Ch#235
**Shards of the Broken Glass Shoe**
**Chapter 235**
I felt like a hollow laugh might burst out at the Crown Prince’s words, but I held it in. Putting aside the absurdity of being told to become a human talisman, I couldn’t even begin to imagine how he planned to drag me around.
Even as someone who knew next to nothing about war, I knew well enough that a commander was supposed to stay behind the front lines. Therefore, the wound he had sustained was difficult to understand.
Of course, he explained that he had gone forward briefly to fight to boost the soldiers' morale—stating he couldn't ignore the barbarians' provocations regarding the late Emperor—but there was no guarantee such dangerous situations wouldn't continue.
Furthermore, I was merely a frail woman; it wasn't as if I could pick up a sword and fight alongside him. Even if I was fine now, there was no way I could maintain my sanity once an actual battle broke out.
I swallowed the rising sigh and forced a faint smile. If not for the fortune-telling and those strange dreams, I never would have come here so submissively. Ah, why is my life so arduous?
"I see. I understand perfectly. So, please tell me what I must do now."
The Crown Prince narrowed his eyes and looked at me again, perhaps finding my submissive attitude suspicious. He seemed to find it strange that I neither argued against this nonsense nor expressed pity for his wound, but instead maintained an air of weary resignation.
However, that lasted only a moment. He spoke in an ordinary tone and handed me the papers he had been reading.
"All you have to do is stay inside this tent as a page. Of course, you won't be here for long."
I took the papers and examined the contents. It was a letter sent by Lady Roshan, containing news regarding House Bischwaldz.
It mentioned rumors that I had fallen ill and was bedridden after rescuing Roena, the great shock everyone felt when Madam de Lavallière was attacked by mysterious assailants while out, the chaos within high society when a man resembling Knight Sylphice was found dead, and the news that the Empress and Count Kiran had quarreled.
Furthermore, it noted that neighboring nations were significantly tense due to the conflict in the Border Region, causing customs to become very strict and impacting commerce. It also mentioned that the price of wheat was gradually rising around the Border Region, leading to secret meetings within the merchant circles.
At the end of the letter, Lady Roshan added that she would use the Crown Prince’s name to pressure the merchant circles to ensure House Bischwaldz was not excluded from their meetings, so I shouldn't worry.
In the most recent letter, there was a report that a woman resembling me had been seen meeting with the Empress's people.
It also detailed that House Lavallière was incredibly enraged by the surfacing doubts regarding the rescued Roena’s purity, and that the Empress was acting as if she were doing a favor by arranging a marriage with Count Kiran. Consequently, she noted she was exerting a lot of effort to deflect the Imperial Family’s constant letters to me.
A great deal had happened in less than two weeks.
The Crown Prince spoke in a leisurely tone, as if granting a reward to me as I frowned and furrowed my brow while reading the contents.
"Everything will be resolved by the time you return. So don't worry and focus on your role as my page."
"Is it enough just to stay by your side?"
"Well, that is something to be tested. If what I saw in my dream is correct, your mere presence nearby will be a great strength to me."
Strangely, the Crown Prince was not speaking about the details of the dream he had. He was revealing everything else quite candidly, yet he kept that hidden. It bothered me. Had I not also been pushed to get my fortune told because of a dream?
But there was no need to open my mouth and ask. There was no reason to go looking for trouble or engage in a battle of nerves by poking at the parts he was hesitant about. Regardless, I could only survive if the Crown Prince won this war.
He told me to act as a page, but in reality, all I would be doing was standing or sitting, so there would be no physical hardship. The only problem was how much I could endure in the middle of a war.
Of course, if I managed to hold out somehow, I might be able to perfectly take House Bischwaldz into my hands in the eyes of the public. And through legitimate procedures at that. Therefore, I nodded as if in submissive agreement.
***
Since the Imperial Army had won most of the skirmishes that could be called major battles since my arrival at the border, their morale was piercing the heavens.
A few scout units had been cut down due to barbarian ambushes, and they had lost a few minor battles, but it wasn't enough to be a significant blow.
Perhaps because of that, there was no sign of dread or terror regarding the war on the soldiers' faces. There was no trace of exhaustion either. Rather, an atmosphere lingered that suggested they could wipe out the barbarians in no time with just a little more pressure. Even though enemies had infiltrated the camp several times to cause a commotion, no one wavered.
Time, which flowed so slowly in the Capital, passed far too quickly in the military camp. It had already been nearly two weeks since I became the Crown Prince’s page.
During that time, I had established myself as a celebrity who drew the attention of many. It was only natural, as a fairly clean-looking boy had suddenly appeared out of nowhere and was loitering around the barracks, so people couldn't help but be curious.
The nobles were wary of me, having suddenly appeared as the Crown Prince’s direct page, and they struggled to guess his intentions. This was especially true because the identity I was assuming was a noble with the surname Relshin.
In particular, the gazes of those who appeared to be on the Grand Duke’s side were blatant. They monitored my every move, trying to find a fault to seize upon. Even if the Grand Duke himself looked away as if it were no big deal.
What was surprising was that Knight Aires recognized me in my male disguise immediately. At first, I wondered if he had been tipped off by the Crown Prince, but seeing the Prince's awkward reaction to the Knight’s immense fury, I realized that no prior consultation had taken place between them.
Knight Aires did not raise his voice, perhaps conscious of those around him, but his body trembled as if he were in deep shock. He then spat out the rather provocative words, "Be grateful that I am not drawing my sword."
"The talisman was a coincidence. But to think you would commit such an act by over-interpreting it... Where has the brilliant Highness gone? And why did Your Highness have my talisman in the first place!"
Well, judging by his mention of the talisman, he seemed to know of the prophecy regarding the 'woman who defied death.'
However, he dismissed it as a coincidence and condemned the Crown Prince for being deluded by such vain words and bringing me to the middle of a battlefield. His point was that the soldiers and knights would surely protect him, so why was this necessary?
But the Crown Prince, despite his friend's anger, spoke firmly in a chilling tone. As if he would not tolerate anything contrary to his will.
"Knight Aires, there is no need for you to worry about my reason. I brought Rade based on an extremely rational judgment. No matter how much you are my close friend, I find this attitude quite unpleasant."
"But Your Highness."
"That is enough. I will not hear another word regarding this matter in the future."
"...Then please allow me to protect him so he is not in danger."
No one failed to realize that the 'he' was actually 'her.' However, the Crown Prince clicked his tongue and refused his request.
"If you hover too closely, strange rumors will spread. And Knight Aires—no, Mel—you are my knight."
"Your Highness!"
"Knight, do you dare to defy my command?"
"If I were to defy it, what would you do? Would you even cut off my head? If Your Highness thought of me even a little, you could not act this way."
"Are you saying she is more important than I, who am the Empire itself?"
Knight Aires answered immediately without hesitation. His growl, as if forcing the words through his teeth, made him look like a wounded predator.
"Yes."
"...You leave me speechless. Well, it's not as if I don't understand. She is more important to me than you are as well. If one considers the prophecy, that is."
"Your Highness! No, Edie!"
In an instant, with a clashing sound, the Crown Prince’s sword was leveled at Knight Aires’s neck. I suppressed a rising scream with my hand and barely managed to watch the situation, which was close to the brink of disaster. Knight Aires did not stop glaring at the Crown Prince even though the blade was touching his throat.
"Act cold, Mel. What knight could say a woman is more precious than his own lord? If it were anyone else, they would have died for treason. Rather, I want to ask. Do you not trust me? Do you think I would put her in danger?"
"How can it not be dangerous when she is in the middle of a war? You are refusing my offer to protect her, are you not?"
"Because blatant protection is not allowed. Is the only enemy we are fighting those barbarians? Do not forget that the Grand Duke is watching for any chance to stab us in the back. There is no need to create a weakness."
It was quite exasperating to hear him talk about weaknesses while I was standing right there, but since I knew what the Crown Prince was worried about, it was difficult to argue. Knight Aires knew this as well, which was why he was averting his gaze while grinding his teeth.
After a moment, he asked the Crown Prince in a slightly softened voice.
"Is it enough as long as it isn't blatant protection?"
"Yes."
"I understand. I fully comprehend what Your Highness has said. However, my heart still cannot accept it, so please forgive this rudeness."
Knight Aires reached out and pushed the sword aside. Even though the blade was digging into his palm, he forced it far away from his neck as if it were nothing. His hand, dripping with blood, looked quite painful even to me as a bystander.
However, he acted as if it were nothing, looked at the Crown Prince once, and then grabbed my hand and led me out of the tent. It was beyond rude; it was not an act for a knight serving his lord, but the Crown Prince neither called his name nor grew angry.
It was when I, flustered, turned my head to look at him. The Crown Prince wore a bitter expression, to the point where I wondered if I had misseen it. But soon, as if that had never happened, he assumed a cold face and lowered his gaze back to the map.
As soon as we stepped outside the tent, Knight Aires let go of my hand and commanded me to follow him. It was an act clearly conscious of our surroundings. Of course, while he displayed coldness on the surface, his eyes kept wavering, making him look like someone who had left a child by the water's edge.
Laughably, he was ignoring his own wound and only worrying about the shock I might have received.
Perhaps that was why, when we entered the tent assigned to him and I asked where the bandages and ointment were, he couldn't even snap out of it and only let out deep sighs. Eventually, unable to watch any longer, I had to search every corner of the tent myself to find the emergency bandages and ointment.
I pulled his hand and sat him down. And to the man who hesitated to show me his palm, I spoke in a rebuking tone.
"What were you going to do if His Highness grew angry? Your hand is like this too. How can someone who uses a sword treat their hand so carelessly? Straighten your hand out. I need to apply medicine. Why did you do something so reckless? Don't flinch. I can't apply it properly!"
Wherever my previous hesitation had gone, my heart, which had been hurt by his attitude of saying I was the most important thing even in front of the Crown Prince, was melting away. So I felt embarrassed and shy. I felt distressed because it felt like he had hurt his hand because of me. I was worried he might face some disadvantage for standing up to the dreadfully cruel Crown Prince.
And even in the midst of this, he was lovely for not taking his eyes off me. It felt as if sparks were flying wherever I spread the ointment.
"Victory in the war against the barbarians is certain. The problem is the enemy within, the Grand Duke's faction. His Highness already intends to settle things here. Yet to bring a Lady to such a place... Even if one does not participate in the war, being near it alone is enough to drive a person mad. The aftereffects are immense. I hope you never have to live with such pain for the rest of your life."
Knight Aires grabbed my wrist as I was applying the ointment and spoke in a serious tone.
"I will send you back to the mansion tonight. Or I will help you flee to the place I mentioned before. Please leave, My Lady."
If only I could leave as he said. However, thinking of the disadvantage Knight Aires would face after I left and the warning I heard in my dream, I couldn't answer easily. To die miserably and shamefully only to return again—what a horrific thought.
Of course, as he said, I was worried about the trauma of war, but thinking of the distant future, this was a situation I had no choice but to endure. Because a cruel destiny was forcing me into this hell. In a way that I couldn't refuse.
So, I gently stroked his cheek with my hand and replied soothingly.
"In life, there are things one must do whether they like it or not. Even if it destroys one's soul. And it seems the current situation is something I must do."
"But!"
"Do you think His Highness would take me to the middle of a battle? Don't worry. I will stay inside the tent the whole time. If a fight breaks out, I will cover my ears, and if a wounded person passes by, I will turn my head. I will see, hear, and say nothing. I will hold out and hold out, and when the day permitted by destiny arrives, I will be the first to cling to you, Knight, and ask for your help to get me out of here. Please hold my hand tightly then."
"My Lady..."
"So please, straighten your hand so I can wrap the bandage."
At my words, Knight Aires squeezed his eyes shut and then let out a sigh and nodded. And then he suddenly kissed my forehead and whispered words of a vow; it was almost unbearable to see his face, which had collapsed in misery.
So, with my head down, I silently wrapped the bandage. Midway, a servant bringing Knight Aires's meal entered the tent and wore a strange expression at our close proximity before slipping away, but without even noticing that, we shared our sorrowful emotions together.
Unaware that because of this, a rumor that Knight Aires was a sodomite was secretly spreading throughout the military camp.
***
Perhaps because the effect of the human talisman was sufficient, the Crown Prince's health improved day by day. Not only did the wounds on his body heal quickly, but his insomnia was almost completely cured, leaving his complexion radiant.
Even though all I did during the day was stand by his side and perform minor services. It was quite a mysterious thing.
Of course, there were a few times when dangerous situations were avoided because of me. Most recently, while the Crown Prince was moving his body to catch me as my legs gave way and I stumbled, he avoided injury as a tent pole suddenly collapsed.
Amazingly, the pole fell exactly where the Crown Prince had been standing; had he not caught me, he would have been seriously injured. He might have died if it had struck his head.
What was even more mysterious was that the pole had collapsed due to a coincidence, not someone's scheme. When the Crown Prince was reported on the cause of the pole's collapse, he looked at me with a strange gaze. What dwelled in his eyes then was certainty.
Whether this was a prank of destiny to fulfill the prophecy the Witch spoke of, or a trial, I couldn't say, but at least there was a merit to having brought me here in disguise. Even though it was incredibly uncomfortable for me.
**Shards of the Broken Glass Shoe**
