Ch. 200
“Protect me!!!”
Heidrike truly felt more peaceful than the inland regions.
I finally understood why so many people wanted to spend their later years here.
A sky full of sharp, bright stars, a gentle quiet breeze, and this endlessly clear, vast nature.
Sitting on the horse Ash was leading, I gazed lazily up at the night sky.
A full moon hung overhead, making the late night as bright as dawn. Out in the middle of an empty plain, the quiet felt even deeper, the brightness even clearer.
“This is… nice…”
I murmured blankly, then began humming a song that suddenly came to mind.
I felt refreshed after washing, I liked the slow rocking of the horse, and all of it made this moment feel meaningful.
“The whole world knows… that night holds the most beautiful things no one can ever capture.”
“The shining moon, the countless twinkling stars… enchanting us all, just like the girl by the river…”
Recognizing the song, Ash softly began humming along.
He was walking one step ahead, holding the reins like a dutiful attendant instead of riding with me, and when I paused the song, he looked back with slightly worried eyes—as if apologizing for singing along.
I smiled a little and kept singing.
“Every night you visit my dreams… so I can’t forget. You’re beside me, but always drift away on your own. Still… if I wait… you brush past me again…”
“If I reach out, it feels like I could touch you… can I reach you? We’re together, yet you shine without me…”
“I know… until you come to me, you are not mine. Yes, I know…”
It was a song perfect for the night sky, but also a famously romantic confession. Under the moonlight, I could clearly see Ash smiling shyly.
If only he smiled with the angelic face he once had. Not that I hadn’t grown fond of his current plain, everyday face after seeing it so much.
We entered a small forest.
To return from the lake to the abandoned-house area, we had to pass through it. Even at this slow pace, it was a tiny forest—five minutes to cross.
Nothing dangerous lived here. No monsters prowling.
I hummed carelessly as we walked through, when suddenly something darted past in front of me with a rustling sound.
“Kyaa, a squirrel!”
“……?”
[Huh?]
“Squirrel!”
Even the horse didn’t flinch—an animal so harmless—but I pretended to be startled, covering my cheeks and letting out a tiny scream.
Then I waited for Ash’s reaction… but he only looked at me in complete bafflement.
Honestly, he was way too serious.
“W-what… are you doing…?”
“What’s that reaction supposed to be?! Hurry up and protect me!”
“…What?”
“I’m weak right now! Because of YOU guys, hm? Because all of you are as useless as trash about to be thrown away! That’s why I’m like this! So take responsibility and guard me until I’m recovered! Tense up! Do I have to spell everything out for you?!”
I couldn’t even summon Undine right now. I couldn’t beat a random wild animal.
Rai was here, sure—but more guards were always better. I demanded again, proudly.
“You owe me! So protect me with your life!”
[Master, what’s ‘trash about to be thrown away’?]
[Not actual trash. Just useless. Calling them trash felt too harsh, so I softened it.]
[Ah! As expected of Master—your “softened version” is still—]
[Do you want to die?]
Damn wolf. He was my only guard right now—no wonder I felt uneasy. I needed someone smarter.
“…Geenie, I’ll do anything that can help you. If not now, when will I ever get a chance to protect you? But… against a squirrel?”
“Be just as tense even if the enemy is Lox!”
“…I see you consider Lox and a squirrel equal.”
“Wrong. The squirrel is cuter and has more value. If he weren’t your attendant, I would’ve drowned him already.”
Ash chuckled low a few times and kept walking, unbothered.
Watching him move calmly beside the horse—no longer fazed by my death threats—made it clear he was getting used to me.
And honestly, moonlight really did make a person’s profile look beautiful.
“Lox is definitely rude to you. But that’s probably… because of me.”
“Because of you? Isn’t it because his saintly fantasy got shattered? I’m nothing like what he imagined, so he’s rebelling.”
It was just us, so nothing was off-limits.
I complained freely.
“That might be part of it… but more than that… it’s because I… like you…”
“What?”
“…ahem, in any case, Lox’s behavior isn’t right. I’ve spoken to him several times, but nothing changed. I should apologize on his behalf…”
“You. Come here.”
I curled my finger. Ash approached obediently, confused.
I beckoned him closer… closer…
Since I was on the horse and he was on the ground, my eye level was higher than usual.
When his face was finally within reach, I grabbed his left cheek and stretched it hard.
“So Lox has been acting like that because YOU like me?”
“……!”
“All this time I wondered why he acted so stiff around me! So it was because of YOU?! My enemy of patience!”
I grabbed his right cheek too and stretched it.
How many times had Lox pushed my patience to the brink? I almost killed him multiple times but spared him because it might ruin Ash’s exam.
And all along, Lox had been projecting me as the crown prince’s romantic interest.
I didn’t even want to imagine how strict and unreasonable his standards must have been.
“You knew I liked you? Since when? I thought you had no idea…”
Even while I ranted, Ash only blinked back up at me with round eyes.
“I’m not clueless!”
[…]
Ugh. Rai was looking at me with dead-fish eyes. A SPIRIT giving me that look. Unbelievable.
I muttered quietly:
“…Fine! I guess I really was the last one to notice!”
“I honestly thought you’d never find out.”
“I’m not that oblivious.”
“That’s a relief…”
Even with his cheeks pulled, he smiled brightly—pure happiness, like a boy receiving a long-awaited gift.
Was I really that lovable to him?
I let go of his face and sighed.
“…That’s it? That’s your reaction to me finding out you like me?”
“Yes. I’m very happy. What more is needed?”
“Other guys cling to me, wanting to date me, marry me—like liking me makes them special. You’re not like that?”
There were the types like Bright, who proposed to me over a hundred times, or nameless men who ran up confessing love at first sight.
How ridiculous.
Though, to be fair, this world was like that. Not that I liked it.
“Is that your answer?”
“What?”
“Now that you know I like you… you’re not disgusted or uncomfortable?”
“Not really.”
“Then how do you feel? When you realized I like you… what did you feel?”
Since he asked sincerely, I had to answer sincerely.
“How did I feel…? Honestly… I thought, ‘Oh, this guy has good taste.’ You like me—means you can judge character well, right? I mean, of course. How could you see me every day and not like me? My charm conquers everyone eventually.”
[Of course. Of course. Master’s charm is narcotic-level.]
[…Was that an insult?]
[Well narcotics aren’t exactly GOOD… they’re dangerous…]
I tried stomping him with the horse’s hoof, but he dodged like lightning.
Annoying mutt.
Still… my charm was addictive.
I’d won over dragons, kings, and even academy directors.
Who else in the world had this level of charm besides me?
And now I’d even conquered a crown prince candidate—my charm had reached the top of the empire.
“Geenie, you’ve never dated, right?”
“Yeah.”
“And you don’t want to, or expect to.”
I nodded.
He really knew me well. Which meant he’d been paying attention.
“Then I’ll respect that. But even so… I’ll stay closest to you. As the man who loves you.”
“…Ash.”
“So please allow me that much…”
“Too late. Bright already said that. So you’re…”
I held up two fingers.
“You’re second place. Someone got there first.”
“B-Bright… who is that?”
“An academy senior. Gave me everything he owned. His original major was communication magic, but I had him make refrigerators, heaters—whatever I wanted. Now he works in the palace thanks to me.”
“And… do you have feelings for him?”
“Not really? He’s annoying, but convenient. If I married someone, Bright would be convenient—no, good.”
“…I’ll do my best then! I won’t lose! I can serve you too!”
Maybe only nice men fell for me?
Not that it mattered. If I ever married Ash, he’d have plenty of attendants anyway. An entire castle full.
“I mean it. Order me anything. Let me repay even a fraction of what I owe you. That would make me happiest.”
“Alright. Then start by protecting me properly. I’m weak for a while because of the internal injuries. Got it? This time, you guard me.”
“Yes. Gladly.”
Such a gentle giant.
I stroked his cheek like petting a large, obedient animal. He accepted the touch softly.
I didn’t touch men’s faces lightly.
Ash’s face was special.
“Ash? It’s just the two of us…”
“Why do you say it in such a shady way…?”
We were almost out of the forest. A bit farther and we’d reach the abandoned house.
“Take off your necklace. If you’ll do anything for me, start with that.”
(T/N: Did we have this scene from the unrevised version? I could not remember this part)