🌹💘🌹
RICHARD and I found something completely unexpected when we arrived at the plaza in front of the castle gates.
“Ack, little priestess!”
“Missy, it ain’t safe! Don’t come any closer!”
Nostalgic voices called out those familiar nicknames.
“But the old outpost was destroyed… What are you all doing here?!”
I had never forgotten it. That place where every day we teetered on the brink of life and death so we enjoyed ourselves to the fullest with fleeting memories. The place full of memories. Less than twenty of its people were here now. But they were all imprisoned inside a dome-shaped barrier. Outside of it stood a maniacally laughing Keunt with bloodshot eyes and another man—
“Knight Commander Lockfay!” I cried.
The former commander of the knights at the outpost.
“Gahahahaha! This man shares his destiny with me—Keunt! We’ll release these prisoners in exchange for the crown prince and the Arousing Priestess Monica! But really, who would have thought you would turn out to be that infuriating Redhead, Your Imperial Highness!” Keunt spat the words at us. I gasped in response. Richard had indeed hidden his identity as Mr. Redhead for the longest time now. But he said nothing in response, his expression ice-cold.
“What will you do now? Hesitate too long and these friends of yours won’t live to see tomorrow! Hand yourself over, Saint Monica! And release the crown prince, you ginger bastard!”
Even now, this waste of a human still insulted Richard in such a manner. Though I had lost my patience with his arrogance a long time ago, worry simultaneously hit me. Frankly, neither Keunt nor the former knight commander scared me. Just like they knew our weaknesses, we knew theirs. It wasn’t like their little rebellion would succeed, not when their opponent was Richard. But I didn’t want to cause any more trouble for the people of the outpost.
I took a step toward them. “I understand. If you’ll release them all in exchange for me, then I accept.”
“Miss Monica?!”
I turned around to face Richard and fashioned a bright smile for him. “Don’t worry. Solve this while I buy us time.” I took another step toward them. “Let them go.”
“Hyahahaha! I’ll punish you right now for making a fool out of me!”
Keunt took out an explosive from inside his coat and flashed it at us, cackling crudely. He had always been a bit unstable, but in less than two years, his mind had clearly broken even more.
The former knight commander snorted derisively as he stared at me in contempt. “Right, then, we’ll start by releasing the first captive—”
“There’s no need for that.”
I suddenly felt a hold on my wrist and then I was dragged into Richard’s arms.
“Richard!” I sucked in a sharp breath when I glanced up at him and saw his eyes.
“Don’t just decide things on your own. I told you I wasn’t letting you go, Miss Monica.” He gripped my wrist with a serious expression. Then he tightened his hold on me from behind and pressed his face close to my ear to whisper, “I won’t let any man other than me lay a single finger on you.”
His words were powerful, tinged with a heat I’d never before heard.
“Stop stalling and get over here, Arousing Priestess!” Keunt screamed. The former knight commander unsheathed his sword and threatened our friends.
With his left arm wrapped around me, Richard extended his right hand as if seeking permission to dance. “Fire goddess, burn.”
“Huh?”
D-Did he just cast magic?
In the next instant, flame arrows shot out from his fingertips. A beautifully clean execution of magic. The two perpetrators were engulfed in pillars of flame in the blink of an eye.
“Gaaaaaahhhhhhh!!!”
“Ah…” I was dumbfounded by the unerring attack.
Richard jerked his chin at nearby knights and meted out instructions coldly. “Extinguish the fire after it burns some more. Then take them to the dungeon and revive them with potions in front of the crown prince’s eyes. Do not use the saints. I forbid it. Once you resuscitate them, punish them for an entire day. Not enough to kill them but enough that they’ll never forget the hours they spend writhing and screaming in agony. I want to make certain they regret this for the rest of their lives. After that, I’ll let you know how to deal with them, so wait for my orders. Oh, and one more thing. Don’t kill them, no matter how much they beg for death. Keep them alive.”
“Yes, sir.”
Released from their barrier prison, everyone from the outpost collapsed to the ground from relief, their expressions dazed. I didn’t even have time to call out to them before Richard picked me up and started walking away.
“Let’s go, Miss Monica. You can’t witness this,” he said.
“U-Um.”
“Hm?”
“Well, Richard… Didn’t you tell me once upon a time that you barely have any magic?!” I asked.
“And it was true, up until I voided the constraint in Mayga Cieux. Now, I can use up to the Third Class level.”
“Y-You cast a binding spell on yourself?! What kind?!”
“I’ll tell you that and more shortly.” His matter-of-fact reply did nothing to assuage the confusion in my head.
Darius rushed over and saluted to us sharply. Dependable as ever. “Your Highness! The rioters outside have all been captured and tied up!”
“Good. I’ll leave the rest to you. I’m at my limit already.”
“Yes, I can see that clearly on your face! At your leisure, sir!”
“Huh? What? Whaaat?!” I cried.
While Darius watched us go with a cheerful grin, I could only look on in blank amazement. By the time I came back to reality, Richard had already carried me inside the castle. He walked quickly, wearing his usual enigmatic expression. His stern, unsmiling face was so lovely, I felt it doing incredibly bad things to my heart. But it also left a powerful impression. And it was a bit scary too.
“We’re going to my bedroom,” Richard announced.
“Your what?!”
“It’s the best place for us to speak alone.”
This was too terrifying. Strangely enough though, I didn’t feel like resisting. This situation of being carried to his bedroom in his arms naturally meant shameless thoughts flitting in and out of my mind, resulting in both my face and body growing hot. I hadn’t used my saintly powers, but I was a mess, just like when I was in heat.