The Nymph Wants to be Plundered - Chapter 59

“…We are victorious!”

“We will always be victorious, the great and swift sentinels of Jupiter!”

“Through forests and mountains, across wastelands and swamps, to deep lakes and seas, Jupiter, hurrah!”

The singing of the sentinels had already grown extremely distant. The elf at the lead was already opening the door of a large house visible in the distance and going inside. Because of the scheme devised by an elf who hated her, she couldn’t even give a simple welcoming greeting. Chasing after those who had just gone to rest to greet them… Would that be a nuisance?

Nike, who had willingly rescued her, grinned and whispered in her ear.

“I thought you would come out with His Majesty the King, but you were alone so I guessed.”

“What?”

Then came an assumption incomparably more terrifying than before.

“You’re not just sleeping with His Majesty, are you? I know!”

“That never happened.”

Evelyn denied it without stammering, in a tone that even to her own ears sounded too cold. When she heard those words, far from blushing, her face turned as white as a sheet of paper. It felt as if an ice spear had pierced her heart.

Where could the secret have leaked from? She wasn’t sure. She hadn’t even run into Phivi and Mel in the hall since they began being served by invisible spirits, and it seemed absolutely impossible that such words had come from their mouths. As for Ruba, though he constantly grumbled, he spoke in a voice that only she could hear.

‘I need to pull myself together. There must be good reasons why Cassis told me not to say anything. I can’t ruin him when I’m just a stone that rolled in here.’

No sooner had this terrible thought crossed her mind than her previously fine stomach tightened uncomfortably as if bound by rope. When Evelyn’s shyly smiling expression quickly hardened, Nike covered her own lips with both hands and whispered secretly so that only she could hear.

“What’s wrong, Evelyn? I’m on your side more than anyone else. Right? We’re the only two nymphs left in the world. Even if another nymph were to be born, I’d want to take care of you just like I do now.”

There was some reasonable basis to Nike’s words.

Whenever Evelyn came outside the hall and happened to run into Nike, Nike always tried to do something for her. If she had an instrument in hand, she would play a short tune; if not, she would offer a pleasant song.

She had even abruptly offered Evelyn a taste of her own snack. What was it again, sugar-preserved cherries? Ruba hadn’t stopped her, so she had accepted and eaten them, feeling more moved than by the taste itself. At that time, Evelyn briefly remembered her life in the old rural village. Though not abundant, those were happy times with Faye.

‘So that was all a ploy to probe me. Ah, how foolish I’ve been.’

While Cassis would readily talk about various other things, he had never once brought up Nike first. Having guessed the reason, she stepped backward.

“I’ll be going now.”

As Evelyn, whose mood had rapidly deteriorated, tried to turn around, Nike, who had finally brought up what she’d been wanting to say, thrust her head forward and whispered, seemingly embarrassed.

“W-wait. Evelyn? I don’t talk about these things carelessly elsewhere. We can just keep it between us. Right?”

“Please move aside.”

A fairly strong wind blew from the other side as if trying to separate them. Evelyn’s expression remained indifferent, as though she couldn’t smell the fresh grassy scent that the wind left tickling at the tip of her nose.

Nike, growing anxious, stamped her feet as she tried to persuade her.

“Just listen to me for a moment. Ah! I see. This isn’t a topic to discuss privately outside. You know the Nymph Temple, right? Let’s go there and talk just a little.”

The Nymph Temple…

She remembered it because both Cassis and Ruba had mentioned it in passing.

That place, she’d heard, was where they had gathered and preserved every trace of nymphs left in Jupiter Castle after nymphs became extinct. Cassis had said he would take her there when he had time, but since coming to the castle, there hadn’t been a single day when he wasn’t overwhelmed with work, so they couldn’t go. She couldn’t bring herself to urge him to visit during their nights of physical intimacy, so she hadn’t gone either.

Since it had been brought up, she was curious.

When Evelyn, who had seemed about to leave, hesitated, Nike quickly seized the opportunity.

“How about it? It’s quiet there, and just experiencing one painting will be tremendously helpful for you. And of course, it’s fun too! Hmm… Come on, let’s just go and take a look together, okay?”

“Don’t talk about other things.”

Evelyn tried to secure a promise that seemed unlikely to be kept. She was even more worried because she knew from experience that Nike was talkative. A temple, being indoors, would probably be secluded. If Nike tried to daze her there and stealthily bring up that topic again, she might fall for it.

No, maybe she shouldn’t go at all. She had nearly fallen into an obvious trap just now. As her steps hesitated just as she was about to follow Nike, she heard an anxious voice.