Hiiro (19)
“He fell asleep. Surprisingly, he seemed to be listening to our conversation.”
“What’s surprising about that? Naruhito listens to everything we say.”
Hitachimaru, placing a thin blanket he brought from the bed over the back of the Naruhito lying on my stomach, spoke.
“Don’t you want to put him on the bed? Are you going to let him sleep like this? Isn’t it uncomfortable?”
“If I let go, he’ll get fussy, so I’ll let him sleep like this for a while… So, what were we talking about again?”
“Is it true that Sekitora kidnapped your wife and handed him over to the research institute? And caused injuries?”
“Yeah.”
“And the Toin family’s guards were involved in that too?”
“That’s right.”
“… Did you cause Sekitora’s injuries?”
“The gunshot wound on the hand was mine. The broken leg bone was Toshitane. Gramps is Naruhito’s bodyguard. If there’s a danger to the person being guarded, even if it’s a Royal family member, it’s his job to retaliate.”
“Hmm, your wife would still count as a Royal family member anyway. That works. The Toin family is out of the equation. I’m relieving you of your duties as the chief of the Royal guard.”
“Princess Akemi!”
Toin Yukari, who was standing behind Princess Akemi’s sofa, let out a wail.
Princess Akemi’s hands moved.
“Take this opportunity, Yukari. Protect me.”
While I took out a knife from my pocket and threw it, Naruhito suddenly opened his eyes and with incredible strength, pulled me down onto the sofa, and covered me. Jumping over the sofa and low table, Hitachimaru knocked down the gun that Princess Akemi had aimed at me and delivered a flying kick to Toin Yukari, who had just tried to move, holding Princess Akemi’s arms to stop her.
My knife must have grazed. A faint trickle of blood appeared on Princess Akemi’s cheek.
Damn, I couldn’t divert the trajectory in a hurry.
“Ah, Princess Akemi, there’s blood!”
Hitachimaru was in a panic.
U-ugh… Naruhito who was on top of me groaned. Pale-faced, he covered his mouth. In a hurry, I lifted him up and took him to the washroom. Everything he ate just now came out…
Even though it was all nutritious food.
I glared at Princess Akemi, thinking that I should have aimed the knife better.
“Sorry. I didn’t expect your wife to wake up. I’m really sorry.”
Ikumatsu, whom Hitachimaru called, came in running wearing a white coat. Princess Akemi stopped him from treating her first.
“Check Naruhito first.”
Blood was oozing from the wound on his leg. He breathed heavily, leaning on me. He used only his right arm to pull me down onto the sofa. I wonder how much burden it took on his body.
When trying to lay him on the bed, he shook his head.
“Master Hiiro, it’s okay like this.”
Ikumatsu injected a painkiller and rewrapped the bandage on his leg.
He carefully applied medicine and put a gauze on the grazing wound on Princess Akemi’s cheek.
“Yukari, I told you to protect me, didn’t I?”
Toin Yukari, who was blown away by Hitachimaru’s flying kick, held her chest and somehow managed to get up. She brushed away Ikumatsu’s attempt to examine her.
“… I faced three opponents who were superior in strength.”
“One was a child that’s bedridden with injuries, the other one was holding that child and couldn’t move. And I was the one who initiated the attack.”
Toin Yukari bit her lip and looked down.
“I’m looking forward to you coming back to me, stronger.”
Princess Akemi, with a gauze on her cheek, smiled refreshingly.