C204

Shirou introduced the delicate Guinevere to the knights, and they were taken aback by her striking resemblance to the king, particularly as she was a princess.

Despite her royal status, Guinevere appeared incredibly frail, and one could almost imagine her bursting into tears if anyone stared at her too long. This vulnerability made the knights feel protective of her.

Shirou entrusted Guinevere to Artoria, and the moment she came under Artoria's banner, tears streamed down her face as she clung to Artoria's hand.

Despite telling herself not to try and guess the king's thoughts and to feign ignorance, Guinevere's intelligence allowed her to discern some of his intentions. However, knowing the danger that awaited her, she chose to remain silent.

The mere act of attempting to guess the king's thought could result in Guinevere's execution, with her head displayed for all to see. The thought was enough to send chills down her spine and leave her trembling with fear.

Upon signing the contract, she made a firm commitment to serve Artoria for the rest of her life. She understood that her safety hinged on maintaining a strong bond with Artoria and holding onto her tightly, both figuratively and literally. Thus, she clung tightly to Artoria's thigh, all the while reminding herself to keep quiet and not say anything that could jeopardize her precarious position.

Artoria welcomed Guinevere's closeness, as she had a natural inclination to protect the weak. While Guinevere's plan appeared to be effective, feigning ignorance proved to be a challenge, for a tyrant had already taken notice of her intelligence and had set his sights on her.

For example, now...

Shirou gestured towards the economic paper he had painstakingly crafted at the expense of his already limited time, his eyes fixed on Guinevere with intense stare, "You mean you can't understand any of this?"

She nodded timidly, fear palpable in her expression.

He grabbed her hair and pulled her over.

"Ow ow ow ow ow..." she had tears in her eyes.

His expression remained stern as he spoke, "Finish today's reading and the homework I've assigned. If it doesn't meet my standards, you won't eat today."

"But... but..."

He produced a metallic clink by tapping the sheath of his sword with his finger, "I don't keep useless people."

Despite the discomfort caused by his grip on her hair, Guinevere focused on the task at hand and studied the homework. After answering his questions to the best of her ability, she submitted her work to him with a fearful expression.

He took the answer sheet from Guinevere, and finally released her hair, "That's enough for today. I'll go over your answers tomorrow. You may leave now."

She let out a deep breath, feeling a sense of relief wash over her. She fought back tears as she hurriedly left the palace, grateful to have escaped the tense and oppressive atmosphere.

...

Shirou let out a weary sigh as he settled back into his throne and resumed reading through the paperwork before him. Despite having spent two years training countless people on how to manage various matters, new issues seemed to arise constantly, leaving no end in sight.

As he sat on his throne, he shifted uncomfortably and became aware of the discomfort in his sciatic nerve from prolonged sitting. He felt fortunate to have access to the black mud which would help alleviate his pain. Otherwise, his back would not be able to withstand the strain of his responsibilities.

He was reading through some documents when Scathach burst into the room, brimming with excitement.

"King Arthur," she exclaimed, "I have finally mastered the true spear technique! Let's duel in a one-on-one battle!"

Shirou set down the papers he was holding and turned to face Scathach. He sneered at her eagerness and retorted, "You're being ridiculous. Having learned only a small portion of the technique, you think you can challenge me? How foolish!"

Scathach exuded confidence as she declared, "Things will be different this time! You will surely be defeated by me!"

He sneered at her words, "Your ignorance is truly pitiful. Very well, I will put you to the test and gauge your progress before deciding whether or not to engage in a fight."

Approaching Scathach, his demeanor seemed to put her on guard, as she clutched her spear tightly. She felt that this king was a treacherous deceiver who lured people into a false sense of security before seizing their weapons.

...

Seeking solace, Guinevere sought out Artoria and confided in her. She was filled with fear and trepidation towards Shirou.

"Did the king pull your hair again?" Artoria asked.

Guinevere nodded, tears streaming down her face. She couldn't believe that this Britain Red Dragon, a figure of immense power and authority, was nothing more than a hair-pulling lunatic.

Artoria felt at a loss on how to comfort Guinevere, given that she herself had suffered from Shirou's mistreatment towards her ponytail.

As they were talking, they noticed Scathach walking towards them in a daze. Artoria, being a supportive friend, approached Scathach and asked her what had happened.

Scathach went on to recount the incident to Artoria and Guinevere.

She felt a sense of inadequacy regarding her intelligence ever since her leave from the shadow land. Additionally, she was frequently targeted and mistreated by the perverted king, leaving her feeling bitter and tearful.

Artoria and Guinevere empathized deeply with Scathach's plight, with Guinevere even bursting into tears.

'This is retribution!' Guinevere cried inside, 'I shouldn't have spoken out of turn. If I had just been a good princess of Cameliard, I wouldn't be exploited, oppressed, and subjected to hair-pulling like this.'

Guinevere couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by the tragic situation, and tears continued to stream down her face. However, she also noticed that something seemed off as Scathach gazed at her with a strange expression.

She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but she had a feeling that something was amiss.

Suddenly realizing something, Guinevere turned around and tried to run away. However, Scathach quickly grabbed her, pulling her back by her long hair and violently shaking her.

"You bastard, Arthur! Do you know how powerful I am now?"

"You've got the wrong person." Guinevere cried out, tears streaming down her face. "I'm not Arthur. Please let me go... Ouch, ouch, it hurts..."

...

Guinevere would often go to great lengths to avoid Scathach, whose presence filled her with a sense of dread. Whenever possible, she would keep a safe distance from the imposing woman or seek refuge behind Artoria, clutching at her hair and trembling with fear.

Guinevere lived in constant fear of many people in Cornwall, but Artoria and Lancelot were the two exceptions. She did not fear them. Of the two, Artoria was the one to whom she had pledged her allegiance, and with whom she felt a sense of security, thanks to her kind and trustworthy personality.

Despite her general fear of others, Guinevere inexplicably felt a strange sense of familiarity towards Lancelot. It was as if looking at him was akin to gazing upon a small bird she had once raised. This feeling was equally perplexing to Lancelot, who also experienced a sense of connection with Guinevere that he could not quite explain.

After hesitating for a moment, Lancelot finally mustered the courage to approach Guinevere. "Princess Guinevere, may I ask you something?"

"What is it, Sir Lancelot?" Guinevere asked timidly, hiding behind Artoria.

Lancelot hesitated for a moment before finally asking, "Have you... have you ever seen a fairy named 'Vivian'?"

Guinevere paused to consider before responding, "The name sounds somewhat familiar... but I'm sorry, I have never seen a fairy before."

"Okay, I apologize for troubling you," Lancelot said, before turning and walking away.

Guinevere breathed a sigh of relief and emerged from behind Artoria.

Just then, Morgan approached Artoria. Guinevere's immediate reaction was to hide under the table, trembling with fear. In all of Cornwall, there were three people whom she feared the most: Shirou, who was the king, Scathach, who had once mistaken her for Arthur, and Morgan le Fay.

Guinevere knew that her fear of Morgan was not unfounded. From the moment she arrived in Cornwall, Morgan had shown hostility and a clear intent to harm her. The intensity of Morgan's murderous intent was palpable, leaving Guinevere in a state of constant fear. As a result, she always did her best to avoid Morgan and never dared to meet her directly.

"What's wrong?" Artoria asked, noticing her sister's melancholic expression.

Morgan had been acting strangely lately, always with a gloomy expression that left her wondering what was going through her mind.

Perhaps most surprising of all, Morgan had been actively avoiding Shirou lately, even going so far as to make excuses to avoid meeting with him, even when he summoned her.

This behavior was completely at odds with her previous eagerness to be in his company, whether by urging him to get married or showing concern for his health. Now, it seemed as though Morgan was actively trying to distance herself from him, as if she were trying to escape from something.

"I...I want to ask you something," Morgan hesitated, her eyes flickering with struggle.

Her emotions were a complex mix of hope, fear, determination, hesitation, anger, and retreat, all reflected in her flickering eyes. After a long moment of hesitation, she finally spoke up. "Actually, just forget that I came and don't worry about my question," she said before turning and quickly walking away.

"What's been going on with her lately?" Artoria murmured to herself, concerned about Morgan's recent behavior.

...

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