I Don’t Want to Be a Lady

I and the others arrived at the border right after Charter headed to the canyon. Getting out of the carriage, I hardened my face as I watched the noisy battle scene.

“They’re in battle. Let’s go to the camp.”

At Luiden’s words, I hurriedly moved my feet. Opening the entrance of the largest tent, which at first glance looked like the commander’s tent, I looked at the empty interior.

“Charter isn’t here.”

“It looks like he has entered the war.”

At the words of Ruiden, I turned to the battlefield without delay.

“Wait. Please wait.” Luiden grabbed me by the wrist in a hurry.

“There’s no time to wait. Let go of this hand.”

In a hurry, I tried to shake off Luiden’s hand. But Luiden didn’t let go of my hand.

“Let go!”

“Calm down. It’s dangerous to run into the battlefield in that anxious state.”

I glared at Luiden, who was holding me back. From the look in his eyes that I saw, I could feel he was concerned about me, so I let out a deep sigh.

“Sigh. Okay, let go of this hand.”

As I seemed to have calmed down, Luiden released my hand and said, “I will look for Charter. Please wait here.”

After calming me, he turned to face the battlefield, intending to find Charter himself.

“I will go,” I said behind him.

“No, I’ll go,” said Luiden, turning back to look at me.

As Luiden tried to desperately stop me from going, I looked him straight in the eyes and said, “It’s better for me to move than for Your Highness to move now. Someone might take advantage of the hectic gap to pursue Your Highness.”

What I said was true. As a person with the status of a prince, it was necessary to prevent himself from being exposed to both external and internal enemies as much as possible.

“But.” Luiden didn’t want to send her to the dangerous battlefield.

“Thanks to Your Highness, I calmed down. Don’t stop me unless Your Highness doubts my skills. Your Highness knows that I didn’t participate in watching the war leisurely from behind, right?”

Luiden knew he couldn’t stop her. In fact, is there anyone in this empire who can stop Arianne? He sighed and said, “Please take care of yourself. Charter is important to me, but you, Baroness Devit, is also important. Do you understand?”

What is this? It seems like he’s mistaking me for being on his side. I helped him out for Charter, but he had mistaken it.

I was thinking of doing what I had to do, despite whatever Luiden was thinking. My priority was to find Charter and help him.

“Stay with the crown prince. Because that would be the safest.”

After saying that, I headed straight to the supply base. I told the soldier, who had surprised eyes, “A gun belt, two rifles, two guns, and how much ammunition can you pack?”

“Pardon? Ah… You can carry up to 12 in your gun belt. By the way, who are you?”

My dignified attitude led the soldiers to respect me even though they didn’t know who am I.

“I’m Baroness Devit. Charter… no, where is Duke Kaien?”

The soldier stared blankly at Arianne as if he had been stunned without answering her question. There were plentiful rumors about Baroness Devit, but it was the first time he had actually seen her. Didn’t even the rumors say that she was such a beauty? He had only heard rumors that she would shake the roots of the empire.

“Duke Kaien! Where is he!

I was in a hurry, but seeing the dumbfounded soldier, I felt a surge of anger inside me.

“Ah, yes! He’s leading at the front.”

I skilfully wore the gunbelt, grabbed the ammunition and guns then disappeared in a flash. Even after I left, I still thought about the need to slap the dazed soldier on the back of his head.

“Is that bastard thinking about something else right now, in wartime?”

One of the supply squads, who was watching his colleague, got mad and hit him. Of course, he hadn’t seen Arianne’s face up close, so he must have judged that his colleague was just thinking about something else. The soldier who was struck in the back of the head looked unfair, but there was no time for excuses. It was because soldiers kept coming in.

I frowned as soon as I stepped into the battlefield. Corpses and the heavy smell of blood on the ground stimulated my nerves. Fortunately for me, this situation wasn’t very shocking. Thanks to my father’s evil behavior, I grew up looking at the ugly scenery from a young age, so I could maintain my composure even when corpses were scattered around. However, I had never killed anyone. No matter how wartime it was, I was reluctant to kill people, so I intended to move as much as possible to avoid friction with the enemy.

As I approached the front line, I felt the liveliness of the fierce battle. Shouts and gunshots, weapons clashing, and screaming filled the place.

Let’s stay calm. I gritted my teeth and moved forward. I had been preparing it since I decided to participate in the war.

I could see Viscount Bening in the distance. There was a person who stood in my way the moment I headed to him with a relieved heart.

“(What? A lady? Do women participate in the battle in Harpion?)”

He was the Kelteman soldier. That man was walking toward me in a completely non-threatening manner as if belittling me.

I bit my lower lip. I don’t want to kill him, so I will just have to make him can’t move. My decision-making was quick, but my actions were even quicker.

Bang! Bang!

With just two shots, the Kelteman soldier rolled on the ground with gunshot wounds on both legs.

“It’s because you look down on me for being a woman, stupid guy.”

I, who glared at the bastard, moved again toward Viscount Bening. Charter must be near there. The road to Viscount Bening was easier than expected. If someone bothered her, she shot them without mercy.

“Viscount Bening!”

Surprised by the sound of calling his name, Viscount Bening looked back.

“Baroness Devit! You came safely! Is Your Highness Luiden safe too?”

As expected, he is a loyal vassal who takes care of the prince first.

“Yes! He’s safe! Where is Charter?”

“The Duke… went to.”

The surroundings were too noisy. I couldn’t hear what Viscount Bening was saying.

“I beg your pardon?”

Viscount Bening approached me and shouted loudly. “He went to the canyon after receiving a report that we were being pushed back there!”

“Canyon? When?”

“It hasn’t been long! Anyway, these enemies are weird. Even though the win or loss has already been titled, they’re still rushing to us. Is it self-determination? I feel like they’re just wasting our time…!”

Viscount Bening looked at me with a pale face.

“Damn it!”

I sensed that Charter was in danger. The enemies must be doing something in the canyon while wasting time here.

“Charter is in danger.”

I turned back without delay. This place had already won, and there was a high probability that something had happened to Charter.

Running frantically, I returned to the supply base, rearranged my ammunition, and mounted a horse. “You. Do you know where the canyon is?”

The soldier, who was asked by me, answered stupidly. “Yes? Ah… yes?”

“Canyon!”

“Yes. I know. I was stationed there until yesterday.

I said to him, “Get on the horse right now. Guide me to the canyon.”

The soldier was bewildered and mounted the horse, as I said. I was in such a hurry that the soldier serving as my guide could hardly catch up with me as I hurriedly kicked off the horse’s side.

“Please. May everything be alright.”

* * *

I drove the horse like crazy. Soon after, I saw the canyon. As if in the middle of the battle, the sound of weapons could be heard from afar. My eyes scanned the canyon.

“Black hair, black…”

Charter’s black hair wasn’t very common in the Harpion Empire. If I found black hair, it was more likely to be him. I, who continued to search for the black hair while riding the horse, finally saw my target.

“Found you!”

Seen from a distance, he had just driven the enemy right in front of the canyon. At the moment when I was relieved, stupid soldiers entered the canyon.

“Those stupid bastards.”

That would be common sense if their brain was working properly, but those stupid soldiers crawled into a place that could be their graves. The problem was after that. That black hair had followed them into the canyon.

“Charter!”

As soon as he entered, dozens of lancers blocked the canyon entrance. And above the canyon, those who looked like the Kelteman’s army were aiming their bows downward.

Fwit~

At the same time as the sound was heard, the Kelteman soldiers began to shoot arrows. The black-haired man was seen striking the arrows with his sword, trying to force the soldiers in the canyon to retreat. But, the lancers blocking the entrance pointed their lances at him. Charter had fallen into a trap.

I bit my lip and lowered my body, unaware my lower lip was bleeding. As I lowered my body, I braced the horse to run as fast as possible.

Charter fell off his horse. He was fortunately unhurt and was seen in confrontation with the one who attacked him. It wasn’t long before he moved. A scream erupted from my mouth as I saw the lancers moving toward him.

“Charter!!!”

While the lancers hesitated at my sudden appearance, I quickly dismounted from the horse and aimed my gun at them. This time, I had no intention of letting them live.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

When I ran out of bullets, I changed my gun and continued shooting. I aimed at their head to knock them down at once. My relentless shooting caused the lancers who were blocking the canyon to collapse. Several of them rushed toward me. Unfazed by them, I pulled out the revolver that I had stuck in my thigh.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

When all six bullets ran out, I pulled out the rifle from my waist.

She was just a woman. But Duke Krow’s men sensed instinctive fear as she approached. While faltering at the murderous force felt by the unexpected figure, they didn’t even notice the black shadow approaching behind them.

Stab. Shring.

Charter’s sword cut them apart.

They could look at each other only when the obstacles blocking him and her disappeared. The cold sinking purple eyes and the hot shimmering black eyes. There was warmth in her purple eyes.

“I’m here, Charter.”

Contrary to Arianne’s plain greeting, Charter was on the verge of losing his mind at the fullness and excitement of his heart. But he soon calmed down and said, “I missed you, Arianne.”

No other words were needed. Because he is a man who always speaks the truth.