【 Chapter 12 】
‘You’re heading towards the path to ruin after being arrogant!’
Why do I always end up risking my life like this!
But before I could finish my thought with a scream, Esadien grabbed me and pulled me away.
“That’s why I say it’s reckless.”
I laughed silently, tightly wrapped in his arms, still unable to shake off the uneasiness. It was certain. Since the garden incident, Esadien’s solid wall had become lower. In the past, if I had remembered his words like earlier and said something, he would have responded like this.
‘That’s a relief, then can we get to the point?’
However, that was not the case for today’s Esadien. He explained that it wasn’t true and seemed taken aback when I looked upset.
‘Aren’t you following the ‘drizzle rain strategy’ well?’
I didn’t want anything more than to keep soaking Esadien’s heart until it softened. On the other hand, Esadien, who had no idea what I was thinking, was starting to persuade me again.
“At this rate, They might even target you. My brother won’t give up….”
“Brother?”
Esadien kept his mouth shut, but the important words had already been spoken. The pleasant feeling that had lasted for a moment disappeared.
“Are you talking about the Second Prince?”
“……”
“You knew, who commissioned it?”
“…..Minuelle.”
Feeling frustrated with the lack of response, I grabbed Esadien’s chest and shook it, but he calmly just gave me the facts instead of staggering or wobbling.
“My brother is in Chitrum.”
Chitrum. It was the name of a kingdom between our Preseria Empire and the Great Desert.
“Then why? Even if you’re in another country, you can put in as many requests as you want….”
I flinched at my own words and thought of a single assumption, trembling. Esadien thought that the Second Prince himself had carried out the job.
“Esadien, you’re still an annoying brat.”
Even for an assassin, the way he spoke was strange. He pretended to convey the client’s message, but now that I think about it, that could have been just an act.
“Is it because you can’t find evidence that Second Prince has returned?”
I wanted to check Esadien’s expression, but I couldn’t because it was getting darker. Frustrated, I took a step ahead and pressed my face against Esadien’s face.
“Mi, Minulle.”
“Last time and this time, you didn’t forget that they were trying to get rid of me too, did you? I’m a victim too.”
“That’s….”
“A secret is a secret. What do you think?”
Once again, for a moment, only the sound of wind and breathing replaced their voice. As the captivating beauty, like a black hole, disappeared behind the darkness, I suddenly became curious.
‘What is this person thinking?’
I wanted to know more. What Esadien was hiding. What was hidden behind his calm appearance? What kind of life had he lived?
The answer finally flowed out at that moment.
“Yes. I believe that my brother is the one targeting me.”
“Then…!”
“But I don’t want to reveal this. So please keep it a secret.”
“Why are you hiding it? If it’s because you’re afraid His Majesty won’t believe you…”
“No, it’s not that.”
Esadien briefly lowered his head.
“His Majesty is the one who will postpone the judgment and conduct an investigation first. I just don’t want to take his family away from him. If the truth is revealed, His Majesty will definitely punish my brother.”
“Then…..”
“Minuelle, I…. I have to repay His Majesty for accepting me.”
I was the one who was speechless this time.
‘Can this be called show gratitude?’
The emperor I saw treated Esadien like his own son. If such an emperor were to learn this truth one day, how much pain would he feel in his heart?
However, I couldn’t just blurt out the truth without understanding Esadien’s feelings toward the Emperor.
‘First of all, I need to find out about the Second Prince.’
Still, even though they grew up together in the imperial palace, it’s hard to believe that he would go so far as to try to kill him just because they had a falling out.
“I understand. I’ll keep it a secret too.”
“Thank you for understanding. Then, when you go back, send me an annulment letter….”
“No, why is the conversation going in that direction!”
I was so dumbfounded that I screamed without realizing it.
Doesn’t sharing a secret usually create a feeling of camaraderie?
“As I said earlier, my brother might be after you.”
“So you have to protect me. I won’t run away leaving someone I love behind.”
At that moment, a voice calling out to us from below echoed.
‘I wanted to stay here for a day since it’s already dark.’
If that had been the case, I might have tried to take advantage of the situation and lie down next to Esadien…
It was a shame, but finding accommodation for the knights was also a daily task, so there was no choice. I sighed and shamelessly hugged Esadien’s neck.
“Please hold me. I don’t have the confidence to go down in the dark.”
He was so confident in responding to my request, but without a word, Esadien lifted me up like before. Satisfaction and faint suspicion rose in my head.
‘You’re only doing this to me, right?’
It was true that I was the only one who had approached Esadien in the first place, but I didn’t want to see this blunt kindness being given to others.
“You shouldn’t hug other people like this. Do you understand?”
So I said it out loud!
“…just transporting the wounded.”
Huh? Transporting the wounded? Princess carrying?
“Yes. But other injured people need to be carried on your shoulders. Like a backpack.”
“Who is the Prince…..”
I interrupted the repeated excuses with a firm look at Esadien.
“Just say yes.”
“Ah, I understand.”
The way she fluttered her eyelashes in surprise was so cute that I had to swallow a sigh.
‘If you look cute, it’s game over.’
I felt like I couldn’t afford to let go of this person. It was fortunate that he was my fiancé. After passing through the steep staircase that led to indoors, I faced Esadien directly and declared.
“Don’t bring up about breakup talk again. I’ll take responsibility.”
“You have no responsibility. It’s all my fault for being inadequate.”
“No, not that kind of responsibility.”
“Then what…?”
What responsibility?
I poked Esadien’s firm chest with my finger. A wicked laugh escaped me.
I have already seen Your Highness’s naked body.
“…..!”
Wow. It felt like not being able to take a picture of Esadien’s face right now would be a regret I’d carry to my grave.
💧
After returning home from our first date that was spectacular, I couldn’t leave my house for the next two days because I needed to recover.
“I knew this would happen.”
There was nothing but the flower that Esadien had given me, who listened even when I muttered. The lily, infused with Ramande’s divine power, remained fresh like the day I received it.
“It’s probably not a lie…”
I worried about Esadien while gently stroking the soft flower petals. Even for an adult, being threatened with assassination was a big deal.
Last time, I was bedridden and couldn’t do anything, but this time there was no such excuse, and I felt sorry for not being able to be with him.
I felt sorry and missed him. Like in the temple, I felt like I wanted to cross any wall to be with him.
‘But I can’t do it here……’
Even if I left the room right now, there would be people following me. So, I chose the proper way. Fortunately, it was time for my parents to have tea together. I took a deep breath, straightened my shoulders and waist, and went to find them.
“Mom, Dad. I have something to ask.”
“Oh, you’re here, sweetie. We were waiting for you.”
Despite barging in without any prior notice, the two of them showed no sign of surprise.
‘I knew it! I’m still in the palm of my parents’ hands!’
If I had been overflowing with rebelliousness, I might have felt bad, but I wasn’t that kind of person.
‘I guess it’s nice because it’s less bothersome, huh.’
Enjoy! Enjoyment! The position of the beloved youngest daughter!
I think my parents find it amusing that I easily accept such a position. Of course, as parents, they might think, “What is this ‘youngest daughter’ thing?”
“Sure. Our little one has something she’s curious about?”
“Yes. I want to know more about Second Prince.”
Usually, it would be proper to seek out an information guild or something similar. However, what I wanted to know about Second Prince was not something that could be obtained by simply digging up dust. At least, not yet.
“Not the the Third Prince? That’s surprising.”
“It’s not the Third Prince? Surprising. Well, he doesn’t seem to get along well with Esadien.”
“Hmm.”
Father raised his hand, which was resting on his crossed legs, and asked with a faint smile on his lips.
“Does that have anything to do with what happened the day before yesterday?”
I also smiled without saying anything. My mother remained quiet and drank her tea the whole time, as if she didn’t want to interfere.
“I can’t tell you about that.”
“Then it can’t be helped.”
And I knew it. As if respecting his daughter’s secret, he let it go, but the moment I leave here, my father will have all the information about Second Prince in his hands. My answer just now was no different than shouting, “Yes!”
‘My father is not someone who obtained the position of the Grand Duchess’s husband through looks alone.’
Now, when I needed the “dust” of the Second Prince, I just had to ask my father.
‘Do I really need to go through the trouble of finding the Information Guild?’
“I hope I was wrong about my thoughts, but do you happen to know about the relationship between the two princes, Mom and Dad?”
“Yes, your guess is correct, dear.”
Without making a sound of clinking, Mother finally opened her mouth as she put down the teacup.
“Everyone has known that Second Prince dislikes Third Prince for a long time.”
“Some say that the reason he went to Chitrum as an ambassador was because of that discord, but he disappeared after just hearing rumors.”
‘It was well known, but I don’t think it was a big enough incident to cause a stir.’
Besides, whatever happened, it didn’t leak outside of the Imperial Palace. That’s probably because… Esadien handled it.
My heart ached again.
“Could you look into it for me? I haven’t even started socializing yet. I don’t have any friends either.”
Since I wanted to know about past events, it was better to confirm them through my parents’ generation rather than my peers.
“Sure. What else are you curious about, sweetie?”
“Thank you… I have another question. Is that okay?”
“What is it this time, sweetie?”
It seemed that as I returned to the capital and started dating, I became more curious about things. My parents seemed to only be accepting the current situation to a certain extent. However, unfortunately, I had to ruin this light atmosphere.
“I also want to know the real reason why my body is weak now.”
The faces of the two froze.
💧
Thank you for reading!
