NOVEL NEXT Chapter 13
The Escort Knight’s Madness in a Coach at Midnight
I dreamed about a long time ago.
Emilia and I were together, and I rest my head on my mother’s knees and lay on my bed. My mother’s thin and supple fingers would comb through my hair, and she would sometimes mischievously pinch my nose. Feeling comfortable and a little sleepy, I would talk to Emilia and her about my dream.
I would like to wear such beautiful dresses, I want to wear bright and colorful jewelry … … The dream of a young child is infinite, and talking to mother was never exhausting.
How nostalgic it is. It is such a long time ago.
I wonder why I’m remembering something like that right now?
Why……,
In this situation where an adult male’s hard knee is being used as a pillow, and a brave hand is stroking a helmet, why have such soft and brilliant memories been interupted?
“…..Percival, if you are sleepy, please go to sleep first instead of saying, “We are both tired from earlier.”
“Monette. Sorry, did I wake you up?”
“I was having a good dream and it’s annoying……..Stop! Do not hit me with the *ponpon*! In this situation you can bare with being sleepy!
Shaking off the hands of Percival who was taunting her as if she was a child, Monette got up in a panic. Even when I glare at him, he still softly laughs. On the contrary, he taps his knees as if to say, “come back over.” It is very infuriating.
Not only that, but when I did not respond to his invitations, he spread his arms out and slowly approached. This is bad……..I can’t retreat. There is nowhere for me to escape in this carriage. In other words, it was easy for him to embrace me.¹
Thanks to the armor, there is no tension unless it is painful, and naturally my heart isn’t beating fast. It is just a bad touch.
“Oh, please return to sanity soon.”
“Miss Monette, you are such a kind and nice child. Thank you for coming with us on this journey.”
“Then do not disturb that good child’s sleep.”
“If you cannot sleep, I will sing you a lullaby.”
To Percival’s proposal, Monette stopped joking, and she seriously started to rampage in his arms. I will definitely be given a nightmare if I am forced to sleep on his knee while listening to him try and sing a lullaby. I don’t even feel like sleeping in the first place.
However, in response to my blatant refusal, Percival did not show any comprehension, and he kept saying things like, “thank you,” and “you are so kind and gentle.” At the end, he started stroking my head saying, “you were so nice to stay.” The expression and choice were quite gentle, but for me it only caused chills and discomfort.
How annoying.
If I were to lose my temper here and curse him, that may be a bit excessive of a punishment. It might be enough to just learn from this experience and insist that we change the guards a few more times during the night. Then again, it is bad to interrupt someone’s sleep. As I thought, there is no other option.
Monette moved her arms about to grab a curse paper. Then while she was targeting her spell and about to activate it……,
“Miss Monette, sorry.”
When he started whispering in a voice like that, I reflexively swallowed my words.
“I’m sorry, Monette … involving you in such a thing …”
“….. Percival.”
“There is no one else we can rely on other than you anymore …I cannot help it, I do not know the reason …”
Percival’s words only came out in fragments, and he was hugging me so tightly that I couldn’t see his face. Although it wasn’t painful, I could understand that the hold around my armor was still quite powerful. And the fact that his arms were trembling could also be faintly felt.
“Prince Alexis is an unfaithful scoundrel. Why everyone is saying that, why everyone believes it so easily……”
“Why is that…….”
After all, Monette couldn’t answer him.
Alexis is cursed. In fact, I confirmed that he was cursed, and because of this curse, he has continued to suffer unhappily while the evaluation of him has plummeted.
Failure, rumors, and mistakes all piled together to make a bad reputation. The vassals abandoned him one after another, and the people’s hearts turned cold toward him. Now his reputation has plummeted to the ground, so if he were to venture out alone into the city he would be beaten behind closed doors while accompanying voices would jeer him.
That is why I wonder. Why did the surroundings change their minds as if this was all arranged? Because Alexis was once adored as a good prince, the people changing their attitudes so fast like this is just too unnatural.
Especially since his bad luck is so ridiculous. To the constant unhappy misfortunes that riddle Alexis, originally people should have tried to help him, make accommodations for him, or at least pity him. Even if the rumors were to run rampant, with no solid proof to any of them, it should have been split into those people who would believe them, but there should also be people who have suspicions and just write those rumors off.
Even so, the ministers and the public all changed their evaluations of him. They jumped right to the side of despising him.
………Until only Percival was left. Only he was left behind.
“Even His Majesty doubted Prince Alexis. I almost can’t believe what I’m saying. It’s almost funny. I feel like I’ve been thrown into another world. I do not know who to trust; anyone could be an enemy. Miss Monette, I am scared that I won’t be able to bear it……”
“Percival…..”
“I pulled you out of the old castle and got you caught up in all this. You do not need to forgive, and you can even kill me with a curse at the end of everything. Just please, please, kill me in the precious original world…….”
That’s what I was told in a pained voice while being hugged, and all I can do is sigh while still trying to wiggle free.
I know what he is saying. The surrounding attitude towards Alexis seen in the city area is too direct, and it would normally be unthinkable to a member of the royalty. It seems as if all the people surrounding Alexis changed overnight. Even to me who had a grudge against him from the very beginning think it’s too strange.
Is this a curse? But then what does the curse actually do?
Who, why, when, and how was the curse done?
“Percival, I cannot investigate with my magic. Anyway, let’s go see the witch in the neighboring country. I also have something I want to confirm.”
“Miss Monette, sorry. Let me bear the hardships. I……..”
“Percival?”
“……………….”
I suddenly felt something wrong with the stupidly persistent Percival, so I pushed him away to escape his arms and get a look at his face. He was speaking with a tone as if he was about to cry earlier, but now he was averting his eyes. Gradually releasing his arms from around me, he took a step away, and rested one of his arms overtop the window while looking out. Then, in a calm voice,
“The moon is beautiful tonight.”
he muttered. Incidentally, dark clouds were covering the sky tonight. Since it was raining before, the wind was humid and sticky.
Monette sighed in relief as Percival had finally returned to normal. Wise man time start.
“The switch is sudden huh.”
“……It’s a wave. It’ll normally pass after 15 minutes.”
“You won’t say you don’t remember saying, ‘You do not need to forgive, and you can even kill me with a curse at the end of everything,’ right?”
“Kuh, you’re remembering unnecessary words again.”
What a memorable iron mass! While Percival was clearly upset and glaring at me, I just stuck my tongue out to him underneath my helm. Of course he should not be able to see it because there is some iron in the way, but the second I stuck my tongue out, his brows clearly twitched. Good intuition as usual.
But in this situation you should know that you have dug your own grave. I have full ability to mock him here, and he cannot return any insults or complaints. While I remember his words, he makes an expression that clearly shows he knows his own position and is very uncomfortable.
This is a winning opportunity!
A bell to begin open warfare sounded off in Monette’s brain. Normally this guy is hateful and annoying, but when he is sleepy, he leaves himself open for a counterattack. Although I have a stance of torturing Alexis whenever I can, if the opportunity presents itself, I’m sure I can spare some time for Percival as well.
“Percival, I am going to go back to sleep again, so please sit down.”
“Hurry up and go to sleep.”
“Then please give me a lap pillow.”
“I will tell you that, your helm was really heavy. You should review that lightening magic of yours.”
“Where is my lullaby?”
“Who will sing!? Just forget about all of it!”
Percival does a good job of yelling while whispering. Being careful to not wake Alexis, he has been whispering this whole time, but I don’t really care and end up laughing inside my helmet.
I fully enjoyed his reaction. Is this just another good dream I am seeing? As I think so, in the end,
“Because I am a good and kind child, I will forget everything for a sweet cake.”
I told him a lie.
Percival’s blue eyes became slightly rounded, and I suddenly feel a little guilty for not really meaning it.
He looked at me as if there was a celebration going on in his heart — — confetti is flying, a banner is shaking overhead with the words ‘One Point!’ — — I slowly closed my eyes. Thoughts can whirl around in various ways, so let’s just sleep for now I tell myself.
………Just before falling asleep, I say one last word at the end.
“Please let me sleep for thirty extra minutes since you disturbed my sleep.”
And then I went back to sleep.
Incidentally, Percival gave me an extra hour before the change of shifts.
1. I just want to point out one thing. Each character has their own little flaw. Alexis is unlucky and Monette doesn’t want to show off. Funny and understandable. Meanwhile Percival’s thing is that he is really creepy when he is tired. Like, pull out the taser and pepper spray creepy.