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Chapter 206: Eyes of a Dragon and the Human Heart (70)

Unfortunately, if the witness happened to be a loyal subject of the Empire, it would be the end of me. To see a member of the Imperial Family, who inherited dragon blood, in such a humiliating posture in front of a mere second son of a countryside Viscount would be unthinkable.

At this point, it wouldn't be strange if my blood pressure rose to the point of death.

While it might have been better if rumors spread, it would cause trouble for both the Imperial Princess and myself, but I didn't particularly care anymore. I had already faced enough trouble.

With these thoughts, I cautiously peered around the corridor, extending my head slightly. Fortunately, no one was passing through, as it was already late.

It was a moment when a sigh of relief escaped my mouth.

Swiftly, I grasped the arm of the Imperial Princess, ushering her into the room. With a startled expression, she followed, and I closed the door firmly behind us with a thud, cutting off the outside world.

Alone in the chamber, a young man and woman found themselves in a situation ripe with suspicion. Yet, any hint of suspicion was preferable to witnessing the Imperial Princess's humiliation.

At last, the gravity of the situation seemed to dawn upon the Imperial Princess.

With a startled expression, she quickly averted her gaze, subtly sneaking glances at me, her demeanor tinged with embarrassment.

"I-I'm sorry..."

I shook my head, suppressing a bitter laugh at the Imperial Princess's timid apology.

Speaking ill of someone who had come willingly would have been impolite. Besides, had the Imperial Princess and I not shared life-and-death experiences together?

Though I held the power to unilaterally save the Imperial Princess, I chose to break the silence on her behalf.

"Your Imperial Highness, what brings you to such a humble place at this late hour..."

"You don't need to be so courteous!"

Though customary when addressing a member of the Imperial Family, the Imperial Princess seemed taken aback, waving her hands dismissively.

Her light gray eyes betrayed a sincerity that touched me.

"Well, um… Sir Ian is also the bearer of the Dragonblood Script."

I grew weary of the incessant talk of the 'Dragonblood Script’.

The Dragonblood Script had brought me to the brink of crisis. In a way, one could argue that the Imperial Princess was to blame.

In my attempt to save her, had I not also revealed the Dragonblood Script?

Yet, it was unfair to blame the Imperial Princess.

In the grand scheme of things, it was all for the greater good, a path I had willingly chosen.

There were already too many bloodstains on the path I had trodden to assign blame.

"It’s not about the Dragonblood Script. There's a bit of a situation, and besides, I'm just the second son of a countryside Viscount..."

"...E-Even if you don't!"

The Imperial Princess urgently interrupted my words.

"Even if you don’t, Sir Ian, you are still my hero... and also my senior at the academy."

Her voice quivered with emotion, on the brink of tears.

If I continued to be courteous, she might break down entirely.

In the end, I relented with a long sigh since I couldn't bring myself to make the girl cry.

"...I understand, Cien."

As the name left my lips, a glimmer of relief crossed Cien's face.

Yet, my reluctance lingered.

The Percus family was a noble family of the Empire. As a member of such a noble family, formality was ingrained in my upbringing.

The hierarchical protocols between nobility and royalty were deeply instilled from childhood.

Though my views had shifted, old habits died hard.

But Cien seemed to have perceived my actions differently.

She hesitated, then bowed her head to the ground once more.

"I-I'm sorry! I… I-I've caused a lot of trouble in various ways..."

"No, it's alright... I mean, it's okay¹. So, you can get up."

Almost slipping into formality again, I corrected myself.

Yet, Cien seemed oblivious, trembling all over, continuously apologizing.

"I realize I've committed unforgivable sins by inciting people against Sir Ian without understanding your intentions… and causing trouble for your acquaintances and family."

"No, it's not necessarily an unforgivable sin..."

"...B-but!"

Her interruption only heightened my discomfort.

Did this woman even intend to listen to what I was saying?

Yet, her sincerity shone through, eclipsing her words.

"Although it cannot be undone, I will do my best to cleanse that sin as much as possible... I sincerely apologize for the previous rudeness and the mistakes I made."

I almost urged her to stop and rise, but stayed my tongue.

Her trembling form evoked sympathy, but it was something deeper that caught my attention.

The lonely girl beneath the title.

The girl who everyone once hated.

The survivor of her mother's attempt to strangle her.

How had she endured such trials, and what emotions lay beneath her facade?

In that moment, my tongue moved without conscious thought.

Perhaps this might have been an unfamiliar experience to the Imperial Princess.

The story of someone sacrificing themselves to save her, such a common story, might have embodied everything the Imperial Princess longed for.

A thought struck me: such a clichéd story, where someone might have laid down their life to protect her, perhaps, encapsulated all the Imperial Princess had ever wished for.

Thus, the prospect of losing it would be all the more terrifying.

The Imperial Princess's fixation on me and her excessive humility betrayed that fear. I couldn't be so callous as to dismiss those efforts.

In the end, my response was nothing more than a brief utterance, slipping through my barely parted lips.

"...Do as you want."

The words were accompanied by a sigh.

In fact, the blame didn't solely rest with the Imperial Princess. As previously mentioned, she had ample reasons to misunderstand; therefore, as I had already said, it wasn't necessarily unforgivable.

However, even if I forgave her, it would be meaningless if the Imperial Princess couldn't forgive herself.

I didn't know how far she would go, but it felt right to let the Imperial Princess follow her own path. Hence, my answer was tinged with such sentiments.

Whether my sincerity was conveyed remained uncertain.

Nevertheless, I found solace in the slight lessening of the tremor in the Imperial Princess's body. A sigh of relief escaped her lips.

Still, the sight of the Imperial Princess continuously bowing her head made me uneasy, prompting me to gently intervene.

"Alright, I heard you. Now, please get up..."

"N-not yet!"

The Imperial Princess's voice still carried an unfulfilled desire.

I had hoped my request for her to stop would have been enough, but her intentions seemed different.

Having granted her permission to act as she wished only a short while ago, I decided to observe her actions with a mix of concern and curiosity.

After hesitating for a moment, the Imperial Princess suddenly exclaimed, as if struck by an idea.

"It's not enough yet. Um, so... right!"

In the next moment, there was a soft sound.

My thoughts halted. For a moment, I struggled to comprehend what the Imperial Princess had done.

The Imperial Princess, bowing her head repeatedly, approached me by crawling in the same manner. Embarrassing as it was, she didn't stop there.

She pressed her lips to the tip of my shoe.

In simple terms, those lips belonged to noble royalty, capable of wielding great influence.

She must have devoted her heart and soul to avoiding getting it dirty until now.

Her first contact, as pure as her innocent gaze, was with the grimy tip of a shoe, speaking volumes without a need for words.

My mind immediately went blank. No, not just blank – I found myself jolting in place.

"W-What are you doing, Your Imperial Highness!"

I reverted to using an honorific, a habit I had intended to discard just moments ago.

Taken aback by my strong reaction, the Imperial Princess widened her eyes.

As she struggled to regain her footing, she chuckled embarrassedly, addressing me.

"Uh, I recalled asking Sir Ian to kiss my shoe before... Hehe, so as an apology..."

While the gesture might have been somewhat impolite, it was an acceptable gesture of fealty from a noble to a member of the Imperial Family. It represented one of the highest forms of respect a vassal could offer the Emperor.

However, such a gesture was inappropriate for a member of the Imperial Family to make towards a second son of a countryside Viscountcy.

In the end, I had no choice but to once again stroke my cheek in embarrassment.

Honestly, what impression had I left on the Imperial Princess?

It seemed that it would take quite some time for the girl's heart to find true /genesisforsaken