If You Take the Enemy Prince as Your Knight Chapter 130

A handsome man in uniform stood smiling at Sasha. Perhaps it was because of his silver-white hair fluttering lazily in the breeze. Sasha felt as though time moved more slowly around him alone. The face smiling at her, the shining golden eyes, all of them were beautiful.

 

Feeling almost spellbound, Sasha opened her mouth. “I mi—” Just as she was about to say she missed him, Regen strode up to her and pulled her into his arms. Suddenly enveloped in his broad embrace, she squirmed slightly in surprise. “Regen?”

 

“You did well.”

 

“…”

 

At the voice falling beside her ear, Sasha quieted down. Her face, comfortably resting against him as though enjoying well-earned praise and reward, flushed faintly. Even so, she deliberately pretended ignorance. “What exactly did I do well?”

 

“…”

 

“I don’t really understand why I’m being praised.”

 

“…”

 

She wanted to hear it from Regen’s own mouth. Like before, words of jealousy.  Held in his arms, she immediately felt him flinch ever so slightly. Sasha found the reaction immensely pleasing.

 

After carefully choosing his words, Regen finally spoke. “You gave Emilio Hwibrik the gift of betrayal.”

 

“Be more specific.”

 

“…”

 

“…”

 

It seemed Sasha’s plan had backfired. Regen had noticed that she was pretending ignorance to coax a confession out of him. He released the arm around her and stepped back to face her. As a result, Sasha lost the sweet reward of his embrace and immediately regretted pressing him further.

 

“Sasha.” Suddenly, Regen bent at the waist to bring his eyes level with hers. His gaze, studying her from much closer now, was deep. He asked seriously, “Does my jealousy make you happy?”

 

“…”

 

“Why?”

 

“…”

 

Sasha felt her lips stiffen. Whether Regen’s question was innocent or a probe did not matter. To her, it was a warning in itself. A warning to keep her distance unless she intended to confess. Their relationship was already tilted enough as it was. On top of that, he remained bound by loyalty and reverence. Simply revealing her desires could become a demand to him.

 

Lowering her gaze, Sasha looked genuinely remorseful. “If I were not…”

 

“…”

 

“An imperial princess, I would have answered.”

 

If there were no imprinting, if theirs were not a master-and-servant relationship, there would be nothing holding her back.

 

“I see. Understood.” Regen nodded calmly, as though he understood everything. His reaction only confused Sasha further.

 

Understood? She had not said it expecting him to understand anything. It had merely been an impulsive remark. So what exactly had he understood?

 

At that moment, an unwelcome visitor approached them. It was Count Gildren, the middle-aged chief chamberlain whose hair was conspicuously white on one side.

 

“Princess Silver Bird, His Majesty has ordered that you ride in the same carriage with us.”

 

“Suddenly?”

 

“Marquis Hwibrik will be present as well. You may converse pleasantly on the way back to the imperial palace.”

 

The chief chamberlain seemed to believe this would serve as an incentive. Sasha could already foresee herself suffering severe motion sickness throughout the ride back.

 

“You may catch up with Sir Regen after returning to the imperial palace.”

 

“Very well.” She did not want to part from Regen, but there was no helping it. Leaving him with a brief farewell, Sasha turned away. “See you later.”

 

“…Yes.”

 

Her long platinum-blonde hair brushed past the hand he could not bring himself to use to stop her.

 

Regen’s expression darkened as the time they could have spent together was stolen away. And when he thought of the traitor waiting at the end of the path she was walking toward, his mood sank even further. He found himself wishing for the week to pass quickly. Only then would one particular existence that irritated him be erased from the world forever.

 

14. Something Other Than an Order

The distance from the martial tournament arena in the center of the capital to the imperial palace was not particularly great. Nevertheless, Regen did not see Sasha again until that evening. The mad emperor who had taken Sasha away didn’t return her to him after he arrived at the imperial palace. Instead, a low-ranking servant delivered a message.

 

“A banquet and reception have been scheduled for the diplomatic delegation. Princess Silver Bird will attend as Marquis Hwibrik’s partner.”

 

“I shall make preparations immediately and provide an escort.”

 

“No. An escort from a personal knight is unnecessary. Sir Regen may enjoy your rest without coming to the main palace.”

 

“…”

 

“It’s His Majesty’s command.”

 

The banquet for the governors was held while the personal knights, the very stars of the tournament, were completely excluded.  In the end, the life-and-death duels fought today had merely served as entertainment to liven up the welcoming festivities. Normally Regen would have accepted it without emotion, but perhaps because the princess was not by his side, the insult felt strangely fresh.

 

Regen decided to engage in an activity that would help him control his emotions.  “I’ll be heading to the training grounds.”

 

The maid with the cute short brown hair looked horrified. “Are you going to train right now?”

 

“Yes, Lady Demia.”

 

“You just got back! And you fought ten duels at the tournament! Aren’t you exhausted?”

 

“Yes, I am. My mind is extremely fatigued, so I intend to recover through training.”

 

“I-I see. Alright then.” Demia let him go, deciding that this was simply how knights were.

 

The sword he wielded to clear his thoughts was stronger and sharper than usual. Only after unintentionally terrifying the Imperial Guard knights at the training grounds for several hours did Regen finally return to the Silver Bird Room.

 

“Has Her Highness returned?”

 

“Yes. She’s in her bedroom now.”

 

“Did she ask for me?”

 

“She didn’t, but…”

 

It was regrettable, but understandable.

 

“She must be exhausted. I understand.”

 

For a princess with average stamina, today’s schedule had been grueling. She had traveled to the dueling arena in the capital, then attended both a banquet and a reception.  There would be nothing strange about her collapsing directly into bed, unable to overcome her accumulated fatigue. Making eye contact with Sasha and hearing her voice to find peace of mind would have to wait until tomorrow.

 

Suppressing his disappointment, Regen strode toward his quarters. “I hope you have a good night as well, Lady Demia.”

 

“Uh…”

 

Leaving behind Demia, who looked as though she wanted to say something, he opened the door to his room.

 

“You’re finally back.”

 

“…”

 

Sasha greeted him gently from a wooden chair before the fireplace. Regen froze in the doorway. She was wearing a white, silky nightgown with a shawl draped over her shoulders. That part was familiar enough.  What was new was her platinum-blonde hair, loosely tied into two sections on either side. It was a look he had never seen before. A completely different side of her.

 

“Does it look strange?”

 

“Pretty, you look beautiful.” He hurriedly corrected the word that had almost slipped out too casually.

 

For a moment, Regen wondered if today happened to be his birthday. That was how much the princess felt like a gift.

 

“Aren’t you coming in? You’re not angry that I entered without permission, are you?”

 

“No. Absolutely not.”

 

After stepping inside, Regen hesitated briefly over whether he should close the door. For some reason, he found himself uncertain whether making his personal space private while the princess was present was truly knightly behavior.

 

At that moment, the shawl slipped slightly from Sasha’s shoulders. Looking more closely, the nightgown beneath resembled a thin slip dress. The straps over both shoulders were tied into ribbons. The sort of ribbons that made one want to untie them.

 

By the time Sasha pulled the shawl closer around herself against the chill, Regen’s hand had already closed the door behind him. For some reason, it simply felt like the right thing to do.

 

“Come over here.”

 

“Yes.”

 

Displaying his natural composure, Regen sat where Sasha indicated. It was a wooden chair positioned directly beside hers.

 

“What brings Sasha here? You didn’t call me to your quarters.”