Chapter 106
Joshua's playfulness was aroused the minute he saw Aisha’s humiliated expression on her beautiful visage. Aisha was famous as a cold-blooded top assassin in public, but Joshua knew better than that.
‘Rumor has it that she’s cold-blooded, but it’s bullshit.’
At the memories of her in his past life, Joshua boisterously laughed internally. However, he still maintained a dignified expression on the outside.
After a while, Joshua finally spoke, “I…”
However, Aisha gulped a mouthful of her own saliva when Joshua started talking. She warily stared at Joshua with a tense look, and the latter continued with a grim voice.
“I was enjoying this game, but you actually raise your dagger against me twice.”
“...!” The word 'game' made Aisha's beautiful eyelashes shake.
“So… can I take your hostility toward me as a challenge from the Dark Elves?”
“Wait…” With a shaky voice, Aisha trailed off. She cautiously scanned the young man standing in front of her.
He had a face as beautiful as an elf with dark blue hair and eyes that bordered closer to black than blue, but Aisha couldn’t really appreciate his features because she was panicking. After all, Joshua had the ability that could inflict a certain type of pain only her clan knew—Dragon Fear.
Aisha groaned and collapsed to her knees.
“A— Aisha Sestropi greets the Master of Mana!”
“...”
Joshua smiled when he saw Aisha lowering her head to the point of touching the ground.
However, Aisha had no idea what Joshua was thinking, so she misunderstood his silence as anger and hurriedly said, “Everything was my mistake, I never knew that you’re the dark master! I never wanted to offend you, so please spare my clan!”
At Aisha’s quivering voice with her head still on the ground, Joshua smiled and said, “Raise your head.”
“...!” Aisha's eyes widened upon hearing Joshua’s dignified voice.
“Didn’t you hear what I just said?”
“Oh, no, no, no…” Aisha hurriedly raised her head.
“Although I really want to revert to my original appearance, and eradicate your clan with a single breath...”
Aisha’s breathing was caught in her throat, and she lowered her head once again.
“I will forgive you because you didn't know anything. After all, it's also part of the game. We should enjoy it.”
“T—Thank you!” Aisha bowed once again, this time, she bowed even lower than before.
.
While looking down at Aisha, Joshua continued. “However, I was serious when I told you to stop your plan of assassinating the First Prince.”
“Ah!” Aisha exclaimed.
She wasn’t even in the mood to ask questions now.
The dark elves had always been fickle, so Aisha didn’t really find it hard to defer from her original plan. Moreover, there wasn’t really a need for her to do that.
“Are you sure you understand?”
“Yes! I understand!”
Joshua saw Aisha’s dejected look, and he couldn’t help but laugh. He waved his hand and explained, “Your mission is bound to fail, and once it has been confirmed that the mission ended up in failure, the Black Wind will hunt you down. This is the best chance to leave Arcadia.”
“I have a question—”
“Stop talking.”
“...!” Aisha’s body stiffened. Joshua suddenly placed his hand on her head.
Aisha stood there, dumbfounded. Joshua rubbed her head with his hand for a while and muttered, “It has been a long time. Finally…”
“Yes?” Aisha was confused.
At Aisha’s voice, Joshua awakened from his stupor. He turned around and muttered, “You should go. Get as far as you can away from Arcadia as soon as possible.”
“...!” Once Joshua’s words fell, Aisha didn’t even respond as she leaped to her feet and melted into the darkness.
Of course, she still made sure to wave goodbye to Joshua before disappearing.
After a while, Joshua finally peered up at the night sky and muttered something incomprehensible, “This is how it should be.”
‘This was what happened back then.’
Why did he bother coming to the banquet in the first place?
It was all because the year Joshua turned fifteen in his previous life, the Avalon Empire was swept by shocking news: the attempted assassination of Kiser ben Britten. Right in the capital city, the assassin infiltrated the castles and imperial knights' protection to carry out the assassination. Though it failed—or rather because it failed—the incident became famous. After all, it was the only blemish on the Assassin King’s illustrious career.
Aisha Sestropi was Joshua’s old friend, and she would soon be crowned the Assassin King.
“The Assassin’s King assassination will fail, and she will suffer severe injuries that would leave scars as a result. The imperial family will hunt her for many years. She will still end up being pursued by the imperial family anyway, so it’s better for her to remain unscathed.”
Sadly, Joshua had no idea who issued such an order to her even though she belonged to Black Wind, the intelligence organization that belonged to His Majesty the Emperor himself. In addition, Aisha never really talked about her experience in Black Wind.
Still, Joshua had decided to help her whenever possible. After all, it had been the other way around before he regressed.
“If fate wills, we shall meet again,” Joshua muttered into the air before vanishing into the banquet hall.
***
Whoosh.
Aisha leaped wildly through the air as the frigid night breeze repeatedly blasted her in the face.
Her series of movements looked complex, but it was basically nothing for a dark elf. Eventually, Aisha jumped and directly scaled a three-story building to arrive on its roof with a single leap.
“Black Dragon…” Aisha seemed exhausted as she stared in the direction of the Imperial Palace. “I failed the mission on purpose, but I think it’s for the better.”
The trouble Aisha tried to cheer herself up. She could justify what she had done because the powers residing in the Avalon Empire—or in the Igrant continent were unfathomable.
‘Avalon has the Imperial Knights Order as well as Black Wind, which is His Majesty’s intelligence organization…’
Aisha couldn’t help but tremble when she recalled those powers. However, she smiled when she recalled a certain someone before muttering, “Ah, they couldn’t have guessed this, but I hope that the Master of Mana is having a good time there. He’s a variable that will throw a wrench into their plans.”
Due to some reason, she had accepted their request, but it did not matter to her anymore.
Aisha crouched and started jumping higher and higher.
For some reason, she was still convinced that Joshua was a dragon.
Her leap was now lighter than ever
***
“This bitch…”
Natasha tilted her head at Gehog stomping toward her with a furious look.
“Oh, what made you angry, Duke’s Young Master-to-be?”
“Get lost. I'm not in the mood to deal with you.”
“Huh?” Natasha shifted her focus to Gehog's footsteps behind her. She noticed that the banquet hall was in a buzz. At that, she smiled strangely as if she had expected it.
“It’s because of her, right?”
Natasha's grin deepened as Charles slowly entered the banquet hall.
Unlike when she walked out, she was all alone this time.
Natasha felt both uneasy and satisfied upon seeing that.
‘What happened between us before was nothing but a joke between young children.'
Natasha smiled. She could still remember his handsome face.
'I'll make you mine without a doubt, Joshua Sanders.'
As Natasha made up her mind, the clamor around her got louder.
“What? Lady Charles came out alone, even though she and Baron Joshua went out together?” said Anne, a viscount’s young daughter, with some confusion.
Senna seemed happy about it as she muttered, “What is wrong with that? He helped her with that difficult situation, and now that it’s over, it is only natural for him to give the lady some privacy. He is such a gentleman...”
The other young ladies nodded in agreement with Senna's reasonable deduction.
“Do you really think that's true?”
“I guess so… I was really shocked. I have been listening to Senna until my ears got tired, though, but I didn't expect him to look so handsome….”
"He resembles Duke Agnus, but they give off totally different vibes, don't they?"
“Yes! Duke Agnus gives off this feeling similar to a sharp sword, but Baron Joshua gives off a softer and sexier decadent feeling…”
“Kyaaah!”
At that, a burning heat pervaded the air around these ladies.
They gasped and whispered among themselves with flushed faces. Watching the ladies, Senna felt a sense of loss, as though someone was snatching away something that was precious to her. Although she was displeased, for some reason, she felt happy as well.
It was like having friends who shared the same interests.
Rather than having fun alone, it was better to have shared admiration with everyone. Perhaps, the more, the merrier, and they could all gossip about their love interest.
“So what does Baron Joshua stand to gain by helping the daughter of a declining family?”
“You know, if things went well with Young Lady Charles, then it’s a chance to absorb the Pontier duchy for free, no?”
“Do you think the money to rebuild the Pontier name is a joke? In the first place, the family that Baron Joshua Sander belonged to is already a Ducal family, so what will he miss out on?”
“You're right. Anyway, he's soooo cool. He’s truly a Prince Charming who saved a damsel in distress from the hands of a wicked man…”
In the blink of an eye, Pigge had become a villain.
The voices praising Joshua got increasingly louder.
However, the steward’s voice reverberated once more, silencing the clamor.
"Kiser ben Britten, the First Prince of the Great Empire of Avalon, and Princess Serciarin ben Britten have arrived!”
Everyone, including Natasha, Gehog, and Senna, bowed as a show of respect.
A young man quietly stared at everyone from the first landing of the imperial staircase.
Kiser ben Britten, the First Prince of the Avalon Empire, sported dazzling blond hair and golden eyes, which were the unique features of the Avalon Empire’s imperial family. Kiser ben Britten seemed to be looking for someone as he swept his gaze across the crowd.
“...”
“Ah.” Prince Kiser finally found whom he was looking for as a fire burned in his eyes.
“Lady Charles.” Prince Kiser slowly walked down the staircase with a smile.
His attention was wholly focused on Charles, who bowed her head gently in response.
This content is taken from (f)reewe(b)novel.𝗰𝗼𝐦