I quickly looked around as soon as I jumped up from my seat.
Ah, really.
Having been locked up in all sorts of places for all sorts of reasons, I could get a rough idea just by glancing around. The place was so grand, and even the facilities were impressively good amidst all this chaos.
“Who would come up with something like this…?” I muttered to myself.
There were many windows, but none showing the outside. Well, there was one, but it only faced an inner garden, blocking the view beyond.
“I’ve been raising a bunch of wolf pups.”
In short, the structure was designed so that you couldn’t know what was happening outside the world. It felt like a monastery that was excessively flashy.
“What’s this now?”
Just pick one, just one.
Seeing the neatly placed slippers and the carpet at my feet, I let out a small laugh.
Every step I took was on a soft rug and a path of flowers. If this were the beginning of my life, I might have thought I was being cared for and protected.
“Arrogant brats.”
Nevertheless, it was confinement and kidnapping, and this kind of insolence was a first for me. From my old-fashioned perspective, it was absurd.
“What skill should I use to counter this?”
Recalling various responses like refusing food, causing trouble, or taking a vow of silence, I surveyed my surroundings.
“Oh gosh, Milady!”
I turned my head at the familiar voice and saw someone at the inner door.
“Daisy!”
It was definitely Daisy, the one I had been desperately searching for.
“Milady, are you alright? How do you feel? Oh god.”
Why is she here?
“I never thought I’d see you alive again.” Daisy, holding a wet towel, approached me, tears streaming down her face.
“What on earth happened to you? What about the communication tool? And why are you here?”
Even though it was luxurious confinement, it was still confinement. But to even provide a personal maid… At this point, they might insist this is a retreat, not confinement.
“I… I just found myself here when I came to my senses. They said all the staff were in place, but there was no female servant to attend Milady closely, so they woke me up.”
What staff? What waking up? I couldn’t easily understand Daisy’s answer.
“Wait, who told you that?”
“Sir Francis!”
Francis…? I furrowed my brow.
“Daisy, have you seen anyone else here?”
“I mostly stayed in your room, so I’m not sure, but, um, it didn’t feel like a normal atmosphere,” Daisy whispered. “There were only very handsome men gathered… but it was kind of intimidating to talk to them.”
Ha, I laughed again. Even with her clumsy explanation, I could grasp the situation well enough.
Not only those Norma brats, but even the devils have joined in?
“What’s wrong, Milady?”
“…It’s nothing.”
But in such times, I needed to stay calm.
“First, tell me exactly what happened. Did you manage to leave the capital?”
I sat Daisy down and asked. Just knowing she was alive brought a huge sense of relief.
“After you left first, the coachman and I rested by the lake before departing. But…”
The story Daisy told was like something out of a dream. They had encountered a cliff, the horse went wild, and the carriage fell.
“I thought I was going to die, but I had a faint consciousness. Then, it would fade again… Anyway, it’s not a lie, Milady!” Daisy shook her head in disbelief, even at her own words. “I didn’t deceive you or plan anything behind your back!” With tearful eyes, she looked at me, who was lost in thought.
It seems we were indeed kidnapped by those devils in the middle.
If I hadn’t remembered the past events clearly and met Daisy here, I would have doubted her. I might have thought she deceived me and plotted something.
“It’s okay. I know you’re not lying.”
But my memory was annoyingly vivid.
“Do you remember anything from the times you were faintly conscious?”
“Yes! There was a very delicate-looking man… his gaze was mesmerizing, and his skin was as white as snow.”
A man with mesmerizing eyes and snow-white skin.
“And his clothes, his hands, and his ears, everything was adorned with glittering jewels.”
Daisy’s voice grew stronger, as if the impression was intense.
“Ah, and he kept calling someone ‘Milord.’”
“Milord?”
The devil legion and the highest being leading them. It turned out they not only existed but were also very close by. Given this, it wasn’t surprising.
“Look. Even if you’ve forgotten everything else, you still remember me.”
“Lucifer.”
“…”
I remembered all the conversations with Redian that night. Which meant…
“Milady, why is your expression…? Are you okay?”
“…I need to go to the sea.”
“Yes, yes? Suddenly, the sea?”
I moved toward the window, leaving Daisy confused. “I need to go to the Sea of Ananke.”
If the abandoned memories stayed in that sea, as Raphiel said… It must have been around that time that Redian’s memories started returning.
Finally, the lingering questions seemed to unravel one by one. How Redian recognized me immediately after waking up from his crown prince’s baptism. Why did he call me ‘Master’ right after emerging from the sea.
I should have entered the Sea of Ananke, not Redian. I didn’t know who I was while helping him regain his memories.
“Goodness, goodness!”
“Milady, why?”
Despite the grand plan, I hadn’t noticed the traps right in front of me!
“You shouldn’t be reckless just after waking up.” Daisy jumped up as I stomped my foot.
“I was asleep.”
“Yes? Eii, come on, how could someone sleep for more than three days…?”
She might have worried I was gravely ill, but my light body told me otherwise. Over the past three days, I had relaxed from the tension in Pronaea and slept comfortably.
“Daisy.”
“Yes, yes, Milady.”
But that wasn’t important right now.
“What do you think would happen if I fell from this height?”
“Huh…? What?”
I seriously considered the height beyond the window as I asked. Of course, I could just use my sturdy feet to open the intact door, but that would be it.
“No, Milady, why are you saying such scary things?!”
“Can’t you see? I’m being imprisoned.”
So it seemed cleaner to escape through the window. I just needed to slip out without causing a commotion. However…
“They’ve confined me in this unnecessarily luxurious castle. How dare they?”
I also knew. Even if I fell from the window, I wouldn’t be able to escape this garden.
“See over there? You never know how many devils, no, vicious people might be lurking.”
Where I pointed, there were people with pale skin and cold eyes playing with flowers.
“Ah, Milady. Handsome men don’t do bad things.”
“…Sigh.”
But Daisy seemed to believe in the saying that a good soul resides in a beautiful face.
“Anyway, even if I fall from here, I can’t escape this garden as long as those creatures are playing with the flowers.”
Devils would surely jump out from all over the garden to block my path. No matter how they couldn’t touch me, if they blocked me like a shield, I wouldn’t be able to break through.
“Then why would you say such a scary thing about falling from here…?”
“In short, I need to make a performance, Daisy.”
To deal with madmen, I had to do something crazier.
“When I climb onto this window sill, scream. Got it?”
“Oh no, Milady!” But Daisy, already frightened, grabbed my waist and shouted.
“Princess.”
Knock, knock. At that moment, a perfectly timed knock sounded. Moreover, that voice…
“I came in because it seemed noisy, and I see you’re up.”
The one who entered was none other than Inein.
“…”
Inein, silent for a moment, seemed to grasp the situation.
“Ah, how would you like your meal? You probably haven’t eaten properly, and there was an order from His Highness not to bring anything too heavy.”
But Inein continued as if nothing had happened. His eyes were calm, and his tone was serene as usual.
“But he did say to accommodate your wishes as much as possible.”
“…”
I maintained my posture, standing on the window sill, and didn’t answer. Instead, I looked straight at Inein and moved slightly.
“…Princess!” Inein flinched, unable to maintain his composed act any longer. “Please come down.”
“Why?”
“If you accidentally scrape your hand on the window sill and get hurt, we’ll all be in trouble.”
“Really? Then what happens if I die?”
“Please don’t say such things carelessly…”
I saw Inein bite his lip hard. He was someone who never showed his emotions, so even I was seeing this expression for the first time.
“Come here, Inein.” I gestured for him to come closer.
“…”
Inein slowly approached and stood in front of me.
“Or.” I looked down at Inein from my position on the window sill. “Do you want to die?”
“Co-Cough.”
“How dare you switch your master?”
My eyes were probably burning intensely, making Inein cough.
“Princess!”
“Milady!”
Using the skills I honed climbing cliffs, I expertly placed my other foot on the window sill.
“Uh… Uh, uh!”
I sensed the devils in the garden rushing out.
“Your master.”
Among the pale-faced ones, I alone was smiling.
“Redian, where is he now?”
For the record, this was a height I could jump from with my eyes closed.
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