The ride in the Royal Carriage was pure comfort. With all the curtains drawn, it hardly felt like we were moving at all.
They say the interior has some magical enhancements, but I don’t really get it. All I know is, it’s nice.
“Can you hear what they’re doing in there?”
“Nope, can’t hear a thing.”
It’d be great if we couldn’t hear the noise from outside either.
Considering how well the carriage is soundproofed, they’re probably making those sounds on purpose.
It’s like they’re saying, “We’re out here, so stay sharp and don’t do anything stupid.”
But, uh… I’m not the one who’s about to do something stupid here. What should I do?
“Hehehe, Rudion. Isn’t this the first time it’s just the two of us?”
Hehehe? Why are you laughing like that, Seria?
Sure, we’ve been together a lot, but since we’ve only been around the Akadeumi, there were always people nearby. This is definitely the first time it’s just the two of us.
Is that why? Somehow, Seria’s laugh feels… suspicious.
“Don’t worry. I won’t do anything.”
The fact that she said that like she’s doing me a favor doesn’t make me feel reassured at all.
“Oh! Of course, if Rudion wants to do something first, that’s welcome too.”
“What do you think I’m gonna do?”
“Ah, well… um, are you really going to?”
Why do you sound so expectant?
Of course, I have zero plans to do anything. The guys outside are practically breathing fire, and if we get caught, we’re done for.
“What a shame.”
“You don’t look that disappointed.”
“Well… I figured Rudion would be like this.”
Where does that confidence come from? She doesn’t even know how to be careful around guys…
I was about to say something, but then I remembered the original story where she didn’t even have any same-sex friends, let alone male ones. So I decided to drop it.
Fine. I’ll be careful for both of us.
After being careful for a while, the carriage finally came to a stop.
We’d been riding for a long time, so I peeked out the curtain to see where we were. It looked like we were near a bustling area.
Since the carriage is so big and flashy, it would draw too much attention if we went all the way inside. Seria must’ve asked to be dropped off nearby beforehand.
It’s not far, so it doesn’t matter. As I stepped out of the carriage, all the people who had been surrounding it now gathered around Seria.
It was obvious they were all planning to follow her, so Seria had to speak up again.
“If you all follow me, who’s going to guard the carriage? Just one or two of you can come!”
“Got it!”
“Let me go!”
“No. I’ll go!”
“What are these guys even saying? Of course, I should go!”
Seriously… with so many people, deciding who gets to go is already a challenge.
After bickering for a while, they finally settled on drawing lots to pick two people. The guard captain, who got eliminated early, cried. What’s there to cry about? I really don’t get it.
“Until Her Highness returns, you all are on special training.”
“Wipe your tears first, Captain. And taking your frustration out on us just because you didn’t get picked is really petty.”
“Exactly! We’re victims too! Why do we have to go through special training? The two who got picked should be the ones training!”
“…Now that I think about it, you’re right.”
This is so childish. Is this really the Royal Palace guard? My chest feels tight…
Anyway, I ended up strolling through the bustling streets with two guards.
Even though Seria covered her face, having them follow her around like that made her stand out no matter what. But Seria seemed used to it, acting completely unbothered.
The rest of the tasks went smoothly.
Clothes shopping? Seria spent about 40 minutes picking and trying on 15 different outfits before finally making her purchases.
One outfit she picked was bought with my money, but after a moment of hesitation, she bought the rest with her own funds.
“It’s a gift.”
Then she handed them all to me.
If she was going to do this, why did she keep making me try on different outfits in the first place?
“Her Highness bought clothes for him. Remember the amount so we can report it properly to the Captain.”
“Got it.”
After seeing the guards’ reactions, I decided to leave the clothes at the store. Bringing them straight to the Royal Palace would’ve caused who knows what kind of trouble. I’ll just pick them up on the way back.
After that, we did some light touch-ups. I declined accessories, so we settled for light makeup… but it felt really unfamiliar.
“Is this right? It feels a bit off.”
Honestly, I’m good-looking, but going all out like this just feels awkward and not great.
“…Rudion, can I take back what I said earlier? I want to confess to you right now.”
“Thanks, even if it’s a joke.”
“It’s not a joke…”
Well… Seria seems to like it.
I’m clueless about this stuff, so I’ll just have to trust Seria’s judgment.
The guards were…
It’s a good thing they didn’t follow us all the way here. If they had heard that, there might have been a sword fight right on the spot.
After that, we went to a restaurant recommended by Alkiné for an early lunch, and then had a drink at a café that Seria praised for being pretty.
The whole time, the guards were following us around, giving us disapproving looks. Honestly, by this point, I’ve gotten used to it, so it doesn’t bother me anymore.
Still, I wish they wouldn’t just grab my drink and start sipping from my straw.
“Report to the captain immediately and request permission for summary judgment.”
“I’ll be back.”
I really didn’t want to know that someone’s eyes could look that deadly.
“Oops, sorry. I didn’t mean to.”
She says that, but judging by her mischievous expression, it was clearly on purpose. She’s teasing me because she finds it amusing to see me nervous around the guards.
But if you’re going to do it, at least own up to it. Why are you blushing like that after pulling something like that?
Lately, it’s always like this. She makes a move and then gets all shy about it.
She seems to want to boldly close the distance, but she always fumbles at the end.
Thinking that, I took another sip of my drink, and Seria started looking really awkward.
“Uh, that’s the one I just drank from…”
Wait, you’re the one who stole my drink. What part of this are you embarrassed about? I really don’t get it.
“Do we need the captain’s permission for this?”
“Doesn’t seem like it. Proceed with summary judgment. Draw your sword.”
Why are they like this again?
Wait, why are you actually drawing your sword? Calm down, please.
Thanks to Seria’s sudden action, chaos erupted as soon as we got back to the carriage, but I managed to get through it by playing dumb.
Somehow, we made it to the royal palace, and a large crowd had gathered to welcome Seria.
“The princess has arrived!!”
As soon as the carriage stopped, the guard captain shouted loudly, and the crowd immediately approached the carriage, ready to attend to Seria.
Watching the scene through the window, I glanced at Seria, who let out a deep sigh.
“Every time I go somewhere and come back, it’s always like this. What’s the point of all this fuss?”
Seria said that, then suddenly started looking around, tilting her head as if something was off.
I could tell what she was thinking, and a laugh escaped me.
Originally,
Among those people, Seria’s parents… that is, the Emperor and Empress should have been there, but they weren’t, which made me wonder.
When she comes home, they always show up, but it seems they didn’t come out because they were aware of my presence.
Thinking about it, I can’t even imagine how much they care about me, which gives me a slight chill down my spine… but worrying about that at this point is pointless.
“Let’s get off first.”
After looking around a few more times but ultimately not finding her parents, Seria said that.
So we got off together… and as soon as we did, the people waiting nearby surrounded Seria and took her away.
The others followed them back, so I ended up being left alone.
…No, I wasn’t alone.
The guards who were escorting the carriage were with me.
Before I knew it, the guard captain, who had approached me, placed his hand on my shoulder with a friendly smile.
“Rudion, right? Come with me for a moment.”
Oh boy… so this was their plan from the start.
There was no way to escape, so I obediently followed the guards.
The place they took me to was the Royal Guard.
Why the Royal Guard? Because the guards belong to the Royal Guard.
The term “guard” is just a distinction for roles, big or small, but there’s no significant difference.
Guards, defense forces, royal guards, personal guards… all of these are essentially part of the Royal Guard.
Of course, there might be a more detailed and complex system among them, but from a gamer’s perspective, I couldn’t feel much of a difference.
Anyway, the gazes directed at me when I was brought there were terrifying.
Even dozens of people were lined up, as if they had been given a heads-up, and the sight was nothing short of magnificent.
“Is that the guy from the rumors…”
“I’m curious about his skills, since the Princess praised him so much.”
“Damn, getting the Princess’s attention. I’m jealous!”
“Hey, hey, he can hear you. Quiet down.”
The chatter made my chest tighten again.
Realizing that I was listening to their conversation, the guard captain quickly cleared his throat to draw my attention back to him.
And then he spoke seriously.
“We are the Royal Guard, protecting the Princess and the Royal Palace.”
Shouldn’t they protect the Royal Palace first?
Anyway, these guys are out of their minds.
