I’m Really Not Trying to Be Chased by the Heroine as the Villainous Playboy! – Chapter 826

Chapter 39: The Man Behind the Princess

Claudie lamented, “Lord Frostclaw sacrificed himself for the noble cause of the dragon race, but now is not the time to grieve!”

The twisted blue scales were like worms, gnawing at his flesh, slowly writhing as he spoke.

“The northern battlefield is fierce, and the noble dragon race has gone to support them, leaving us behind.”

“But even we can do our part for the dragon race, even do the things that are inconvenient for the noble dragons!”

Frostclaw’s subordinates were all abandoned, left to fend for themselves; this was far from the treatment befitting allies. Yet, no cultists present voiced complaints; instead, fervor akin to Claudie’s emerged.

“Great leader, please give the order!”

“We are willing to go through fire and water for that great one, without hesitation!”

Claudie bared his toothy grin, his eyes glinting with a frightful red glow in the darkness: “Good! As servants of the dragon, this is the mindset we must have!”

“Now, with two royal heirs gathered in the fortress! If we can kill them, it will deal a devastating blow to the morale of the mortals and bring ruin to the kingdom!”

“Everyone, it’s time to prove our loyalty to that great one!”

The twisted smiles were unapologetically rampant.

In the shadows cast by starlight, the figures of the crowd slowly enlarged, distorting into grotesque shapes that were neither human nor dragon.

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“The northern fortifications need reinforcement. Until then, let the mages and gryphon knights take turns on watch. Don’t rely too much on the gryphon knights; leave some reserves just in case…”

“By the way, remember to send the clergy who are not involved in medical duties to assist with checking the refugees. We can’t let those Cultists slip in.”

The moonlight was bleak and dim.

On the city walls illuminated by the bonfire, Charlotte inspected and hurriedly gave orders to several nobles.

Military command was a required course for every noble in the kingdom, but not everyone could apply what they learned. As a royal, Charlotte not only didn’t neglect this aspect of her education, but she was also putting it to the fullest use at this moment.

Within just a few days, the fortress’s defenses were solidified and organized under Charlotte’s leadership.

One could say that Charlotte’s presence greatly relieved Naz’s command pressures, allowing him to finally focus on recovering.

“For now, let’s leave the defenses as they are. About the food…”

“Don’t worry, the scouts returned earlier; the granaries in the nearby towns are intact, and I’ve already sent people to transport the food back.”

Roy stepped forward at the right moment, alleviating Charlotte’s concerns.

Theoretically, even a sworn knight had no right to command troops without royal consent.

But Charlotte didn’t mind.

The girl, whose face had been tense, finally showed some relief; she rubbed her aching brow and smiled wryly, “You worried too much.”

“Sigh, I should have dealt with the food issue first, but look where we are now.”

“There’s nothing to be done; you have too much on your plate. Let me take care of this aspect.”

Roy reached out and gently brushed against the girl’s somewhat haggard brow, showing concern, “Don’t overextend yourself.”

If she hadn’t been sleepless for nights, an intermediate extraordinary being wouldn’t be this worn.

Twisting away from Roy’s hand, Charlotte nonchalantly hummed, “This is nothing at all.”

“As a royal, I must do my part at such times; otherwise, what qualification do I have to command others?”

Roy sighed, “That’s true, but staying up too late will give you wrinkles.”

“!”

No girl would remain indifferent to such a statement. Even Charlotte paused, her expression serious as she took out a small mirror to inspect herself.

Fortunately, the short days of hard work weren’t enough to change an intermediate extraordinary being’s skin.

“What are you talking about? That’s not even…”

Roy narrowed his eyes, “So you’ve been staying up late these past few days, huh?”

Charlotte was momentarily stunned.

“Working hard is fine, but pushing yourself too hard will lead to losses; make sure to rest early tonight.”

“…… Oh.”

Knowing she was in the wrong, Charlotte had no choice but to put away her usual pride and obediently replied.

However, just as she was about to turn and leave, Charlotte looked back again.

Her watery eyes lost some of their severity, gaining a touch of tenderness. In the flickering firelight, her silhouette appeared almost like a mesmerizing butterfly.

“Will you come with me?”

Her hesitant gaze had already exposed her feelings.

Roy’s lips moved, but he merely smiled gently and declined, “Just rest easy; I’ll keep watch for you.”

“……. Fine.”

The girl left with a downcast expression.

Only then did Roy let out a quiet sigh.

The princess’s invitation to share a bed was certainly tempting; it wasn’t that he was uncaring, but this was an extraordinary time that required extraordinary measures.

Though the dragon army had been quiet recently, one could never be sure those flying lizards wouldn’t take advantage of their aerial superiority.

To be safe, at least one sufficiently strong intermediate combatant had to be left on guard, just in case.

The princess knew this too, so she didn’t press further; she had just asked casually.

Moreover, there was another reason.

In front of her brother, it wouldn’t feel right to go back and sleep together, no matter how you looked at it.

“Your Highness, you may come out now.”

“Oh, quite perceptive, aren’t you?”

A brilliant smile and a massive figure emerged from the shadows.

Even Roy, with his discerning eye, had to admit that Naz was an undeniably handsome man. Ever since he learned about the other’s sexual orientation, he could no longer look at that overly flirtatious smile.

“The Blood Iron should not have any additional enhancements for detecting presence.”

“The Lionheart bloodline also lacks methods for concealing presence, right?”

It wasn’t an extraordinary ability but rather a skill honed through many experiences in specific environments. The two shared a mutual understanding and a bit of respect for each other.

Roy had become sensitive to others’ presences after being hunted by cultists too many times.

However, why would a prince who commanded the battlefield develop such skills to hide his presence?

It was a chilling thought. Roy didn’t delve deeper.

“By the way, Your Highness, has your injury healed?”

“Pretty much. After being so busy, lying in bed suddenly feels uncomfortable.” Naz complained as he moved his constrained arm.

Extraordinary bloodlines each have their specialties.

Unlike Roy, who had Blood Recovery Magic, even though the Lionheart was a gold-tier bloodline, and had terrifying explosive power to stand against dragons, the speed of recovery from injuries was still on par with other intermediate extraordinary beings.

“I happened to see you, so I wanted to chat.”

“If you want to talk privately with the princess, now’s your chance to catch up.”

“No, I’m here to talk to you… uh, making that cautious face will hurt me too, you know.”

But that statement sounded odd!

Why seek out me, a “good man,” instead of finding your sister at this hour? It seemed quite dangerous!

Naz maintained a safe distance out of necessity, watching the sleepy red silhouette on the city wall gradually move away, a brotherly concern surfacing: “Back to the point, I’m here to thank you.”

“Thank you for supporting her all this way.”

“I’m not cut out to be a king; you can see that. I’m better suited for the battlefield than politics. In my mind, Leo is the best candidate to take my place.”

At this point, Naz’s smile dimmed a little.

“Unfortunately, he’s gone astray, and that can’t be helped.”

“So, the heavy responsibility of the kingdom fell onto Charlotte’s shoulders. Her abilities are indisputable, but I’ve never thought she was suited to be a queen.”

“The throne is too lonely, the crown too heavy. With her serious nature, she will eventually be crushed one day.”

“Unless someone can assist her, support her, care for her, and help her all the way.”

Naz turned his head, meeting Charlotte’s similar fiery red eyes, filled with sincerity and gratitude.

“So, I must thank you.”