What I Gained by Giving My Body - Chapter 1.16

“I’m not.”

“Ah…….”

Caitlyn tried hard not to show her disappointment.

“Did you want it, perhaps?”

“……My brother doesn’t have much time left. And according to my foresight, my brother’s future is still only death. We must hurry.”

“As expected.”

The Archduke openly sneered.

“You don’t stop until you get what you want.”

“…….”

“It’s a pity for you, but I don’t plan on doing it for the time being. I have to return to the North.”

Her mouth went dry. Considering the travel distance between the North and the capital, they might end up letting precious time slip away.

“If you were so desperate you begged for it, I might consider taking you along.”

Her face burned. Caitlyn was used to hearing insults behind her back, but she was not at all used to words that openly ignored and insulted her like this.

“But I know you won’t. It’s not that you really want to sleep with me. Isn’t that right, Cathy?”

Caitlyn lowered her head, but the Archduke’s cruelty showed no sign of stopping.

“If I’m wrong, prove it. Right here, where everyone is watching.”

“……Your Grace must know well that I would never do that.”

“I know.”

Archduke Akbar’s eyes curved like crescent moons. He sounded truly amused.

“But I wanted to say it. I was curious about your reaction.”

The music stopped, and the Archduke’s hand fell away from her waist. The first dance was finally over. Everyone else waited for the next music to begin, but Caitlyn left the ballroom as if fleeing. She didn’t want to remain even for a single moment in a place where she would gain nothing.

* * *

A breeze blew. As she sat on a high hill, she could see clearly ahead. In the distance, the deep blue surface of the sea sparkled under the intense sunlight, and she felt as if she could smell the salt in the waves breaking white on the shore.

Caitlyn suddenly realized. This was…… a dream. There are no such high hills in the capital. Even if there were, it was impossible to see the sea, which would take nearly a week of travel to reach. Furthermore, it was winter now, yet wasn’t the weather here completely spring-like?

Come to think of it, she seemed to remember going into her bedroom and lying on the bed as soon as she returned home from the ballroom. Just as she was staring blankly ahead, having fully recognized the dream, a man sat down beside her with a thud. Caitlyn’s eyes widened in surprise.

Black hair and golden eyes. He had the same eye and hair color as Archduke Akbar, but the atmosphere he exuded was completely different. With a soft and friendly impression, he was a man who invited liking just by looking at him. But Caitlyn wasn’t just surprised by his appearance. The man was wearing clothes she had never seen before in her life.

No, could this even be called clothes? The man, wearing short silk that had no sleeves at all and left his legs below the knees exposed, wore a belt decorated with amber and emerald. It was a simpler outfit than even underwear.

“Helenus.”

Strangely, her mouth moved on its own to call the other person’s name. Caitlyn fell into confusion. She had no idea who this man was.

The person called ‘Helenus’ sighed and looked at her.

“Did you run away again, Cathy?”

“Yeah.”

“This time, Father will really be furious.”

“I don’t care.”

She looked straight ahead.

“I’d rather be yelled at than be sold off like that.”

“Sold off, you say…….”

Helenus gave a bitter smile.

“Mother got married like that, too. It’s only natural as a princess, Cathy.”

It was strange. Caitlyn thought. No matter how much of a dream it was, she wasn’t so self-important as to have a fantasy about becoming a princess. Before she knew it, the wind had died down and the air became stifling. Caitlyn stood up from her seat.

“Seeing as you’ve come here, the soldiers will be chasing after you soon, won’t they?”

“……You guessed it exactly.”

“Anyone with a brain could think of that.”

Caitlyn let out a sigh.

“I’m past the age for playing hide-and-seek…… so I should head back now.”

Helenus followed her with a more relieved face. Caitlyn’s head turned automatically to glare at him.

“Why are you glaring like that! I haven’t done anything wrong.”

“Despite having no intention of helping me.”

“Cathy…… it’s all unavoidable. Still, since you are the prettiest, you at least have some choice. Look at our other sisters. They left Troy as soon as suitors came.”

The prettiest princess among princesses……. Could this be her inner desire revealed by the dream? Contrary to her cynical thoughts, her body moved violently. Pow—!

Helenus had been pushed by her and fallen on his backside on the ground. Caitlyn stepped on his hem, leaned over, and threatened him.

“Unavoidable? Aren’t you ashamed to say such a thing when you are the high priest of Phoebus? You could accept me as a priestess anytime!”

“……How can I accept you as a priestess when you have no prophetic power? Don’t be unreasonable.”

“Prophecies can just be made up. As for you, do you even make any proper prophecies? Everything you receive as an oracle is just obvious, sweet-sounding talk.”

Helenus was horrified and covered Caitlyn’s mouth.

“How dare you say such blasphemous things……!”

A sound of laughter, “Haha,” flowed through the gaps of his fingers.

“Don’t worry. With so many people in this vast land, do you think the gods are listening to every single one of our conversations?”