Chapter 6
“What’s wrong with you!”
“I don’t intend to fight with honor, and you’re saying such weak things before we’ve even started!”
“Let’s face it, the borders have been breached with just those men, and there are far more Podia troops on their way!”
There was a brief exchange of words, but in the end, everyone fell silent, as if speechless.
My father squeezed his eyes tightly shut, a look of anguish on his face. Perhaps it wasn’t so much the shame of being disruptive in the presence of the enemy as it was the helplessness of being unable to do anything about it.
“If you’ll excuse me while I speak, my name is Bakken Dvitz, an aide to His Majesty the Emperor of Podia.”
Taking advantage of the confusion, a silver-haired man suddenly appeared from behind Thierry, who bowed politely in an uncharacteristically formal manner and continued calmly.
“First of all, it would be easier for us to talk if you could consider this an agreement, not a unilateral offer.”
“An agreement, that sounds like blackmail!”
“Haha, you realize that we’re trying to have a civilized conversation when we’re perfectly capable of ending this situation on our terms. We’re a bit flustered by this, too, so we hope you’ll bear with us.”
“…”
“Thank you for your cooperation. Here’s the agreement we’re proposing. In exchange for the safe keeping of Princess Alicia Ashtad from the Podia Empire, the Kingdom of Ashtad will grant one request of the Podia Empire.”
“…”
“It’s very simple, isn’t it? If this condition is fulfilled, the Princess will be returned safely to the Kingdom of Ashtad.”
“That’s absurd! I know what fickle Podia’s request would be!”
It was a one-sided argument. Finally, an angry shout from the impatient father echoed through the room, but his anger was short-lived.
“You’re so stupid…”
Thierry opened his mouth as if bored with the situation.
“What?”
“Was my request really that complicated?”
His voice was thick with irritation. Her father was silent for a moment, as if he had guessed something.
“… I thought I said I didn’t know anything about elves.”
“Selfish.”
“…!”
The accusation from the man rumored to be the most selfish man on the continent hit the listener like a ton of bricks. Not just us, but even Thierry’s aide Bakken stared at him in shock.
“She’s going to die soon anyway, I’m giving her a chance to live. Doesn’t she want to live?”
… Why is he so big?
I stared in disbelief at Thierry, who had grown like a sharpened blade. My heart was heavy with ambivalent feelings, a mixture of horror and pity.
“Just then,” his gaze fell on me, our gazes tangling in the air as we passed between the knights in front of us.
“If you don’t intend to send the Princess away, I’ll just bury you all here, neatly.”
The air was heavier than it had ever been before, crushing my lungs. No one spoke as he spoke, his voice tasteless, his threats murderous.
If you hold out any longer, you’ll only make him angrier.
Sheng’an was already surrounded, blood dripping from the tip of the sword he held, soaking the red carpet that led up to the throne.
‘Everyone here knows it. All that’s left is for him to simply admit defeat.’
“I’ll go to…”
It was half-impulsive. I barely managed to keep my voice together.
“No!”
“Princess!”
“Alicia Ashtad.”
The many cries for me were quickly drowned out by Thierry’s heavy voice.
“You’re the only one who makes sense.”
He raised one corner of his mouth lazily, as if amused by my demeanor. Thankfully, his momentum had eased somewhat.
I heard shouting from the side to stop me, but his voice was the only one in my ears. My mother, trembling even more than I was, tightened her arms around me.
‘You can’t help it.’
The face of a child so long ago, so gentle, flashed through my mind, but the image kept dispersing like smoke at the disparity between him and the man in front of me.
The child I cared for would never say such a thing, but the futile sentimentality stung my heart.
There’s only one answer.
It’s not that I’m a good person, but honestly, it was better to sacrifice myself than to let them all die here.
Besides, they suddenly demanded an equivalent exchange. They wanted something badly enough to make such a ridiculous offer.
I didn’t know what it was, but I had a vague feeling that until I got it, they would protect my life in some way.
The question was how long. No one knew how long it would take for Ashtad to grant Podia’s request. Would Thierry’s patience hold out until the agreement was finalized?
‘Well, the worst that could happen is that I could die, but that’s a problem for later… Anyway, the important thing is to stay alive now! Let’s just go and stay as inconspicuous as possible.’
It was a surprisingly cheerful thought, to say the least, but it wasn’t like I had any other options, so it was best to stay as positive as possible.
I barely moistened my parched lips. Once I made up my mind, I felt surprisingly calm.
“Alicia, no. You don’t have to do that.”
I could feel my mother’s trembling as she tightened her arms around me, as if to trap me in her embrace. I stroked her back and then jerked her arm away.
“Mother.”
“Please…”
“I want to live.”
“…!”
My mother’s face contorted at my faint smile, her hands reaching out as if to grab me again as I tried to escape her embrace.
“So let me go.”
Leaving my mother, who was soon bursting into tears, I motioned the driver in front of me to move aside. He looked back at me, helpless, and took a guilty step to the side.
Thierry glared at me as I got closer and closer. Just then, a beast leapt out from the Podia camp. It was the wolf from earlier.
‘… It’s really Rudd. Does he recognize me?’
Both knights ran after him, as if to stop him, but he was faster.
They were all in complete disbelief. Thierry’s eyes lit up when he saw Rudd rubbing his head against my leg, panting.
I know I shouldn’t look like I’m panicking, but… I don’t want to do that right now.
If I’m destined to go back to Podia anyway, I might as well learn about my death now.
I felt myself relaxing slightly at Rudd’s out-of-place banter, and slowly opened my mouth.
“Alicia, Princess of the Kingdom of Ashtad. I accept His Majesty the Emperor’s offer to travel with him to the Podia Empire.”
The smile slowly faded from his lips. The so-called warmonger, the Blood Emperor, held me for a moment with his deep, unreadable eyes.
***
The question of how we got to the palace so quickly was answered by Bakken’s explanation that there was a magic circle nearby, and we only had to travel a short distance.
Even before Ashtad had secured the border, Fodia had already meticulously planned to take the castle with a small army. It was a losing battle from the start.
Ouch, rumbling. Don’t look at the ground. Just stare straight ahead.
As we made our way through the blood-spattered corridors and out of the palace, Bakken looked up with a pitying look on his face. They were at the window to the real world.
“Oh no. Anyone looking in would think we were kidnapping the Princess.”
… If this isn’t kidnapping, what is?
I stared dumbfoundedly at Bakken’s brazen face, then lifted my gaze to follow his.
My, what a portrait.
The faces of the family members who stood close to the window, staring down at me, were filled with grief and worry.
It was the result of Thierry’s threats that they should not move from the realm until he left, if they thought for the Princess’s safety.
‘I know I’m not in a position to think about anyone right now, but I’m glad they’re safe.’
When I was Lari, I didn’t think much of the idea of deceiving someone because I was alone, without a family. But now, the love of her family for Alicia, the owner of this body, was too strong.
I knew it was cruel to them, having waited so long for their daughter to wake up, but I didn’t feel bad about it because it was the price I had to pay for being in Alicia’s body and living life one more time.
‘In a way, it’s probably a good thing for Ashtad, because the real Alicia would have had the strength of character to stay there whether they all died or not.’
‘… Luck be damned. I’m screwed! I’ve read a bunch of romance fantasy novels, and none of them have ever turned out like this. Hmph, maybe I’m destined for a minor life.’
I smiled at my family, trying to make them think I was okay, and then quickly turned and walked toward the carriage, not wanting to look like a dog being led to the slaughterhouse.
‘… But why are you here?’
But within ten seconds of turning around neatly, I wanted to get out of the carriage. It was Thierry who had gotten in first.
‘Sue, I’m suffocating.’
I held on to my seat and the carriage moved, and I stared desperately out the window.
The bloodshot eyes in the window stare at me like they’re going to devour me, and I realize that at this rate, my cheeks will be pierced.
‘No way…’
I swallowed dryly, my pupils twitching slightly.
‘Is he trying to tell me to get off because it’s narrow?!’
No, you can’t be that mean, this is the carriage my father gave me to travel in for my own comfort.
‘You didn’t even listen when I mentioned the carriage at first…’
When Bakken said that since there was no carriage, I would have to ride a horse to get to the magic circle, my father was horrified, saying no way.
“My child is weak and unable to ride a horse, so please take the royal carriage of Ashtad,” he said, and he didn’t hesitate to beg and plead in front of his vassals.
He was in tears. He begged them to take the carriage back to Podia or burn it, so that he could take their child in peace. In the end, the lesser Bakken granted permission to Thierry, who was ignoring him.
‘Whoa – what happened in seven years to make him change like that? I’d rather he was someone else…’
The disparity between the two kept me in denial.
From my point of view, it was bizarre to see a child who had been so gentle just a month ago, grow up so much, and then to see his eyes glow so brightly.
‘Especially those red eyes… How did his eyes change color?’
