Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 444: A Problematic Encounter
After spending time with his friend, Tauro left the palace as evening began to fall.
A palace soldier was escorting him toward the gate when a hooded figure in expensive clothing stepped into his path. Judging by the silhouette, the person appeared to be a woman.
“Wait! Don’t leave without me!”
Her voice confirmed that she was female, but Tauro didn’t recognize it.
Who’s she?
Modified versions of the magic lantern Tauro had developed illuminated the palace grounds, but the deep shadows beneath her hood still concealed her face.
“Oh? Who are you? Never mind. Hurry up—we’re leaving.”
She seized Tauro’s arm and pulled him toward the gate while repeatedly glancing back at the palace.
Both Tauro and the soldier escorting him looked bewildered. The gate guards, however, had no reason to stop people who were leaving. Tauro had also shown the shortsword bearing the royal crest, so they assumed the hooded woman was his companion. The soldiers merely bowed and let them pass.
“Excuse me… Who are you?” Tauro asked.
“What? How did you become one of my attendants without even recognizing me? Never mind that. Show me around the Royal Capital at night.”
When Tauro finally saw beneath the hood, he found a rather beautiful young woman.
She looks about Aeris’s age.
She couldn’t rival Aeris in appearance or figure, but her makeup and deliberately mature manner showed that she worked hard to present herself as an adult beauty.
Why does she seem familiar?
Tauro could only tilt his head in confusion.
“You appear to have mistaken me for someone else. I’m not one of your attendants.”
As he spoke, realization struck him.
Could she be the Saint Prince Fleue mentioned?
Had he just escorted the Saint out of the royal palace by mistake?
“What are you talking about? I told you to wait by the gate!”
The young woman still seemed convinced that Tauro was associated with the person she had arranged to meet.
“Perhaps you chose the wrong gate. The one we used is generally for people of lower rank. Whoever you intended to meet may be waiting at the gate on the opposite side.”
Tauro sighed at the misunderstanding but remained polite.
“What? …Fine. You can guide me instead. It’s an honor, so be grateful.”
The young woman issued the order with complete arrogance.
She’s definitely the Saint. This is going to become a disaster. I need to return her to the palace.
Pretending to obey, Tauro began guiding her toward the gate normally used by high-ranking visitors.
“Wait. You’re trying to take me back to the palace, are you not?”
She stopped and called toward his back.
Damn, she noticed. I hate perceptive children!
The line felt strangely familiar, but Tauro wisely said something else aloud.
“I don’t know who you’re, but you clearly appear to be a person of high standing. It’d be presumptuous for someone as lowly as me to guide you. I recommend returning to the palace and going out again with the person you intended to meet.”
He tried to sound appropriately humble and resumed walking toward the gate.
“If I return now, they’ll never let me leave again! I came all the way to another country, yet they make me attend party after party. I’m tired of it! If you know who I’m, stop arguing and guide me!”
That’s precisely why I don’t want to!
Tauro wanted no further involvement with the person who was probably the most diplomatically important visitor in the kingdom.
He had accepted Prince Fleue’s request only because it might help Haku form relationships with people of his generation. That made an unnecessary scandal now even less desirable.
“I’ll deliberately refrain from asking your name. If I were a suspicious person, remaining with me would be dangerous. Please return quietly to the palace.”
Tauro refused to yield. Causing trouble with the Saint could also bring harm to House Graunewald.
“You truly understand nothing. I’m exactly as important as you think—more important, in fact. I’m traveling incognito. Do you understand? I suppose commoners can’t comprehend it. Only a few members of high society could understand how the Saint feels.”
She had revealed her identity herself.
Don’t say it! Why do you think I refused to ask your name? I wanted to be able to claim ignorance if something happened!
Tauro screamed internally.
At this rate, he would become increasingly entangled in the situation. Prince Fleue had already said that Tauro would likely join the Saint’s attendants within several days, so having her remember this encounter would only make matters more awkward.
He needed to hand her over to the gate guards somehow.
Perhaps sensing his intention, the Saint began walking away from the palace.
The gate was now too far away for Tauro to call the guards easily. Worse, if he looked away and lost sight of her after learning her identity, the consequences could become catastrophic.
Tauro had no choice but to follow.