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Chapter 39
“……”
Charles stared at the scene before him with hollow eyes.
On the deck of a sailing ship that was little more than a derelict, pirates were kneeling—neatly bound at the wrists and ankles with professional precision.
“H–Captain… what on earth is this…?”
Lecond stammered in confusion.
They had steered into the Noxdam waters exactly as the captain ordered, only to find Ben Wolfman and his remaining crew—whom they had been desperately searching for—already tied up by someone else.
At this point, it was like someone had prepared a full meal and told them to help themselves.
Without answering, Charles walked forward and rummaged through the pocket of Wolfman, who was seated at the very front.
Wolfman’s face was swollen and bruised blue, yet he still tried to act familiar.
“You’re Charles Ettinger, right~? Can’t you untie me for just a moment? One of my subordinates did something completely out of line, you see~ I’ll kill him and let myself be captured again. Yeah?”
“You’re being loud.”
At Charles’s words, a navy soldier stepped on Wolfman’s back.
“Urgh!”
With a groan, Wolfman collapsed onto the deck.
When Charles straightened up, he was holding a single button—decorated with a red holy stone.
It was the tracking device he himself had sewn onto the Saintess’s clothing.
“So that’s why.”
He had wondered why the Saintess’s location had been detected in the Noxdam waters.
To think Wolfman had put the button into his own pocket.
“Looks like he already knew.”
“Didn’t I say untie me?! I won’t let this go, Partyjang…!”
Grinding his teeth, Wolfman shouted someone’s name.
Watching him, Charles let out a short sigh.
“…Arrest them all.”
“Yes, sir!”
There was no way the Saintess had done all of this alone.
“How humiliating.”
Charles’s gaze stopped at a single point.
A handkerchief was tied to the hilt of Wolfman’s sword, which was embedded in the deck, fluttering in the wind.
Embroidered on it was the crest of Jendal.
Someone who would move with the Saintess and leave something so blatantly obvious—Charles knew only one such person.
“Captain! There’s a suspicious ship!”
A navy soldier shouted while scanning the area with a spyglass.
“Shall we pursue it?”
“No. Leave it.”
Charles unfolded the handkerchief he had untied from the hilt.
In elegant handwriting, a single word was written.
[Debt]
“So that’s what this is….”
Petty bastard.
As much as he hated to admit it, the Kingdom of Bonia’s army had contributed nothing to the capture of Ben Wolfman.
Charles’s hand clenched tightly around the handkerchief, trembling with frustration.
At last, the time had come.
I’d avoided it as best I could, but now it was impossible to avoid any longer.
“From here—”
I poked the carpet on the floor with a rod, then dragged the rod straight across it.
“—to here.”
After wrapping the pirates up as a “gift” for the princess, we boarded the Daedern, the ship headed for Jendal.
Captain Henkel, Chobi, Kadiyan, the other knights……
After a brief reunion, while discussing our future schedule—
“Wouldn’t it be best for the Saintess to remain with His Majesty until she arrives safely at the Imperial Palace?”
—that suggestion came up.
His Majesty said it wasn’t a bad idea, and since I also wanted to reach Jendal safely, I agreed.
Even so……
The furniture in the cabin was arranged in the order of bed–carpet–sofa.
Following my rod, the nap of the carpet—laid in reverse—formed a clear line right down the center.
“You must not cross over.”
I didn’t want to use the same room as His Majesty—!
Well, okay, being able to look at His Majesty’s face 24/7 without worrying about appearances was nice. It was. But—!
“That beauty is beyond my capacity to handle…!”
I had only just begun getting used to blond‑haired His Majesty—there was no way I had any immunity to silver‑haired His Majesty who had newly appeared.
His Majesty, who had been standing there with arms crossed watching my antics, spoke.
“We’re sharing the same space, yet you’re telling me not to cross over?”
“Yes. Of course. It’d be disastrous if you did.”
At my sincere warning, His Majesty scoffed as if it were ridiculous.
Then he looked at me with a gaze that clearly said, Let’s see if you can actually not cross that line.
If you stare at me like that with jewel‑like eyes, do you think I won’t cross…?!
“…My foot crossed.”
“……”
Apparently, my stupid foot had moved forward because it wanted a closer look.
Listen to me, body. Please.
“Ah—this is unavoidable—”
I need to get far away. This won’t do.
I dashed to the sofa, lay down, and pulled the blanket over my head.
It would take two nights and three days by ship to reach Jendal.
Until then, I would protect His Majesty.
From whom?
From myself.
“……”
“Good night. Just in case, keep your sword beside the bed.”
After firing off my words like a machine gun, I closed my eyes.
The cabin grew quiet. I subtly strained my ears, checking for His Majesty’s presence.
Thankfully, it seemed he was going to sleep—there was the rustling sound of blankets from the bed.
Right. I’m the only dangerous thing here—
“Wah?!”
Suddenly, my entire body—blanket and all—was lifted into the air.
When I tried to struggle, I saw—it was His Majesty.
There was no way I could risk scratching that face with my feeble resistance.
Like a cocooned silkworm, I went limp, carried without knowing where.
And how did he silence his footsteps again…?!
I really want to know the secret to that skill that evades my hearing every time.
His Majesty placed me—still wrapped up—onto the bed.
“H‑Huh? Why am I here?”
“Sleep here. I’ll sleep on the sofa.”
“No!”
Ugh—he’d wrapped me so tightly I couldn’t escape the blanket.
With only my face peeking out, I cried desperately toward His Majesty’s back as he walked to the sofa.
“I’d rather sleep on the floor!”
His Majesty sleeping on the sofa was unthinkable.
His legs were so long they’d stick completely off the end of it!
If anything, I was the one built for the sofa!
How was I supposed to sleep knowing my favorite (body) was being folded onto that tiny sofa…?!
“I can’t sleep like this!”
Perhaps my tear‑soaked plea worked—His Majesty stood up from the sofa and walked back to the bed.
I looked up at him with the most pitiful expression I could muster.
“…Switch places?”
Let’s switch.
And why does he look so decadently dangerous gazing down at me with silver hair like that?
There’s no way my heartbeat is audible to him, right?
“……”
His Majesty narrowed his eyes as if pondering, then leaned forward.
I was bracing myself to be lifted like baggage again—but nothing happened.
Instead, I heard the sound of him lying down beside the bed.
“…Uh—uh—uhhh?!”
Sleeping side by side with His Majesty?!
Startled beyond reason, I instinctively tried to sit up.
But the blanket that had robbed me of all freedom refused to allow it.
As I flailed like an overturned turtle, a hand patted the thick blanket.
“Just stay still.”
My breath caught in my throat.
His Majesty’s hand was on my body—no, on the blanket—!
Why did I use a cotton quilt, past me? A thin sheet would’ve been enough—!
“No—wait—!”
I couldn’t let my desires take control here.
Quietly taking a deep breath, I calmed myself and tried to persuade His Majesty.
“Your Majesty—”
“You said you divided the space because you didn’t know what the Saintess might do. Wrapped up like this, what could you possibly do?”
“…Your Majesty, this is a mistake, okay? I even have offensive equipment now—if I really wanted to, I could tear through this blanket in an instant and trap us both inside the barrier, you know?!”
Granted, the owner of that equipment is you.
If my unconscious mind betrayed me—as it always does—this blanket could explode and lock us both inside the barrier.
It was maddening—but His Majesty’s next words shut me up.
“I’m tired. Just sleep.”
“Yes.”
No matter what my unconscious does, His Majesty’s rest is the priority.
Still, I needed some defense.
I wriggled around and turned onto my side, facing away from him.
Looking at the same ceiling is way too dangerous.
“……”
I froze completely, like a caterpillar turned chrysalis.
Sleep was impossible.
My mind was far too alert, imagining all sorts of things, so I stared at the wallpaper pattern across from me.
I feel nothing.
I am a chrysalis.
What’s resting on the blanket isn’t His Majesty’s hand.
That calm breathing is—
“…Shinari.”
“H—!”
My heart dropped.
Thankfully, I managed to silence the sound before it escaped.
Facing away, I whispered quietly.
“Yes…?”
“……”
Was he talking in his sleep?
But you know—
Calling my name in that voice, in the middle of the night—
Isn’t that basically trying to kill me…?!
Hey—
Your cooldown isn’t over yet—!
Panicking, I echoed His Majesty’s words like I was singing the national anthem.
“You’re tired.”
If my unconscious and my ring both stopped listening to me, I’d be in serious trouble.
I am nothing more than a body pillow.
Responsible for His Majesty’s comfortable sleep and peaceful rest.
“…Never again.”
Ignoring my efforts, His Majesty’s sleep‑talk resumed.
Ugh. I’m done for. This boiling blood—
“Don’t ever disappear without saying anything again.”
I froze.
That voice was far too clear to be sleep‑talk.
Low and gentle, carrying an emotion too deep to name, it reached my ears again.
“Don’t say something… and then disappear.”
