Chapter 15: The Person Behind No Face

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Translator: Soafp

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“N-N-N-N-No-Face-sama!?”

“It's a fine moonlit night tonight, Princess Christina.”

“Y-Yes!! I-It certainly is!!”

Dressed in a plague mask and a pitch-black coat, my sister—pretending to be No-Face—spoke to Christina in this weirdly theatrical, overly cool tone.

“It may be a discourteous request, but could you release my subordinate?”

“Y-Yes!! Right away!!”

Christina ordered the soldiers to undo the magical chains binding me.

The soldiers clearly didn't like the idea of freeing me after they'd finally caught me, but they had no choice when it was an order from a princess.

FRRREEEEEEEEDDDDDDDOOOOOOOMMMMMMM!!

“I appreciate it, Princess Christina.”

“N-No, not at all!! It's nothing!! B-But, um, why have you come here tonight?”

“It is to treat His Majesty’s illness. I had… hmm, Mysterious Heal Man handle the diversion. Though it seems he was powerless before your excellent command, Princess Christina.”

“N-No, it wasn’t that amazing!!”

Nee-san spread her arms dramatically and acted with exaggerated confidence.

…Yeah, there's no way I move like that.

And Christina… seriously, she needs to calm down. She's way too flustered—like her usual composed student council president self has completely evaporated.

“Well then, Princess Christina. Let us make a deal.”

“A d-deal?”

“Yes. A deal. Allow us to examine His Majesty's illness. In return, I shall grant any request of yours within reason.”

“I accept!!”

“…Eh? Ah—ah, I'm grateful. You decide surprisingly fast.”

Christina nodded so quickly my sister actually got startled.

“P-Princess!! With all due respect, allowing someone of unknown identity to meet His Majesty is—”

“No-Face-sama is someone we can trust!!”

Even though the soldier was absolutely right—letting a suspicious masked stranger see the king is insane—Christina rejected the objection without hesitation.

Is this princess really okay?

Well, as long as the sick person gets cured, I don't really care.

“No-Face-sama, my one request is this.”

“What is it?”

“Please go out with me!!”

“…I said I would do what I could. Within reason.”

“Then please marry me!! I want ten children!!”

“!?”

This princess shows absolutely zero signs of stopping. She's a runaway train.

“Princess!! Please regain your composure!! This is not like you!!”

“I am perfectly composed!! I simply want to ‘beep (censored)' with No-Face-sama and then ‘beep (censored)' every day!!”

“Princess!?”

The soldiers practically screamed.

I thought she was a serious honor student at the academy, but apparently not.

“Christina Onee-sama, that's unfair. I also want to ‘beep (censored)' with No-Face-sama.”

Oh boy.

I did NOT expect Victoria to jump in here too.

Even Nee-san recoiled.

…Wait. But why is Victoria looking at me when she says that? No-Face right now is Nee-sama.

…Is she onto us?

“Princess Christina. Princess Victoria. Please refrain from probing further.”

“Okay.”

“M-My apologies. Then at least let me see your face?”

“I just said ‘don't probe,' didn't I?”

“Nee-— ahem. No-Face-sama, that was your natural tone.”

But Christina still didn't give up.

“Then please kiss me!!”

“……”

Nee-san, who came to save me, was now looking at me like I should save her.

When I quickly avoided her eyes, she sighed as if giving up.

“…Very well. Please close your eyes.”

“Y-Yes!!”

“Then allow me.”

Nee-san seemed to accept her fate, stepped forward, slid the plague mask slightly aside, and kissed Christina on the cheek.

Since I know who No-Face actually is, the whole thing looked… pretty funny.

“Will this suffice?”

“A-ahyai… aheh… ahehee…”

“Mhm. Christina Onee-sama is making a face she shouldn't show people.”

“…Let us proceed to His Majesty's examination.”

With the promise kept, Christina guided us to the king's bedroom.

The king looked seriously unwell, lying on the bed… but even then, he greeted Christina and Victoria with a gentle smile.

“Cough, cough… Oh, Christina. And Victoria as well. What brings you here at such an hour? The castle has been noisy… and those people behind you are…?”

“This is our first meeting, Your Majesty. I am known as No-Face.”

“No-Face… I see. So you are the one who cured Christina and Victoria's illness. I thank you again, belatedly.”

The king bowed deeply.

“No need. Now, allow me to examine you.”

“Oh? You came to treat my illness? I am grateful. Even the court healers cannot determine what ails me.”

“Excuse me.”

Nee-san checked the king's condition—and then fell silent.

Finally, she spoke a single short sentence.

“This is no illness.”

“Hm? What do you mean?”

“It is poison. Likely something mixed to mimic a slow-progressing illness designed to kill over time.”

Poison!? Seriously? This turned into a full-blown incident.

“…I see. So that is the truth.”

“You suspected?”

“I am the king. And not an especially good one. It does not surprise me that someone would poison me. Regardless, we must act quickly.”

“…True.”

Damn, he's taking this way too calmly. The king's nerves are made of steel.

Nee-san dealt with the poison easily and then started preparing to leave.

“Wait. You saved not only my daughters, but my own life as well. Let me reward you somehow.”

“No need. I do not act for fame.”

“Then for what?”

“That is…”

Nee-san hesitated for a moment and then glanced at me.

And without looking at the king, she answered:

“I simply want the people within my reach to live long, healthy lives. I care for little else.”

That was something I told her once.

She stole my line!! Nee-san totally stole my line!!

…Huh. But since she's playing No-Face right now, maybe she's saying my ideology for me?

“I see. A noble sentiment indeed.”

“Then we shall take our leave.”

“Wait. One last thing I must ask.”

“…What is it?”

“With your healing magic… can you restore my receding hairline?”

…Huh? What?

He said it so seriously I genuinely didn't understand at first.

“Father…”

“Father has no sense of timing.”

“It is a matter of life and death!! My late father went completely bald! I fear I am following in his footsteps!! Each morning, more hair falls out!! The front line retreats every day!!”

Ahh, I get that feeling.

In my previous life, I was scared seeing hair on the pillow every morning too.

“…Healing magic cannot resurrect the dead. A dead hair follicle will not return.”

“Ugh… the royal bloodline is unavoidable, it seems…”

“Then we shall be—”

“Please wait, No-Face-sama. I also have something important to say.”

“Princess Christina?”

Just as Nee-san tried to leave, Christina called out to stop her.

Nee-san visibly wanted to escape so badly.

“Father. I am in love with No-Face-sama.”

“…I see.”

“I love No-Face-sama so much I want to ‘beep (censored)' every day after we get married!!”

“You— You really don't need to say it like that… But wasn't there something between you and Ask Medicus? Though I do not oppose a daughter having multiple lovers. I too had a lively youth…”

“My relationship with Ask Medicus-sama is a contract romance. Only to dissolve the engagement with Duke Arnal's son.”

“I see. Well, I certainly wish to grant you your happiness, but giving my daughter to someone whose identity I do not know is rather difficult… However, hmm. At least he appears to be a real person.”

Wait… did the king think No-Face was an urban legend or something?

“At the very least, I shall begin the procedures to annul your engagement to Duke Arnal's son.”

“F-Father!! Thank you!! Then please also approve my engagement to No-Face-sama!!”

“That… I must think about.”

Well yeah, from the king's point of view, even if No-Face saved his life, you can't just hand your daughter to a masked stranger.

While Christina tried to persuade the king, dawn began to break.

About an hour later, a soldier burst into the room without knocking.

“Your Majesty!! Your Majesty!!”

“What happened?”

“T-The academy!! The Royal Kshirica Magic Academy has been taken over by an unknown armed group!!”

“What!?”

Events really do keep piling up.