CH 51

“Huh?”

“It’ll be difficult for you to participate more since you got hurt, and as for me, I didn’t even want to join in the first place.”

Like a devil seducing an innocent lamp, Reina did not stop there.

“So, why don’t we just stay together?”

And as if he had just listened to the melody of the pied piper, his eyes glazed over. However, he soon blinked as though the spell was broken. He must have realized something because he pointed one finger towards Reina’s wrist.

“…But you’re on the blue team, Reina.”

“Ha, Eli! You probably don’t know, but actually, the teams were formed only to be split up.”

“……”

“This Noona will protect you. So, let’s leave our teams and instead team up together, you and I.”

“…Noona?”

FYI, in this empire, people can call others ‘Noona’ regardless of what your social position is, whether high or low.

“Well, you can call me that from now on.”

The innocent Eli nodded without a single doubt passing through his mind.

Actually, this wasn’t all that bad of a suggestion on Eli’s part either. He was also not very interested in the game, and to make matters worse, he even got injured.

“We won’t be bored if we’re together.”

Knowing what he might be thinking, Reina gently soothed her prey, who still had some slight apprehensions.

“Besides that, don’t you know how tired you’d be if you played this game without a team?”

“That’s why we divided ourselves into the blue team and the white team…”

And we should break away from those teams now…

…was what Reina’s glimmering eyes were saying, even if her lips remained closed.

‘You’re being so shy, but your face is like an open book.’

After not speaking for a moment, Reina eventually cleared her throat with a huff.

“It didn’t feel like we were in teams, that’s why.”

Calmly and carefully choosing her words, as if she was walking on a bed of snow that had just fallen to the ground, she whispered to Eli.

“You know how aggressive Douglas and Letis are, right?”

“……”

“If you happen to run into them while you’re injured like this… You’re bound to have a difficult time. Douglas is from a household of cavalry knights—you know what that means. And if you encounter Jeremy, what then? Frankly speaking, what he specializes in isn’t archery, it’s murder. Murder, I say.”

“Yes, but…”

“I’ll beat aaaall~ those war freaks for you.”

“…But Noona is weak.”

He quickly adapted to calling Reina ‘Noona’, and rather than sweating the details, he was more worried about her.

‘Haa… I can’t breathe properly because you’re just so dang adorable, seriously.’

“But… How will you be able to protect me, Noona?”

Reina wondered why his cheeks started going red. Really, seriously, she wanted to have him all to herself and dote on him.

“That’s true, but I can poison them. With that anesthetic poison.”

“That’s cheating…”

“What do you mean, cheating? Rules are created only to be broken.”

His pupils trembled as the words, ‘Um, that doesn’t sound right,’ could be seen clearly on his expression.

“It’s fine, it’s fine. In order to beat any overwhelmingly strong opponent, it’s only natural that you use all types of methods!”

“Noona, that’s cowardly…”

It didn’t seem like he’s completely convinced, but at the same time, it didn’t seem like he’s completely rejecting the idea either.

“Umm… Okay. Then let’s team up.”

The gentle reply made Reina cheer inwardly.

Ethan, Letis, Fran and Eli!

She’s slowly inching her way a little further from the death flag!

* * *

“We shall arrive at the Karr manor soon, Deputy Director.”

Hearing the announcement of their early arrival, Ethan clenched one fist.

Thanks to this, the document that was in his hand became slightly crumpled.

Misunderstanding his action, the secretary started to become more conscious of Ethan’s mood.

“Uh… Is there perhaps any problem…”

It was only then that Ethan realized how clammy his palm was, and how tightly he had clenched his fist.

“……”

How long did they remain like that?

“…It’s nothing.”

In the end, that didn’t sound like a ‘no’. There really was something wrong then. It was serious enough that he came here in person, so there’s definitely something wrong.

“Haa…”

An uncomfortable sigh slipped through Ethan’s red lips.

The situation he was in right now was the kind of situation that he wouldn’t be able to explain, even if he had two mouths.

After he came to a conclusion about Reina, the emperor and the grand duke brought up one particular work-related thing the very next day, as if trying to nudge him.

“Another problem cropped up at the Karr family’s estate. I believe someone must go and check.”

A report had come in about how the place body of water was releasing a magical energy while getting narrower all of a sudden. It wasn’t the size of a stream, but the flow of water had become stronger.

This body of water was called the ‘rapids of the forest’.

And, this forest was right next to House Karr’s estate.

“Why are you telling me about a problem about the rapids of the forest?”

“Ah, there’s one thing I haven’t mentioned yet. This year, the members of the nine households who went to Cressen went on to scout the rapids of the forest. Of course, Reina Chantra is included in that group.”

“……”

As the man informed Ethan about Reina, there was an exceedingly cheeky smile on his lips. It had been right in front of Ethan, and the man looked like he was having so much fun.

“…What the hell came over him that he gave his permission for such a thing?”

He thought the same about Reina.

Why did a woman like Reina Chantra—someone who did not have any magical power, mind you—go ahead and run straight into such a dangerous place without any fear?

There really was no thought in her mind about protecting herself first. She was like this as well during the smallpox epidemic.

“But Paul Bohr’s magic is extraordinary enough, so I’m not worried—”

“I’m going.”

Ethan wondered. What kind of expression did his face have when he cut off the grand duke mid-sentence and answered with that?

Perhaps it was the kind of expression that made it apparent just how much he wanted to punch the other man.

“Kehehe. Fine, fine. If you want to go so badly, then sure, you’re free to go.”

“……”

“Still, don’t worry too much. Even before I gave them permission to go near the rapids of the forest, Paul Bohr decided to arrange everything beforehand.”

“Huu…”

Seriously.

Paul Bohr, who created this situation.

Reina, who followed anyway.

And the grand duke, who mentioned Reina just to bait him.

He seriously didn’t like any of them.