Don't Concern Yourself With That Book
Chapter Side Story 1-2

Side Story 1-2

Translator: yun

“You’ll find out soon enough.”

The woman added as though noticing what Ira was thinking. 

“Please. This item is very precious to me.”

Ira hesitated. But she still accepted the notebook handed to her.

“That’s strange. Why would you trust me with something that precious to you?”

Ashley flashed a slight smile. 

“I have trust in what I see.”

Ira lowered her gaze slightly. 

Judging by its size, the brown leather notebook looked like a diary. It looked clean as though it was new but she could feel the grime beneath its straps. She opened it without much thought.

‘There’s nothing written on it?’

The papers were empty. Ira looked up upon feeling the gentle breeze that greeted her after closing the book shut. 

“W-Where did she go?”

She found herself standing alone in the middle of a large hallway. The woman had disappeared like a ghost. It felt as though she had just been greeted by god for a moment. 

“That was ominous. S-She wasn’t some ghost, was she?”

Staring at that notebook, Ira trembled. At that moment. Another gust of wind blew against her. However, unlike the breeze earlier, this gust was strong enough to mess with her hair. 

“Your Majesty!”

Ira quickly turned her head to face the owner of the voice behind her. 

“Your Majesty?”

Ira’s eyes widened.

‘A god?’

The man who looked surprised to see her let out an audible gasp. 

“Please pardon me.”

But surprise did not settle for long in the unknown man’s face. But Ira found herself unable to breath for a moment as she blankly stared at his white hair fluttering in the wind. The man’s hair bobbed like waves. 

“This is clearly Her Majesty’s energy… Or am I wrong?”

Sweeping his hair up roughly, the man reached his hand out for a white bird to land on with a thump atop his outstretched hand. 

‘A bird?’

A distinct blue dyed the tip of the bird’s tail feathers. That shade of blue went well with the man’s pale white skin. As the man slowly turned his head to look at her, Ira realised that she had been holding her breath this whole time. 

‘N-No. No, I can’t. Something bad might happen if I turn red now.’

A cataclysmic beauty. Dear god. If she were to fall in love with a handsome man from another country at first sight… This was bad. 

Ira knew herself well. She was the type of girl to fall in love easily. Ira had already imagined herself having three children with the man standing in front of her. As embarrassing as it was to admit. 

‘But handsome men are always right! And that man is playing dirty with how handsome he is!’

Ira had had a crush on every handsome man in her kingdom at least once. 

She also had a crush on Cjezernian before but she should place those memories to the back of her mind for now lest she break her current facade. She should be concerning herself with the unknown man casually strolling towards her. 

“Uhm, pardon me, but did you see anyone around here earlier…”

The voice of the unknown white-haired man sounded gentle and rang clearly in her mind like a bell. His face also looked as elegant as a lily. 

“Sir Hernan! You’re being too much!”

Before Ira could say anything in response, another man ran over before stopping in front of the man who had approached her earlier.

“You had left me in the middle of nowhere.”

The panting man quickly pouted. Upon that man’s arrival, Hernan’s face stiffened coldly.

 “You’re like a leech.”

Then, Ira heard an attention-grabbing sound. In the blink of an eye, the man escaped the swing of Hernan’s blade with a scream.

“Ack! Sir Hernan!”

The man jumped into the air.

“H-How could you swing your sword around like this!”

“I had never given you permission to address me.”

The brown-haired man then flashed an amiable smile. His expression had softened as though to match his gentle, laid back personality and the freckles that were spotted across his face. 

“Hahaha, you’d hate it if I called you captain, wouldn’t you?”

“… Of course I would. Lord Soricks. Because I am not your captain.”

Hernan furrowed his brows. Hernan did not like Soricks who stuck himself to Hernan no matter how hard he tried to shake him off. No, he had felt this way about him for a long time now. 

“No. Please stop hating me like this. It has already been two years since I started working as your Vice Commander!”

“So what?”

“Her Majesty has entrusted you with the role of Commander of the Palace Corps and I have been assigned to lead a battalion of templars under your command as your Vice-Commander. Please treat me a little nicer. Yes? I might cry otherwise.”

“Go ahead.”

Hernan’s expression remained as cold as ever. With the exception of Ashley, Hernan treated people, especially men, with a similarly frosty gaze. 

“… Her Majesty should be made aware of your bipolarity. Her Majesty should learn of the Commander’s split personality. Your dichotomy is truly bone-chilling.”

“What did you say?”

“I said that you are very dashing.”

Hernan turned his head away as though he disapproved of him. 

“You wish to fight with me again, don’t you?”

“Ha, hahahaha. Now, I only wish to fight in Her Majesty’s presence.”

Laughing awkwardly, Soricks quickly took a step back. 

“Because I don’t want to die.”

Even as she watched their exchange, Ira was secretly admiring Hernan.

‘Oh my gosh! His cold expressions are easy on the eyes too.’

Ira applauded inwardly. 

His face really was the essence of pure elegance. The gentle way his eyes were slightly lowered and the way his long eyelashes hung above his eyes like the eaves of traditional Korean houses.

“Where is Her Majesty?”

“I don’t really know… I just came by to greet you on my way back from the City of Flowers, Sir Hernan. Ahahaha.”

“You’re of no use at all.”

His eyes that revealed themselves after he blinked were as blue as a lake on a summer day. However, there was an inexplicable frost behind his gaze. 

Eventually, those eyes turned to face Ira. Ira stared at the hands that were stretched out towards her blankly. 

“Please pardon me, my lady.”

“Huh? Yes?”

“Pardon me but I didn’t manage to clearly explain myself earlier. I am Hernandez von Devolo, a Commander of the Empire.”

He bowed politely. 

“Ah… I am Ira de Marigold of the Kingdom of Walter. I still have much to learn but I have been sent here as the leader of the delegation for the celebration of the emperor’s birthday.”

After his momentary surprise by the young woman’s high status, Hernan nodded briskly. 

“I see that you’re quite the important person. I hoped you’d excuse my behaviour earlier and enjoy your time here.”

Suddenly, his gaze became fixated onto a spot as though he could not turn away.

“That’s…”

When Ira noticed where his gaze was directed, she couldn’t help but to let out a sigh. 

“I received this from someone.”

Hernan’s eyes widened as soon as she mentioned ‘someone’ was involved. 

“Who may you be referring to? Was she blonde? I mean… does she have the same hair colour as you?”

“Huh?”

As soon as he noticed her surprise, Hernan quickly took a step back. 

“My apologies.”

“No. It’s alright. Are you the owner of this notebook?”

“No.”

“Ah… If you know the owner, could you return this to them for me?”

The man shook his head.

“I cannot. That book does not like me very much. Could you return it personally please?”

Ira tilted her head. 

“But I don’t know who this belongs to, how could I…”

“You’ll find out soon enough.”

The man’s hand froze mid air. Just before his hand seemed to grab the book, Hernan raised his head. 

“The owner of the book is…”

It was at that moment. The man’s eyes curled gently as he smiled. 

“Is a lovely person.”

His smile broke the invisible barrier between them as it reminded her of a child encountering their first spring. It reminded her of the woman she met earlier. Not caring how she reacted to his comment, the white-haired man smiled wordlessly. The words he uttered made him sound as if he was talking to himself. 

“… And the person I like the most.”

The man’s ears were dyed in a light colour. 

“I-I see.”

Ira forced herself to answer. The man’s expression looked as sweet as a cookie dipped in chocolate. Ira wondered if she had been mistaken when she saw the same man stare at another so coldly. 

“Uhm… Your cheeks are quite red, are you alright?”

“Ah…”

He tried to cover his cheeks but he could not stop them from standing out against his white hair. 

“To be honest, I’m not sure if I’m overstepping my boundaries, but I was a little surprised to see you earlier, my lady, because your hair is of the same colour as hers.”

“Ah… I see. Was that why you were surprised to see me?”

“Yes. It is a rare colour. But that’s not the only wonderful thing about her, she also has beautiful eyes.”

“I-Is that so?”

Ira could tell that his voice, that had been cold and stern thus far, now sounded flushed. 

“Yes.”

His gaze reminded Ira of how the rigid Slorenian would look at Rusbella so long ago. Like a puppy wagging their tail. No, perhaps his feelings were even stronger than that. 

Goosebumps dotted Ira’s skin.

‘Based on those eyes alone, hasn’t he fallen madly in love?’

If they had lived in the same country, Ira was certain that she would have had a crush on him at least once. What a sweet smile!

‘What woman wouldn’t fall for a smile like that?’

Ira suddenly thought of another plausible reason Cjezarnian sent her here. 

‘Urgh… I know better than to enjoy this.’

It wasn’t easy bragging about herself but from an early age, she had always been well-versed in improvising and getting herself out of situations. She was also extremely quick-witted. Even if she had not been born a ducal princess but a daughter of a count or even a baron, she would have still lived peacefully with her street smarts.

“I have spoken too much to someone I have just met.”

The man soon wiped the smile off his face and widened the distance between them. He must be very skilled at building walls between himself and other people. 

“Well, I shall be taking my leave first.”

The man then vanished coolly yet gently. The other man who had been following him immediately left as well. As she looked away from their fading backs, Ira shook her head.

‘I don’t know who they are but they must have saved a country or something. They’re so blessed.’

She must truly be something else to not fall in love with a man like that.

‘That man is like a cake in a painting.’

As quick-witted as she was, she gave up on him quickly. No matter how handsome he was, what was the point if he would never turn her way.

“In any case, when will I get to see Her Majesty, the emperor?”

Ira had been left alone yet again. 

Actually, not only was she quick-witted, Ira was also a bright and astute girl. That was why she refused to involve herself in complicated or troublesome things. 

‘I should have run away the moment Cjezarnian recommended that I come.’

Although she had been living well in high society–surviving the war where soldiers were not armed with weapons, how did she not notice that this outstretched hand had just been poison? But what could she do now? 

‘It’s all because I’m so smart.’

She let out a sigh. 

‘Shall I let this view comfort me?’

Ira stared blankly at the landscape. 

The sight upon which light struck and shattered against the earth was breathtaking. Would the word to describe this be ‘mythical’? The white pillars seamed effortlessly into the green forest making this view look like a tapestry. 

‘I heard that the Imperial Palace was considered the most beautiful palace in the west but it really is awe-inspiring.’

The Kaltanias Imperial Palace was also well-known back in her home country. There was nothing around them that had ever lasted for thousands of years which was why many had worked hard just to get to tour this place. 

After waiting for a while more, her escort returned. Ira was informed that she could look around as much as she wanted to, which only allowed her to fall in love with the scenery even deeper. 

Step step.

Just then, the heavy thumps of footsteps could be heard. It was a sound commonly heard in the Kingdom of Walter–the sound of a knight’s footsteps. However, to her surprise, the one responsible for the footsteps was a woman. 

Thump. 

The scantily clad woman stopped in her steps. 

“Oh my.”

The woman who noticed Ira looked a little surprised to see her. 

“Is there anything troubling you at this hour, beautiful lady?”

“I greet the Head Templar of the Sword.”

“Enough of the greetings, if you don’t mind, I would like to learn your name. Would that be alright, pipio?”

This red-haired beauty just smiled at her with her eyes so how could she refuse? Ira quickly nodded.

“It’s nice to meet you? I am Ira de Marigold of the Kingdom of Walter. I still have much to learn but I have been sent here as the leader of the delegation.”

“Oh my. What a precious child you are, I mean precious ducal princess.”

The red-haired woman smiled and lowered her head. 

“I am Marissa, the Head Templar of the Sword.”

Unlike the playful way she smiled with her eyes earlier, she greeted her politely like a knight. 

“Please feel free to address me as just Marissa.”

Marissa then raised her head and narrowed her eyes. 

“Her Majesty is still away, have you been touring this area?”

“Yes. I have.”

“It is a place with many things to see.”

After saying so, Marissa took a step closer. 

“This must be fate, may I take the liberty of guiding you through the next area?”