IPMB 04

Chapter 4

Protecting the Lamb

“Ah, well…”

A chill ran down my spine.

I absolutely could not let anyone find out that I was a sorcerer of Kirges.

Putting aside the fact that Kirges and Wignac were rival families, learning the secret arts of two different Transcendent Houses was strictly prohibited under international law.

I dangled helplessly in the air, fumbling for an excuse.

“I-I was following Kallian. But then he suddenly disappeared…”

“Why were you following Kallian?”

“He said he was going out tonight, so… uh, I was a little worried.”

Lord Oen’s eyes narrowed as he stared directly at me.

The head of Wignac, a man said to have reached a transcendent realm of swordsmanship, had copper-colored skin and sharp eyes.

His muscular body was enormous enough to make even most large men look small.

I remembered the head of Kirges describing the current head of Wignac as a man “as steadfast and immovable as a great mountain.”

Perhaps because of that, Lord Oen had always been someone I found difficult to approach.

I quietly hid my wooden sword behind my back.

Avoiding his eyes, I lowered my gaze toward his neck, where I could see a vein bulging prominently.

‘He… He must be really angry…’

I didn’t know why, but whenever Lord Oen saw me, his expression noticeably hardened.

The bulging veins were practically a regular occurrence, and his cold stare seemed to come as standard.

Sometimes, when we were standing face-to-face like this, his thick fists would twitch as though he were tempted to give me a good smack on the head.

I lowered my eyes dejectedly.

“I’m sorry, Head of the Family.”

The arm holding me under the armpits tightened with force.

Ah, that hurt.

I became even more dispirited.

Lord Oen definitely hated me.

Well, he had been the one who had vehemently opposed Kallian when he said he wanted to make me his younger sister.

It was unfortunate that someone who had been my role model and hero in my previous life now disliked me.

Lord Oen spoke in a grim tone.

“Stay quietly… inside the estate.”

“Yes…”

“If you wander around carelessly, you could get lost. Then I would have to search for you all over again… wouldn’t I?”

“Yes, Head of the Family. I’ll keep that in mind!”

Wanting to make myself look at least a little more adorable, I clenched both fists and made my eyes sparkle brightly.

Lord Oen flinched for a moment.

Then he abruptly turned his head away.

Seeing the vein in his neck standing out even more clearly than usual made me even more depressed.

‘That backfired, I guess. I won’t do that again.’

Perhaps worried that someone of such uncertain origins as myself might wander around a foreign estate, Lord Oen tucked me under his arm, personally carried me upstairs, and deposited me in my room.

Damn it.

My plan to knock Kallian unconscious had failed.

“What am I going to do?”

Clutching my anxious chest, I looked out the window at Lord Oen and Kallian sparring below.

Still, seeing Kallian wielding a sword put my mind somewhat at ease.

As befitted the one and only direct heir of Wignac, his actual swordsmanship was quite impressive.

His fatal flaw was that his stamina simply couldn’t keep up, so he couldn’t maintain it for long.

Occasionally, I could hear snippets of conversation between father and son as their swords clashed.

“I will never acknowledge… You hopeless, reckless brat!”

“Why are you acting as though I’m the only one…?”

It sounded roughly like Lord Oen was still refusing to recognize me as part of Wignac.

That was depressing.

“My life is something I’ll handle myself…”

Oh?

Had our eyes just met?

“Urgh…”

The moment Kallian’s gaze seemed to brush past me, he deflected Lord Oen’s diagonally thrusting blade.

Then he suddenly dropped his sword.

“Guh… Hoo…”

Kallian collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath.

Naturally, I panicked.

“Oh!”

I hurriedly checked him for injuries, but there were no visible wounds.

It seemed he had simply run out of stamina.

No wonder he’d managed to last so long against the head of the family.

Clicking my tongue, I hurried down to the training grounds.

Kallian greeted me with his usual sunny smile.

“Rosi, did you see me training? Today, my sparring session lasted fifteen minutes!”

“Really? Good job! You’ve improved a lot!”

“But my wrist hurts. I think I sprained it.”

“What?! Let me see!”

No!

I had only just started feeling relieved because he was finally able to use a sword properly!

I frantically examined Kallian’s left hand.

Lord Oen watched me with an incredulous expression.

“Always causing trouble…” I thought I heard him mutter coldly.

When I cautiously looked up to gauge his reaction, Lord Oen had already turned his back.

I really had no hope of ever earning his approval.

Clicking my tongue, I helped Kallian to his feet.

Then I immediately dragged him to the family physician.

That afternoon.

Even as I saw Kallian off at the entrance to the estate, I couldn’t shake my worries.

“I’ll be going now, Rosi.”

“…Wait. I really don’t think I can let you go.”

I hurriedly grabbed his hand.

Afraid that he might simply leave without looking back, I interlaced my fingers with his and shook his hand.

“Can’t you just not go, Oppa?”

“Why? You don’t want me to go?”

“Yeah. I want you to stay with me during the festival.”

Kallian seemed to like my request.

His scarlet eyes curved into delighted crescents.

Encouraged by his reaction, I quickly continued.

“Let’s go to the Delphine River together. We can ride a boat, buy lots of delicious food, and come home afterward. Okay?”

“Well… I’d like nothing more than to stay with my princess, too, but…”

Kallian tilted his head slightly.

He ran his fingers through my hair as he thought about something for a long time.

I waited anxiously for his answer.

“I’m sorry. I don’t think I can this time, Rosi.”

After waiting all that time, the answer was a rejection.

When I stared at him in shock, Kallian gently added a few words.

“As you know, relations between Delphiam and Abwie haven’t been very good lately. Delphiam is trying to win Wignac over, while Abwie is naturally baring its fangs at Delphiam.”

“That’s true…”

The international situation was somewhat unstable.

Apparently, around twelve years ago, the Imperial family of Delphiam had suddenly begun showing an unusual obsession with the Wignac family.

Even though Delphiam already possessed two Transcendent Houses.

Naturally, the Kingdom of Abwie, which possessed Wignac, had no intention of sitting idly by.

The King of Abwie had even pressured Wignac to skip this Continental Summit.

Kallian gently patted my cheek and continued.

“They showed no interest in us before, and then suddenly started acting like this. There must be some ulterior motive behind the Emperor’s interest in Wignac.”

“……”

“So perhaps it’s actually fortunate that the Emperor has taken an interest in me. It’s a perfect opportunity to uncover whatever scheme he has in mind that makes him want Wignac so badly.”

Kallian’s voice had become noticeably colder than before.

For an instant, I thought I saw something ominous flicker in his scarlet eyes.

But his expression soon returned to normal.

That gentle face smiled as carelessly as ever.

“Don’t worry too much, Rosi. Oppa can do it!”

He clenched both fists and smiled brightly.

He looked anything but reassuring.

‘Is he really going to be okay…?’

“And besides, the Emperor of Delphiam looked much gentler than I had heard. He was kind and friendly. If I just make him feel comfortable enough…”

“Wha—What do you mean, ‘make him feel comfortable’?!”

I was so stunned that I nearly felt my eyes pop out.

He was definitely not going to be okay!

Seriously, I had so much to worry about.

After everything I had done to raise you for the past three years…

Did you think I had followed you around all this time just so you could happily let yourself get devoured by a tyrant?!

I felt like I was about to faint.

Clinging to the last thread of hope, I reviewed everything I had taught Kallian the previous night.

“If someone touches your body without permission, what do you do?”

“I firmly refuse and tell them I don’t like it.”

“If they don’t stop?”

“I strike them in a vital spot.”

“What if your opponent is stronger than you?”

“I make sure never to be alone with them, and if anything seems suspicious, I immediately ask the people around me for help.”

“And what do you do after that?”

“I call Rosi!”

If he dared to strike the Emperor in a particularly important area, surely someone would have to deal with the aftermath.

Pretending to sigh, I glanced at Kallian’s left ring finger.

While pretending to wrap a bandage around his slightly sprained wrist, I secretly planted a tiny, invisible rune on the outside of his little finger.

It was essentially my own personal tracking device.

The activation word was “Rosien.”

My name.

As long as Kallian called my name, I would be able to sense his location.

Ideally, I would have used an even easier activation phrase.

Something like, “Your Majesty, you mustn’t do this…”

But if I did that and Kallian happened to notice the abnormal mana flowing through his body, I would be in trouble.

There was also the possibility that other Transcendents sensitive to mana might detect it.

“Make sure you tell the people around you to call out ‘Rosien.’ Understand?”

“Mm-hmm. Got it.”

Kallian seemed to answer rather half-heartedly.

This guy… He has no idea how worried I am.

After we finished reviewing everything, he gave me a languid smile and said goodbye.

“Then I’ll be going now, Rosi.”

His warm hand ruffled my hair before pulling away.

I couldn’t take my eyes off the golden back of his head as he walked farther and farther away.

He’ll be okay… right?

Star of Wignac, please protect that poor little lamb from the stars of lust and homosexuality.

However—

Kallian did not return to the estate even by the following day.