IPMB 03

Chapter 3

The Lamb’s Guardian

“Hm? No, well… It’s not like I necessarily want that. It’s just that the children of noble families all get engaged at an early age. I thought it was something worth considering, that’s all.”

Why was he reacting so seriously?

I answered absentmindedly while searching for the source of the sword energy I had just sensed.

Kallian’s expression changed as though he had been hurt.

“I understand. If I receive another proposal, I’ll seriously consider it…”

“That’s not what I meant!”

“Rosi seems to want to get rid of me…”

“There’s no way that’s true!”

Don’t just interpret my words however you want, you idiot!

I desperately shook my head, trying to make him understand that he had misunderstood.

I rambled on and on about how much I liked and cherished him, and how I wanted to stay by his family’s side for a very, very long time.

Only then did Kallian smile brightly.

It was such a smooth, radiant smile that it was hard to believe he had looked as miserable as a puppy caught in the rain just moments ago.

“Okay, then. I’ll stay by Rosi’s side for the rest of my life.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

As usual, he interpreted everything however he wanted.

I gently ran my fingers through his blond hair and let out a deep sigh.

“It’s a relief that your tastes aren’t like that. But this really is a huge problem now…”

I became serious again.

I gathered together all the information I knew, but Kallian asked as casually as ever,

“But is that really true? That the Emperor likes men?”

“…As far as I know.”

I knew quite a lot about the Emperor of Delphiam.

In my previous life, I had been a member of Kirges, and since Kirges served the Emperor of Delphiam as its liege, it was only natural that I knew a great deal about the Imperial family’s private affairs.

I had never personally witnessed the true extent of his unusual tastes, but the rumors I had heard were more than enough.

Apparently, in an abandoned palace north of the Imperial Palace, there was a harem where three hundred favorite consorts lived.

The Emperor supposedly visited the palace every night and was attended by his consorts.

And every single one of them was said to possess extraordinary beauty!

The problem was that those beautiful young men were replaced every year…

When the Emperor lost interest in one of them, they were supposedly killed without anyone knowing.

When I told Kallian all of this, he innocently marveled.

“Rosi really does know everything. I didn’t know you were so knowledgeable about Delphiam, too.”

Um, you’re focusing on completely the wrong thing.

I groaned inwardly.

In my previous life, I had actually gone as far as the very doorstep of that harem.

It happened while I was searching for a Star Relic that the Delphiam Imperial family had secretly hidden away.

The Star Relics were artifacts left behind by the Stars, and they were proof that the Stars protected each of the great families.

The fact that a Star Relic unknown to the continent at large was hidden somewhere inside the Delphiam Imperial Palace was one of the worst-kept secrets among the people of Kirges—almost as well known as the Emperor’s secret private life.

I had been so curious that I once tried to sneak over the palace wall.

Of course, I didn’t even get close to finding anything.

The head of Kirges caught me and spanked me instead.

How long ago had that been?

I calmly calculated the years.

I had just turned twelve.

Thanks to being reincarnated at a frighteningly rapid pace after my death, exactly twelve years had passed since I died.

Had the Emperor’s tastes and his harem remained unchanged even after twelve years?

“So, what exactly happens inside that forbidden palace?”

While I was practically dying of worry, the person at the center of the problem remained as innocent as ever.

I firmly shook my head.

“You don’t need to know about things like that, Oppa.”

“What?”

“I’ll make sure to protect our young master! So don’t go trying to learn about useless things like that!”

Kallian looked surprised for a moment before slowly lifting the corners of his lips.

“Okay, then.”

Even though he was the son of a swordsmanship family, his hand was covered in thick calluses as he reached over and playfully messed up my hair.

Then Kallian lightly pinched my cheek and planted a quick kiss on it before whispering,

“I’ll trust only Rosi. Okay?”

My face instinctively scrunched up.

My cheeks were still plump with baby fat, and they were one of the things I was extremely self-conscious about.

‘Still… maybe I’ll let it slide today.’

Considering the dark and depressing future that awaited Kallian.

More importantly, I had suddenly found myself carrying the future of the entire family on both shoulders.

I was deep in thought, eating five cookies that Kallian had given me, when I was suddenly seized by a terrible premonition.

“But Kallian. If you accepted the invitation to meet on the night of the festival, does that mean the appointment has already been arranged?”

“Hm? Yes, of course.”

“The night of the festival… isn’t that tomorrow?”

“That’s right. We’re going to the Delphine River together at nine tomorrow night.”

My jaw dropped.

And this time, I sent the cookie box flying through the air.

“Why are you only telling me this now?!”

That meant tomorrow might be the final day of our little rabbit’s life!

The milk had already been spilled.

I stayed awake half the night worrying about it, but I couldn’t come up with any particularly useful solution.

And so, morning came.

Today was the day when prayers would be offered to the five Stars who protected the Transcendent Houses, ahead of the Continental Summit.

Once the prayer ceremony ended, the festival would begin that evening.

The festival lasted three days.

If the Emperor had arranged to meet him on the first night…

This really seemed like a declaration of intent to cling to Kallian throughout the entire festival.

Of course, it was possible that the Emperor had changed his ways during the past twelve years.

Maybe he had been a complete delinquent when he was young, but he had grown older since then.

Maybe he had finally come to his senses.

If that were the case, then it would be wonderful.

But why did I have such a bad feeling about this?!

Kallian had already made a date with the Emperor of Delphiam.

Unless one of them suddenly collapsed from some mysterious illness today, there was no way the appointment would be canceled.

So, just in case…

‘Should I knock him out?’

That was the first thought that came to mind.

Being noticed by the Emperor was something that couldn’t be undone even if heaven and earth themselves were overturned.

So until I found another solution, I should at least prevent the Emperor and Kallian from meeting.

I hid behind a pillar in the corridor and secretly watched Kallian’s back.

His clean blond hair, visible from five hundred meters away, swayed gently as he walked farther away.

I followed him while suppressing my presence as much as possible.

The head of Wignac and the direct members of the family were staying in Delphiam for the Continental Summit.

The place we were staying was a detached estate provided to Wignac by Wiesel, one of Delphiam’s two Transcendent Houses.

Although it was called a detached estate, it was large enough to rival the main residence.

Moreover, compared with Wignac Castle, whose corridors were simple and spacious, this mansion had a far more complicated layout.

Since I had never had a reason to visit Wiesel’s detached estate in my previous life, even I found the mansion unfamiliar.

So imagine how unfamiliar it must have been to Kallian.

Kallian seemed completely unaware that someone was following him.

He didn’t even bother hiding his presence and simply walked along defenselessly.

Whatever he was so happy about, his steps were so light that they were almost cheerful.

I clicked my tongue inwardly.

Even so, he was already fifteen years old, not to mention the heir of Wignac.

How could he walk around casually releasing so much mana as if he were practically inviting everyone in the world to come after him?

But Kallian’s carelessness gave me an opportunity.

I gripped my wooden sword tightly and quietly moved beside the pillar.

Then, the moment Kallian passed right beside it, I raised the wooden sword high above my head.

One strike.

WHACK!

Right to the back of his head!

Sorry.

But this is all for your own good!

A glimmering starlight seeped wickedly into the sword.

It was the blessing of the Star who protected Wignac, the 「Judge of Darkness and Chaos」.

But at that very moment—

Kallian disappeared from my sight.

“Huh?”

He had definitely been walking down the stairs just moments ago.

But in the blink of an eye, Kallian’s figure had vanished like smoke.

I panicked and tried to regain my balance, but my wooden sword was already plunging toward the floor at a terrifying angle.

With nothing there for the sword to strike, my body lurched forward.

I instinctively shouted a Spellbinding.

[ᛒᛟᚢᚾᚳᛖ — Bounce!]

Guardian Star of Kirges, please help me!

Just before my body hit the floor, the runes engraved into the marble floor began to glow.

Kirges Spellbinding begins by designing a spell using runic letters and then calling upon the name of a Star.

The Star that answers the call then imbues the spell with power through the planetary instrument possessed by Kirges’s sorcerers.

I had lost my own planetary instrument a long time ago.

But whenever I called upon Kirges’s guardian Star, it willingly lent me its power.

This time was no different.

A jelly-like membrane appeared in midair and bounced me upward.

‘Yes! Thank you!’

I spun once in midair and landed lightly on the floor.

“Hyup!”

Where did he go?

Kallian.

I scanned my surroundings with sharp eyes.

But I couldn’t sense a person anywhere.

It was enough to make me wonder if a ghost had carried him away.

I hurriedly rubbed out the runes engraved on the floor with my foot.

Then I was about to run toward the other side of the corridor to search for Kallian when—

“Eek?!”

Someone suddenly appeared behind me and grabbed both of my shoulders with tremendous strength.

My feet left the ground as my entire body was lifted into the air.

“What are you doing, Rosien?”

The person who had picked me up effortlessly was Lord Oen, the head of Wignac.

He was nearly two meters tall and built like a bear, so dangling from his grip made the floor seem terrifyingly far away.

“H-Head of the family… Oppa?”

Standing beside Lord Oen was the very man whose head I had just been trying to smash in.

‘When did he get behind me?’

Kallian smiled like a picture and asked,

“What are you doing here, Rosi?”