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Chapter 6 – Should I Just Take Him In?
Arsene parted his lips. Unsure if he’d heard correctly, he asked awkwardly,
“…Pardon?”
“I mean, who wouldn’t get flustered being lifted like that?”
Rose mimicked the motion of being picked up in both arms. Her wrists dangled as she flopped them backward. The man stared blankly at her teasing palms, his mouth slightly open.
“….”
Silence followed. It was the same quiet stillness as before. The atmosphere mirrored what had happened in the stables.
Sensing a sudden anxiety, Rose quickly grabbed his arm.
“W-Wait! Don’t think about abandoning me again!”
“Abandon you?”
He tilted his head with a confused look.
“Yeah! Back at the training grounds, you left me behind and ran off.”
The word “ran” seemed to bother him. A small frown crossed his face.
“I didn’t run.”
“Oh, listen to you deny it. Just be honest. You didn’t want to become my knight, right?”
“What are you talking about?”
Arsene tilted his head again, as if he truly didn’t understand—and even that looked so handsome, Rose found herself momentarily impressed.
“That day, I was going to ask you to be my escort.”
“Ah…”
He clammed up like someone thrown into sudden deep thought.
“Of course, I’m just a nobody of a princess. I doubt you’d even considered it.”
“That’s not it. It’s just… Your Highness…”
He cut himself off, covering his mouth with his hand. But the blush creeping beneath was unmistakable.
“…You asked me to be yours.”
Though his voice was barely above a murmur, Rose heard it clearly. There was a hint of shy embarrassment in it too.
‘So wait… He misunderstood what I said that day and ran away because of it?’
Looking at Arsene now, awkwardly clearing his throat and avoiding her gaze—yep, that confirmed it.
He was bigger than most men, and yet he’d gotten flustered over one little remark. Maybe because he was crouched low to tend to her, he looked particularly cute to her now.
‘God, I want to lock him in a room and tease him all day.’
She struggled to suppress the dangerous impulse.
“I apologize. I didn’t properly understand Your Highness’s intentions.”
“No, it’s fine. I wasn’t exactly clear, either.”
“But I really didn’t abandon you. I even called a maid to help, didn’t I?”
“You did.”
That rude, insolent maid who insulted you.
Rose’s expression darkened as she recalled Arsene’s situation. How could the people of Kalon judge such a charming man solely by appearances? Even now, he was going to such lengths to clarify a misunderstanding from days ago. How could anyone hold that against him?
‘Should I just take him in?’
The more time she spent with him, the more she wanted to keep him. Initially, her plan had been to win him over out of necessity—she couldn’t survive without allies—but now, her desire was becoming more instinctive than strategic.
Sure, her circumstances were poor now, but with her memories from the modern world, she could adapt to this one and possibly even rise as high as Tanathis someday.
If that happened, she could give this mistreated man the respect he deserved.
‘Honestly, being just comrades-in-arms would be such a waste. Should I just make him mine?’
As she was happily lost in her scheming, a red-haired knight approached.
“Captain, we’re ready to move again.”
“…I’ll be right there.”
Arsene straightened up from his crouch, casting a shadow over her. From her seated perspective, his height looked even more imposing.
Just as he had done when they first met, Arsene gently lifted her into his arms. Having experienced this once before, Rose was now quite used to it—and delightedly wrapped her arms around his neck.
Truthfully, she could walk just fine. But she liked how dedicated he was to serving her, so she played along. She liked being this close to him—so much so that she hoped they’d get lost on the way back.
“It hurts when I get jostled, so please walk slowly.”
She even faked a bit of frailty to make him slow down. His gait was brisk and powerful, like a finely tuned racehorse. She often thought of him that way—quick and well-built. Though right now, all that speed was totally unnecessary.
Feeling his pace slow at her words, Rose buried her head in his broad shoulder. She could feel his muscles tensing beneath her cheek, but she ignored it and stifled a giggle.
Meanwhile, the knights thoroughly cleaned the area to prevent wild animals from being drawn by the smell of blood. Dusk had already fallen behind the foothills, and they still hadn’t reached the nearby village. With little choice, they decided to make camp in the forest for the night.
“You’re telling me I have to sleep outdoors?!”
Arakne’s pale face twisted in outrage. It hadn’t even been a full day, but she already looked like a wreck. Her disheveled blonde hair and haggard eyes screamed for rest. Though the knight accompanying her tried to explain the situation, she wasn’t listening at all.
“You said the village was close!”
“For the last time, traveling at night is dangerous!”
The knight—Hagen, the one from earlier—glared with his one visible eye. His rough mannerisms made him seem more like a mercenary than a proper knight.
“Then you should’ve moved faster!”
“Your Highness was unconscious for half the day, so there was nothing we could do.”
“What? Are you saying this is my fault? It’s your failure as escorts!”
“How dare a low-ranking knight insult a royal. Truly disgraceful—just like your people.”
“You should apologize to Her Highness at once!”
Her maids chimed in with angry retorts. Veins popped on Hagen’s forehead. Arakne was impossible to talk to, and he was losing his patience. Arsene stepped in between them, blocking Hagen with a calm demeanor.
“We’ve prepared a tent where Your Highness can rest comfortably. It may not be as grand as an inn room, but it should help soothe your fatigue after the carriage ride.”
He gestured toward the tent set up by the apprentice knights. Even Arakne, bristling with indignation, softened slightly at the sight of the cozy shelter.
“Just for tonight. I expect proper accommodations fit for royalty next time.”
With that, the Second Princess entered the tent with her maids. Hagen ran a hand roughly through his hair.
“Damn royals.”
Then he locked eyes with Rose and gave a disgruntled snort.
“Ugh. That ruined my mood.”
Once Hagen disappeared into the tent, Rose glanced around, left alone.
‘Great. Got caught in the crossfire just by standing nearby.’
She knew the knights resented the royals, but the hostility still stung. Then again, it was no wonder, given how they were treated. Arsene’s calm under pressure was honestly admirable.
While dinner was being prepared, Rose sat quietly by the fire. As she gazed at the flames, Arsene returned with a younger knight. The man had shiny brown hair and a relatively small build for someone from Dunstarn Island.
Arsene held out a small bamboo bowl. Hot steam rose from a potato stew.
“I’m sorry the food is simple. Once we reach the village tomorrow, we’ll serve a proper meal.”
“I expected as much when leaving the palace.”
Rose licked her lips and scooped up a spoonful. Hunger hit, and she focused entirely on eating. Arsene watched her eat for a while, then lowered his gaze to her feet.
“How’s the injury?”
“It’s fine. Much better now.”
“I let my guard down, being so close to the capital… I should’ve been more prepared.”
He trailed off, clearly blaming himself. Then he gestured toward the young knight beside him.
“He’s still inexperienced, but he’ll do well as a guard.”
“A guard?”
“Yes. Given what happened earlier, we’ve assigned temporary escorts to both princesses.”
Rose gave the knight a long look. His rigid expression suggested he’d only recently been knighted.
“Greetings, Your Highness. I’m Lance, of the Remigis Order.”
He had no family name, which wasn’t unusual for someone from the island. On Dunstarn, only House Lafayette bore noble titles.
“Nice to meet you, Sir Lance. I’m counting on you.”
Lance looked shocked by her polite tone.
“Please, Your Highness, you don’t need to speak so formally.”
“I prefer it this way.”
Arsene rose to his feet.
“Your Highness’s tent is over there. Lance will guide you.”
“Thanks. See you tomorrow.”
“Rest well.”
Lance couldn’t bring himself to insist she drop the honorifics. His awkward face gave it away. It made him seem even younger.
“You’re from the Lafayette territory, right?”
“Yes. People often say I don’t look the part. But I’m actually quite tall.”
He thought she was teasing him for being short and grumbled in defense. Compared to other knights in Remigis, he was smaller—but still above average height. What set him apart wasn’t his size, but his gentle demeanor. Among the usually rough islanders, his innocence stood out.
“How old are you?”
“I had my coming-of-age ceremony earlier this year.”
“Oh! Then we’re the same age.”
Rose was also nearing her coming-of-age. Counting her previous life, she was technically much older, but she felt a sense of closeness to Lance. At least he wasn’t openly hostile like the others.
“Then we’re friends.”
“Friends, Your Highness?”
He said the word like it was foreign to him.
“Yep. Sir Lance, I’ll be counting on your steadfast protection.”
