99. The Prince’s Woman (2)

The one who covered my mouth must be that young man over there. He was younger than I expected. Though his face was masked, his forehead was pristine, not a speck of dirt visible. It seemed he hadn’t been involved in rough work for long.

“Ah, looks like they sent a rookie for this kind of job, huh? No wonder there’s been a mistake.”

His face showed a hint of embarrassment. His eyes, trembling slightly, darted to the man who seemed to be the leader before returning to me. It looked like he desperately hoped my words were lies.

But unfortunately for him, it was I who wished all this was just a well-orchestrated play.

A long silence ensued, and the anxious gazes focused on me felt like they were staring at a lottery ticket that had suddenly become worthless.

“I knew you’d screw up one day.”

The young man shook his head frantically.

“I brought the woman exactly as described! There was no one else in the ballroom but her.”

“Do you think that excuse will fly?”

The man, who had been backing away, collapsed to his knees.

Soon, punches and brutal kicks rained down on him. He curled up, trying to shield himself from the assault. His back arched painfully.

It hurt my chest as if I were the one being beaten.

Anyway, they wouldn’t leave me alone just because they kidnapped the wrong person. They would soon start negotiating. But what would they want in return?

Whatever it was, I felt it would be worth less than a dead wild animal. No matter what they asked for, it would be more valuable than me. At this moment, I was worth less than a pet they kept.

My eyes felt dry and irritated.

The man who had finished the brief beating lifted his head. His chest was still heaving with excitement.

He dusted off his hands and stomped on the man lying on the ground. A short scream echoed from the dark, cold floor.

“Enough. We need to move quickly. Just make some simple preparations, and then everyone will head to the secluded palace. We’ll deal with you when we get back.”

The man who had been dusting off his hands gave orders. He then barked at the young man still lying on the ground.

“What about the girl? Even if it’s dark, she might remember our faces.”

He glanced at me. Several pairs of eyes followed his gaze to me.

“She’s a noble if she was in there. If we touch her, it’ll just cause trouble later.”

“But doesn’t it feel a bit uneasy to just let her go?”

“From the looks of it… I doubt she’ll run to the prince and tattle.”

The man’s dismissive tone dripped with scorn. He spoke as if whatever happened to me wouldn’t matter at all.

And he was right. I was a woman used as a mere shield. I had no value.

Would they even realize I was missing from the ballroom? I thought the knights would be searching for me, but given that there was no news until now, it didn’t seem like it.

They could track my location or send a message through the gems, but the gems had lost their glow and lay scattered on the floor.

“Judging by how she was used as a shield, she must be a low-ranking noble or without family. Probably without much wealth either.”

“So, what does that mean…”

“She’s a woman who won’t be missed if she disappears.”

“Then can’t we just get rid of her without a second thought?”

“Do you want to give them a perfect excuse? Killing a noble will just hand them a great pretext.”

I couldn’t even muster tears. The men exchanged casual conversation in front of the fire.

It was absurd that they were discussing my life and death in this filthy, smoky space where the flames flickered.

“She won’t dare speak up, right, miss?”

His eyes were cold as they bore into mine, clearly expecting a definitive answer.

I smiled at him and replied icily.

“Kill me.”

The men, who had been chatting leisurely, fell silent. They all turned their heads toward me in unison.

The man scratched his ear as if he had misheard.

“What?”

“Just kill me and be done with it.”

My boldness seemed to shock them, and they stiffened.

I’d rather meet my end here than return in disgrace.

Being with Deon felt like a test of how far he could exploit me. How much more could he use and discard me? No matter how much I pondered and guarded myself, I never expected to end up here.

It was uncomfortable to meet my end in this dirty, damp, and dark place, but I didn’t want to go back. I’d only be used again if I returned. I’d rather end it all than stay by his side on edge.

“Let’s handle this.”

The man crouching by the brazier spoke up.

“If she’s asking for it so clearly, let’s grant her wish.”

“Did you forget the leader’s words about not killing before an important task? Especially since that jinx has always been accurate for us. We can’t stain ourselves with blood over a trivial matter.”

A trivial matter. I had survived because I was trivial to Deon.

The man approached me with long strides, but instead of slashing my throat with his knife, he cut the ropes binding me. The ropes that had been tightly wound around my body fell away.

Even though I was free, I remained seated, staring at them.

“Aren’t you leaving?”

The man grabbed my arm and pulled me up, pushing me towards the exit of the warehouse.

At the entrance of the warehouse, there was a gem that shone brilliantly even in the darkness. It was the same gem that had been my shackle, surviving despite the chain that had worn away.

I picked up the gem. It had survived rough handling and being used as a blunt weapon, just like me.

The warehouse behind me became noisy again. It seemed they were preparing to capture Isella. They wanted to bring the real woman of the prince.

It wouldn’t be easy to get Isella at the final stage of the festival. She was safe as Deon had planned.

I walked outside. There was another brazier similar to the one inside.

Standing before it, I stared at the flames before pulling at the waist ribbon of my dress.

The gems that had adorned my waist scattered in all directions. They had clung to the dress even under rough handling. I crushed a black pearl underfoot, but my heart remained unsettled.

The night air was chilly, but I could endure it. The sensation of the dress sticking to my skin was more horrific than the cold air. The feeling of the dress against my skin made every hair on my body stand on end, sending shivers down my spine.

The dress was difficult to remove. It clung to me from the sweat of my struggles.

I dug my nails in and tore at the dress. My tender skin scratched, and a stinging sensation crawled up my arm. The torn fabric fluttered in the wind.

Soon, I was left wearing only the white undergarment typically worn beneath the dress. After ensuring there wasn’t a trace of the dress left, I tossed the black fabric into the brazier.

Using the tongs, I pushed the fabric into the flames. Holes appeared, and it began to burn and crumple.

As I watched the dress turn to ash, I thought.

The scene from the illustration had come to life.

Leonie, dressed in a black dress with disheveled hair, clung to Deon’s feet, crying. Though the dress I wore now was more lavish, and I was standing in front of a brazier instead of him, the outcome was the same; I had not drawn a sword, but my end felt identical.

The final remnants of the dress were consumed by the flames. Only then did I feel the cold wind biting into my skin, a chill that blew from the river in the capital.

Descending the hill, the river came into full view.

Fireworks exploded high above the long bridge spanning the river. Each burst illuminated the flow of the water below.

I wandered toward the river in a daze.

I clutched the gem in my hand, caressing it like I was casting a spell, rubbing it until the surface wore smooth.

It was fortunate that I had salvaged the necklace from the lake. Though it had been a shackle, it still had its uses.

The necklace had a tracking device. They wouldn’t have thought I realized I was Isella’s decoy. If I threw it into the river, they might believe I had drowned.

The dress reduced to ash, the ropes unbound, the signal from the necklace cut off in the river—it all pointed to me drowning while attempting to escape.

Not a bad scenario. It was my chance to escape from him.

But even at this moment, I hesitated. I found myself wanting, more than anything, to stand by his side, oblivious to the kidnapping and threats to my life, foolishly willing to be deceived just to stay near him.

* * *

I trudged past the river and into the streets. The whole area was alive with the festival’s spirit. The fervor from the ballroom extended to the streets of commoners.

I reached the edge of the village.

Huge balloons, flower petals strewn across the streets, the sweet scent wafting through the air—it was all festive. But here I was, in nothing but a white petticoat, drawing strange looks from passersby.

I sat on a bench to catch my breath. A child nearby, with sauce smeared around his mouth, stared at me with wide eyes. He lingered before approaching, holding out a fruit candy.

I looked at him in surprise, but the child didn’t retract the candy.

“For me?”

The child nodded. I accepted the candy hesitantly. It was a stick of fruit coated in sugar. The child had already taken several bites, judging by the sticky sugar around his mouth.

“Why are you giving this to me?”

“It’s a festival. Everyone has to be happy during a festival for the crops to ripen well later.”

Despite his words, the child kept glancing at the candy, reluctant to part with it.

I chuckled and handed the candy back to him.

“I don’t need it.”

“Why do you look so sad? Aren’t you enjoying the festival?”

“I’m not part of the festival.”

Fireworks exploded in the sky, but my festivities had ended long ago. When I discovered Isella was dressed identically to me, my festival had ended.

Thud.

Suddenly, a strange noise reached my ears. The sound came from where the noble houses were clustered in the capital.

Could it be a bomb?

I sprang up and looked around. But no one else seemed to have heard it.

Children still clutched their balloons, couples strolled hand in hand, and everyone went about their business unaffected.

Thud.

And then the booming sound came again, this time loud enough to pinpoint its origin.

The immense noise, powerful enough to make the ground tremble, swept over me like a gust of wind, leaving my body unsteady.

The roaring noise, swirling back with the wind, was something I had experienced before. When Elizabeth had felt the first flutter of her unborn child under Deon’s hand.

The next generation of blood had been born. Elizabeth had given birth.

I knew it instinctively. This booming sound was also emanating from near the hospital where she was staying.