“Welcome to my garden.”
Princess Daphne said, and the tea party with only three people, which differed from the original schedule, then began.
“I am Jude Bayer from the Bayer family.”
“I am Cordelia Chase from the Chase family.”
When Jude and Cordelia courteously greeted her, Princess Daphne replied with a faint smile.
“Nice to meet you. I am Crown Princess Daphne. As I’ve already said, I welcome you to this place again.”
Princess Daphne had a clear and beautiful voice, but it was not sweet or gentle-sounding. It was a charismatic voice that captivated the listener with its power and strength.
‘She’s elegant.’
Rather than being pretty, she was elegant.
Obviously, that didn’t mean she wasn’t pretty. Because she was Princess Daphne who was praised for her good character design in the story of Legend of Heroes. She was an elegant yet detached beautiful woman.
Despite wearing a dress, her elegance made it seem like she was wearing a uniform.
‘Princess Daphne.’
While Cordelia was grasping the sensuous parts of Princess Daphne such as her ‘elegant air,’ Jude was studying her figure.
Height, weight, body type, and her trained body.
‘First of all, she’s tall.’
Her height was almost in the late 170s. Perhaps it was close to 180 cm.
Next, her body that was clearly hardened by training seemed to be firm like that of a sword.
‘A predator from the cat family…’
If Cordelia reminded him of a graceful leopard, the Princess Daphne before him was a lion then.
Because her hair was tied up in a bun, her fair and long neck was openly revealed as its slenderness gave it a straighter look. Her shiny dark golden blonde hair seemed to be made from melting gold and was like a crown itself.
And green eyes.
Its strong and vivid color was different from Jude’s green eyes, and her eyes seemed like it could see through the other person.
‘A born ruler?’
Those kind of people existed.
People who naturally rose to the leader position when they were in groups.
Those who made others look at their backs.
The fact that she was born and educated as royalty undoubtedly played a very important role in that.
But Jude was convinced.
That Princess Daphne was born with it.
Even if she was born as a commoner and not royalty, she would still captivate the hearts of many people with her charisma.
“You may sit down.”
Princess Daphne spoke, and the two sat down.
The table was circular, but it was arranged in a way that Jude and Cordelia sat besides each other with Princess Daphne seated across them.
“Alena.”
When Princess Daphne called out quietly, a maid approached them while pushing a small food trolley.
Inside the trolley were various sweet snacks, pretty teacups, and a large and elegant teapot fit for a tea party.
“Because this is a tea party. The royal capital’s snacks are a bit sweeter than those in the north, so tell me right away if you don’t like them.”
“Yes, Your Royal Highness. Thank you for your consideration.”
Cordelia gracefully responded first, but her mind was thinking a bit differently.
She would naturally be like that. After all, how could she express her dissatisfaction with the sweets a royal princess had given her?
‘But it also looks to be delicious.’
Most of the snacks in the north tasted a bit plain, just like what Princess Daphne had said.
Compared to modern-day sweets that lavishly used sugar, the sugar here was still a fairly valuable commodity.
As Cordelia laid her eyes on the various sweets, Princess Daphne waited for the teacups of Jude and Cordelia to be filled with tea before she slightly reached out and bit on a snack.
It was a kind of act which the host showed to their guests in order to directly confirm that the food did not contain anything dangerous like poison, and it was also a very important procedure at tea parties among nobles.
“Hmm… as I thought, it’s too sweet.”
Princess Daphne muttered to herself, smiling bitterly and offering Jude and Cordelia the snacks and tea.
“My taste buds are just picky, but these are the finest products that the royal family are proud to offer. Please do enjoy it.”
“Thank you, Your Royal Highness.”
“Thank you for your consideration.”
Jude and Cordelia smoothly responded before they touched their tea and snacks, and both of them smiled in satisfaction.
‘It’s good?’
‘Delicious!’
Jude didn’t actually like black tea, so him thinking that it was good definitely proved that the tea was of a high quality.
Secondly, the scent of the tea was really good.
As for Cordelia, she was delighted with the snacks.
Because she had tasted something really sweet after a long time.
‘Sweet, sweet. It’s completely sweet.’
It was a sweet taste that made you feel guilty and think that you shouldn’t eat a lot of it since your teeth might melt from the sweetness.
When a bright smile appeared on Cordelia’s face, Princess Daphne softly giggled and said as she looked at Cordelia as if she was appreciating a work of art.
“How lovely.”
“Eh?”
“I’ve seen a lot of children from the royal capital… but this is the first time I’ve met a pretty child like you.”
“Th-thank you.”
At the direct compliment, Cordelia blushed and bowed her head while Jude clenched his fist as he seriously felt satisfied and delighted from the bottom of his heart.
‘As expected of Cordelia.’
Although his original purpose of showing off Cordelia in front of numerous nobles was not achieved, it was still fine.
After all, the most important person had acknowledged Cordelia’s beauty.
‘Maja and Dahlia should have heard her words.’
If this was an ordinary tea party, it would have been common for a guest to be accompanied by a maid or escort, but since Princess Daphne declared it as a ‘three-person tea party,’ the two could not even enter the garden. Perhaps by now, the two were waiting for them in a waiting room.
In any case, Jude was immersed in a really good mood, while Princess Daphne continued to watch Cordelia before she spoke.
“Are you surprised to be invited in a tea party that only has three people?”
“Eh? That… uh… a bit?”
Cordelia answered a little timidly, and Princess Daphne’s smile deepened, seemingly liking Cordelia’s timidity.
“I wanted to meet and focus on you two closely, like I said for the first time. After all, you’ll be the first people to be awarded titles since I was born.”
“Titles?”
Cordelia asked with widened eyes, and Princess Daphne nodded and spoke again.
“Yes, both of you will be conferred baron titles. A separate land will not be distributed, but it will hold more weight than just a knighthood.”
After all, it was a baron peerage.
Although they would become barons in name only, it was clearly a higher position than a regular knight.
‘Awesome!’
Cordelia looked back at Jude who responded with his eyes before he turned his attention to Princess Daphne again.
The reason Princess Daphne talked about that.
The first title conferment ceremony since she was born.
Princess Daphne was only 20 years old. Her coming-of-age ceremony had been held last month.
‘But is that all?’
It must have been very nerve-racking to perform her first official duty as royalty.
But was that really the reason why she even changed the schedule of the tea party and made it for three people only?
Princess Daphne spoke as if answering Jude’s question.
“And… it’s because you two were famous. I wanted to meet you in person and hear your story. I wanted to know what kind of children you were. Certainly… there are people who gain a reputation in the Sälen Kingdom in some way. Well, yours seem to be quite blown out of proportion though.”
Princess Daphne talked a bit mischievously and gazed at Cordelia with a look that seemed to ask if her words were correct, and Cordelia’s lips squirmed before she replied ‘yes.’
“In truth, I had first thought that it was nonsense.”
There were so many stories about them, and some of those sounded ridiculous.
Moreover, what was passed on to Princess Daphne was not like the ‘rumors’ that Princess Darianne met.
The royal family’s informants collected information from all over the country and reported it, and that included a report Count Hræsvelgr had written himself as a margrave.
‘Demon Slayer.’
It was the code name that royal informants had given to Jude and Cordelia.
As the name implied, they were ‘demon hunters’ who had already killed several demonic followers and demonic humans.
They defeated the demonic human who tried to kidnap the children from the 12 northern families in Langesthei.
Afterwards, they defeated the demonic beast in the Witch’s Forest.
They then defeated the demonic humans in the northern viscount’s residence.
They defeated the demon and the demonic humans in Frost Anvil too.
Up to this point, all of these were already unimaginable achievements for children of ordinary nobles, but their activities beyond the border were also added.
‘Guardians of the Wild Lands.’
The figures who defeated the corrupted barbarians and the empire’s demonic human, and then stopped the massive war planned by the ‘Devil’s Eye.’
Of course, Count Hræsvelgr’s report did not completely describe the achievements of Jude and Cordelia, but the battle in the plains alone, which was the final decisive battle, far exceeded the other achievements of the two.
‘But it’s not just their war achievements.’
It wasn’t because of their fantastic merits that led to Jude and Cordelia being called a fantasy couple.
An immature couple.
Despite being already engaged, that didn’t stop the two from running away at night because of love.
And the shameless letters they left behind when they would escape.
It was unbelievable that they were the same people who made all those achievements listed above, but the latter parts were also true.
‘And Darianne’s story.’
To begin with, Darianne was a good child.
A pure child who was affectionate and bright, and not yet aware of the horrors of the world or the dark side of humans.
But that didn’t mean she was a fool.
Darianne also had an eye for judging people.
Moreover, Darianne’s ability that she awakened as royalty was also related to her eyes.
But such a Darianne praised Jude and Cordelia.
Without hesitation, she even called them ‘unnie’ and ‘oppa.’
‘The finishing blow.’
Their performance in the Banquet of Swords.
Jude’s match against the Sword Saint of Light clearly revealed how strong he currently was.
‘Too strong.’
A skill that couldn’t even be compared to his peers.
A strength that overwhelmed Lucas Hræsvelgr, who was known as the Girin of the North.
‘The more I hear about it, the more it feels strange.’
They stimulated the curiosity of others, making other people ask many times if the protagonists of these stories were really the same people.
It was evidently one of most important reasons why they were here now, but even if that wasn’t the reason, Princess Daphne would have still invited them here.
“Moving on… It seems it was a good idea to invite you two here. I could at least confirm one thing immediately.”
What one thing?
Are you talking about the rumors that Jude and I love each other?
Cordelia unknowingly became tense and her hand groped the air near her thighs, and Jude grabbed and held Cordelia’s hand.
The warmth was not transmitted because both of them were wearing gloves, but the fact that they held each other’s hands made Cordelia feel much better.
‘He’s reassuring.’
Should I say that he makes me feel calm?
Having been comforted by Jude’s firm hands, Cordelia faced Princess Daphne again, who suddenly got up from her seat and approached Cordelia, saying.
“You’re really beautiful, Cordelia.”
As she whispered, her hand moved and touched Cordelia’s cheek before it slowly moved down to the neck. She then spoke as her hand quietly headed to the chest of Cordelia who was unable to move from extreme tension.
“Your scarf is crooked.”
The white scarf on the upper part of her pink dress.
Princess Daphne fixed Cordelia’s scarf, and Cordelia lightly bit her lips unconsciously.
‘W-what is this? Why is my heart pounding?’
Why is my heart beating like this when we’re both women and wearing a dress, and she’s just fixing my scarf?
Cordelia’s face flushed red and she gazed at Princess Daphne as if she was a bit bewitched. On the other hand, Jude squeezed Cordelia’s hand a bit tight to make her come to her senses.
“Fufu, how cute.”
Cordelia.
No, Jude too.
Princess Daphne quietly smiled at the two before she glanced at Jude as she placed her hand on Cordelia’s shoulder instead of sitting down again.
“Jude Bayer. The second son of the swordmaster, Count Bayer.”
He looked naturally strong just by his physical looks alone.
He seemed to have been practicing martial arts since his childhood.
But Princess Daphne had already reviewed Jude’s records several times.
Everyone knew that Jude was born with Gueumjulmaek, and that only half a year ago, he could not even do basic physical training, let alone martial arts.
“What happened?”
Only half a year had passed.
What had happened in that time that made him as strong as he was now?
Princess Daphne gently squeezed Cordelia’s shoulder.
She looked straight at Jude who had the same but different green eyes as her and asked.
“Can you explain how you became so strong?”
Her eyes had a cold and piercing gaze.
Therefore, Jude replied honestly.
“I had a lot of strange encounters.”
The Sun’s Necklace with the power of Solari.
A meeting with the Fairy Queen.
The absorption of the Sunflower and so on.
Jude didn’t necessarily list it one by one.
In fact, it was very strange for someone to experience all of these within a short period of time.
“Strange encounters.”
Princess Daphne smiled. She stroked Cordelia’s shoulder and continued.
“Perhaps you signed a contract with a demon?”
A way to become a strong person in a very short time.
A contract with a demon.
To devote one’s soul to an overlord of hell and be reborn as a demonic human.
At her unexpected suspicion, Cordelia raised her head and tried to open her mouth, but Jude tightened his grip on her hand as if to hold her back from speaking.
Because he knew it when he made eye contact with the other.
That Princess Daphne wasn’t serious with what she said.
“Though, that is impossible. Because you’re the disciple of Iron Man Landius, the hero of the Paragon Kingdom and not just anyone else.”
Princess Daphne slightly tilted her head, seemingly asking him if that was true, and Jude replied with a small smile.
“It’s true.”
It wasn’t really a big secret.
All the knights of Count Bayer and Count Hræsvelgr who were with them during the incident at the northern viscount’s residence had known of it.
“But even if I take all of these into account… it’s true that you’re too strong. That’s why it’s good.”
Princess Daphne said something they didn’t understand, and she softly smiled before pulling a chair next to Cordelia and then sitting down.
“Then Cordelia, is the fairy story true?”
“Eh? Uh…yes. It’s true.”
The story of their meeting with the fall fairies was quite famous.
When Cordelia added the stories of them meeting the winter fairies and the fall fairies in the wild lands, Princess Daphne spoke as she gently touched her own chin.
“Hmm… I see. There’s no special condition…”
“Princess?”
“The truth is, there is one such place in the royal palace. There’s a legend that fairies appear there… but I’ve never met any fairies there before. Is it because of my lack of beauty?”
Princess Daphne playfully said and sent a mischievous look at Cordelia who was left speechless at that moment with her mouth wide open, and Princess Daphne said with a giggle as if she found Cordelia’s reaction cute.
“Okay, I’ve decided. I need to experiment with Cordelia.”
“Experiment?”
“Yes, experiment. Come back at night two days later. Let’s take a bath together.”
“That… at the place where the fairies appear?”
“Yes, at that place. I’m also curious about the secret of this gorgeous hair.”
Princess Daphne gazed at Cordelia’s shiny hair and spoke before she looked at Jude again.
“Jude Bayer, can I borrow your fiancée?”
“If Cordelia accepts, I’m fine with it.”
“That’s what he said.”
Princess Daphne said as she looked at Cordelia again, and Cordelia wriggled her hand away from Jude before replying.
“I… I will go.”
“Fufu, thank you for accepting it. I’ll look forward to that day.”
Having been close to Cordelia, Princess Daphne withdrew and straightened her posture again. She then suddenly asked with narrowed eyes.
“It seems like you’ve done some magic on your hair… Can you tell me the secret?”
“Why not leave it as a question for two days later?”
Jude smoothly responded, and Princess Daphne smiled again and nodded.
“Very well, I’ll look forward to the night two days later.”
And that was it.
They spent a few more minutes with some small talk about the events that happened after their time in the wild lands, and Princess Daphne eventually bade them farewell after she helped Cordelia get up.
“Then, I look forward to meeting you two in two days. Of course, I had fun in today’s meeting too.”
“We also enjoyed it.”
“We’re very honored that you spared us your time.”
When Cordelia and Jude answered in turn, Princess Daphne allowed the two to leave, and the tea party ended with Jude and Cordelia leaving the flower garden.
And around a dozen seconds later.
After Jude and Cordelia left the garden and some time had elapsed, Princess Daphne sat down in a chair and raised her voice.
“What do you think?”
She spoke with a much softer and warmer voice than when she faced Jude and Cordelia, and a curt answer came back to her.
“Not bad.”
A very handsome blond young man walked out of a corner in the flower garden, where the flowers and trees had been arranged in order to form a kind of barrier.
He was Prince Dion, Princess Daphne’s strongest and reliable ally.
At his evaluation, Princess Daphne stretched her shoulders and asked again.
“Why is it not bad?”
“First of all, they seem to be good people, but we’ve only met them for a very short time. However… I’m certain about their abilities.”
“And the reason?”
“I was noticed.”
“Landius’ disciple?”
“Landius’ disciple too.”
Princess Daphne slightly frowned at Prince Dion’s answer. Because she did not expect that.
“Are you saying that Cordelia noticed you too?”
“Yes, rather, she was faster than Landius’ disciple.”
The reason Cordelia was flustered when she first faced Princess Daphne was not simply because she was overwhelmed by Princess Daphne’s charisma.
It was because she noticed the presence of Prince Dion who was hiding in the corner.
So Princess Daphne asked again as she furrowed her brows.
“Because she’s a wizard?”
“She didn’t use any search magic. Moreover, this flower garden is my magic realm. I can perceive any shoddy tricks.”
“Then?”
“Her senses are good.”
She was almost like a wild animal.
Or more like a beast than a human.
“Perhaps you should have just come out and greeted them.”
“No. I learned some things from my observation of them while hiding. Furthermore… it would do more for us to be careful, I think? Those two may determine our fate… and the fate of the Sälen Kingdom.”
The two people of destiny.
Princess Daphne slowly nodded at Prince Dion’s words.
She stared at the door of the flower garden where Jude and Cordelia had gone out of.
***
Outside the flower garden.
Having arrived at a hallway under the guidance of a palace staff, Cordelia immediately glanced at Jude.
‘Hey! Why did you agree to it!’
‘What? You mean the bath?’
‘Yes, the bath. I’m somehow scared!’
Princess Daphne.
She was definitely a beautiful, elegant, and charismatic princess, but she was somehow scary.
‘Is that a big deal? Besides, it’s an opportunity.’
‘An opportunity to get acquainted with the princess?’
‘An opportunity to actively lure her with shampoo and conditioner.’
Cordelia blinked her eyes at Jude’s reply, and Jude cleared his throat and said again via <Message> magic.
[And if you do well, you may be able to meet the fairies, right? As for the fairies who might be residing in the royal family’s residence… chances are high that it’s the summer fairies, right?]
[Yes, probably. Wait, you didn’t tear a scroll just now, right? Did you just use magic?]
[Because Message magic is simple to cast.]
Cordelia frowned when Jude shrugged as if it was something trivial.
[This is why talented people are so unlucky.]
[Hey, didn’t you also master Lightning Punch and my family’s wind-like footwork techniques in an instant?]
[That is that, and this is this.]
[You still have some hair in your heart, huh? You must be feeling warm then?]
T/N: Word play again. ‘Hair in your heart’ is an idiom that refers to a brazen or shameless person. So Jude was saying that she was shameless. But he also used it literally in his next sentence. Hair provided warmth to one’s head, so if one’s heart had hair too, their heart would also feel warm.
[Yes, it’s so warm. It feels nice.]
[It must feel nice, huh? Anyway, did you notice him?]
[Prince Dion?]
[Yes, he was observing us while hiding.]
[Eueue… did we do something bad?]
[I don’t think it’s that… It’s more like he’s cautious of us or something.]
Something that Jude himself did not understand why.
Perhaps it was some information that only Princess Daphne had.
[Haa… anyway, we have to come back in two days.]
[Don’t worry. I’ll properly make you beautiful then.]
Jude smiled and looked at her, and Cordelia responded with a worried gaze.
But it was then.
Jude and Cordelia suddenly straightened their postures and looked in front of them.
Because someone was heading towards them, or to be exact, someone was walking towards Princess Daphne’s flower garden.
That person’s gray hair revealed their age.
But their physique and fierce eyes didn’t match it.
Jude and Cordelia knew who he was.
‘The Lord Protector.’
The main culprit in the royal family’s genocide, and the actual final boss who must be stopped in their upcoming battle in the royal capital.
It was a natural rule that a lower-ranked person should not greet a higher-ranked person unless the latter one spoke to them first.
Therefore, the palace staff stopped to wait for the Lord Protector’s words, and so did Jude and Cordelia.
But the Lord Protector did not speak to Jude and Cordelia. He just looked at them with his cold eyes before passing by as he headed to the flower garden.
[Nothing bad will happen… right?]
The main culprit behind the royal family’s genocide was going to see Princess Daphne.
Cordelia asked as she felt troubled, and Jude nodded his head.
[Because it’s not yet the day of the founding anniversary.]
The Lord Protector was the head of the royalists, so he was a person who frequently met with the next monarch, Princess Daphne.
Perhaps today’s meeting wasn’t such an eventful meeting.
[I’m relieved then…]
Cordelia lightly bit her lips, and she squeezed Jude’s hand which she had been holding since the beginning of the tea party.
The Lord Protector, one of the Ten Great Swordmasters.
An opponent they had to fight in person fifteen days or so later.
[It will be fine. We have First Sword.]
Jude said, and Cordelia nodded again.
She took a step and suppressed her ominous premonition.
***
At the same time, in a place far from the royal capital.
A man frowned at an old temple located in the border between the central and northern parts of the kingdom.
He unknowingly said aloud.
“Pink…Bomb?”
It was a really weird name, so it was something he would never forget the moment he heard himself say it.
And now, he felt that it was two words that he should remember.
The man, Necromancer Velkian, folded the letter with his long and thin fingers before he raised his head to look towards the northeast.
It was in the direction of the royal capital.
“Welcome to my garden.”
Princess Daphne said, and the tea party with only three people, which differed from the original schedule, then began.
“I am Jude Bayer from the Bayer family.”
“I am Cordelia Chase from the Chase family.”
When Jude and Cordelia courteously greeted her, Princess Daphne replied with a faint smile.
“Nice to meet you. I am Crown Princess Daphne. As I’ve already said, I welcome you to this place again.”
Princess Daphne had a clear and beautiful voice, but it was not sweet or gentle-sounding. It was a charismatic voice that captivated the listener with its power and strength.
‘She’s elegant.’
Rather than being pretty, she was elegant.
Obviously, that didn’t mean she wasn’t pretty. Because she was Princess Daphne who was praised for her good character design in the story of Legend of Heroes. She was an elegant yet detached beautiful woman.
Despite wearing a dress, her elegance made it seem like she was wearing a uniform.
‘Princess Daphne.’
While Cordelia was grasping the sensuous parts of Princess Daphne such as her ‘elegant air,’ Jude was studying her figure.
Height, weight, body type, and her trained body.
‘First of all, she’s tall.’
Her height was almost in the late 170s. Perhaps it was close to 180 cm.
Next, her body that was clearly hardened by training seemed to be firm like that of a sword.
‘A predator from the cat family…’
If Cordelia reminded him of a graceful leopard, the Princess Daphne before him was a lion then.
Because her hair was tied up in a bun, her fair and long neck was openly revealed as its slenderness gave it a straighter look. Her shiny dark golden blonde hair seemed to be made from melting gold and was like a crown itself.
And green eyes.
Its strong and vivid color was different from Jude’s green eyes, and her eyes seemed like it could see through the other person.
‘A born ruler?’
Those kind of people existed.
People who naturally rose to the leader position when they were in groups.
Those who made others look at their backs.
The fact that she was born and educated as royalty undoubtedly played a very important role in that.
But Jude was convinced.
That Princess Daphne was born with it.
Even if she was born as a commoner and not royalty, she would still captivate the hearts of many people with her charisma.
“You may sit down.”
Princess Daphne spoke, and the two sat down.
The table was circular, but it was arranged in a way that Jude and Cordelia sat besides each other with Princess Daphne seated across them.
“Alena.”
When Princess Daphne called out quietly, a maid approached them while pushing a small food trolley.
Inside the trolley were various sweet snacks, pretty teacups, and a large and elegant teapot fit for a tea party.
“Because this is a tea party. The royal capital’s snacks are a bit sweeter than those in the north, so tell me right away if you don’t like them.”
“Yes, Your Royal Highness. Thank you for your consideration.”
Cordelia gracefully responded first, but her mind was thinking a bit differently.
She would naturally be like that. After all, how could she express her dissatisfaction with the sweets a royal princess had given her?
‘But it also looks to be delicious.’
Most of the snacks in the north tasted a bit plain, just like what Princess Daphne had said.
Compared to modern-day sweets that lavishly used sugar, the sugar here was still a fairly valuable commodity.
As Cordelia laid her eyes on the various sweets, Princess Daphne waited for the teacups of Jude and Cordelia to be filled with tea before she slightly reached out and bit on a snack.
It was a kind of act which the host showed to their guests in order to directly confirm that the food did not contain anything dangerous like poison, and it was also a very important procedure at tea parties among nobles.
“Hmm… as I thought, it’s too sweet.”
Princess Daphne muttered to herself, smiling bitterly and offering Jude and Cordelia the snacks and tea.
“My taste buds are just picky, but these are the finest products that the royal family are proud to offer. Please do enjoy it.”
“Thank you, Your Royal Highness.”
“Thank you for your consideration.”
Jude and Cordelia smoothly responded before they touched their tea and snacks, and both of them smiled in satisfaction.
‘It’s good?’
‘Delicious!’
Jude didn’t actually like black tea, so him thinking that it was good definitely proved that the tea was of a high quality.
Secondly, the scent of the tea was really good.
As for Cordelia, she was delighted with the snacks.
Because she had tasted something really sweet after a long time.
‘Sweet, sweet. It’s completely sweet.’
It was a sweet taste that made you feel guilty and think that you shouldn’t eat a lot of it since your teeth might melt from the sweetness.
When a bright smile appeared on Cordelia’s face, Princess Daphne softly giggled and said as she looked at Cordelia as if she was appreciating a work of art.
“How lovely.”
“Eh?”
“I’ve seen a lot of children from the royal capital… but this is the first time I’ve met a pretty child like you.”
“Th-thank you.”
At the direct compliment, Cordelia blushed and bowed her head while Jude clenched his fist as he seriously felt satisfied and delighted from the bottom of his heart.
‘As expected of Cordelia.’
Although his original purpose of showing off Cordelia in front of numerous nobles was not achieved, it was still fine.
After all, the most important person had acknowledged Cordelia’s beauty.
‘Maja and Dahlia should have heard her words.’
If this was an ordinary tea party, it would have been common for a guest to be accompanied by a maid or escort, but since Princess Daphne declared it as a ‘three-person tea party,’ the two could not even enter the garden. Perhaps by now, the two were waiting for them in a waiting room.
In any case, Jude was immersed in a really good mood, while Princess Daphne continued to watch Cordelia before she spoke.
“Are you surprised to be invited in a tea party that only has three people?”
“Eh? That… uh… a bit?”
Cordelia answered a little timidly, and Princess Daphne’s smile deepened, seemingly liking Cordelia’s timidity.
“I wanted to meet and focus on you two closely, like I said for the first time. After all, you’ll be the first people to be awarded titles since I was born.”
“Titles?”
Cordelia asked with widened eyes, and Princess Daphne nodded and spoke again.
“Yes, both of you will be conferred baron titles. A separate land will not be distributed, but it will hold more weight than just a knighthood.”
After all, it was a baron peerage.
Although they would become barons in name only, it was clearly a higher position than a regular knight.
‘Awesome!’
Cordelia looked back at Jude who responded with his eyes before he turned his attention to Princess Daphne again.
The reason Princess Daphne talked about that.
The first title conferment ceremony since she was born.
Princess Daphne was only 20 years old. Her coming-of-age ceremony had been held last month.
‘But is that all?’
It must have been very nerve-racking to perform her first official duty as royalty.
But was that really the reason why she even changed the schedule of the tea party and made it for three people only?
Princess Daphne spoke as if answering Jude’s question.
“And… it’s because you two were famous. I wanted to meet you in person and hear your story. I wanted to know what kind of children you were. Certainly… there are people who gain a reputation in the Sälen Kingdom in some way. Well, yours seem to be quite blown out of proportion though.”
Princess Daphne talked a bit mischievously and gazed at Cordelia with a look that seemed to ask if her words were correct, and Cordelia’s lips squirmed before she replied ‘yes.’
“In truth, I had first thought that it was nonsense.”
There were so many stories about them, and some of those sounded ridiculous.
Moreover, what was passed on to Princess Daphne was not like the ‘rumors’ that Princess Darianne met.
The royal family’s informants collected information from all over the country and reported it, and that included a report Count Hræsvelgr had written himself as a margrave.
‘Demon Slayer.’
It was the code name that royal informants had given to Jude and Cordelia.
As the name implied, they were ‘demon hunters’ who had already killed several demonic followers and demonic humans.
They defeated the demonic human who tried to kidnap the children from the 12 northern families in Langesthei.
Afterwards, they defeated the demonic beast in the Witch’s Forest.
They then defeated the demonic humans in the northern viscount’s residence.
They defeated the demon and the demonic humans in Frost Anvil too.
Up to this point, all of these were already unimaginable achievements for children of ordinary nobles, but their activities beyond the border were also added.
‘Guardians of the Wild Lands.’
The figures who defeated the corrupted barbarians and the empire’s demonic human, and then stopped the massive war planned by the ‘Devil’s Eye.’
Of course, Count Hræsvelgr’s report did not completely describe the achievements of Jude and Cordelia, but the battle in the plains alone, which was the final decisive battle, far exceeded the other achievements of the two.
‘But it’s not just their war achievements.’
It wasn’t because of their fantastic merits that led to Jude and Cordelia being called a fantasy couple.
An immature couple.
Despite being already engaged, that didn’t stop the two from running away at night because of love.
And the shameless letters they left behind when they would escape.
It was unbelievable that they were the same people who made all those achievements listed above, but the latter parts were also true.
‘And Darianne’s story.’
To begin with, Darianne was a good child.
A pure child who was affectionate and bright, and not yet aware of the horrors of the world or the dark side of humans.
But that didn’t mean she was a fool.
Darianne also had an eye for judging people.
Moreover, Darianne’s ability that she awakened as royalty was also related to her eyes.
But such a Darianne praised Jude and Cordelia.
Without hesitation, she even called them ‘unnie’ and ‘oppa.’
‘The finishing blow.’
Their performance in the Banquet of Swords.
Jude’s match against the Sword Saint of Light clearly revealed how strong he currently was.
‘Too strong.’
A skill that couldn’t even be compared to his peers.
A strength that overwhelmed Lucas Hræsvelgr, who was known as the Girin of the North.
‘The more I hear about it, the more it feels strange.’
They stimulated the curiosity of others, making other people ask many times if the protagonists of these stories were really the same people.
It was evidently one of most important reasons why they were here now, but even if that wasn’t the reason, Princess Daphne would have still invited them here.
“Moving on… It seems it was a good idea to invite you two here. I could at least confirm one thing immediately.”
What one thing?
Are you talking about the rumors that Jude and I love each other?
Cordelia unknowingly became tense and her hand groped the air near her thighs, and Jude grabbed and held Cordelia’s hand.
The warmth was not transmitted because both of them were wearing gloves, but the fact that they held each other’s hands made Cordelia feel much better.
‘He’s reassuring.’
Should I say that he makes me feel calm?
Having been comforted by Jude’s firm hands, Cordelia faced Princess Daphne again, who suddenly got up from her seat and approached Cordelia, saying.
“You’re really beautiful, Cordelia.”
As she whispered, her hand moved and touched Cordelia’s cheek before it slowly moved down to the neck. She then spoke as her hand quietly headed to the chest of Cordelia who was unable to move from extreme tension.
“Your scarf is crooked.”
The white scarf on the upper part of her pink dress.
Princess Daphne fixed Cordelia’s scarf, and Cordelia lightly bit her lips unconsciously.
‘W-what is this? Why is my heart pounding?’
Why is my heart beating like this when we’re both women and wearing a dress, and she’s just fixing my scarf?
Cordelia’s face flushed red and she gazed at Princess Daphne as if she was a bit bewitched. On the other hand, Jude squeezed Cordelia’s hand a bit tight to make her come to her senses.
“Fufu, how cute.”
Cordelia.
No, Jude too.
Princess Daphne quietly smiled at the two before she glanced at Jude as she placed her hand on Cordelia’s shoulder instead of sitting down again.
“Jude Bayer. The second son of the swordmaster, Count Bayer.”
He looked naturally strong just by his physical looks alone.
He seemed to have been practicing martial arts since his childhood.
But Princess Daphne had already reviewed Jude’s records several times.
Everyone knew that Jude was born with Gueumjulmaek, and that only half a year ago, he could not even do basic physical training, let alone martial arts.
“What happened?”
Only half a year had passed.
What had happened in that time that made him as strong as he was now?
Princess Daphne gently squeezed Cordelia’s shoulder.
She looked straight at Jude who had the same but different green eyes as her and asked.
“Can you explain how you became so strong?”
Her eyes had a cold and piercing gaze.
Therefore, Jude replied honestly.
“I had a lot of strange encounters.”
The Sun’s Necklace with the power of Solari.
A meeting with the Fairy Queen.
The absorption of the Sunflower and so on.
Jude didn’t necessarily list it one by one.
In fact, it was very strange for someone to experience all of these within a short period of time.
“Strange encounters.”
Princess Daphne smiled. She stroked Cordelia’s shoulder and continued.
“Perhaps you signed a contract with a demon?”
A way to become a strong person in a very short time.
A contract with a demon.
To devote one’s soul to an overlord of hell and be reborn as a demonic human.
At her unexpected suspicion, Cordelia raised her head and tried to open her mouth, but Jude tightened his grip on her hand as if to hold her back from speaking.
Because he knew it when he made eye contact with the other.
That Princess Daphne wasn’t serious with what she said.
“Though, that is impossible. Because you’re the disciple of Iron Man Landius, the hero of the Paragon Kingdom and not just anyone else.”
Princess Daphne slightly tilted her head, seemingly asking him if that was true, and Jude replied with a small smile.
“It’s true.”
It wasn’t really a big secret.
All the knights of Count Bayer and Count Hræsvelgr who were with them during the incident at the northern viscount’s residence had known of it.
“But even if I take all of these into account… it’s true that you’re too strong. That’s why it’s good.”
Princess Daphne said something they didn’t understand, and she softly smiled before pulling a chair next to Cordelia and then sitting down.
“Then Cordelia, is the fairy story true?”
“Eh? Uh…yes. It’s true.”
The story of their meeting with the fall fairies was quite famous.
When Cordelia added the stories of them meeting the winter fairies and the fall fairies in the wild lands, Princess Daphne spoke as she gently touched her own chin.
“Hmm… I see. There’s no special condition…”
“Princess?”
“The truth is, there is one such place in the royal palace. There’s a legend that fairies appear there… but I’ve never met any fairies there before. Is it because of my lack of beauty?”
Princess Daphne playfully said and sent a mischievous look at Cordelia who was left speechless at that moment with her mouth wide open, and Princess Daphne said with a giggle as if she found Cordelia’s reaction cute.
“Okay, I’ve decided. I need to experiment with Cordelia.”
“Experiment?”
“Yes, experiment. Come back at night two days later. Let’s take a bath together.”
“That… at the place where the fairies appear?”
“Yes, at that place. I’m also curious about the secret of this gorgeous hair.”
Princess Daphne gazed at Cordelia’s shiny hair and spoke before she looked at Jude again.
“Jude Bayer, can I borrow your fiancée?”
“If Cordelia accepts, I’m fine with it.”
“That’s what he said.”
Princess Daphne said as she looked at Cordelia again, and Cordelia wriggled her hand away from Jude before replying.
“I… I will go.”
“Fufu, thank you for accepting it. I’ll look forward to that day.”
Having been close to Cordelia, Princess Daphne withdrew and straightened her posture again. She then suddenly asked with narrowed eyes.
“It seems like you’ve done some magic on your hair… Can you tell me the secret?”
“Why not leave it as a question for two days later?”
Jude smoothly responded, and Princess Daphne smiled again and nodded.
“Very well, I’ll look forward to the night two days later.”
And that was it.
They spent a few more minutes with some small talk about the events that happened after their time in the wild lands, and Princess Daphne eventually bade them farewell after she helped Cordelia get up.
“Then, I look forward to meeting you two in two days. Of course, I had fun in today’s meeting too.”
“We also enjoyed it.”
“We’re very honored that you spared us your time.”
When Cordelia and Jude answered in turn, Princess Daphne allowed the two to leave, and the tea party ended with Jude and Cordelia leaving the flower garden.
And around a dozen seconds later.
After Jude and Cordelia left the garden and some time had elapsed, Princess Daphne sat down in a chair and raised her voice.
“What do you think?”
She spoke with a much softer and warmer voice than when she faced Jude and Cordelia, and a curt answer came back to her.
“Not bad.”
A very handsome blond young man walked out of a corner in the flower garden, where the flowers and trees had been arranged in order to form a kind of barrier.
He was Prince Dion, Princess Daphne’s strongest and reliable ally.
At his evaluation, Princess Daphne stretched her shoulders and asked again.
“Why is it not bad?”
“First of all, they seem to be good people, but we’ve only met them for a very short time. However… I’m certain about their abilities.”
“And the reason?”
“I was noticed.”
“Landius’ disciple?”
“Landius’ disciple too.”
Princess Daphne slightly frowned at Prince Dion’s answer. Because she did not expect that.
“Are you saying that Cordelia noticed you too?”
“Yes, rather, she was faster than Landius’ disciple.”
The reason Cordelia was flustered when she first faced Princess Daphne was not simply because she was overwhelmed by Princess Daphne’s charisma.
It was because she noticed the presence of Prince Dion who was hiding in the corner.
So Princess Daphne asked again as she furrowed her brows.
“Because she’s a wizard?”
“She didn’t use any search magic. Moreover, this flower garden is my magic realm. I can perceive any shoddy tricks.”
“Then?”
“Her senses are good.”
She was almost like a wild animal.
Or more like a beast than a human.
“Perhaps you should have just come out and greeted them.”
“No. I learned some things from my observation of them while hiding. Furthermore… it would do more for us to be careful, I think? Those two may determine our fate… and the fate of the Sälen Kingdom.”
The two people of destiny.
Princess Daphne slowly nodded at Prince Dion’s words.
She stared at the door of the flower garden where Jude and Cordelia had gone out of.
***
Outside the flower garden.
Having arrived at a hallway under the guidance of a palace staff, Cordelia immediately glanced at Jude.
‘Hey! Why did you agree to it!’
‘What? You mean the bath?’
‘Yes, the bath. I’m somehow scared!’
Princess Daphne.
She was definitely a beautiful, elegant, and charismatic princess, but she was somehow scary.
‘Is that a big deal? Besides, it’s an opportunity.’
‘An opportunity to get acquainted with the princess?’
‘An opportunity to actively lure her with shampoo and conditioner.’
Cordelia blinked her eyes at Jude’s reply, and Jude cleared his throat and said again via <Message> magic.
[And if you do well, you may be able to meet the fairies, right? As for the fairies who might be residing in the royal family’s residence… chances are high that it’s the summer fairies, right?]
[Yes, probably. Wait, you didn’t tear a scroll just now, right? Did you just use magic?]
[Because Message magic is simple to cast.]
Cordelia frowned when Jude shrugged as if it was something trivial.
[This is why talented people are so unlucky.]
[Hey, didn’t you also master Lightning Punch and my family’s wind-like footwork techniques in an instant?]
[That is that, and this is this.]
[You still have some hair in your heart, huh? You must be feeling warm then?]
T/N: Word play again. ‘Hair in your heart’ is an idiom that refers to a brazen or shameless person. So Jude was saying that she was shameless. But he also used it literally in his next sentence. Hair provided warmth to one’s head, so if one’s heart had hair too, their heart would also feel warm.
[Yes, it’s so warm. It feels nice.]
[It must feel nice, huh? Anyway, did you notice him?]
[Prince Dion?]
[Yes, he was observing us while hiding.]
[Eueue… did we do something bad?]
[I don’t think it’s that… It’s more like he’s cautious of us or something.]
Something that Jude himself did not understand why.
Perhaps it was some information that only Princess Daphne had.
[Haa… anyway, we have to come back in two days.]
[Don’t worry. I’ll properly make you beautiful then.]
Jude smiled and looked at her, and Cordelia responded with a worried gaze.
But it was then.
Jude and Cordelia suddenly straightened their postures and looked in front of them.
Because someone was heading towards them, or to be exact, someone was walking towards Princess Daphne’s flower garden.
That person’s gray hair revealed their age.
But their physique and fierce eyes didn’t match it.
Jude and Cordelia knew who he was.
‘The Lord Protector.’
The main culprit in the royal family’s genocide, and the actual final boss who must be stopped in their upcoming battle in the royal capital.
It was a natural rule that a lower-ranked person should not greet a higher-ranked person unless the latter one spoke to them first.
Therefore, the palace staff stopped to wait for the Lord Protector’s words, and so did Jude and Cordelia.
But the Lord Protector did not speak to Jude and Cordelia. He just looked at them with his cold eyes before passing by as he headed to the flower garden.
[Nothing bad will happen… right?]
The main culprit behind the royal family’s genocide was going to see Princess Daphne.
Cordelia asked as she felt troubled, and Jude nodded his head.
[Because it’s not yet the day of the founding anniversary.]
The Lord Protector was the head of the royalists, so he was a person who frequently met with the next monarch, Princess Daphne.
Perhaps today’s meeting wasn’t such an eventful meeting.
[I’m relieved then…]
Cordelia lightly bit her lips, and she squeezed Jude’s hand which she had been holding since the beginning of the tea party.
The Lord Protector, one of the Ten Great Swordmasters.
An opponent they had to fight in person fifteen days or so later.
[It will be fine. We have First Sword.]
Jude said, and Cordelia nodded again.
She took a step and suppressed her ominous premonition.
***
At the same time, in a place far from the royal capital.
A man frowned at an old temple located in the border between the central and northern parts of the kingdom.
He unknowingly said aloud.
“Pink…Bomb?”
It was a really weird name, so it was something he would never forget the moment he heard himself say it.
And now, he felt that it was two words that he should remember.
The man, Necromancer Velkian, folded the letter with his long and thin fingers before he raised his head to look towards the northeast.
It was in the direction of the royal capital.
