The Munchkin Princess Wants to Run Away - Chapter 26

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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“There was truly nothing between us.”
“Surely not. Even if you didn’t notice, the Duke is hardly the type to be so indifferent.”
Anthony’s laughing face grated on her.
“I’m an adult too, you know? And the Duke has no interest in me.”
“I very much doubt that. Besides, you still look so young, miss.”
Anthony braided Ibanna’s hair as she spoke.
Cheeks still carrying the softness of youth, eyes bright with intelligence, delicate features—all conspired to make the princess appear younger than her years.
Our princess pouting was almost unbearably charming.
Anthony felt relief wash over her at this return to the girl’s usual vitality.
Knock, knock.
Both women stopped and turned toward the door.
“Who is it?”
When she opened the door carefully, Duke Reynold’s attendant stood there with a respectful expression.
“The Duke wishes to invite you to share lunch with him.”
As Anthony stepped aside, the attendant delivered his message in formal tones.
“The Duke?”
“Yes. He has prepared nourishing food, I’m told.”
Ibanna blinked.
Anthony flashed her an encouraging look from the side, silently urging her to accept.
She’d nearly felt ill dining with the Duke yesterday, and now he wanted her to join him again today. Wasn’t this all rather cruel?
Ibanna wanted to refuse the invitation, but she couldn’t ignore the bright hope gleaming in Anthony’s eyes.
“Very well. I’ll prepare myself.”
What had she been doing all this time without even eating? She grumbled inwardly at the waste of hours.
Still muttering to herself, Ibanna ordered Anthony to fetch a fresh dress.
“The Duke certainly thinks you’re special, miss!”
“Does he?”
Anthony bounced on her heels while helping Ibanna into her dress. Whatever the girl’s intentions, Ibanna couldn’t bring herself to care.
‘In the end, I’ll have to move as he wishes anyway.’
She had no right to refuse, after all. The thought was petulant, born of frustration.
Hoping time would pass quickly, Ibanna made her way to the Dining Hall, deliberately dawdling.
* * *
“Please, sit here.”
What was this man plotting?
When had he found time to change clothes? He wore a magnificent outfit fit for formal banquets.
Of course she too was dressed appropriately for the occasion, yet beside him she felt distinctly plain.
‘Excessively handsome, really.’
Ibanna found herself freshly struck by his appearance.
“I hear you stayed by my side all night. Thank you for that.”
Cedric gave a slight nod to her thanks, then slowly studied the princess’s face as he sat.
Relief filled him at the sight that all traces of last night’s illness had vanished from her.
Had something happened to the princess, he had no way of knowing what demands the Imperial Family might have made under the guise of contract violation.
“I hadn’t realized your health was quite so fragile.”
“Pardon?”
At first he’d dismissed it as an Imperial lie, but the Crown Prince’s addition of the princess’s safety to the contract surely meant something.
His expression grew serious as he considered, then he spoke.
“From now on, we’ll share lunch together.”
The princess’s fork stilled.
“Do I have no say in this?”
Meeting her distressed gaze and bewildered expression, Cedric gave a steady nod.
He’d decided he needed to be more thorough about watching over the princess’s wellbeing.
At the very least, he needed to confirm directly that she was eating properly.
Thus Cedric resolved the matter.
“Understood.”
At the sight of her face heavy with displeasure, a faint smile appeared at the corner of Cedric’s mouth.
“How is the Countess faring?”
Having confirmed that his mind wouldn’t change, the princess shifted the subject.
“Fortunately, she’s regained consciousness.”
“So she was indeed pushed too hard yesterday. I’m sorry—I didn’t realize you’d be conversing for so long.”
It seemed the princess had understood from his answer that the Countess had weathered the crisis. She looked genuinely contrite.
“There is nothing for which I need apologize. The Count himself expressed his gratitude to the Countess for seeing her in such high spirits after so long. Please, do not worry.”
“I’m relieved.”
Relief flooded her sky-blue eyes. Cedric found himself meeting a softening face and the brief smile that brushed across it.
The rain had stopped and the sun emerged; feeling parched, he shared water with her in a manner befitting propriety.
“The next estate will take a full day’s journey. We’ll depart early in the morning and make camp by evening. Prepare yourselves thoroughly.”
“Yes.”
With that, the conversation ended. The Crown Prince quietly ate all the food that had been prepared.
Checking on the Crown Prince once a day would suffice.
Cedric believed that if he could ascertain her health without conversation, he would have discharged his duty.
* * *
‘Rather tedious, isn’t it.’
The departure went smoothly.
The rain had stopped yesterday evening, so though the ground was muddy, it was passable for carriages.
The party departed early in the morning, as the Count had instructed.
Unable to stop the carriage for lunch, they ate simple sandwiches inside and pressed on without rest through the afternoon.
It was but an instant when Ibanna, who had been gazing vacantly at the passing landscape before the Count reviewing documents, sensed something amiss.
“Count! There’s a loud sound! Ahhh!!”
Crash!
A tremendous impact engulfed the carriage. Ibanna felt her body lift weightlessly and clenched her eyes shut.
“Your Highness!”
Ibanna, hunched tight, endured the shock.
She could faintly hear the Count calling her, but she could not gather her wits.
Her violently shaking body felt caught against something solid.
“Hah—hah.”
Everything around her fell quiet.
When only rough breathing filled the carriage, Ibanna covered her mouth. Otherwise, she would have screamed.
“It’s all right now.”
Tears had smeared her eyes. A firm hand touched her face.
Ibanna barely opened her eyes. Outside the window was nothing but darkness.
“Press closer to me.”
Ibanna grasped the Count’s hand. He held her trembling hand firmly, saying nothing.
“Are you—are you all right, Count?”
“I am unharmed.”
Ibanna fought to steady her breathing against the Count’s composed voice and manner.
By his account, he bore no injuries.
He knew a landslide could strike again. He had made preparations accordingly.
But if the rain had simply stopped, perhaps none of this would have happened at all.
The price of turning away the naturally falling rain to conceal her Divine Power struck home painfully.
Her head still throbbed, and distant screams from others seemed to echo.
“Will the others be all right?”
“The carriage is warded with Protective Magic, so they should be fine.”
At his hand carefully encircling her shoulder, Ibanna clutched both his arms tightly.
The relentless rain that followed brought relief but also wrought several problems.
A landslide, of all things.
“But some people aren’t in the carriage.”
“They are skilled knights. They will survive.”
The Count’s voice answering her concern had sunk to a low register.
How could any knight survive a landslide? Ibanna steeled her aching heart.
“The rain fell harder than predicted. For that reason, as with the previous estate, I anticipated a landslide to some degree and made advance preparations.”
The Count, seeing her at a loss, opened his mouth with a troubled expression.
He had never learned how to comfort people.
So Cedric began explaining the precautions he had taken against the landslide.
It was a rational method to minimize casualties.
He had kept those on foot to a minimum given the muddy road, and having fitted the horses with Protective Artifacts so they might survive, there was no reason for anyone to perish.
Cedric awkwardly placed his hand on Ibanna’s shoulder. Even as he explained the measures taken against the landslide, her trembling did not cease.
“Your Highness. A distress signal will have been transmitted, and reports should arrive shortly from the other carriages.”
Cedric withdrew a Communication Stone from his coat. A crimson light flickered from it.
“Would you not feel somewhat more at ease if you confirmed the safety of the others?”
At his measured tone, Ibanna slowly nodded her head.
The way the Count spoke of it as though it were nothing made her wonder if perhaps it was not as grave a matter as she had feared.
“Speak.”
―It’s your secretary, Marcel, Your Grace. Are you both unharmed?!
“We’re fine. The Princess wasn’t injured either.”
A breath of relief escaped from the other side of the Communication Stone.
―Thank heavens you’re safe. All the other carriages are also unharmed. Some of those whose carriage overturned suffered minor injuries, but thanks to the precautions taken in advance, there appear to be no serious casualties.
At Marcel’s report, Cedric sent a look that seemed to ask if everything was truly all right.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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