Episode 128

I had a dream.

A dream of going back to the days when I was a knight cadet.

Wearing a white shirt and black dress pants.

Attending classes in a classroom with other peers.

Back then, I was full of ambition.

Being a commoner and an orphan, the only way for me to survive the competition was to increase my ‘value.’

So, during my cadet days, I volunteered for frontline duties.

While my friends were dating other female students, I spent my nights alone, studying practical skills.

Thanks to that, I rarely dreamed of going back to my cadet days.

But why…?

‘Why am I dreaming this?’

The darkened night sky.

I was alone in the classroom, preparing for a written exam late into the night.

Just as I was about to be the last one to leave school today…

The dark classroom door opened.

Creak.

And then…

A dark silhouette of a woman approached me.

She was wearing the same cadet uniform as me.

But, maybe because it was a dream, her face was shadowed, and I couldn’t recognize her.

“Vail, why are you studying so hard?”

A peer asked me.

“Well… because I want to succeed.”

“Success? Do you have a knight group you want to join?”

“Hmm… Guarding a princess would be nice. I could live comfortably while protecting beautiful princesses my whole life.”

I definitely couldn’t see her face.

But somehow, I felt like the corners of her mouth were rising.

“Is that so? Then, which princess would you most like to protect?”

I frowned at the persistent question.

‘Did I know any female peer close enough to ask such questions…?’

I intently gazed at the silhouette of the girl.

Then, with her hands clasped behind her back, she approached me with a sensual stride.

“Could it be…?”

And she whispered in a captivating voice.

“Is it me?”

My eyes flashed as she drew closer.

At that moment…

“…!!”

I awoke from my sleep, tossing as if struck by lightning.

“Haa…”

Even after waking up, the world was dark because I was wearing a blindfold.

However, I could feel it.

That I was lying in an office chair.

“Why am I dreaming such things…?”

Ever since I had the Grand Aura, my senses have become more sensitive.

Maybe because of that, I had started to have increasingly strange dreams.

“……”

I barely composed myself and slightly lifted the blindfold.

“Phew…”

Fortunately, the office was just as it was.

The cadets, Cynthia and Jane, who came for field training, were still sitting on the sofa.

“Hmm?”

But…

Unlike when I first saw them, the kids seemed more tense.

‘I told them to relax, but…’

Their posture, with arms glued to their thighs, stared straight ahead.

It was as if the Commander herself had visited the office.

‘Wait, the Commander…?’

Feeling uneasy, I lifted my blindfold up to my forehead.

And just as I turned my head in the same direction as the girls,

“You’re sleeping soundly during duty hours, Mikhail.”

A woman in a snug white uniform came into view.

“Did you have a nice dream? Your face is red.”

She looked down at me intently, hands clasped behind her back.

She flicked my flattened hair with her finger.

“Y-Your Highness, the Princess.”

I abruptly stood up from the chair, about to bow.

But Rea shook her head firmly, indicating it was okay.

“I’ve heard that the Defense Knight Unit is quite idle…”

The Princess looked at me with a soldier’s cold gaze.

Then she rested her arms on the leather chair I was sitting in and said,

“I didn’t expect it to be this bad.”

At her question, the uniformed girls on the sofa also flinched.

Like herbivores facing a lioness.

“No, I was just resting after completing a nearby patrol just a moment ago!”

I clasped my hands together with a sly smile.

But she just smiled wryly, as if it were futile.

“Oh? Did you also make apple jam?”

Rea’s brilliant golden hair cascaded from the chair, tickling my face.

“Yes…?”

“You look curious about how I knew.”

Rea looked down at me as if observing an animal.

At the same time, she called someone with a calm expression.

“Come in.”

The office entrance opened.

Then, a man wearing glasses entered with an awkward expression.

“Haha… Nice to see you, Sir Vail.”

“Damian! I told you to eat it alone!”

I exclaimed in a voice of injustice.

Then, the empire’s Strategic Officer scratched his head with a look of apology.

“Well… it looked so delicious, and when I was eating it in the office, the Princess came and…”

Rea lightly placed her hand on my shoulder.

Then she turned the chair towards her and said,

“Don’t you usually take care of your superior’s portion when giving and receiving gifts?”

“I’m sorry. Next time, I will definitely send it together.”

I turned my gaze away from her alluring figure that had come closer.

“Unfortunately, there weren’t enough apples to prepare one for the Princess as well.”

The Princess narrowed her eyes upon hearing my cheeky response.

There was a playful glint in her eyes.

“So…? You’re saying you would have made some for me too if there had been enough apples?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

I sighed in relief internally at the somewhat softened demeanor of Rea.

But soon, my breath was caught in my throat again.

“Then, go buy some now and make more.”

“Yes…?”

My eyes blinked in surprise at the Princess’s words.

“After all, you’ve been sleeping the whole time till now.”

Rea rested her elbows on the leather chair.

And chuckled with her chin resting on her palms.

“I’ll delegate a task personally.”

“Hehe… Understood…”

I nodded, maintaining a smile somehow.

Then I looked at Cynthia and Jane, sitting on the sofa.

The girls stared blankly as the famously stern Rea teased me.

Just as I was about to order them to fetch the apples,

“You’re not planning to delegate the task to the juniors here for field training, are you?”

Rea firmly stopped me.

“Ah, of course not… I’ll quickly go to the market myself.”

I smiled broadly at the lioness looking down at me.

And I quickly rose from my chair to grab my jacket.

“Come with me.”

As I headed towards the office entrance, Rea followed.

“Would it be alright for you to follow me to such a humble market?”

“Yes, as a Commander, I should observe how well you handle the task.”

With her hands clasped behind her back, the Princess followed.

I looked at her with a sense of discomfort.

“It’s okay. I’ll return shortly.”

Her white uniform was adorned with glittering gold epaulettes and decorations.

If she went to the market in such attire, everyone would surely stare.

But…

“How can I trust someone who was sprawled out like a fox until just moments ago?”

The Princess grabbed my shoulder and smiled coldly.

“Come on, let’s go.”

“Understood…”

It was difficult for me to argue since I was caught neglecting my duty.

Ultimately, I followed her out of the office.

“……”

The two uniformed girls looked on with stunned expressions.

Then, Jane whispered cautiously to Sia.

“What exactly does your teacher do?”

“This time, I’m not sure either…”

The two knights were intrigued by the close-up view of Rea, whom they were meeting for the first time.

Even Jane, her cousin, was taken aback.

“But what do we do now…?”

“Yeah, I still have a lot to learn from the Master…”

Damian approached the troubled girls.

“Shall I offer you some cookies, cadets?”

The empire’s strategic officer smiled warmly.

The girls pursed their lips at his handsome appearance.

“It will take some time for them to return, so I will assist you with your training in the meantime.”

Damian had only delivered lunches and attended to Rea until now.

Unbeknownst to them, he was also one of the finest talents of the Knights of Light.

“The Chief of Staff, personally?”

The girls’ eyes sparkled at the proposal from the empire’s elite officer.

“Yes, at 18, it’s prime time to learn about command structures, so I’ll teach you.”

The girls were excited about this rare and special experience.

With bright eyes, they expressed their gratitude to Damian.

“Yes, thank you!!”

“We will learn diligently!”

The Defense Knight’s apple jam practice was soon forgotten.

The Nostrun Market.

A man and a woman strolled through the crowded streets.

‘How did it come to this…?’

I found myself unexpectedly out shopping with the 1st Princess.

“Hmm… I’ve heard that Nostrun’s security has improved recently, but road maintenance seems necessary.”

Even at the market, I closely observed Rea, who was still thinking about national affairs.

She was worried about her country, oblivious to the attention she attracted from the people around her.

“Your Highness… wouldn’t it be better to return to the palace, given the many onlookers?”

When I asked, Rea glanced back at me.

And responded with a calm expression.

“We walked around together just fine before.”

“That time, your maid’s outfit served as a disguise, but now, anyone can see you’re a princess.”

Rea looked down at her own uniform.

Then, seemingly not sensing anything unusual, she tilted her head.

“Anyone would see you as just an ordinary knight, right?”

“I’m not ordinary, at least I look like an elite officer.”

The combination of my resplendent gold epaulettes and well-fitted uniform.

Nothing else could attract as much attention.

“Well, it doesn’t matter. As royalty, it’s important to observe the people.”

Initially, she wasn’t particularly concerned about her own safety, being a mage.

She was much stronger than most knights.

“There seem to be a lot of students in uniforms today.”

The Princess said this while looking at the cadets who came to the market.

“Yes, from cadets going to field training to students from the nearby academy.”

We looked at the groups of students with contentment.

They were busy chatting and laughing with each other.

“You must have had times like these too.”

“Yes. But I was always training. I hardly had time to come to the market.”

I chuckled and shook my head.

Then, Rea looked up at me with a suspicious gaze.

“Were you a model student?”

“Well, I was top of my class. That’s why I met you closely at the appointment ceremony.”

Rea narrowed her eyes after hearing my words.

“I can’t believe it from the office scene I saw earlier.”

“……”

After I coughed, Rea smirked.

“It’s a joke. I do respect your abilities.”

‘It seems she’s become more prone to joking lately…’

Rea chuckled softly and slowly took the lead.

The wand tucked between her clasped hands swayed like a lion’s tail.

“Now, lead me to a fruit stall.”

“This way…”

Soon, we arrived at a fruit vendor.

Rea curiously looked at the apples laid out on the street.

“Will these do?”

The Princess picked up one of the red apples.

To which I gently replied,

“No, for making jam, green apples are actually better in texture and taste.”

Rea nodded and picked up a handful of green apples.

The sight of her in her stern uniform, gathering apples one by one, felt somewhat adorable.

“You certainly seem to have some expertise in cooking.”

“I’ve been living alone for 20 years, after all.”

The Princess nodded at my answer, then suddenly felt something odd.

According to her knowledge, I was already 20 years old.

“20 years…?”

Rea’s lips parted, as if she caught the meaning of my words.

Realizing I was from an orphanage, she looked taken aback.

“……”

But soon, she smirked.

Then, she slyly spoke to me,

“It’s okay. A family can be made anew later, can’t it?”

“Yes, it can be made…”

Hearing her words, I coughed momentarily.

“Ahem, now that we’ve bought apples, shall we head back?”

I took the lead, putting the apples into a paper bag.

Just as we were about to step outside…

“Hmm?”

I noticed that people were stepping back outside.

And along that path, a procession of some sort was stretched out.

I cautiously squeezed through the crowd to see whose procession it was.

Then my eyes flashed.

‘Moshian, the Royal Minister…!’

An unexpected patrol by the emperor’s personal guard and the minister.

My eyes trembled at the sight.

“What’s the matter? Why are you spacing out?”

Rea followed behind me.

Then I quickly turned her back around.

“Let’s go back in. We should buy more than just apples!”

“Watermelons again?”

I whispered in response to her question.

“It’s the royal guard. They’re spread out everywhere!”

“Hmm, an unexpected patrol.”

Rea tilted her head, unfazed.

She seemed unaware of the seriousness of the situation.

“It wouldn’t look good if we were caught.”

“What’s the problem with us being together?”

Fortunately, the personal guard had no relation to the Crown Prince.

But the most important thing here was ‘who’ the Royal Minister was close to.

“If the Emperor hears that we are together…”

When I mentioned the Conqueror Emperor, Rea’s mature eyes sparkled.

“I think I understand what you mean.”

The Princess nodded.

And then, looking intently towards the market, she said,

“However, it won’t be easy to avoid the guards spread out everywhere…”

“Isn’t there some way?”

When I asked, the Princess rested her chin on her hand.

And with her wise blue eyes…

She looked at the academy students filling the market.

“As long as no one catches on that I am here, it’s fine.”

Rea led the way deep into a back alley.

Eventually, she headed towards a nearby tailor shop.

“Wait here for a moment.”

I stood guard in front of the shop as she instructed.

About 20 minutes passed…

I turned at the sound of the door opening.

And at that moment…

“How about this? Even Moshian won’t notice, right?”

The sensual silhouette I saw in the dream.

A woman fitting that silhouette walked out.

“It was a bit difficult since there was no uniform size that fit.”

The academy uniform shirt that barely fit her body.

The tie, loosely hanging over her striking curves.

And the skirt, tightly cinched at her waist, accentuating her figure.

It was perfect for attracting attention in a different way.

“Even though you’re only wearing a uniform, anyone can recognize you as the Princess just by looking at your face.”

“Ah, that can be easily solved.”

Rea took out her wand.

And when she lightly touched it to her hair…

“…!”

Her brilliant golden hair turned into a splendid black.

“Like this, unless someone sees you up close, they won’t recognize you.”

I stared at the uniform-clad girl, smirking with mature eyes.

Of course, for a girl, her figure was quite sensual…

It seemed difficult to immediately recognize her as Rea.

“Then, shall we look around a bit more while in disguise?”

The Princess seemed relaxed, whether she knew of my anxious heart or not.

Truly the composure befitting the eldest daughter of the empire.

“Understood.”

Perhaps due to the change in attire, Rea seemed more lively than usual, which I found pleasing.

I walked alongside her, following her lead through the market streets.

“How about you take off your jacket too?”

While walking, the Princess glanced at me and asked.

“It’s odd if I’m the only student and you’re a knight.”

“That’s certainly true.”

I took off my uniform.

Then, the Princess took my jacket and…

…tied it around the waist of her short skirt.

This naturally concealed her backside.

“Where shall we go first?”

I asked, loosening my stiff neck from sleeping.

Rea answered in a relaxed tone.

“Hmm… Shouldn’t we go where there are many students to blend in naturally?”

Rea contemplated as if planning a strategy.

Then, she seriously pointed towards a street with food stalls.

“……”

I soon realized that she was actually looking at the students with interest.

Responding to her gaze, we naturally blended into the crowd.

However, most of the students were too busy looking at the Princess.

It made sense, as her appearance was not a common sight in the academy.

‘I wonder if there’s any point to this disguise.’

Rea didn’t seem to mind the students’ stares.

She simply enjoyed this place, so different from the intense world she had lived in.