I Tried To Be Her Loyal Sword

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206화

“Have you been well?”

Once Pepper left and we were alone, I bowed to greet him.

Thud, thud.

Diego, who had been leaning against the window frame, approached me. His flowing golden hair resembled ripe rice ready for harvest in the autumn.

“Guess what I might say in response.”

Stopping abruptly in front of me, Diego leaned forward. Taking a deep breath filled with the seductive vanilla scent, I couldn’t help but chuckle.

“You will say, ‘I haven’t been well without you.'”

It was an easy guess. Whenever we met after a long time, Diego often threw a playful tantrum like that.

“You know me too well.”

Nonchalantly wrapping his arm around my waist, Diego lifted me effortlessly. I was a bit surprised, but he was completely at ease. He set me down on the sofa.

“I haven’t been well without you. That’s how it has been, Shushu.”

Leaning on the armrest of the sofa, Diego looked down at me with a cheeky smile.

“I’ve been too busy working for the empire’s peace, so please forgive me.”

“Sure. I know well of your efforts. As the Crown Prince, I am proud and delighted.”

When I said this playfully, Diego shrugged his shoulders.

He headed to his desk, poured a cup of black tea, and handed it to me. I nodded slightly and accepted the cup.

“But as a mere human, I miss you, and it makes me sad. What can I do? Please forgive me my little tantrum.”

Leisurely lifting his own cup, Diego spoke adeptly while leaning against the desk behind him. Normally thorough and perfect, he showed a comfortable side in front of me.

“How have you been? You said you were busier than ever.”

“Ah, yes. Right. There have been mountains of things to do with the war approaching, so I’ve been busy. As I mentioned in my letters, I’ve finally reached a somewhat stable point.”

With a face marked by fatigue, Diego pressed his brows together and drank the black tea as if it were a potion for recovery. His blue eyes, subtly turning towards me, sparkled with curiosity.

“I’ve heard a lot about you, Instructor.”

“I’ve already been teased enough, so please stop.”

“I was just trying to congratulate you. It seems you’re officially recognized now.”

Having been teased all over as “Instructor” already, I had no choice but to grimace.

Diego burst into hearty laughter and added gently, “However, I’ve heard rumors about your discord with Sir Kasia. Is everything alright?”

“That… it seems news travels fast.”

Embarrassed, I scratched the back of my neck. As Diego listened intently, I gradually unfolded the story of what happened with Kasia.

“That makes sense. Typical of Sir Kasia.”

After hearing the whole story, Diego nodded knowingly. His tone implied familiarity with Kasia, which made me tilt my head in confusion.

“You know Sir Kasia?”

“Yes. Oh, but this is a secret from the others…”

Placing his finger to his lips, Diego smiled smoothly.

“I’ve been anonymously supporting knights in difficult circumstances for a few years now, and Sir Kasia is one of them.”

I looked at him with a slightly surprised expression.

“So, the anonymous benefactor who helped the countless common knights from the order… is you?”

“Yes.”

Diego’s blue eyes twinkled playfully.

I had learned about it while talking to the common knights I met, and they all mentioned receiving help from an anonymous benefactor while training at the Imperial Academy. This support was ongoing.

“My benefactor was Sir Patrick.” “I was told it was Lord Rondo.” “I am Alice.”

Numerous names flowed from the knights’ lips.

Through conversation, they deduced that only one person could be the cause of that strange phenomenon, yet they still couldn’t uncover the benefactor’s identity.

Hearing that, I wished to meet this benefactor desperately.

“Who would have thought it was Diego.”

While many nobles donated for reputation and honor, very few gave anonymously.

I found myself admiring Diego.

“…I previously mentioned my bodyguard. Do you remember? The one before Pepper Ellervine.”

When our eyes met, Diego smiled slightly. At that moment, I recalled a distant memory.

‘I had a friend when I was young. He was a commoner and a bodyguard, but I thought he was a true friend. I shared a brotherly bond with him for years, but one day someone poisoned my drink. They said the culprit was that boy.’

‘…Ah.’

‘When I asked him why he committed such an act when I could give him more than money to hire an assassin—he told me he just hated me from the start. Everything about me… made him jealous and sick. He claimed everything he showed me was a lie. Ever since then, I’ve hesitated to take guards with me. It felt like everyone who was supposed to protect me was instead gunning for my back.’

Diego hesitated to keep guards because he didn’t want to be betrayed again.

Thinking of that past made me feel a wave of sadness, and I looked at him with a heavy expression, while Diego seemed completely unfazed, smiling lightly.

“That boy was poor. While I believe he hated me, I think what mattered more was that his family lost their jobs and needed money urgently. After that incident, I started helping common knights. I wanted to ensure no one else faced such a situation again.”

It was a beautiful thing not to resolve hatred with hatred, but to transcend it into something better.

“Sir Kasia is among the most challenging situations I support. With no father and a mother unable to work, she’s been surviving alone since childhood. Her dislike for nobles… well, there’s a reason for it.”

His eyes turned bitter as he raised his head to look at me.

“Don’t hate her. Even if she says it’s fine not to send money, she still sends the usage reports of every contribution—every expense includes footage from the battle with Mir, which is quite amusing.”

There was a strangely mischievous tone.

I narrowed my eyes as if to say not to tease me, and Diego playfully rolled his eyes while sitting next to me and slinging an arm around my shoulders.

“I’m jealous that your world is expanding, but I’m also happy at the same time. I want to keep you all to myself while also showing you off to everyone. Sometimes the former is stronger, but… your happiness remains the top priority.”

His blue eyes twinkled gently.

“You know I’m always cheering for you, right? Just focus on moving forward. I’ll be right here protecting you.”

It was one reassuring line that felt more solid than an army of thousands.

I felt my heart swell, staring intensely at Diego until he seemed to blush lightly, which made me smirk.

“I heard that you’ve quelled the nobles’ opposition against you becoming my instructor.”

“Ah.”

Diego sighed. He slightly frowned.

“I was trying to keep it a secret, but how did you find out? Did Lord Ellervine say something?”

“Ah… no, I figured it out myself.”

“Someone like you, who has no interest in the social circle?”

I didn’t want to put Pepper in a difficult position, so I finally stammered a lie, but Diego let out a short, bemused laugh. I couldn’t find anything to say.

“You really can’t lie, can you? Lord Ellervine is talking nonsense…”

“Why is it nonsense? It’s only right to be grateful, and you just told me something I didn’t know, so I should be thankful.”

Diego clicked his tongue and turned his head away. Though he appeared completely calm, he did seem a bit embarrassed.

It was rare to see Diego embarrassed, so I couldn’t help but grin.

“I want to do something for you as a thank you. Is there anything you want? If you need anything that requires a bodyguard, I’ll clear my schedule to help.”

There was nothing I could give to Diego, who lacked nothing as Crown Prince. The only thing that came to mind was volunteering to be his bodyguard for external activities since he was unable to easily trust his guards.

When I asked, Diego hesitated momentarily as if considering something.

Tap, tap,

Then he lightly touched his left cheek with his index finger.

“Then, can you give me a kiss on the cheek?”

He wore a teasing smile full of mischief.

I blinked. A cheek kiss was something done occasionally in greetings, but suddenly being asked for it left me feeling shy.

“It’s not difficult, but is that enough?”

“That’s plenty.”

Diego cheekily brought his cheek closer to me. His white and delicate skin felt silky to the touch.

“Come on, do it.”

He encouraged in a playful voice. With the vanilla scent tickling my nose, I felt my throat flutter and closed my eyes softly.

‘Why am I so nervous?’

The quiet room with just the two of us suddenly felt intimidating. I bit my lip, inhaling deeply and leaning my upper body forward.

Peck.

A soft sensation brushed against my lips. The contact felt distant from my skin. With my eyes still closed, I began to sense something was off and slowly opened my eyes.

Those azure eyes shimmered intensely, and golden strands danced gently above my brow. Our lips, now together, broke into a low smile. A beautifully sculpted face stared back, not from the side view, but straight on.

“Wh-what…!”

Startled, I recoiled like a squirrel whose tail was set on fire. I hadn’t looked in the mirror, but I was sure my face was fiery red.

Covering my mouth with my arm, I looked up at Diego, who burst into hearty laughter. The skin on his neck, visible above his unbuttoned white shirt, blushed as well.

“Thinking it over, I reckon one kiss on the cheek wouldn’t be enough.”

With his large hand pressing on the sofa, Diego leaned closer to me.

“Didn’t like that?”

His voice, sweet as honey, whispered lowly.

His blue eyes glimmered like the deep sea, and his golden hair flowed above like golden waves. That deep, thick aura tightened around me as if it were an inescapable vortex.

Didn’t I like it? There was no question about that. If I had disliked it, I would have drawn my aura long before now.

“I didn’t… dislike it…”

“What’s that?”

Diego chuckled low as he reached out, brushing my long hair behind my ear. His eyes sparkled with mischief.

“Then it seems you enjoyed it.”

Flushed with heat from his words, I bolted upright.

“I-I’ll see myself out!”

“Haha! Why the hurry, so flustered?”

“I’ll-I’ll come back soon!”

I dashed out of the room, as if fleeing. The sound of Diego’s laughter ringing in my ears only made my face heat up more.

“What… did you do in there? Your face looks like a tomato.”

Pepper, standing guard outside, asked cluelessly, and I quickly splashed cold water on my face.

My racing heart refused to calm down.