I Don’t Want to Be a Lady

“But what happens to the battle if the two commanders-in-chief are in here?”

Charter and Paku kept their mouths shut at Arianne’s question and remained silent.

“Really… This is absurd. Charter, are you this irresponsible?”

At her words, Charter looked at her with a shocked face.

For Charter, Arianne was his priority, but she didn’t seem to understand his feelings. However, he didn’t dare to say anything because he was guilty about it too.

When Paku saw Charter’s collapsed face, the corners of his mouth rose automatically in an unknown sense of pride. Seeing him like that, Charter’s face hardened coldly. Paku felt like it was his turn now to be questioned, but Arianne said nothing.

Whether the prince of another empire abandons his people is none of my business.

Paku’s hopeful face darkened with disappointment. Upon seeing him, Charter raised the corners of his mouth with a triumphant face. At this moment, the most important thing for them wasn’t whether they got scolded but whether they got her attention.

Arianne asked Paku, who had lowered his eyes and snapped dry branches. “How long does it take from here to the border of the Harpion Empire?”

Paku was heartbroken but answered her question gently. “It will take about four days.”

“Yes? We were swept that far?”

Paku nodded. He didn’t know if it was because Arianne didn’t remember at that time. Still, Charter and Paku were just grateful they survived from the current. The difference between seeing it with your own eyes and actually happening to you was enormous. They were swept away by the current without even knowing what to do. There was nothing that could be done. All they could do was not let go of Arianne’s hand.

They could come ashore at this Suran as the current slowed down in the section where the river’s width widened. The four-day distance from the border was literally forgotten.

Charter recalled the situation from a while ago and shut his mouth tightly. As soon as he got ashore, he checked Arianne’s condition. However, she wasn’t breathing as if she had already swallowed too much water. His face turned pale. He hurriedly breathed into her mouth. Fortunately, perhaps because it wasn’t too long after, Arianne vomited the river water and exhaled.

“Gasp. Gasp. She’s alive.”

Only then did Charter lay down on the ground as if his tension had been relieved.

“Gasp. Gasp.”

As soon as Charter came to the land, he took Arianne first when his condition was also not good. Paku, who had been watching this from the side, stood up from his seat and said, “It will be dark soon. She’s in danger at this rate, so we must move her.”

Upon hearing that Arianne would be in danger, Charter rose his spirit again and, got up from his seat, hugged her.

“You’re not in good shape either, so I’ll do it.”

As Paky held out his hand, Charter hardened his face and said, “I’m responsible for my wife.”

Paku raised his eyebrows with a face that couldn’t be helped and said while pointing his finger somewhere. “It’d be better to take a seat under the tree far away. There will be firewood nearby. We have to go as far away from the river as possible.”

Around this time, the river easily flooded. In the fertile Harpion, this river is called the ‘River of Death,’ but in the barren Kelteman Empire, it was a river of life. As the river overflowed, it provided water and nutrients to the barren land. Thanks to this, livestock were fed, and people were able to survive. After the rainy season, the harsh dry season would come again, but the Kelteman have lived by adapting to nature like that.

“Huu.” Charter sat down with Arianne in his arms, exhaling a rough breath.

“I’ll collect firewood.”

Paku picked up firewood from here and there and lit the woods as if he was used to it.

“You look used to doing this.”

At Charter’s words, Paku raised his eyebrows and replied. “This is something even a five-year-old can do.”

Charter frowned. “The disparity is severe.”

In response, Paku threw a branch into the campfire and said, “It’s not disparity. In Kelteman, you have to do your part to make a living.”

Recognizing that he meant what he said, Charter thought. That’s right. What about a five-year-old child in the Harpion Empire? He traced his memory.

In his memory, most of the five-year-old children, who were commoners, spent the day at the nursery facility prepared in the estate. In the evening, they went to sleep after eating meals prepared by their parents at their respective homes. Even though he saw a kid getting hit on the butt while lighting a fire as a joke, no kid cooked a meal by lighting a fire. Meals were also prepared for orphans at the orphanage, so they seldom used fire either.

As I’ve heard, this place is a really different world from ours. He could understand why they tried to covet the fertile Harpion.

As the campfire blazed, warmth slowly spread over their bodies, which were soaked in the river. Paku took off his outerwear and hung it on a branch he had set by the campfire.

“You and your wife will catch a cold if you stay like that. Take off your clothes and dry them.”

Charter’s forehead wrinkled. He couldn’t take off Arianne’s clothes in the sight of another man, let alone himself. But if he leaves it as it is…

Arianne’s body was trembling lightly. It was because she was exposed to the cold evening air while wearing wet clothes.

“Turn your back.”

Paku looked dumbfounded for a moment, but when he saw Charter’s expressive eyes, he gently turned back. He also had no interest in peeping into a woman’s body who had lost consciousness. Although he was initially tempted, it subsided soon due to his cool reasoning.

Charter took off Arianne’s robe and hung it on a branch. He quickly removed her clothes and hugged Arianne, sitting as close to the campfire as possible. As her trembling body gradually calmed down, he sighed in relief. Fortunately, the clothes dried quickly.

Charter put Arianne by the campfire and began to move diligently. It was because he couldn’t save his face just by receiving help from Paky. After gathering quite a bit of firewood in a short period of time, he threw down the firewood he was holding. He ran when he saw Arianne wake up.

“How far is the settlement?”

At my question, Paku then said, “At this time, we’ll be nomadic about two days away.”

Two days, that should be enough to survive without food.

“That’s a relief. Two days on foot.”

At my words, Paku said with an apologetic face. “Ah, I didn’t say it properly. I mean two days on the horse.”

Wrinkling my nose, I said in a rush of irritation, “So, is it four days by horse to the border?”

“Yes. That’s right.”

Damn it. I can’t blame anyone. I swept my forehead and said, trying to calm my anger. “For now, let’s go to the settlement. It would be better to take a horse from there and head to the border.”

“Yes. It would be better to do that.”

Charter and Paku nodded vigorously at my rational decision.

In no time, the day was completely over, and darkness fell. Only a campfire seemed to illuminate this desolate plain. Suddenly, I looked up and saw stars filling the sky.

“Oh my gosh, were there originally that many stars?”

When I asked admiringly, Paku looked up to the sky and said, “Because there is less light here, you can see the stars in the sky better. The capital of Harpion is bright day and night. That must be why you have never seen such a sight.”

“That’s right. I’ve never seen anything like this before. It’s very beautiful.”

How nice would it be if all those things were diamonds? Then I could play and eat for the rest of my life.

These men misunderstood her ecstatic expression with snobbish thoughts.

Arianne likes to look at the stars in the night sky. I’ll have to instruct all the lights in the estate to be turned off at night. Thought Charter.

I thought she was eccentric, but she also had such a sentimental side. After all, you have to experience it to know. Thought Paku.

Without knowing the thoughts of such men, Arianne was immersed in an ecstatic dream, determined to get a diamond mine from Charter. That night, Arianne dreamed of finding a diamond mine under a shower of stars.

* * *

“Gasp. Gasp. Gasp. How much longer do we have to walk?” I asked Paku, who was ahead.

“If we’re lucky, we might be able to meet someone within today.”

What? Then…

“What if we’re out of luck?”

Paku was silent. He chose to keep his mouth shut because he thought she would strangle him immediately.

Noticing this, I glared fiercely at the back of his head. I couldn’t even blame him. All of this happened because I fell into the river. At least we were able to live together. Otherwise, I would have drowned and died.

He chose to close his mouth because he thought he would be strangled immediately if he said it. Ariane, who noticed this, stared fiercely at the back of his head.

It was then.

“We’re lucky. I can see livestock in the distance. There must be nomadic tribes nearby.”

At Paku’s words, I was delighted and tired to run there, but was stopped by Paku within a few steps.

“Wait. Please wait.”

I asked irritably, “What’s the problem?”

I’m very thirsty and hungry right now, so you’d better get rid of this hand right now. I glared at him as if I was going to bite his hand at any moment.

Paku said, looking at Charter and me. “Judging by the color on the goat’s tail, they must be Surg people.”

“Surg?”

I quietly searched for my memory. I think I’ve heard it somewhere…

“Are you talking about that Surg?” Charter put his forehead in disbelief.

I looked at Charter with a frustrated face and asked. “That Surg, what do you mean? Is there any problem?”

“They are outlaws. On the day you’re caught, it’ll be hard to survive, let alone go back.”

Paku added with a tired face. “Even our Kelteman gave up. They’re nasty bastards.”

“Then… You mean we can’t get their help?” I asked.

“You’ll be killed as soon as they find you, let alone help,” said Paku, kicking the stone on the ground.

I looked back and forth between Charter and Paku. Both of them had expressions as if the world was over. Why do they look so devastated?

I spat out my words. “Then just steal it.”

“…”

“…What do you mean by stealing?”

I widened my eyes as they had expressions as if they didn’t know what I meant. “We have to steal the horse. It’s okay as long as we don’t get caught.”

Charter and Paku blinked their eyes as they looked at each other.

“We will move at night. No matter how outlawed they are, they’ll sleep at night.”