my relationship with Her Majesty became public knowledge.”
“…What?”
“Of course, I don’t want to cause her any trouble. That’s why I’ve been holding back as much as I can.”
“This is you holding back? Do you think the affairs of the Imperial Court are some kind of joke?”
“If you care about her so much, why did you leave her alone until now?”
“I never abandoned her. If anything…”
The golden-masked man paused, his breath catching.
“If anything, you’re the one trying to exploit her.”
“……!”
“Did you think I wouldn’t see through your black-hearted schemes?”
“I’m not exploiting her.”
“Don’t bother denying it. I already know.”
The golden-masked man’s tone was final.
But Leonard didn’t back down.
“I mean it.”
He spoke with quiet conviction, his gaze steady.
“I fell for her. At first sight.”
His voice was unwavering.
“Whether you believe it or not, I truly fell for her.”
“You…”
The golden-masked man’s gaze flickered violently.
It was as if one more word would push him over the edge into committing murder, his raw killing intent radiating unchecked.
But even as he faced that overwhelming aura of menace head-on…
“I’m the one who’s confused, honestly.”
Leonard didn’t hold his tongue.
“For someone who already has another woman by his side…”
Leonard’s crimson lips curved into a sly smile.
“Why are you so interested in Her Majesty the Empress?”
He asked, his gaze full of curiosity.
“Your Majesty.”
At Leonard’s final words, the crimson eyes behind the golden mask boiled with rage.
***
After returning from my outing with Leonard…
Back in the Empress’ Palace, I had to endure an avalanche of questions from the ladies-in-waiting.
“My goodness, so this ring is a gift from Sir Leonard?!”
The ladies-in-waiting surrounded the ring, their eyes sparkling with curiosity.
“How can something be so luxurious yet elegant at the same time? I’ve never seen a ring shine so beautifully.”
“As expected of the Hilbert Marquessate.”
“Even this deep bluish gemstone with its hint of violet…”
At once, all their gazes turned to me.
“It reminds me of Her Majesty’s eyes.”
“Could it be that he chose this stone on purpose?!”
“That’s impossible.”
I replied curtly.
Of course, as they said, the ring’s subtle violet shimmer from certain angles was undoubtedly an enchanting hue.
But surely, it wasn’t a deliberate choice.
No, no.
After all, the one who gifted it was Leonard.
A man who rarely opened his heart to others and acted solely based on logic.
There was no way he had chosen the gift with such thoughts in mind.
…Was there?
If this were the original story, maybe. But judging by how Leonard had been behaving so far…
Ugh, I just don’t know anymore.
“So, how was the date?”
“Did Sir Leonard show you a marvelous place?”
A marvelous place, huh?
“Yes. It was splendid. A place I never imagined.”
Indeed, it was a place I could never have anticipated.
An old cabin brimming with his and his brother’s memories.
At first, the unexpected location had left me flustered, but in hindsight, it was a unique experience.
It felt like it was worth following him there.
At that moment, Marie seemed to recall something.
“Oh, by the way, while Her Majesty was away, His Majesty the Emperor came looking for you.”
Jerome?
“For what reason?”
“He didn’t say anything specific…”
“But don’t worry, we explained everything well.”
“That’s right. We handled it perfectly!”
Marie and the other ladies-in-waiting exchanged knowing looks.
“…?”
Maybe it was just me, but something about their demeanor seemed suspicious.
Still, my doubt didn’t last long.
Surely, they had explained things well. They were such capable ladies-in-waiting, after all.
“The treatment is done.”
At that moment, Countess Chloe spoke.
She had been treating the wound on my wrist.
It was the result of being tied up with a rope when Leonard and I were captured.
Countess Chloe asked with concern in her voice.
“How did you end up with such an injury, Your Majesty?”
“Oh, I just got scratched somewhere.”
I smiled casually, trying to downplay it.
Bringing up the bandits would only make them worry unnecessarily.
“Should I throw this away?”
While cleaning up the medical supplies, Countess Chloe held up a piece of cloth.
“Oh.”
A bloodstained piece of fabric.
No, to be precise, it was a torn piece of Leonard’s sleeve.
He had used it to bind and stop the bleeding on my wound.
“No, don’t throw it away. I’ll keep it separately.”
“Oh, of course. Here it is.”
“Thank you.”
I took the cloth from Countess Chloe’s hand.
‘The last time I saw him was when we parted in front of the carriage.’
I suddenly thought of Leonard.
Was he okay?
Of course, his skills were impeccable.
It was Leonard, after all.
One of the strongest in the Empire.
Still, I couldn’t shake the unease I felt after leaving him on his own.
I’d heard through a servant that he had returned safely.
But I should probably go see him myself, just to be sure.
I also needed to thank him for the ring.
Ah! Now that I think about it, there’s another person I need to thank.
The robed figure who appeared in that perilous moment.
I almost forgot.
“I should go visit him.”
I stood up from my seat.
At that moment, Marie approached me with a bright expression.
“Your Majesty, the magician has arrived!”
—
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