The Hero is Standing in My Way - Chapter 34

Chapter 34

Siegfried looked down at me, startled for a moment.

“Oh sorry. This was not intended.”

The person who wrapped his arms around my waist seemed even more surprised than I was.

Siegfried took his hand away and couldn’t even make eye contact with me. I tried to erase the faint smell of his body from the tip of my nose.

…Honestly, he was pretty cool just now. He doesn’t usually do it this way. He doesn’t do weird skits just like earlier.

Drop. 

The towel on Siegfried’s cheek fell on the floor as soon as I took a step back.

“Ah…..”

Siegfried picked up the soiled towel and sighed regretfully. He sulked and lowered the corners of his eyes. It seemed like he did his best effort, but he was being upset like that. Even I was so depressed just looking at him.

I shouldn’t be like this, but you’re making me want to take care of you. 

“You know, Your Highness. Do you remember the ointment I applied to you before?”

I rinsed my hands with the remaining water in the bucket, and pulled out the little ointment from my pocket. I lightly touched his shoulder, and he quickly straightened his back. He neared his face to me with one knee on the floor.

My fingertips applied the ointment and touched his soft cheeks. Siegfried frowned, then slowly closed his eyes. His black eyelashes fluttered gracefully. I applied the ointment over his cheek and then wiped my hands.

“It’s all done.”

The tip of his lips turned upward. Siegfried opened his eyes, looked at me and smiled widely. A Prince shouldn’t be described like this, but he was like a puppy now continuously wagging its tail.

That’s right! I came up with a bright idea suddenly. Let’s see Siegfried as a puppy in the future! He’s taller than me, had wider shoulders, so wouldn’t it be alright to think of him as a large dog?

Dogs are said to be usually easy to get jealous and only obey their owners, don’t they? I couldn’t really see him as the opposite sex, so I think my heart would be more at ease if I think of him as a puppy.

Anyway, there weren’t that many days left to spend with Siegfried. He is going to leave to settle the dispute in the Eastern front after finishing the subjugation, so I just need to wait until then.

I smiled at Siegfried with that thought in mind.

* * *

“How are your shoulders?”

After taking a bath, I came down and asked Count Paresa who ate first. Now was the perfect time to clear the misunderstandings as there was no one around.

I was able to return to the inn sooner thanks to Siegfried’s performance today. He really took care of my share today thanks to the numbers of monsters he killed today that were double from yesterday’s.

“The priest treated me so I will get better soon. Thank you for your concerns,” the Count replied with a smile.

Though he was still weak, he could already move his shoulders so I thought he would be alright as time passed.

“What a relief. And as I was talking about earlier… Oh, I’ll go with stew.”

Just in time, the innkeeper approached me and asked what I would like to eat, so I asked for a stew with meat. After that, I parted my lips and continued speaking.

“I’ll also have a stew. Can I sit next to you?”

But of course, I couldn’t let Siegfried do that.

Where the hell did you hear it from? 

I am having the illusion that Siegfried was everywhere I went at this point.

…maybe it’s not an illusion.

“You didn’t wash, Your Highness?”

How did he come down so quickly?

Count Paresa returned to the inn early, and he was given consideration to take a wash first. I heard that he had already got Siegfried’s consent for that. It was Siegfried’s turn next of course. Though I think he was too fast.

Sensing my eyes asking him, he tilted his head. Siegfried sat on the chair next to me and abruptly turned his head towards me.

“But my hair is wet. Do you want to touch it?”

“No! Uhm.. yes, I’ll just touch it once.”

D**n, I should have said no. (T/N: [insert Taylor Swift’s ‘Should’ve Said No’] lmao)

His hair looks so soft everytime he moves that my body reacts first before I can even answer properly. After all, a woman’s instinct is weak against animals.

Siegfried quietly accepted my hand. I was amazed at the sensation rubbing between my fingers. His  hair was so soft, as if I was touching a cat’s fur. Maybe because it was a bit curly.

I was excitedly fiddling with his head when I heard a chuckle from below. Siegfried was smiling, half covering his mouth.

“Ah, sorry, continue. It was just tickling.”

“……No, I already touched it so it’s alright now. Then I will not do it again… next time. Uhm, you have nice hair.”

Look at me, I am treating Siegfried as a real puppy. I almost thought that  I should touch him again next time.

“When will be the next time? I don’t mind when it will be.”

“I mind it. Don’t seduce me like this.”

I might have held Siegfried in my arms and played with his hair all day if he was five years younger. I really wish he were. I think I will be able to freely love him without being courted by a pretty boy.

“Is it a temptation for you to let you touch my hair? I understand.”

“No, you don’t have to. Can you just forget about it?”

“I have already made up my mind to remember.”

Siegfried naturally shrugged. Seeing that Count Paresa was bandaged, his eyes twinkled.

“Now that I think about it, I remember why I deliberately washed in a hurry.”

“Wow, I’m not really curious!”

“Haha…….”

I thought that for some reason, I knew what it was about so I interrupted him, and the Count let out an awkward laugh. Siegfried didn’t even listened to me.

“Aren’t you going to reapply the ointment? It was all washed out.”

I knew it would be like that. How could he not even commit a single error? How great would it be if you sometimes get out of the way? Fortunately for him, I have some very good news.

The priest who treated the Count was still at the inn. Perhaps there were more wounded today than yesterday, so the priest stayed until late.

“You can ask the priest to reapply it for you. It would be definitely perfect at this point if you treat it completely with divine power. Isn’t that right, Count?”

“Ah, yes of course. Just tell me and I will call the priest right away.”

“….”

Siegfried pursed his lips into a thin line. He was clearly shriveled. When he didn’t say anything, the Count who had stood up, slumped and sat down again.

There was finally a delicious aroma that wafted inside the dining area, indicating that all the meals were cooked.

I was very thankful of the quiet Siegfried, so I was able to enjoy the meal to my heart’s content unlike yesterday. The stew was so delicious that I only raised my head after finishing it. However, Siegfried didn’t even touch the food and was the only one who’s serious. He shifted sternly, clenched his chin, and glared at Count Paresa.

I don’t know since when Siegfried has been like that.

“The Count…”

Siegfried slowly opened his mouth after a while. The Count wiped his sweat with a troubled expression on his face, as if he had already received that fierce gaze from before.

“Tell me, Your Highness.”

“You must have heard what I said before. Isn’t that right?”

“Y-Your Highness?”

“Why do you keep hovering around Ariel? Take it with my broad generosity that you might forget it once in a while. I’ll say it again, so listen carefully. Ariel is my – eup.”

“Young Lady is Your Highness’…?”

“Euuup. Eup!”

Siegfried babbled well with his mouth shut.

I turned to him and sat down. He really has no sense of fear. The dining area had been full of people since earlier, but he was trying to do something like this here again.

Siegfried raised the corners of his eyes and sent  me a look as if telling me to put my hand away. I smiled slightly and shook my head.

“This is not funny anymore if you keep on doing  this.”

Siegfried shrugged and tried to take my hand off. Meanwhile, the Count’s face was gradually turning blue. He seemed to understand what Siegfried was trying to say.

There was no way he would react like that if he didn’t. To be honest, isn’t it time for him to notice that Siegfried was talking nonsense? What behavior of mine did he see to be a woman who likes Siegfried? 

“I understand. I was being very rude to you. I should have left the place first so that the two of you could spend some time together….”

“I told you it’s a misunderstanding.”

“You don’t have to say that. Even though I already know that you two are close enough for you to touch His Highness’ head, I….”

“Wait.”

“Please excuse me first.”

I broke Count Paresa’s heart with two consecutive hits as a result, and not because of me, but because of Siegfried. I had no intention of accepting him from the beginning, but I didn’t want to make the situation like this either.

The Count left his seat with sad eyes. Siegfried became energetic as if he had defeated a villain. Now that there was no need for that, I removed the hand that was covering his mouth.

Siegfried muttered, stroking his lips, “You don’t like me being like this?”

(T/N: Ariel, if you’re not accepting Count Paresa, I am very free so I can accept him. If you will, then I can have a date in Heart’s Day lel)