The Strongest Family Has Arrived!

Chapter 18

—–CROW—– 

The commander of the garrison personally greeted Vania, who had come to the subjugation force’s barracks.

“Oh my, Lady, this must be your first time in a place like this. I’m so sorry. Is it a bit much?”

The pervasive smell of blood. The painful groans of soldiers with torn flesh and exposed bones.

The battlefield after the fighting was over was so horrific that Vania was shocked.

‘Diana always comes to places like this and takes care of the injured soldiers. She’s amazing.’

Vania, now an adult, resolved to become as helpful to the family as Diana.

The sight of the injured soldiers was too gruesome to look at, but she persevered.

As she poured out her healing Bless, the injured soldiers were completely healed with a sacred light.

“Amazing, Lady!”

“It’s always amazing to see! Thank you!”

Vania smiled awkwardly at the cheering soldiers. Her heart felt a little itchy.

‘Abilities are truly amazing.’

To be able to save someone’s life.

For the first time, she felt proud to be an ability user.

“Ah! Look at me.”

Vania was about to quickly head toward the other injured soldiers.

“Lady, it’s time for you to return.”

However, the commander of the garrison stopped her.

“Huh? There are more injured people over there?”

“They’re not our soldiers, so you don’t have to treat them. This isn’t a place for a noble person like you to stay for long, so please return home.”

At his firm words, Vania looked at the other soldiers in confusion.

There were many injured soldiers who were in need of immediate treatment.

But they were all glancing at Vania, as if they were reading her expression, and for some reason, no one was asking for help.

Then…

“Lady.”

Cali, the red-haired knight who had been guarding Vania, whispered.

This seemingly indifferent yet kind escort was the person Vania trusted and followed the most.

“Do as your heart tells you, Lady. No one can criticize what you do.”

“…You’re right?”

Vania gained strength from Cali’s words and ran.

There was one injured soldier who had been bothering her since earlier. He was so badly injured that even a second of delay could be fatal.

Vania immediately treated him.

“Uh…?”

The man, who had recovered instantly, looked surprised and stood up.

“Are you okay now?”

“Ah, yes…”

The man was bewildered. Vania didn’t even have time to receive his thanks before hurriedly leaving.

And she went around the barracks, treating all the injured soldiers in the subjugation force.

“Th-Thank you!”

“Thank you so much! You saved my life!”

While the soldiers she had helped cheered loudly…

“Vasenberg Young Lady!”

Someone approached and called Vania.

It was the man she had treated first.

“I’m Lyner Cruiser of the Imperial Knights! Thank you so much for saving my life!”

“Oh, it’s nothing.”

“No! It was a wound that would have surely killed me! You’re my savior!”

“Ah, geez.”

Vania barely suppressed a smile.

She felt good. It was the first time she had ever felt so proud.

“Lyner, for a moment.”

A man, who seemed to be his comrade, approached, pushing away Lyner, who had been bowing to her repeatedly.

“Thank you so much for your help. I will be sure to repay you.”

“Ah.”

At that moment…

*Thump.*

Vania was lost in a daze.

It felt like pink spring flower petals were fluttering around her in mid-summer.

‘H-He’s handsome…’

His black hair with a hint of blue.

His eyes, as blue and deep as the sea.

The man’s beauty was like a prince from a fairytale, and it couldn’t be hidden by the blood and dirt.

“Ah, no. It’s really… this is really nothing…?”

Vania, embarrassed, spoke incoherently.

She had to leave now…

But for some reason, her feet wouldn’t move because of the man’s beauty.

“Wh-What’s your name?”

Finally, Vania asked, her face as red as a ripe strawberry.

“I am Nike Valensia, the Commander of the Imperial Knights of the Valensia Empire.”

“….?!”

Vania’s eyes widened as if they would pop out at the man’s introduction.

If he was the commander of the Imperial Knights who used the royal family name…

The third prince.

The man was actually a prince.

“I sincerely thank you. You saved the lives of all my comrades, Lady. I won’t forget it and I will repay you.”

Nike bowed deeply.

*Thump.*

Startled, Vania grabbed Nike’s shoulders, whose head was bowed so low that only the crown of his head was visible, and pulled him up.

“Y-You don’t have to do that!”

“….?”

Nike, who had been pulled up, blinked.

‘What? Even if our family is great, for the prince to bow to me? Have I learned something wrong? Aren’t the royals higher ranking?’

The concept of the social hierarchy that she had learned thus far was collapsing, and she was confused.

But Vania bowed to Nike as well, returning his greeting.

Then, the two made eye contact.

‘Ah.’

Vania saw Nike’s cheek, which had a small scratch on it.

It wasn’t exactly a wound that needed to be healed with an ability, but…

“Ahem.”

Vania pointed at her cheek, letting him know, and looked at Nike.

Nike paused at the warm sensation.

Then he slowly touched his cheek, which was now healed.

“…Thank you.”

“I’m glad I could help.”

The two silently stared at each other for a long while.

“Um…”

Vania, her face flushed, looked down bashfully and twirled her toes.

“Your Highness, my name is…”

Sixteen years old.

The girl who had fallen in love spoke.

“…Vania.”

***

I was sixteen, he was twenty.

That was how we met.

Of course, we didn’t become lovers right away, but…

“Hey!”

“Ah!”

Ryan, who was right in front of me, lightly tapped my cheek.

“What are you thinking about that your jaw is hanging open like that?”

“No? Nothing.”

I handed the towel I was holding to Ryan, who was covered in sweat. As he wiped his sweat, he said,

“Okay, we’ll be arriving on the mainland soon.”

“Huh? What are you talking about? It’s still a long way. Are you going to get off in the ocean?”

“Sigh!”

“…”

“Tell me your plan for what you’re going to do after we get off.”

“Did you leave your plans with me?”

“Sigh!”

“…”

livan, glaring at Ryan, took out a map. He pointed to a certain place.

“First, when we get off at Konig, don’t go anywhere else, let’s get a room at an inn and stay there for a long time. It’s hard to move around a lot with the kid…”

“No.”

Ryan shook his head with a smile.

“There’s no need for that. This older brother already got a house.”

“What?!”

“Hahaha! Finally, I’m seeing a look of respect in your eyes.”

“What are you talking about? You dreamed it? Where do you have a house?”

Ryan, with his shoulders puffed up, took out some documents from his bag.

“It seems our father had some conscience.”

No, he didn’t.

“A final gift for his son who rotted in prison for 12 years, falsely accused? Something like that?”

No, he didn’t.

“It’s a land deed in my name.”

The deed to the estate he had received from his father’s aide as soon as he was released.

Hmm…

To put it briefly, the reason why I was foisted onto Ryan, why I received the child support, and why he received this land, was all.

Thanks to my hard work and struggles…

‘I’ll definitely tell them the truth later.’

That our father was not a compassionate person who would give child support and a place to live to his incompetent illegitimate son and let him go quietly.

“What!”

Then, livan, who had been looking at the land deed, widened his eyes.

“Wow, hyung-nim! This place is…!”

—–CROW—– 

[T/N: I may have mixed up some names, sorry about that but I will be careful from now on.]