Love Letter From The Future

The man’s face turned gloomy.

Even so, the princess’s face was nothing but radiant. That strange contrast created an atmosphere as opposite as light and darkness.

It was because she was extremely oblivious.

From the beginning, she had been reading others’ emotions through the ‘Dragon’s Eye.’ She had no reason to pay attention to others’ subtle cues, nor did she feel the need to develop such abilities.

‘Perceptiveness’ was a part of social skills.

Naturally, it had to be cultivated from childhood, and her troubled childhood was enough to rob the princess of her social abilities.

Therefore, the man couldn’t recklessly open his mouth.

Perhaps it was because it was the first time he had seen the princess wearing such a pure smile.

After hesitating for a long while, he finally uttered a vague question.

“……Did you just say ‘pet dragon’?”

“Yes! Well, since you already have Senior Rinella as your pet dog…”

As she spoke, the princess kept glancing at the man to gauge his reaction.

Seeing this, the man closed his mouth again.

His lips opened and closed futilely a few more times, but in the end, as if he had given up, only a sigh escaped between them.

The princess, sensing the negative atmosphere, grew increasingly uneasy.

Even as oblivious as she was, she couldn’t help but notice.

Because the man’s gaze, unusually, looked somewhat troubled.

The fact that he couldn’t meet her eyes and was avoiding her gaze made it evident.

It meant he couldn’t bear to look at her any longer.

Of course, the especially unperceptive princess interpreted this in a slightly different way.

Before long, tears of fear began to well up in the girl’s eyes.

“I-I’m sorry, Sir Ian… I-I was too presumptuous, wasn’t I?”

It was an abrupt apology.

Although the man couldn’t understand the reason, the trembling eyelids of the princess testified to the turmoil stirring in her heart.

In the end, the man had no choice but to look at her once more.

From his hollow gaze, even confusion or bewilderment could no longer be read.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Only a sorrowful determination—as if to see how far this would go—was evident.

Sure enough, the princess immediately met the man’s painful expectations.

“S-Someone like me, daring to think of becoming your pet… After causing such trouble for Sir Ian! I-I’m sorry, Sir Ian. I was wrong… From now on, I won’t overstep… S-So please don’t abandon me…” �

The princess tearfully clung to the man. Before long, tears had already welled up in her eyes.

The man pressed his forehead and let out a groan, as if he had a headache.

It was the first groan he uttered since coming to this world, but the princess had no way of knowing that monumental record.

Her sorrowful pleas continued.

“I’ve already conveyed my apologies separately to your younger sister… B-But that’s still not enough, is it? Until your heart is at ease, Sir Ian, feel free to ask me for anything, as much as you like…”

“……Anything, you say?”

It was then that a peculiar light flickered in the man’s eyes.

Unfortunately, the princess didn’t notice that suspicious sign at all. She merely clung to his chest, sobbing.

“Y-Yes! I’ll do anything for you! Even if I have to spend my entire fortune…!”

For a moment, the man was silent.

In his normally indifferent eyes, a flicker of emotion began to surface. It was indeed a rare display of sentimentality, something he hadn’t shown in a long time.

Before long, heavy words of promise flowed from his lips.

“Can you promise? That you’ll do anything.”

As if there was no need to ask, the princess nodded with tear-filled eyes. In that fervent movement, her desperate heart was evident.

“Yes, of course…”

“Then let’s go on a trip.”

That single sentence was the signal.

The princess’s body froze on the spot and her dazed light-grey eyes turned toward the man.

Regardless, the man merely let out words akin to a sigh.

“I said let’s go on a trip, Your Highness. Come along with me.”

His voice was indifferent, but the impact of his words was comparable to a bomb.

The meaning of a man and a woman embarking on a trip together was obvious.

There was no way the princess, raised in the imperial family, wouldn’t know this.

The girl gaped, unable to produce any coherent words.

After failing to collect herself for quite some time, she cleared her throat and straightened her posture.

Then she began to subtly observe Ian’s expression.

Her light grey pupils were slowly narrowing vertically—a sign that she was using the ‘Dragon’s Eye.’

She had vowed not to rely on the ‘Dragon’s Eye’ anymore, but it was an ability she had used all her life.

Depending on it in times of emergency was something she couldn’t help.

And this was a situation that could be called a crisis beyond a mere emergency.

Naturally, the princess had no choice but to use the Dragon’s Eye.

However, this time, her opponent was particularly incompatible with her.

She couldn’t read the man’s psyche at all. She couldn’t even catch the faint hues that usually appeared.

This implied two possibilities.

First, that the man’s level was high enough to be comparable to a level of Master.

Second, that his emotions were so worn out that they no longer even showed.

Either way, neither option was something one would consider for someone in their early twenties. So the princess became even more confused, muttering incoherently as her eyes aimlessly darted around.

Eventually, the princess blushed deeply and lowered her head.

In a timid voice, the girl asked back.

“B-But if we do that, rumours will spread…”

“So we shouldn’t?”

At his counter question, the princess tapped her index fingers together.

And after glancing nervously at the man’s reaction, Cien eventually lowered her head even more.

Her face was already flushed to the point of burning. It was almost to the extent that you could imagine steam rising from her head.

“I-It’s not that we shouldn’t, but…”

“Then, get everything ready. We have to set off in two weeks.”

At his continued firm demands, Cien could only offer a meek response.

“…Yes, Sir Ian.”

Only then, as if satisfied, did the man turn around.

It looked as though he was ready to head off somewhere else.

He was about to take a step forward, but then, as if he suddenly remembered something, he added,

“Oh, and one more thing.”

“Y-Yesh…!”

The fidgeting princess was startled and ended up answering like that.

Perhaps finding her own reply ridiculous, the girl once again lowered her head. The man didn’t seem to care at all, though.

“……Please convey to His Majesty the Emperor to be wary of the old lion.”

With those cryptic words, the man left.

Left alone, the princess could only tilt her head in puzzlement for a while.

Old lion? Who could he be referring to?

Of course, that pondering didn’t last long.

Because the princess already had an urgent matter at hand.

A trip with the Senior she had a crush on.

Though there was a deadline of two weeks, there was still time to prepare. Cien fell into contemplation with a pounding heart.

N-Now, what should I do about my underwear?

No matter what, as the imperial princess, there were certain boundaries she should uphold. Yet before she knew it, her thoughts drifted to her drawer, filled with nothing but teddy bear underwear.

Without even knowing the man’s true intentions.

“…Well, it’s not like I’ll be the one dealing with it anyway.”

Leaving that bitter muttering behind, the man moved on.

He was truly looking forward to seeing how the Emperor would react upon hearing this news.

It was a petty revenge by a man whose memories had been tarnished.

**

After hearing everything, I left Seria’s hospital room.

Leaving Seria behind and taking the Princess along?

At this point, it was a decision whose intention I couldn’t fathom. Objectively speaking, it was clear that Seria was a better combatant than the princess.

She had more practical experience and we had even honed our teamwork while crossing life-and-death situations together.

Even in terms of skill, she should be considered a step above the princess.

Although the princess was the top student in the first year of the Magic Department, Seria was also the top student in the second year of the Knight Division.

More than anything, the thing that annoyed me was something else.

It was the fact he used the term ‘trip’ with the princess.

The place my companions and I were heading wasn’t some peaceful, quiet vacation spot.

It was a battlefield where we had to stake our lives.

Anyone with common sense would know that heading to a remote area filled with all sorts of dangers shouldn’t be called a ‘trip’—how disappointed would that make someone? Moreover, the princess was still just an inexperienced first-year student.

She had probably never risked her life nor taken one.

Either way, it was something that required immense resolve.

The only consolation was that the rumours hadn’t spread much yet.

Even Seria only knew about it because she heard it from the ‘me’ from the future, so it seemed that the untimely honeymoon trip between the princess and me would only be revealed later.

Just thinking about the people who would react upon hearing that news was terrifying.

First and foremost, the Emperor was the biggest concern and there were quite a few others who would rush in to verify the truth of the rumours.

It was by coincidence that I happened to run into one of them.

No, to be precise, it was an inevitability disguised as a coincidence.

Because anyone could see that the person seemed to be looking for someone specific.

A person wearing a pointed hat was looking around here and there, and then, upon seeing me, broke into a bright smile and ran over.

And without hesitation, the small figure leaped into my arms with a ‘plop.’

“……Master! Ehehe.”

It was Senior Elsie.

Ever since she confessed to me, Senior Elsie had been approaching me without any reservations like this. At times, her lack of personal distance was enough to catch me off guard.

Even now, she was practically nuzzling her face into my chest.

I let out a deep sigh, as if troubled.

Having a pretty woman like Senior Elsie like me wasn’t a bad feeling. However, I had a small wish that she would be mindful of the time and place.

This was the temple.

It was one of the least appropriate places to discuss romantic affairs between men and women.

Coincidentally, some priests passing by were scowling at us.

I stroked Senior Elsie’s head, trying to calm her down.

“Senior Elsie, it’s good to see you. But first, could you step away from me a bit…?”

“Ian, pets are not allowed inside the temple.”

But before I could even dissuade Senior Elsie, an arrogant voice tickled my ears.

A woman with silver hair was striding toward us from the end of the corridor.

Just by looking at the impressive curves of her figure, it was clear—it was the Saintess.

At the sudden appearance of a formidable opponent. Senior Elsie’s gaze immediately turned cold.

She clicked her tongue and pulled herself out of my embrace.

Even then, Senior Elsie didn’t give up clinging to my arm.

“Hey, Milkbag. Who do you think you are, butting in? I’m trying to have some quality time with my master…”

“It’s just a bit pathetic to see you clinging on even after being rejected.”

With that, the Saintess traced a cross with a faint smile.

“Could you please consider Ian’s feelings as well? I’m sure this isn’t exactly pleasant for him either…”

“…Aha.”

But Senior Elsie’s reaction was lukewarm at best.

It fell far short of the Saintess’s expectations.

As the Saintess’s light pink eyes looked at her in confusion, Senior Elsie wore a deep sneer.

“You didn’t hear? I confessed again. And this time I wasn’t rejected.”

She wasn’t wrong.

I decided to give her an answer to her confession later, so it couldn’t be said that she had been rejected yet.

To be honest, I didn’t know how I’d feel when the time came.

But since it was a remark that could easily cause misunderstandings, I could only give a wry smile.

It was teasing—far too teasing.

I belatedly tried to smooth things over.

“Hey, you can’t say it like that. The Saintess might misunderstand…”

However, I never got to finish my sentence.

Because I couldn’t sense any movement from the Saintess.

Yes, not even a twitch.

I turned a puzzled gaze toward her.

There stood the frozen figure of a beautiful woman, standing blankly.

She had frozen with a smile, overwhelmed by excessive shock.

The misunderstanding was gradually bringing about a butterfly effect.