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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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Eileen’s sudden confession left both her adjutant, who had been diligently following her, and Rudrick, the recipient of the confession, speechless.
Eileen gracefully brushed her hair back and asked,
“Your answer?”
“…”
It was an abrupt confession, a sudden “What just happened?” moment.
Eileen’s adjutant, witnessing the scene, wore a panicked expression and hurriedly tried to intervene.
Confessions were like that.
Just as it takes two hands to clap, a confession wasn’t something you just blurted out because you liked someone.
It was a confirmation process, a final step to confirm feelings after sufficient signals had been exchanged.
The adjutant, well aware of this, desperately tried to stop Eileen but failed, her mouth agape in shock.
Eileen simply shrugged, as if wondering what the problem was.
“Is there a problem?”
Eileen asked, her expression unchanged.
Rudrick responded with a bewildered look,
“There are many problems.”
“Such as?”
“…Haven’t we only known each other for a week?”
The confession brought many thoughts to Rudrick’s mind. There was the fact that Eileen had been following him around like a stalker for that short week.
She was the infamous Grand Duchess of Nord, and he was a runaway noble working as a mercenary.
In an era of strict social hierarchy where marriages between different classes were frowned upon, free love was an absurd notion.
“Do I need a reason to like you? I don’t think time is that big of an issue.”
“…And there’s also the difference in social status.”
“That’s the same.”
Eileen stated flatly, her expression still impassive.
On the surface, she looked like a doll. Her face remained unchanged even as she uttered embarrassing words, her skin pale white, and her cold impression accentuated by her jet-black hair.
The problem was that the words coming out of Eileen’s mouth were quite… unusual.
“Do I need any other reason than the fact that I like you? I don’t think so.”
Eileen responded brazenly and stepped closer to Rudrick.
Whether or not Rudrick unconsciously recoiled from her imposing presence, Eileen looked down at him from a height that a third party might describe as a heart-fluttering height difference, and said,
“Well, you might find it burdensome right now.”
“…I’m glad you realize that.”
Rudrick replied with a subtle expression.
His tone could be perceived as disrespectful depending on the listener.
Eileen was, though distantly related, a member of the imperial family.
The Nord Duchy itself was essentially a march, established to defend the Great Wall and protect against the monsters and barbarians beyond it.
If an ordinary noble were to act so disrespectfully towards a member of the Esgelant imperial family, it would cause a huge uproar. But Eileen responded nonchalantly, as if it was nothing.
“It wouldn’t be bad to take some time to get to know each other. But I want you to know this.”
“Yes?”
“You may think differently, but I’m serious.”
Eileen shrugged again.
After casually dropping that bombshell, Eileen returned to her place, but Rudrick, caught off guard, stood there speechless.
Her adjutant, who had been forced to play the role of a maid due to her superior’s sudden infatuation, said weakly to Rudrick,
“…She’s not usually like this. This is the first time I’ve seen her like this, even after serving her for several years.”
“It seems quite different from the rumors about the Grand Duchess of Nord…”
“She’s someone who never showed any interest in men, so there were even absurd rumors that she indulged in… other pleasures… Anyway, I apologize for her behavior. Please understand.”
The adjutant, covering her face as if embarrassed, hurriedly left to attend to Eileen.
Rudrick, left alone, tilted his head in confusion.
“…What? Is this life some kind of romance fantasy?”
This was a typical scenario in the romance fantasy genre. The only difference was that the genders were reversed.
Rudrick, comparing the rumors about the Grand Duchess of Nord with what he had just witnessed, muttered,
“I don’t get it.”
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The mercenary captain muttered with a bewildered look,
“Why were we even hired…? Well, I don’t mind as long as we get paid…”
They had already received a hefty sum as a down payment.
In these kinds of condottieri contracts, it was customary for the payment to vary depending on the risk involved, considering the mercenaries were risking their lives and skills.
The expedition beyond the cold and treacherous Wall, along with the fact that the mercenary company had a skilled mage like Rudrick, earned them bonus points, resulting in a very generous reward.
The problem was, despite receiving such a large sum as a down payment, the mercenary company had nothing to do.
Literally, not even a blink of an eye.
Swish!
A silver blade flashed for an instant, followed by the sound of flesh being cut, and the blue blood, characteristic of monsters, stained the pristine white snowfield.
The Black Lion of the North.
It was no wonder the mercenary captain muttered to herself after witnessing the true skills of the Empire’s shield.
Eileen, who had volunteered as a guide, moved at a speed beyond human comprehension, instantly slaughtering the small group of monsters that had appeared.
“That wasn’t even a warm-up.”
Eileen grumbled after annihilating a group of monsters, including a large troll, with just a few swings of her sword. The mercenary captain simply stared blankly.
This had been happening repeatedly.
The Grand Duchess, who had hired the mercenary company for a hefty sum and then insisted on being the guide, was on a rampage, single-handedly wiping out any monsters or barbarians that appeared, instead of actually guiding them.
While they didn’t mind getting paid for doing nothing, it was unsettling to witness such a spectacle, especially since the person responsible was none other than the infamous Eileen Nord.
Whether or not Eileen was aware of the mercenary captain’s feelings, she continued to linger near Rudrick.
“Hmm.”
Eileen seemed to have something to say, but after her initial eccentric behavior, she hadn’t spoken directly to Rudrick.
She thought she was being considerate, giving him time to think, but her adjutant was relieved.
No one, not even her adjutant, who had served her for years at close proximity, had expected to see the Grand Duchess of Nord, a formidable figure even to her, acting so nervously around a man.
This strange journey continued until the very end of the contracted period.
After her initial bewildering confession, whenever monsters appeared, Eileen would rush out and exterminate them, as if telling Rudrick not to lift a finger.
Then, she would linger near Rudrick like a child seeking praise, and when Rudrick, unable to stand it any longer, offered a few perfunctory words, she would return, pleased, her expression still impassive.
It was similar to how women often showed off in front of men they liked.
And then, at the celebratory feast held after their return, having fulfilled the contract period…
Outwardly, it was a feast to celebrate the mercenaries’ hard work, but in reality, none of the mercenaries had even fired a single arrow.
It was no different than having received payment for a cold march through a snow-covered field.
“Now, I’m curious about your answer.”
Naturally, Eileen sat at the head of the table, and Rudrick was assigned the seat next to her.
Ordinary young noblemen would have considered this a golden opportunity.
The Grand Duchess of Nord, despite her… reputation, had fallen for him at first sight and was courting him. Such a thought would be enough to set any young man’s heart ablaze.
Moreover, the Nord Duchy was a highly desirable marriage prospect, and their families would welcome it with open arms.
But the problem was that Rudrick wasn’t an ordinary young nobleman.
For Rudrick, who hadn’t completely abandoned his past life’s way of thinking, this situation was just a confusing mess.
“An answer…”
Rudrick hummed briefly.
Regardless, Eileen stared directly at Rudrick.
Their eyes met in the air.
At first, she had thought he was just an ordinary young nobleman who had run away from home.
But she became intrigued when she heard he had successfully made a living as a mage in the rough mercenary world. And when she actually met him, she found herself captivated without even realizing it.
The young noblemen she had met before had all, without exception, shown two reactions upon meeting her.
They either put on a fake act of friendliness, trying to get close to her for their own gain, or they were intimidated by her reputation and cowered in fear.
“An answer… I should give you one.”
But Rudrick, hesitating and stammering in front of her, didn’t fit into either category. It was a fresh, new reaction for Eileen.
A pure, unadulterated reaction, untainted by any pretense.
He wasn’t incredibly handsome, but he had a cute face that would appeal to most women, including Eileen herself, and his reactions matched his appearance.
And when her thoughts reached that point, Eileen had an epiphany.
‘He’s the one.’
She had never been interested in the opposite sex in her entire life. She had even looked down on other nobles who caused trouble with men, including illegitimate children.
But now, she understood.
Rudrick Weiss, standing before her, was her destined partner.
He was the one.
Eileen, having realized this instinctively, patiently waited for Rudrick’s answer.
With a faint smile playing on her lips, a smile she didn’t even realize she was wearing.
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