Chapter 15

"Hey." Katarina stepped out and dropped a piece of cloth to the ground.

"What kind of princess sneaks into another man's room at this hour?"

It did take us a while to get back home but still, if I had to use a similar time from my former world, it would still be around 4am, definitely not the time to have a chat.

"The kind that coerces her fiancée to go to a dungeon on the second day of knowing each other.

"True."

Katarina took a seat on my bed without asking and I sat down at the on the opposite end keeping an appropriate amount of distance.

"So what do you mean you used your magic on me?" I asked after we got comfortable.

"Exactly what it means. Since we met, I could sense that you weren't the average duke son and decided to make you my subordinate. My magic is a soul type one and though it's very weak, it allows me to slowly influence someone's mind. Since it doesn't count as an attack, it is very difficult to guard against. The only downside is that it takes time to work."

"So that is why you got all chummy with me."

I did feel that her attitude on the day we met and the one afterwards was different and having heard the reason, everything made sense.

"Why did you decide to tell me that?"

"There are a number of reasons." She placed up a finger and began counting down.

"First, I judged from the fact that you took on a soul attack that strong so many times that your soul was abnormally strong. Even if my magic worked, it would require a long time spanning decades. I don't have that kind of time and it would be faster to gain your trust the normal way."

"Secondly, there is no guarantee you won't detect my magic and turning you hostile is a no go."

"And for the last one, I'm not so ungrateful that I would use my magic on my benefactor."

"That's a surprisingly humane side of you."

"Shut up." I thought she poured for a moment there but she was instantly back to her calculating princess mode.

"That's why I want to reboot our relationship. Not as engaged, not as princess and duke's son. I want us to start again as partners. Is that okay with you?"

I looked at her and detected nothing but sincerity in her eyes.

I didn't know whether she was using her magic on me but if it was something I disliked, i would have sensed it. 

In that case, there is only one thing to do.

"No."

"Eh?" Katarina blinked as though she couldn't expect the answer I gave her.

I agree we had a good mood going on but there was something more important we had to first.

"Don't you think you have something to do first?"

Katarina's eyes opened as she got my drift and smiled.

"I'm very sorry for trying to control you. I won't do it again."

"Very well, I accept your apology."

I shifted closer to her and placed my hand out.she responded and we clasped each others hands and at that moment, a new relationship was formed.

"Nice to meet you, friend."

...

"Then, I'll see you later."

Three days later, Katarina left for the capital.

We bade the other goodby and promised to send each other letters.

To outsiders, I'm sure we looked like a couple of lovebirds but only the two of us knew we were making plans to go on a other adventure to prepare for the royal selection.

I waved her goodbye as her carriage disappeared over the horizon.

Even though it was a carriage, it wasn't pulled along by a horse and seemed more similar to cars from my former world.

"I wondered why they don't just teleport." I mumbles and flinched when I received a response.

"That's because there is a barrier above every town and city that prevents teleportation. Plus, teleportation consumes a large amount of mana and can be hijacked, interfered with and even delayed or interrupted." My father appeared behind me and placed a hand on my shoulders holding me in place.

Despite all my strength, I still couldn't move and could only stay there as my father's signature cold smile made its appearance.

"Why don't you tell me why the field next to the city was in a disturbance the day you and your fiancée went out."

"Um... Sightseeing?"

"Ha-ha." My father laughed dryly and dragged me into the house.

...

"I'm sorry." I was currently washing the toilets as punishment for lying.

Thankfully, they didn't discover that we encountered a lich king so after I explained... Or rather lie that we only entered the first level, they let me off and only assigned me to toilet duty for a week.

"But still, it was cruel of them." The them in question wasn't my parents but the servants who ignored me as I flailed around and begged them for help with my eyes.

"How are you doing, young master?" Ars appeared with a rag and a bucket of water as I knelt on the bath tiles.

"Ars..." I looked up with tears in my eyes.

As expected, he was the only one in my side.

"Let me help you." Ars said and I nodded unaware of the disaster that was going to happen.

...

"So this is why they didn't stop you." I looked at the hurricane struck bathroom and sighed.

I did think it was quite strange that my father allowed him to help me but seeing this, I now understood.

Ars... Was very terrible at cleaning. 

While he was quite competent in everything else, it looked like his stats in cleaning were deducted to make up for it.

"I'm very sorry, young master." The man in question was on his knees rubbing his forehead into the floor that was definitely not clean.

"It's alright." I rigged at his shirt and he rose to his feet.

"The feeling is more than enough." I said and patted his head.

Though Ars was ten years older than me, I was a reincarnated person so I technically have more years on him sot it was okay to treat him like a child.

If I didn't have to tiptoe to pat his head even as he was bending it, it would have been ideal.

"Thank you." I said and Ars shook his head vehement and my hand fell off.

"No, young master. This is all my fault. If I hadn't come to help, then you would have been done a whole lot quicker. I knew how terrible my skills were and still thought to help you. I'm a failure of a butler through and through." I frowned as he dissed himself and called.out to him in the sharpest time and I could muster.

"Ars!"

"Yes."

"You may have messed up here but that doesn't change the fact you had good intentions for me. Fine, I Amy be a little angry but more than that, I'm happy you thought for my sake and despite your lack of confidence in your skills, your desire to help me was more and you volunteered yourself. So don't feel like a failure." I softened my tone the closer I got to the end and took a deep breath and finished.

"If you aren't good at something, then simply get better at it. People, luck and weapons may betray you but your hard work never will."

"Lord Sai..." As wiped his eyes and I could see a mew and much more solid resolve in them and nodded satisfied.

"But for now..." I looked at the amount of work that increased and rubbed my forehead.

"Just leave this to me."

...

"Princess, did you manage to succeed in the end?" Maler asked as she looked at her liege.

In the past couple of days they stayed at the Reschelburg house, something seemed to have changed in Katarina.

It was like she became softer or more flexible. If Maler had to say something, it would be similar to how her mistress was cold and calculating only to become warm and caring.

Of course to Maler, her mistress was always warm and nice but there was something that changed and she couldn't put a finger on it.

"If you have to call it something, I guess I would have failed." Katarina smiled and Maler could tell that it wasn't out of disappointment but satisfaction and perhaps, happiness.

"Did something happen?"

"Nothing. I just made a friend."

"Who?"

"Nobody special. Just a humble warrior."

"Okay." 

Sensing her liege did not want to speak further, Maler kept silent and began wandering who she was talking about.

'Was it Lord Sai?' that was the only individual Katarina interacted with the most and the only person capable of changing her.

'From what I heard, he seemed like a regular duke's son but if he's able to cause such a profound change in mistress, then I may have misjudged him.'

"Maler." Katarina called shaking Maler from her thoughts.

"Yes?"

"Looks like the next couple of years are going to be interesting."