43 - The Crown I Will Take From You
Chapter 43
Medeia, realizing his insidious intentions, adjusted her grip on the fan. The cool sensation of the steel clung to her palm.
It felt strange to hold a weapon after so long since the expedition.
"You can't even handle a low-level Demon Beast like this. Princess. Honestly, why did you even come along?"
"Baldina is nothing special. All that talk about their excellent cavalry was just boasting!"
"Shouldn't we just turn back? Did you think our expedition was assembled to take care of one useless woman?"
In her past life, the heroes of the expedition were never kind to Medeia.
Since Medeia was not formally married to Iason, she was not treated as a Grand Duchess, but rather as a burden to the expedition.
Even Iason, her lover, did not protect her.
"Medeia, you know I need them. The day I become Emperor, I will avenge all your grievances."
It was heartbreaking that even the one she loved was not on her side. Even on nights when they slept back-to-back, she secretly soaked her pillow with tears.
"I can't keep living like this."
And she realized that she was the only one who could fully protect herself.
If she didn't prove her worth somehow, she might be abandoned on this arduous expedition.
From then on, Medeia began to observe the heroes fighting the Demon Beasts.
"I can't surpass them in strength. So, I have to compete with speed and technique."
"How can I inflict damage in one strike?"
The straight fan drew an arc outward from within.
Then,
"I want to prove that I didn't make the wrong choice."
She accurately struck the leader's Adam's apple.
The unique weight of Damascus steel was transmitted through the point of impact.
"Ugh-! Wh, what..."
"I want to work hard and return with dignity, so I want to show everyone."
Iason. I really,
I thought that if I worked hard, if I did my best, it would work out.
Our love, my child's future,
And my dream of one day returning to my homeland with honor.
But, I didn't know then.
That the depths of the human heart are as deep and endless as an abyss, and that you shouldn't even trust a man you've spent half your life with.
"Cough-!"
Following the blow to the larynx, the leader collapsed to the ground from the strong impact of a merciless strike to the solar plexus.
Thwack!
Then, Medeia's fan was driven vertically into the ground right next to the fallen leader's ear.
If it had been slightly more to the left, it would have pierced his neck.
"Ugh, uh..."
The leader trembled. The stench of urine wafted from his lower body, which was darkening with moisture.
Swish, swish, swish-!
At that moment, several Daggers flew towards Medeia with a chilling sound.
"Your Highness, be careful!"
She deflected two, but missed the last one.
'Saya is behind me.'
In that instant, Medeia, thinking of Saya, slightly twisted her body to avoid a fatal blow, instead of dodging the Dagger completely.
However, she didn't feel the pain she had braced herself for, biting her lip.
Clang-!
The fiercely flying Dagger had hit something and bounced off.
"Are you alright?"
Neril rushed over and asked.
"Yes."
"That was really dangerous. Why didn't you dodge it?"
"......"
Neril soon saw Saya trembling behind Medeia and understood the reason.
"What if that Dagger had been poisoned?"
Listening to Neril's scolding, whose face had turned pale, Medeia looked around.
Someone had definitely blocked the last one for her.
'Where did it come from? Who threw it?'
No sound could be heard in the silent forest.
She would have checked the source as usual, but the sun was setting. She had to return before the palace gates closed.
Having prioritized, she sheathed her weapon and tidied her appearance.
Neril, who had finished dealing with the remaining soldiers, approached. She paused when she saw the fallen leader.
'So, Her Highness was hiding her skills.'
"Shall we kill them all?"
Neril looked at the unconscious leader.
"Is there any need to dirty our hands?"
They were bodies that would no longer serve their purpose anyway.
In a time when even people had nothing to eat, would the beasts be full?
Even if they were lucky enough to survive the starving beasts and return to the streets, there would be those who would want to settle their debts.
"Tell your master when he wakes up. Next time we meet, it will be hard to save his life."
The soldiers were terrified and just nodded repeatedly.
\ \ \
"Princess, that's the Princess of Baldina, right?"
After the Princess's carriage left, Cesare and his group emerged from behind the trees.
Gallo, who had been in a daze for a while after the death of the shaman, rubbed his eyes as if he couldn't believe what had happened.
"Could the Princess do martial arts?"
Even Terrence, who had always been calm, tilted his head in excitement.
"When the Princess turned around, the murderous intent was just... I could feel it all the way over here! By the way, Boss. You were the one who deflected the last Dagger, right?"
He must have seen that while he was in a daze.
Instead of answering, Cesare kept his eyes fixed on the spot where the Princess had left.
"......"
He recalled her appearance from earlier.
The elegance that did not crumble even among the fierce bandits. Her small, delicate features, like those of a young animal, were clear even from a distance.
The strange atmosphere where calmness and vitality coexisted seemed more suited to nature than the brutal royal palace.
But that peace was only momentary, and she targeted the bandit's neck more fiercely than anyone else.
In the sunset forest, the Princess's shimmering silver hair sparkled with a fleeting golden light.
'Venus of Baldina......'
Suddenly, the old woman's words came to mind.
"Poor black star, the Venus of Baldina will save your fate entangled in something terrible... so."
Cesare's eyes flashed gold, like the Princess's had just now.
'Could the Venus the old woman spoke of be a person?'
If that's really the case, what are the chances that the Princess is the Venus of Baldina?
Morning Dewdrop, will that girl really be able to find the antidote to eliminate his curse?
"Find out everything about the Princess of Baldina."
"So suddenly? Er, everything?"
"Everything."
Thump, thump, thump,
Even with a faint possibility, Cesare's heart began to pound rapidly.
\ \ \
Baldina Royal Palace.
"This is Saya, who will be attending to me from today. Please get along well with her."
Saya, who came to the palace with Medeia, quickly adapted to her new environment.
"Was there any bullying?"
"It would be a lie to say there wasn't any. But the child is quick-witted and has a good way with words, so she quickly won the hearts of the palace staff."
A street child that the Princess brought back from her outing.
In the royal palace, where status was everything, Saya soon became a thorn in their side.
But she had lived alone on the streets, so she didn't give in to the bullying.
How could a rolling stone be loved from the start?
Besides, she was good at gaining people's sympathy.
"My birthday is the anniversary of my mother's death. My father was injured in the war and had difficulty moving around, but he always bought me white bread on my birthday until he passed away."
She fearlessly revealed her weaknesses, which would be fatal to a teenage girl.
People don't get angry at those who struggle with even the most basic necessities.
It's the ones who are about the same who weigh each other and compete.
"That day, too, I was going to gather herbs. But I never thought I would be sold to human traffickers, and I was terrified."
She sparkled her small, black eyes and vividly described the situation of that day, mixing facts and fabrications.
"The bandits said that my eyes and organs already had owners. I ran away frantically and was hit by a carriage, and when I saw a noble lady inside, I begged her to save me."
"Oh my... how pitiful..."
The Maids were already completely immersed in her story.
"If Her Highness hadn't saved me, I would have been sold off piece by piece and wouldn't have left even a trace. My deceased parents must have wanted to save me somehow."
Saya bravely wiped away the tears that were flowing down her face with her fist. The Maids were also moved and wiped away their tears.
"Oh my... how sad."
"I, Saya, am still young, but I know human decency. I clung to her, wanting to repay the kindness of saving my life, and that's how I came to be here. Only later did I realize that the noble person was the Princess, and now I'm causing trouble for you all."
Saya stood up and bowed deeply.
"You all are like my teachers. I don't have much knowledge and am very lacking, so please scold me a lot. I will accept your teachings as if they were from heaven."
"Oh my, just listen to her talk!"
The Maids laughed.
