A soft knock echoed through the grand chamber of the princess’s quarters. Outside the door, a knight bowed respectfully, his voice calm and formal.
"Princess, His Majesty requests your presence in the throne room."
From within the room—
"Ehhh? But I want to sleep more..." Ellyn grumbled lazily, refusing to budge from her comfortable spot on the bed. She buried her face into a plush body pillow, her tail swaying idly as if to express her unwillingness.
The knight remained composed, unfazed by the princess’s reluctance.
"His Majesty has requested your counsel on an important matter, Your Highness."
Ellyn sighed dramatically, rolling onto her back and staring at the ceiling.
"Haaah... What could be so urgent that Father needs right now?" Her eyes glead with curiosity, but her body refused to move just yet.
The knight remained silent, waiting patiently.
Finally—Ellyn sat up, stretching her arms with a quiet yawn.
"Fine, fine. I’ll go."
She glanced at the ring on her finger, her thoughts briefly drifting elsewhere. Ellyn let out a long, satisfied yawn, stretching her arms lazily above her head.
"Haaaah... mornings are the worst..." she mumbled, still half-asleep.
Just as she was about to flop back onto the bed—her personal maids entered the room, moving with graceful efficiency.
"Princess, please allow us to assist you in preparing."
Ellyn pouted but didn’t resist as they began their work. One maid carefully brushed her silver-blue hair, ensuring it was flawless. Another helped her change into a more formal attire, adjusting the fabric with practiced ease.
Ellyn sighed dramatically, lifting her arms just enough to make their job easier.
"Honestly, why can’t I just go in my nightgown? Father already knows what I look like."
One of the maids giggled softly but kept working.
"It would be improper, Your Highness."
Ellyn rolled her eyes.
"Haaah... so much effort just to listen to Father complain about sothing."
Despite her complaints, she allowed them to finish their work, her outfit now pristine and elegant. Once everything was in place, she stepped toward the door, where—Mrs. Faria was already waiting for her.
The knight bowed respectfully.
"Princess, His Majesty awaits you in the throne room."
Ellyn placed her hands behind her head, smirking.
"Yeah, yeah, I’m coming." She tilted her head slightly, her golden eyes glimring with amusent.
"I wonder what kind of headache Father has this ti."
With that, she stepped forward, ready to face whatever nonsense awaited her.
anwhile, on the other side of certain area...
Gulp, gulp, gulp!
"Ahhhh! That’s refreshing!"
Hazuki wiped his mouth, letting out a satisfied sigh after drinking straight from the cool, crystal-clear stream.
"This is good." He stretched his arms, enjoying the peaceful atmosphere. The gentle sound of flowing water, the rustling trees, and the warm sunlight filtering through the leaves—for once, his life wasn’t absolute garbage.
Hazuki glanced around.
"I wonder if there’s a town or village nearby..." He squinted at the horizon—nothing but wilderness.
Then, he looked down at the stream. The cool, inviting water sparkled under the morning sun. Hazuki looked left. Then right. No one around. A slow grin crept onto his face. Without hesitation—he stripped off his clothes and jumped straight into the water.
"WOOOOO!!"
SPLASH!!!
The cold water hit his body, sending an instant shock through his nerves.
"OH SHIT, THAT’S COLD!—No, wait, this is nice!"
Hazuki floated on his back, staring at the blue sky, feeling all his exhaustion wash away.
"Ahhh... a real bath. No dirt, no stink, no worries." For the first ti in a while—he was completely at peace.
...Or so he thought. Because sowhere, just beyond the trees—sothing... or soone... was watching him.
"Kyaaaaaa!!!"
Hazuki’s peaceful bath was instantly shattered by a sudden, high-pitched scream. His eyes snapped open.
"Huh? Where the hell is that voice coming from?"
He sat up in the water, blinking, completely unaware of the disaster about to unfold. Then—his gaze locked onto sothing beyond the trees. A girl. Standing there. Wide-eyed. Frozen. Staring.
At him. Or more specifically... at his lower half.
Hazuki blinked. The girl’s face turned beet red.
"M-M-MONSTER!!!" she shrieked, pointing straight at him.
Hazuki instantly panicked.
"OI! WHO THE HELL ARE YOU CALLING A MONSTER!?"
The girl’s eyes remained locked onto... well... the "big snake." She scread again and turned on her heel, bolting into the forest, crashing through the bushes like her life depended on it.
"OI! GET BACK HERE! WHAT DO YOU AN ’MONSTER’!?"
Hazuki rushed to the shore, but then—he realized sothing horrifying. He was completely naked. His clothes were still on the other side of the stream.
"...Oh. Shit."
Sowhere in the distance— the girl’s screams faded into the forest, probably heading sowhere far away. Hazuki stood frozen for a mont, the reality of the situation sinking in.
Then—he snapped.
"THIS IS NOT A MONSTER, DAMN IT!!" he roared, shaking his fist toward the sky.
His veins popped, his frustration reaching its peak.
"THIS IS WHAT THEY CALL A BLESSING!!"
His voice echoed across the wilderness, scaring off a few birds.
"YEAH, YOU HEARD ! BLESSING! A BLESSING FOR SOONE WHO’S GONNA BE MY WIFE!!"
He dramatically pointed downward, his eyes filled with pride.
"THIS IS A DIVINE SWORD!!"
His grin widened.
"YOU HEARD !?"
The wind blew softly, carrying the distant faint screams of the girl, who was probably telling everyone in her village about the "monster" she had seen.
Hazuki stared down at his "Divine Sword." Then, with a smug grin, he nodded to himself.
"Damn that girl..." He exhaled, shaking his head.
With zero sha, he calmly walked back into the water, fully enjoying his bath again. Because really—why stress over sothing he couldn’t control? Or more like... a blessing. A real Blessing.
Hazuki smirked to himself, resting his arms behind his head as he let the cool water wash over him.
"Heh... that girl won’t even realize the blessing she just witnessed."
He chuckled, his grin growing wider.
"If she married , she’d have won the jackpot." His eyes glead with pride.
"I an, I’ve got a HUGE SNAKE—A DIVINE ONE!"
He nodded to himself, as if reaffirming so ultimate truth.
"Sothing that all n dream of."
He took a deep breath, letting the mont sink in.
"Screw that. Hehehe..."
Hazuki leaned back, floating on the water, completely at peace once more.
"Well... let’s enjoy this bath first."
His body relaxed, his mind drifting into a rare mont of tranquility.
"After that, I’ll look for a town or sothing."
The gentle sound of the stream, the warmth of the sun, and the soothing feel of the water— for once, everything was perfect.
As Hazuki floated in the cool stream, letting the gentle current carry him, his mind began to drift back to the chaos from the night before.
"Haaa... why the hell was I ssing with those girls again?"
He furrowed his brows, staring at the clear blue sky above.
Stealing their at. Calling the mage a cutting board. Referring to the other girls as "nice lons." Then running away while laughing like an idiot.
"Yeah... that was kinda dumb."
He exhaled, letting the water wash over his face for a second before surfacing again. Then—his thoughts wandered back further. Back to his old world. Back to Japan. Back to how girls treated him there.
Ignored. Overlooked. Friend-zoned. Once even called "as appealing as a convenience store rice ball."
Hazuki stared blankly at the sky, feeling dead inside.
"Yep. Not happening."
He grinned, shaking his head.
"Besides, it was just at."
He shrugged, letting the water wash away his thoughts.
"No regrets."
( End of Chapter )
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