44 – 44. The Antagonistic Beloved and Loinongs (3)
The situation was quickly resolved beyond belief.
Elizaveta…,
Or more precisely, the goddess possessing the princess surrendered.
She slumped as if witnessing a ghost. Her pitiful state in terror was so forlorn that it even aroused sympathy.
Following that, the goddess raised both hands, declaring surrender.
“You, you! What in the world! How can a mere human…!”
“……”
Her behavior as Elizaveta irritated me unpleasantly.
Furrowing her brows, the goddess let out a shriek.
No,
The goddess, precisely, looked horrified at the figure behind me, not me.
She even seemed reluctant to mention him as if she had faced a fierce wild horse.
With beads of cold sweat, she tried to pretend she hadn’t seen him, even bowing her head.
“Well…! I was just a little surprised.”
“It seems more than just a little.”
The goddess took a deep breath, calming her mind.
After coughing to cover up the awkward topic from earlier, she displayed a noble demeanor. As the goddess who created Paradise and the Loincloths, she seemed to be asserting her pride.
She dusted off the dirt.
Then, she straightened her clothes and sighed.
“It was just a simple joke, but to fall for it…! Humans are truly foolish, aren’t they? You were easily deceived!”
“Who else but the goddess who created Loincloths?”
The goddess twirled around, shaking off the embarrassment she showed to humans.
It was an effort to overcome the shameful humiliation seen by humans.
Let’s play along reasonably.
There’s no point in unnecessarily provoking the emotions of a creator god.
Besides, there are things I want to ask for.
“I know. You want me to take the lovely children of Paradise outside.”
The goddess, who saw through my intentions with sharp eyes, laughed lightly and spoke.
Indeed, she is a goddess.
Although the appearances she showed so far were truly pitiful.
Thinking that she had gained the upper hand by seeing through my intentions, she raised her fist arrogantly and extended her nose. After showing a proud and arrogant appearance, she even nodded towards me.
“Fine, do as you please.”
“… That’s a surprisingly straightforward answer.”
The Loincloths, who have lived in a closed environment for a long time.
If they go out into the outside world, they will undoubtedly experience significant confusion.
It won’t be easy for them to adapt.
They might even cry out loud, saying they want to go back to Paradise.
Nevertheless, the goddess readily accepted the proposal, without a moment’s hesitation, and her firmness left me feeling perplexed.
When she expressed confusion with her eyes, the goddess shrugged her shoulders.
“My lovely children should start becoming independent. I can’t confine them to the hem of my skirt forever, you know.”
“Well, that’s surprising. I never thought you’d have such bold thoughts…”
“You’re impertinent, human. I am always a goddess who worries about the future of my lovely children.”
…
She loved the fairies she created so much that she personally created paradise.
Or so it seemed.
The Luinongs, however, became a race completely devoid of independence.
Seeing the Luinongs repeating limited experiences in a confined space, a sudden fear gripped her. The unchanged appearance of the Luinongs, even after eternity passed, seemed strange to the overly protective creator.
They will become independent.
They will try to become independent someday…
Just thinking vaguely like that for centuries.
Finally, a quirky being with curiosity about the outside world, ‘Lue Luinong,’ was born.
“I experienced joy and sorrow while observing the splendid growth of Lue. I realized that blind overprotection was hindering the growth of my children.”
“In the end, the somewhat lacking creator was the problem.”
“…Do you really have to shatter the illusion like that?”
“It’s the truth.”
There’s a limit to foolishness.
Creating a perfect paradise and still desiring independence for her children.
If the irregular Lue Luinong had not been born, the Luinongs would have lived forever as beings devoid of independence. It was a dismal result caused by irresponsible overprotection.
“I am Broian. I was a bit late with my formal name because of my lack of experience.”
“I’m Edanant von Hohenberg.”
They briefly exchanged formal names.
Upon revealing their names, Broian burst into laughter.
“It’s like a situation where you entrust your children to a schoolteacher. I never thought I’d experience something like this.”
“It’s a bit of an odd metaphor, but… it’s not wrong.”
The royal family of Baltaria and the Hohenberg family promised to protect the Luinongs who were starting to become independent. Upon hearing this, Broian nodded confidently.
Now that I’ve been entrusted, I must do my best.
Of course, taking care of more than fifty rascals won’t be easy.
Should I even consider establishing a Hohenberg kindergarten…?
Hmm.
It didn’t seem too bad.
“Can I hear the reason for taking the children? Of course, it’s probably to use the power of the mystic.”
“There’s a shortage of labor in the territory.”
Through the abilities of Rue, who had assisted with paperwork for the Hohenberg family for a month, Louis learned that the Rue children possessed excellent intellectual abilities.
Their mental age is only twelve.
However, the Louis children had qualities and potential close to prodigies.
Because they were creations poured out by the goddess of excessive protection, each Louis was superior to all other beings, unlike humans who showed extreme gaps.
“Anyway, there must be a special plan to cultivate the Louis as members of society, right?”
“Of course. I have a very thorough personality.”
“Hmm… indeed, you’re becoming more likeable in the eyes of the beautiful princess.”
“What are you talking about again?”
He asked as if he didn’t understand English.
To that, Broyan wickedly chuckled and raised his hand to his chest.
“Don’t you know? The beautiful princess’s mind is filled with thoughts of you.”
“That’s another nonsense….”
“It may sound like a joke, but it’s true. The princess’s feelings are quite complicated. Probably because she fell in love with her fiancé’s brother. Hmm, isn’t it really interesting? I want to watch it up close… Aaack!”
“…?”
Broyan, who was sarcastically revealing Elizabeth’s complex feelings, suddenly screamed.
It was because her right hand had suddenly started pulling his hair.
Two selves existing in one body clashed.
Quiet down and give back control.
The fierce grip pulling the hair seemed to express the angry heart.
The sharp grasp pulling the hair seemed to reveal a strong intention to prevent exposure even at the cost of self-harm.
Broyan, who was screaming in agony, ultimately took out a compromise and declared surrender to Elizabeth. It was the second surrender mark as of today.
“Aaack! Okay, okay! Just give it back!”
Broyan shouted in frustration.
At the same time, the beautiful princess’s body lost balance and swayed.
He reached out and embraced the princess.
The vigorous movements of the body that had been active just moments ago transformed into a limp pendulum, hanging lifelessly.
Soon after, the eyes opened.
Instead of Brian’s violet irises, the original emerald eyes of Elizabeth were vividly visible.
Elizabeth had returned.
Gazing quietly at Elizabeth’s drowsy face, as if in a deep slumber, her emerald eyes regained focus. In turn, Elizabeth also looked at me.
“…Uh!”
The focus returned to the emerald eyes.
In that moment,
Her alabaster face turned red in an instant.
Elizabeth’s plump lips moved playfully. She seemed to want to say something, but like a tongue-tied individual, she repeated actions without the words actually coming out.
“E-Edanant…! You’re too close!”
“…I apologize.”
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“Well, anyway, the men around here are all sly.”
“…….”
Elizabeth, startled like a caught bird, withdrew from my embrace as if recoiling.
Then, clutching the reddened cheek with both hands, she exhaled a rough breath.
“I had an unpleasant nightmare about being toyed with by a dirty woman. Some filthy demon-like creature pried into the noble princess’s innermost feelings and teased her. So, I grabbed its hair as it deserved!”
“…….”
Coincidence, perhaps.
Or is there some kind of connection?
The goddess who created the Imperial Princess of Valtaria and the Loinns bore a striking resemblance, especially in the pushy personality and the ability to quickly bewilder the other party.
“It must have been a hardship.”
“It certainly was. I don’t want to experience it again.”
I reached out a hand to the princess who had sat down on the floor.
Upon hesitation, Elizabeth accepted the gesture.
“In the morning, I plan to gather the Loinns and persuade them… but with Your Highness’s assistance, the process should go smoothly.”
“Alright. If Edanant wishes, I’ll help.”
The Loinns, who were soundly asleep, would have to wake up when morning came.
The subtle glow of crystals, casting a faint light like subdued night lamps, indicated that it was still a considerable time before dawn.
Sleep eluded him.
It was because he had sweated profusely dealing with the whimsical goddess.
Now, what should he do while waiting until morning?
Sitting on a pile of rocks, the transformed paradise looked dimly at the serene landscape. Then, Elizabeth also sat on a nearby mound, gazing alongside him.
Perhaps it was because of the close proximity.
The cheeks of the princess, tinged with a dusky hue, stood out conspicuously.
Elizabeth extended the hand that had touched the ground. It seemed to subtly express the desire for him to hold her hand, like lovers do.
* * *
The red dragon of the Empire and the white dragon of the Kingdom of Triumph waited, assigned to defend the Hohenberg Marquisate, eagerly anticipating news from Edanthe.
When will he return?
Will he carry out the mission without incident?
A heavy sigh, filled with anxious thoughts, escaped.
Rudmila and Jeblinne restrained themselves from engaging in combat as if they had entered into a temporary truce. This was because Edanthe, the spoils of the conquest, was absent.
‘Hmm, I can’t let Edan be absent for too long.’
Softly.
The door opened.
Then, Jeblinne stealthily slinked in like a cat burglar.
Surprisingly, the infiltrated place was Edanthe’s bedroom. If the dignitaries of the Kingdom of Triumph had witnessed the scene, they would have criticized the saint’s audacious behavior, scorning her provocative conduct.
“Ordinary men usually keep risqué books under the bed… Surely, Edan must be the same.”
She pulled out a long rod she had brought from the corridor.
And after pushing it under the bed, she scratched the floor briskly.
There was no sensation of catching anything.
The space under the bed was not only devoid of adult magazines but also immaculately clean, without a speck of dust.
As her interest and anticipation waned, Jeblinne quickly showed a disappointed expression. Then, sticking out her plump lips, she started clicking her tongue.
“Ah, if he were a vigorous man, he’d have piles of naughty magazines like a mountain… Since he’s like a monk, even if a pitiful young maiden loves him with all her heart, he won’t bat an eye.”
An unavoidable person.
To make me so irritated.
Now that it’s come to this…
I can only bring out Edan’s desires in earnest.
‘It’s a good thing I prepared in advance.’
Javelin began to unpack her bundle, revealing something.
It was an adult novel.
With subtitles discreetly acquired through covert operations.
“Playful After-school with the Bold Junior”
“Secret Tutoring with the Neighbor’s Younger Sister”
“A Peculiar Punishment Game for the Childhood Friend’s Younger Sister”
Each work featured a heroine who was a younger girl.
Through the contents of the works, one could clearly discern the intentions of the saintly maiden.
Like a secret agent hiding confidential documents, Javelin concealed adult novels under her bed. Then, as if nothing had happened, she hummed a tune and left the bedroom.
“Hmm, as expected, no one’s here. It’s not cleaning time yet.”
How much time passed after that?
Someone other than the saintly maiden who had infiltrated Ednaunte’s bedroom earlier snuck in.
The intruder was Rudmila.
Whether her purpose was the same as Javelin’s or not, she immediately searched under the bed upon entering.
Glancing at the covers was enough for Rudmila to discover the adult novels that emanated discomfort.
Certainly, the maiden thief must have left them.
The space under the bed was tidy just until yesterday.
“To hide this kind of trash… Even the saintly maiden of the Prosperous Kingdom can be pitiful.”
She threw the adult novels she held in both hands into the trash bin.
Then, she replaced them with works secretly acquired by the royal knight.
“Sweaty Affair with the Passionate Senior”
“Sister’s Secret Bridal Training”
“Bold Seduction by an Older Woman”
Her intentions mirrored Javelin’s exactly.
Except for the fact that all the heroines in the adult novels were older women.
She placed them under the bed.
Having completed her mission, Rudmila swiftly left the scene.
About ten minutes later.
Maidens with brooms and buckets entered to clean the bedroom.
Clatter-
The maids were startled and dropped their cleaning tools.
The sight under the bed and in the trash can, filled with adult novels, was shocking.
The maids, with a zinc-colored expression, turned their gaze away, silently acknowledging the young master’s secretive preferences.
lol they dropped dirty books only to frame him.