Family and Friends

Ryan was filled with regret.

“They’ve caught up!”

“Run, esteemed Crown Prince, why aren’t you running? Are you planning to kneel and beg for mercy?

Hahaha, but unfortunately, our orders are to take your head!”

“He seems intent on resisting, truly mad. I’m not afraid to tell you, we have four Sky Knights, three Grand Mages, six Magic Knights, ten Knights, and two Mages. If you surrender now, we can give you a swift end!”

He knew this situation was dangerous, he knew that brat Anos wouldn’t let such an opportunity slip by.

Yet he naively thought the opponent would only plant assassins among Baron Fart’s subordinates, and naively believed they would only engage in petty skirmishes as before.

“What the hell, where are your spells aimed? Didn’t you eat?”

“Damn it, what’s his ability? Why can he predict the landing spot of my magic in advance?”

“Not just magic, our swordsmanship is completely seen through!”

“All of you, calm down, there’s only one enemy!”

No, that brat Anos alone wouldn’t dare to pull such a stunt.

Nor could he mobilize and command so many Sky Knights and Magic Knights.

It was that damned old man.

Even if Ryan could easily complete the task, that damned old man was still not satisfied, still determined to push him to his limits.

He called it testing him, for good measure.

These were his family.

The funny thing was, all this time, a sliver of fantasy still clung to his heart regarding these people.

“Idiot, why did you charge up! Ah, no, don’t kill me, I surrender… Ah!”

“How could this be? Qu-Quick, run… Gwah!”

“I’ll fight you to the death!”

And the people who truly cared about him, who were concerned for him, he had never trusted them, testing them again and again.

Just like that suspicious, ridiculous old man he hated most.

Leading them to their current predicament.

“Haha, you didn’t expect… Gwah!”

Cutting down the ambush attacker, Ryan stumbled, almost falling.

But he couldn’t fall; he still had to go back and rescue the others.

After finally regaining his footing, he called his horse over, but found he lacked the strength to climb on.

Shuashuashua.

Seeing him in such a predicament, three more black-clad figures appeared.

“Finally here…!”

He suddenly turned around, cut down two of them, then turned back to block the third person’s attack, but was fiercely kicked away, falling heavily to the ground.

Already at his last gasp, this fall completely robbed him of the strength to get back up.

“Haha, I finally got my hands on… What, Guardian materialization? Wait, I surrender, I confess, no—!”

This was undoubtedly the last pursuer.

But Ryan couldn’t feel happy; if he couldn’t protect the important people, what good was it for him to survive?

No… he might not even survive.

Feeling his body grow weak and cold from excessive bleeding, Ryan felt even more unwilling.

If only he were stronger.

If only he hadn’t been so foolish.

He wouldn’t have accomplished nothing like this, would he?

He truly was… so useless.

Ryan gently closed his eyes, feeling his consciousness slowly descend into darkness.

He recalled this wasn’t the first time he’d encountered such a situation.

It must have been four years ago.

At merely twelve years old, he tried to replicate that person’s feat, bravely joining the war against the northern barbarians.

Then it was that old man’s test again.

His unit not only encountered a barbarian attack, but he also became separated from the main force.

Severely wounded, he lay in the vast desert, seemingly on the verge of death.

But suddenly he felt a warm current.

The exact same warm current as now.

Then he opened his eyes and saw—

“Your Highness Ryan, are you alright?”

Ryan looked at the golden-haired girl before him, stained with quite a bit of blood and looking exceptionally tired, and couldn’t help but frown.

“You… are you injured?”

The golden-haired girl was slightly startled, then quickly shook her head.

“No, I’m not really injured, this is all splashed on me… Don’t move, I’ll heal you right away.”

Looking at the golden phoenix circling and flying overhead, similar in hair color to the girl, Ryan’s eyes widened slightly, a look of disbelief on his face, but he ultimately said nothing.

Impossible.

He must have been mistaken.

The girl couldn’t have been there at the time.

It must be someone else in the Blue Lion family with a similar summoned spirit.

Moreover, it wasn’t important.

As soon as his body felt a little better, Ryan immediately tried to get up.

“Wait, Your Highness Ryan, things over there should be fine, you need to rest properly first!”

The golden-haired girl hastily held him down.

For some reason, despite the golden-haired girl’s usual string of lies, Ryan inexplicably felt she wouldn’t lie to him this time, so he obediently lay back down.

Feeling his body slowly recover, and seeing the golden-haired girl’s concerned expression as she focused on healing him, despite her exhaustion.

Ryan couldn’t help but turn his head away.

“Flora.” He called softly.

“Yes, Your Highness Ryan?”

A slightly worried voice reached his ear.

Nothing, just calling… The words reached his lips, then he swallowed them, changing his mind to:

“Thanks.”

“No need to thank me, this is what I, as the head maid, should do!”

This time, her voice was full of energy.

Just like usual.

But from her state earlier, she was clearly forcing herself to appear energetic.

Ryan had also never heard of such a maid.

Nor should she be just a maid.

Even if she held all sorts of mysteries.

Even if she had an unspeakable purpose.

Despite often disobeying him and making him angry.

She was undoubtedly already—

“Flora.”

“Yes, Your Highness Ryan?”

“I order you, always be my attendant.”

A brief pause.

“No problem, it is my honor to serve Your Highness!”

Turning his head, he looked at her involuntarily revealed expression.

Ryan couldn’t help but smile.

Truly a foolish woman who isn’t good at lying.

But it didn’t matter.

Between family, who doesn’t have a little secret?

As long as she was willing to stay by his side, it was enough… No.

That’s not right.

After this incident, Ryan understood.

He must act proactively, fight for what’s important, to protect it well.

So he couldn’t wait.

No matter who the golden-haired girl was, or where she came from… it didn’t matter.

He had to keep her.

Ah, I lied again.

Looking at the happily smiling black-haired young man.

Flora, however, felt an exceptional pang in her heart.

Before, she had thought he was a fool who disregarded the lives of his subordinates or would send them to their deaths in vain.

When the attack happened, the most appropriate course of action for someone in his position would have been to leave them to cover his retreat while he escaped.

Before coming here, she thought he would try to run as far away as possible.

But he did neither.

The black-haired young man’s thought was to find a favorable position, quickly defeat the strong enemy, and then return to rescue them.

If it weren’t for the Baroness going into labor, the black-haired young man would have even wanted to cover their retreat himself.

Truly a complete and utter fool.

Much stupider than Flora had imagined.

At least Flora was very clever; to avoid exposing her true identity, she waited until all her protectors had fainted before using her real abilities.

She was truly too clever.

And cleverly coaxed and deceived him.

Truly too… despicable.

Even more despicable was the fact that when she heard his words of acknowledgment, a feeling of happiness actually arose in her heart.

But what was there to be happy about…

A despicable liar like her simply wasn’t worthy of being friends with him or anything.

‘I’m sorry.’

The only thing she could do was to repeat this phrase over and over in her heart, basely seeking self-consolation.

She really… huh?

My body… something feels wrong?

“Flora, what’s wrong with you?”

Before her consciousness faded, Flora heard someone’s concerned voice.

To that, Flora only wanted to say—

She wasn’t worthy.