Violant of the Silver - Chapter 89

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translator: mii

editor: ASplashOfMusic, Sleepchaser

“I apologize, Princess Liona. I didn’t manage to recognize you at all…”

At present, Vio faced Liona inside the hunter’s hut. Despite having a proper frontal view of her figure , he was still stunned. This seemed like a dream to him.

“I was in disguise. It’s understandable for you to not recognize me. So Millie, are you satisfied now?”

Millie nodded. “Yes. Please pardon my continual suspicions toward you, Lord Violant.” 

“Ahh… That’s… Well, my family does have quite a bad reputation, so I don’t mind, uhh…”

Sensing Vio’s confusion over Millicent’s true identity, Liona said, “She’s my maid. Her real name is a secret, but she’s also a lady of a Count’s family.”

“That explains why she’s incredible at playing her role.” Vio looked around the hut and covered his mouth with his left hand. “Not to mention, Sir Lantz has also been with us this whole time, and yet… I never suspected at all. How embarrassing.”

Lantz shook his head and said, “Don’t think about it too much, Lord Violant. It was my intention to remain unnoticed, after all.”

When Vio looked at Legion and Jill, they also spoke up.

“I didn’t suspect a thing either, Lord Violant.”

“Yes. I noticed the similarity in aura, but I didn’t expect them to be the same person… I only dismissed it as an incidental resemblance.”

Vio felt a little relieved to know that both of them didn’t notice as well. 

“I’ve taken great care to ensure that I remained out of your line of sight, Lord Violant, so please don’t feel bad about not noticing us,” said Night, a bitter smile on his face. 

Speaking of which, Vio rarely saw Night in knight garb. “But… Why did you have to return in disguise like this? If you returned with the rest of your kingdom’s delegation, you would have had more soldiers escorting you home. Wouldn’t that be safer…?”

“Many people from our kingdom came to Istiah as part of Ruslan’s delegation. Not all of them are on Princess Liona’s side, so we decided to take this measure. This way, we don’t have to worry about unexpected attacks the entire journey back. So please keep this a secret.”

Vio nodded in consent. “Of course I will. However… I still feel bad that you got involved in this matter without knowing anything about it. This is the worst…” Vio held his head. 

Seeing Vio’s face pale, Liona replied with a bitter expression, “Actually, it might be the other way around. I may have involved you in my kingdom’s problem.”

“Ruslan’s? But apparently, they came to take revenge after I embarrassed someone… And one of the men who attacked me was my former guardian knight. I believe he also has a personal grudge against me.”

As Vio remembered Erik, he felt a bit unwell and placed his hand on his throat. Catching sight of this, Jill quickly offered him a glass. “Young Master, here. It’s water.”

“…Thank you, Jill.”

Jill’s kindness warmed Vio’s chest. He accepted the glass and took a sip. After he regained his composure, he said without any hesitation, “A month ago, Erik came to my mansion in Leca town riding a dragon and attacked us. At that time, he was in that area as a spy. We were able to chase him away thanks to Legion, but… Pardon my rudeness, but are they Ruslan soldiers?”

“No way!” exclaimed Liona in a fierce tone. “They are members of a secret organization acting behind the scenes. We’re having a hard time dealing with them since we haven’t been able to catch them.” She leaned back on her chair, clearly unhappy. “These people have been ignoring the voice of Her Majesty, who wishes for peace. I want to capture them, but… they’re always a one step ahead. Likewise, they’ve also been targeting me.”

Vio asked, “Princess, are you also the sacrifice candidate?”

“That’s right. I’m not very happy about it, but I’m the same as you.”

“I think it’s just a nice excuse to make this whole thing sound righteous. An offering, a sacrifice… how unpleasant,” said Vio, seething with anger.

Liona looked at Vio, eyes full of interest. “So you can get angry too.”

“Of course. I may be the second son of the Duke’s family, but I’m still a normal human being. My tolerance levels are just higher than those of most people.”

Jill interjected, “I don’t think so. If we compare Young Master to most people, Young Master has the patience of a saint. If someone else experienced everything that you have, I’m sure we would have already seen blood.”

“Jill, no need to flatter me.”

“That wasn’t my intention though… Excuse me for cutting into the conversation,” Jill replied, lips curled in a bitter smile. When Vio glanced at Jill, he saw Rille behind him shaking her head, saying, “It’s not flattery.”

“In other words, it takes a lot to make Lord Violant angry, right?” asked Night.

Jill and the others nodded. Liona found their interaction amusing, but she clapped her hands to bring the conversation back on track. “In any case, that’s how it is. Those people are extremely annoying. Be careful of your surroundings.”

“I understand. Thank you for the warning, Princess.”

“Mhm.”

The unexpected increase in enemies saddened Vio, but he made sure not to show it on his face. Since he had read the manga, he knew that Liona had been targeted by the likes of those people since she was a child. Knowing the extent of  her struggles, he couldn’t whine here.

“Right,” said Liona. “Let’s go to Degas together. We can also go to Nada if you’re heading there.”

Vio responded, “No, I’m planning to go north from Degas, so we’re not going to Nada. I have business in Endsk, which is famous for its hot springs.”

“Hot springs…? What’s that? Some kind of fruit?” Liona looked around, confused. Liselotte and Night also didn’t seem to know what that was.

As though he were reading from a dictionary, Lantz began to explain, “Hot springs are like small basins with hot water gushing out from underneath them. They are often found in volcanic areas or at the foot of mountains that used to be volcanoes. Hot springs have medicinal properties, so some people soak in them for health purposes. Endsk is located at the foot of a dormant volcano called Mana and is also one of the recreational areas in the Lesserhain territory. Nobles often go there to play in secret.”

Vio was entranced by the way Lantz explained. Nodding several times, he stated, “It’s just as he said. Sir Lantz, you sure are knowledgeable about this.”

“I can roughly remember all of the notable places in this kingdom,” Lantz replied lightly. 

“There’s one more thing,” added Vio. “Hot springs also have beautifying effects, so they’re also very popular with women.”

“Beautifying effects?” Liselotte slightly lurched forward.

Her reaction surprised Vio a bit. He nodded. “Yes. I heard soaking in a hot spring will make your skin smoother and more youthful. You can have a healthier body by drinking the water too…”

Liselotte turned to Liona, looking quite serious. “Princess, I don’t mind staying here a little longer before going home.”

“Huh? But yesterday, you said we shouldn’t wander around—” 

Then Liona stepped on Night’s foot, causing him to let out a scream.

Liona turned to Liselotte and nodded in complete agreement. “You’re right, Liselotte. This is a good opportunity to increase our knowledge of Istiah’s culture. Let’s stop by Endsk.” 

“P-Princess? Why did you step on me just now?”

“Night, you’re being annoying. Shut up.”

“So cruel!”

Liona and Liselotte’s eyes shone bright as they glared at him.

Maybe they’re interested in the beautifying effects I mentioned? Vio already knew from his previous life that women’s eyes tended to instantly change whenever it came to anything beauty-related. Not only his mother, but even high school girls grew scarily serious about all matters concerning their appearance.

Maybe effective beauty products or treatments like hot springs haven’t been developed in Ruslan?

Well, Ruslan was a maritime kingdom. They might not have any hot springs in the first place. And even in Istiah, most people prefer drinking the water from hot springs rather than soaking in it. Its image as an orally-taken medicine was more cemented in their minds.

However, Endsk encouraged bathing in hot springs instead. They were popular there as a part of the general medical treatment process.

“We apologize in advance for the trouble, Lord Violant. Please take us with you to that place.”

Vio couldn’t refuse Liona’s resolute request. “H-huh…? I don’t mind, but… Are you sure about this?”

Didn’t they travel in disguise like this to ensure their safety?

Night nodded reluctantly. “Yes, it can’t be helped. These two don’t listen once they’ve made their minds. As usual, I will think of some plans to ensure that we remain undiscovered and protected during our journey.”

“As expected from my knight.”

“I have a better opinion of you now, Night.”

Night held mixed feelings toward Liona and Liselotte and their praises. “I will do my best.”

Vio nodded, sympathizing with Night’s hardships. It sure was hard for him, getting pushed around by these girls.