༺ Eyes of a Dragon and the Human Heart (37) ༻
As they drew near, Cien issued a cold warning to Ian, her voice so subdued that only he could hear her.
“…There’s no turning back now. This is your last chance.”
Despite the threat, the man displayed no visible reaction.
The emotions in the man’s eyes remained unchanged. If anything, much like before, she only saw sympathy and pity.
She couldn’t stand that.
Sympathy and pity were the privileges of the strong. Therefore, it followed that the recipient of these sentiments was deemed weak.
In other words, Ian regarded her as someone beneath him.
What was even more vexing was that, deep down, she felt it was an accurate evaluation.
Ian Percus was strong.
Be it his skills or his mental fortitude, he was strong in every aspect. He remained calm amidst the unrelenting hostility of countless people and stood firm under the might of the imperial family.
Had it not been for her childhood memories, she might have gracefully accepted her defeat.
But unfortunately, she had yet to escape from her haunting nightmares.
That was why she continued to threaten him of his impending fate even as her voice quivered.
“With a single word from me, your sister’s company will crumble and be ruined. The same fate awaits the Percus territory… So kneel and beg for my forgiveness.”
She continued to threaten him, but the intent was the same—this was his last chance.
The man listened silently to the princess’ elaborate scheme.
Cien’s voice, as she described all the various methods she would employ to dismantle the Percus family, bore a subtle hint of desperation.
However, Ian’s reaction, even after hearing all that, remained bland.
“…Your Imperial Highness.”
The princess’ eyes held a faint anticipation as the man’s subdued voice reached her ears.
A bitter smile adorned his face.
“I see you’ve increased the number of guards. You have made a good decision.”
That was all he said.
Then, without uttering another word, the man walked away, leaving the princess behind.
She only felt genuine relief from the man. He was being sincere.
Realizing this, Cien was stunned and stood in a silent daze.
She wondered how he could maintain such calm and composure—whether he genuinely looked down on her to that degree.
Her head drooped as her entire body quivered.
As the only one capable of soothing the infuriated princess, the head maid cautiously approached Cien and hesitantly extended her advice.
“Um, Your Imperial Highness? Perhaps it would be wise to temporarily delay the plan? Something seems a little off…”
“…Start immediately.”
The head maid considered dissuading her master once more but sighed deeply upon hearing her master’s voice.
Heated breaths, clenched fists, and eyes ablaze with hatred—it was clear their princess wouldn’t change her mind.
“Bring them down! Immediately!”
Upon her command, one of the guards bowed deeply before swiftly taking off.
Resentment filled her eyes as she clenched her teeth.
‘I will make you pay. No matter what it takes.’
She couldn’t allow herself to be looked down upon.
Consumed by that singular determination, she had failed to notice several subtle signs Ian had displayed.
Thus, she remained oblivious to the fact that this would evolve into a lifelong regret.
**
The Homecoming Festival procession typically overflowed with jubilance and splendor.
The top students from each department would lead the way, followed by the other students in the order of their grades. However, as the procession went on, it would gradually descend into chaos and eventually resemble a disorderly throng of people.
Merchants would toss alcohol and snacks towards the students, who in turn passed them along for anyone to indulge in as they pleased.
Today was no exception.
As the procession reached halfway into the city after leaving the academy perimeters, the air resonated with the sounds of feasting and festivity. Now that the grades were released, nearly everyone was in high spirits as they enjoyed themselves.
But in addition to all that, the procession seemed even more boisterous with street cats and birds joining in the revelry and scavenging the scraps of food left behind by the students.
Yet, amidst the cheerful ambiance were a few outliers—Groups of students who had failed and had to return home.
They were the ones who garnered the most attention, with snacks and drinks being extended to them first in consideration. However, it did little to brighten their expressions.
Being admitted to the academy was difficult enough, but graduating was even harder.
The standard was always based on whether students graduated from the academy. As for those who were dropped partway, they were out of luck as society didn’t offer much compassion or pity.
This was particularly true for commoners, where failing was the same as letting slip their opportunity to turn their lives around. Thus, it was rather strange if they weren’t depressed after failing.
Among them, a handful appeared to have surrendered to despair, laughing and chatting away as if they had abandoned all hope.
Aside from these flunkies, there was another area enveloped in deathly silence.
It was precisely the area around me.
While the rest of the procession was bustling with no sense of personal space, there was plenty of space with other students silently keeping a considerable distance from me.
It was a scene that blatantly displayed my treatment at the academy.
Honestly, it was understandable. As an individual targeted by a member of the imperial family, anyone choosing to stand beside me had to meet several conditions.
They had to be an anomaly unaffiliated with the Empire, who, despite the potential risk, would choose to stand by me. Moreover, even if they met the previous condition, they also had to be in a high enough position that the imperial family couldn’t mess with them.
And surprisingly, there was someone currently by my side who met all the criteria.
The Saintess.
It seemed she had stubbornly trailed after me despite having told her to stay in the temple since it could potentially be dangerous.
My gaze soured.
“Saintess, have you lost your senses? I can assure you that being by my side right now will only be a loss to you.”
While it was something that would be resolved by the end of today’s events, I couldn’t ignore the possibility of any unforeseen circumstances.
As one of the Holy Nation’s most influential figures, the likelihood of the imperial family laying hands on her was low, at least diplomatically. However, academy-related matters were of no concern for the imperial family.
For instance, the hostility directed at me could also potentially influence the public’s perception of her.
This was something that would be extremely damaging, especially since she was someone who meticulously managed her reputation through all sorts of façades. Yet, despite it all, she showed no signs of leaving my side.
Instead, she playfully teased me with a carefree voice.
“Aren’t you a bit sad? Had you tried a little harder, you probably would have been able to take the second seat of your class even if not the top.”
“…Tell the second-seat Yuren to stay on his toes, and while you’re at it, pass the message along to the top student of our third-year class as well.”
“Ha…”
She let out a weary sound in response to my jest and playfully jabbed me in the side.
“The top student of the third-year Knight Division? I heard they are quite the character… I’ll pass on such a troublesome person. Having you around is already more than enough.”
‘Troublesome? As if there’s anyone as amiable and pleasant to be around as me.’
I grumbled inwardly without voicing it out loud. I had a feeling that she would look at me absurdly if I did. It was an unfair judgment.
As I stared at her with a somewhat wronged expression, a thought struck me.
“So, why did you come out? I told you to stay in the temple.”
“Hmph, for whose sake?”
She narrowed her eyes, casting a bitter glare my way with a hint of resentment.
I skeptically met her gaze, uncertain why she was reacting this way.
“You were planning on having fun with the other girls while leaving me out again, weren’t you, Lord of Playboys?”
“It’s actually ‘Hatchet Lord.'”
“And there are rumors going around saying you use your hatchet to choose the girl you plan on charming, is that true?”
“That’s obviously just some bullshit rumor.”
As we bantered back and forth, the procession reached its midway point. Now retracing our path back to the academy, I suddenly felt an inexplicable sense of unease.
It was as if time had momentarily stopped.
Urgently scanning our surroundings, I realized we had been pushed to the rear of the procession at some point, but apart from that, I couldn’t find anything out of place.
‘Was it just my imagination?’
At that moment, the Saintess’ voice snapped me out of my thoughts.
“I-it’s a cat…”
-Meow~
Her voice quivered as a cat’s meow tickled my ears.
Sitting by the street was a cute stray cat.
Such a cheeky animal… It seemed to be asking for food.
Yet, already captivated by its cuteness, she was slowly approaching the cat with a fried shrimp she had gotten from god-knows-where.
Seeing her sparkling eyes, I thought that she indeed was a woman—hopelessly weak to anything cute. And at the same time, I thought I was indeed a man for finding that side of her utterly adorable and charming.
As I was about to shake my head with a wry smile, I abruptly stopped in my tracks.
It was an odd feeling.
Turning my gaze, I locked eyes with the cat. Its vertically split pupils were reflecting both the Saintess and myself.
It was then.
Its pupils spiraled in circles, a movement impossible for a normal animal.
Without hesitation, I wrapped my arms around the Saintess and lunged towards the ground.
“Kya-kyaaaah! W-what are you doing all of sudd-?!?!”
-Boooooooooooom!!!
Along with an explosion, a shockwave tore through the air as screams echoed amidst soaring stone fragments.
The cat she was about to feed had suddenly ballooned in size before exploding.
-Tadadadak!
Bits of flesh and blood showered down with a splatter. They were the remains of the cat.
It didn’t end with a single explosion. Several more blasts ensued in the area, and more cries filled the air as pandemonium broke out.
Each shockwave bore a heavy impact on my back, but thanks to my tight embrace, the Saintess was shielded from harm.
“Uh- ah…”
I looked down.
The Saintess was stammering in shock as she looked back up at me.
I flashed her a faint smile to reassure her.
“Your holy power pouches, they’re quite nice and cushy.”
Her soft, springy breasts were perfect for absorbing the impact.
As much as I wanted to savor that deeply moving sensation pressed beneath me, we had no time.
Swiftly rising, I unsheathed my sword.
Only then did her face flush red, finally having processed my words.
“W-What are you saying…! That’s s-sexual harassment!”
Regardless of whether it was sexual harassment or not, I couldn’t care less. My attention currently laid elsewhere.
The attack had finally begun.
