It was closer to talking to himself than speaking to Ioret directly. She could barely make out what he said, but there was no time to pick at every word.
“Because I want to avoid anything that can be avoided. In that time, I could pursue something more productive instead. Like helping someone in a similar situation.”
“Me?”
Kylron tilted his head with a smile.
Where had the formal politeness gone? Once again, his speech was cut short and informal. Yet his attitude and tone were so natural that Ioret did not even find it rude.
As though speaking in such an overbearing manner was only natural for someone like him. Even though he was neither the king of Calande nor anything close to it yet, merely the commander of a remote frontier fortress.
“That’s right. You. Though you hardly look like someone in trouble, Commander. Even at this very moment, dozens of your men are probably dying in the northern fortress.”
For the first time, the smile vanished from the man’s face.
The border conflict between Calande and Elovis was far from simple.
The root of the issue lay in the two nations’ differing stances toward the demon race.
While Calande regarded demons as enemies, Elovis viewed them as a useful means of keeping Calande in check.
To begin with, the current northwestern border of Elovis had originally been territory stolen from Calande during the reign of Elovis’s current king, back when he was famed as the Conquering King.
If the demons’ sphere of influence were to shrink, there was a high possibility that Calande would attempt to reclaim the lost territory.
And so, several years ago, the king of Elovis made a decision.
“Disguise our troops as Calande soldiers and send them into demon territory.”
Under the king’s orders, the Elovis border guards sent guerrilla forces into the unregistered lands ruled by demons, provoking them.
And since those guerrillas were disguised as Calande soldiers, the blame naturally fell upon Calande.
The Calande royal family, already thrown into chaos for over a decade due to the struggle for the throne, had no room to handle another border conflict. So they dispatched Commander Kylron Winterbark to Elovis with orders to resolve the matter.
And the official negotiations were set to begin tomorrow.
“You claimed you came to save me, yet all you’ve done is grate on my nerves. I had almost forgotten about it for a moment.”
Kylron frowned. He looked genuinely displeased.
Just then, voices could be heard from beyond the wall of hedges surrounding the maze garden.
Ioret grabbed Kylron by the shoulder and pulled his head down toward her. The top of his head, which had been sticking above the hedge, disappeared fully into the maze.
“...!”
The man tried to pull away in surprise. Perhaps because he had been caught off guard, a faint flush spread across his cheeks.
Wrapping her arms firmly around his neck, Ioret spoke.
“I’ll be direct. The Elovis royal family will not willingly accept a single one of the negotiation terms you prepared.”
“That’s—”
“And the negotiations won’t end in a day or two. You’ll end up kneeling before the royal palace, and because of that, you’ll lose your honor in Calande and threaten your standing in the northern fortress.”
Ioret knew exactly what he would go through starting tomorrow and lasting for an entire week.
In the past, Kylron had attempted negotiations three times.
On the first day, he proposed yearly tribute payments to Elovis.
On the second day, he even made the unprecedented offer of covering part of Elovis’s border defense military expenses.
There could hardly be a clearer sign of a desire for peace than offering to finance another nation’s army.
Yet the king and crown princess responded coldly even to that.
In the end, on the third day, the commander knelt before the royal palace and pleaded. It became such a grand spectacle of ridicule that even Ioret heard of it.
Only after spending five full days practically begging did the king finally graciously accept the negotiations.
After that, Ioret herself had already departed for Count Castlelane’s territory, so she never saw Kylron leave Elovis.
But even after returning to Calande, he must have suffered oppression from the royal family for years afterward.
First they deliberately force someone into a humiliating position, then afterward condemn them by saying, “After suffering such disgrace, you still dare remain in the capital?” It was a political tactic the nobility often used to socially bury those they disliked.
‘It should never have taken that long.’
At that moment, someone entered the maze garden.
This time Kylron recovered first and grabbed Ioret’s hand, pulling her along. Ioret ran to match his stride.
The maze had only two paths.
Forward, or back the way they came.
Without hesitation, Kylron chose forward.
“So.”
After escaping through the maze exit, they hid behind a flower bed near the fountain.
As they concealed themselves in the shadows untouched by light, Ioret’s blue dress melted perfectly into the darkness.
This time, the man leaned toward her first. His sharp eyes, fixed directly on Ioret, burned with a strange excitement.
“Will the princess help me? And how exactly am I supposed to trust you?”
“The decision is yours to make. I’m merely presenting you with an option.”
Behind Kylron’s shoulder, she spotted the royal guards searching for her. Lucian was among them.
Ioret quickly hid herself in Kylron’s arms. Her small frame disappeared completely behind his broad build.
He seemed to notice the commotion behind him as well and withdrew the hand from his pocket, sliding it around Ioret’s waist.
From afar, they would look like lovers secretly meeting in the garden.
There truly was no time left now. She had not expected things to turn into this kind of scene, but there was no better option.
Grabbing Kylron by the collar, Ioret locked eyes with him.
“Would you like me to tell you another option?”
“Another option?”
“Yes. A way for you to achieve a successful peace agreement without humiliatingly submitting to His Majesty.”
The man answered by gripping the back of her neck.
Without avoiding the overwhelming dark crimson eyes that looked ready to devour her, Ioret whispered:
“Propose to me.”
Lucian found his temporary mistress close to midnight.
“Princess!”
The moment he spotted the familiar platinum hair, he rushed over—only to freeze in horror at the sight before him.
“What in the world are you doing?! Release the princess at once!”
The knights dragging Ioret along by both arms stumbled back in panic.
Ioret’s face was deathly pale. Angry handprints were clearly visible on her arms.
Freed from the knights, Ioret staggered and nearly collapsed. Lucian hurriedly caught her.
“My apologies. I was summoned briefly by His Majesty and stepped away for a moment... What exactly happened here?”
“It’s a misunderstanding, Vice Captain! The princess refused to return to the tower, so we—”
“And that gives you permission to lay hands on royalty? Have you lost your minds?”
“W-We apologize.”
“You shouldn’t be apologizing to me—”
Lucian abruptly stopped shouting and looked downward.
A small hand was clutching the edge of his uniform.
“That’s enough, Sir. The banquet hall felt stifling, so I merely went for a walk. It seems the guards misunderstood.”
Ioret straightened herself by force, steadying her legs. But her complexion remained poor, and goosebumps covered everything from her bare shoulders to her wrists.
The guards hurriedly explained themselves, sweating profusely.
“We apologize, Vice Captain. We were told that even force was permitted, so we thought the matter urgent...”
“Force was permitted? Which idiot gave such an order?”
“Well... Captain of the Guard said it came from Her Highness the Crown Princess...”
A deep crease formed between Lucian’s brows.
Crown Princess Catherine had ordered the princess confined to the tower. He himself had only learned of it late and had been searching for the princess ever since. But he had never imagined she intended for them to subdue the princess like this.
Rubbing her aching arm, Ioret spoke in a tired voice.
“I told them several times already. My legs work perfectly fine, so I can return on my own. I never intended to run away in the first place, so go tell my sister not to worry.”
The hesitant guards bowed deeply and withdrew.
As he watched the princess walk away with rigid composure, Lucian felt a bitterness he could not quite explain.
This was punishment she deserved. Didn’t I clearly warn her not to wear that dress? Those words of reproach dissolved before they could leave his throat.
“...Princess. Were you truly only taking a walk?”
“And if I said no, would that justify the treatment I just received?”
He had no answer to that.
Lucian silently followed behind her.
But when they arrived at the princess’s residence, his expression darkened once more.
