68
「Don't speak as if you know
everything! You little……」
「……hk!?」
Maria's right hand swung up high, and it
was the exact moment when Candice, thinking she would be hit, closed her
eyelids to brace for the impact.
「Maria, if you swing that hand down, I will
cut off your head, you know?」
A
sword was swiftly placed against Maria's neck from behind. Perhaps realizing
the danger, Maria's hand stopped dead right before slapping Candice's
cheek. At the voice that seemed to crawl along the ground, Arthur and Luca
jolted their shoulders greatly, trembling in fear. Candice opened her
eyes at the familiar voice.
（Why is Otou-sama in a place like
this?）
Candice had completely forgotten that she
had been summoned by Valentin.
Although
she had only spent the day she was summoned and the time after she was almost
kidnapped together with him, perhaps because she had continued to yearn for him
previously, she immediately recognized him as her father. He seemed to be
extremely angry right now. It looked as if he could shoot a person to death
with just his gaze. As expected, even Candice thought it was scary.
「Let go.」
「……Hic!?」
As
Candice froze while keeping her gaze on Valentin, Maria's
hand swiftly let go. At the same time the hand let go, Candice lost her
balance and bumped her bottom on the floor. 「Ouch,」 leaked from Candice's voice. Maria raised
both her hands to shoulder height and shook her head side to side.
「Y-Your Majesty, the Emperor……」
「Maria, I do not recall giving you
permission to raise a hand against the Imperial Princess, you know?」
「N-No, stop.」
Maria became teary-eyed at the tip of the
sword directed at her with a clink. Candice's gaze went to the
rattling and trembling Luca and Arthur. Unlike the frightened
two, Candice regained her composure.
（If I don't stop this, the archives
will become covered in blood!）
Feeling
a sense of crisis at his figure that looked like it would slash out at any
moment, Candice immediately stepped between Maria and Valentin
and clung to his leg to stop him.
「Your Majesty the Emperor,
please stop!」
「!?」
Valentin seemed surprised by Candice's
unexpected actions, and the sword left Maria's neck.
However,
Candice, who was immediately lifted up by Valentin as if grabbed
by the scruff of the neck, frantically repeated her excuses.
「I think it is not good to do
dangerous things in front of children! What will you do if they get
traumatized!」
At
Candice's words, Valentin furrowed his brows deeply.
「You are a child too, are you not?」
「……!」
Told
so calmly by Valentin, Candice fell deep in thought for a while
before nodding. Certainly, since Candice is also five years old right
now, she must look like a child. But, because her insides were different, she
ended up speaking in a tone like an adult herself.
Candice was being lifted, dangling as if
she were a kitten grabbed by the scruff of the neck by its mother cat. And the
sword remained gripped in his other hand.
「A-At any rate, please put away the
sword!」
「…………」
The
luxuriously decorated sword was the exact same one that had cut off Candice's
head. Every time that sword flickered into Candice's field of vision,
she felt as if her neck was hurting. Triggered by Arthur calling Candice's
name in a small voice, Valentin's hand lowered. Candice also let
out a breath of relief as her feet touched the floor.
Then,
she went to his side as if to reassure Arthur. Perhaps he was extremely
scared, as Arthur was wailing loudly while clinging to Candice. Luca
also looked to be biting his lip and holding back tears.
「Explain why it turned out like this.」
「Your Majesty the Emperor,
this is because the Imperial Princess-sama to me—」
「I am asking Candice. You stay
quiet, Maria.」