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Chapter 07
His face turned bright red as he refused so fiercely that I couldn’t help but laugh.
In the end, I had to return to the tent alone. Before that, I went to the spot where Friedrich had fought earlier.
The final bosses are probably my half-brother and my stepmother.
What I really wanted to know was—who dared to send an assassin even during the emperor’s triumphal parade?
I need to confirm this.
But when I arrived at the place reeking of blood, not a single assassin’s corpse remained.
…What?
It hadn’t even been thirty minutes since I’d cleaned Friedrich up. Could they really have erased all traces of the murder in that short time?
I looked around with a confused expression. Judging by the timing, they probably dumped the bodies in the nearby river.
This is more organized than I thought. If I’m not careful, I might really get myself killed.
There was nothing more to find there, so I headed back toward my tent. Along the way, I ran into the Emperor taking a stroll.
“Your Majesty.”
I bowed gracefully, and the Emperor smiled faintly as he asked,
“Where are you going dressed so lightly?”
“I was just returning from a bath, but I still feel like I smell of blood. I might go wash again.”
“Blood?”
“Someone tried to kill me.”
At my calm reply, the Emperor’s face instantly hardened.
“Who would dare lay a hand on you?”
“Exactly, Your Majesty. Who would dare send an assassin while the most exalted Emperor himself is present?”
“Where’s the body?”
“It disappeared while I was away washing up.”
The Emperor’s expression grew grave.
“I know you’re a sorceress who’ll be remembered in history, René. But you must take better care of yourself. How can you roam around alone after facing an assassin?”
“It’s not exactly the first time.”
I answered casually.
“Surely, Your Majesty has some guesses as to who stands to gain the most from my death?”
Emperor Otto answered with silence—followed by a deep, weary groan.
“Even so, I cannot punish anyone without proof.”
True enough. Even if suspicion was clear, the ones involved were the Empress and the Crown Prince. I gave a small, amused smile.
“I could die before that proof turns up, though. Wouldn’t it be a shame to lose your greatest weapon?”
The Emperor let out a long sigh.
“I’ll assign you bodyguards. No matter how strong you are, even a monkey can fall from a tree, my dear.”
“I’ll have to decline. Who knows which of them might be a spy for whoever’s trying to kill me? That would just make things worse.”
“René.”
“They’d only get in the way. One handsome husband is plenty for me.”
“The weakling prince?”
The Emperor frowned.
“Does he at least fulfill his duties?”
“My, father, you really don’t hold back, do you…”
Even as I joked, my tone stayed composed.
“Why do you think I requested the fallen prince as my prize—knowing full well it might make me look suspicious?”
I gave him a sly wink. The Emperor looked utterly scandalized.
“Well, the risk was worth it. I’m quite happy these days.”
“I… suppose I’m glad to hear that.”
“And Your Majesty probably doesn’t realize this, but he’s not weak at all—”
Oops. There I was, saying something I really shouldn’t to my own father. I hastily forced a laugh and ended it with,
“Anyway, may you have a peaceful night.”
I knelt gracefully and took my leave, then returned to my tent.
As soon as I arrived, I called for Elza.
“Elza, remember the list of soldiers who survived the war? Can you check if there are any inconsistencies in it right now?”
“…Do you have any idea how many soldiers there are?”
“So it’s impossible, huh?”
I sighed and shook my head.
“Five corpses disappeared without a trace in less than thirty minutes. This has to be an inside job.”
“You’ve changed. Normally, you wouldn’t care how many assassins came after you.”
Her curious remark made me flinch, but I quickly gave an excuse.
“Well, it’s different now. I have Friedrich. What if something happens to him while I’m gone?”
“I doubt you need to worry after what I saw today.”
“That’s true.”
Elza thought for a moment, then said,
“To dispose of the bodies that quickly, at least one person per corpse would be needed. If even ten soldiers left camp, someone would’ve noticed. I’ll look into it.”
As expected, she was competent.
Just then, someone quietly lifted the tent flap and stepped inside—it was Friedrich.
Elza, noticing him, tactfully left. Seeing how clean and neat he looked now, I smiled with satisfaction.
But the cut on his cheek was still noticeable. I needed to treat it before it scarred.
“Come here.”
I motioned to him. Friedrich hesitated, then approached and knelt before me.
I turned around after finding the ointment—and blinked in surprise.
“You can sit comfortably, you know.”
“I was worried you might be uncomfortable.”
“You’re just too tall, that’s all.”
I muttered offhandedly and squeezed some ointment onto my fingers, gently applying it to his wound.
“I don’t want this to scar.”
“Would you throw me away if it did?”
At his sudden question, I looked at him in confusion. After a pause, he added softly,
“If I were… damaged somehow.”
“Don’t worry. It won’t scar. This ointment works wonders.”
“…”
His eyes wavered at my casual reassurance. I chuckled and said,
“No need to be touched just because I used high-end ointment. You got this wound protecting me—it’s only right I take care of it.”
“I’ll be more careful.”
“About what?”
He hesitated a moment before replying,
“My face.”
“Oh—well, yes, you should.”
But despite my quick agreement, his expression didn’t brighten. Maybe he was really upset about the injury.
I could understand that. With such a beautiful face, I’d be upset too.
“I did ask you to protect me, but not to the point of getting hurt. I can protect myself too, you know.”
(Who am I kidding? I can’t fight at all. Please, please keep protecting me!)
Desperately ignoring that inner voice, I pretended to be composed.
“Let’s sleep. It’s almost midnight.”
As usual, we lay down side by side. After a while, I turned my head and saw Friedrich—back in his child form—looking troubled.
He’s so cute… but why does he look so gloomy?
When he was an adult, even his sad expressions seemed noble and serene. But now, as a child, he just looked pitiful.
“What’s wrong? What are you thinking about?”
He flinched and suddenly pulled the blanket over his face.
“What are you doing?”
When I tried to pull it down, he resisted with all his strength.
But after midnight, I was the stronger one. A short struggle later, I won.
“Why are you hiding your face all of a sudden?”
“…Just.”
He looked down and whispered,
“I don’t think this face is very cute right now.”
Out of nowhere, self-deprecation? Well, given that beautiful porcelain face now had a scratch… maybe it made sense.
“You are cute. Haven’t you seen your child form before?”
“Not one with a scar like this.”
“…”
Now I actually felt guilty—as the one responsible for that scar.
“But why are you suddenly so hung up on being cute? You used to hate it when I called you that.”
“…”
Friedrich didn’t answer. He just turned his head away—specifically to hide the wounded side of his face.
Did his mind regress along with his body? Or is this some sort of magical puberty?
I decided to soothe him anyway.
“You’re beautiful and adorable, Friedrich. Not ugly at all.”
But he still didn’t seem convinced. I frowned.
“What will it take for you to believe me? Should I call someone in here to confirm it?”
“…”
“Fine, have it your way.”
I sighed and turned my back to him, my patience wearing thin.
The next day, Elza’s report came in.
“There’s no record.”
I frowned.
“No record of what?”
“Of anyone leaving camp last night. Not five, not ten—none. Every noble’s private soldiers were accounted for. Can’t you see the dark circles under my eyes?”
“Ugh, that’s troublesome. So what, an outsider infiltrated the imperial camp? Is that even possible?”
“If the insider is someone high-ranking enough, nothing’s impossible…”
Her gaze flicked past me, toward the opposite side of the tent.
“…Why is he dressed like that?”
She was, of course, referring to Friedrich—who was now sitting there with a large hat pulled low to hide his face completely.
