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Chapter 9
I’ll Take Responsibility
“Pfft.”
Rowenhart spat out the water he had just swallowed, coughing. Droplets splashed onto the bed sheets. Tessia moved closer as if to pat his back, but Rowenhart quickly raised his hand to stop her.
“Cough… I-I’m fine.”
“Are you really okay?”
“Yes, yes. I’m fine, just give me a moment…”
His heart was pounding. What in the world was happening? Rowenhart had never once drunk to the point of blacking out. As the prince of the Tirnaban Kingdom, he had to be extra cautious. If an unplanned seed were to be sown, it would be disastrous. Any scandal of a sexual nature could be a threat to him.
Of course, if he had truly spent the night with Tessia, that would have been fortunate for him, since he was the one trying to seduce her. But he had no memory of it. At the very least, since she had said he must have been rough, he figured he should apologize. Even if he didn’t remember last night, he was confident he could improvise to match her words. He opened his mouth.
“I apologize, Princess. I must have been in such high spirits yesterday that I couldn’t control myself.”
“You certainly did look happy yesterday.”
“I wonder if Your Highness was all right… Did you also enjoy yourself?”
Rowenhart asked cautiously. Since he didn’t remember what had happened, he was probing. Tessia smiled softly.
“I enjoyed myself too. It was a satisfying night, for the first time in a while.”
Tessia patted his back as she came closer. That kind of casual touch seemed to affirm the truth of her words. It looked like he hadn’t made a mistake after all. In fact, she even said she was satisfied. Satisfied… satisfied… Rowenhart stared blankly at her. Was this a green light?
“You can’t even drink water properly. How’s your stomach?”
“…Yes. I’m fine.”
“Your face is pale. Don’t worry, Hart. I’ll take responsibility for everything!”
Tessia suddenly grabbed Rowenhart’s hand. Having purposely kept quiet for a moment, Rowenhart feigned surprise. To hear Tessia herself say she’d take responsibility—things were proceeding far more smoothly than expected. Surely the heavens were on his side. Still, it was too soon to celebrate. He lowered his eyebrows slightly, putting on a pitiful look.
“Do you really mean that?”
Rowenhart asked in a trembling voice. He knew the best way to captivate Tessia—who always thought of herself as a confident wolf—was to act like a pitiful rabbit. To trigger her protective instincts. This was one of the things he had learned while spending time with her.
Had he instead said,
‘No, Princess. I believe I must take responsibility.’
…other noble ladies might have swooned. But Tessia?
‘Really? Then I don’t need to take responsibility either, Rowenhart! We’re both adults, so let’s each handle our own responsibilities!’
That was exactly the sort of response she would give. By now, Rowenhart could predict her reactions fairly well. And just as he expected, when he delivered his carefully chosen line, Tessia’s eyes filled with guilt and a sense of responsibility.
“I promise. Of course, unless there’s a problem with your fiancée.”
“Do you truly mean it?”
“Yes!”
“But… I feel like I’m troubling Your Highness too much.”
Rowenhart had already prepared for this moment. He knew Tessia’s sense of justice wouldn’t allow her to back down, so he had a ready answer.
“Don’t refuse me. If it feels burdensome, then think of it as granting me a wish. Remember, last night when I acted as your Black Knight, you promised to grant me one wish? This is it.”
There had never been any intention of refusing in the first place. He only pretended to, for the sake of appearances. Rowenhart forced a sorrowful smile and replied:
“If it is Your Highness’s wish… then yes, I accept.”
“It feels like my mistake has tied you down. I’ll make sure I take responsibility! Tell your fiancée that I made a terrible mistake, that everything was my fault, and that I feel truly sorry.”
How amusing, Tessia. Rowenhart hid a smile where she couldn’t see. The fact that she was saying this so seriously, not knowing that he himself was the supposed fiancée in question, was laughable. He quickly composed his expression.
“This wasn’t Your Highness’s mistake alone. It was mine as well, so please don’t feel too guilty. I promise not to put her in a difficult position, so you need not worry.”
Rowenhart’s joyful grin melted into a sorrowful smile again. The very image of a refined nobleman. Tessia’s face crumpled with guilt, her shoulders sagging. Clearly, she was still trapped in responsibility and remorse. These feelings would tether her to him all the more. Until now, she had seen him only as a subordinate. But this incident, by sheer chance, would make her see him in a new light. For Rowenhart, this was a golden opportunity.
“I can’t just sit still after hearing you say that, Rowenhart! If you allow me, I want to apologize to her personally. They say even pain is halved when shared, after all.”
If only Tessia wouldn’t act so recklessly. Rowenhart shook his head and spoke gently.
“If you did that, it might only disturb her further, Princess. Please allow me to resolve this matter myself. I beg of you.”
He looked at her with sincere, pleading eyes. At last, Tessia surrendered.
“Perhaps you’re right, Hart.”
With a solemn face, she extended her hand to him. Nodding slightly, she said:
“I’ll be counting on you from now on.”
Rowenhart clasped her hand, hiding his smile. Tessia had walked right into the web he had spun. Everything was unfolding with such ease, it almost felt wrong. But Tessia was simply that transparent and straightforward. Her hand was as warm as she was.
At last, I’ve taken the first true step.
Rowenhart’s scheme had finally begun!
Tessia swung her sword. The sound of steel clashing rang out across the training grounds. As she parried her opponent’s blade, a thought crossed her mind.
Rowenhart… He must be shyer than I thought.
That night, she had carried the drunken Rowenhart back to the inn. After defeating three more knights, they had shared more drinks, until Rowenhart finally collapsed. She couldn’t just leave a valuable healing mage lying in the street, so she brought him back herself. But carrying his tall, muscular frame had been no easy task, especially since he kept trying to run off. He was surprisingly strong even when drunk. And Tessia herself had drunk more than her usual limit, making it an exhausting night.
Once she finally managed to drag him into a rented inn room, she collapsed onto the bed herself. The alcohol, the warmth of the room, and the soft mattress quickly knocked her out. In short—none of what Rowenhart imagined about a “secret night between a man and a woman” had actually happened. It was nothing more than a righteous act of a commander looking after her new knight and healer.
The next morning, when she saw the still-ailing Rowenhart, Tessia had confidently declared:
“I’ll take responsibility!”
By that, she meant for the unexpected night out and his hangover. Seeing how worried he looked, his face instantly brightened at her words. Still, he kept insisting he didn’t want to cause trouble, which only made him seem all the more admirable. But Tessia knew—this could easily cause great offense to his fiancée. So it was only right that she take responsibility. If Rowenhart wanted, she would gladly swear on her sword that nothing improper had happened. But since he refused, there was little she could do…
I hope he’s handled it well.
Poor Hart. Tessia’s resolve to look after him only deepened.
Besides, the dinner that night was quite enjoyable too.
She really did like Rowenhart.
“Captain Tessia! Did you know new trainee knights will be arriving soon?”
“Trainees? Already?”
“Yes, Captain!”
Alex came running over, shouting at the top of his lungs. Since Tessia was rarely in her office, this was often the only way to inform her of important matters. Poor Alex, often considered the most unfortunate knight in the order, bellowed:
“Once again, many have applied to the Valkyrie Order!! As always, the first training session will be…”
“I’ll lead it myself, of course! This is my chance to meet the new recruits! Haaah!”
Even as she finished answering, Tessia delivered her final strike. Her opponent dropped his sword and fell onto his backside, panting.
“Go easier on us, Captain!”
“Go easier? Will the enemy on the battlefield go easy on you?”
“Well, no, but still… My shoulder almost popped out!”
“Eat some meat and it’ll be fine.”
Tessia helped the knight to his feet and patted his shoulder before taking the stack of papers Alex was desperately trying to hand her. Around this time each year, she personally trained the applicants to the Valkyrie Order. Teaching young recruits was always exciting—and she often learned from them, too.
As Tessia checked the list of names while crossing the training ground, Alex followed up with another question.
“By the way, Captain… Where did you sleep that night? The knights said you weren’t in the dormitory.”
“…What?”
Tessia’s eyes widened as she whipped her head around. Alex froze in surprise.
“I thought you had returned home to your estate…”
“Th-That… ahem!”
Tessia had never been able to lie. She cleared her throat awkwardly, her expression flustered, which only made Alex panic as well.
“Wait… Then where did you sleep? Hold on—if anyone finds out about this…”
Their eyes met. Both their faces drained of color. Tessia quickly glanced around, then grabbed Alex by the collar and bolted.
“Guhhh! C-captain!!!”
