LN ~ Fate 1

Last Arc : Fate 1

Alberto kept on holding Christina within his arms. While doing so, he gave some orders to his subordinate that came to check on them, although, Christina didn’t pay attention to what he instructed. She just breathed out while feeling Alberto’s warmth.

“Have you calmed down……?”

“……Yes”

He took a peek at her face, his smiling face was so gentle, and Christina laughed.

His figure seemed so dependable that she lost count at how many times had her heart beat fast like this. Christina tried to stand up, but swayed due to amnesia, and had Alberto supported her body.

“I’m sorry. Actually, I want to carry you……but we can’t do that in front of other people”

“Yes. It’s alright……”

Christina immediately understood. With her disheveled hair and dress soiled by dirt, if she were to be carried, it would be the same as declaring that she had just been assaulted. Alberto’s subordinate was one thing, but if it were to be seen by other guests, rumor of her being defiled would spread, and even if it was not the truth, it would still affect their marriage. The fiancée of the Crown Prince must stay pure, no matter what.

After walking a few steps, Christina felt the presence of people and stopped her feet. She saw two people coming towards their way. Thinking that she couldn’t let her present appearance be seen, she tried searching for a way out, but Alberto just smiled.

“It’s alright”

“……”

From their stature, she could make out that the one coming was a pair of male and female. When she finally saw their faces, the woman brightly raised her head.

“……Ojou-sama……!”

Strength seemed to left Christina’s body when she heard that voice. It belonged to the one who came together with her to the party, her maid, Etty. Christina was relieved when she saw that chestnut colored hair and round eyes of her. Etty came closer to Christina’s side, then looked at Christina from the top of her head to the tip of her toes before making a stiffened face.

“Sorry, but please tidy her dress up. Just a quick one is fine, We’ll immediately go out after all”

Alberto’s words brought Etty’s attention back.

“……I understand”

Etty brushed off the dirt from Christina’s dress as Alberto walked away.

“I’m counting on you”

“I’m terribly sorry, Ojou-sama…… If only I was by your side”

“It’s okay, Etty. I was the one who asked you to withdraw. Besides, His Highness has come to save me……”

A male voice that didn’t belong to Alberto reached Christina’s ears.

“──I’ve brought it but……are you going to use it?”

It was Emil. He gave out something to Alberto, the long sword that Alberto used during his military activity.

Alberto received the sword and smoothly unsheathed it.

“I’ll use it. Sorry but please hold the scabbard for me, Emil”

“……o, okay”

Emile flinched when he heard Alberto’s voice. Christina too, was bewildered. That long sword, what is he going to do with it?

As if he read Christina’s mind, Alberto turned around to her and smiled very gently.

“I’m sorry, Christina. Before going home, I need to settle something first, so please wait a bit”

“……settle…….?”

Etty’s finger who had finished tidying Christina’s dress and now in the middle of fixing her hair, trembled.

.

.

“Ojou-sama, let’s just let them……”

“──but”

Alberto brought Emil and walked away. Christina tried to chase after them, but Etty grabbed her arm, looking frightened.

Although Christina couldn’t remember much due to the commotion, she recalled about how Franz was captured by the guard. The settlement Alberto talked about, even if she could imagine it, she didn’t know which of them.

It’s a settlement──that use sword

“……but, if I don’t see it”

As the Crown Prince of Noin Kingdom, a constitutional state, he wouldn’t make an error. Nevertheless, she wanted to be by his side. When push came to shove, she need to stop him even if she must use her body as shield.

Dragging Etty along with her, Christina went to the same way Alberto went.

“……will you hear me out?”

Hearing Alberto’s soft voice, Christina stopped at a place a little further than where Alberto was.

Over there, Franz was being made to stand up while having both of his arm locked by the guard. Beside Alberto was Emil, as well as several guards standing by.

“……”

Alberto again asked to Franz who didn’t give any reply to him.

“I thought you’d know your place the moment I ordered her dress……it’s such a pity”

Franz answered with a refreshing face.

“……to order a dress to be made within one week, it was a terribly hard one”

“I’m sorry to have troubled you…… I’m not fond of using my position to force something like that, but it’s because you just didn’t seem to understand who does she belong to……”

“Well, forgive me for that. I can’t settle down unless I get my hands on something that I want, it’s my nature. Her sincerity of not wanting to accept clothes from men other than You Highness, on the contrary just motivated me to make her mine even more”

Alberto snorted. Swoosh, he unsheathed his sword and held it.

“E”

Christina didn’t even have time to reach out her hand. Emil who was beside him, as well as the guards who were apprehending Franz didn’t have even the slight movement. They were all watching Alberto expressionlessly, as Alberto thrust his sword beside Franz’s neck.

When push came to shove──I need to stop him even if I must use my body as shield.

Nevertheless, there was no one who could do such things. He didn’t give out any opening at all.

Alberto muttered with threatening voice.

“What a coincidence…… Me too, I can’t settle down unless I get my hands on something that I want……”

“──”

“If you carelessly make a pointless movement, your neck will truly fly, you know, Franz-dono……”

“……”

Cold sweat appeared on Franz’s forehead. The sword was right beside his neck. The black eyes squinted, as Alberto sweetly muttered.

“Well then, Franz-dono. Please hear my request……  ──Let’s make tonight’s incident never happen. That’s why, won’t you please don’t go around spreading a rumor about ‘things that never even exist’ ?

“…………”

“We don’t need such boorish gossip in our marriage……Franz-dono. Moreover……the party had just started. As the host, you’re not planning to see the guests off as a freshly severed head, no?”

Alberto removed the sword from Franz’s shoulder. Having no sword targeting his neck, Franz breathed out quietly. However, Alberto mercilessly thrust the sword powerfully right in front of Franz’s tip of nose.

“Hii……!”

This time, Franz couldn’t endure it and shrieked out. Seeing that reaction, Alberto kept his unimpressed face and staring at him with cold eyes, then asked.

“Do you understand……? I’m telling you that I’m giving someone like you, who couldn’t discern his place and bothered me, an opportunity.   ……My fiancée is very charming after all……  It couldn’t be helped that you fell in love with her. I’ll give you a special treatment and forgive your sin of having romantic feelings for her. That’s why in exchange, please shut that filthy mouth of yours……”

“I under……stand”

“Is that so? I’m happy that you understand.  ──If by any chance you were to broke your promise, I’ll give you a torture comparable to death while you’re alive, you can look forward to it”

“────”

With a satisfied smile, Alberto turned to Emil.

“Will you give me the scabbard, Emil?”

“O, okay……”

Emil reached out for the scabbard hanging on his waist, in that moment──the sword cut through the air.

Emil’s body stiffened, from his mouth leaked out a bewildered and frightened voice.

“……A, Alberto……?”

Alberto pointed the sword to Emil’s face. While still holding the scabbard, Emil stopped moving, he couldn’t move even an inch as the sword’s tip would reach him.

With cold, cold eyes, Alberto clearly said.

“Emil. You too, it’s about time you stop your [game]”

“……what’s this about?”

“Emil. You actually don’t have any romantic feelings for ‘that girl’, right? No matter how intimate that girl gets with other men, you always smile unconcernedly. You actually don’t have any interest in that girl herself.

Curiosity is only during the first time. Once you know it, you won’t find it curious or anything anymore. It’s a different thing if you were to feel something other than thirst for knowledge on that girl though── Emil. She’s not someone who could be put beside us. At least I, from now on, will not overlook it any longer. If you won’t listen to this advice and trouble me next time, just prepare yourself”

Emil seemed to be choked by his words, and while stiffened, he uttered his feelings weakly.

“……sorry. At first……I thought I love her…… She’s cute after all…… Midway……I realized that I mixed up my thirst of knowledge and romantic feelings, but……I thought……it’s until I hear everything about things that I couldn’t experience……”

“I think you at least realized that she alone won’t be able to represent the people. If you want to know more about the town, I’ll give you the chance for it. That’s why, stop doing things that will stain your name anymore”

Emil let out a sorrowful sigh. Alberto breathed out tiredly and took the scabbard. Emil then looked at Christina and quietly lowered his head.

“……”

“──there won’t be a second time”

After saying it sternly, Alberto turned towards Christina. When he met her eyes, he rushingly came to her side.

Christina, still dumbfounded, just kept standing there.

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