< Chapter 52 - Unexpected Encounter #3 >
&
A horse without legs can travel a thousand miles.
Rumors about Uther and Cordelia had already spread far and wide, even to the center where the royal capital was located.
‘No! Why?! How come?!’
Well, it was a very special and unique thing.
Originally, the story of a runaway love was exclusive to lovers who loved each other but had to break up due to opposition from their families.
But two people who are already engaged run away in the middle of the night because of love?
And these two have the full support of their families, to the point where they were engaged from birth?
Those who heard the story of Uther and Cordelia had largely the same reaction.
“What does that mean?”
“Huh? What on earth are you talking about?”
An incomprehensible story.
That’s why I’m curious about the whole story.
Moreover, the story of Uther and Cordelia was full of such attractive spices.
“Well, the letters left behind by Miss Cordelia······.”
“Oh my, how bold.”
Cordelia’s letters expressing her love for Jude in a direct and vivid manner.
“I guess you wanted some time for just the two of you.”
“Ah… I think I know something.”
“Right?”
Even if they were engaged, it was difficult for nobles, especially those from families as large as the 12 northern families, to be in a situation where the two of them were alone together.
This is because there were many people following her around, such as bodyguards and maids.
“No matter what, it was a bit too much, you two.”
“Miss Cordelia, too… You should show off your dignity as a young lady of the Count’s family….”
“Honestly, I’m a little disappointed.”
“Maybe I’ve read too many romance novels. Haha.”
Either way, a scandal is a scandal.
Like Emma Pikus, there were many who spoke ill of Cordelia and Uther, saying that now was their chance.
And as always, the bad news tended to spread farther than the good.
“But… aren’t you still a little jealous?”
“Actually, I too······.”
“I’m a little jealous.”
The story of the two men was not simply a scandal to be cursed and ignored.
This is because it contained elements that were aspirational not only to young girls but also to older women – no, even to older women who already had several children.
“I guess those two really love each other?”
“Like a love story.”
For the aristocracy, marriage was almost always for the sake of the family.
Political marriage.
Marriage to someone you don’t even know.
An engagement that was suddenly decided and with someone I thought was a stranger until yesterday.
A marriage where neither party has love, but they are forced to maintain it.
But Uther and Cordelia were different.
Despite being engaged in utero, the two loved each other desperately – they were truly in love, like the main characters in a love story.
I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t jealous.
“And… have you heard about Prince Yude? He’s so handsome, isn’t he?”
“Miss Cordelia has also been famous for her beauty since long ago.”
“The Count Chase family was originally a bit.”
“Well, wasn’t it rumored that Miss Adelia was the greatest beauty in the North when she kept her mouth shut?”
“That reminds me.”
Even when they stand separately, the peerless beauty girl and peerless beauty boy shine brightly, but when they become a couple, how great must their brilliance be?
For these reasons, however, the story of Uther and Cordelia quickly spread beyond the North and into the Central Region.
And in fact, the rumor had already spread to the south, so the entire Kingdom of Cailun knew the story of Uther and Cordelia.
From a fantasy couple to the couple of the century.
A love story between two people recognized by the entire kingdom.
‘Fuck, what the hell is this? What the hell is this?’
Cordelia felt dizzy as she heard their story through Princess Darian’s mouth, while Uther nodded with a satisfied expression.
“That’s a really wonderful story. I really envy you, Miss Cordelia.”
“Go, thank you.”
When Princess Darian looked at her with eyes sparkling with admiration, Cordelia had no choice but to smile and agree.
‘How did it end up like this?’
It was clearly just an excuse to avoid Delia and Maia’s gaze.
When I came to my senses, I realized that the entire kingdom – no, maybe the entire continent – had become a loving couple.
“But, Your Majesty.”
“Yes, Prince Yude.”
“That… second story hasn’t spread yet?”
“The second story?”
“The secret story hidden in Cordelia and I’s journey. The story involving the Holy Cross Guardians······.”
Princess Darian blinked at Uther’s words, and Lord Cornwell, who had been listening from the side, opened his mouth with a cough.
“The story is that the reason the two of them ran away in the middle of the night was to help the mission of the Guardians of the Holy Cross. They also played a major role in the operation that Count Hresvelg, the leader of the ravens, carried out in the Wild Lands.”
“Wow, really?”
“I don’t know the full details, but that’s what I heard.”
Even though he was the captain of the duke’s knights, he was not allowed to review the military reports that Count Hresvelg submitted to the royal family.
All I heard was a rough outline of the story during the exchange of information between the knights.
“But… I guess I might be able to find out the details now.”
Lord Cornwell, having said that, turned to Uther, who smiled broadly.
“I can’t tell you the details because it’s a secret… but it’s true that the reason Cordelia and I ran away from home was to carry out our mission as the Guardians of the Holy Cross.”
At Uther’s words, Lord Cornwell gave him a look that suggested he speak a little more, but it was impossible.
Uther smiled consistently, while Lord Cornwell only frowned and did not directly challenge him.
Although Lord Cornwell was a knight commander of the Spencer Dukes and held the title of Viscount, he was not in a position to tell Uther what to do.
‘Because I’m a noble too.’
Although he was a common noble with no title and a low chance of inheriting a title as the second son, he was still a noble.
‘And maybe… I’ll get to the rank of Baron soon.’
Since Count Hresvelg had reported on Juder and Cordelia’s activities in the Savage Lands, there was a high possibility that both Juder and Cordelia would be given the title of Baron, or at least a knight.
So Uther smiled leisurely again, and Lord Cornwell made a displeased expression but did not say anything to Uther.
But it wasn’t Princess Darian.
After hearing the conversation between Uther and Lord Cornwell, she suddenly slumped her shoulders and spoke in a very disappointed tone.
“Then… is it all a lie?”
“yes?”
“It’s a love story between two people.”
I admired it, I thought it was cool, I prayed for that kind of love.
‘Please say no.’
At the sight of Princess Darian’s gaze, Uther turned to Cordelia, who was visibly flustered.
‘Oh, what should I do?’
‘What can I do? I should do as I always do.’
‘Wait, like you always do?’
‘Then you’re going to make Princess Darian cry?’
Cordelia flinched at the question in Uther’s eyes, then turned her gaze back to Princess Darian, and flinched once again at her moist gaze.
“Princess Ferdarianne.”
“Yes, Prince Yude.”
“Do you remember what I said earlier?”
Princess Darian blinked and tilted her head at Yuder’s question, then smiled brightly.
“You said it was a journey of love.”
“Yes, that’s right. The runaway from love is over now, and now I’m on a journey of love. The reason I ran away was for the mission of the Holy Cross Guardians… but the love between the two of us is by no means false.”
“Wow······.”
Princess Darian, with both hands on her cheeks, looked back at Cordelia in admiration.
And once again, an attack of gazes.
Big, pretty, moist eyes with a different meaning than before.
“You, Youder is right. We really are… I, I love you.”
Darian’s face brightened even more as Cordelia awkwardly confirmed it.
“Then Miss Cordelia… no, Sister Cordelia. Can I call you Sister?”
“Yes? That······ Yes, it is an honor.”
Even though it was an informal setting, it wasn’t normal for a princess to be called ‘sister’.
When Cordelia answered with difficulty, Princess Darian closed her eyes slightly and said with a hehehe smile.
“Then that letter too… is it real? I want to always be with my beloved Prince Yude… I don’t want to be separated… Even death won’t be able to separate us….”
Cordelia suffered a huge psychological blow from the line she recited like a dreaming girl, but she couldn’t help it.
I couldn’t say no here.
‘No, wait! But why is it so exaggerated?!’
I clearly said that I wanted to be with my beloved Yuder and that I didn’t want to break up with him, but I never said anything about death!
But it was already a rumor, and rumors tend to get exaggerated as they spread.
“I thought it was really cool. Is it all real, Cordelia?”
Cordelia couldn’t help but smile and nod at Darian’s lovely question, even though cold sweat ran down her back.
“It was a bit of an exaggeration, no, a bit too much….”
“Are you exaggerating? Then you didn’t say that you loved Prince Yu De? And that you didn’t want to break up······.”
“No, no. That’s right. I, I did write it like that.”
Ah, Cordelia. Ah, Cordelia.
The knights and Hans at the counter thought together as they watched her, not knowing what to do, with her face and neck red and sweating profusely.
‘I love it. And I want to kill it.’
The former is Cordelia. The latter is Uther.
And Uder, who was the direct cause and one of the parties involved in all this, tried very hard to hold back his laughter.
‘Oh, please Cordelia. Why are you so cute?’
But that was exactly the moment I thought that.
‘Hey! Help me!’
‘Yes, ma’am.’
Uder, who immediately responded to Cordelia’s SOS signal, opened his mouth to break the current situation.
“But, Your Majesty.”
“Yes, Yuder Orabeoni. Can I call you Orabeoni?”
“Of course. Thank you for the great honor.”
“Hehehe, thank you for allowing me to do so. What’s the matter with you? Oh, do you have any more love stories to tell?”
“Of course, I have a lot to tell you, but… I think I have to put that on hold for now.”
After saying that, Uder glanced back at Lord Cornwell and continued speaking.
“The reason Cordelia and I came to this village was actually to obtain herbs.”
“Herbs···?”
“Yes, it is a medicinal herb called the Seven-Colored Herb that grows in the dungeon of Archmage Akeima.”
As soon as Yuder finished speaking, the atmosphere inside the inn changed once again.
Lord Cornwell’s gaze became fierce, and the knights who had been feeling faint quickly straightened their gazes and postures.
‘also.’
This reaction.
It was clear that Princess Darian and her party had also come to this village to obtain the Seven-Colored Grass.
So how should we react to this statement?
Uder looked at Princess Darian, and Princess Darian, like a child, could not completely hide her feelings.
He fidgeted, clenching his hands together, then turned to Lord Cornwell.
“Lord Cornwall.”
Lord Cornwell sighed and nodded at her gaze that asked, “What should I do?”
“I can’t help it. I think it’s okay to talk to them since they are the children of the 12 northern families.”
To be exact, it was because they were the children of the 12 northern families that they had to talk.
If they were commoners, they could be kicked out, or in extreme cases, even eliminated, but doing that to the children of the twelve northern families was impossible.
“Your Highness, Yuder.”
“Yes, Princess Perdarianne.”
“Please call me Darian. It’s my nickname.”
“Yes, Princess Darian.”
When Yuder corrected her title, Princess Darian bit her lip once, then smiled again and said.
“Lord Cornwall and I have also come to seek the rainbow.”
“Are you talking about the seven-colored grass?”
“Yes, I also heard that it grows naturally in Akekaiman’s dungeon.”
He didn’t reveal the source of the information, and Yuder didn’t bother to ask.
The important thing was that both sides wanted the rainbow.
‘Wait, we want rainbow grass? We want something else.’
‘Oh, that’s right. It’s just that Princess Darian and Lord Cornwell think that way.’
Cordelia blinked at Uther’s gaze and soon understood Uther’s intentions.
‘Wow, what a real scammer.’
‘Thank you for the compliment, princess.’
Uther’s intentions.
The schemes of Uder that will follow.
“Brother Yuder, come with us. We’ll get the rainbow grass together and then share it.”
At Princess Darian’s suggestion, Yuder secretly shouted “Bingo” but never showed it. Instead of accepting right away, he asked in a cautious tone.
“Would that be okay?”
It was a question posed not only to Princess Darian but also to Lord Cornwall, but in fact the answer was already decided.
‘It was Princess Darian’s decision, and there was no reason to refuse.’
It was Uther and Cordelia who had already been identified.
Moreover, Lord Cornwell also knew of the exploits that Uther and Cordelia had accomplished in the Wild Lands.
That is, he knew that the two people had abilities beyond those of ordinary noble children.
‘It’s not that the number of escort targets has increased, but rather that our forces have increased.’
Of course, it wouldn’t have been pleasant to have a complete stranger interfere with the journey to escort the princess, no matter how much his identity was proven, but there was no reason to strongly refuse, so in the end, he had no choice but to accept.
“Please take care of me.”
“Please take care of me too, Lord Cornwall.”
Yuder answered smoothly and looked back at Princess Darian.
And the moment he met Princess Darian and her party, he spoke of the plan that came to his mind.
“Princess Darian, I have a proposal to make.”
A solution that would make everyone here happy – of course, Uther and Cordelia would be much happier, but anyway, it’s a win-win solution that kills three birds with one stone.
The story of Uder begins.
&
< Chapter 52 - Unexpected Encounter #3 > End
