TSPGD 08

Chapter 8

The moment Yurgen touched Sugar at the inn, his vision went dizzy.

Strange clusters of light burst all around him, and he felt something resembling liberation.

Then the high fever began.

It felt like my entire body had turned into a ball of fire.

It was the first kind of pain Yurgen had ever experienced in his life.

If even a Sword Master had been unable to control his own body, then the fever must have been truly tremendous.

And so he lost consciousness.

But the person who woke him after he had collapsed at the entrance to an alley was Sugar, whom he had seen at the inn.

“You…… What are you?”

Amazingly, all of these symptoms had begun because of the small man standing before him.

Yurgen unconsciously grabbed Sugar and asked.

What exactly is this guy?

He had to find out why his body was reacting this way.

What was that light?

Even the unbearable heat seemed to improve whenever he touched Sugar.

That was why he wanted to hold on to him a little longer, but Sugar shook off his hand.

I want to touch him more.

He kept finding his gaze drawn toward Sugar because of an inexplicable attraction.

He’s a woman, isn’t he? Then why is he hiding it?

And if he really was a man, why did he possess the aura of a woman?

There were so many things he wanted to ask, but Sugar ran away.

After his body recovered, Yurgen immediately began searching for Sugar.

Eventually, he found Sugar at the station and changed his approach.

Don’t approach him carelessly this time.

Yurgen decided on his target and bribed the coachman one step ahead of Sugar.

Then he boarded the last remaining carriage and waited.

Sure enough, Sugar came and sat down right in front of him on his own.

I absolutely cannot let him get away this time.

This time, Yurgen decided to say nothing and simply observe.

That was when he learned his name.

Sugar.

Yurgen engraved the name Sugar into his mind and watched him even more closely.

Just as he was beginning to feel some stability, Jessie started saying something unnecessary.

“Oh my. Don’t you know what purpose the noble young lady going to the North serves?”

Yurgen almost sighed at that moment.

Who was the young lady coming this time again……?

It was Jessie Miller, the second daughter of Count Ibal.

Hmm…… This is troublesome.

Yurgen casually scratched his cheek.

He knew another victim of the curse would appear, but he still had to continue living this way for the time being.

At one point, he had thought it would be enough to sacrifice himself and disappear, but that wouldn’t solve anything because someone else would inherit the curse.

In other words, the curse would not disappear.

It would simply be passed on to someone else.

Therefore, Yurgen had to find a way to break the curse as quickly as possible.

Until then, he needed a way to endure it, and he pondered the problem deeply.

That was when he noticed the noble ladies who were being forced into political marriages.

The second daughters of noble families whose circumstances were unfavorable were usually sold off through arranged marriages.

Yurgen took their hands.

And we help each other in return.

That was how he had managed to keep the curse under control all this time.

It was a solution he had carefully thought out, but society had instead spread rumors that he was promiscuous.

In the end, however, it was also beneficial for the young ladies to take his hand and make plans for their future.

Rather than spending my entire life as the wife of some old nobleman, it would be better to endure a scandal for a while, take the money, and go to another country.

At least that was how things worked for noblewomen.

For commoner women, things rarely ended well after leaving the Grand Duke’s castle.

It was shameless, but ironically, this was the best option available.

Tch. I can’t let the curse become known, either.

Regardless, people who would suffer because of him were inevitably going to appear.

So Yurgen was always troubled by what would happen to these women.

But no matter what he did, he always felt guilty toward them.

Meeting them like this is uncomfortable. I need another solution.

It was just as he was letting out a long sigh inwardly—

The carriage overturned, and a horde of bandits came rushing in.

Only then did Yurgen find something he could actually do, and he intended to let loose and move as much as he wanted.

But then Sugar came running toward him.

His blood began circulating rapidly in an instant.

From just this much……?

Because of the curse, his blood was constantly hardening, and whenever he touched someone of the opposite sex, his blood would begin circulating again.

With this tiny amount of contact, all of my hardened blood has become fluid again.

It felt as though even the capillaries in every corner of his body had been opened up.

Unlike usual, his body felt incredibly light.

That was why he was able to deal with the bandits even more quickly.

“Haa…….”

Yurgen looked down at the sleeping Sugar as he recalled everything that had happened.

Trying to undress him and check was definitely a disgusting thing to do.

But he absolutely had to confirm Sugar’s gender.

A great many things would change depending on the answer.

Therefore, he needed to find a way to confirm it without forcing him.

I’ll have to watch him from his side.

The moment he made that decision, Sugar’s pale eyelashes trembled.

Soon, a pair of large, clear eyes opened, revealing irises as bright as a lush green forest.

The refreshing green color was pleasant to look at.

It was the first time Yurgen had ever felt something strange simply from looking into someone’s eyes.

“You’re awake.”

Yurgen asked calmly.

He didn’t want Sugar to be startled upon waking.

He didn’t want Sugar to become wary of him again.

“……Ah.”

Contrary to Yurgen’s hopes, Sugar’s expression slowly hardened.

Then Sugar hurriedly grabbed his clothes and curled his body into a ball.

Knowing exactly what that meant, Yurgen shook his head and explained.

“It is true that I tried to undress you, but I didn’t.”

“What?”

The moment I opened my eyes, I was startled by Yure staring directly at me.

But what he said was absolutely shocking.

I was only startled because he was staring at me the moment I opened my eyes. What is he talking about?

I couldn’t react yet, so I just clutched my clothes tightly and backed away a little farther.

Seeing me like that, Yure seemed slightly flustered and continued speaking.

“I mean…… I didn’t do anything while you were asleep.”

“……What were you trying to do?”

My heart pounded at the sight of a pervert seemingly confessing his sins.

I didn’t know where I was, so I became even more wary.

Seeing me like that, Yure became even more flustered and blurted out whatever came to mind.

“Of course, you collapsed, so I did carry you here on horseback, but I really didn’t do anything.”

“You should tell the story properly! You’re the one who collapsed first, Yure!”

“Ah. That is true, but……”

“But?”

I shouldn’t provoke a pervert, but I couldn’t help it.

Understanding the feelings of cornered cats, I bared my teeth fiercely.

“Stop making excuses like some pervert. And where are we?”

“The middle point.”

“……Haa. I guess we arrived safely.”

I glanced around.

It was dark, but we were definitely inside a building.

“But why are you here?”

“There is only one room.”

“What?”

I widened my eyes in disbelief, and he once again began making excuses.

“It may be difficult to believe, but there are many injured people because of the bandit attack. So there aren’t enough rooms.”

“I’m going outside to check.”

“Fine.”

He nodded casually, but my suspicions only grew stronger.

Yure looked at me and forced a smile.

It was as though he was trying to show me his gentler side, as if to say he wasn’t a frightening person.

That’s even scarier…….

A long sigh escaped me.

I figured I might as well give up on getting rid of this tension.

Fine. As long as I make it safely to the Grand Duke’s castle.

Since my goal was Yurgen anyway, I decided not to worry about the little things anymore.

Oh, wait…….

Then I suddenly realized that Yurgen’s name and the name Yure used were similar.

When I narrowed my eyes and examined him, Yure waved his hand as though making an excuse.

“I won’t force you if you don’t want me to.”

I had been glaring at him for an entirely different reason, yet he once again said something strange.

“Are you threatening me?”

“No, I’m not!”

“Then are you doing me a favor? Why?”

“I……”

Completely at a loss for words because of me, Yure hesitated before speaking seriously.

“Because I’m a knight. A knight doesn’t abandon someone in danger.”

He was a knight who actually followed the code of chivalry?

Judging by how he’d treated me, I’d assumed he was nothing more than a rough mercenary who only knew how to swing a sword.

But he claimed to be a knight.

“You’re a knight? Are you perhaps a knight of the Grand Duchy of Brüllhardt?”

“I’ll bet one gold coin that what I’m saying is true.”

My eyes immediately lit up.

“Yure. How can you prove that what you’re saying is true?”

“When we reach the North, it’ll become clear.”

If he really was a knight of the Grand Duchy of Brüllhardt, perhaps I could get some help from him.

Before I knew it, I lowered the clothes I had been clutching tightly and let down my guard.

What? Is that pervert actually a knight?

If that was true, entering the Grand Duke’s castle would be much easier.

Is this some kind of good luck……?

I was troubled by the fact that Yure was a pervert, but honestly, it didn’t seem easy for him to lie about being a knight.

If someone impersonated a Brüllhardt knight, they’d probably get beaten half to death, right?

I didn’t know for sure, but it seemed likely.

Those knights were the sort who lived and died by their honor, so I couldn’t imagine them letting someone who tarnished their honor off easily.

Hmm. What should I do?

I stared at the breathtakingly beautiful pervert and furrowed my brow.

“That’s actually convenient. I have business at the Grand Duke’s castle too, so I’m going there.”

“The Grand Duke’s…… castle?”

“Yes.”

I reached out my hand to Yure.

He didn’t react at all to my gesture, which was clearly an invitation to shake hands.

“If you’re a knight there, things should be much easier for me.”

“……”

Yure still didn’t take my hand. He simply stared at me.

Feeling awkward with my hand still hanging there, I shrugged.

“Have you never shaken hands before?”

But instead of answering my question, he asked me another one.

“Why are you going to the Grand Duke’s castle?”

“I have no reason to tell you that.”