Chapter 53
Startled by the princess’s harsh words, Cedric shut his mouth. The duchess, no less shocked, stammered.
“Pr, Princess Your Highness….”
“The knights, listen.”
Eocaste, who had coldly turned her body, commanded the knights who were protecting her.
“Not content with setting fire to the crown prince’s banquet hall, for the crime of daring to ruin the princess’s birthday, the Starafit Ducal House’s access to the imperial palace is prohibited for two months.”
“Your Highness! The young lady Erzébet caused a disturbance as well, how can you!”
“It would be better to shut that mouth before I have your tongue pulled out and make you unable to speak.”
The duchess hurriedly shut her mouth.
It was mad talk, but the Third Princess was someone who would do even that.
She wanted to jump up in injustice, but what could she do? The situation had already been decided.
She had no choice but to flee the banquet hall as if being chased.
It was with Cedric, who still couldn’t stop his nosebleed and was blocking his nose with a handkerchief.
Once the situation was roughly settled, Eocaste looked at Asil.
“Young lady, do you know what you did wrong?”
“Yes. I made the kid who just left burst his nosebleed.”
“Hmm.”
Unlike the duchess who refused to admit her own fault until the end, since she obediently admitted it, her anger instantly subsided.
Eocaste looked down at Asil with coldly sunken eyes.
It was then that Ednber interjected.
“The young lady caused the disturbance because of me, so please speak to me.”
…The Monlephe Duke defending someone?
Who would have thought I’d see such a rare sight. Eocaste’s eyes flashed as she discovered something intriguing.
She soon hid her emotions and spoke with a calm and composed face.
“It’s fine. I have something to say to the young lady. Bursting the nosebleed was a good thing, young lady.”
Ah, so that’s what it was?
She had been fidgeting, wondering if she’d get scolded, but it was a relief. Asil slightly raised her head.
“What the young lady did wrong was disrupting the banquet hall because of a guy not worth dealing with.”
“Yes.”
“I’ll personally teach you whom to deal with and whom not to, so come to the Third Princess’s palace whenever you have time. Understood?”
Only then did Ednber realize Eocaste’s intention and his face slightly hardened.
On the other hand, Asil was moved.
Who would have thought, she seemed only tyrannical, but she’s even kind!
“Thank you.”
She offered a clumsy but polite greeting.
Then, Edenber, who was beside her, came into view.
More precisely, the nail marks on his palm were visible. Blood droplets had formed from how tightly he had gripped.
The moment their eyes met and he tried to hurriedly leave the seat, Asil grabbed his arm firmly.
“Princess. Is there someone to blow on this painful spot?”
* * *
Eocaste’s attendant guided Asil and Ednber to the infirmary.
“They say repay favors twice over.”
Asil, who had even forgotten to use formal speech with the duke, grabbed both of Ednber’s palms and blew, hoo, hoo.
And she stuck two bandages on each palm, slap slap.
Thanks to her husband, she could escape the crowd, and she didn’t get scolded by that scary-looking auntie who was the duchess or whatever, so she had to stick two on each.
However, Edenber immediately peeled off the bandages and said stiffly.
“This isn’t for using on places like this.”
“Then when do you use it?”
“You only stick it on places where blood is coming out.”
“But blood is coming out here?”
“It’s just a bit of scraped skin. And sticking a bandage on the palm is uncomfortable.”
“Then where do you stick the bandage?”
“No need.”
He spoke coldly and tried to stand up.
But he was caught by Asil and sat back down in his seat.
“Asil repays favors.”
“You don’t have to repay it. And if we’re being precise, I also owe the young lady something.”
“I’d like it if you repaid the favor you received from Asil three times over.”
Asil spread three fingers.
Three baskets of strawberries, or three baskets of strawberries, or three baskets of strawberries.
She said it confidently with such feelings, and Ednber looked at her with eyes full of bewilderment.
‘Hmm, it seems Asil is being too greedy.’
Asil quickly folded one finger.
“Twice over is fine too.”
“Can’t we call it even with no debts between us?”
“Umm… But Asil wants to repay the favor.”
She wanted to blow on the injured hand and stick on the bandage.
Actually, what she really wanted to blow on wasn’t the palm, but the heart.
‘That guy earlier said some really bad things to her husband.’
Asil didn’t know the word brothel.
However, from the reactions of those around and Edenber, she could guess it was something extremely bad.
If she had heard such words, she would have given them a thorough scolding with flashy fighting skills like front paw punch, back kick, roundhouse kick, spinning kick, making tears flow.
But Ednver had just endured it.
How upset must he have been.
‘I want to blow on his heart.’
However, since she couldn’t stick a bandage on the heart, she was fidgeting her fingers and holding back tightly.
Ednber, who had been gazing at her intently, reluctantly opened his lips.
“Alright, stick it on.”
At that, Asil stuck the bandages on his palm with lightning-fast hand movements, slap slap.
Then, she looked at him with proud eyes.
‘How about it, Asil stuck them on well?’
Edenber, who had been staring at such an Asil with eyes tinged with bewilderment, quietly said.
“Even like this, I have no intention of taking interest in the young lady.”
“Asil isn’t interested in the duke either.”
Does she think Asil is interested in her husband? Asil haughtily lifted her chin.
But when there was no reaction from the other party, she sneakily glanced at Edenber sideways to check.
“I’m saying I’m not interested.”
“Yeah.”
“I’m telling you I’m not interested?”
“Got it.”
“…You’re mean. Now go home.”
She wasn’t going to talk to her husband anymore! Completely sulking, Asil whipped her head away.
However, soon she narrowed her eyes thinly like a needle and glared at Edenber rising from the chair with peevish eyes.
“You have it, Duke.”
Edenber’s violet gaze reached Asil.
“When Asil is upset and sad, she eats a lot of delicious things.”
“….”
“So the duke should go home and eat a lot of delicious things too. Then here-”
Asil pressed firmly near her heart with her index finger.
“-won’t hurt anymore.”
“….”
“If you want to repay the favor to Asil, promise to eat three delicious things. Got it?”
Three baskets of strawberries would be nice too, but she liked her husband not hurting even more.
Asil extended her small pinky finger to him.
“If you got it, pinky promise!”
However, Edenber just stared blankly without moving.
At that, Asil’s eyes became sullen. Is it because he doesn’t like repaying three times over?
“If three is too much, eat two.”
“….”
“One isn’t enough. It’s two or three.”
She absolutely couldn’t back down any further.
The beastman kindergarten teacher said you have to repay twice or more.
“Asil’s front paw hurts.”
“….!”
When she waved her hand meaning hurry up, Edenber, who had been frozen with shaking eyes, hooked his pinky.
“Eat two delicious things. Promise with Asil-”
Asil hummed and waved her hand back and forth as she promised with him. She even rubbed her palm against Ednber’s palm, shak.
“Stamp it too-”
At the unexpected contact, Edenber flinched.
But only for a moment, he tightly grabbed Asil’s hand that was trying to pull away.
“What did you just say?”
“Huh?”
“What did you call this?”
Ah, when in human form, it’s not front paw but hand, right?
‘No way, did he figure out that Asil is Asil?’
That can’t happen. Asil hid her pounding heart and said innocently.
“Hand.”
“….”
“Asil’s going now. The duke go home too and eat lots and lots of delicious things. Bye!”
When her feet itch, the best policy is to run. Asil, who had jumped up hurriedly, ran out of the infirmary as if fleeing.
The gaze sticking to her back stung.
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By Anna 💓
