Sword Emperor, Becoming the Young Lady of a Viscount House

Chapter 37: Division (4)

“Announcing the end of the mock war!”

A few knights, including Reiser, who had been observing nearby, appeared and shouted.

‘It’s finally over.’

-Thud.

As soon as the end of the game was declared, she collapsed.

The group of knights brought a stretcher and carried Beatrice away.

As she was being carried, she looked directly at the sky of this world for the first time.

The world she had lived in was a sickly star.

Due to industrialization and fine dust, the view wasn’t very pleasant.

However, because Beatrice had only seen such skies all her life, she had never thought it particularly odd.

Now she realized, the sky was originally full of clouds, and even during the day, stars could faintly be seen.

This was a thought assuming that this place, like Earth, was a star.

“It’s beautiful.”

She spoke quietly, but Reiser, standing nearby, could not discern whether the word “beautiful” referred to the joy of victory or was just a simple sigh.

“What do you mean?”

He was the one who had observed everything.

He knew that the game had proceeded entirely according to Beatrice’s intentions.

If it had been the words of an ordinary person, he wouldn’t have cared, but since it was Beatrice, who was admirable both as a person and as a knight, he felt compelled to ask.

“Me.”

Naturally, Beatrice wouldn’t provide a proper answer.

“…Indeed, Beatrice is beautiful.”

Sincerely.

Reiser swallowed the rest of his words.

Not showing a single sign of being hurt.

And collapsing the moment the game ended.

She must have been at her limit much earlier, but she had endured resolutely.

Of course, even without such a background.

Beatrice, with her haggard complexion, gazing intently at the sky, was beautiful in itself.

**

“Hah, you, your body…”

The priestess Seria’s eyes widened.

She had discovered something shocking while examining Beatrice.

It was as if Beatrice were a broken doll.

Her exterior seemed fine, but her insides were completely messed up.

The condition was severe.

Her bones were twisted, the cartilage in her shoulder worn out.

Especially on her right wrist, where the bones weren’t just broken but crushed, leaving fragments scattered everywhere.

“How could you continue the game in this condition?”

Beatrice glanced at Seria.

“You wouldn’t understand, a girl like you.”

“…?”

“Competition is intense. Once it starts, you have to win even if your body breaks down. It’s better to push yourself a little and win than to live as a loser.”

“But…”

Seria replied, seemingly at a loss.

“Beatrice, you’re a woman too.”

“……”

‘I must have picked this up from Clone.’

Beatrice thought that she should keep some distance from Clone.

“No matter how you look at it, this is extreme. You must have realized this earlier. If your condition had worsened even a little more, it might have been irreversible.”

Seria scolded her while gathering light in her hands.

It was healing magic.

“It’s warm.”

Beatrice closed her eyes.

The light of healing was unexpectedly cozy and warm.

Having never experienced such a thing in her previous world, it felt intriguing.

“The treatment is done.”

Some time later.

Seria wiped off the sweat on her brow as she spoke.

“But healing magic isn’t perfect. Especially with problems like yours involving bones, while I’ve mended them, it’s not flawless.”

Seria sighed deeply. Her tone was full of concern.

“…For the time being, you must refrain from fighting, let alone training. Can you do that?”

Seria was twenty years old.

Though young, she had worked in this field for quite a long time, befitting her reputation as a capable priestess.

Thanks to this, she had treated many people.

And she knew.

Those who pushed themselves despite poor physical condition, like Beatrice, never seemed to heed her words.

‘But I have to persuade her somehow this time.’

If it had been an external injury, she could have fixed it in an instant.

But internal damage was different.

Part of the recovery inevitably relied on the body’s natural healing process.

In Seria’s judgment, it was rather critical.

If Beatrice overexerted herself again, it might become irreversible.

Even normal daily life, let alone wielding a sword, could become impossible.

As she prepared a rebuttal in her head to convince Beatrice, it happened.

“Yeah, of course.”

Unexpectedly, Beatrice nodded nonchalantly.

“…You agree?”

“I value my body too. And besides.”

Beatrice opened her mouth wide and yawned lazily.

It was an endearingly cat-like gesture.

“For now, there’s no reason to fight.”

Beatrice hadn’t pushed herself recklessly.

She was inherently averse to hassle.

Rather than showing her strength bit by bit multiple times, she preferred making one strong impression.

So she had pushed herself, and she had succeeded.

She had shown everything she needed to.

There was no longer any reason to prove herself.

As Seria had said, she would rest for the time being.

As long as possible, until the war began.

“I’m glad you’re reasonable.”

“Is the treatment done?”

“Yes. But just in case, visit me once every three days. I need to monitor your condition. And as I said earlier, you must absolutely avoid overexertion. Understand?”

“Yeah, I got it.”

‘Adorable.’

Seria swallowed dryly.

She didn’t care that the girl before her had just faced fifteen people alone.

She only saw the endearingly cute figure in front of her.

‘How can such a delicate young lady rank first among those rough boys?’

It made her wonder.

No matter how she looked at it, Beatrice didn’t seem strong.

Her frame was small, and her skin was smooth, as if she’d never done anything harsh.

Of course.

‘Is there no fried chicken here? I’d love some chicken and beer.’

Seria had no idea that inside Beatrice was the soul of a middle-aged man nearing fifty.

-Knock, knock.

“Come in.”

There was a knock at the door.

-Creak.

A man she had never seen before entered.

Beatrice didn’t recognize him, but Seria did.

“Sir Sebastian?”

He was the aide to Crown Prince Luel.

“It’s been a while, Seria.”

Though his rank was significantly higher, he still spoke respectfully.

His eyes immediately found Beatrice.

Beatrice, unfazed by who entered, continued to meditate with her eyes closed.

“Are you Beatrice Cenci?”

Even though he was certain, he asked once more to confirm.

She slowly opened her eyes and nodded.

“Yes.”

“…His Highness the Crown Prince has summoned you. Please come with me.”

‘It seems I’ve caught quite a bit of attention this time.’

[Wouldn’t you say so? They must be utterly astonished.]

She hadn’t been entirely unprepared for this.

She hadn’t expected to be summoned so quickly, though.

However, Beatrice had no intention of complying with the request immediately.

“As you can see, my body is in this state.”

She hadn’t lived her life in vain.

There were a few tricks she had learned through life, and this was one of them.

Control.

Especially with people of high status, one mustn’t be looked down upon.

Being too polite wasn’t good, but neither was being rude. Maintaining a proper balance was crucial.

Otherwise, trouble always followed.

“Tell him to come himself.”

“Young Lady, it’s the Crown Prince’s order.”

“Is he so lacking in generosity?”

Sebastian, the aide, looked troubled.

If he responded negatively here, Luel would be branded an “ungenerous ruler.”

As an aide, this was not something he could afford.

“He’s not, but—”

“If it’s difficult for him to come, then tell him to wait. Until I’m fully healed.”

“…Seria, when will the Young Lady be fully recovered?”

“Uh…”

Beatrice, hiding her arms under the blanket, subtly nudged Seria while glaring at her with a menacing look.

Of course, since there was no mana in it, it only came across as a cute complaint.

In fact, this worked even better. Seria was weak to anything adorable.

“Her condition isn’t good. It’ll take quite some time for her to recover. At least, one week of rest is necessary.”

“…I see. Then I’ll report it as such.”

The aide bowed and left.

Beatrice, thinking the matter was resolved, closed her eyes comfortably and drifted off to sleep.

**

“Attention!”

At the temporary quarters of Torze Officer Academy, Luel appeared with an expressionless face.

Without exception, the knights stood up and saluted sharply.

He raised one arm in acknowledgment of their salute.

“Is this the place?”

“Yes, she’s in here.”

Sebastian opened the door to the infirmary.

Inside, Beatrice was sleeping soundly with a peaceful expression.

“…She’s sleeping soundly.”

“M-my apologies! She was definitely awake just a moment ago—”

Luel, having heard that Beatrice asked him to come in person, came immediately.

After all, he wasn’t far away, and he wasn’t known for his patience.

He was the type to deal with things right away.

Thus, with minimal personnel, he visited this place.

“Hmm. Even so, how can a warrior be so defenseless?”

Even as he approached Beatrice’s bedside, she showed no signs of waking.

In the end.

-Poke.

“…Wake up.”

Luel poked Beatrice’s cheek.

Slowly, Beatrice opened her eyes.

Her mysterious golden eyes focused on Luel.

‘I was having such a nice dream.’

Having just woken up, Beatrice rubbed her sleepy eyes.

“You’ve arrived.”

Her voice was heavily laced with drowsiness.

She half-sat up.

Luel, seeing how utterly exhausted she appeared, felt a twinge of guilt.

“Lie down comfortably. You can still have a conversation while lying down.”

Saying so, Luel pulled a nearby chair toward himself.

“How generous of you.”

Though Beatrice had an arrogant personality, she knew how to differentiate between public and private matters.

This was the medieval era, and she was a noble.

Luel was the Crown Prince.

Basic etiquette was a given.

Thus, Beatrice was uncharacteristically polite.

“Then, pardon me.”

-Swish.

However, even if the Emperor’s grandfather came, she would always secure her comforts.

Beatrice lay back down and pulled the blanket over herself.

Though Luel had said she could relax, Beatrice’s complete ease left him momentarily speechless.

“What brings you here?”

When there was no response for a while, Beatrice asked.

To be honest, Beatrice’s behavior was quite disrespectful.

It wasn’t in line with proper etiquette.

Her attitude wasn’t befitting of someone addressing the Crown Prince.

Even if Luel had allowed it.

“I witnessed your remarkable performance with my own eyes. You’re quite capable, in many ways. So, I came to commend your achievements.”

However, Luel responded in a gentle tone.

Although he had a cold and calculating personality, he was generous to capable subordinates.

Beatrice picked up on this immediately.

After all, when she first met him, he seemed quite authoritarian.

Now, he appeared relatively lenient.

Having experienced many types of people, she could see this at a glance.

‘I guess I can push my luck a bit more.’

Beatrice quickly made her decision.

“It wasn’t a big deal. It was an easy task.”

“Haha, such confidence is admirable. Good, I like that. However, I do have some questions about this game.

Your combat style, your resourcefulness in solving problems—may I ask?”

Beatrice responded without hesitation.

“I remember Argos once saying something. ‘His Highness the Crown Prince isn’t stingy. He never lets things slide without compensation.’”

‘Without compensation? How about handing over a Mana Heart?’

In her dictionary, the only thing free was death.

Furthermore, it was a perfectly crafted statement.

If Luel felt offended, she could just blame Argos.

Of course.

‘Argos, sorry about this.’

She felt a little bad for Argos.

Fortunately, Luel laughed heartily.

“Indeed. Since you’ve brought me joy, I can’t let it slide. I don’t want to be called stingy, after all.”

-Sparkling.

Beatrice’s eyes glimmered as she looked at Luel.

‘He’s really going to give me something?’

That was the look in her eyes.

However, the Crown Prince wasn’t that easy.

“Is there anything you want? Of course, not a Mana Heart.”

Beatrice was immediately disappointed.

After all, that was the only thing she truly wanted.

She craved mana above all else.

Out of disappointment, she asked.

“Not even something similar to a Mana Heart?”

With a smirk, Luel raised the corner of his mouth.

“That’s impossible. Mana Hearts are extraordinary elixirs. They contain an immense amount of mana. If consumed in excess, you’d suffer from ‘mana addiction.’ How could I endanger my subject like that?”

It was a lie.

While Mana Hearts were inefficient in high doses, consuming one wouldn’t harm the body.

“Is there anything else you want?”

Having heard this much, Beatrice couldn’t ask again.

She began to think.

‘The Crown Prince in front of me is practically the king. And in this era, a king is akin to a god, capable of anything.’

Naturally, she didn’t want to let this golden opportunity slip away.

After much contemplation, she arrived at the perfect answer.

“Give me some money.”