Dream Breaker

Chapter 48

The romance fantasy novel <I Became the Youngest Daughter of a Count's Family> focuses primarily on the love and happiness of the protagonist 'Angelina Chimac'.

Society, economy, politics, culture...

So, it completely excluded any elements deemed unnecessary for romance.

'Of course, that's how it should be.'

If it had ignored commercial appeal for the sake of coherence, it wouldn't have become a popular novel, and the reader wouldn't have been so engrossed.

But what about the native inhabitants of that novel world?

While novel readers feel vicarious satisfaction through the protagonist's happiness, the lives of the native inhabitants do not improve just because Angelina Chimac becomes happy.

On the contrary,

"Stop! We are bandits!"

"If you don't want to die, hand over everything you have and get lost!"

"If you obediently follow our orders, we'll spare your lives!"

Due to the protagonist's selfishness, the lives of the native inhabitants become difficult and miserable.

The war between the Somac and Chimac families.

Even if they forcibly conscripted people from other places to minimize the damage, there was no way the damage would be entirely gone.

As the number of soldiers decreased, the security of cities and towns worsened, and those intoxicated by the madness of war and blood became mediocre bandits, wandering around.

"My lord, I'll deal with this quickly."

Swish-

The young lady naturally draws a sword from the scabbard attached to her horse's saddle.

At a glance, she looks like someone who would be better suited with a flower than a sword, but she's an escort knight who has been observing my swordsmanship during our journey.

Swish-

Swish-

The apprentice knights and servants assisting us to make our journey comfortable also drew their swords like her and charged together.

"What, what is this?!"

"Please spare my life~!"

"Heeek?! Run-"

The novice bandits, who had mistaken us for ordinary travelers, lost their momentum and fled after sensing an unusual aura.

Clatter!

Thud!

Some were trampled to death by the horse's hooves, others had their throats cut by swords, and some were shot in the back with arrows after creating distance...

It didn't take long to deal with the bandit group that was three times our number.

"Good job, Valentine Knight."

Valentine.

She is the daughter of a knight's family that has been loyal to the Somac family for generations, and she is the decisive reason for the annulment of the engagement between the protagonist and her fianc in the original novel!

However, despite her significant role in the novel, the only settings about her were her name and origin.

No,

'Most of them are like that.'

The novel's author put great effort into describing the appearances of the protagonist and handsome men, but was indifferent to other characters.

Especially when it came to women, they were reluctant to even use the word "beautiful"...

"I don't know, my lord."

"Let's take a break here and get cleaned up. We can't go around covered in blood; it's too conspicuous."

"Understood."

Swish-

Valentine, taking off her traveler's hood and wiping the beads of sweat on her forehead, revealed her face.

Her light golden bob hairstyle, large and distinct eyes like black pearls, small lips, and a slim jawline without an ounce of fat...

Could she be called a beauty forged through effort?

Her healthy and balanced beauty, which comes from a body trained with an amount of exercise that ordinary noble ladies wouldn't dare attempt, also stands out.

'That's right!'

If the 'supporting character' who caught the eye of the heir to a duke's family, leaving behind his fiance, who was called the jewel of the kingdom, had an ordinary appearance, it would be strange, wouldn't it?

As a fellow man, I somewhat understood the mistake of the Viscount Somac.

Swish- Swish-

While Valentine Knight and the attendants cleaned up and rested, I practiced my swordsmanship.

'Focus on the tip of the sword without closing your eyes...'

I wanted to see how much my skills had improved, but I couldn't join them in subjugating the bandits.

As the escort target, if I didn't protect myself, the knights and attendants wouldn't be able to fight comfortably.

"My lord, your posture has improved a lot since the beginning."

"Is that so?"

"Do not doubt yourself. Hesitation dulls the blade."

"Yes."

In this novel's world, there are no fantasy elements to compensate for women's weaker physical strength compared to men.

Therefore, female knights, female mercenaries, and female bandits are all very rare.

No matter if she was born into a knight's family, her effort and talent in becoming a 'knight,' which is difficult even for men, are incomparable to that of the protagonist.

'She's truly amazing.'

It's common for a woman to receive a man's love, but it's not common for a woman to excel in a man's domain.

Considering her natural talent and her background, Valentine Knight deserves respect.

"It's been a long time since I've been to Chimac County. The security isn't as good as it used to be."

"Didn't you participate in the battle?"

Swish-

As I momentarily put down the sword I was swinging, I asked her a question.

"The moment a knight participates, the relationship between the two families will cross an irreversible river."

"Ah!"

I decided to ask one more question while I was at it.

"Valentine Knight, what do you think of Viscount Somac?"

"Um, a pitiful older brother who can't assert himself surrounded by his sisters? Sometimes I feel sorry for him when I see him from afar."

"Ah!"

There was a reason why the fianc in the original novel couldn't help but be attracted to someone else.

"Do you have a lover, my lord?"

"I was recently dumped..."

I inadvertently touched a sore spot by bringing up an unnecessary topic.

"Oh dear! I unintentionally made a mistake. I apologize."

"It's fine."

We arrived at the main castle of Chimac Counts territory without any issues.

* * *

The purpose of dating may vary from person to person, but one of them is to find a lifelong partner.

Lifelong.

Although there is the variable of divorce, only scammers marry with the intention of divorcing from the beginning.

In other words, since you can't change your decision once made, you carefully choose your partner.

Appearance, personality, wealth, age, hobbies, occupation, health, background...

So, many factors are considered.

"Really?"

"Yes. The boy you mentioned was at the orphanage."

"...Thank you for your efforts."

The information collected by Valentine Knight's servant was unexpected.

'They still haven't taken the genius pretty boy who assists the protagonist?'

The time had already passed the middle of the third volume of the novel, but the patient who possessed the protagonist's progress in romance was much slower than I had expected.

The smart pretty boy, added by the author to cater to some readers' tastes.

He initially despised the nobility but was moved by the protagonist taking care of the siblings in the orphanage and decided to follow her.

'This is an opportunity!'

In the fifth volume, which the patient hadn't read, the boy's past is revealed.

A prince of the desert kingdom!

It was an opportunity for the young prince who had been abandoned in a foreign country when the royal family was massacred due to a rebellion.

Although it's just my guess, wasn't this unexpected setting added as the popularity of the character, who had the least impressive background among the protagonist's men, soared?

So, it seems the patient, who only knew the content up to the fourth volume, didn't notice the boy's importance at all.

"Prepare for it. I will meet him personally."

"My lord, didn't you say you would wait for the prince in this tavern?"

"This boy is much more important than the prince."

"I'll get ready right away."

Now is not the time to deal with the pathetic prince who clings to Chimac Counts region instead of returning to the fierce political scene of the kingdom's capital.

Swish.

Swish.

After covering our faces with traveler's hoods, we hurried our steps.

Our destination was an orphanage located in a corner of the city's slum.

Although you might think that slums would be very dirty with waste and garbage...

"Slime?"

"Slime~"

The first alien creature I encountered in this world, 'Slime', kept the area relatively clean by cleaning constantly.

Slime.

This alien creature, which exists everywhere, wobbles all day long, eating garbage, corpses, dust, and waste indiscriminately.

A beneficial creature!

It also serves as a food source for all carnivorous animals, including humans, as it is at the bottom of the food chain...

'I want to take it to the real world!'

It's a pity that it's just a dream.

"Come here."

"Slime~"

An alien creature that was not even mentioned in the original novel.

However, Slime was an environmental cleaner, essential to the ecosystem of this world, like bacteria.

"Slime follows you very well, my lord."

"Is that strange?"

"Yes. It's rare for barbarians to eat Slime, but it's not entirely unheard of. So, Slime usually runs away when humans approach."

"I see. Is that so for you too?"

"Slime? Slime!"

The Slime on my head wobbled as if to answer.

Clink.

The thugs living in the slums saw the swords in our waists and quietly stepped aside.

Thanks to them, we easily arrived at the orphanage.

As soon as I saw the ghostly appearance of the house, I was reminded of my long-lost talent.

'Why would a shaman be scared!'

I carefully knocked on the tightly locked front door.

Knock, knock.

"Excuse me-"

"If you are from Angelina, just go back."

"......"

I was able to understand the situation even before I finished speaking.

'What's with this patient making so many mistakes?'

It seems the relationship between the protagonist and the pretty boy didn't progress from close siblings to lovers and went sour in between.

How frustrating?

"I have nothing to do with Angelina Chimac."

"Even so, I'm sorry. Due to the public sentiment, we cannot open this door to strangers."

"I'll get ready right away."

The boy behind the front door spoke his mind precisely.

However, I'm not the type to back off at this level.

"Even in the desert, flowers bloom."

"...A single dewdrop on the petals is enough to live for today."

"Today, I'll be the shade for a weary honeybee after a long journey."

"And once again, flowers bloom in the desert."

Click! Squeak-

The tightly closed front door of the orphanage cautiously opened.

And the boy revealed himself.

His slightly tanned skin and golden eyes gave off an exotic atmosphere.

"Nice to meet you."

"What do you intend to do with me?"

"It doesn't seem like something we should discuss outside..."

"I'm sorry. Please come in."

We entered the orphanage, receiving wary gazes from all around.

"There are many children."

"Many orphans have come here due to the recent war."

"Are you the director?"

The woman who approached me as I looked around lowered her head.

"There's no director here. I just cook for the children. But if there has to be a director here, it would be that child."

"Thank you for the explanation."

The boy was having trouble finding a place to lead us.

There were children everywhere, so there was no quiet place to have a conversation in the orphanage.

'Should I start laying the groundwork?'

It's rude for a guest to come empty-handed, so I prepared accordingly.

"Valentine Knight, please put all the bread you brought on that table."

"Yes."

There were nearly twice as many children in the orphanage as described in the original novel, so I failed to adjust the bread quantity, but it was enough to change the atmosphere.

"You can eat as much as you want."

"......"

"......"

"If you don't eat, the slime on my head will eat everything?"

"Slime, Slime!"

As soon as I moved the slime next to the bread, the children, sensing a crisis, rushed in without hesitation.

"No!"

"Huh? Me too!"

"It's bread!"

The tense atmosphere instantly crumbled under the bright voices of the children.

However, the rate at which the bread was disappearing was also terrifying...

"Valentine Knight, please bring more bread."

"Yes."

She, who was supposed to escort me, went out with the male servant and attendants to buy more bread for the orphanage.

"...Thank you."

The boy, who had been watching the whole scene, bowed his head politely to me.

"Since I'm older, can I speak informally?"

"Of course."

"Thanks. I came to protect you until you regain your throne. If you want, I'll even protect the children in the orphanage that you cherish like your own siblings."

"How did you know the royal song?"

"Because I'm a shaman."

It's not a lie.

"A shaman?"

"I'll tell you once we've built up a little more trust."

"...Understood."

The boy, well aware that I was in control, obediently followed my words.

'He is smart.'

He was true to the original novel's setting.

"And keep this in mind. I'm not your servant. So, I intend to receive a definite reward for protecting you."

"...I'll do whatever I can. Just don't touch my siblings."

"I promise."

I'm not a bad adult to make the children who weren't chosen by the novel's author work.

"Then I'll trust you and follow."

"I'm counting on you. Ah! You can call me 'brother.'"

"I'll do so once we've built up a little more trust."

"What?"

I succeeded in stealing the 'butler' who was adjusting the protagonist's complicated love life to prevent it from falling apart.

'What will happen now?'

The protagonist without this boy is no different from a sports car without brakes.

"Slime?"

"Indeed."

I really don't know, do I?

I was already looking forward to what kind of mess the patient would make next.

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