Chapter 48

Caesar’s second battle with the knights was, without explanation, a complete victory.

Caesar, who laughed meanly in front of the members who fell one after another, was the villain itself.

Such a person is my man.

How thrilling.

Such a massacre… Anyway, when I returned to the mansion lounge with Dalton and Leonard after training.

“Oh, look who’s here. Isn’t this Viscount Noct?”

“Viscount, you’re here as well.”

“Have you been well, Commander Dalton and Young Master Peresca?”

An unwelcome guest was waiting for us in the room.

“And… Princess, of course!”

Hamilton, who greeted each one of us, shouted in a raised voice when he saw me.

Most of the time, the reason he welcomed me was because he had something to complain about.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you, Viscount.”

“Princess! Well, listen to me!”

Umm… Now he even talks right away without greeting me first?

“Do you know why we are here?”

Oh, that’s what I’m curious about too.

Why is Caesar, the man who should be in the capital, here?

“His Highness has come all the way here to participate in the crusade in Elgrid!”

“Participating in the crusade? So you’re here on business? Then what is so wrong—”

“It’s wrong! It was an event that he didn’t have to participate in. It was not a big event in the capital, only a local event! Don’t you think so, as well?”

Well, even if you ask me for consent.

“What’s this? Have you already started snitching, Hamilton?”

While Hamilton grabbed me and complained, Caesar entered the room.

He was not surprised as if he had already predicted this situation. He immediately lay down on the couch and contradicted Hamilton’s words.

“What do you mean by snitching? Does it look like I’m snitching, Your Highness?!”

“What’s so wrong with it? It is a monarch’s virtue to pay attention to and care for the local residents.”

Hamilton let out an Ugh at that attitude.

“Since when did Your Highness pay attention to the virtues of the monarch!”

“Since yesterday?”

“I want you to say things like that while processing the paperwork on time!”

“It is a human virtue to delay work by a day or two.”

“Ahhh, seriously!”

… Poor Hamilton.

Dalton, Leonard, and I looked at Hamilton with the same expression on our faces.

“By the way, if it’s Elgrid, isn’t it pretty far from here? It would take two hours to get there.”

“That’s what I’m saying!”

Taang!

Hamilton, excited by Leonard’s words, smashed the table.

“Not to mention, if you want to get lodging, go to Elgrid! Or stay at the Holy Church! Why do you want to stay here?!”

Well, why indeed?

Why do I feel sorry for Hamilton?

It was very burdensome that Dalton and Leonard’s eyes were on me. I know it already, so please look ahead, both of you.

“Why would I stay in other places when there’s a mansion owned by the imperial family here?”

In the midst of this, Caesar refuted Hamilton with a frown as if he had found something to defend himself with.

“I did my job properly, and the elders of the Holy Church were also satisfied. Why do you have so many complaints?”

“I think my buttock is going to split after two hours of horse riding!”

Heh, without realizing it, my eyes were set on Hamilton’s butt. I’m sorry.

Well, Dalton and Leonard were also looking at Hamilton’s lower body, so it wasn’t just me.

“A carriage is too slow, and it is hard to go through shortcuts.”

“Princess, please, say something to His Highness!”

“Eh?! Me? Why should I?”

Why is the arrow of nagging flying towards me who stayed still?

“In fact, isn’t this all because of Princess? He made a schedule that wasn’t there because you’re here!”

“I mean, why is that my fault…?”

I was at a loss.

The most frustrating thing was that I couldn’t say no.

At that moment.

“Hamilton.”

Suddenly the air in the room changed.

Caesar had only called out Hamilton’s name, but there was a chill in the air.

Hamilton held his breath and looked back at Caesar. Caesar, who had already sat up, glared at Hamilton with a smile on his face.

The wolf has returned.

Goodbye, Hamilton…

“Who do you dare to be angry with?”

Hamilton and Caesar have been together since before I knew Caesar.

Because of this, Hamilton had been relentless in nagging Caesar, whom others feared. And even though Caesar was annoyed by Hamilton, he accepted it all.

But I didn’t know he would change like that just because Hamilton nagged me.

‘Well, maybe I should meddle a little.’

Hamilton was a trustworthy, absolute ally of Caesar.

We couldn’t break their relationship for anything.

“Your Highness.”

I purposely opened my mouth in a low voice. Everyone’s eyes turned to me.

“The viscount is saying this because he’s worried about you. You shouldn’t scare him.”

Caesar’s brow furrowed at my rebuke.

He was angry for me, so when I said that, he looked upset as if saying Why are you rebuking me?

“Are you saying it’s my fault now?”

Caesar growled out.

The air in the room cooled down.

The three men, who knew Caesar’s personality well, held their breath and looked at each other.

But I rebuked Caesar without backing down.

“Yes. It is your fault.”

Caesar and I had a snowball fight for a long time. The air was tense.

It was a situation where something was about to explode.

But it wasn’t long before Caesar apologized to Hamilton.

“I’m sorry I scared you, Hamilton.”

Heeeee?!

The other three had an expression as if they found it hard to believe. Caesar admitted his fault too gently.

“That’s okay, right?”

He even looked at me to receive confirmation.

I smiled at Caesar as a sign of praise.

“You are very good, Your Highness.”

“U-Ugh… the Great Demon King over the wolf… Kegheheheh!”

Dalton, unable to grasp the atmosphere, mumbled meaningless words, covered his mouth with both hands, and burst into laughter.

***

It was a deep night after I sent Hamilton, who had been complaining for several hours after that, back.

‘By the way, I can’t believe he could still complain after setting up that ugly atmosphere…’

I admired Hamilton’s courage and his ignorance. In a sense, he might be a perfect fit to be Caesar’s assistant.

Dalton and Leonard had returned early to prepare for tomorrow’s training, and Caesar stayed in my room and read until late.

The calm figure of him sitting by the window reading a book was like a painting.

‘Even though I thought I was used to that face, I still get emotional.’

God is unfair.

“… Were you offended earlier?”

I sat on the bed, cautiously trying to talk to the picturesque man.

Caesar, who was flipping through the pages with his long fingers, suddenly stopped moving and turned his head toward me.

“What? What do you mean by earlier?”

“I was on the side of the viscount, not you.”

“And why would that make me offended?”

“You must have some pride, too. I wondered if it was something I could intervene in, and I am now regretting it.”

I answered, glancing sideways.

Caesar was my friend and lover, but he was also the crown prince.

I wondered if it would be right for me to rebuke him in the presence of Dalton or Hamilton.

Perhaps feeling my anxiety, Caesar grinned and sat down next to me.

“I think it’s a great blessing, to have at least someone who tells me I’m wrong when I’m wrong.”

“But I don’t always say the right thing.”

“But you constantly try to make the right choice.”

Caesar’s large hand rested on mine.

His body temperature was warm enough to melt my anxious heart without leaving a single point.

“That’s why I like you. Helena is like a guide to me.”

“But doesn’t it hurt your pride? Won’t people think you’re being swayed by my words, who is just a princess?”

[Kind of long translator’s note and a bit of history lesson:

Helena’s princess title is 공녀 meaning “the daughter of the duke” or “ducal lady”, but in ancient Chinese, which is where the word probably came from, people usually call such status “county princess”. 

However, English doesn’t use such a term, that’s why most translators translate 공녀 as “princess” which might cause some misunderstanding due to another princess title 공주 meaning “the daughter of the monarch”. (That, or they simply follow MTL blindly without understanding the whys)

Why did I say monarch instead of king or emperor?

Because there were no emperors in Korea. 

The highest monarch in ancient Korea was the king. And a king is only equivalent to a duke in Chinese, again, in comparison to Chinese because Korea used hanja, which is traditional Chinese, before hangeul is invented. King and duke use the same exact Chinese character, which is 王. So in a way, calling Helena a princess is legit and not a mistranslation.]

I asked while thinking of the countless people I had encountered over the years.

Many people tried to divide the top and bottom in relationships, and when men treated women, men usually struggled to occupy the top.

Ever since I had become emperor, I had been a ‘top’, but nevertheless, I thought men were still trying to look down on me or downplay me.

‘Especially because Caesar is stubborn.’

People wouldn’t understand why he’d bow his head to the orders of others.

“Should it hurt your pride to be swayed by a loved one or to follow their opinion?”

On the contrary, Caesar asked back with an expression as if he found it difficult to understand.

“I don’t need to show my pride as much as I need Helena. It’s better to be hurt, and it’s better to lose than to win.”

“Why?”

Why is that?

Why does this man, who is called cold-blooded by others, become so weak to me?

Why am I under the impression that this man has become stronger than me, even though he says such weak words?

“Because you like me?”

“Because I like you.”

Caesar followed my words and answered.

“Somehow, for the first time today… I thought that you were older than me.”

“I’ve been older than Helena from the moment I was born.”

Caesar burst into laughter as if he were dumbfounded.

For the first time in my life, I think I may have been defeated by someone.

Still, this must be a pleasant defeat.

‘I think I understand a little bit.’

I thought I had accomplished everything I could have done in my previous life.

It was my second life, so I had resigned myself to thinking that there would be no one who could move my heart anymore, and that there would be no one who could save me from my bottomless boredom.

But there were still many things I didn’t know and wanted to know.

That was what this stubborn man taught me.

“Ah… it’s already this late.”

Caesar, who checked the clock on the cabinet, got out of bed. It looked like he was about to leave the room.

“Uh, wait…”

Then I caught him.

It was an unconscious act. I didn’t know why either. I was surprised when I grabbed his sleeve too.

“Do you still have more to say?”

Caesar asked me in a soft voice.

“It’s not like that…”

Uhmm. I couldn’t come up with any excuses right away, so I was very embarrassed. Work, my improvisation!

“Are not you tired? It’s late at night, so if it’s not important, we can talk tomorrow.”

“Wait a minute. It’s going to be important. I must have grabbed you because it should be important.”

“What’s that? You’re going to think about the reason after you grabbed me?”

“How noisy. I told you I was thinking.”

“Akh.”

Slap. When I hit Caesar on the back of his hand without hurting him, Caesar started crying playfully.

I want to repay this man something.

As much as he opened up to me with all his might, I wanted to share with him what I had.

“Caesar. When are you going back?”

“I’m going back tomorrow at noon.”

“Then you can’t stay at night?”

“Aha, I see. You’re feeling lonely sleeping alone? If that’s the case, I’ll always be by your side… Akh!”

Slap, slap. I slapped the back of his hand a few more times as if it was his fault that my face went hot.

“It’s not that, would you like to go for a night walk with me?”

“A night walk?”

Caesar’s eyes widened.

“I want to show you something. There’s a cave across the beach, would you like to go there?”

“Ah… I think I know where it is. But it’s nighttime, so it’ll be hard to get the boat up.”

“You don’t have to float the boat.”

“Then are we going to swim? The water may be shallow, but it’s going to be dangerous at night.”

“You don’t have to swim.”

“What? Then how do you want to go?”

Fufufu, I purposely let out a loud laugh.

“Everything has a way.”

Perhaps I am the only person in this mansion who knows how to do that.

I narrowed my eyes and smiled, pulling Caesar’s hand.

“Let’s go. I’ll show you something great.”