When Embert came to a sudden halt, Damiana looked up at him. “What’s wrong?” she asked. “My manor is still a short way ahead.”
“Oh, I have no intention of visiting your manor,” Embert replied, his wicked smile still not faltering.
The temperature dropped by several degrees. Embert radiated a chilling aura, his tone equally frigid. Julietta and I shivered at the cold. Despite our distance, I noticed Damiana’s cheeks twitch. Even she had picked up on the change in atmosphere.
“Oh?” she asked. “Wh-What’s going on, Prince Embert?”
When Embert didn’t respond, silence fell over the area. As I continued watching him and Damiana, rubbing my arms to stay warm, Embert finally spoke.
“You didn’t get very good grades in school, did you?” he asked.
That unexpected question caused Damiana to gape. Of course, Julietta and I were just as dumbfounded.
“The entire way here, I pondered how to get through that thick skull of yours,” Embert said.
Julietta and I burst out laughing. However, we immediately covered our mouths to stifle the sound. Fortunately, Damiana gave no indication of having heard us.
“Yet no matter how much I thought, I couldn’t come up with a solution,” Embert continued. “For now, I’ll be straightforward, but know this: If you still fail to understand, I may have to resort to using force.”
Tears filled Julietta’s eyes as she shook with suppressed laughter. Meanwhile, Damiana regarded Embert with a puzzled expression, still not grasping the situation.
“Prince Embert?” she asked, sounding genuinely confused.
With a soft sight, Embert turned his gaze from Damiana to me. “Allow me to speak briefly about my past,” he said. “As a child, I faced numerous assassination attempts. My father is a rather wise king. Oftentimes, avaricious nobles view wise kings as a hindrance. However, my father had the most powerful man in Gandolfin as his personal retainer. As a result, the assassins targeted me—a child—instead. After the birth of my younger brother, the attempts on my life continued, albeit less frequently. The masterminds probably intended to kill me and install my young brother as their puppet king. Well, thanks to those experiences, I grew strong enough to protect myself. Yet, at the same time, I lost the ability to trust other people. When Janus became my personal retainer, I no longer had to fear for my life. Even so, I didn’t regain the ability to trust others. I only trusted Janus and my family. When speaking to anyone else, I always wore a false smile.”
Embert’s eyes grew distant as he reflected on the past, his expression somewhat melancholy. A moment later, however, a gentle smile appeared on his lips.
“Around that time, an adorable angel appeared before me,” he continued. “After taming a rampaging magic horse, she enchanted me with her lovely smile. Despite being a highborn lady, she laughs, gets angry, and even blushes without putting on airs. Her ever-shifting expressiveness stole my heart. Because of her influence, I regained the ability to smile genuinely. Ever since then, she’s been my most precious treasure.”
While Damiana gaped at Embert, my face began to boil. Even Julietta placed her hands on her cheeks, her face just as red as mine. I thanked my lucky stars Cia wasn’t here. If Embert’s monologue had reached her ears, she would have teased me relentlessly. In any case, I fanned myself with a hand in an attempt to cool off. At the same time, Damiana wore a somewhat irritated expression, still not understanding Embert’s words.
“What are you talking about?” she asked.
Well, what else did I expect from her?
However, Embert continued his monologue, uninterested in answering her directly. “Over time, my newfound treasure lit a fire in my soul. Before long, my tender affection transformed into a love that verged on madness. I will do anything for her. I will eliminate anything that harms her. Likewise, I will protect everything she loves. These are my innermost feelings. In other words, anyone who speaks ill of her is my enemy. It’s my duty to eliminate any such person.”
Despite everything Embert had said, Damiana still looked puzzled. In response, Embert’s lips twisted into a sinister smile.
“Therefore, you are my enemy, Lady Damiana,” he said decisively.
Damiana cocked her head, still utterly clueless. “Your enemy?” she mumbled.
No matter what you say, she’s never going to understand, I thought.
Nevertheless, Embert continued, “You’ve spoken ill of my beloved Ally, Lady Damiana. You’ve called her a witch and accused her of bewitching me. Another woman who attempted to torment Ally said similar things. That alone is punishable by death. Do you really think Ally lacks strength as a holy woman? Do you really think this dragon is a mere hatchling?”
Custode extricated himself from Embert’s arms, spread his wings, and hovered in front of Damiana’s face.
“I considered this foolish girl’s prattling beneath my notice,” the dragon said. “However, your mockery of Ally changes matters. Behold me with those filthy eyes and decide if I truly am a mere hatchling.”
Custode exploded in size. Within moments, he was large enough to cover the entire pond. Overcome with shock, Damiana fell onto her backside.
“This is my true form,” Custode said. “I would reduce your manor to smithereens simply by flying over it.”
As Custode roared with laughter, the blood drained from Damiana’s face.
All right, this has gone a little too far, I thought before dispelling my concealment.
“Custode, that’s enough,” I said, walking over to him.
“Couldn’t you have waited a little longer to spoil the fun?” he asked.
Of course, Custode had been aware of my presence since the beginning. In any case, he returned to his smaller size and settled into my arms.
Conversely, Embert didn’t cease his attack. After crouching down next to Damiana, he whispered something in her ear. From where I stood, I couldn’t hear his words. Based on his sinister grin, however, he was definitely threatening her. When her face turned from pale to ashen, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. As I debated whether to intervene on her behalf, Embert finished and joined my side. Meanwhile, a handmaid raced over to Damiana, who still couldn’t stand.
“What the heck did you say to her, Em?” I asked. “She’s as white as a ghost.”
On top of her deathly pale complexion, she was also shaking like a leaf. While Custode’s explosive growth had contributed to that, Embert had delivered the finishing blow. When I glared at him for taking things too far, he kissed my cheek, not showing the slightest remorse.
“I simply explained to her how wonderful my treasure is,” he responded with a chuckle.
Liar. You definitely said something else.
Even so, I didn’t expect him to tell me. Judging from her appearance, Damiana probably wouldn’t talk smack about me anymore. In fact, she seemed too terrified to ever say my name again. Although I felt somewhat sorry for her, Embert wouldn’t harm her further if she left me alone.
To my surprise, Julietta looked satisfied. Does she get along that poorly with Damiana? I wondered, taking her hand again. As we walked back to the castle together, Embert trailed behind us in high spirits. I couldn’t help but laugh at him.