บท 46: EXCUSE ME???
"RUNA-ya, would you like me to put an egg on your 'ghoul tartare?'" Zoe asked the princess after she was done mincing the 'meat', aka the flesh of a ghoul. It was the flesh of a Graveling, a type of ghoul that would lurk on graveyards and eat human corpses. "Since you're not a full ghoul like Isaak, you can digest ordinary food."
The only reason Runa needed to eat flesh was to get enough nutrients. A huge part of her was built like a ghoul, so she needed to consume 'food' that would satisfy that part. The poor child would starve if she only ate human food. It had to be both.
"I like egg, Mommy," Runa said brightly, then she tilted her head to one side. "Mommy, why did you call me 'Runa-ya'? What does '-ya' mean?"
"Oh, it's something akin to an endearment," she explained as simply as she could. "Adding 'ya' as a suffix after your name shows that we're close, and you're precious to me."
The cute princess beamed at her explanation. "Then can I call Mommy 'Mommy-ya?'"
Since the word 'mommy' ended in 'y,' a consonant, then the suffix to be used should be '-ah' instead of '-ya' which was only used when a word ended with a vowel.
But Runa sounded so cute when she called her 'Mommy-ya.'
[We're not in Korea, so it doesn't matter.]
"Of course, Runa-ya," she said, then she squatted down to meet the child's eye level. "You can call me 'Mommy-ya.' It sounds cute when you do."
Runa blushed, but the smile on her face was big. "Okay, Mommy-ya."
She smiled and gently pinched Runa's cheeks. "I'm going to miss you, Runa-ya."
The child's smile disappeared. "Mommy-ya, a-are you leaving me?"
"Only for a while," she said. "I need to return home because my father is worried about me."
"A-Are you going to go back for me, Mommy-ya?"
"Of course," she assured the child. "If I can convince my father, I'll bring him here to meet you. After all, my father is now your grandfather."
Excitement suddenly replaced the sadness on the young princess's face. "I have a grandfather?"
"Yes, baby girl," she said. "He's a tsundere, but he's a good person. I'm sure your grandfather will treat you well and dote on you. So, I trust Runa-ya to behave while I'm away. If you promise to be a good girl, I'll give you a present."
The young princess nodded eagerly, her eyes sparkling with delight. "I promise to wait patiently for Mommy-ya."
"That's my girl," she said, then she kissed her on the cheek. "I'll come back as soon as I can."
If only she didn't need to return to the Royal Capital, she wouldn't.
But aside from meeting her father, she also needed to report to the emperor. Moreover, she wanted to make sure Nigel Ratliff would rot in prison. Well, technically, it wasn't a prison, since the count still had the 'royal privilege.' But at least his freedom was taken away from him.
[That bastard got away with it with just a slap on the wrist.]
Anger rose in her chest when it once again dawned on her that she didn't get the justice she deserved.
If it was up to her, she'd kill that bastard.
<"Should I kill that man for you, Mistress?">
She was surprised when all of a sudden, she heard an unfamiliar voice behind her.
When she turned around, she was surprised to see a blob of black slime. It had two red orbs attached to it, which she assumed to be its eyes. Although it looked nasty, it didn't smell like anything. She also didn't feel threatened.
[It looks like semi-transparent chocolate and milk jelly pudding.]
"You look yummy," she said to the slime. "But where did you come from?"
<"From Mistress's inner desire?">
She pointed to herself. "And why am I your 'Mistress?'"
<"Because I exist to serve you?">
"Huh?"
<"I'm also here to take you away, Mistress."> The talking slime extends its "hand" to her. It was shaped like a hand but made of slime. <"Please come with me.">
She was about to tell the slime to scram when she felt intense pressure from behind her.
It actually gave her the goosebumps.
When she turned around, she was surprised to see Runa surrounded by a dark aura that made her look scary. Even the cold look on the young princess's face was intimidating.
[Runa is angry…]
"You're going to steal my Mommy-ya away from me?" Runa asked in an indifferent voice while giving the slime a chilling death glare. "I won't let you take my mommy!"
"Runa-ya, let's calm down," Zoe said to soothe the young princess. "I'm not going anywhere– Runa-ya!"
Runa, despite her assurance, still attacked the slime.
***
"HOW'S YOSEF?" Isaak asked Scarlet, the mage of his territory who was also a healer, after she took care of Yosef's injuries. "His life is not in danger, right?"
He brought Yosef to one of the guest rooms in the main building.
Then he summoned Scarlet to heal the priest's injuries. All the while, Yosef remained unconscious. That made him worry a little.
[Yosef is sensitive, so he easily wakes up when someone touches him.]
The priest might be in too much pain if he didn't budge after getting treated by Scarlet's healing power.
"His Eminence's life is no longer in danger, but he's unconscious because his body is healing its internal injuries on its own," Scarlet, who was sitting on the edge of the bed, explained. "His Eminence's divine power is working on fixing his soul, too."
That was a relief to hear.
He had always known Yosef wasn't kidding whenever he would say the god he served treasured him a lot.
[His god is probably helping him heal.]
"Scarlet, I'll leave Yosef to you," he told the mage. "I'll just go and check on Zoe and Princess Runa. Call me once Yosef wakes up–"
He stopped talking when he felt a murderous aura.
Worse, the Mana that came along with it was very familiar to him because it was the same Mana he possessed– and only people with the Sulien Blood could possess.
Isaak knitted his eyebrows. [Princess Runa is on a rampage.]
***
ZOE wanted to stop Runa from attacking the slime because it looked dangerous.
But she couldn't approach the young princess because Princess Runa was literally on fire. Her whole body was engulfed with an orange flame that felt way too hot for her. That was when she remembered the thing about the Sulien Blood, the bloodline of the empire's royal family.
[The royal family members are blessed with an element the moment they were born. Isaak was blessed with the wind element. And for Runa, it's obviously the fire element.]
Ah, right.
She remembered one more vital thing from the novel. Actually, it was more of a spoiler because she didn't get to finish reading the story.
[If I remember it correctly, they would dub Runa as the 'Phoenix Empress' in the future.]
But the way Runa was clinging to the slime as if she was trying to melt it with her fire looked self-destructive to her.
<"Get away from me, child,"> the slime warned Princess Runa. <"My Mistress wishes to protect you, so I don't want to accidentally hurt you.">
She knitted her eyebrows, confused. [The slime cares about me that much?]
"My mommy is not your mistress!" Runa, who seemed to have misunderstood what 'mistress' meant in that context, yelled angrily. The young princess also tightened her grip on the slime as the fire she was engulfed with grew bigger. "Go away!"
Zoe, despite getting burned by the aura surrounding Runa, still approached the young princess. "Runa-ya–"
"My wife, please stay where you are."
She was relieved when she heard Isaak's voice. When she turned around, she saw her husband enter the kitchen and go straight to Runa. That was enough for her to stop in her tracks. If it was her husband, she was sure he could handle the young princess just fine.
[Go, Daddy Isaak!]
"Princess Runa, it's me," Isaak said gently, then he put his hand on Runa's shoulder. It seemed like his hand was covered with Mana because he didn't get burned by the princess's fire. "Please calm down."
"No, Sir Uncle!" Runa yelled in a cracked voice, still holding the smile in a death grip. "This thing calls my mommy 'mistress,' and it wants to take mommy away from us!"
"That won't happen, Princess Runa," Isaak calmed the child in a gentle voice that he rarely used on anyone. "I won't let it take your mother away from us. I swear it on my life."
"Your dad is right, Runa-ya," Zoe added to assure the child she wasn't going anywhere. "I won't go with that choco-milk pudding."
Only then did the young princess finally calm down.
Runa loosened her grip on the slime, then she stepped away from it. The child looked at Isaak, then at her. When Runa probably realized she wasn't really going anywhere, her face lit up and the fire that engulfed her died out.
Zoe, on the other hand, observed the slime that didn't move an inch even after Runa had let go of it.
[And it looks like it's waiting for me or something.]
But she didn't like the fact that the slime was unscathed. Not even a single burn mark was left on it.
"Sir Uncle, please protect Mommy-ya," Runa said in a sleepy voice. "Please…"
Zoe gasped when Runa suddenly fainted.
Thankfully, Isaak caught Runa in time.
[Ohh, as expected of my husband.]
"Is Runa okay?" she asked worriedly when she approached Isaak. "Why did she faint?" She opened her arms. "Give her to me."
"Princess Runa just exhausted her Mana," Isaak explained, then he carefully put the child in her arms. "Don't worry about it. We'll just have to inject Mana potion to Her Royal Highness later."
"Okay," she said while securing Princess Runa in her arms, then she pointed to the slime with her lips. "That thing appeared suddenly while yapping nonsense. It calls me 'mistress,' and it also talks about taking me away from here."
Obviously, Isaak didn't look pleased after hearing that. "Thank you for telling me, my wife," he said, then he turned to the slime. "I'm giving you a minute to explain before I fuck you up."
Ohh.
[My husband sounds hot when cursing.]
<"What is there to explain?"> the slime asked, as if it was confused. <"I'm just here to take my mistress.">
"On whose orders?" her husband asked in an annoyed voice.
<"My liege,"> the slime said casually. Then it pointed a slimy finger at Zoe. <"The mistress is my liege's wife.">
Isaak turned to her with a shocked look on his face.
Zoe, on the other hand, turned to the slime with a disgusted look on her face. "Excuse me?"
***
NOTE: Hi! Please consider ADDING 'I Won't Let The Ghoul Duke Go Hungry!' to your LIBRARY. Thank you! <3
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sola_cola
sola_cola Zoanne is married??? Kekeke. Chapters 47-49 are available on my P/atreon page: https://www.*******.com/solacola (or just search for sola_cola on the search bar). Thank you~
***
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