I Will Protect You This Time

Episode 20

(My Dear Granddaughter)

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Rustle*

I can feel someone brushing my hair. Such a careful and gentle touch.

I wonder who it might be… I feel so safe. It's like I am sleeping in Grandfather's embrace.

Wait a second… I was in the carriage with the Crown Prince. I hurriedly opened my eyes.

"Princess."

Leonus said while gazing at me intensely. I was asleep in his arms. I hurriedly got away.

All of my disgraceful behaviour came to my mind at once.

I fell asleep in his arms while crying. Aghh! So embarrassing! His shirt is wet. Wait…! Did I drool?

Ughh~ Someone kill me!

"I-I apologize! Your shirt is wet because of me!"

Ughh~ I want to dig a hole and hide.

"Well, it can't be helped. It's already wet, Princess."

"Uh-umm. Wh-What should I do?"

"Well, you have to do something. How about you wipe it for me."

"Of course."

I hurriedly took out my Handkerchief and started wiping the part of the shirt that covers his chest. I can feel his chest becoming stiff.

Ughh! I'm crazy! I said yes without even thinking about anything.

"Princess…"

Leonus said in a hoarse voice.

I slowly looked up. He was covering his face with his left hand. He slowly removed his hand revealing his blood-red eyes. He seemed to be having trouble breathing. I flinched.

"I-"

Suddenly Leonus took the handkerchief from my hand and said,

"Princess. Remove your hand. You don't have to do that.".

He must be angry at my stupidity!

"P-pardon me!"

I hurriedly removed my hand.

"I am sending a maid."

Saying that Leonus left the carriage.

A maid? But why? Now that I think about it, the carriage isn't moving.

I tried to look outside through the carriage window. But the window was completely frozen. As a result, everything looked blurry.

Whoosh~

I can still hear the howling of the Blizzard. It's probably freezing outside. Will he be okay…

Suddenly-

Knock* Knock*

"Princess, may I come in?"

"Yes."

Creak*

It was Ella. She was wearing the shawl I gave her a while ago.

"Greetings, Princess."

Ella bowed and said.

"You must be tired."

"No, I am fine."

"I understand."

Ella replied while smirking. I don't understand. Why does she think I am tired?

Truly. I wasn't tired at all. Instead, I was feeling quite refreshed. It's been a while since I felt this way. I wonder how long I was sleeping?

"Ella, how many hours has it been since we have passed the portal?"

"4 hours."

What?! 4 hours! I remember being in the carriage for 30 minutes.

"Where are we now?"

"We have reached an inn in a small town in the Amsterrade Territory."

Amsterrade… The coldest Territory of Fellmirr. No wonder the weather is so bad.

This place is surrounded by forests and icy mountains. And it's filled with beautiful ice beasts. I wonder why I haven't seen even one. Was the information in the book wrong?

Anyways I can think about that later.

"When did we arrive at the inn?"

"1 and a half hours ago, Princess."

Ella smiled and replied.

I'm doomed! I have been sleeping in his arms for that long! How shameful!

Aghh! Someone just kill me! I screamed internally.

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As I was crying and sleeping for so long, my hair and my makeup were messed up.

Ella combed and braided my hair. She then rearranged my dress and started putting on white furry scarfs.

"I don't need so many, Ella. It's really warm here."

"But it's freezing outside, Princess. You have to wear more clothes. Or you will freeze to death, princess."

Ughh~

"Okay."

Then she made me wear loads of warm clothes too. I feel stuffy. I probably look like a furball.

Anyhow Ella is an excellent maid. She doesn't talk too much or too little at that.

Anyways, after preparing me she left the carriage.

Knock* Knock*

"Princess, come out."

A knight opened the carriage door. It was snowing heavily.

The carriage was in front of a three-stored inn. It was in the middle of a small town and was probably the tallest building in the entire town. There were probably 15 or 20 houses on both sides of the street. All of them were covered with layers of snow. And everything was still dark. Probably because it was still night and the people were sleeping. I couldn't see the other Knights or the horses. They are probably already at the inn.

In front of the carriage, Leonus was standing. He was wearing a black furry cloak. His eyes turned back blue. I guess he was really angry back then.

He reached out his hand and helped me to get down from the carriage.

"Your Highn-"

Leonus came close to my ear and whispered.

Chuckle~

"Princess, can you move?"

"Huh? What? Of course, I can."

"Well, you look kind of… stuffy."

Ah- Is he making fun of me!?

"Anyways, remember what I said before, Princess"

What?

"We will have to stay incognito until we reach the Capital. So you have to call me Leon."

Uhh~ I totally forgot about that.

"Y-Yes. (T-T)"

Chuckle~

"Then shall we go, My lady?"

Leonus chuckled and said.

"Y-Yes."

After that Leonus escorted me to the inn. The owner was already at the front gate to receive us. He guided us to the reception room.

"Welcome to the Fiddler Inn, Young man and beautiful lady. "

He was an elderly man. Long white beard and hair. And strangely he had crystal-like Amethyst eyes… Just like me.

Aghh!

My head started aching again.

"Princess, what's wrong?"

I staggered because of the pain. But thankfully Leonus held me tightly and asked. Is it just me or does he look a little bit anxious?

"N-Nothing."

"It must have been a tough journey."

The elder said while looking at me.

Strange! I am feeling a strange sense of relief. Is it because he looked like my grandfather? My headache disappeared too.

"I am Cale Mercer, a beast tamer and the owner of this inn."

Beast Tamer?! They are extremely rare. They have the ability to speak with beasts and with their magic they can tame them(beasts). I can't believe I am in front of such a person.

"Except for some knights, no one generally comes to our small town."

"I see."

Leonus replied coldly.

"It's a cold place, you see. Only some townsmen come to my inn. It's a pleasure to finally see some guests. Hahaha~"

The owner laughed and said.

He didn't stop his chattering even though Leonus answered all of his questions coldly. He must be excited to see new people. He probably thinks we are some rich commoner. Seeing how he is speaking so comfortably.

"You seem to have come with a beautiful young Lady. Is she your mate?"

"Yes. She is."

Hohoho~

"To be young. Uh. Where are my manners! Can't keep a Lady waiting, can I? Hahaha. Your room is ready. The other knights are already in their room. Your horses are kept in a warm stable. So you youngsters can rest now. Your room is on the second floor."

"Okay."

Then a servant guided us to the room. And the reception room became empty.

"The child has grown into a beautiful young lady. Don't you think so, Pascal?"

Cale said while patting a beautiful dragon-like baby beast. Its skin looked like a blackish-purple galaxy filled with stars. And eyes sparkling black.

Purr~

"Oh. So you're saying she looks like Johannes? Hmm~ Nahh. Johannes was an ugly cry baby."

Hohoho~

After a while, Cale stopped laughing and said with a sad face.

"She is like her mother."

Purr~

The baby dragon purred in a joyful voice.

"That's what I was saying from the beginning. She is beautiful."

"Anyways, where are the others?"

Purr~

Pascal purred playfully.

"In the stable? Tch! Those scaredy cats."

Purr~

"Well, true. His aura was really intense, even though he was concealing it. Well, He is the next Emperor of the Fellmirr after all."

Cale was talking about the other beasts. As there was a blizzard outside, the small young and baby beasts took shelter at the inn. But they disappeared as soon as Leonus took his step in the inn. It's because of the aura he gives. Every beastmen has their own aura. The beasts were alarmed by his aura and left the inn.

Because of the same reason, Isabella didn't see any beasts in the forest or anywhere in the town.

"Anyways I hope he will be able to heal that child."

Purr~

"No. You can't meet her now."

Growl~

"Don't be angry. You have waited for so long. So wait a bit more. It's not the time yet."

Growl~

Hohoho~

"Come on now! Don't be so angry. We will see the child tomorrow. Let her sleep for now."

Cale said with a smile.

Purr~

"Wait-"

Poof*

And the beast disappeared into thin air while creating a dark glittery mist.

Cale sighed and said,

"I hope he won't cause any trouble. But it's not like I don't understand him. I missed her too. So much.... My dear Granddaughter…".