The Seventh Prince Runs Away from Awkward Situations Chapter 89
“Ria!”
Idan, who had closed the distance in an instant with fierce momentum, roughly grabbed Ria's arm.
“Why did you ignore my words? I told you not to enter the competition!”
Idan scolded Ria frighteningly.
“How could I? Those people also worked hard to prepare for it.”
“If they prepared hard, they would have met the headcount requirement from the beginning.”
Idan retorted sharply.
“Forfeit right now. The priest is waiting at the shop.”
“What?”
At Idan's words that even a priest was waiting for her, Ria's face turned pale.
“Idan, please……!”
Even while begging earnestly, Ria couldn't shake off Idan and was dragged along.
She was already disliked at the temple.
If a rumor spread that she made a priest come all this way for nothing, it was certain that no one would visit Idan's shop.
Ria walked with her head buried in the ground, feeling like tears were about to fall.
It was a familiar voice that resolved the despair of Ria, who was being dragged away roughly by Idan.
“Miss Ria!”
Ria lifted her face.
It was Jing.
Striding forward with his gray hair fluttering, he pried Idan's hand, which was holding Ria's arm, off like shooing away a fly.
“Miss Ria, we need to start training from today, what are you doing here? Follow me quickly.”
“Training?”
Suddenly like this?
While Ria was puzzled by the unexpected mention of training, this time Idan blocked the path of Jing, who was trying to take her away.
“What do you think you are doing right now?”
Even at Idan's fierce gaze, Jing didn't blink an eye.
“You should know at least that Ria is participating in Lucha. Since she won't have prepared anything for 3 years, naturally she must train.”
“Ria will forfeit. She is not entering the competition.”
At Idan's firmness, Jing narrowed his eyes.
“You speak as if you are Miss Ria herself.”
“I am no different from a parent.”
When Idan spoke forcefully again, Jing's eyes curved as if amused.
“Even if you were her real parent, you have no right to decide this kind of thing. Miss Ria, are you really going to forfeit?”
When Jing ignored his words and asked Ria, Idan's expression became vicious.
“The priest is already at the shop. Ria, are you okay with sending the priest away like this?”
Ria, who was hiding behind Jing, was startled at the mention of the priest and looked at Jing anxiously.
Seeing that, the corner of Idan's mouth went up, convinced of his victory.
“Ah, if it's about that, there is no need to worry, Ria.”
Jing's nonchalant voice interrupted him once again.
Jing smiled broadly at Ria.
“There is someone whose specialty is persuasion.”
***
“What is this? Where did Idan and Ria go, and why are you greeting me?”
A man wearing priestly robes looked me up and down and asked.
Goodness, if this were inside the Imperial Castle, I could have at least punished such a disrespectful gaze.
Seeing that I received this kind of treatment from a priest as soon as I stepped out of the capital, status is truly a meaningless thing.
Is this why the Abalan bastards are so obsessed with absolute faith?
Since the current me was just a wandering traveler with nothing, I obediently bowed my head to him.
“Idan and Ria cannot come in today, Priest.”
“What? What nonsense is this guy talking about right now? Are you saying Idan broke his promise?”
At the priest's neurotic reaction, the face of the knight protecting him from behind also became increasingly vicious.
I could feel the will to make me pay the price immediately if I offended him any further.
I shook my head, meaning I had no intention of making him unpleasant.
“Rather than breaking a promise, an unavoidable circumstance arose.”
Usually, a plausible excuse is needed to cancel an appointment.
Sudden deterioration of parents' health, family discord, accidents, etc.
Of course, the best thing is for the other person to just accept my refusal before I explain these circumstances.
“Can you not just go back for today?”
For his sake, I asked him politely in my own way.
“Not worth listening to anymore. A promise with a priest must be kept with one's life! Move aside, you moron!”
The priest, acting as if he was hearing all sorts of nonsense, pushed me and tried to enter the shop.
“Uwaack!!”
Not long after, clattering sounds were heard from inside the shop.
Shortly after, the priest had to run back out of the shop with a scream.
“Just what is that!!”
Unable to calm his startled heart, he demanded of me, who was waiting outside.
I glanced inside the shop from where he had run out.
-Growl—
Three bears boasting large builds were diligently breaking and eating Idan's shop tables.
“Yes, actually, bears raided the shop so we couldn't let anyone inside.”
At my answer, absurdity and anger mixed on the priest's face.
“You crazy bastard!! Then you should have said that first!!”
“Didn't I tell you an unavoidable circumstance arose?”
To cancel an appointment, a plausible excuse is needed.
Personally, I think family circumstances are the most appropriate.
Since bears raiding the house is a family circumstance in its own way.
I put on the most pitiful expression possible.
“But since you said a promise with a priest must be kept with one's life…….”
“Who told you to bet my life!!!”
Enraged, he grabbed me by the collar.
Kwang!
-Growl!!!
With perfect timing, the guys who were stirring up the inside of the shop broke down Idan's shop door and burst outside.
“Kuaaaack!!! Catch those things!!!”
The terrified priest flung my clothes away and hid behind the knight.
The knight heroically drew his sword to protect the priest, but hesitated as if he wasn't confident in facing three bears alone.
Whether that annoyed the bears, the largest one among them raised its front paw.
“Uaaaaack!!!”
At that terrifying sight, the priest eventually turned around and fled.
Shortly after, the knight also followed behind him.
Oh dear, if it were the wild, that choice would have led to being chased by the bear and torn in half immediately.
-Growl
“Thanks, now go back and sleep all you want.”
I expressed my gratitude to the bears surrounding me, having come outside before I knew it.
***
By the time I finished seeing off the guys leisurely returning to the forest, Jing returned with Idan and Ria.
“Oh my, Lord Ran! Are you alright?”
Although Jing, who heard the situation, was a bit appalled, the important thing was that the priest had gone back, and Ria didn't need to forfeit.
“Let's leave here. Since the bears might come again.”
“Yes, I will go up and pack my things.”
When I quickly changed the subject before Jing could continue making a fuss, Jing agreed with my words and went up the stairs.
I left Idan, who was looking around the vainly destroyed shop interior, and approached Ria.
“Let's go together, Ria. You'll need a place to stay while the house is being repaired.”
“No, I will help Idan and…….”
“Wouldn't it be better to contribute to the repair costs with the prize money from winning the competition rather than just hammering a little?”
Ria, whose refusal was refused, left the shop leaving Idan behind.
It was obvious that if she stayed any longer, Idan would urge her to forfeit again.
***
The newly moved lodging still had few customers and was small in size, but it was a quiet shop.
Thanks to Jing showing off his money by buying all the rooms on the 2nd floor, we were able to sit around a table on the 1st floor quite quietly.
Ria sat facing Jing, who was staring at her intently, with a very tense face.
Breaking the silence that must have been suffocating for Ria, Jing finally opened his mouth.
“Before entering the competition, there is one thing I must confirm.”
Neither a bit of warmth nor a hint of playfulness could be found in Jing's voice.
Ria gulped and met his upright eyes.
“3 years ago, did you really participate in the match hiding a sharp object in your glove?”
At Jing's question, Ria's pupils shook.
She opened and closed her mouth a few times before nodding with difficulty.
“……Yes.”
At her honest answer, Jing's eyes narrowed.
“Why did you do such a thing?”
“……It was a mistake.”
“A mistake?”
Perhaps thinking it was a lame excuse even to herself, Ria's face turned red.
“As you can see, my skills are terrible. I'm cowardly so I hate getting hit too. I thought if I had something like a weapon, I would feel more at ease…….”
“So you mean you participated in the match with a weapon in your bosom?”
Ria couldn't look at Jing's eyes asking for confirmation anymore and looked away.
What followed was Ria's shameful yet honest confession.
“……I didn't really intend to use it. I just wanted to feel at ease. I thought I took it out before the match…… I'm sorry.”
Ria, who finished speaking without knowing who the apology was directed at, bowed her head deeply like a person awaiting a sentence.
It was the moment that explained her behavior of avoiding the villagers like a sinner.
It was understandable.
How many people would believe such an unbelievable excuse?
As it was a competition held at the temple, the villagers' passion for Lucha must have been great, and her actions would have been unforgivable to that extent.
Jing silently looked down at her with her shoulders hunched as much as possible.
“……If I knew you all were this strong, I wouldn't have lent you my name…… I'm sorry. Even if you win, you probably won't receive as much glory or hospitality as others. Because you were in the same group as me. Still, don't worry. If I give up the blessing like Idan, everyone won't say anything.”
“Miss Ria.”
Jing, who had been quietly listening to the things she was rambling on, unable to bear the silence, stopped her words.
“You seem to be carrying too heavy a burden for guilt over a mistake.”
“Pardon?”
Jing tapped Ria's shoulder as she asked back blankly.
“I don't think you cheated on purpose. So you don't need to feel sorry for us about that matter anymore.”
“Do you believe me?”
Ria looked alternately at Jing and me as if she couldn't believe it.
“Because there is no reason not to believe you.”
My answer, having already read the truth in the original work, seemed to mean more to Ria than I thought.
Ria bit her lip as if she would burst into tears at any moment.
But there was no time for her tears to flow down her cheeks.
Jing, who was patting her shoulder, made her stand up abruptly.
“Now that you've shaken off everything, there is something we need to start.”
“W-What is it?”
To Ria asking in bewilderment at the sudden change in atmosphere, Jing grinned.
“What else would it be but training?”
***
I looked at Jing showing passionate enthusiasm with a tree planted behind the shop as a backrest, and his disciple.
It wasn't my will.
I just couldn't shake off Jing's earnest insistence to watch from the side at least to avoid getting hit.
“Now, Miss Ria. Stretch your hand straight forward.”
At Jing's instruction, Ria obediently stretched her right arm forward.
Jing grabbed Ria's right arm and pressed it down.
Ria lowered her arm as Jing pushed with a puzzled expression.
Jing, flustered by the obedient reaction, looked at Ria.
“……Let's do it again. This time don't just lower it, try to withstand my strength.”
“Ah……!”
Ria quickly raised her arm as if she understood.
Jing pressed down on her arm again firmly.
How much time passed?
“Keuk……!”
A groaning sound burst out between the two who were motionless as if time had stopped.
Ria's arm, unable to withstand Jing's strength anymore, slowly came down.
Ria tried to hold on as best as she could, but eventually stopped resisting when it reached a point where she couldn't lift Jing's arm no matter how much strength she used.
“It, it hurts too much……!”
When Jing let go of Ria's arm, Ria made a crying face while holding her right arm.
Conversely, Jing's face looking down at his hand that had been holding Ria's arm was only bright.
His eyes looking up at Ria sparkled.
“Good! Miss Ria, this time try hitting me once.”