I Became the Hero's Bride! Chapter 19

IBHB 19 - Trust in your prince

TL: Eevee
Ed: Hungry Panda

Senyun was there. Hiding in an alleyway watching the sequence of events unfold. She watched 'Clariceisaprince,' or Isaprince for short, who she told the truth while she was drunk, who went on to rally the CLC in protest. She was so angry with herself with causing this tragedy that she even smacked her head into the wall.

She couldn't possibly go back to the palace. She was afraid that she would see the prince's face hurt from seeing the protest. She felt sinful. Thinking of the prince's blame, that this was all her fault, she nearly wet herself in fear. So Senyun decided to run. It was a selfish decision with only herself in mind, but she felt that it was better than being hated by the prince.

And so a few days pa.s.sed.

Clarice was loitering around in a dark alleyway close to the CLC's secret headquarters. The protests only continued to gain momentum with each pa.s.sing day. At the same time, with each pa.s.sing day the dark clouds in Senyun's heart gathered even more momentum. It was a perilous state that threatened to spill over with rain at the slightest touch.

Senyun glanced at the bright sunlight on the opening of the alleyway. Since everyone was at the protest, naturally the streets were empty. It seemed like no one would realise if she just broke into tears right here.

Just then, shadows snuck up to Senyun.

"Lookee here, lady~"

Senyun turned her head to the source of the voice just as her eyes were about to redden. Uwaa. Her face crumpled up instantly. Exactly three of them. A mohican, buzz cut and regent. A trio that looked every inch the typical delinquent swaggered in her direction.

Meanwhile, having approached Senyun, the trio exchanged looks before they started whispering amongst themselves. What? Isn't that a boy? Those b.r.e.a.s.t.s are a washboard? Those aren't b.r.e.a.s.t.s but straight up nonexistent? After a long debate they came to a conclusion. Even if it was a boy it was quite cute so it was 'possible.'

Mohican snickered and beckoned.

"Boy~ we're high-flying young men~ come quietly when we're asking nicely. It's not going to be fun if you don't!"

Since it was plenty unfun already, Senyun thought.

'What are these r.e.t.a.r.ds?'

No wait, before that. Didn't they just call me a boy? What? Why did they call me a boy? Are they blind? What? Does it mean something? Does it mean they want me to turn them from mohican, buzz cut and regent to bald, bald and bald with a fireball?

It was just as Senyun was about to unleash a fireball without hesitation.

"Stop!!"

Fizz. The shout dissolved away the fireball. Senyun bit her lip before glaring at Minwoo who had appeared at the end of the alley.

"Why are you here…"
"Who dares!!"

Mohican cut her off and shouted. Senyun scowled at Mohican, annoyed and returned to glaring at Minwoo

"Why are you here…"
"Oi bro! Don't Interfere and p.i.s.s off!"

Buzz Cut cut her off and shouted. Senyun scowled at Buzz Cut, annoyed before glaring at Minwoo again.

"What are you here…"
"What the h.e.l.l are you? Do you know this boy?!"

Regent cut her off and shouted. Senyun scowled at Regent. Should she just off them? But she barely suppressed the urge, and glared at Minwoo again. The two exchanged looks. In that brief moment of time, Senyun rolled her brain. Leaving aside why he came here for now, he was probably going to help her who was (apparently) captured by delinquents. In that case…

The two people yelled at the same time.

"My boyfriend!"
"There's nothing between us?"

"Wha, what?! What do you mean there's nothing between us?!"
"Why the h.e.l.l am I your boyfriend?! Are you nuts?!?!"

Minwoo rubbed his arms and shivered as if he really felt an arctic chill down his spine. Likewise for Senyun. She felt as if she had gooseb.u.mps on her tongue. She even said something that would have had the priestess at her throat for it but that idiot couldn't read the mood.

"Look here. You lot. I'm warning you, if you want to touch her then you'll need to be prepared."

But as if he really had come to help her out, Minwoo regathered himself and warned the trio. Although he seemed like an idiot, indeed a hero. At the sharp look the trio gulped. Senyun thought that he was trustworthy at moments like this, as she internally retched a little bit at the thought.

"Pre, prepared?"
"Yeah."

Minwoo looked at Senyun as if she was something disgusting.

"This kid. On her off day she daydreams of a man(=Clarice) being tamed and mind broken like a b.i.t.c.h, and to boot she chases the man she likes(=Clarice) around everywhere going 'Guhehe~ Guhehe~ my prince ♥ this Senyun will protect you ♥ ♥' and all sorts of stalker s.h.i.t. This kid even stole panties lately, you know?"

Crack. Something broke. Namely inside Senyun.

"If you don't want to end up like that then run away!"
"Re, really! We nearly stepped on a mine!"
"Thanks bro!"
"We'll remember this!"

The trio quickly left the scene. Even though he had beaten the demon king and was no longer a hero, it still felt good to save people. Minwoo put his hands on his hips and smiled satisfyingly.

Without a shred of hesitation Senyun planted her fist in that self-satisfied face.

"Dduhurphth!"(1)

Sprawled out like a certain king from the past, Minwoo wiped the corner of his mouth and yelled.

"You nutcase! What are you doing!"
"What the h.e.l.l are you doing then?! Why did you come here!!"

No, there was no need to listen. Senyun got up and was about to leave. Right up till Minwoo called to her in an accusatory tone.

"Are you running away again!"

Senyun halted. She turned around with a glare that threatened to drop an Inferno at any moment.

"What did you say?"
"Are you running away again."

Minwoo staggered and stood up. Before Senyun could get a word in edgewise, Minwoo pressed his point.

"This protest. You started it. And now you're going to run away irresponsibly?"

That was a misunderstanding. Although it did have to do with her, she wasn't the one who started it. But Senyun couldn't refute his words. She could only clench her fists and lower her head.

"……Let's talk."

Minwoo calmly said, having noticed something off about Senyun. Senyun barely nodded her head.

***

A dark corner of an alleyway where only shadows lurked. It was a perfect place for two people to sit down awkwardly and have a secret discussion. Even Senyun, who told Minwoo her complicated story of her involvement in the protest, couldn't stand how pathetic she was and laughed bitterly at herself.

"I don't even… I…"
"No, that's, what's it. It's not your fault. When you look at it, the reason that Clarice became a woman was because of that old snake of a king, the bikini armour incident was Eri's fault, and the one that started the protest was the woman named Isaprince."

Minwoo stammered as he comforted Senyun. To think the day would come where this guy would be comforting her, Senyun couldn't stand her shame and sneered at herself.

"But if I'd been paying attention none of this would have happened. I wasn't even thinking at all and just drooling all over him… I don't even…. I…"

And back to the beginning.

As Senyun threatened to up dig a pit with her sighs, Minwoo bolted upright. Minwoo faced Senyun with a determined face.

"Senyun. Listen to me."

Senyun looked up at Minwoo in surprise. So he's still trying to comfort me all the way to the end after all, in her heart, she felt the tiniest stirrings of thankfulness-

"Yes! In all seriousness I don't even know what's going through your mind!"

…….Ha?

"Same with your leeching off Clarice and freezing the mood along with your surroundings! Same with you being completely dyed with everything Clarice! And despite all that and the fact you caused this ma.s.sive mess which let alone getting on your knees and begging Clarice's forgiveness you've gone into hiding on your own! To be honest even when I look at you I seriously have no answers!"

Wham. Wham. Wham. Every single sentence became a cold hard fact a.s.sault that barraged Senyun. It hurt. It hurt so much her tears leaked a little. Is this kid trying to comfort me or make me cry.

"If I were in your shoes right now I'd go apologise to Clarice!"
"But… But I'm scared too!"

Senyun yelled, jumping up from her seat. She clenched her shaking fists and sorrowfully yelled back.

"If I apologise, if I confess that this was all my fault! I'm scared that the prince is going to hate me!! You know what I did to His Highness! I was taken for a fool and turned His Highness into a woman! Because of that, let alone having to marry you, s.e.xually hara.s.sed by Eri! And now because of me a protest happened! Everything's all my fault… How could he not hate such an idiot, how could he!!"

Senyun cried. Yelled. Vomited out. In the end she couldn't take her own acc.u.mulated sorrows and sat down on the spot. And she cried.

"Senyun."

Minwoo's voice was neither kind nor gentle. It wasn't like there wasn't any sort of awkward sympathy. Because he'd already been there, done that.

"Would Clarice really hate you?"

Senyun lifted her head. Minwoo kept talking.

"What kind of person is Clarice to you? Someone who hates and casts aside a person that apologises for their wrongs? Or someone who kindly embraces them in forgiveness?"
"You…"
"Senyun. Clarice was worrying about you. Even if you stole her panties, even if you made the Potion of Changing Gender, she was still worried about you."
"How am I supposed to believe that… How am I supposed to believe you…?"

Senyun's eyes wavered dangerously. As if she was asking for someone to hold her.

"You don't have to believe me."

Minwoo held out his hand.

Sympathy was unnecessary. But, helping someone up when they're down was probably alright.

"Believe in Clarice. Believe, in your prince that you like."

Although he's a princess now. Minwoo swallowed back those words. That would completely shatter the mood.

Senyun wordlessly looked at Minwoo's hand. The prince that she liked. With the sharp beating of her heart, she was reminded of a voice.

'True love! No matter how your own love can't be requited, to support and be at the back of the one.'

Where did her determination from then go to. She had made her decision to help the prince even if it couldn't be repaid… Even more than the time she was fooled by the king's honeyed words, it was more regrettable that she forgot her resolve from that day.

She made her decision. Go apologise, and find a way to quell this protest. Senyun took Minwoo's hand and got up. As if he was proud of her, a smile rounded the corners of his mouth.

"What are you looking at."

Embarra.s.sment rushed in. Senyun narrowed her eyes but decided to leave it at that. She needed to wipe her tears and snot first if she wanted to be intimidating or anything.

"Hm? No, nothing."

Snicker snicker.

A vein popped out in Senyun's forehead. She wanted to drop a fireball on him right this instant…. But she decided to be the adult and hold it in. Because this time, this was nothing less than a debt.

"Hold up."

Senyun was about to leave Minwoo snickering to himself, when he hurriedly stopped her. As Senyun gave him a strange look, Minwoo held out his hand.

"What?"
"Panties."
"?"

Panties?

"Don't try to gloss over it. You need to return Clarice's stolen panties."
"Wh, what?!"

Oh s.h.i.te. Senyun's face turned sheet white. Minwoo scowled and brought his hand right up to her nose.

"Don't pretend you don't know and hand it over."
"N, no, that…"
"Get it out with your summoning magic. Surely you're not going to say you don't have it?"
"…….."

She didn't. She'd already long since sold them to the CLC. Senyun sweated bullets and avoided his gaze. Minwoo could make a rough guess from her reaction. He clicked his tongue and sighed.

"Can't be helped if you don't have them then."
"Y, yeah! It can't be helped!"

Thank goodness. He was letting her off…

"Looks like we can only go by the kingdom's laws."

"……..Ha?"

Eye for an eye. Tooth for a tooth.

……In the end Senyun had to return to the palace missing her underwear.

Author's Note

I'm telling you all this in advance
But the next episode is insanely stupidly ridiculous so take caution

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TN: It wouldn't be this author without something derailing every chapter, now would it?

(1) Sound of someone getting his face punched in