Ah, I'm screwed.
My Romance Fantasy, my youth project, my rosy future, has been ruthlessly shattered.
The scenario I had originally envisioned was like this:
'Thank you for saving me. What is your name?' 'I am merely a nameless knight wandering the northern snowfields.' 'Why did a nameless knight save me?' 'Well. I do not know either. However──'
Here, the blizzard stops, and a single ray of moonlight shines through the clouds like a spotlight.
'──Because I simply could not walk past the tears you were shedding.'
Kuh. I'm drunk on it.
This is truly the standard of Romance Fantasy.
Boy meets girl, princess meets knight.
But the reality?
A terrifying Black Knight forced a pitiful, tear-stained princess to 'imitate a dog.'
And the princess, at the limit of her survival instinct, barked "Woof!", and then, as her dignity as a human and her shame exceeded the permissible limit, she fainted as if a fuse had blown.
A fainting spell caused by reality escapism due to shame overload.
It seems the human brain forces a system shutdown when faced with humiliation it cannot handle.
This isn't romance.
It's just a crime.
I don't know exactly which article of the criminal law this falls under, but if a Korean judge saw this scene, they would have slapped me with 20 years in prison without hesitation. A prison sentence with no probation.
Perhaps this world has a similar clause. Something like 'The crime of forcing humiliation upon a person of noble status.' I should probably prepare myself for hanging at the very least.
"...."
I looked down at Lucia Von Astellia, collapsed in the snow.
A beautiful platinum-blonde girl. A princess of misfortune. The protagonist of the original work.
Objectively, she was pretty. Subjectively, she was also pretty. The modifier 'Treasure of the Empire' was not an exaggeration but a statement of fact as it was.
Her blonde hair, wet with snow, clings to her pale cheeks, and tear tracks still remain on her long, closed eyelashes. Even though she has fainted, there is a slight furrow between her brows.
Is she having a nightmare?
A nightmare where I appear.
...I'm sorry, Princess. I really didn't mean to do this.
But let's not give up.
The 'puppy' remark was a bit much, but it's still better than becoming wolf food, right?
In any case, she is alive. If she is alive, there is hope. If there is hope, there is romance.
Relationships between men and women are originally marathons, not sprints.
Even if the first impression has been cemented as a 'psychopath and coercive sadistic trainer,' the opportunities to redeem myself are infinitely open.
Isn't human relationship originally a process of moving from misunderstanding to understanding?
Even if the depth of that misunderstanding is at the level of the Mariana Trench, if I keep filling it, it will become flat land someday. Probably.
First, I should move.
If I keep standing here, either the princess will freeze to death, or I will die of shame falling into an infinite loop of self-criticism.
I bent my waist and lifted Lucia up.
The so-called Princess Carry.
An event where the male lead shows off his physical strength and raises the female lead's heart rate.
However, what is in my arms is Lucia, the limp princess who fainted from terror.
What would a third party think if they saw this sight?
A. Oh my, the knight saved the princess and is taking her away! How romantic! B. Hiek! A black monster is hunting a human woman and dragging her to its nest!
Sadly, the probability of it being the latter is 99.9%.
"...Let's go."
I moved my feet, turning away from the sad reality.
I moved to the hideout where I was staying.
Although it's just a cave to call a hideout, it is still the highest-grade accommodation available in the northern snowfields.
I decorated it reasonably comfortably.
I laid a bear skin on the floor. A bear I caught myself. A Frost Bear. As the name suggests, it was a bear that breathed frost, but when I cut its throat before it could breathe, it just became a regular bear.
The fur is fluffy and warm. Interior score: 80 points.
I carefully laid Lucia down on that bear skin.
Then I lit a campfire.
Tadak-tadak.
The sound of firewood burning. The orange flame warms the cave walls.
The atmosphere is quite good.
A night with a blizzard blowing, a campfire in a cave, and a knight and a princess.
It's classic. It's standard. It wouldn't be strange if it appeared in a textbook.
"Ugh... Uugh..."
Lucia's eyelashes trembled. Her consciousness is returning.
When she wakes up, let's explain calmly.
That I am not an enemy. That I have no intention of harming you. That it was all a misunderstanding. That I am more of a cat person than a dog person.
I will hand her a warm bowl of stew and say, 'Rest assured, it is safe here.'
Like that, I sat looking at the campfire, striking a pose with gravity.
Until she wakes up and recognizes my existence.
"...Gasp?!"
Lucia inhaled sharply and bolted upright.
And as soon as she discovered me, she reflexively pulled her body back and pressed her back tight against the wall.
Like a herbivore placed in front of a predator, she curls her body as much as possible and trembles.
No, don't be so scared.
'Please do not be afraid. Outside is dangerous. I will protect you, so you may rest with peace of mind.'
Good. I generated a perfect sentence.
Now I just need to convey this simple message.
[Persuasion Roll Failed]
"It's useless to try and run."
...Why?
Why does 'Rest assured' turn into the threat 'Even if you run, I'll catch you and kill you'?
"H-Hiiiek...!"
The blood drained completely from Lucia's face.
Hugging her knees, she nodded her head desperately.
Nod-nod-nod-nod.
I will not run away. I will not resist. Please just don't eat me.
Such non-verbal messages spewed out from her entire body.
This won't do. Let's shut my mouth.
They say speech is silver, and silence is gold.
Trying to offer clumsy comfort might create a more terrible misunderstanding.
I just looked at her impassively.
Hoping that my benevolent gaze would be conveyed beyond the eye slits of the helmet.
But the position of the campfire was not good.
Hwaruruk-
My shadow, cast by the firelight, danced along the cave wall like the shape of a demon.
Even worse, with the backlight, my face was hidden in darkness, and I must have looked like a silhouette with only eyes glowing red.
"Hic...!?"
She started to hiccup.
"Hic...! Hiek...!"
She covered her mouth with both hands and desperately held her breath.
Her cheeks puff up roundly. It looks like they might burst at any moment. It's cute, but this isn't the situation to say it's cute.
"...."
"Hiiic...!"
But it doesn't stop.
Hiccups are something that gets worse the more you try to stop them.
I stare blankly at her.
She steals glances at me while cowering.
Only the sound of hiccups echoes in the cave.
Hic. Hic. Hiiic.
What kind of maniacal ASMR is this?
Terrified princess's hiccups, 30-minute continuous playback?
How much time passed?
It felt like 3 hours. In reality, maybe about 10 minutes?
"Hic... Heup...."
Lucia's hiccups slowly began to subside.
Glance.
She rolled only her eyes to examine me.
Lucia is a princess with outstanding intellect. Even if she is submerged in fear, she must be analyzing the situation and seeking a solution.
She parted her trembling lips.
"E-Excuse me... Knight-nim?"
Oh, finally an attempt at conversation.
Good. Very good.
What a touching progress this is.
It means she at least recognized me as an 'opponent one can communicate with.'
As expected, intellectuals recognize intellectuals.
"Thank you... for saving me."
While trembling, she tried to assume a polite posture according to imperial etiquette, presumably.
Even though it was a squatting posture.
"M-My name is Lucia Von Astellia. The 1st Imperial Princess… of the Empire."
It is polite to listen as if I didn't know in times like this.
I nodded.
"T-Then… Could you perhaps… take me to the territory of the Grand Duke of the North, Frostgard?"
Bingo.
I cheered internally.
The development I wanted. Entering the original route.
Of course, I should take you there. Escorting you safely there and building trust is my plan.
"The r-reward… will be sufficient. Although I have nothing right now… once we arrive at my family's… in the name of the Princess… I will compensate you. Whether it be money, or title… whatever you desire…"
Now, what is the correct answer here?
Accept readily? No. That is what a mercenary does.
If you are the male protagonist of a Romance Fantasy, you must deny material value here.
'I do not need anything like a reward. Just one smile from you is enough.'
Or.
'Your happiness is my reward.'
I chose the most romantic and cool line.
Only when a line like this comes out does favorability rise with the thought, 'This man is not a snob moved by money.'
I slowly shook my head.
The heavy helmet moved left and right.
"I don't need money."
"T-Then…?"
Great! This is it!
Now, if I just finish by saying that I only wish for your happiness, that I just want to become a knight who stays by your side…
[Charm Roll Failed]
[Intimidation Roll Success]
"Pay with your body."
...?
Wait.
Time. Stop.
"...Yes?"
Lucia's eyes widened to their limit.
Her pupils contracted to the point of disappearing.
No, that's not what I meant.
It wasn't 'Pay with your body', it was meant to be 'Your smile and happiness are my reward'.
Only a few words changed, but the nuance skyrocketed vertically from PG-13 to Restricted.
"Kuh..."
Lucia bit her lip.
Don't need money. Give me your body.
A line typical of a sadistic villain, no matter who looks at it.
If she refuses, she dies. No, she might suffer something worse than death.
But to accept, her dignity as a princess, no, as a human being, would fall to rock bottom.
"Heuk, heuk..."
In that dilemma, tears eventually burst out.
"Heueuk! Waaaaaah…!"
The Empire's princess began to cry like a child.
"Why on earth...! Why is this happening only to me...!"
Lucia covered her face with both hands and wailed.
"Mother passed away, I was ignored in the Imperial Palace, so I lived as if dead...! Suddenly a rebellion broke out! The maid I trusted betrayed me, and the escort knights died trying to save me...!"
Ah. The tragedy of the original work unfolds like a panorama.
The fall of the Imperial Palace. Sacrifice of close aides. Solitary escape.
It was just a string of text.
But now, seeing her actually crying in front of my eyes.
...It's heavy.
The things this girl carried. The things she went through.
"I barely, barely survived... Now the only one I can trust is my maternal uncle, so I came all this way eating snow...!"
She glared at me with reddened eyes.
Eyes filled with resentment and malice, yet infinitely weak.
"And now to end up in a position where my body is demanded by a pitch-black knight...! What is this! Why is my life like thissss! It's too much! The world is too much!!"
She hit the ground with her fists and cried loudly.
"It's cold! I'm hungry! My feet hurt! I want to go home! I miss mom! Heuk, heueuk…"
Lucia Von Astellia.
The 1st Imperial Princess of the Empire.
She, who must have grown up like a precious flower, is hitting the ground while dripping tears and snot.
"Princess."
"Heuk… P-Princess…? So what if I'm a princess…! I have nothing now! No Imperial Palace, no army, no aides! I am just… just...!"
She wrapped her face with both hands.
"...Just a miserable fugitive."
Her voice faded away.
There was no longer any face-saving or anything.
Only the whining of a girl cursing the world that unfairly tormented her remained.
That appearance was so desperate that a corner of my heart stung painfully.
I have to soothe her.
...But how?
Are you okay? Cheer up? Everything will be fine?
Such cliché comfort wouldn't work.
To a girl whose palace collapsed, whose family died, and who was betrayed by the people she trusted.
And in the first place, words won't work. Since every word coming out of my mouth transforms into a threat.
Then, the only way is to show it through action.
I picked up the pot I had hung next to the campfire.
It's stew left over from yesterday's dinner. Made by boiling meat from a beast caught in the northern snowfields with wild herbs.
The taste is... well, so-so. At least it is edible.
I put the stew in a wooden bowl and held it out in front of her.
"...!"
Lucia was startled and lifted her head.
Her tear-soaked eyes look alternately at the bowl and me.
Eyes full of wariness. It's natural.
Because a man who just threatened 'Pay the price with your body' suddenly offers food.
"...What is this."
"Stew."
"...I know that. But why are you giving it to me?"
"Because you said you were hungry."
"...."
Lucia glared at the bowl with suspicious eyes.
Is there poison in it? Or perhaps some strange drug. If I eat it and lose consciousness, what will he do in the meantime...
I could see her simulating all sorts of worst-case scenarios.
However.
Growl...
The traitor is always in the closest place.
Lucia's face turned red like a tomato.
"...."
"...."
Groooowl.
It rang even louder.
Lucia bit her lip tightly. It seemed like her pride and appetite were waging a fierce war.
"If I intended to kill you, I wouldn't bother wasting food."
…Can I really only speak like this?
Why does my tongue always insist on choosing only destructive vocabulary?
Lucia's shoulders flinched.
Eventually, she carefully accepted the wooden bowl with trembling hands.
And brought the spoon to her mouth.
One bite. Two bites.
"Heuk… Heuk… It tastes bad..."
Eating while crying, crying while eating.
Even while saying that, she didn't stop the spoon.
Slurp. Chomp. Sob sob. Slurp.
...She's fast.
Where did the dining etiquette of the Imperial Princess go?
"...Is there any more?"
Without a word, I handed her another bowl.
This time, she accepted the bowl without complaint either.
Her face and pride seemed to have been discharged earlier along with her tears and snot.
'She eats well.'
Nom nom nom-
She scraped the stew clean without leaving a single drop.
A pathetic yet warm taste that one can feel because they are alive.
Lucia, having put down the empty bowl, stared blankly at the campfire.
Good, now is the time.
"I will take you to the Grand Duke of the North's territory."
Finally, success!
"...That's a lie."
Lucia shook her head.
"You too... are trying to trick me! Everyone was like that... At first acting kind... eventually… eventually…!"
"Do not worry. I will keep my promise."
"...Really?"
"Deception is an act necessary only for the weak."
Lucia lifted her head.
She looked up at me with tear-soaked eyes.
Yes. I will help you. I don't need any price.
I will cut off all that misfortune you have experienced.
'Do not cry. As you said, the world might have deceived and tormented you. But I am different. I do not deceive you. This is my sincerity.'
[Intimidation Roll Critical Success!]
"Of course, I will collect the price surely."
Confirming the kill at this timing?
Lucia's crying stopped abruptly.
But unexpectedly, she no longer screamed or ran away.
Rather, she stared at me with eyes that had grown cold.
It was a stillness coming from resignation and giving up.
"...Understood."
She sniffled and muttered in a resigned voice.
"Just take me... to Frostgard. If you just keep your promise... I will do anything."
She pulled her collar tight and curled up.
No.
This isn't it.
What I wanted was 'companionship based on trust,' not a 'slave contract with the body as collateral.'
But the milk is already spilt. Trying to scoop it up will only turn it into muddy water.
The road to Frostgard is long.
If we eat together, sleep together, and fight back-to-back, someday my blunt but actually warm sincerity will be conveyed.
Time is on my side. Probably.
"Sleep. We leave immediately tomorrow."
I turned around and sat guarding the cave entrance.
From behind my back, I could hear the sound of Lucia sobbing quietly.
...The difficulty level is hellish from the start.
But just wait and see. I will definitely change the genre of this damn novel to Pure Love.
"...Really, too much..."
Her resentment heard faintly.
Tell me about it. I think so too.
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