Vol 7 Chapter 22 (1/2)
Altina the Sword Princess Volume 75 Chapter 2 Part 2
“ Eddie… You can’t… If you do that”
“It’s fine Auguste… See… Ah, what?”
“ It’s stuck?”
“No, I will just do it slowly… It should probably… work”
“ Eddie is really hard headed”
“Quiet, this way, slowly… See, it works right?”
“Ah… N-No… It’s going to collapse ——
The blocks fell from the table
Blocks in various colors and sizes crumbled and fell onto the floor
“Ahh”
“ Eddie always goes after the large blocks Just pick the small ones”
They are playing Jenga today
It’s a game where you reaer, and had a lot of rules
“I didn’t think it would fall”
“ I already told you the green one would do”
“Well, I ame?”
“ I know, but if both of us didn’tthe blocks out?”
“That’s true”
Eddie tidied up the blocks as he laughed
It had been teeks since he arrived at the Annex as Auguste’s guard ——
“ Eddie, I have so important to tell you”
Auguste looked at Eddie with a serious expression
Eddie sat up straight
“What?”
“ A certain ”
“You want to buy so?”
“ I left the procurement of essentials to the servants, but… the issue this tiift to the royals in the capital”
“I see”
If the royals possessed such an ite similar, that’s the idea behind it
For art merchants, their customers were naturally nobles If he want to make a name for himself in the social world, he had to promote his merchandise properly
“Which uard down even if he is an art merchant, don’t worry”
No matter what status the opponent had or how he looked, it wasn’t possible to see through their plan or read their thoughts
“ I feel easy now”
“Is that enough? I know nothing about appraising art work I couldn’t even tell which side was up for the paintings in my own store room”
“ I a you to appraise the art, that’s not the problem I need to dress up for the reception, so you can’t come into my room for a while”
“Dress up huh”
Auguste nodded
His face turned slightly red
His action was co at him
“ That’s all… Listen, you must absolutely not come in”
“I understand”
Eddie nodded, then put away the blocks, cards, darts, Senet and chess There was a lot
“Erm, should I call for the maids?”
“ Yes”
With a ring of the bell, Lilim came in a short while later
With a kettle in hand
“Prince Auguste, I brought the hot water… Eh, what’s this!? A guest will be co today!”
“ Yes”
“Hahaha, we have been playing since ht over all these toys before I realized”
“If the guest sees this, he will think you have head problems, and start weird rumours!”
“I-It’s that bad!?”
“The head of a Duke House playing children's ga else you should be doing!?”
“Sigh, I have nothing to say”
She was closer to a home teacher instead of a maid, Eddie smiled aardly
Auguste pulled his shoulders in, and looked even smaller
Lilie container
The otherin with kettles
“Just leave the tidying up to us His Highness is going to take a hot bath now”
“ Yes”
“Sir Eddie, please return to your own room!”
“I got it”
Eddie bowed to the Prince and then descended down the stairs His rooht in front of the third floor stairs
Liliht look like a child, but she was a dependable person She didn’t sees in her master’s room
Auguste was acting strange
He was obviously different than before
When Eddie first arrived and they spoke sparsely, he thought it was because of Auguste’s illness
But it was impossible for Eddie are of his own denseness to not notice after spending ti He was too different
—— What is he hiding?
He accepted the duty of guarding the Prince If Auguste was still a Prince of the Belgaria Empire, there won’t be any problem
“Just… What a…”
And so, things like thinking he is cute —— Such things don’t matter
After reaching the 3rd level, the door was closed and the footsteps of thehot water faded away
“Phew…”
Hearing the sound of amade Eddie’s heart race
How strange
He had never seen such a beautiful and cute man his entire life
“ The Duke House is done for, Grandfather”
Eddie didn’t return to his rooazed out the
He heard the sound of so
And the scream of a woman
Eddie
He kicked open the door he just left, and unwrapped the sword at his waist
He leaped up the twisting stairs in an instant
“Auguste!”
Standing there was Auguste who just took his clothes off
By his feet, there was a sy beside him It wasn’t Lilim, but another maid he didn’t know the name of
Not just that
Eddie’s eyes were drawn in by Auguste
He couldn’t shi+ft his gaze
He wondered if Auguste was thin and frail because of his sickness, but now, he found out that Auguste’s skin was smooth and pale
A slender body coe that men didn’t have A s that should be below his lower abdo, just a thin bush
“ What is this?”
“ E-Eddie…”
“Wahhhh!”
Lilim was the one who screamed
She threw the vase in her hands out
It hit Eddie’s face splendidly, and shattered
But Eddie was unmoved His face turned pale and he didn’t dare to move
“ Auguste… Turned into a girl”
He was talking gibberish because of the shock
“ Sigh”
After breathing out softly, Auguste’s eyes closed
And collapsed as if all his strength had been sapped
“Auguste!”
Eddie threw the sword of L’E up the stairs in large strides
Reaching out his hand, Eddie grabbed him ——
No, Eddie grabbed her
—— Just in time!!
He barely made it before her white and supple body fell onto the floor that was covered in shattered glass
After closing the distance as if he was sliding, Eddie uste
Auguste was like a puppet with its strings cut in his arms
“Phew…”
Eddie breathed a sigh of relief
Lilim who stood stunned at the side rushed over in that instant
Her face was green
“Ah… Ah…”
“I think you should give me a clear explanation about this entire incident”
Lilim fell silent
And lowered her head
When she lifted her head again, Eddie could feel that she had braced herself
“Thank you very uste… I will explain properly, but first, let’s carry her to the bed”
“Right”
Eddie put his aruste, and picked her up
How light
Eddie even suspected that she wasn’t human
He lifted his gaze to avoid looking at her skin, and walked slowly in order to not trip
The maids opened the curtains of the bed, and laid out a blanket
Eddie placed her onto the bed
He will leave the rest to the maids
Lilim carried a chair over
“You just need to hear my explanation? Or…”
“That’s true I auste to wake up Another thing, please tell her that ‘Eddie didn’t see anything, but if you wish to explain, I will be happy to listen’”
“Could it be, you want to pretend you didn’t see anything?”
“Well, yes, that’s it”
Eddie stood up and walked down the stairs
“I ignored my promise with her first because I heard the scream of a maid, so it’sthe Prince’s orders”
“Ah… But, that’s a natural course of action for Sir Eddie to take as a guard right?”
“That’s why I will leave the rest to you I ot”
“Are you going to report this to Prince Latreille…!?”
“Ifor Latreille I didn’t have any orders to investigate Auguste’s body”
“Sir Eddie…”
“That’s all”
“Ah, you are bleeding”
“Hmm?”
Blood flowed down the back of his hand
He uste
“It will heal in no time”
“I see… But I should bandage it for you”
“Hmm? Thank you”
After applying es
Eddie then picked up the sword he threw out onto the passageway and returned to his room
Evening
Auguste woke up after hearing news that the guest was here
Eddie was suuard at a corner of the room
The guest was an art s worn on all his fingers Several finely crafted gold necklaces hung on his neck,Eddie wonder if he was here to sell them
Because of the ge Eddie scream in his heart ‘donkey’
Behind the donkey was a large package carried by four people, which should be the painting
The donkey approached Auguste as lying in bed
“I aranted It’s soet in my entire life As if e When I was still a poor artist and no one bought eneration ago…”
“Er well, please keep it short”
Thespeech frowned because Lilim cut him off
However, he didn’t dare to criticize the maid in front of royalty
He cleared his throat
“I apologize for ”
See
“I auild will be setting up a shop in the capital Right at the junction of Versailles road, which is in front of the palace, and Jean Galula street The opening of the shop will be a breath of fresh air for the aging building…”
“Erm…”
“Ah, if you can grace us with a visit, you will see a large signboard Aside fro this, I a on behest of the art uild I promise it will please you”
What a confidence Since the tiaria started collectingabout this gift before the Prince as indoctrinated since young!?
“ Yes”
Auguste didn’t react much
Or rather, her eyes were resting on Eddie in the corner
Ever since that incident in the afternoon, she had not been able to speak with him No, she probably can’t speak with him from now on…
Auguste was distracted
Lili hard
“Prince Auguste has not eaten yet because of his illness, and he isn’t in a good ”
“Ughh… You are right I will start now”
The art e deftly, with the
“Please look at this!”
Eddie was standing behind the art
Auguste as on her bed didn’t say anything
Lilim was the only one who screamed
“Beautiful! How beautiful! Your Highness, what do you think! Oh I see, Prince Auguste is really happy too!”
“ Erm, is that so?”
“Of course! I served under Prince Auguste for so long, so I understand his speechless expression after seeing so beautiful!”
“Ohh, is that so As expected of His Highness, not shouting out like norlad this pleases you, that is…”
“ Hmm?”
“ Erm?”
There was an aard tension in the air
The donkey had a face full of expectations However, he
Liliht for a moment
Auguste didn’t say anything and kept looking in Eddie’s way
Eddie didn’t have the artistic expertise to butt into the conversation between the royal and the art merchant He was in no position to do so, and didn’t intend to
Lilim clapped her hands
“That’s right, I have to tell the reporters to write an article! To publicize the news of Prince Auguste accepting this beautiful painting! Right?”
“Oh! That’s true! I can relax after hearing that I will be counting on you then!”
“Are you leaving now? Please come this way”
“Yes, sorry for bothering you for so long Please hang it so that nobles will fight over after all!”
“I understand!”
With the matter settled, Lilim escorted the donkey and his servants out
The room was quiet once more
Eddie and Auguste were alone again
Together with that giant painting
Auguste said softly:
“ Move it away”
The voice of a girl
When they were engrossed in gainal voice It felt poetic when she said it in this tone so calmly
Like the gentle wind blowing over the surface of the lake
“You want to move it away? You don’t like it?”
“ It’s a painting of a war”
After Eddie looked at it, he realized this was a painting of brave knights slaughtering barbarians and enemy soldiers
“I see”
A prince ift to a girl
Liliuste to know that she should hang it in a place where the guests could see it
“It see…”
“ I am not interested in money”
That’s true
Eddie placed the painting in a corner of the roo the wall
“Auguste, will this do?”
“ Yes”
“I will take my leave then It’s about time for dinner”
“ Eddie, wait”
“Yes”
“ Take a seat”
She probably didn’ton the floor
There is only one chair in the room that was placed before the bed
“Erht”
He walked to the bed and placed his hands on the chair
“ No”
“Ahh, pardonon the floor”
“ Here”
The lace curtains were drawn back
Eddie gulped
There was a hint of sadness on Auguste’s face, but it was so beautiful that it took his breath away
He would like to put it on a frame and display it
She patted the side of the bed
“ Here”
“Eh? S-Sit… there?”
Eddie felt nervous for the first time in his life
He sat slowly on the edge of the bed
He thought he was sitting on clouds when he took Baudouin’s carriage, but he learned that he rong
That was just high quality leather seat
This was the real clouds
The lace curtain on Eddie’s side was drawn again
“Eruste…”
Her face was really close
Not too long ago, he thought his feelings were strange because Auguste was a man, but it’s different now
Eddie felt fro
He wanted to comfort her sorrowful face, but Eddie exerted his ut out to her
Auguste said slowly:
“ Do you know… about that incident half a year ago?”
“Is it about… Auguste fainting after dinner?”
“ Yes”
“What happened?”
She bit her lips, and ——
“ The real Auguste was murdered”
“What!?”
After hearing that, Eddie finally understood everything
Even though he understood, that sentence was still too siure out the details with his clumsy observation skills
And he only know about one person with silver hair and crimson eyes
“Then, who exactly are you?”
“ I auste’s little sister… Felicia”
“Eh!?”
“ We conversed once in the past”
“Is that so?”
Eddie searched through his memories hard
But he couldn’t recall irl with silver hair and crimson eyes
Auguste —— no, Felicia sighed
“ It was just that one time after all”
Seeing her on the verge of tears, Eddie felt a flash in his mind
“That’s right! You are that kid who hates swords!”
“Ah…”
Felicia’s eyes widened
“But I only remembered about you! Your words shockedelse is a blank to me”
“Ugh… Sorry…”
“I a like that Yes, I reht about that, and how scary that was”
“Eddie…”
“That’s right, I already forgot who said that I only kept those words close to irl said that… Thanks to that, I arateful to her”
“ Grateful?”
“Ahh, I will swing my shen I feel troubled But there are proble But I finally understood I hate swords I hate killing people So in order to not be killed, I have to beco”
He cleared his doubts when he was thirteen How had his sword changed since then?
Felicia tilted her head
“ Eh?”
Eddie scratched his head
“Haha, I as…”
He was already used to not being understood It entailed understanding the fear of death after all But that hy he picked up his sword, which would feel contradictory to her
“ I don’t really understand, but… I am touched that you remembered me”
“Auguste’s sister, Felicia huh… How nostalgic No, I have been seeing you all this while, so that sounds weird”
“Yes… How nostalgic… to be called by this na Eddie for real”
“That’s right”
Felicia’s eyes grew misty
Clear droplets of tears slid down her cheeks
“ After brother was ht here by mother immediately”
“I see, letting you be the replacement?”
“Yes”
“Othersyour silver hair and criuste”
“ I returned to my mother’s home after I was ten… So I wasn’t seen in the public much…”
“Well, norirls wouldn’t be out in the open that often”
“ But, do you reentina?”
“Eh? Erm, well… She is special”
He heard his grandfather o
Eddie broke out in cold shen he remembered what happened in their childhood
It seeht wasn’t just a rumour, there really were many heroic deeds about her
Felicia narrowed her eyes slightly
“ You like her?”
“Hahh!? Felicia er than I aht of her as a man!”
“ T-That’s true”
More accurately speaking, they didn’t get to s for the opposite sex didn’t have the chance to grow —— Eddie thought
“Stronger than Bastian, better in horse riding than Latreille, and she picked up swordsmanshi+p faster than ainst the Black Knight hailed as a hero of the Empire in a duel recently”
“ Huh”
Felicia covered her mouth
Eddie shrugged
“Instead of strong girls, I prefer cu… cu…”
“ Huh?”
“ Do the maids know that you are actually Felicia? What about the other servants?
He h it
Eddie who showed no fear before powerful enee to say that line
“The chefs don’t know… But the twelve maids do… Others include uise, and that maid… That’s all…”
That was more than he expected
“Countthese people then Ah, but I don’t want to offend the Second Consort, so not letting her knoill be better”
In the worst case scenario, she ht poison Eddie to keep the secret under wraps
Both the Eave Eddie an impression of horror
Felicia raised her head baffled
“ You are not telling?”
“Huh?”
For an instant, the words he avoided saying surfaced in histo that
“ You are not going to tell the things about me… to Latreille?”
“Didn’t you hear from Lilim? I won’t do that I am not a pawn of Latreille anyway”
“ I believe you”
“Well, uste Even if your real identity is Felicia… I will still protect you”
“ Thank you, Eddie”
“It’s a prohts about this”
Being iuste, and chained to the bed
She grabbed the sheets hard
“ Latreille… murdered brother… I won’t allow such a man to be Emperor”
“I see”
“ So I… Until the E inside my bed like this”
“I understand…”
If the E a successor, there wouldn’t be any doubts that Auguste as first in the line of succession would take the throne
Latreille will then lose his succession rights forever
There would be uste didn’t have any successor…
The Second Consort will then take in the daughter of a noble related to her, pretend to uste, and use someone’s baby as a stand in
“A perfect plan… But this is a grave criht?”
“ If you want to run, this is your chance… If Eddie wants to resign from the job, I will help you”
“I just pros to spoil the mood?”
“ Eddie just wants to act cool”
“I am a man after all”
“ I… only feel that I airl now… Eddie”
“Eh? Oh, okay”
Eddie’s heart raced as he looked into her eyes
He was breaking out in a sweat
And turned stiff
Felicia laid back onto the bed and closed her eyes
Her light coloured lips were breathing fast
Her neck was red
Eddie felt his throat drying up
If the randfather visits… Even though Eddie was considering all these possibilities, he was unexpectedly calm
The sun set and the relow vanished
Only the flickering candle light on the walls shone onto Felicia’s face
Eddie placed his sword on one side of the bed
Then reached out and touched her forelock
The laced curtains ently
What a quiet night
Felicia as acting as Auguste didn’t spend the entire day engrossed in games