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IBHJ Chapter 203
🕑 Added 2023-04-11 21:48:45 +0000 UTCGuinevere was escorted to Cornwall by Gawain and Lancelot.
The king commanded Gawain and Lancelot to lay siege to Cameliard and capture a troublemaker who was causing problems behind the scenes. Although the king instructed them to bring the person back unscathed, his description of them as a troublemaker suggested that they might hinder the king's plans. As knights, Gawain and Lancelot couldn't help but see the elimination of obstacles as their duty to the king.
Despite the king's instruction not to harm the troublemaker, Gawain and Lancelot likely had an unfavorable attitude towards them. In fact, they had already decided to treat the troublemaker coldly and maliciously once they captured them.
However, upon seeing Guinevere's face, they hesitated to act recklessly. She bore a striking resemblance to the king, almost like a replica of him. How could they dare to be rude to her?
After Lancelot and Gawain escorted Guinevere to the palace in Cornwall, they reported to Shirou.
As he set aside the paperwork in his hand, Shirou gazed up at the trembling Guinevere, and his expression froze when he saw her familiar appearance.
Guinevere too froze at the sight of Shirou's face. Her legs shook even more violently and her face turned pale. Fear and horror welled up in her eyes, almost overflowing.
Shirou's frown deepened and he dismissed the people in the palace. The group bowed respectfully to him and then departed.
As they walked out of the palace, Gawain let out a sigh and turned to Lancelot. "I never expected to encounter someone who looks so much like the king. And not only that, she's a noble princess as well. The king is as steadfast as a rock, but that princess seems as gentle as a white rabbit."
"Oh, by the way, Lancelot, what do you think the king will do?"
Gawain looked at Lancelot, but found that he was lost in thought.
"Lancelot?" Gawain called again.
"Ah? Lord Gawain... I'm sorry, I was lost in thought," Lancelot said apologetically.
Gawain laughed and said, "I know the princess is charming, but you shouldn't lose your composure like that. The king won't do anything to her. And even if you're interested, you can pursue her later."
Lancelot shook his head and replied, "No, it's not that. It's just that...the princess reminds me a bit of my foster mother."
"What?" Gawain was stunned.
Lancelot remained silent, lost in thought as memories of his fairy mother flooded his mind. She had taken him in as a child and, like the princess, she always seemed to be fearful and afraid.
Yet Lancelot had never understood what his foster mother was afraid of or why she was so anxious all the time. In the end, she had helped him find his father and had given him a holy sword as a parting gift before disappearing from his life.
Upon seeing her and sensing her familiar aura, Lancelot was instantly reminded of his fairy mother. Memories of her flooded his mind, leaving him unable to think of anything else in that moment.
...
Inside the palace.
Shirou regarded Guinevere with interest and spoke, "You must be Guinevere, daughter of King Leodegrance, correct?"
Guinevere trembled and looked terrified as she stammered out, "Y-yes, my king."
"Oh?" he raised an eyebrow. "Why do you call me 'my king'? I'm not your king."
Guinevere replied, her voice trembling, "Y-you are the British Red Dragon, the destined king who is meant to unify all of Britain. That's why I call you my king."
"Then why did you tell your father about my plans?"
She was so anxious that tears welled up in her eyes, and she struggled to answer. "This...this..."
"Speak!" He demanded firmly.
At his voice, she was overcome with fear and fell to the ground, trembling with a pale face and anxious eyes.
"You seem very afraid of me."
She looked terrified and could only stammer out, "Y-you are a powerful and imposing king. I...I am just overwhelmed by your mightiness."
"I'm not so sure about that. Have you just realized who I am, Princess Guinevere?" He asked, before shaking his head and flashing a smile. "Actually, I should be calling you my lifesaver. Three years ago, if it weren't for you, I might have died in that forest. If not for your timely intervention, there would be no Arthur, let alone the throne of Camelot."
She shivered and stammered, "You...you...I don't know what you're talking about. I'm just the daughter of King Leodegrance, living my life within the palace walls. I don't know anything..."
"Is that so?" He cast a sidelong glance at her, then reclined back in his throne and posed a question. "Tell me, how did you manage to see through my plans?"
She hesitated for a moment before answering. "Well..." she trailed off.
"Hmm?" he made a noise through his nose, prompting her to continue.
"I...I don't know...I just looked at it, and then I had this feeling...and I followed that feeling and thought it through, and then...figured it out," she said, her voice trembling slightly.
"Oh? That's interesting," he stroked his chin thoughtfully and regarded Guinevere, who was growing increasingly frightened by the moment.
Guinevere's anxiety grew more intense with each passing moment. Oh god...please...please..., she prayed silently, feeling on the verge of tears.
He posed a question to her, "If I were to ask you to pledge loyalty to someone, would you do it?"
She responded anxiously, "I...I'm just a powerless woman..."
"Hmm?"
"I'll do it! I'll do it! I will definitely listen to you!" she cried, "Please don't kill me, please spare my life. Whatever you say, I will do it."
He hesitated for a moment, wondering if her courage was too small for the role of queen in Artoria's world. Was this truly the same woman who had been a source of intellectual and kindly comfort to Artoria for so many years?
As he looked upon Guinevere's pretty face, which bore a striking resemblance to his own, he felt a twinge of annoyance. "But your face..."
Guinevere, sensing his displeasure, trembled and reached into her bosom, withdrawing a small knife. "Please... please be assured that I will not pose a threat to you... so please spare my life at all costs..." she pleaded, her voice shaking with fear.
Trembling, she held the sharp blade up to her own face, leaving no doubt that she was willing to disfigure herself in order to stay alive.
Ever since she had learned of King Arthur's resemblance to her, from the moment Gawain and his soldiers had surrounded Cameliard and become shocked upon seeing her face, she had anticipated that this moment would happen and had made a decision. She knew that her survival depended on her willingness to take drastic measures like this.
Guinevere had long understood that a king could be both good and cruel, and as a result, she had kept her own abilities hidden. She was afraid that her brothers would become suspicious of her, and she was also fearful that her father would see her as a threat to his throne.
As a result, she had never felt proud of her own intelligence, but rather had suffered greatly because of it. She was always cautious in her actions, fearful of being seen as an outcast or suspected by others.
Despite her caution, she could not escape the disaster that had befallen her. From the moment she laid eyes on this king, she knew the truth about him: he was the person she had saved from the brink of death in the forest three years ago.
And it seemed that this king had also come to the same realization.
Simply knowing the king's secret was enough to put Guinevere's life in danger, but the issue with her face was like adding insult to injury. Knowing this, she had decided to disfigure herself in order to stay alive. She raised her dagger three times in a row, but each time she couldn't bring herself to do it.
Although she had mentally prepared herself for this outcome, when it came down to actually carrying out the act, she found herself overwhelmed with fear and terror.
The thought of inflicting pain upon herself filled her with fear and dread. She was terrified of both the physical pain and the possibility of death. However, taking a deep breath, she resolved to go through with it. She steadied her hand and aimed the dagger at her own face.
However--
Suddenly, there was a loud "clink" sound as Shirou fired a burst of magical energy that knocked the dagger out of Guinevere's hand.
"I didn't tell you to do that."
Guinevere didn't feel a sense of relief at the interference, instead she felt even more frightened by his actions.
Overwhelmed by fear, she crouched down and held her head, trembling uncontrollably. "Don't kill me... don't kill me... you can ask me to do anything, please... please don't kill me," she pleaded desperately.
He was somewhat speechless. "Who said I was going to kill you?"
She looked up at him with tearful eyes, the fear still evident on her face. She was clearly still shaken from the ordeal.
He regarded her for a moment before speaking. "I like your intelligence. It would be a shame to see it go to waste. Let me ask you again. Can you swear loyalty to someone, devote your intellect to serving her, and promise never to betray her for the rest of your life?"
She hesitated, still worried about her face and uncertain of the king's intentions. "But... but my face..." she trailed off.
He reassured her, "Your appearance is not a problem. In fact, your face, which bears a striking resemblance to mine, could be quite useful to her. So I'll ask you one last time: can you swear loyalty to someone, devote your intellect to serving her, and promise never to betray her for the rest of your life?"
She asked cautiously, "What... What if I'm unable to do it?"
His reply was blunt. "You're a smart person. I don't think you'd like to find out."
She burst into tears, sobbing, "I can do it... I can do it... Please rest assured..."
He regarded her for a moment before posing another question. "Even if I'm no longer here?"
"I can do it... I can do it..." she cried, her voice trembling.
"Good. Then sign the magical contract,"
After putting her signature on the contract, Guinevere found herself crying again. She was acutely aware that there was no turning back now. However, she also realized that failing to sign the contract would almost certainly result in her demise.
Shirou beckoned for Merlin to come over and draft the magical contract while simultaneously explaining its contents to Guinevere. Once the document was completed, Shirou placed it before her and spoke in a stern tone, "Sign it."
Trembling with fear, she looked up at him, who remained expressionless. She couldn't hold back her tears as she reluctantly signed her name on the contract.
At that moment, the magical contract was activated, and she could only see the name of the person whom she would be bound to serve for the remainder of her life.
-- Artoria Pendragon.
With the contract now in effect, he spoke calmly to Guinevere, "You may rest for now. In due time, this king will introduce you to the person whom you are bound to serve. And as for your intellectual growth, I will personally guide you and help you develop to the best of my abilities. Be mentally prepared."
As Bedivere escorted her away, Guinevere's tear-streaked face and feeble appearance elicited a deep sense of empathy within him.
Her frail appearance moved him deeply. Because that was the king's appearance. The king had never been so weak. But from this face, Bedivere saw the king's weakness.
Shirou remained seated on the throne, his expression unchanged, as he resumed reading the paperwork before him.
"I see that you are already preparing someone to serve Lily," Merlin remarked.
"It's crucial to be prepared well in advance. When the time comes for me to return the throne to her, I want her to be fully prepared and not caught off guard."
"Is that so... but you're still the first human to sign a magical contract with a fairy," Merlin laughed.
"What?" Shirou furrowed his brow and set aside the paperwork, regarding Merlin with a mixture of surprise and confusion.
Merlin gestured towards Guinevere's retreating form and clarified, "She may have merged with a human, but make no mistake - she is still a fairy at her core."
Shirou's expression remained unchanged as he absorbed this information, before returning his attention to the paperwork with a dismissive shrug. "Regardless of what she is, if she proves useful, we shall make use of her."
Merlin regarded him with a helpless expression before picking up some of the paperwork and joining him in the task. The two worked in silence, their attention focused solely on the papers before them.
