So I Married An Abandoned Crown Prince - Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Upon encountering Joseph, Sabrina fainted on the spot.

“Help that woman, Velskin.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

At Joseph’s order, a knight clicked his tongue as he took the unconscious woman in his arms.

“I can’t believe you’re trying to run away when your Master is in danger…”

I listened to the knight’s murmur.

It was a small, barely audible whisper, but alchemists are sensitive because we always deal with nature.

“Didn’t our Madam tell her maid to run away? Madam seems to treasure her maid a lot.”

A man who looked a little older than the knight holding Sabrina, curtly responded.

The knight frowned and contradicted him.

“Even so, I can’t believe she actually ran away so cowardly like this.

“She wouldn’t have done that if she was from Katan. As expected from southerners…tsk.”

“But it’s a little unexpected that our madam tried to protect her maid. Maybe she’s different from the rumors after all.”

I quietly smiled at the knight’s words.

‘Now, fewer people will listen to Sabrina’s slander about me.’

“Are you hurt somewhere?”

While I was snickering alone, Joseph grabbed my shoulders. He helped me get up easily and shook off the dirt on my head.

“Th-Thank you.”

I got a little embarrassed because I felt he was treating me like a child.

‘You’re still as sweet as ever.’

A long shadow fell over me as his fingers brushed my head. I was a little dazed due to Joseph’s unexpected arrival.

“Were you on patrol?”

It was unusual for the Grand Duke to personally go on a night patrol.

Joseph was the only Lord of Katan and a Grand Duke who ruled the north.

He was an extremely busy person, thus he didn’t have time to patrol the territory himself.

At my question, he shook his head briefly.

‘Don’t tell me…you’re here because of me?’

Even though I didn’t believe it to be true, I couldn’t take my doubtful gaze off him.

“I was worried because my wife hadn’t returned even though it was late at night.”

Joseph heaved a small sigh then grabbed my wrist as I stood in place absentmindedly.

He pulled me, and before I knew it, I was already standing before a black horse.

“Why did you go to Kensteen Plains?”

“….I went to gather some soil. I feel the need to examine it.”

As I replied, Manuel suddenly showed up with a grumpy face.

“See? I told you so! That witch is going to curse the Kensteen Plain!”

Joseph turned his head toward Manuel, who raised his voice and even dared to point his finger at me.

“Manuel. Watch your mouth.”

“…His Highness doesn’t even believe me, so I got mad…”

Perhaps he was intimidated by Joseph’s stern voice, he quietly glared daggers at me.

I tried to ignore Manuel’s fierce eyes and grabbed Joseph’s sleeve. My grip was weak enough for him to shake it off easily, but Joseph did not do that.

“Your Highness.”

“Yes, Wife. Please speak.”

Seriously, he’s such a sweet man. He bowed his head closer to me and patiently waited for my words.

Upon closer look, the moonlight highlighted his beautiful dark grey eyebrows and dense eyelashes.

“I’m not a witch, and I don’t know how to curse.”

“…..”

“Please trust me.”

I knew I was being greedy, but I wanted Joseph to trust me. Even if I was the daughter of Roscoe Cardinale, the man who shamelessly appropriated Katan’s fertile lands. If only he put faith in me, who was born in Cardinale.

But there was no way he’d believe me.

An upright person like him wouldn’t judge people just by their background, but being a Cardinale was not the only terrible thing about me.

So I had to take action before Sabrina spread her rumors.

I let out a low sigh because Joseph seemed to have a hard time answering.

“I’ve never thought my wife is a witch.”

“….!”

Joseph raised my head. I opened my eyes wide in surprise at his touch.

“I’ll listen to your explanation when we return to the castle.”

My black hair slipped through his fingers as he held my head. Dazed by his sudden action, I stammered.

“…Yes. That sounds good to me. I will explain it to you.”

He nodded briefly in response, and raised his white sword.

His shining white-as-snow sword was particularly striking in the moonlight.

‘Thinking about it further, that monster is the type that can be tamed into a divine beast.’

“Your Highness, please wait,”

Approaching the screeching monster surrounded by knights, Joseph looked back at me.

“I hope you don’t kill this monster.”

I quickly stepped forward before Joseph could wield his sword.

“Why?”

He tilted his head when he saw my anxious face. I hesitated before answering.

‘The way to tame a wild monster into a divine beast won’t be known until the distant future.’

However, it’s not like I could tell him the truth now.

“…This monster is pregnant.”

The monster was a creature belonging to Devildom, and it was intrinsically ferocious and hostile toward humans.

The only way to tame them was to raise a young monster that had not yet been exposed to magic.

‘Ibelina tamed Geneva the Black Dragon using that method.’

The black dragon was a creature powerful enough to be called the king of monsters, and one dragon was enough to handle a large group of soldiers.

‘It can be helpful to protect Katan.’

I apologized to Ibelina internally, but I needed to tame Geneva before her. And since I don’t have a personality like hers, I needed to practice taming the monster first.

In that sense, since a wolf belongs to the dog family (canidae), I thought it’d be a good practice partner.

So I gulped, and pointed to the monster’s bloated stomach.

“So, what I mean…”

“Alright.”

I wanted to explain as to why a pregnant monster should not be killed, but Joseph already nodded before I could say anything.

“Pardon?”

“I won’t kill it.”

He had already returned his sword to his scabbard.

I opened my eyes wide at his behavior and tilted my head.

‘This easy?’

Well, it’s a relief either way.

“Thank you, Your Highness.”

“But we can’t leave a dangerous monster in the middle of the road, so we need to do something about it.”

Joseph looked back at the growling monster near the crushed carriage with troubled eyes.

It was quite frightening to see a gray wolf flaunting its teeth in the bright moonlight.

“Then, should I move the monster into the forest?”

“Is that possible?”

“Yes.”

Nodding at Joseph, I activated the magic circle I had drawn earlier while the knights were watching.

“Nox, Renau.”

The grandeur and brilliance in my language reflected my arrogant personality.

‘I’ve never used it in front of people.’

It was a fact that I realized only after I died. It was a waste to hide my talent just because I was conscious of people’s eyes.

The swirling light began to light up the dark night as it slowly materialized from the magic circle.

“Wow.”

It was so beautiful that even Manuel, so busy accusing me of witchcraft each time he saw me, looked truly captivated by the sight.

As the light emerged from the magic circle surrounding the wolf, the wolf’s body blurred before completely disappearing.

‘It’s a good thing I prepared a cave for the monster beforehand.’

I had told Rona to set up my secret laboratory deep inside the forest surrounding the Grand Duke’s castle.

“Thank you so much for doing me a favor, Your Highness.”

I approached Joseph, who looked at me with concerned eyes, unlike those who were charmed by my performance.

“Wife, Katan is a harsh and cruel land.”

I raised my chin at his seemingly random words. His eyes were kind as he hesitated before continuing.

“I’m worried that you’re too soft-hearted.”

“….Pardon?”

I think my husband may have misunderstood me.