Previously
Irenia questions Delfina about rumors that Caesar killed a previous prospective bride, though she personally believes he only acts in self-defense. After Caesar disappears, Irenia finds him perched dangerously atop a palace tower before he jumps five stories, landing safely to her shock and fury.
The commander let out an unpleasant smacking sound as he licked his lips. For a moment, a wave of severe dizziness washed over me. What hurt most was how terrifyingly plausible his words were.
After all, if I died right here, no one would see me as anything more than another name added to the Cursed Prince’s body count.
Honestly, the very fact that I was still alive felt bizarre. My death was supposed to be a given, as though my disappearance were the most natural, unremarkable thing in the world.
Just as the Cursed Prince had done before, he would simply have claimed another victim, and no one would spare it a second thought.
No family would search for me, and no one cared about me. No one would take action, no one would know of my death, and no one would ever ask.
Hadn’t I come here with that very intention? To die at least bearing a noble title? I had known this all too well.
My body began to tremble violently. The men watching wore wicked smirks.
The Order of the White Rose. A company comprised entirely of highborn sons with hereditary titles. To them, I was nothing—just an illegitimate daughter of a ducal house.
“Or perhaps… were you hoping to vanish without anyone noticing?”
Their cold eyes said it all; this was no empty threat. The moment the men began to surround me, I felt the sharp prickle of real danger.
“Grrr…”
Caesar stepped in front of me, a low growl rumbling in his chest as he blocked me from their sight. He looked like a cat with every hair on end, though even that hardly did him justice. His aura was fiercer than any wild predator’s.
There had always been a brittle tension between Caesar and the White Rose knights, as fragile as thin ice, and that ice was beginning to crack.
At the height of the strain, the knights reached for the hilts of their swords.
“No, don’t!”
Before the scream had fully left my lips, events unfolded at a dizzying speed. Caesar burst from my embrace with coiled, supple power, lunging straight at them.
Confusion erupted, and the sharp ring of clashing steel tore through the air. But Caesar was faster than all of them. He moved with a speed beyond imagination, far too swift for any knight to counter.
“Ah! Urgh, gah!”
He threw himself squarely onto the commander, seizing the man’s throat in a choking grip.
The other knights swarmed him, desperately trying to haul him off, but even with their combined weight and strength, they could not budge him an inch.
“Get him off, now!”
They struck him, dragged at him, and tore at his skin, but his grip never wavered.
“Ah… urkk…!”
The commander’s face turned a bruised, mottled purple like an overripe plum. His tongue protruded, and tainted white foam dribbled down his arm.
“Caesar!”
If this went on, Caesar was going to kill him. I couldn’t let that happen.
I lunged forward, ignoring my barely responsive leg, until I was close enough to throw my arms around Caesar’s waist.
“Caesar, stop!”
I didn’t know what possessed me, but I couldn’t bear to watch him take a human life.
He whipped around instantly, and when our eyes met, I shook my head frantically.
His eyes were burning, saturated with murderous intent.
I had never seen this side of Caesar. The savagery I had turned a blind eye to for so long was laid bare before me.
I thought I knew him well. But… had I been wrong? Had my own arrogance made me believe I understood him?
The doubt I had buried deep in my chest began to resurface. But there was no time to dwell on it.
I looked into his eyes again. Please, don’t. Don’t kill anyone.
I didn’t want you to become what they called you… a monster.
“Please, don’t!”
Yet that lethal glare did not waver. An icy chill ran down my spine, as if a bucket of freezing water had been dumped over my head.
“Agh, urk… khh…”
The commander was genuinely suffocating. If this went on a moment longer, the outcome would be horrific.
What should I do? How can I stop him?
“Please, Caesar…”
All I could do was plead. Clinging tighter to his waist, I broke into sobs.
Tears fell one after another, soaking into his skin.
Then, something shifted. His frame began to loosen, the taut cords of muscle softening under my touch.
“Cough, hhk! Hack, cough!”
Caesar finally pulled back, and the commander erupted into violent coughing.
The knights scrambled to drag their leader away.
I didn’t let go of Caesar, terrified he might turn and attack again.
“Damn it…”
“You cursed beast!”
The knights hurled curses at him as they retreated.
“Grrr!”
He growled again, threatening them.
“Get out of here, go!”
I screamed at them furiously. If they lingered any longer, the fight would reignite.
Having watched their commander get battered, they dared not talk back. Instead, they retreated in flustered disarray, dragging the man with them.
“Hah, hah… grrr…”
Caesar and I were left alone. Yet his breathing remained ragged, his body trembling with aftershocks.
I stroked his back gently.
“It’s over. They’ve gone.”
“Hah… hah…”
His breathing gradually slowed.
“Good boy.”
As calm returned, he seemed to regain his footing. I kept talking to him softly, patting his back.
We sat together on the ground, holding each other until he settled completely.
Long minutes passed before he returned to his senses.
At last, his breathing evened out, and my racing heart slowed a little.
He had calmed down without needing to draw blood… that alone was a triumph.
“Caesar.”
I called his name softly, and he flinched slightly.
Seeing that he didn’t lash out as before, I continued.
“…Thank you.”
I stroked his hair.
He lifted his head from my lap and looked up at me, a glint in his eyes that told me he understood.
“Thank me?”
If I wanted to list everything I was grateful for, the list would be endless.
I began with the words crowding my chest.
“Yes, thank you for listening to me…”
I had been genuinely terrified when the knights closed in, expecting something dreadful to happen.
The commander’s gaze had been chilling. He had fully intended to harm me.
“And… thank you for getting angry on my behalf.”
“Yes.”
It was obvious that this had all happened because of me. My body was still stiff from tension, as though weighted down where I sat.
“B-But you mustn’t hurt people like that.”
Caesar tilted his head in bewilderment.
“Why?”
“Why?”
Where was I even supposed to begin? Explaining basic rules like ‘you can’t kill people’ and ‘you can’t beat them up’? It seemed the task of turning Caesar into a proper human being would be an arduous uphill climb, and this innocent question was proof enough.
Still, I had to teach him these fundamental things. I decided to stand firm this time and explain it with absolute seriousness.
“No, you can never do that.”
“Really? I can’t?”
“Yes, you can’t.”
“Why?”
“Again… why?”
He looked utterly incapable of grasping the concept, which left me at a loss.
“Uh… well, the reason is…”
Suddenly, I found myself stammering. Why weren’t you supposed to hurt people? I needed to explain it in a way he could understand… yet even I wasn’t entirely sure how to put it into words.
In fact, seeing the commander get pummeled had brought me a strange sense of satisfaction deep down… No, no. Even if I felt that way, it didn’t make it right.
I cleared my throat lightly to gather my composure.
“I just… don’t want to see Caesar hurting anyone.”
Caesar frowned deeply, as if the problem were far too complicated, cocking his head from side to side several times before finally speaking:
“But… he made Ren hurt.”
FADE OUT