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Chapter 35
I’ve Never Seen That Face Before
“So, aren’t you going to participate in the tournament?”
“That’s none of your concern.”
Herya kept pestering Arsen about whether he was entering the swordsmanship competition or not.
“Why are you aiming to win? What reward could you possibly want, being part of the Holy Knight Order?”
“Obviously, it’s the money.”
The answer came without a moment’s hesitation, and Rose felt a bit embarrassed for him. He didn’t seem to have any sense of priestly decorum at all. She scanned the area, planning to buy him something blue and quickly send him off. Her eyes landed on a men’s hat, which she picked up.
“How about this?”
“Hm… not really.”
This time she pointed to a bracelet displayed on the stand.
“Then what about this?”
“Do you really think that suits me?”
“Should I get you a dagger or a sword sheath?”
“Who would buy a weapon in such an eye-catching color?”
It turned out he was far pickier than just wanting something blue.
“I guess I’ll just settle for whatever.”
As the day slowly drew to a close, Rose was growing increasingly irritated. Arsen was wasting the little time she had just for the two of them.
“Check out our lockets! Even when you go off to war, you can keep memories with someone precious.”
Herya paused at the merchant’s voice. Rose followed his gaze. A locket with a light blue pattern was displayed on the stand.
“You like this one?”
“Yes. Get me that one.”
“I’ll take this, then.”
“Ah, thank you, miss.”
Herya stared at the locket for a long while after taking it, examining it closely.
“This should do it.”
Relieved, Rose turned around—but suddenly felt a sharp sting on the back of her head. She whipped her head around.
“Ouch! What the—?”
Arsen immediately grabbed Herya by the neck to subdue her.
“What are you doing?”
“Ugh… seriously, you’re overreacting, Master Arsen. Puh puh. Uh, let go of me, will you?”
Herya’s struggling hands had grabbed a lock of her pale pink hair. Rose scratched the tingling back of her head and said,
“It’s fine, Arsen. You can let go. I was just startled.”
“Ha… my neck’s going to fall off before I even get to hang the locket.”
Arsen shot a menacing glare at Herya, who was pretending to be dead.
“Alright, alright, fine! Sorry for not saying anything.”
“Why did you suddenly pull out a strand of hair?”
Herya twirled her hair around her fingers, sizing it to fit inside the locket. He pressed the blue button, opened the locket, and carefully placed it inside.
“You said to put something precious inside. What’s more noble and valuable than a part of the princess herself?”
The man’s eyes curved slightly as he hung the locket around her neck. Satisfied, he quickly distanced himself from Arsen, worried he might cause more trouble. He darted off, and Herya waved at him from afar.
“Take care, miss!”
In the blink of an eye, he disappeared.
“Wow, that was fast.”
“He’s no ordinary clever one.”
“Haha. Arsen really seems to dislike Herya.”
“Do you think he’d look kindly upon someone who insulted His Majesty?”
Arsen frowned in displeasure.
“I’ve never seen that face before.”
He was angrier than her. Rose found that anger comforting. A man who took an interest in her affairs more than anyone else was clearly on her side.
“I barely restrained myself from slapping that bland expression off your face.”
To describe a face as bland when it’s as pretty as Herya’s—Rose burst into laughter. Her clear laughter echoed gently into the deep night as she skipped along the stone path illuminated by yellow lanterns.
“It’s a relief no one finds Arsen uncomfortable. I was actually a little worried.”
“It’s the season when many outsiders visit.”
“True. Many don’t even look like they’re from Karron.”
The streets were crowded with outsiders. During festivals, even the people of Dunstan Island didn’t look particularly strange, and the same went for Rose. On ordinary days, a foreigner like her could never roam the streets unnoticed—everyone would immediately recognize her as royalty. But with her simple attire, no one suspected she was royal. They just assumed she was a foreigner with blue eyes.
“Foreigners are most interested in the swordsmanship tournament. His Majesty rewards participants regardless of their country of origin.”
“The gambling tables were full of conversation about the tournament too.”
People’s interest in the tournament was evident from how quickly they bet their winnings from gambling on the competition.
“Herya Deon won’t be able to reclaim all the money she earned today.”
Arsen said this with a resolute expression.
“Will you participate in the tournament as well, Arsen?”
“Yes.”
“Just to beat Herya?”
“…….”
A groan escaped Rose’s parted lips.
“Does he dislike Herya that much?”
Herya had said she would hand over all her winnings from gambling. Arsen seemed utterly convinced he would win. While the Holy Knights were certainly skilled, Rose had never seen them fight, so she couldn’t be sure of their abilities.
“Well, I won’t stop him from entering.”
By the time they finished speaking, they had reached a quiet alley. She could hear the gentle flow of a stream under the Rev Bridge. Arsen glanced down and blocked her path, but Rose smiled faintly to reassure him.
“This is fine.”
The water in the city streets wasn’t deep. She had crossed the bridge earlier without any problem. Arsen kept scanning her expression, trying to gauge her sincerity. Rose lifted her chin and said confidently,
“I’ve practiced, so it’s no problem.”
“Practiced?”
“Yes. After hearing that the opening speech would be held on a ship, I’ve been diving into the bathtub whenever I had the chance.”
“You mean you forced yourself into the water?”
“Well, it was something I had to do eventually.”
She wanted to overcome her fear as soon as possible. She hadn’t realized before how inconvenient it was to be afraid of water in everyday life, so she faced it deliberately and urgently.
“Practicing by immersing my face in water helped me control my breathing.”
“…….”
Rose’s calm explanation left Arsen with a mixed expression—part concern, part frown.
“Don’t overexert yourself trying to win.”
“Why not?”
“Repeated exposure without resolving your fear will only worsen the symptoms.”
His tone was serious. Even if it seemed reckless, her method of coping on the water was her own way of trying. She felt frustrated that he didn’t understand that.
“Thanks to practice, I was able to get through the opening speech safely.”
“If the process is painful, what’s the point? You struggled during the ceremony, and now you deliberately face it as practice. As someone assisting His Majesty, I cannot allow this.”
Arsen meant well, but Rose couldn’t agree this time.
“Living in the Empire, should I just avoid water because I’m afraid? If I don’t overcome this, every time I encounter the sea, I’ll have problems.”
“You swore that I would protect His Majesty. Nothing will go wrong. So please, stay away from water as much as possible.”
Rose couldn’t understand Arsen’s insistence. Even if he was a skilled knight, how could he fix a condition he had no control over?
“Arsen can’t fix this for me.”
“Just because he’s my knight doesn’t mean he can shield me completely. This is something I have to overcome myself.”
To prove her point, she stepped into the stream, splashing her feet.
“Your Majesty!”
The cold water sent shivers up her legs. Arsen rushed forward, but she raised a hand to stop him. He froze in place.
“Nothing will improve if you do nothing because you’re scared.”
Rose stared at him directly. She splashed water several times with her feet. The hem of her blue dress became soaked.
“See? If I hadn’t practiced, I wouldn’t even be able to do this much.”
Shivering slightly from the cold, her determined eyes didn’t waver. Arsen watched her silently. After a long, serious gaze, he slowly approached through the water.
He scooped Rose up in his arms and carried her out of the stream. Water trickled down his tanned wrists. She could read the concern on his face.
“Arsen, just help me when I struggle. That’s enough.”
“You’ve changed.”
“Of course. I’m no longer the foolish youngest princess.”
Arsen carefully set her down after leaving the stream. Droplets from her dress darkened the stone path.
“This feels a lot like our last date,” Rose said, looking up with a slightly expectant expression, soaked as before.
“Aren’t you taking me to the inn today?”
Reading her coquettish look, Arsen let out a small sigh.
“…That hasn’t changed at all.”
“Tch.”
Rose exaggeratedly rubbed her arms, cold from the water.
“Come here.”
Arsen exhaled quietly and slowly opened his arms. At least until the carriage arrived, he would share his warmth. Without hesitation, Rose ran into his embrace, her lips curling into a smile she couldn’t contain.
“Yes! The water training really paid off.”
Her extreme measure for facing water had a slightly different purpose, but it achieved the best result.
“Hehe… it’s so warm, I like it.”
She smiled brightly. A resigned sigh came from above, but Rose ignored it and nestled closer. The slightly rapid beat of his heart felt comforting.
The night, a fleeting moment to enjoy the festival, was drawing to a close.
