Just one gunshot.
But that one step was enough to upset the barely maintained order.
As Laskan fell, the nobles screamed, and the crowd rushed to the doors to leave the courtroom.
The knights of Kairak, whom we thought had given up, rushed out and swung their swords at our knights.
There was a considerable number. Jacqueline, Enoch, and the other Ashkabad knights surrounded me and Laskan and stood in a tense standoff with them.
But I couldn't even perceive it all properly.
"Your Highness."
Laskan buried his head in my face, groaning softly. I placed my trembling hands on his abdomen. Blood was flowing out in such a large amount that I could not stop it with my hands.
“Laskan, don’t say anything. Go, as soon as you get out of here, I’ll call the doctor, Palace.”
“Don't cry.”
He lifted his bloody hand and tried to wipe my tears, but he dropped it without even touching it, as if the thing on his hand was dirty.
“When you die... don’t, close your eyes.”
“I’ll try, I’ll try.”
He said, blinking his eyes slowly. His breathing was getting more and more rapid, and it seemed like he was having a hard time maintaining consciousness.
I tried not to cry, but it wasn't easy.
I felt his breathing slow down. I desperately stroked his cheek and the nape of his neck as he slowly lowered his head.
"...Your Highness."
“Are you sleepy? Is that so? Then you really need to just sleep for a little while and then wake up.”
At my desperate pleas, he barely managed to move his lips into something resembling a smile.
“...Yes, Your Highness.”
“Your Highness. Your Highness, this way.”
As soon as one path was secured, Jacqueline and Cesare supported the unconscious Laskan.
“Your Highness, please stay here.”
I was scared to death of letting him go, but delaying any longer could have put my life in greater danger. I nodded.
Soon, the path they took was buried under other knights, and no trace was left.
I could taste the pungent taste of blood as I chewed my lips so hard.
It was then that a commotion was heard from outside. A crowd of people, three times the number of knights who filled the courtroom, was rushing in.
“Protect Her Highness the Princess and His Excellency the Duke of Ashkabad!”
Other troops from the north arrived without delay.
The knights of the Kairak family, who had built a thick defensive wall, were finally collapsing one by one due to our joint attack.
Once the barrier began to crumble, they turned their backs and started running away without saying who would go first.
The knights who had been densely packed around me followed the fleeing Kairaks and carried out a one-sided massacre. It was un-knightly to cut down those who turned their backs, but there was no need for mercy for the traitors.
I wiped my tears and stood still. I stepped on broken blades and scattered drops of blood as I advanced. Eventually, I reached the Emperor's throne where Duke Kairak had presumptuously sat.
I swept the throne with my hand and sat down on the Princess's chair next to it. Sitting here, I felt so high up that I could see the world at a glance.
Only then did everything feel real.
It was our victory.
“How is it?”
“The wound did not get worse, and the healing process went smoothly.”
“But why hasn’t he regained consciousness yet?”
“As I said yesterday, the body was so tired that it was hit hard, so recovery was bound to be slow.”
Edgar, who had been called from the North, answered my anxious question wearily.
“Don’t worry. He’ll get up in no time.”
Edgar spoke as if he were fed up, but his hands were extremely careful and thorough as he changed the bandage.
“...It’s already been five days. What if he never woke up like this?”
“Isn’t there a Marquis Batistan? If you marry him...”
I glared at him. Edgar had a stinging expression on his face and raised both hands in a sign of surrender.
Even though I knew it was a joke to ease my tension... I just couldn’t accept it and laugh it off.
“I know that your lover is important, but please go see His Majesty. I see he has fully regained consciousness now.”
“I was already being called in and scolded all morning.”
As I answered like that and sat down on a chair close to Laskan's bed, Edgar muttered something about how there was no point in raising a daughter, earning me another glare.
It was already the fifth day. No matter how much I tried to take it easy, I just couldn't stay calm.
I asked the palace doctors dozens of times a day when he would wake up, and I learned how to change bandages and open ointments myself.
But Laskan's consciousness showed no sign of returning.
One day, I was so upset that I buried my face in the bed and cried... I couldn’t even stay angry for long because I thought that I was getting what I had paid for, not taking care of myself.
Maybe he was punishing me.
“Please get some sleep. If you continue like this, Your Highness will collapse.”
Edgar said with a sigh. I nodded with a pale face.
And that evening, he finally woke up from his long sleep.
"...Your Highness?"
I was just dozing off next to the bed, so I jumped up in surprise at his call.
“Laskan! Can you see me?”
He nodded, groaning in pain.
I quickly placed my hand on the bandage wrapped around his abdomen, then withdrew my hand in shock at the sight of the blood oozing out.
Although it was said to be healing smoothly, the gunshot wound was serious.
“Of the palace! Edgar!”
As I stood up, raising my voice, as if I was going to call them out at any moment, Laskan grabbed my wrist and made me slump back down.
He buried his head in the crook of my neck, moaning softly. His hot breath tickled my skin.
“Just a moment, just like this...”
“Damn it, are you crazy? What am I going to do if you pass out again like this?!”
My harsh speech had returned to the days of George. Laskan let out a small breath that was either a groan or a laugh.
“Are you worried a lot?”
“That’s what you’re talking about. I was so worried that you wouldn’t wake up again...”
“...”
“I’m really sorry.”
Laskan looked somewhat surprised by my sudden apology. However, those were the words I had promised to say first when Laskan woke up.
I never wanted to see Laskan lying like that again. My blood seemed to dry up while he was unconscious. It was just not something a human would do.
And Laskan had seen me unconscious like that so many times. He had even given orders to guide me to Kairak.
He looked at me with narrowed eyes, as if to gauge whether my reflection was genuine or an attempt to evade the situation.
When I opened my eyes wide and looked him in the eye to show him that I was serious, he let out a small laugh.
He urged me, gently tucking my disheveled hair behind my ear.
“Please do not give me the order to hand over Your Highness again.”
“I will do that.”
“And do not treat Your Highness’s body as a substitute.”
“I will do that.”
“Don’t put yourself in danger in front of me.”
“I can guarantee that... I will.”
I answered calmly. He let out a short laugh at my calm, subdued attitude.
He continued speaking in a wonderful voice, his forehead pressed against mine.
“I was injured while trying to protect Your Highness, so Your Highness must take responsibility.”
“I will do that.”
“I hope you don’t bring your lover into the palace from now on.”
“I will do that.”
...No, wait a minute.
“This is invalid!”
“Are you trying to find a lover?”
He ran his lips along my cheek, then bit my earlobe painfully.
“I, I don’t know about people’s business...”
“Then I guess I have to try to make sure that you don’t even think about it.”
A wet and tingling sensation settled on the nape of my neck. A soft and smooth sensation continued along my nape, collarbone, and below. His hands skillfully pulled down my dress...
My body began to flutter out of habit. I panted and tried to push him away.
“Your body is getting better...”
"It's okay."
He gently squeezed my wrist and kissed my palm.
“You died and came back to life...”
“Even if things were worse, Your Highness would be greedy.”
“...”
“Even if Your Highness were to leave me and take another lover.”
I ended up hitting his back hard.
Time passed quickly, and soon a year had passed since the day of the trial.
Many things had changed, but the biggest change was that the Duke of Kairak no longer existed in the Empire.
The direct lineage bearing the name Kairak was not spared from extinction, and all collateral lines were stripped of their titles.
Duke Kairak was imprisoned in a high tower and tortured until he ended up jumping out of a window and ending his life.
The last person to view the body reported that all of the fingernails and toenails had been pulled out... and that only bones remained on the body.
Well, since he was that thin, he must have been able to escape through the narrow spire's hole-like window.
The Duchess of Kairak was of royal blood and was eventually imprisoned on the grounds of insanity.
She couldn't take a single step outside the narrow tower, and other than the maids who brought her food, no one was allowed to come or go.
And Princess Veronica, or rather Veronica, was put on trial in public. Most of the charges against her, as the chief aide of the Duke of Kairak, were found guilty.
It would have been right for her to be punished as a traitor, but the fact that she was a whistleblower and helped me was taken into consideration, so she ended up being relegated to the status of a commoner.
And in recognition of her merits in saving the life of the Empire's sole rightful heir, I have given her the new title of Countess.
Now her name was Veronika Dwina Sol Medvedev, she was Countess Medvedev, and she was my favorite aide.
After the official appointment ceremony for the Crown Princess, I became very busy. His Majesty, under the pretext that his health had rapidly deteriorated after recovering from poisoning, had been passing all sorts of petty government affairs on to me.
He says it's for health, for the education of successors... He eats so well and sleeps so well that his skin glows every day. I'm getting thinner and thinner every day.
Perhaps, the reason His Majesty has been looking for me for fifteen years is because there is no one to whom he can leave this troublesome task...
Anyway, since I was taking care of state affairs during the day and studying the art of kingship at night, there were many times when the day would pass without me even realizing how time had passed.
As each day piled up, three years passed by in a flash. It was as if those words had finally freed me from the tedious study of imperialism.
As soon as I finished my studies in the study of imperialism, His Majesty, as if he had been waiting, announced that he would hand over the throne to me.
I resisted desperately, but I could not help but feel weak at the sight of His Majesty complaining of fatigue so often over the past few years.
As soon as I reluctantly nodded, His Majesty became full of energy again as if nothing had happened... In any case, the preparations for the transfer of the throne went very smoothly.
And finally, the day of my coronation dawned.
Behind the red curtain, all the nobles of the empire gathered to welcome the new emperor.
Laskan took out his pocket watch from his pocket and checked the time. Soon, he heard footsteps approaching, accompanied by the attendants.
“Laskan.”
A woman walking from the other side of the hallway noticed him and smiled gently.
Blonde hair tied up brightly, elegant features, blue-gray eyes that are no longer so innocent...
It was an appearance that gave off a sense of dignity, as if she had lived that way her entire life, without any deviation from the expectations of the so-called royal family.
Laskan reflexively recalled the moment when he first met her. The woman before his eyes had changed completely, so much so that it felt like a distant past.
As he looked down at her for a while without saying anything, Anastasia carefully cupped his cheeks.
“Is it strange?”
“No way.”
“The cloak is so long it’s uncomfortable.”
She tilted her head slightly to the side, as if the long fur cloak of the coronation draped over her back was uncomfortable. Laskan gently took Anastasia’s outstretched hand.
“Just bear with it for a little longer.”
There were no longer any women who were awkward with such escorts, no more innocent Princess like in their childhood.
Three years transformed a girl into a woman, and a Princess into an Empress.
He searched his memory and recalled the young Princess from her face, immature and young. Now, it was hard to find any trace of that on her face. It was as if the two had been different people from the beginning.
It wasn't a pity, because it was all her anyway.
“Are you nervous?”
The tips of the fingers that were holding each other trembled slightly. Anastasia nodded with a nervous face at his question.
"A little."
“You will do well.”
It was a word that contained a lot of meaning. Anastasia smiled elegantly.
“Do you really believe that?”
“Yes, always.”
He gently took the Princess's hand and kissed her fingertips.
That was the end of the two's leisure time. Soon, a loud voice from inside could be heard.
“Her Royal Highness the Crown Princess is entering!”
The curtains were lifted on both sides, and bright light poured in.
Laskan let go of her hand and stared at the Princess's back for a long time as she stepped into the huge hall. In the halo of light, he had the illusion that she would disappear.
Laskan stared at the woman's back for a long time with his eyes narrowed by the light. Then, like the other nobles, he knelt down and said a short prayer for her.
For the Princess who will now disappear.
And for the Empress, who will live forever.
But that one step was enough to upset the barely maintained order.
As Laskan fell, the nobles screamed, and the crowd rushed to the doors to leave the courtroom.
The knights of Kairak, whom we thought had given up, rushed out and swung their swords at our knights.
There was a considerable number. Jacqueline, Enoch, and the other Ashkabad knights surrounded me and Laskan and stood in a tense standoff with them.
But I couldn't even perceive it all properly.
"Your Highness."
Laskan buried his head in my face, groaning softly. I placed my trembling hands on his abdomen. Blood was flowing out in such a large amount that I could not stop it with my hands.
“Laskan, don’t say anything. Go, as soon as you get out of here, I’ll call the doctor, Palace.”
“Don't cry.”
He lifted his bloody hand and tried to wipe my tears, but he dropped it without even touching it, as if the thing on his hand was dirty.
“When you die... don’t, close your eyes.”
“I’ll try, I’ll try.”
He said, blinking his eyes slowly. His breathing was getting more and more rapid, and it seemed like he was having a hard time maintaining consciousness.
I tried not to cry, but it wasn't easy.
I felt his breathing slow down. I desperately stroked his cheek and the nape of his neck as he slowly lowered his head.
"...Your Highness."
“Are you sleepy? Is that so? Then you really need to just sleep for a little while and then wake up.”
At my desperate pleas, he barely managed to move his lips into something resembling a smile.
“...Yes, Your Highness.”
“Your Highness. Your Highness, this way.”
As soon as one path was secured, Jacqueline and Cesare supported the unconscious Laskan.
“Your Highness, please stay here.”
I was scared to death of letting him go, but delaying any longer could have put my life in greater danger. I nodded.
Soon, the path they took was buried under other knights, and no trace was left.
I could taste the pungent taste of blood as I chewed my lips so hard.
It was then that a commotion was heard from outside. A crowd of people, three times the number of knights who filled the courtroom, was rushing in.
“Protect Her Highness the Princess and His Excellency the Duke of Ashkabad!”
Other troops from the north arrived without delay.
The knights of the Kairak family, who had built a thick defensive wall, were finally collapsing one by one due to our joint attack.
Once the barrier began to crumble, they turned their backs and started running away without saying who would go first.
The knights who had been densely packed around me followed the fleeing Kairaks and carried out a one-sided massacre. It was un-knightly to cut down those who turned their backs, but there was no need for mercy for the traitors.
I wiped my tears and stood still. I stepped on broken blades and scattered drops of blood as I advanced. Eventually, I reached the Emperor's throne where Duke Kairak had presumptuously sat.
I swept the throne with my hand and sat down on the Princess's chair next to it. Sitting here, I felt so high up that I could see the world at a glance.
Only then did everything feel real.
It was our victory.
***
“How is it?”
“The wound did not get worse, and the healing process went smoothly.”
“But why hasn’t he regained consciousness yet?”
“As I said yesterday, the body was so tired that it was hit hard, so recovery was bound to be slow.”
Edgar, who had been called from the North, answered my anxious question wearily.
“Don’t worry. He’ll get up in no time.”
Edgar spoke as if he were fed up, but his hands were extremely careful and thorough as he changed the bandage.
“...It’s already been five days. What if he never woke up like this?”
“Isn’t there a Marquis Batistan? If you marry him...”
I glared at him. Edgar had a stinging expression on his face and raised both hands in a sign of surrender.
Even though I knew it was a joke to ease my tension... I just couldn’t accept it and laugh it off.
“I know that your lover is important, but please go see His Majesty. I see he has fully regained consciousness now.”
“I was already being called in and scolded all morning.”
As I answered like that and sat down on a chair close to Laskan's bed, Edgar muttered something about how there was no point in raising a daughter, earning me another glare.
It was already the fifth day. No matter how much I tried to take it easy, I just couldn't stay calm.
I asked the palace doctors dozens of times a day when he would wake up, and I learned how to change bandages and open ointments myself.
But Laskan's consciousness showed no sign of returning.
One day, I was so upset that I buried my face in the bed and cried... I couldn’t even stay angry for long because I thought that I was getting what I had paid for, not taking care of myself.
Maybe he was punishing me.
“Please get some sleep. If you continue like this, Your Highness will collapse.”
Edgar said with a sigh. I nodded with a pale face.
And that evening, he finally woke up from his long sleep.
***
"...Your Highness?"
I was just dozing off next to the bed, so I jumped up in surprise at his call.
“Laskan! Can you see me?”
He nodded, groaning in pain.
I quickly placed my hand on the bandage wrapped around his abdomen, then withdrew my hand in shock at the sight of the blood oozing out.
Although it was said to be healing smoothly, the gunshot wound was serious.
“Of the palace! Edgar!”
As I stood up, raising my voice, as if I was going to call them out at any moment, Laskan grabbed my wrist and made me slump back down.
He buried his head in the crook of my neck, moaning softly. His hot breath tickled my skin.
“Just a moment, just like this...”
“Damn it, are you crazy? What am I going to do if you pass out again like this?!”
My harsh speech had returned to the days of George. Laskan let out a small breath that was either a groan or a laugh.
“Are you worried a lot?”
“That’s what you’re talking about. I was so worried that you wouldn’t wake up again...”
“...”
“I’m really sorry.”
Laskan looked somewhat surprised by my sudden apology. However, those were the words I had promised to say first when Laskan woke up.
I never wanted to see Laskan lying like that again. My blood seemed to dry up while he was unconscious. It was just not something a human would do.
And Laskan had seen me unconscious like that so many times. He had even given orders to guide me to Kairak.
He looked at me with narrowed eyes, as if to gauge whether my reflection was genuine or an attempt to evade the situation.
When I opened my eyes wide and looked him in the eye to show him that I was serious, he let out a small laugh.
He urged me, gently tucking my disheveled hair behind my ear.
“Please do not give me the order to hand over Your Highness again.”
“I will do that.”
“And do not treat Your Highness’s body as a substitute.”
“I will do that.”
“Don’t put yourself in danger in front of me.”
“I can guarantee that... I will.”
I answered calmly. He let out a short laugh at my calm, subdued attitude.
He continued speaking in a wonderful voice, his forehead pressed against mine.
“I was injured while trying to protect Your Highness, so Your Highness must take responsibility.”
“I will do that.”
“I hope you don’t bring your lover into the palace from now on.”
“I will do that.”
...No, wait a minute.
“This is invalid!”
“Are you trying to find a lover?”
He ran his lips along my cheek, then bit my earlobe painfully.
“I, I don’t know about people’s business...”
“Then I guess I have to try to make sure that you don’t even think about it.”
A wet and tingling sensation settled on the nape of my neck. A soft and smooth sensation continued along my nape, collarbone, and below. His hands skillfully pulled down my dress...
My body began to flutter out of habit. I panted and tried to push him away.
“Your body is getting better...”
"It's okay."
He gently squeezed my wrist and kissed my palm.
“You died and came back to life...”
“Even if things were worse, Your Highness would be greedy.”
“...”
“Even if Your Highness were to leave me and take another lover.”
I ended up hitting his back hard.
***
Time passed quickly, and soon a year had passed since the day of the trial.
Many things had changed, but the biggest change was that the Duke of Kairak no longer existed in the Empire.
The direct lineage bearing the name Kairak was not spared from extinction, and all collateral lines were stripped of their titles.
Duke Kairak was imprisoned in a high tower and tortured until he ended up jumping out of a window and ending his life.
The last person to view the body reported that all of the fingernails and toenails had been pulled out... and that only bones remained on the body.
Well, since he was that thin, he must have been able to escape through the narrow spire's hole-like window.
The Duchess of Kairak was of royal blood and was eventually imprisoned on the grounds of insanity.
She couldn't take a single step outside the narrow tower, and other than the maids who brought her food, no one was allowed to come or go.
And Princess Veronica, or rather Veronica, was put on trial in public. Most of the charges against her, as the chief aide of the Duke of Kairak, were found guilty.
It would have been right for her to be punished as a traitor, but the fact that she was a whistleblower and helped me was taken into consideration, so she ended up being relegated to the status of a commoner.
And in recognition of her merits in saving the life of the Empire's sole rightful heir, I have given her the new title of Countess.
Now her name was Veronika Dwina Sol Medvedev, she was Countess Medvedev, and she was my favorite aide.
After the official appointment ceremony for the Crown Princess, I became very busy. His Majesty, under the pretext that his health had rapidly deteriorated after recovering from poisoning, had been passing all sorts of petty government affairs on to me.
He says it's for health, for the education of successors... He eats so well and sleeps so well that his skin glows every day. I'm getting thinner and thinner every day.
Perhaps, the reason His Majesty has been looking for me for fifteen years is because there is no one to whom he can leave this troublesome task...
Anyway, since I was taking care of state affairs during the day and studying the art of kingship at night, there were many times when the day would pass without me even realizing how time had passed.
As each day piled up, three years passed by in a flash. It was as if those words had finally freed me from the tedious study of imperialism.
As soon as I finished my studies in the study of imperialism, His Majesty, as if he had been waiting, announced that he would hand over the throne to me.
I resisted desperately, but I could not help but feel weak at the sight of His Majesty complaining of fatigue so often over the past few years.
As soon as I reluctantly nodded, His Majesty became full of energy again as if nothing had happened... In any case, the preparations for the transfer of the throne went very smoothly.
And finally, the day of my coronation dawned.
***
Behind the red curtain, all the nobles of the empire gathered to welcome the new emperor.
Laskan took out his pocket watch from his pocket and checked the time. Soon, he heard footsteps approaching, accompanied by the attendants.
“Laskan.”
A woman walking from the other side of the hallway noticed him and smiled gently.
Blonde hair tied up brightly, elegant features, blue-gray eyes that are no longer so innocent...
It was an appearance that gave off a sense of dignity, as if she had lived that way her entire life, without any deviation from the expectations of the so-called royal family.
Laskan reflexively recalled the moment when he first met her. The woman before his eyes had changed completely, so much so that it felt like a distant past.
As he looked down at her for a while without saying anything, Anastasia carefully cupped his cheeks.
“Is it strange?”
“No way.”
“The cloak is so long it’s uncomfortable.”
She tilted her head slightly to the side, as if the long fur cloak of the coronation draped over her back was uncomfortable. Laskan gently took Anastasia’s outstretched hand.
“Just bear with it for a little longer.”
There were no longer any women who were awkward with such escorts, no more innocent Princess like in their childhood.
Three years transformed a girl into a woman, and a Princess into an Empress.
He searched his memory and recalled the young Princess from her face, immature and young. Now, it was hard to find any trace of that on her face. It was as if the two had been different people from the beginning.
It wasn't a pity, because it was all her anyway.
“Are you nervous?”
The tips of the fingers that were holding each other trembled slightly. Anastasia nodded with a nervous face at his question.
"A little."
“You will do well.”
It was a word that contained a lot of meaning. Anastasia smiled elegantly.
“Do you really believe that?”
“Yes, always.”
He gently took the Princess's hand and kissed her fingertips.
That was the end of the two's leisure time. Soon, a loud voice from inside could be heard.
“Her Royal Highness the Crown Princess is entering!”
The curtains were lifted on both sides, and bright light poured in.
Laskan let go of her hand and stared at the Princess's back for a long time as she stepped into the huge hall. In the halo of light, he had the illusion that she would disappear.
Laskan stared at the woman's back for a long time with his eyes narrowed by the light. Then, like the other nobles, he knelt down and said a short prayer for her.
For the Princess who will now disappear.
And for the Empress, who will live forever.
< For the Princess Who Will Disappear Completed >
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