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Chapter 201: Eyes of a Dragon and the Human Heart (65)

Of course, if I strictly adhered to the order, meeting the Saintess happened earlier. However, it felt ambiguous to refer to her as a ‘visitor’, since she was originally a resident of the temple.’

Therefore, the first actual visitor who came to see me was Senior Neris.

However, she did not seem particularly pleased despite claiming that honor.

On the contrary, she seemed to be experiencing fear.

This was because I had conveyed the request to keep my recovery from unconsciousness a secret to both the Saintess and Senior Neris. 

Senior Neris seemed to be unable to fathom the reason for this.

The reason itself was nothing more than a trivial matter.

So, in order to reassure her, I had to ask with a faint smile.

“What’s wrong?”

“No, I… well…”

Upon hearing my question, Senior Neris looked somewhat hesitant.

After fidgeting for a while, she eventually closed her eyes as if she had made up her mind and asked. 

“So what! W-why do you keep playing with your hatchet like that…?”

Upon hearing those words, my eyes turned towards the air where the hatchet I had thrown was flying.

The floating hatchet, drawing a straight line, immediately descended back into my hand as I repeatedly threw it into the air and caught it. In this way, I could regain the feeling of holding it in my hands.

This was something I could do even by just raising the upper half of my body from the bed.

It seemed that Senior Neris found this aspect rather suspicious.

So, I replied as if it were nothing special.

“Well, that’s because I have to use it soon.”

Senior Neris’s complexion began to pale.

The fearful expression in her eyes gradually deepened, and she soon trembled, hastily lowering her head.

A faint voice escaped her lips. 

“I-I apologize. Please let me know without holding back if I have done anything wrong…”

“What are you talking about?”

Despite my dumbfounded question, Senior Neris continuously glanced at me, seemingly assessing my reaction. I made a clucking sound.

Considering how frightened Senior Neris was, postponing the regain of my senses for a little while would be reasonable.

Nevertheless, to feel regretful it was inevitable. This was why a noise was heard when I placed the hatchet on the table.

Senior Neris hiccuped and looked as if she were on the verge of tears.

Hoping she had calmed down, I explained the reason for summoning her.

“What happened to Her Imperial Princess?”

“Ah, that, well…”

Despite receiving a simple question, it still took some time for the visibly started Senior Neris to calm down.

Stammering, in the end, Senior Neris’s explanation did not differ much from what I had heard from the Saintess.

“So, in summary, she feels sorry for something she did to me and decides to turn everything around?” 

“Y-yes, that’s correct.”

“And Her Imperial Princess also believes she is at fault because of that statement?”

“Yes, probably…”

My hand instinctively rested on my forehead.

I sighed and shook my head.

“…What a mess.”

Actually, the Imperial Princess’s wrongdoing was not significant.

While it was somewhat problematic to involve people around me, understanding her sentiment when a lower-rank noble messed with a member of the Imperial Family of the Empire was not difficult.

Above all, the damage she caused to Leto and Celine was not irreversible.

The Imperial Princess was someone who had just come of age.

With a childhood full of wounds,she had a deep-rooted distrust towards humans. Therefore, forming normal human relationships was naturally challenging for her. This, in turn, increased the likelihood of making incorrect judgments.

If one couldn’t understand this immaturity, there would be too many people in the world who would become twisted before becoming adults. 

However, there was undoubtedly a part where the Imperial Princess had wronged me.

Perhaps concerned about this, Senior Neris soon asked, glancing at me.

“Then, about your sister’s trading company…”

“You don’t need to worry.”

I said so while waving the letter envelope I received this morning. 

It was a letter from my sister. Unable to guess its contents, Senior Neris could only look at me with a doubtful expression.

A wry smile crept onto my lips as I blurted out an explanation about the situation.

The details weren’t necessary to discuss right now. Still, I added emphasis to my words. 

“You don’t have to worry about my sister. Instead, Senior Neris… I would like to ask about that anesthetic poison you used on me before.”

Senior Neris’s body stiffened again at the sudden mention of a past event.

She remained stiff, cold sweat running down her body, and then quickly avoided my gaze.

It seemed like the nightmare of that day was resurfacing. 

It was understandable that a mere academy student caused the destruction of one of the branches of the Imperial Intelligence Agency. Senior Neris stammered again before speaking.

“Y-yes. At that time, I ignorantly used such poison without knowing my place…”

“Did you apply that poison using a poisoned needle?”

Senior Neris’s words abruptly stopped.

As if unable to comprehend my intention, she cautiously studied my expression. However, no matter how she looked, my true feelings were impossible to read.

Because it was just a question asked out of pure curiosity, after all.

Senior Neris continued speaking while still showing signs of caution.

“Of… course, it was not like that… It’s a poison extracted from a rare creature called the ‘Stone-Webbed Spider’ living in the Great Forest. Once injected into the body, its effects take hold quickly. It will undoubtedly induce paralysis, and the primary venomous effect will likely coagulate mana within the body…”

The explanation started with a faint voice at first, but since Senior Neris loved poisons so much, she soon became excited and started laying out all kinds of information.

It was fortunate that she was so passionate about that. 

However, time was not on my side, so I had to cut to the chase.

“Give me that poison. Just one is fine.”

Upon hearing this, Senior Neris became tearful.

“Th-that’s extremely valuable, and only a limited number are given within the Intelligence Agency…”

“One, please.”

Eventually, Senior Neris, with trembling hands, had to take out a vial from her belongings. 

Even her eyes seemed to have a subtle moisture. 

Noticing her evident fondness for the poison, I couldn’t help but feel a slight sense of guilt inwardly, yet it couldn’t be helped.

All was for the sake of the Imperial Family.

After seeing Senior Neris off, I took the chance to leave when there was no one inside the temple.

Of course, I didn’t get permission from the Saintess.

I expected to hear a lecture later.

**

My journey to find the Imperial Princess came to an end not long after.

I heard a buzz and when I went to check, there was an immense crowd gathered. In the direction they were looking, the Imperial Princess collapsed and shed tears.

Observing the Imperial Princess tapping her chest several times and retching, it certainly appeared abnormal at first glance. 

She even forcefully pushed approaching people away with bloodshot eyes.

The murmuring voices revealed a negative perception of the Imperial Princess. Most comments were insults directed at her or sighs, lamenting the lack of proper behavior upon becoming a member of the Imperial Family.

Of course, one fact was majoritively agreed upon.

There was something wrong.

These people didn’t know why the Imperial Princess was reacting so fiercely.

She had a traumatic memory of severe childhood bullying because of her ‘Dragon’s Eye,’ and her mother had strangled her because of it. The extent of those scars was unimaginable.

Now that she faced ostracism again, how great would the Imperial Princess’s sense of loss be?

She even came close to being killed by a manipulated head maid under the control of the Dark Priest. The maid had been her lifelong companion.

It was a situation where it was difficult to keep one’s sanity.

However, people didn’t know these facts. Perhaps they didn’t even want to know from the beginning.

They just needed a scapegoat.

Despite their initial intentions, a growing unease flickered in their eyes as the situation escalated. 

There was the Imperial Family behind the Imperial Princess. If the Emperor’s daughter was reduced to such a state, there was a looming fear that the Emperor’s wrath might extend to the academy.

Eventually, someone had to resolve this and even the situation that had pushed the Imperial Princess’s pain to the extreme.

A sigh escaped my lips.

At that moment, some who recognized me began to hesitantly step aside. Without refusing or hesitation, I moved through the opening.

Soon, the entire crowd parted.

Only the Imperial Princess and I remained by the roadside. The Imperial Princess, who had been sniffling and shedding tears, finally looked at me blankly.

The sound of sobbing ceased.

However, tears continued to flow down the Imperial Princess’s cheeks even more. Staggering, the Imperial Princess clung to me as if crawling.

The girl pleaded through her tears.

“S-Sir Ian… I was wrong. I was so terrible, right? I’m, I’m sorry for not understanding you all this time. I’m sorry for acting so stuck up… Heuk, heuk…”

She poured out countless words of apology.

“S-So, this is because I have tormented you, Sir Ian, that’s why it has come back to me like this, right? A-about your younger sister… I-I-I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry… I-I should have somehow… I should have done something.”

I remained silent.

“Please, please forgive me. Sir Ian… I’ll do anything, anything if you are willing to forgive me… Y-yes! I swear on the honor of the Imperial Family, I won’t ask for any responsibility.”

It was the moment I opened my mouth.

“…You swear on the honor of the Imperial Family?”

It was a subdued but firm voice.

At least, the sound reached the ears of those surrounding us. The realization that something interesting was happening stirred the crowd, and they began to make noise again.

The honor of the Imperial Family.

The nobles of this Empire risked their lives for honor. If the nobles were like this, it would be even more intense for the Imperial Family.

Certainly, it was not something that a mere Imperial Princess could undertake such a pledge.

Only the Emperor could represent the Imperial Family. However, if such words came from a member of the Imperial Family’s mouth, it was still a reality that couldn’t be ignored.

By this point, it would be difficult for her to openly take back her words, no matter what misdeeds were committed.

Of course, if it were deemed excessive, there might be a summoning behind the scenes. But even that was something bound to happen.

After all, being the bearer of the Dragonblood Script alone was enough to warrant being summoned to the Imperial Family.

I wasn’t sure how to navigate through this situation, but at least that was a confirmed future, as I had no control over what the Imperial Princess said.

Because there was no way the Imperial Princess didn’t say anything about that when she requested a holy relic for my treatment. 

In other words, there was no additional risk I had to bear.

“Y-yes… of course. As long as I can only receive your forgiveness…”

“…You’re willing to do anything as long as you can be forgiven?”

I intercepted the Imperial Princess’s words one last time.

She nodded frantically. My eyes scanned the surrounding crowd.

They somehow had shut their mouths that were once murmuring and were now looking at me and the Imperial Princess. Their eyes held an intriguing anticipation of how I would handle the situation.

They were such bad people. 

When I underwent torment, they readily joined in, but when the situation reversed, they nonchalantly cursed at the Imperial Princess as if they had never been a part of it.

And when some issue arose, no one stepped forward, just trembling on the sidelines. Now, as if finding something interesting to watch, their eyes gleamed.

Therefore, I wanted to leave a warning. 

It was the moment when a pure white trail was drawn in the air. 

The incident unfolded in the blink of an eye.

I fumbled at my waist before suddenly drawing the hatchet and striking the Imperial Princess’s shoulder. It was a blow so deep that it felt like the cartilage itself was twisting.

The Imperial Princess’s eyes widened in disbelief.

The onlookers’ eyes, too, were wide as saucers.

Blood splattered, and the Imperial Princess’s body swayed before she fell backwards. 

I uttered a single word as I watched her.

“Well then, why don’t you take a few hits.”

After drawing the hatchet from my waist, my body leaped like a savage beast, and I sat on top of the fallen figure of the Imperial Princess.

Then, I tightened my fist and struck her cheek.

“Kyaah, aack… it hurts, kyaaaccck!”

It was the moment when the entire surroundings fell silent in an instant.