If You Take the Enemy Prince as Your Knight Chapter 154

“Right! Now that you know, apologize!”

 

“Yes, I’m sorry.”

 

“Hmph.”

 

Sasha and Orlette, who had been listening from the side, avoided each other’s gazes with inexplicably dissatisfied expressions. But Nanaen and Lilliana were too busy bickering to notice. Just then, Sasha began breathing heavily as though she were struggling.

 

“Sasha, what’s wrong? Are you in pain again?”

 

“Yes. A little…”

 

Seeing that she was once again in a state where she needed to lie down, the princesses hurriedly prepared to leave.

 

“Get well soon, Sister.”

 

“Take good care of yourself.”

 

After the sisters left her chambers, Sasha lay down on the bed with Hamel’s support. Her platinum-blonde hair spilled messily across the pillow. Her face had turned red, as though she had a slight fever, and she let out her voice along with a hot breath.

 

“Where is Sir Regen?”

 

“He’s at the training grounds. Shall I call him?”

 

“I only asked because I was curious. Don’t call him.”

 

“…”

 

“I mean it. I don’t want him to see me looking all sick.”

 

For three whole days, Sasha spent most of her time lying in bed, groaning in pain or sleeping. Naturally, Regen had wanted to stay by her side while she was sick. However, perhaps because of the imprint, the sight of Regen helplessly waiting for Sasha to recover with a face that looked as though the world had collapsed made it impossible for her to suffer in peace.

 

In the end, Sasha ordered him to train at the training grounds from morning until night. Because of that, she hadn’t seen Regen’s face or even spoken with him for the past few days.

 

“I really don’t want to see him. I look a little shabby right now. Moreover, I get unnecessarily irritable when I’m sick.” She consoled her disappointment by persuading herself. Pulling the blanket up to her neck, Sasha closed her eyes. “I hope I’m completely recovered by tomorrow morning.”

 

✦

It was two days later that Sasha finally got completely back on her feet. My body feels so refreshed! Sitting up, she was practically bewildered by how full of energy she felt. It was hard to believe she had been sick for the past five days.

 

Sasha walked over to the wall and threw the window wide open. A smile naturally appeared on her face at the incoming fall air and late-morning sunlight. A person truly could feel immense happiness just from their pain coming to an end.

 

“Eek, Your Highness!” Demia, who had come in to check the fireplace, was startled. It was understandable that she would be horrified to see the princess, who had still been shivering from chills just last night, standing by the window exposed to the cold air.

 

Sasha stopped Demia, who was hurriedly trying to drape a blanket over her shoulders. “I’m completely better now. The room is actually warm.”

 

“That’s a relief. Are you able to eat?”

 

“Yeah. I’m sick of soup, so please bring me something delicious.”

 

“Yes!”

 

After having a satisfying meal for the first time in a while, Sasha took a bath. While she soaked in the tub full of bubbles, the three maids surrounded her and chatted away.

 

“I wonder how exhausting the journey must have been for someone as healthy as Your Highness to be sick for five days. It’s the first time since I started serving Your Highness.” Hamel sighed as she massaged Sasha’s scalp.

 

Demia, who was replenishing the warm water, cried out indignantly. “This is all because of Sir Dominic! To return to the imperial palace immediately without even giving Your Highness time to rest! That wicked man!”

 

Sione, who was gently rubbing Sasha’s arm with a soft bath brush, joined in. “Your Highness, I heard you rode in the carriage alone with Sir Dominic for the entire journey back. You must have had such a difficult time.”

 

“Yes. I think that was definitely the hardest part.”

 

At Sasha’s frank admission, the chamber maids’ hostility toward Dominic grew even stronger. They provisionally concluded that the blond-haired leech was the culprit responsible for making their precious princess ill for five whole days.

 

Sasha rose from the tub and stepped outside. After the water droplets were wiped from her naked body with a towel, a robe with a soft, smooth texture was draped over her. She walked over to the vanity and sat down, letting out a small lament.

 

“It would have been nice if Sir Regen had been the person I had to face in the carriage for fifteen days.”

 

“Would you like to see him now?”

 

“Huh?”

 

Demia’s violet eyes sparkled. “We should also let Sir Regen know that Your Highness has gotten out of bed. He should be at the training grounds right now, so I’ll go bring him immediately!”

 

“Uh? Demia?”

 

Before Sasha could say anything, Demia disappeared, her brown bob swaying lightly.

 

Flustered, Sasha hurriedly told the remaining maids, “Make me presentable. Quickly.”

 

✦

It was a special day when coincidences happened to overlap. At the training grounds north of the imperial palace, all four of the personal knights happened to be present today, each training separately.

 

Normally, the personal knights not only failed to mingle with the imperial guards, but they were also awkward with one another. They had few opportunities to talk together, and since they were fundamentally rivals, there was a psychological barrier that made it difficult for them to be friendly with one another. In the case of Regen and Kilieon, they had also kept their distance from each other to conceal their bloodline. But that was a story from one season ago.

 

There were now three knights whose masters were close enough to each other that they had even attended the second princess’s teatime together. Moreover, the recently held ‘Knight Wheel Battle’ had been a competition that emphasized their shared plight rather than encouraging competition among them. The remaining personal knights now had no disagreement that their true enemy was the mad emperor.

 

Those who spotted the black uniform among the blue uniforms greeted him with glances before continuing their respective training. Regen headed toward the water station to drink. Just as his canteen was half-filled, a knight with light brown hair called out to him from behind.

 

“Sir Regen!”

 

“Sir Noah.”

 

Seeing Noah approaching while waving a hand holding an empty canteen, Regen stepped aside from the sink. Tilting his own canteen to his mouth, Regen glanced at Noah. The young man, who still retained a boyish hint, had an exceedingly charming, bright, harmless smile, as though it had been fashioned from sunlight. For some reason, Regen had the feeling that he was the type the princesses would like. Perhaps that was why he found himself observing him more closely.

 

“It really feels like it’s been a long time since I last saw you, Sir Regen.”

 

“I was away from the imperial palace for a month, after all. Have you been well?”

 

“Yes!”

 

It was merely a polite question, but the reply he received was so energetic that it was almost excessively enthusiastic. Regen was briefly puzzled, then suddenly noticed something unusual. Sir Noah seemed to have gotten stronger. He felt that Noah’s mana had increased noticeably by the time of the martial arts tournament. With Noah as he was now, he seemed to be on equal footing with Kilieon in terms of mana.

 

Such explosive growth, leaping over several stages at once, was comparable to gaining enlightenment about three times. There was only one thing that could explain such a remarkable phenomenon. It’s the power of dominion. The mana-enchantment ability possessed by the imperial family. Orlette had clearly used it on Noah. It seemed Sasha and Regen weren’t the only ones whose relationship had progressed since the tournament.

 

Regen’s golden eyes, which had been looking at Noah, became slightly clouded. He remembered the time he had gone with Sasha to the Amethyst Room before. The sight of Orlette flanked by three favored men was still vivid in his mind. At the time, the men occupied the space at Orlette’s feet and on either side of her as she sat on the couch, competitively acting cute.

 

Regen disrupted his thoughts, now wanting to imagine Noah standing behind that couch. Then, he inadvertently blurted out a question. “Sir Noah, are you satisfied?”

 

“Pardon?”

      

“…Never mind.”

 

Regen sighed. He felt that he simply wouldn’t be able to endure it. The moment he noticed other men clinging to Sasha and fawning over her, he thought that he might end up becoming like Dominic himself.

 

At that moment, Noah stared intently at Regen. Unlike his innocent and sunny appearance, this brown-haired knight had a fox-like side to him. His ability to read the situation was almost as sharp as Regen’s. With a serious expression, Noah corrected Regen’s misunderstanding. “Her Highness only has me serving her. I’m working tirelessly so that I alone will be more than sufficient!”

 

“Ah, yes. My apologies.”

 

“Well, it wasn’t exactly something to apologize for. Wait, maybe it was… Ah, anyway, yes.”