The Archduke’s Fabulous Fake Marriage

Chapter 90

If Villainess No. 4 had made the fake Kun Gaisha because she needed protection, then he would have never left her side, just like Juliet and Cat refused to leave mine. I’d created them to guard me, so that was Juliet and Cat’s only goal.

They protected me, their creator.

However, the fake Kun Gaisha had told me repeatedly, “Let’s go to paradise.”

I’d dismissed it as crazy nonsense, but if that wasn’t the case, then it was a problem. In conclusion, I had to find out what that paradise was, or my life could take a very wrong turn.

Paradise...

Shaye had desperately wanted to reach there, enough to run from Pata-Morgana and summon a doppelganger of the chief of Tribe Kun. She must have been really determined to pull that off, so I assumed that she must have had at least one good reason to get to that paradise. But I have no idea what that is. I want things to stay that way, but I guess being ignorant will obviously be bad.

Warriors danced with swords in front of me. It felt like they were about to come and behead me, so I laughed. Then again, Villainess No. 4 had given up great things to win Lacius’ heart, but I didn’t know what that was.

I wished that I could pull my hair, but I turned to a steaming chicken dish instead. It resembled tandoori chicken, and it must have been roasted in a brazier with desert spices. When I put my knife to it, I could hear Cat purring behind me.

“Okay, you can have it,” I said with a smile. I put down the entire dish in front of Cat without remorse. He immediately began to chew.

If the chief of Kun ever finds out that he has a doppelganger that I made, he will surely try to kill me, right? But... If the fake Kun Gaisha is a painting, can’t I just turn him back… into a painting? I recalled the fake Kun Gaisha who was so obsessed with me, how he had cried with sorrow, and how he had whispered that he was fading. He had blamed me, saying I should just kill him. All of that made me feel really guilty.

I hadn’t known about the truth, of course, but he must have been deeply hurt. Can I really get rid of him just to avoid trouble? He’s a creation who was born with just one mission: to find paradise. Ha... I can see clearly what the easiest way is, but...

I sadly watched as swords spun in midair. Dancers spewed liquor from their mouths, making flames blaze high into the air. Death by fire. Maybe that would be my end, I thought, too confused to think rationally.

I pressed between my brows, trying to calm down. Frankly, I could totally understand why Princess Dioles and Princess Lam Hertiti both despised the chief of Kun. At least I could hit the fake Kun Gaisha, but if I tried to do so to the real man, he would likely snap my wrist. I’d never liked rough men very much, so it couldn’t have been worse. But then, Lacius took my empty right hand.

“You don’t have to be worried.” He was still looking at the show as he spoke to me. “Whatever has happened, whatever will happen, you’re safe.”

I gazed at him.

“You are safe here with me now, and you will continue to be safe. Even when you get too old to walk alone and your hair turns silver, you will still be safe.”

His low voice was kind and reassuring. It worked like a magic spell, and I found myself calming down immediately. I still had too many unanswered questions, but his words became a promise that soothed me. He gripped my hand tightly. His side profile was steadfast, and, just like that, he promised me a future. All the noises around us faded. The world suddenly became silent, and my heartbeat returned to normal. I turned back to the show again.

“Okay, I trust you.”

“Good.”

I wasn’t alone. I decided to have a serious conversation with Lacius about all those incomprehensible things. I knew that we’d be able to come up with a much better solution together. He had resolved numerous tricky situations before. That brought back some of my appetite, so I was about to have something. But then, a sharp dagger came flying and shattered a bowl in front of Lacius.

“Summon your sword, Lacius de Schuebeiden!”

To be honest, I didn’t even have to look to see who it was. There was only one man who’d do such a thing.

“Come on, we should have some fun!”

The chief of Kun dropped a foot on the low table in front of him, getting everyone’s attention. As for Lacius, he just stared at the dagger that was now slightly trembling, embedded in the table.

“So getting older hasn’t tamed your temper even a little.” He ran a finger on the dagger’s sandy leather hilt. All the while, warriors of Kun all roared and shouted wildly, infusing the atmosphere with tension. Avoiding the fight now wasn’t an option.

“It’ll be quite a sight to behold,” said the princess, which meant that Lacius should take the challenge.

Lacius squeezed my hand, and then he stood up. I watched him as he walked away calmly, but then I realized he was somewhat loose now. It was like he was a giant tank, and water was starting to overflow. He released even more force than before, enough to cover his opponent’s energy. Each time he took a step, the floor sizzled underneath him. There was no bonfire, but sparks flew from somewhere. As soon as I noticed, Lacius’ body erupted in flames.

I gazed at him. I was so shocked that I almost sprang to my feet, but the princess was unmoved, which made me resist the urge, but only barely. That’s safe, right? I think that’s natural combustion.

However, others couldn’t be so nonchalant like the princess. People all stirred, both on our side and the desert side. The chief of Kun looked straight at Lacius, and then he broke into uproarious laughter.

“Ha! Yes, that’s the Lacius I know. You’re a maniac! And you have a spouse now? How hilarious.”

“I see your tongue is the only part of your body that has been training.”

“Get rid of that self-composed mask, that’s disgusting. Come on.” The chief of Kun’s eyes flashed dangerously as he opened both of his hands.

Lacius opened his right palm as well. Each man was the best warrior of his nation. Circles of ancient magic appeared around their feet, and soon, the Godsword appeared in bright light.

“Oooh!”

The crowd cheered even louder than before. There had been a cheerful show going on only a moment ago, and now Lacius and the chief of Kun faced each other. The chief of Kun had a pair of ivory-colored single-edged swords in his hands.

“Fight! Fight!”

The moment the crowd saw the Godsword, Appolineus, they went nuts. I was afraid that Lacius might get hurt, but for some reason, I didn’t think that he would lose. The swords clashed, producing sharp sounds. It was impressive how the two mighty forces fought without harming the spectators. Both of them had their energy under perfect control.

“Don’t you back off. Bring it on. Give me your best!”

“You weren’t this stupid before.”

“You were the only one who could offer me some fun, and you still are. I’ve been dying to see you again!”

Now I couldn’t tell if he was putting on a show or if the chief really meant it. The wind carried sand that rose over the tables and hit us. Ugh, it stings. I closed my eyes, but then, I heard a sharp sound pierce through the air. Then there came a strong gust, and I couldn’t lift my eyelids against it.

“Argh!”

I heard Daphne scream, and then tables being thrown and smashed. I managed to open my eyes to see what was going on. Oh, that look...

I’d never seen him like that before. The chief of Kun crossed his two swords to defend himself, but Lacius pressed on him with Appolineus. His face was showing ecstasy that I’d never seen on him before. It was like the thin veil he’d kept on until now was gone, and I could see the raw frenzy in his blue-gray eyes.

The chief of Kun clenched his teeth and roared with laughter. “Yes, yes! This is it!”

The two stopped struggling, and as they stepped apart, Kun’s swords flashed. Lacius blocked the one that came from above, but the other immediately came up from below.

I feared that it might strike true.

“Did you think I’d fall for the same trick twice?”

“You’ve been fooled once, so why not?”

Lacius quickly avoided the attack, and then he kicked his adversary’s chest. The chief of Kun saw but couldn’t dodge in time because of the speed of his sword, so he was sent flying by the kick. A moment later, there was some rustling, and then he came up from dust.

“Ouch.” His face was distorted in pain. “Sh*t, I think you broke my ribs.”

“Good, we can call it even, finally.”

Lacius sent back Appolineus. His face was expressionless. The swords of the chief of Kun were also gone. It was over, although I still couldn’t tell if it had been a duel or a battle. It left only a single wound, but the locals all laughed and rolled as if it was really funny. I guess there are some cultural differences. I was glad that Lacius wasn’t hurt, so I let out a sigh and waited for him to come back to me.

“Bring a healer! I can’t breathe!”

One Kun tribesman spoke up. “Haha, I knew you were going to end up like this when you walked out with so much confidence.”

“Are you laughing at me? Huh? Is that so?”

“Well, he broke your rib, he bested you!”

In any other nation, harming the chief or the leader was punishable by death. But here, people were rather delighted to learn that their chief had a broken rib.

“You’re all crazy,” said the princess with a smile as she stood up. She then offered a hand to a girl sitting near the end. “Daphne, right? I think you should help him.”

“O-of course!”

Everyone from Teran looked at Daphne upon the princess’s unexpected choice. She had her dark brown hair in curls, and she sheepishly took the princess’s hand and stepped up.

“Chief of Kun, you won’t be able to enjoy the rest of the Lacurum like that, so get treated,” Dioles insisted.

“No, my healer’s on the way.”

“This one’s an allajah. She’ll do better.”

The crowd was already excited, but what the princess said made them even more rowdy.

“Allajah!”

“Allajah!”

The desert people shouted that mysterious word and all jumped to their feet. Then they surrounded Daphne and the chief of Kun, raising their hands high.

“Allajah!”

I didn’t know what that meant, so I turned to Lacius, but to my surprise, the explanation came from the prince.

“Allajah is their word for mages with the power to heal. Mages are treated with respect in all nations, but people of the desert think even more highly of them than most. They believe those mages to be sacred.”

I see. Then they think mages are like shamans? At any rate, Daphne fixed the chief of Kun perfectly. She put her two hands on his ribs and muttered something, and there was a clear, soft green light. The chief’s scowl disappeared, and he started to wave his arm in huge circles.

But then, the prince, who’d been watching, murmured, “My sister is incredible. She must have anticipated all this. That must be why she made Lacius do that in the first place...”

He was probably just talking to himself, but the problem was that I could hear him too well.

“I’ll never be half as good as she is,” he said with sadness. His beautiful face was clouded with melancholy.

I scratched my cheek, unhappy at seeing him like that. Hmm, I think I’m supposed to say something to make him feel better. Unfortunately, that had never been my strong suit. “Well, if you think you’re not good enough, you can work on it, right?”

“No, I can try all my life, but I’ll never be like her,” Prince Belletti said.

“I know this won’t help, but you really shouldn’t compare yourself with your sister. She’s a genius. She’s not like the rest of us.”

To be honest, Dioles outdid everyone in schemes, strategies, and planning. I shook my head. But then, Peridot, who’d been quiet so far, tried to pick up a fight.

“What are you talking about? Are you saying His Highness will never excel like Her Highness?”

Why now? She’s kept her mouth shut this whole evening. I raised an eyebrow at her. But it truly is impossible. What am I supposed to say instead? Promise the prince that he can be just like the princess and give him false hope?

“Your Highness, you’re not ready yet, that’s all,” she said. “Like a plant that takes time to bloom.”

Would you look at that... I’d thought that she was up to something back at the airship, and she was proving my point. I was sure that she hadn’t taken any notice of the prince before, so why the sudden change? The reason was obvious.

She’s planning to marry the prince. Right now, Prince Belletti was the best husband Peridot could get her hands on. But if that were to happen, the prince would be gaining too much power out of nowhere.

Marriage is a deal revolving around power. Even though the prince was a nice, delicate boy that I didn’t have to be wary of, Krysiona was a completely different story. Then again, I knew that the princess would take care of it before I ever could.

But the princess really is impressive. Is the prince right? Did she really plan for all this and let Lacius have a duel with the chief of Kun? The princess must have reported in advance that Daphne could use healing magic. That must have been why she added the girl to the delegation.

Of course, she must have taken Daphne’s unique personality into consideration as well.