Chapter 68

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 68

Chapter Title: 5 Knights and Roxiana Franche (2)

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One afternoon, as the heat began to set in, the knights—worn out from grueling training—received beverages personally made and sent by the Lily Palace Princess.

The parched knights gulped down the orange juice from the large barrel without a second thought.

It didn't take long for them to sense something unusual.

Just one glass of orange juice cooled the sweltering heat in their bodies, restored strength to their limp arms, and erased the muscle aches in their backs and necks. Those who drank two glasses felt more refreshed than they had upon waking that morning.

At first, they thought it was just their bodies playing tricks after downing a sweet drink in the scorching heat. So no one shared what had happened to them.

The next day, more beverages arrived at the training grounds—this time, a cherry concoction.

"Feels like my fatigue's melting away."

Someone's mutter sparked exclamations from all around, as if they'd been waiting for it.

"I just took a hard hit to the shoulder, and it was throbbing... but the pain's completely gone."

"Strength's coming back to my legs..."

"What the heck? I'm wide awake now. Is it this drink?"

The day after that, and the day after that, the Lily Palace Princess continued her kindness toward the knights. She sent beverages every single day without seeming inconvenienced. Even setting aside their restorative effects, the knights were touched by her thoughtful generosity.

And so, the "Lily Palace Princess" became "our princess" among the knights—something Roxiana had no idea about. To her, it was just one small, natural way to repay Floyd's kindness.

"I've never tried a beverage with herbs before. I'm looking forward to seeing what it tastes like."

Aaron's words drew a retort from Matteo.

"Then quit just looking forward to it and help the princess out. Can't you see her hands are a mess?"

"Whoops! Can't believe I was so dense. No wonder everyone calls me a clueless idiot who doesn't know the first thing about women... Ah, sorry. I talk too much."

Despite Matteo's scolding, Aaron cheerfully took the trowel from Roxiana's hand.

"I'll take care of it, Your Highness."

A knight's hands, unused to menial labor unlike the princess's, dug deep into the earth with a single thrust. 'It doesn't need to be dug that deep,' Roxiana thought, but she let him carry on.

It was entertaining to watch him dig so effortlessly, so differently from her own efforts—and she'd decided not to deny that she enjoyed it.

Torkan held sights, customs, and mannerisms she'd never seen in Kanta, and discovering them one by one felt fresh and delightful.

"What're you three huddled up doing here?"

The gruff, rough voice belonged to Hexston. He stood holding an umbrella, looking down at the trio squatting on the ground with an incredulous stare.

"Herbs. She says they're tasty herbs."

Aaron replied excitedly.

'It's not that the herbs taste good—it's that they add a nice aroma,' Roxiana thought as she slowly stood. Her legs ached from squatting so long.

"Sir Renardo, what brings you here?"

"Hoping to score a glass of juice from Your Highness. You got time?"

"Of course."

Matteo held an umbrella over Roxiana as he escorted her to Hexston's. Aaron waved the trowel.

"Then I'll keep digging here, Your Highness."

She worried he might dig up the whole garden, but Roxiana smiled and nodded. After she vanished inside with Hexston, Aaron whispered to Matteo.

"Isn't our princess stunningly beautiful when she smiles?"

"If you don't wanna get buried in the hole you're digging, quit yapping and dig."

"Got it."

While Aaron dug a hole deep enough to bury a man, Roxiana and Hexston headed to the drawing room. He plopped onto the sofa, shaking water from his hair, then spoke.

"Killed two more crows last night."

"From the temple?"

"One was from Gania."

The crows carried messages from spies infiltrating Torkan. Ever since word spread that the forest incident wasn't a rumor but truth, crows had been taking flight constantly. The knights were busy rooting out the spies.

"Still, yesterday we raided the launch site and caught a Gania spy. Guess who?"

"Who?"

"Robin from the butcher shop. Can you believe it? That guy's been settled here for four years already. His shop had the best meat..."

Hexston seemed more heartbroken over losing access to tasty meat than the betrayal itself. All Roxiana could offer was one word.

"Oh no."

Hexston smacked his lips as if reminiscing about Robin's meat, then grew serious again.

"We're blocking what we can see for now, but some probably slipped through. Plus, spies don't just use crows to send word. Kanta's purge is nearly done, so it's only a matter of time before the temple and Gania learn of Your Highness and come sniffing around."

As Roxiana's expression darkened, Hexston hurriedly added,

"Ah, no need for Your Highness to worry too much. We're preparing on our end too."

"I hate causing you all trouble."

"Well... about that."

Hexston picked up the juice bottle a maid had left. It held the apple juice Roxiana had made that morning.

"It's incredible. Forget the taste— just drinking it perks you right up. Clears fatigue faster than Kirshan's stamina potions, and muscle pain vanishes too."

Roxiana had suspected her juices had such effects. While meticulously washing fruit, slicing it, and feeding it into the juicer in the kitchen corner, the water spirits had chattered nonstop.

After reviving the dead forest, Roxiana's control over spirits had changed. She could now draw on their power more freely and diversely than before.

Using mid-rank spirits might be taxing, but low-rank ones posed no issue.

As Roxiana glanced down at her fingers, Hexston grinned.

"Our knights are obsessed with this juice. They practically worship the princess who makes it."

As if to prove it, he poured himself a glass and downed it in one go.

"You wake at dawn, train all day till you're dead on your feet, but one glass of this wipes the fatigue clean. Know what? When you're exhausted to death, you can't even sleep. Lately, this lets the fatigue fade so we sleep like babies."

Sleeping deeply to fully recover from the previous day's fatigue was the knights' top priority—and eternal challenge. Roxiana's juice solved it.

Training refreshed after solid rest, they handled greater volumes than before.

Hexston raised his empty glass like a toast.

"Your Highness is a goddess to us knights. Goddess of healing. Goddess of fortune. Goddess of strength."

"Sir Renardo, please stop."

Roxiana flushed at the excessive praise, prompting Hexston's hearty laugh.

"No knight would hesitate to move for Your Highness. One smile from you, and they'd throw their lives on the line."

"Not their lives."

"Don't feel burdened. Knights yearn to wield their swords for a worthy cause—and right now, that's you."

All she'd done was make juice. Tastier than most, with a bit of recovery power. Nothing strenuous, yet here they were talking about laying down lives. She didn't know where to put herself.

"Of course I'd lay down my life for Your Highness. So fear nothing, hold your head high, and stride forward. Do you know how rare it is to earn a knight's loyalty like mine?"

She suddenly recalled Robert, her former guard knight. He'd sworn to give his life—and he had, protecting her. The memory saddened her, but Roxiana didn't cry.

From now on, she'd smile instead of weep, choose joy over despair. When the time came to face them again, she'd be better than before.

"Ah, the subjugation's almost wrapped up. Damage there was worse than expected, so it dragged on, but no fatalities so far."

This was the first subjugation update from Hexston. Even hearing no deaths made her heart sink.

"My lord should finish up and return soon. Probably before the rainy season ends..."

Before the rainy season ended. That meant not long now. Floyd would be back in days.

'He's finally coming.'

Only then did Roxiana realize how much she'd been awaiting his return. Amid her busy days, that vague emptiness stemmed from his absence.

The realization flustered her; she blinked rapidly, then quickly bowed her head.