Chapter 146: Arkemans Treasure (2) (2/2)
“Please take it.”
“Yes, Milord.”
Cordelia stood up from her seat and illuminated the hole with her magic, and the two smiled in delight at the sight they saw.
“Arkeman’s treasure.”
“Among them, it’s number five.”
“Amplification Earrings.”
The artifact had a simple name and effect, but it was also a powerful artifact.
‘Because the simpler the item description, the stronger the item is.’
The effect of the Amplification Earrings was simple.
It amplified the magic’s effects of its wearer.
It could be used to amplify any kind of magic.
However, the mana consumption was also terribly amplified. Though it was quite a good thing if one could use a strong attack in the middle of a battle.
Especially for battle enthusiasts like Cordelia.
“Ah, I love it. I might go crazy from loving it.”
Cordelia said as her eyes sparkled when she quickly ran in front of the small platform where the earrings were placed.
“Haa, it’s pretty. It’s good performance is also nice.”
In addition, the fact that it was earrings was important.
Since Cordelia was already wearing multiple bracelets, rings, and necklaces, she would have to give up wearing one of those if it was an accessory that was not earrings because it would overlap with the others.
‘It’s not something burdensome to wear like a tiara.’
The smiling Jude approached Cordelia who had already equipped the Amplification Earrings, and she widely smiled and turned to Jude.
“How is it? Does it suit me?”
She asked him shyly just like the time when she wore a tiara, and Jude promptly nodded.
“It looks great on you. As I thought, you’re an angel.”
“Hmph, stop flattering me.”
Cordelia snorted but she seemed to be pleased given the smile on her face.
“Ah, I’m excited. If I use this to amplify my magic together with Spell’s Echo and even Double Casting…”
A really big explosion.
A flashy, spectacular, and powerful big explosion that she hadn’t dare to make until now would become possible!
“Just imagining it gets me excited.”
Cordelia’s ecstatic expression was really beautiful to see, but her words were a problem.
A big explosion that was incomparable to the past.
At that moment, the appearance of the royal capital and the collapse of Endymion overlapped in Jude’s mind, and he quickly shook his head.
‘No way, no way.’
That can’t happen.
“Jude?”
“No, it really suits you.”
“Hehehe.”
Cordelia giggled again before she slightly bit her lips and immediately drew closer to Jude and said.
“By the way, Jude. No, my dear Sir.”
Jude felt himself blushing at that moment at her cutesy voice, but soon came to his senses.
Because her actions were really suspicious.
“What?”
He deliberately spoke a little bluntly, but Cordelia continued to act cute.
“Cordelia has something she wants.”
“What? Is it a bomb?”
“No, no. It’s not a bomb…”
Cordelia’s words trailed off at the end as she pointed to her waist, and Jude was only able to understand it then.
Cordelia had nearly used up the detonating cord he had given her last time.
“Will you make it again? Please?”
She was cute. She was so cute that he seriously wanted to say yes.
But Jude didn’t forget something important.
“Hey, Milady. The detonating cord is also a kind of bomb, okay?”
“Don’t be so mean. Please?”
“I’ll consider it after seeing how you act.”
He had actually made a few more sets already, but it was better to seize opportunities like this when it came.
“Shall we go back and talk about it? Perhaps they’ve noticed that we’re gone.”
“Yes, Milord.”
Cordelia beautifully answered for the sake of the detonating cord, and immediately put herself on Jude’s back.
“Wouldn’t it be nice if I can hear you speaking nicely like this all the time?”
“This is how I normally speak though? I mean, I’ve always spoken like this, right?”
“Yes, yes. If you insist.”
Jude giggled and fixed Cordelia’s position on his back before he used Twenty-Four Gale Steps.
***
“Unnie! Orabeoni!”
At the first floor of the inn in the village.
Even though it was late at night, Princess Darianne and all the knights were on the first floor.
They seemed to have somehow noticed Jude and Cordelia’s disappearance.
“At first, I thought you were out for a night walk, but I was worried since you didn’t return no matter how long I waited.”
They couldn’t have left first given that their luggage was still in their room, but they hadn’t returned even after some time.
“But I’m glad that you two are back.”
Princess Darianne smiled as she was satisfied with the fact that the two returned safely, but not for Sir Cornwell. He asked while looking at Jude and Cordelia with a somewhat questioning look.
“But where did the two of you go?”
He had asked that without much thought at first, but Sir Cornwell’s eyes turned sharp in an instant.
Because he saw the earrings on Cordelia’s ears.
She wasn’t wearing that during the day.
So where did that come from?
And what were the two doing at night that they had to go away for a few hours?
It wasn’t unusual for Cordelia to have recovered her eyesight. In the first place, it was a temporary disability due to her excessive magic usage, and a few hours had already passed since they fought the chimera, so it would have been cured if she had been given some recovery measures such as medicine or magic.
But even if that was so, a disability was still a disability.
Yet these two dared to go on a night walk and not rest?
Was there any reason on why they did that?
In fact, he didn’t throw that question because he specifically doubted them.
It was kind of an occupational disease of his, and as the knight in charge of the safety of Duke Spencer, he developed a habit of looking at everything with suspicion.
But at Sir Cornwell’s rather sharp question, Cordelia instantly flinched, and Princess Darianne and the knights were surprised at her embarrassment.
Why did she do that?
Why was Lady Cordelia embarrassed by the question of where they had been?
And it was at that moment.
“For some time…we wanted to have some time alone. For only us two.”
At Jude’s words, Princess Darianne and the knights blinked their eyes, and soon had an understanding expression.
“O-oh my goodness.”
Princess Darianne exclaimed as her imagination run wild and she blushed and squirmed her body.
“Ahem, ahem, it’s possible because they’re two people in their prime.”
Hunt tactlessly said, and the other knights coughed and nodded.
‘W-what’s wrong with them? What are they imagining?’
At Cordelia’s question with her eyes, Jude looked at Sir Cornwell instead of answering her. Because Sir Cornwell was still looking at her earrings.
“And…I confessed to her again.”
“Co-confessed?”
Princess Darianne’s eyes sparkled as she asked, and Jude nodded his head. Cordelia quickly lowered her head to hide her expression that seemed to ask what nonsense he was talking about, but the others only saw her actions as that of embarrassment.
“Yes, I confessed. I declared my love to Lady Cordelia again…and gifted her with earrings as a token of my love.”
At Jude’s brilliant acting, Princess Darianne exclaimed in admiration as she stared at Cordelia’s earrings, and so did the knights.
Her beautiful golden earrings with small red gemstones shined and glittered.
“Oh my goodness, that’s so lovely.”
Although they were already engaged, they confessed their love to each other again and even gave a present as a token of love.
It was a scene that could only be seen in love stories.
Princess Darianne exclaimed in admiration and she soon had a gentle and warm expression. The knights also smiled as if they saw something that was so cute.
Sir Cornwell did too.
‘Hmm, that’s good. Problem solved.’
Jude sent a wink to Cordelia and Princess Darianne opened her mouth before Cordelia could respond to Jude.
“Then, unnie. What about you? How did unnie respond?”
Her answer to Jude’s confession.
Everyone’s gaze turned to Cordelia again, and in the eyes of others, she replied with a face that seemed like she would die from embarrassment.
“O-of course, I accepted it.”
“Aww, I feel so envious.”
Princess Darianne trembled as she covered her cheeks, and the knights all had a warm smile.
They didn’t say anything, but they all looked like they wanted to wish the two happiness.
“Ahem, ahem. Then, can we go up now?”
“Eh? Ah, yes. You can go up.”
“Then…”
Jude turned to Cordelia who reflexively stretched out her hand to Jude.
She had gotten used to Jude escorting her now.
“We’ll go up first. Good night, everyone.”
“Good night, Your Highness.”
After Cordelia curtsied, they began to climb the stairs, and Princess Darianne and all the knights watched the two with happy and unexplainably warm expressions as if they were seeing off a newlywed couple on their honeymoon.
Without being able to imagine what kind of conversation the two had with their eyes.
***
The next morning.
Jude and Cordelia left the village with Princess Darianne’s group as they headed to the royal capital, or to Duke Spencer to be exact.
They were already near the capital and the knights were also with them, so it was unlikely that the Devil’s Hand would attack them on the way.
‘Perhaps the fight will begin once we get to the royal capital.’
The Devil’s Hand was the mastermind behind the royal capital incident after all.
It was now the turn of the Devil’s Hand after the Devil’s Eye.
‘The royal capital.’
They were heading to the royal capital in order to save Princess Daphne, Prince Dion, and the other royal family members.
As he was seated in the rattling carriage, Jude looked at Cordelia and Princess Darianne sitting opposite him before he turned his gaze to the window.
The faint sunlight shined down as the cold winter wind blew.