Chương 68: Chapter 27. In the jaws of the hungry wolf
The expression in the princess' eyes when she said those words unknowingly made Remesis uneasy. The eerie gleam was something that had never been in her gaze before, at least not in front of Remesis. The woman still had her hand on her waist, making Remesis feel as if she was trapped by a beast.
'...You.'
Remesis opened her mouth, but didn't utter the next words. She definitely had a lot of things to say, but she didn't know which of them she should say first. At this time, Asil spoke softly:
— You're finally looking at me.
— What...?
It was the moment when Remesis was unknowingly embarrassed and blinked. At the same time, it finally reached her that she was still in the princess' embrace, and the girl hurriedly disentangled herself. When the distance between them finally widened a little, Remesis once again assumed a nonchalant look and asked:
— Your Highness, you still haven't answered my question.
Although it was definitely a provocative question, Remesis was curious, so now she couldn't help but ask. A touching reunion between her wife and her lover. Wouldn't that be an entertaining sight?
But as strange as it was, Asil didn't even look in the direction of the youngest daughter of the head of the order.
— Wife, I think you're laughing at me.
— And why is that?
The princess bowed her head in puzzlement. The expression on her face once again took on the same innocent expression as usual. From the look on her face, it was obvious that she didn't even know what she was talking about.
— Offering a married woman a dance with another lady..... Is that reasonable? Wife, by telling me this, you must be trying to play a joke on me again, ' Asil complained.
Remesis, hearing this, inadvertently chuckled. To think that right now her beloved wife looked like a paragon of true virtue and marital fidelity. So much so that even dancing with another woman was something unacceptable to her. But what about her past life? Considering how rampant Asil's side romance had been back then, it was laughable for her to hear those words now.
— But, Your Highness, there's nothing wrong with that, ' the girl opened her mouth, 'I don't mind if you do.
With an edge of her vision, Remesis was also glancing at Gardenia at this time. The girl, looking in their direction, unknowingly grabbed the hem of her skirt. A rustle was heard, but no one noticed her nervous gestures with her hands. A sacrificial and worried look. Even if it wasn't so noticeable to others, Remesis realised clear as day: the youngest daughter of Halias Daehsin was clearly not indifferent to her consort. Well, that was to be expected.
But on the other hand, Remesis couldn't quite understand how it had come to this. Was it really love at first sight? In her previous life, the princess of the north had not witnessed their first meeting directly, so she couldn't know exactly what had happened then. She had only heard that their acquaintance had been sparked by the fact that Asil had saved the girl from demonic beasts. Had Gardenia fallen in love with her at first sight even then?
'Hmph...'
At this time, while Remesis was trying to understand the confusing nature of their relationship, the princess' voice reached her again:
— ...Besides, I don't want to dance with anyone but you.
Surprised, the girl opened her eyes. At that moment, something happened that she could not have expected. Without warning, the princess's hand reached out to her.
Since it happened so suddenly, Remesis wasn't sure if the woman had noticed her flinch, but Asil waited for a pause.
— ...Wife, there was a lint on your shoulder.
Asil jerked her hand away and smiled awkwardly. The princess moved faster before the girl could track it. Remesis, who had previously held her breath, exhaled quietly. The princess was still standing next to her, staring at her. Remesis felt uneasy.
'And why am I so nervous...?'
No, the thing was that Asil did this without warning. Is it normal to touch another person without even asking their permission beforehand? But probably, even though Remesis had spent a lot of effort to teach the princess manners and rules of social behaviour, some echoes of her past behaviour sometimes still manifested in her. It was in this way that Remesis tidied up her senses, convincing herself that she wasn't the least bit afraid of her consort now.
Meanwhile, as they stood in the centre of the banquet hall, Asil shifted her gaze and looked around at the nobles gathered in the hall. Straining her ears, Remesis also heard whispers.
— The Northern Devil had indeed come here.
— Hush! What if they hear you?
— I thought that the 'devil scion' of the imperial family would look scarier.....
— Is the Northern Kingdom publicly defying the Imperial Family? Could this be compared to a direct declaration of war?
'All this talk is as expected...' — Remesis quietly sighed and pressed her lips together.
Of course, at this banquet, they were primarily uninvited guests that no one expected to see. Needless to say, Remesis herself was as startled by her wife's sudden appearance as all these people. Still, she was a little worried about how the princess herself would react to these remarks. Even though she had been born and raised under such conditions since she was a child, and should have been used to it, but would anything change now...?
However, the princess looked around the banquet hall, and there was nothing but cold indifference in her eyes. Soon, her gaze returned to her wife once again. The flicker of coldness quickly disappeared, giving way to the usual warm expression.
— Wife, how wonderful it is that we are here today. It's like we'd be on a date! But the most marvellous thing is that I am here with you.
Ignoring the people around her, as if it was just the two of them in this hall, the princess said these words. It was as if this banquet was really just for the two of them. Remesis experienced a strange feeling deep in her chest. After all, as expected, due to her wife's interference, this evening was not going at all as she had anticipated.
All around, one could feel a multitude of eyes that were watching them. Remesis missed the moment when she also stopped paying attention to it. Even the imperial family remained somewhere in the background. All that remained was a heart beating in confusion. The girl's cheeks were burning as if she had been burnt by something.
— Wife, would you do me the honour of dancing with you?
Despite the fact that they had already danced once, Asil offered her hand again. It was as if she wanted to take compensation for the fact that they had never had a chance to dance together in all these years, as their busy schedules made it impossible for them to have holiday banquets in the northern castle.
The possessive look of the princess that Remesis had just felt. Was this really happening, or was she just imagining it?
Remesis's heart beat heavily, and she felt like she was trapped.
'I feel like I'm in the jaws of a hungry wolf...'
In the end, the princess of the north replied as if she had no other choice.
— Alright... — the girl took the princess's hand. — I am honoured to be chosen as your dance partner, your highness.
After saying that, Asil smiled softly, meeting her wife's gaze.
It seemed so innocent and bright.
However... Perhaps it was just her imagination, however, upon seeing the woman smile, it seemed to Remesis that the tips of her lips lifted strangely. It was like a sneer.
***
After the next dance was over, Remesis felt like her legs were about to give out. Since they had been dancing all evening, taking up all the centre space of the banquet hall, Remesis hadn't felt so tired in a long time. After a couple of hours of such intense exertion, she felt like she was about to collapse as she walked.
The princess, of course, was the first to take notice of her condition.
Asil gently put her arm around her waist and led her out of the hall. As the princess walked, everyone bowed their heads and stepped aside as if they were in front of the ruler of this empire.
— Wife, wait a little while. Soon you will be able to rest.
Remesis sighed as Asil helped her settle into the carriage. From the moment they left the banquet hall until now, there were so many thoughts in her head that she couldn't control them. And with that, right now Remesis was too exhausted to voice even one of them.
As soon as they returned to the Sun Grotto Palace, there were already servants standing outside waiting for their return. Hannes Wrightly, who had been one of the first to meet the couple at the main gate, was quite disconcerted by the sudden appearance of the princess. The knight asked if there was anything he could do to help, but Asil only waved him away and carried his drowsy wife to her room.
Tired Remesis fell asleep as soon as she leaned on the bed. One of the maids who had been assigned to serve the princess exclaimed quietly:
— Oh dear...
She tried to tuck her in properly, but Asil said she would do it herself. Of course, the maid didn't have the strength to contradict her. While the maid quickly unfolded and picked up the bed linen, Asil looked at the woman in her arms and gently placed her on the bed.
Although she was quick, it took the maid a little longer to make the bed because she was nervous about Lord North's presence. Asil laid Remesis on the soft bed and placed a pillow under her neck. At this moment, Remesis barely opened her sleepy eyes.
— Your Highness... — She muttered, trying to focus her eyes.
— Wife, don't think about anything else. Just rest.
— .....
The princess smiled and covered the girl with a blanket. Asil wanted to watch Remesis sleep some more, but she couldn't stay to avoid disturbing her peace. So the princess also switched off the light in the room where a few candles were burning, and that one went out immediately.
— Take care of the princess when she wakes up.
— Yes, Your Highness.
Asil carelessly gave the order to the maid and turned around. The woman quietly left the room. Given the late hour of the day, she should have also gone to her chambers to rest, but after thinking about it, Asil descended the stairs and headed elsewhere. However, she was interrupted.
— Your Highness.
As the princess walked down the ground floor corridor, a voice called out to her. Asil Nara Ashelot looked ahead. It was Hannes Wrightly.
— Do you have some business with me?
— Your Highness... — he hesitantly turned to her, - I have a conversation I would like to have with you in private.
- ...
— Your highness... what do you have to say?
The princess's eyes, which were deep in darkness, sparkled for a moment. She looked at the fortress commander without any expression. The knight met that gaze and involuntarily flinched. After a while, Asil said:
— ...Good. — Hannes swallowed his saliva, and the princess continued, ''If this is a really important matter, then I suppose I should listen to you.
— Thank you, Your Highness.
The knight only clenched his fists and politely followed the princess. They entered a separate lounge room that currently had no one in it.
Asil stood at the window and looked outside. Her silver hair was scattered down her back and shimmered beautifully in the glow of the moonlight. The dark sky outside the window was studded with stars. It was a sight that looked more magnificent than a painting.
When Hannes looked at the back of the princess of the north, he almost bit his lips carelessly. However, he just stood there and waited without saying a word. The man wouldn't dare to speak without his lord's permission.
— What business did you want to speak to me about? — Asil finally enquired.
Already burdened by the sense of pressure from the princess, the commander's tone wavered:
— Your Highness, first of all, I must report to you about an incident that happened to our crew while travelling south...
Asil listened to his report completely before the knight finished speaking. Then she slowly opened her mouth.
— Hm... I understand. Is there anything else?
— ...Well, we've gathered too little information at this point, so I can't say for sure who might have been behind this assassination attempt,'' Hannes reported nervously.
— Is that so? — The princess tilted her head to the side.
— Our priority is to get the information and solve this case as soon as possible, ' he swallowed his saliva. — And since this case concerns the safety of the princess, I thought I should inform you personally. I tried to inform you as soon as it happened, but I didn't wait for a reply... — the knight faltered.
- ...
Asil was silent for a long time. In this lingering silence, the knight raised his head.
The princess shone under the moonlight as she continued to stand with her back to him, and Hannes Wrightly shuddered, bowing his head and shivering in his back.
— ...I am very sorry, your highness. I was so useless that I failed to properly protect the princess, and because of that, I put her at risk!.....
At this time, Asil finally turned around. The knight looked defenseless as he met his lord's gaze. But to his considerable surprise, despite the fact that it was about an attempt on her precious wife, the princess held herself surprisingly calm. The woman smiled slightly.
— You shouldn't worry too much about it. It was just an accident, wasn't it...?
— I... — The commander swallowed his saliva.
— No one could have foreseen that something like this would happen. To protect the princess, you did everything in your power, didn't you? — The princess chuckled softly, and the gaze of her golden eyes slid over his pale face.
'...'
Hannes's heart was beating hard. He lowered his gaze as if in submission. It wasn't the reaction he'd expected. And it confused him expectantly. Were the Princess's thoughts on the matter really such?
The fortress commander raised his eyes once more and glanced at the lord, but he still didn't notice anything. It was only after a while that Asil spoke again:
— Alright. If that's all you were going to say to me, then you can go.
Hannes Wrightly didn't dare to insist on his presence and bowed his head.
— Yes, Your Highness...
As soon as the door closed behind the man and his footsteps in the corridor subsided, Asil's gaze returned to the window again. For a while, she simply gazed at the twinkling stars in the dark sky. And then... In one motion, retrieved the tiny thing.
'...'
It was a silver needle, the end of which was tarnished. The princess grinned as she examined it. This was the needle she had retrieved from her wife's clothes a few hours ago. It was hooked to the ruffle on the collar of her dress, and noticing it with the naked eye was almost impossible for an ordinary person. Nevertheless, just one millimetre or careless movement was enough for the needle to pierce the skin, and begin spreading the heavy poison.
In other words, today the princess of the north was literally one hair's breadth away from death without even realising it.
Asil continued to stare at the poisoned needle for a short while before she bent it in one motion and threw it away. A shadow lay across the woman's face that seemed even darker than the night outside the window.
— Wife, everything in this world has a price, ' she whispered, 'So how are you going to repay me for this?
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