The Doll Knight/Chapter 5


 * -|English= Chapter 5 - The Girl With Sky Blue Eyes

The man in black attacked.

From the upper-right, he feinted as if to strike the shoulder, but twisted his wrist and changed to a slash across the body.

Pedro, having read the feint, pulled at his strings.

The Blue Knight stepped back a half step, dodging the horizontal slash, then smacked the outstretched blade, knocking it from his foe's hands.

'I-Impossible...'

The black-garbed man rubbed his numb hand and paled as the Blue Knight shifted slightly.

As if it was a sign, the thugs turned and scattered like baby spiders.

The girl gave a sigh of relief and curtsied.

'Thank you very much...'

She was still a bit shaky, but her manner was that of a noble woman.

'It is the duty of every knight to protect. Pay it no mind.'

'Ah, are you from foreign lands, perhaps?'

Suddenly Pedro was struck with a moment of whimsy.

'I am the touring knight, Pedro. The boy there is my servant,' he made the puppet reply.

'Huh...?'

The girl finally seemed to notice him. She faced him with an expression of bewilderment.

However...

Pedro was no less surprised. Indeed, his shock was many, many times greater than hers.

Cool, turquoise-blue eyes.

That familiar, achingly lovely form.

It was the same girl he had seen at ceremonies and from the balcony of the palace.

'Y-Your Highness?' he blurted.

The girl wrapped in pure white was the very girl who had just lost her father and was to be crowned in the capital.

It was Princess Tia.
 * -|Japanese= 第５話　空色の瞳の少女

黒装束が襲ってきました. 右上段から、袈裟にかけると見せかけて 手首をひるがえした、抜き胴を払ってきます.

フェイントを読んだペドロは、糸を引きました. 蒼騎士は、半歩さがって水平の斬撃をのがれ 剣尖の伸びきった刀身を打ち落としました.

『ば、馬鹿な……』 黒装束は、痺れた腕を押さえて青ざめました. それが合図となって、ゴロツキたちは 蜘蛛の子を散らすように逃げていきました.

『ありがとうございます……』 女の子は、安堵のため息をついてお辞儀しました. 折り目正しい、良家のお嬢さんといった風情です.

『騎士として当然の務め. お気になさるな』 『あの、外国の方でいらっしゃいますか？』 ふとペドロは、いたずら心を出しました. 『遊歴の騎士ペドロと申す. ちなみに、そちらの少年は私の従者である』

『えっ……』 ペドロがいたことに初めて気付いたらしく 女の子は面食らった表情を向けてきました.

しかし…… 驚いたのはペドロも同様です. いえ、その何倍も、何十倍も驚いたことでしょう. ターコイズブルーの涼しげな瞳. 正面から見る可憐な容姿は、祭典の時などに 王宮のバルコニーで見かけるものと同じでした.

『お、王女殿下？』 純白に身を包んだ女の子は 父王を亡くして、戴冠式を直前にひかえた ティーア王女殿下だったのです.