Episode 94. Misha's Coming of Age Party (2)
She had her own reasons for approaching the 2nd Prince Grayon.
The 1st Prince Orl had a powerful supporter in the form of the Empress. The Empress's family held both wealth and connections, and was extremely devoted to Orl.
He lacked nothing, leaving her no room to delve into it. However, Grayon was different.
He had the honor of being a victorious commander and Locard Kydel, but he lacked everything else.
That was where the opportunity she wanted was.
However, if Orl had a chance, or rather, if the door of opportunity opened...
As desire rose to her head, Kalin suddenly felt fear.
The Ankart still couldn't enter high society. Now, they couldn't even go to the best tailor shop.
Even if her wealth was valuable to Orl, would the noble Empress and the 1st Prince really accept her without despising her?
But the reason Kalin had clenched her teeth and lived until now was probably to set foot in this room. She was prepared to go all the way.
Meanwhile, Orl was giving Kalin a subtle smile.
It was a gaze that seemed to say, “How strange, or how impudent. ”
Orl said,
“It would be a shame if we lost all those investment rights.”
Suddenly, Kalin heard those words in her head.
It was a threat.
When she raised her head, Orl had cruel eyes like a snake. Kalin woke up from the delusion she had been caught up in for a moment.
What was Prince Orl’s intention?
Maybe he had called her to warn her because he knew she had approached the Second Prince.
Kalin held her breath, her nerves tense.
Then, a box on the table caught her eye. She still had a chance.
Kalin said fearfully,
“Then my father would be very heartbroken. He works every night for those investment rights.”
“What I believe to be mine slips through my fingers in an instant. Like sand.”
Orl said that with an expression that seemed to show that sand was actually slipping through his long, white fingers.
Kalin asked calmly.
“How can I prevent that from happening?”
“...I protect my friends, Kalin. I remember who my friends are and who is not.”
Orl smiled and tapped his temple with the tip of his index finger as he spoke.
Kalin swallowed dryly and asked again.
“How can I become your friend?”
“Jer Majesty the Empress.”
The two stood up at the sudden voice. And then the Empress entered.
The Empress, who was so beautiful that one could not believe her age, sat down on the high seat that Orl had vacated and stared at Kalin.
“That’s enough greetings. Kalin Ankart.”
She lowered her eyes at the Empress’s gentle gaze. Kalin’s eyes were dizzy at the Empress’s beauty.
Orl told Kalin to sit down.
"...”
The Empress took the box that had been on the table and opened it. She stared at the red diamond in her hand as if she were possessed.
Orl also muttered in admiration.
“This is the ‘red tears’. It’s much redder than I thought.”
“Yes. Red. Like blood...”
The Empress’s voice trembled slightly.
Kalin believed that the Empress was moved by the famous jewel, but Orl knew that the Empress was not shaken by jewels.
So her gaze was filled with doubt.
The Empress said,
“Didn’t you know that this was almost mine?”
It was something she had never heard of before. When Kalin was about to answer, the Empress asked first.
“It was stolen by pirates, wasn’t it?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. However, it was miraculously recovered and has not been made public since.”
“Yes. You should take good care of your precious things. Before you lose them.”
The Empress got up from her seat, circled around the sofa, and came behind Kalin.
She hung the 'Red Tears' around Kalin's neck and said,
"'Red Tears' is a jewel fit for a great woman."
Kalin unconsciously held the hem of her skirt tightly with her hands. Great woman. The Empress's voice echoed in her ears.
"I am helping Orl become a great Emperor. Absolute power requires the delicate touch of women."
"...!"
The Empress gently patted Kalin's shoulder and returned to her seat.
Orl, who was watching her carefully, asked Kalin.
"You asked me something earlier, didn't you?"
Kalin’s voice cracked at the sudden question, and she answered briefly.
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Think carefully, Kalin.”
“...”
As Kalin left the box with her ‘red tears,’ Orl’s expression turned cold. He was displeased with her freckles and her maggot-like face.
Orl muttered as he looked at the door Kalin had left through.
“Have you seen that girl’s eyes? If she were so greedy, she would have put more effort into dressing up.”
“Don’t judge a girl’s appearance, Orl. Everyone has their own use.”
“What is her use?”
The Empress smiled gently.
“I want that necklace back.”
***
I was taken out of the sack and tied to a pillar while standing.
It was a warehouse. There were boxes and junk piled against the walls, and it smelled musty and rotten.
A corner of the ceiling had collapsed, revealing the sky, as if no one had been there for ten years.
Three people kidnapped me. One middle-aged man with rough skin was tearing bread in front of me, and the one who dragged me was resting in the corner as if he were tired.
When the one tearing bread shouted, “Look at the net!”, someone outside the door responded, “Nagging!”
“Why on earth did you kidnap me, and what are you going to do with me?”
I had no idea. However, judging from their shabby clothes and the unique daggers on their waists, one thing was certain. They were sailors.
“They must be pirates!”
I bit my lip.
There was only one reason why pirates would kidnap me.
Locard Kydel!
This kidnapping must have been part of the revenge against Prince Kydel. They must have been waiting for today, when I was released from the palace, since I mostly stayed in the palace.
I smiled bitterly when I thought that Misha’s coming-of-age ceremony would be the day of my funeral.
“Hey, stop lying down!”
The one eating the bread yelled at the one who was resting. He grumbled and got up, took a flask out of his bosom, and sipped the wine.
Staring at me...
“If I sell that girl to Smilean, I’ll get a good price. Young Kydel is wearing some pretty nice stuff.”
“You crazy bastard, how much is a woman worth now? How much did he take from us?”
“That’s why we came all this way! Today is the day we get our revenge.”
They bared their black teeth and laughed endlessly at me. The one eating the bread was even more horrifying because his fangs were missing.
I shut my eyes tightly and tried to wiggle my body, but the rope wrapped around my upper body didn’t move at all.
‘This is how I’m going to repay the life I owe Prince Kydel...’
The thought that I owed him my debt, I should repay it, and the thought that it shouldn’t be this way, fought in my head.
At that moment, the one who had carried me came toward me, sipping the wine. He lifted my chin to look at my face, and I shook my head sharply to get out of his reach.
Then he grabbed my chin and forcibly turned it.
“You... Hey, captain, don’t you recognize this girl?”
I held my breath with goosebumps.
I don’t know how these pirates survived in that sea, but I must have seen them that day when I was on the ship with Prince Kydel. If they found out, I would be tied to this pillar and have my head blown off.
The guy who was called the captain, who was eating bread, replied in annoyance.
“Tagar women all look the same.”
“This woman was on the ship too!”
Then the captain slowly got up and came towards me. Goosebumps ran through my body as his eyes began to glow with murder.
Before I could even think, I shouted.
“What the hell are you guys talking about! You kidnapped an innocent person. Take good care of your heads, because you might get blown away at any moment!”
The two pirates exchanged bewildered glances at my swearing that came out without a trace.
“You bitch, weren’t you a Tagar noble?”
“Is this how a noblewoman speaks? Could it be that Kydel bastard knew we were coming and set us up as bait...”
“That’s a misunderstanding.”
“...”
“...”
“Ugh...”
I sucked in the breath I had been holding in all at once.
Prince Kydel was standing over the pirate's shoulder. Blood was dripping from the tip of his sword. He had defeated the gatekeeper.
When our eyes met, he looked so unfamiliar. His usual radiant smile and easygoing attitude were nowhere to be found.
The pirate turned around, took out his sword from his waist, and rushed at Prince Kydel.
“You’re walking into the grave on your own! I’ll find out where you’ve taken our treasure by cutting off your skin!”
Soon, the sound of blades clashing fiercely filled the air.
I could barely make out “Ah, ah.” As he clashed swords with the pirate who was oozing with murder, he looked at me with an annoyed face. He was looking at me closely, wondering if I was bleeding anywhere.
‘If you look away like that, you’ll get stabbed!’
I thought I was shouting hard, but it was just a thought. In reality, I was so scared that I might get hurt that I couldn’t make a sound.
When the captain shouted and swung his sword, Prince Kydel averted his gaze from me and cut him down with a single stroke.
As he briefly turned his wrist to wipe the blood off his sword, the man with the flask drew his dagger and approached behind Prince Kydel. He wasn’t far from me.
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