Ltrf: Created page with "'''Chapter 8 — Cendrillon’s past''' Ever since being assigned to guard Princess Marianna, Karin’s arrogance had reached unbearable levels. After all, the Royal Mage Guard still stood on the verge of dissolution, and because of that, the other members constantly praised and flattered him. Karin herself seemed to enjoy the treatment, gradually carrying herself with ever greater confidence. Cendrillon, however, could not help feeling uneasy about it all. Certainly..."

2026-05-08T19:45:51Z

Created page with "'''Chapter 8 — Cendrillon’s past''' Ever since being assigned to guard Princess Marianna, Karin’s arrogance had reached unbearable levels. After all, the Royal Mage Guard still stood on the verge of dissolution, and because of that, the other members constantly praised and flattered him. Karin herself seemed to enjoy the treatment, gradually carrying herself with ever greater confidence. Cendrillon, however, could not help feeling uneasy about it all. Certainly..."

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'''Chapter 8 — Cendrillon’s past'''

Ever since being assigned to guard Princess Marianna, Karin’s arrogance had reached unbearable levels.

After all, the Royal Mage Guard still stood on the verge of dissolution, and because of that, the other members constantly praised and flattered him. Karin herself seemed to enjoy the treatment, gradually carrying herself with ever greater confidence.

Cendrillon, however, could not help feeling uneasy about it all.

Certainly, Karin possessed remarkable talent, and her judgment in battle was excellent.

But… the inexperience that came with youth gave off an unmistakably dangerous feeling. It was the same during their duel, and the same during the fight with Angelo.

''If I didn’t save him back then, he would already be dead.''

And there was something else that bothered him.

Before every duel, Karin would always lick the palm of his left hand. The moment she finished that motion, the trembling appropriate for someone her age would vanish instantly, replaced by eerie calmness.

Cendrillon had no idea what kind of spell it might be, yet the gesture lingered unpleasantly in his mind.

In any case, so far the guard duty itself did not involve any real danger. Once they reached the palace, all they really did was trail after the princess wherever she pleased.

There were no signs of imminent war, and thanks to Grand Duke Eustache’s political skill, the citizens showed little unrest. There was no particular danger to speak of, and yet…

Today as well, Princess Marianna specifically requested Karin accompany her on a walk through town. The princess seemed extremely fond of sneaking out incognito.

Accompanied by only a handful of guards, she wandered aimlessly through the streets. She was remarkably good at disguises too—dressed as an ordinary street girl and with her hairstyle changed, she looked exactly like a native child of Tristainia.

Cendrillon and Karin followed several paces behind her. Meanwhile, the princess darted around restlessly like a puppy, constantly making them nervous.

Suddenly, Marianna tried to enter a particularly unsavory-looking area, prompting Cendrillon to step closer and whisper quietly into her ear.

“Your Highness, this is not exactly a respectable district, so…”

But Marianna merely smiled and grabbed Karin by the wrist.

“With Karin here, there is nothing to worry about.”

“Hm?”

Marianna looked up at Karin with innocent eyes.

“No matter what kind of enemy appears, Karin will defeat them all, won’t he?”

Karin puffed out her chest proudly.

“Of course, Your Highness.”

After the mission ended, Cendrillon spoke to Karin with a bitter expression the moment they returned home.

“You need to stop getting carried away.”

“What do you mean?”

“What would you have done if something happened after bringing the princess into such a place?”

“There’s no way I’d lose to people like that.”

Karin answered stubbornly.

“Under normal circumstances, a mere knight apprentice would never be entrusted with guarding the princess. It’s better to remain cautious. Be careful.”

Hearing that, Karin lowered his head resentfully.

There was another source of unease weighing on Cendrillon’s mind.

The knight whose chest had been pierced during the duel with Angelo’s group, yet continued fighting as though nothing had happened. Nobody believed that story no matter how many times he told it. Afterward, he had even asked Lady Vivian to investigate the Unicorn Corps, but the knight named Pedro vanished completely after that night.

No matter how he thought about it, something was wrong.

Something bad was happening.

And yet if he spoke about it, everyone merely dismissed it as “the ramblings of a drunkard.” That frustrated him deeply.

Karin, meanwhile, found herself dissatisfied with Cendrillon for entirely different reasons.

For all the lofty things the man said, he was still just a drunkard. Worse, whenever he got drunk, he mistook Karin for someone named “Karina.”

Tonight, the same thing happened again.

As usual, by midnight Cendrillon became completely dead drunk, forcing Karin to drag him onto the bed.

And once again, Cendrillon murmured:

“...Karina…”

''There he goes again.''

Karin glared down at him coldly.

“Who exactly is that supposed to be?”

Me? Or someone else?

The question bothered her unbearably.

“Hey… why do you know that name?”

The demand slipped out before she could stop herself.

Then Cendrillon muttered softly:

“...I’m sorry…”

His face burning hot as he apologized.

“W-Why are you apologizing? Why do you know that name…?”

Karin tried to continue, only for her words to be abruptly cut short as Cendrillon nearly pressed their lips together.

Startled, Karin shoved him away.

“You… what exactly are you…”

“Forgive me…”

“Y-You idiot… if you’re going to apologize, then don’t do things like that.”

Karin’s voice trembled, but before she knew it, Cendrillon had already pulled her tightly into his arms.

“...Who exactly is Karina?”

There was no answer.

''So that means… it really is me?''

“W-Why are you doing this?”

The question escaped her again.

This infuriating man who treated her carelessly despite her incredible skill… this hopeless drunkard who acted as though everyone around him were fools…

And yet now he clung to Karin with the defenselessness of a child.

“...Do you know my true identity?”

“...I do.”

''What? He knows?''

Which meant her secret really had been exposed?

But how?

D-Don’t tell me…

Karin’s imagination immediately spiraled out of control.

The drunken Cendrillon, deeply curious about the gender of someone as beautiful as Karin…

Karin herself, fast asleep…

A hand quietly reaching over… pulling aside her clothes…

“...!”

'''Unforgivable.'''

“T-This… pervert… you degenerate man-eating monster…”

Karin trembled with fury. ''I’ll beat him senseless, freeze him solid, boil him alive with magic, tear him apart with wind spells—''

Just as those thoughts filled her mind—

“Don’t leave… Please… it’s my fault…”

The near-tearful voice stopped Karin’s hand.

“D-Don’t say things like that in that sort of voice…”

A pathetic man with drunken, unfocused eyes.

Someone who once said he had “nowhere left to go.”

“...D-Don’t tell anyone… about me…”

Karin whispered that quietly, and Cendrillon nodded.

For some reason, seeing him behave with such childlike innocence caused Karin’s anger to fade.

And then suddenly, their lips met again.

Karin desperately tried to pull away, but Cendrillon was far too skilled at kissing. Every movement of his tongue gradually drained the strength from Karin’s body little by little.

Before long, all strength left him entirely, and Karin collapsed back against the bed.

“N-No…” she protested weakly, but Cendrillon’s body pressed down over her. Karin wanted to blast him away with magic, kick him off, punch him, yet her limbs refused to obey him.

Still, she absolutely did ''not'' want to be attacked like this. It wasn’t as though she liked Cendrillon or anything. Her body simply froze every time the man suddenly forced himself close like this.

Just as tears threatened to spill—

“Grrr…”

Snoring.

Cendrillon fell asleep directly on top of her.

Face burning bright red, Karin smacked Cendrillon on the head repeatedly, but the drunken man never even opened his eyes.

And once morning came, Cendrillon would inevitably forget everything that happened the night before. He probably had no awareness whatsoever that every night, once drunk, he ended up embracing Karin like he had during the victory celebration.

But had he truly discovered Karin’s real identity, and then unconsciously embraced her in his drunk state?

Or…

Was he really mistaking Karin for somebody else after all?

Unable to stop thinking about it, Karin finally decided to ask Bacchus and Narcis directly.

“Do either of you know someone named Karina?”

At Lady Vivian’s estate, Karin asked the question while Cendrillon was absent.

“Who’s that supposed to be?” Bacchus asked.

“...Every night, Cendrillon keeps saying that name.”

“Hm. Well, it sounds like a woman’s name, so it’s probably a woman, right?”

“That much is obvious.”

Then Narcis gave a more thoughtful answer.

“Maybe it’s the name of a woman from his past?”

“I-Is that so?”

Narcis tilted his head thoughtfully.

“Come to think of it, I vaguely remember hearing something about why he joined the Royal Mage Guard... Though he was drunk at the time, so he probably doesn’t even remember talking about it himself.”

“Tell me.”

Karin urged him on eagerly, and Narcis continued.

“Apparently, he was betrayed by the woman he was engaged to, and then ran away from home because of it... Though I don’t know the details.”

Hearing that, Karin clenched his fists.

''What a pathetic man.''

To think his reason for joining the Royal Mage Guard was getting dumped by a lover!

And this was the same man who lectured her about immaturity.

Then came the realization that “Karina” was not referring to her, but to another woman instead, and anger began welling up endlessly inside her. She had vaguely suspected as much already, but hearing it stated outright somehow made it far more infuriating.

If Cendrillon mistook her for another woman and because of that not only kissed her, but even touched her chest…

'''Unforgivable.'''

Because of such a misunderstanding, even her first kiss had been tainted!

No, wait. She had already decided long ago that she would never lose her head over something as foolish as romance, didn’t she? So why should something like a first kiss matter?

That was what her mind insisted.

And yet she was still furious.

But even if she confronted Cendrillon about it, what would happen?

''Why are you angry? I already apologized for the kissing. Besides, you’re a man, aren’t you? Stop making such a big deal out of it.''

Most likely, Cendrillon would just say something like that and end the conversation.

Once Karin imagined that, she found herself unable even to complain properly, left to silently stew in frustration alone.

While she was lost in those thoughts, Lady Vivian suddenly appeared and called out to them.

“Karin! Narcis! Bacchus! And Cendrillon too! Are you all here?!”

“Y-Yes!”

The three of them straightened immediately.

“A messenger from the princess has arrived. You are to accompany Her Highness to Deauville tomorrow.”

Deauville was a health resort near the sea, roughly three days away by horseback.

“Deauville? What for?” Bacchus asked.

“It seems to be a pleasure trip. Since Her Highness intends to travel incognito, you will not be using magical beasts. You will ride there on horseback instead. Command authority will belong to Cendrillon. Make sure he understands that. That is all.”

After relaying only those instructions, Vivian hurried away.

To be chosen as attendants on a royal journey!

That could only mean they were deeply trusted.

Karin felt excitement burning hot inside her chest.

After returning home and reporting the matter, the very first thing Cendrillon said was:

“Good. Since I’ll be commanding the mission, my first order is this: you stay behind.”

“W-What?! What did you just say?! Why?!”

“I already told you before, didn’t I? You still lack experience. On a short trip like this, guards must remain constantly alert. If something happens, it will already be too late.”

“I can handle guard duty perfectly well! Stop treating me like an idiot!”

“I’m not treating you like an idiot.”

Cendrillon answered in a troubled voice.

''How am I supposed to explain this so this arrogant knight apprentice actually understands?'' he wondered bitterly.

In the end, he decided he had no choice but to speak plainly.

“I have a bad feeling.”

“A bad feeling?”

“Yes. That knight named Pedro... despite having his chest pierced through, he remained alive. And the Royal Mage Guard was weakened far too quickly afterward. I suspect the two things are connected somehow.”

Karin sighed in exasperation.

“I already told you, you were drunk—”

“No.”

Cendrillon interrupted her sharply.

“It wasn’t that. I wasn’t seeing things because I was drunk. Something is wrong. Someone is plotting something dangerous... To ''that man'', the Royal Mage Guard is an obstacle. I’m certain of it. This is a conspiracy, and for someone still immature like you, the burden is too great.”

“So you expect me to just sit around and wait? Don’t make me laugh!”

At those words, Karin finally snapped.

Seriously, how long was this man going to keep treating her like a child?

Despite doing ''those kinds of things'' to her every night while drunk! Mistaking her for another woman!

“Tell me something—who exactly is the immature one here?”

“What are you talking about?”

“You. Do you even know what you do to me every night?”

Cendrillon’s face immediately paled.

“I already said I was sorry about that—”

“It wasn’t just the night of the celebration.”

Now his cheeks began turning red instead.

“You’re joking…”

“I’m not joking. It’s true. Though of course you probably don’t remember any of it because you’re always blackout drunk, you alcoholic!”

“S-Sorry…”

Cendrillon lowered his head in shame.

“You really do unbelievable things, you know. You hug me tightly like this, and your hands start moving around like this—”

The more Karin spoke, the angrier she became, until her entire body trembled.

“...Couldn’t you just resist?”

Cendrillon asked awkwardly.

“You’re way too strong!”

In reality, it was because her own body lost strength entirely, but saying that out loud felt like it would somehow ruin everything, so Karin deliberately kept silent.

And before she realized it, she got so emotional that she accidentally blurted out what Narcis had told him earlier.

“Honestly! Being unable to forget some woman from your past is what’s truly immature! Her name’s Karina, right?! Even after being betrayed, you’re still hopelessly attached to her!”

“Was it Narcis? That idiot talks too much…”

Cendrillon muttered tiredly.

“Seriously, just how badly were you betrayed? For you to still be this obsessed, it must have been something huge, right?”

Cendrillon let out a quiet sigh.

“She never betrayed me.”

“What do you mean?”

“I was the one who betrayed her.”

“Then why not just apologize?”

“She’s no longer in this world.”

Karin fell completely silent.

“…………”

Cendrillon continued in a calm voice.

“Do you want to know why I keep feeling that you’re in danger whenever I look at you?”

“…………”

“Because you’re exactly like I used to be. Young. Convinced you can do anything. Believing there’s nothing in the world worth fearing. Thinking that as long as you have a ‘dream,’ anything is possible. I was exactly the same… right until that day.”

''That day.''

The day he lost Karina.

“Do you want to hear the story?”

Karin silently nodded.

And slowly, Cendrillon began speaking.

“When I was two years older than you are now, I had a lover named Karina.

I was the son of a territorial lord, while she traveled from place to place performing alongside her father.

Normally, a romance like that could never happen.

But I fell in love with her gentle smile and beautiful golden hair.

When I confessed my feelings, she accepted surprisingly quickly. Being a noble probably played some part in it, but that wasn’t all. She genuinely loved me too.

We began seeing each other, though ours was a forbidden relationship. Secretly… quietly… we would meet over and over again in the forest. It was a small and fragile love.

But something like that could never last forever.

Eventually our parents found out and tried to separate us. Being young and foolish, I decided to abandon everything and run away with her.

Naturally, they sent pursuers after us.

Nearly ten highly skilled knights.

There was no possible way for us to escape.

They caught up to us almost immediately.

And then… they seized her.”

At this point, Cendrillon clenched his fists tightly, his expression twisted with pain.

“One of the knights grabbed her arm, trying to drag her away. Several others surrounded me, leaving me unable to move. And I knew… if we were separated there, we would never see each other again.

The moment that thought crossed my mind, I began chanting a spell.

I was overflowing with confidence back then. After all, people praised me as some brilliant prodigy. Even from dozens of arses away, piercing the hand of the knight holding Karina with a magical arrow should have been effortless.

At least, that was what I believed at the time.

But it was nothing more than arrogance.

Was it because I was nervous? Because the pressure made me falter? At this point, I no longer know.

No… perhaps the truth is simply that I was immature.”

Cendrillon spoke in a low murmur, as though all emotion had long since been left somewhere far away.

“The magical arrow that was meant to pierce the knight’s hand instead pierced Karina through the chest.”

“It struck beautifully. Perfectly. Straight through. She died instantly. Even my beloved water magic could not save her.”

Karin stood there speechless while Cendrillon continued calmly.

“A man who killed the woman he loved with his own hands… does not even deserve the right to follow her in death. When I someday stand before her in Valhalla, how am I supposed to apologize?”

“And thus,” he added bitterly, “a man fit only to wander a dust-covered road through life was born.”

Karin bit down hard on her lip.

She could never have imagined that this careless, drifting man carried such a past inside him.

Cendrillon looked at her with complete seriousness.

“You really are extraordinary, Karin. I have never seen anyone use wind magic as skillfully as you do. But precisely because of that, I have to say this: act more carefully. Do not become arrogant. Courage and recklessness are not the same thing.”

''I don’t understand.''

Karin still felt like a child.

She could not truly comprehend Cendrillon’s pain or sorrow.

“To kill the person you love most with your own hands…”

What kind of feeling was that supposed to be?

Karin could not understand it.

She clenched her fists tightly.

And before she realized it, tears were already flowing from her eyes.

“...Take me with you too.”

Cendrillon let out a quiet sigh.

“Understood,” he said at last, gently patting Karin on the head.

“You really are kind, Karin. Someday you’ll become someone truly remarkable. But if things become dangerous, fall back immediately. You are to follow my orders. Understood?”
[[File:ZNTso1 207.jpg|thumb]]
Karin nodded silently.

Kaze no Kishihime v1c8 - Revision history