Read Online The Rose Princess by Hideyuki Kikuchi - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Hideyuki Kikuchi
Ads: Link
the three knights was almost comical to see. At the sound of the chiming
voice, each had fallen to one knee right where he was. Since the voice had come from
behind the trio, only D and Elena could actually see the speaker. As the girl remained
slumped against her bike’s handlebars, a gasp of surprise slipped from her.
Moonlight rained down on the woman, melting into her white dress when it struck the
shoulders, the bust, the skirt. For an instant, each spot glistened like a collection
of tiny jewels, but this sight couldn’t be enjoyed for more than a heartbeat before
ripples spread across the surface of the dress and the gleam faded away. Her brow
and eyes, nose and lips—each beautiful part had been so delicately arranged they would
leave any poet incapable of ever setting his pen down again. With her crystal-clear
gaze trained on D all the while, the young lady brought the rose she held up to her
mouth. Her lips were so red that it seemed they’d stain the petals.
“So we finally meet in my world, D and whoever-you-are,” she said.
The moonlight gave a pearly luster to the lips of the woman—although given her youthful
visage, it would’ve been more accurate to call her a girl. It was night now.
“Since you’ve taken all the trouble to come up here, would you join me for a spot
of tea? If you don’t mind the company, that is.”
“Princess!” both the Red Knight and Blue Knight cried.
“Silence!” the princess snapped at them as if they were a pair of high-spirited children.
The rose whipped around, painting a streak of white in the air. “The prospect of that
filthy moppet coming along doesn’t thrill me, but I’m sure you won’t agree to anything
unless she can accompany you. Both of you, follow me,” she said as if she were giving
orders to her retainers, rolling the flower between her fingertips all the while.
But the young lady stopped immediately. Her expression tightened, but she quickly
formed a smile and said, “Don’t be that way. Are you all business? You may be eminently
trusting, but I’m sure you’re equally stubborn.” Here the young woman tilted her head
a bit to one side. “Say, I have an idea. Would you join me in a little competition?”
It was not D, but rather the trio of knights who froze where they were. Still, it
was remarkable how the warriors never took their eyes off of the Hunter for a second.
“Oh,” she laughed, “you should be accustomed to my whims by now. Don’t make such a
scene in front of your foe. You know, I said a little competition, but I’m loath to
engage in anything as unseemly as a drawn-out sword fight. Let’s do something light
and refreshing. I’ll stand right in front of you, and you come at me any way you wish.
But only once,” she said. “If you cut me, I lose. And if by some chance I’m unscathed,
you lose. In which case the two of you will have to join me for tea. What do you think?”
Everyone’s eyes were riveted to D. Oddly enough, the look the three knights gave him
didn’t carry as much anger or menace as it did a powerful tinge of dependence—and
that included the eyes of the Black Knight.
“Let’s do it,” said D.
The princess, incredibly enough, snapped her fingers. “Fantastic! I just adore decisive
men.”
Her body seemed to float through the air, and she came to stand before D with just
the faintest ruffling of the hem of her dress.
“Princess!” the Blue Knight shouted as he prepared to dash to her aid.
“I believe I told you to be silent, didn’t I?” she said, her voice flying like a spear
of ice to nail her guardian in blue firmly in place. “There will be no interruptions
now,” the princess told the Hunter. “So, shall we get started?” she asked, her tone
incredibly innocent even as she invited a blow from his blade.
While she was a full-grown woman and a beautiful one at that, the gap between the
way she looked and the
voice, each had fallen to one knee right where he was. Since the voice had come from
behind the trio, only D and Elena could actually see the speaker. As the girl remained
slumped against her bike’s handlebars, a gasp of surprise slipped from her.
Moonlight rained down on the woman, melting into her white dress when it struck the
shoulders, the bust, the skirt. For an instant, each spot glistened like a collection
of tiny jewels, but this sight couldn’t be enjoyed for more than a heartbeat before
ripples spread across the surface of the dress and the gleam faded away. Her brow
and eyes, nose and lips—each beautiful part had been so delicately arranged they would
leave any poet incapable of ever setting his pen down again. With her crystal-clear
gaze trained on D all the while, the young lady brought the rose she held up to her
mouth. Her lips were so red that it seemed they’d stain the petals.
“So we finally meet in my world, D and whoever-you-are,” she said.
The moonlight gave a pearly luster to the lips of the woman—although given her youthful
visage, it would’ve been more accurate to call her a girl. It was night now.
“Since you’ve taken all the trouble to come up here, would you join me for a spot
of tea? If you don’t mind the company, that is.”
“Princess!” both the Red Knight and Blue Knight cried.
“Silence!” the princess snapped at them as if they were a pair of high-spirited children.
The rose whipped around, painting a streak of white in the air. “The prospect of that
filthy moppet coming along doesn’t thrill me, but I’m sure you won’t agree to anything
unless she can accompany you. Both of you, follow me,” she said as if she were giving
orders to her retainers, rolling the flower between her fingertips all the while.
But the young lady stopped immediately. Her expression tightened, but she quickly
formed a smile and said, “Don’t be that way. Are you all business? You may be eminently
trusting, but I’m sure you’re equally stubborn.” Here the young woman tilted her head
a bit to one side. “Say, I have an idea. Would you join me in a little competition?”
It was not D, but rather the trio of knights who froze where they were. Still, it
was remarkable how the warriors never took their eyes off of the Hunter for a second.
“Oh,” she laughed, “you should be accustomed to my whims by now. Don’t make such a
scene in front of your foe. You know, I said a little competition, but I’m loath to
engage in anything as unseemly as a drawn-out sword fight. Let’s do something light
and refreshing. I’ll stand right in front of you, and you come at me any way you wish.
But only once,” she said. “If you cut me, I lose. And if by some chance I’m unscathed,
you lose. In which case the two of you will have to join me for tea. What do you think?”
Everyone’s eyes were riveted to D. Oddly enough, the look the three knights gave him
didn’t carry as much anger or menace as it did a powerful tinge of dependence—and
that included the eyes of the Black Knight.
“Let’s do it,” said D.
The princess, incredibly enough, snapped her fingers. “Fantastic! I just adore decisive
men.”
Her body seemed to float through the air, and she came to stand before D with just
the faintest ruffling of the hem of her dress.
“Princess!” the Blue Knight shouted as he prepared to dash to her aid.
“I believe I told you to be silent, didn’t I?” she said, her voice flying like a spear
of ice to nail her guardian in blue firmly in place. “There will be no interruptions
now,” the princess told the Hunter. “So, shall we get started?” she asked, her tone
incredibly innocent even as she invited a blow from his blade.
While she was a full-grown woman and a beautiful one at that, the gap between the
way she looked and the
Similar Books
