The Nymph Wants to be Plundered - Chapter 200

Someone tall with their hands clasped behind their back stood among a flock of silver goats that were rapidly grazing as if competing with each other. Golden hair fluttering in the wind made Polyxene ‘s heart flutter along with it. The wildflowers that caught at her feet seemed to become a wonderful path leading toward him, filling her with excitement.

Snort…!

Just then, a water buffalo behind the bushes made a rough snorting sound as it stood guard. Perhaps because it was much louder than the sounds made by the unicorn that had been getting along well with nymphs lately, Cassis’s head turned slightly.

Soon, water buffalo with thick golden manes came out and surrounded him before lying down. One, two, three, four… a full seven of them! At the dazzlingly brilliant sight, Polyxene frowned and then covered her eyes with her arm. Without doing so, she simply couldn’t bear to look at that radiant golden wave.

‘So dazzling….’

Her heart pounded madly. Good heavens, not just one but a full seven belonged to Cassis as his private property. If those creatures shed their hides once a year, how much would they be worth? The moment Polyxene swallowed her drool, she heard quiet muttering.

“…This place is too close to the castle, so it would constantly trouble the patrolling soldiers. It’s a good pasture, but I’ll need to find a decent place farther away. You’ve done well—take the goats and return.”

A pale green cluster of light emanated from Cassis’s hand, and soon the seven water buffalo changed to ordinary gray. When the lead one vigorously swished its tail, the silver goats that had been absorbed in grazing followed the leader in a line and departed somewhere.

Even while covering her eyes with her arm, Polyxene had listened carefully to what Cassis was saying and swallowed her drool once again.

This is my chance!

‘Stay calm, Polyxene . If I carelessly show my greed, Cassis will be disappointed and try to push me away. I’m an official guardian, so I can approach him based on that advantage.’

She slowly lowered her arm, but then found herself unconsciously craning her neck, wanting to catch even a glimpse of the departing golden-maned water buffalo. When Cassis turned his head, she came to her senses.

“Your Majesty the King…! I am Guardian Polyxene .”

“What is it?”

Upon hearing the response in a short but clear voice, Polyxene tensed her neck muscles. Unlike before, she was now a proper guardian and had the right not to be ignored even by the king. Fully believing this, Polyxene did her utmost to keep the conversation from ending.

“This place is near the castle, so it’s unsuitable for privately raising livestock. Ah… However, the two types of livestock I just witnessed are considered sacred like unicorns, so if you choose an appropriate place…”

Her words, which she was trying to continue while thinking of what to say next, were cut off abruptly.

“Those creatures will not come to this vicinity.”

Had she made a mistake? She hadn’t intended to rashly point out his judgment and make him uncomfortable. Her plan was to first say something correct, then find a decent compromise with him while increasing opportunities to face him. Polyxene didn’t lose heart and took another step closer to him.

“I earnestly offer this advice based on my experience of growing up in the castle…! Silver goats aside, there are many residents who have never seen golden-maned water buffalo in their lives. If you provide special opportunities for them to occasionally see them, wouldn’t it be better since it would breathe vitality into the castle?”

Polyxene was delighted to finally offer a plausible suggestion. Good, this was excellent. She had wrapped things up well without presenting any opinions that would displease him, so naturally an appropriate response would come. Then she could continue the conversation from there…

“Focus on fulfilling your own duties.”

However, Cassis cut off the channel of conversation with her in a single sentence. As he turned around abruptly, Polyxene became desperate.

“Your Majesty…!”

“Ah, that’s right.”

“Yes…?”

When he turned back and continued speaking, Polyxene hastily got her hopes up, but the moment she heard his words, her breath caught completely.

“You may have obtained guardian qualifications, but don’t you need to complete insufficient training to maintain them effectively? Rather than getting involved in unrelated matters, it would be more honorable for you to quickly leave the castle and resume training.”

Thinking it might be an outright order to leave, the greatly flustered Polyxene hastily made excuses. No matter what anyone said, Cassis before her eyes was someone she must serve—the king.

“That’s…! There’s still time left, and there are many people I haven’t properly greeted yet. I plan to carefully review and implement it… Your Majesty?!”

She thought she had given a reasonably appropriate excuse, but he strode away without responding. She wanted to scurry after him, but his pace was too fast to allow for that. Left alone in the pasture in an instant, she let out a deflated sigh in disbelief.

“Ha!”

What was this? She had thought she’d finally grasped a good opportunity after so long… Far from seduction, she had wasted a chance encounter.