Episode 133. His Plot
I wanted to slap myself. Who would have thought such serious words would come out so quickly?
“T-True?”
“Of course, he’d follow me. He said he’d stay by my side until I die. He said he’d never leave even if I told him to.”
“...”
I gasped. My breathing was suffocating, my airway was clogged, my nose was blocked, and I had no idea how to react.
But her next words were even more shocking.
“But I told him not to come.”
“Why...?”
“I’m a foreign Princess. It would be embarrassing to cheat on my husband with my knight. I don’t want to see the Smileans tie Sir Rond’s hands behind his back and drown him in the sea.”
“...”
I briefly glanced around Her Highness’s luxurious bedroom. It felt like death would never come to a room like this.
Maybe that’s why she’s still alive.
Her composure and her story confused me.
Her Highness the Princess stared at me intently, as if she was frustrated by my lack of response. Her eyes seemed to indicate she wanted to continue the lighthearted chat.
“No, even joking...”
“No kidding. I’ve been thinking about it, and I think I’m going to have an affair with Lord Rond. I’ll seduce him. Then that suffocating man won’t be able to do anything, right? Then he’ll get caught, and Lord Rond will die at the hands of Prince Smilean, and he’ll be imprisoned or something... That’s why I told Lord Rond not to follow me.”
After hearing the brief summary of the rest of Her Highness’s life, I quietly exhaled.
Was this what love felt like to Tagar?
“So what did Lord Rond say? You told him not to follow you?”
“I don’t know. He clenched and unclenched his fists, his face turned red, he looked like he was going to cry, and then you came. I couldn’t hear anything because of you.”
“I’m sorry...”
“You found me, right? The doctor said. If I’d been found even a little later, I wouldn’t have survived.”
“...”
“Actually, I can’t decide whether to be thankful or resentful... For now, I’ll be thankful. I can resent you for the rest of my life.”
It was a strange statement, a mixture of gratitude and a curse.
My mind was in turmoil. The person involved looked so at ease.
“Why did you do that?”
I asked. I knew it was a direct and harsh question, but I felt like if I didn’t ask now, I’d never be able to.
And if I didn’t know the reason, I felt like I couldn’t stop her from doing it again.
Her Highness the Princess answered surprisingly calmly.
“I thought nothing good would happen to me from now on.”
Just then, Eria brought me soup.
I told Eria when I would be shifting and sent her away, then fed Her Highness the soup and medicine. I bit down on the flesh in my mouth. It wasn’t until she fell asleep that I was able to sob.
"Nothing pleasant will happen from now on," was the saddest thing I'd ever heard.
Three days passed quickly. As the doctor had said, by the third day, the color had returned to Her Highness's cheeks and her skin had softened. That big incident seemed like a lie.
When Ryuel sent someone to meet Her Highness, I had made up the excuse of a cold and had sent them away.
The suicide rumor had been raised while the messenger who was supposed to take her as a bride was still in the palace, so everyone kept quiet, but with his intelligence, they might already have known the truth.
Her Highness Milliora continued as if nothing had happened. However, her words had noticeably decreased.
She didn't lose her temper or say anything as harshly as before, to the point where the maids felt uncomfortable.
Ryuel sent a basket of fruit upon hearing the news of Her Highness's "cold." She distributed it evenly among the maids.
Then she said to me,
"You should go home, too. Prince Locard will resent me."
“No way, Your Highness. The Duke is also very worried about Your Highness.”
“It’s okay. You’ve worked hard, so get some rest and come see me again.”
“...Yes, Your Highness.”
I wanted to stay longer, but I couldn’t stand to leave the house any longer, even to the Duke. In the end, I left the Princess’s palace with a heavy heart and boarded the carriage that Her Highness the Princess had given me.
However, when I got on, Prince Kydel was already inside.
“Oh, what a surprise!”
“Have you forgotten your husband’s face?”
He made a displeased expression at my surprise, but I smiled, somehow avoiding an argument.
Actually, meeting him so suddenly wasn't all that unpleasant.
"I was just surprised because I thought the carriage was empty."
I hesitated for a moment, wondering whether I should sit across from him or next to him, and he glared at me.
I quietly sat down next to him, and only then did he open his eyes.
But as soon as I sat down, he lifted his buttocks and moved to the edge of the carriage seat.
He then grabbed my arm and yanked my upper body over so I was lying down, my head on his thigh.
"Nursing is no easy task. Just rest until we get home."
How could you possibly be comfortable cutting into a man's thigh?
And his thigh was so hard it was uncomfortable to cut. He really was a man who looked different from how he felt. Feeling both strange and strange, I squirmed, not knowing what to do.
"Your Excellency..."
He sighed, perhaps sensing my distress.
"Do whatever you want."
I slowly sat up and smiled bashfully again.
“Thank you for your consideration. I’ve cut men’s thighs before, and life has its days.”
Prince Kydel averted his gaze, unsure of how to take my words, and I, too, couldn’t believe I’d said something like that.
After a moment, he chuckled.
“Haa...”
I had to calmly accept the consequences of my actions and sigh.
“How is Her Highness Milliora?”
“She’s fine. Only superficially.”
“...It’s a shame.”
“Yes. I’m truly upset.”
His thigh may have failed, but his words brought a sense of calm to my heart.
It felt as if he truly understood how much I was hurting for Her Highness Milliora.
For the first time, I felt how comforting such empathy could be.
When we arrived at the mansion, he took my hand and led me into the garden.
“Let’s go inside and get some fresh air.”
“Yes, Your Excellency.”
I answered calmly, but the cold wind made my shoulders shiver slightly.
He took off his jacket and draped it over my shoulders, not knowing when he’d seen it.
"Aren't you cold, Your Excellency?"
"I'm the one who survived Tunbar with just a blanket."
I opened my mouth, then closed it. I decided not to say anything to him about this from now on.
Surviving the harsh Tunbar Mountains with just a blanket meant he was either a superhuman or a liar.
But he wasn't the type to lie about such things. I thought it would be even more unbearable for a handsome man to be superhuman, so I decided to just pretend not to notice and keep quiet.
He led me to the garden table. When the servant noticed our return and ran over, he waved them off.
The dark garden wasn't so bad. The sound of insects and the cold wind seemed to wash away the accumulated fatigue.
He watched the servant return inside the mansion and asked,
"Did you hear why Her Highness did that?"
At that moment, I hadn't even thought of crying, but tears fell. Prince Kydel was startled, so I smiled brightly.
"I just heard that."
I told him about Her Highness Milliora and Lord Rond. She had probably lost hope in life.
Wiping away my tears, I said,
“Your Excellency, I don’t want to go to Smilean. But I really want to help Her Highness.”
“It’s not that you don’t want to go, it’s that you shouldn’t.”
He spoke firmly, almost as if it were a threat. I lowered my eyes, afraid of his face.
Prince Kudel continued calmly, as if he hadn’t intended to scare me.
“I’ve been thinking a lot these past few days, Lorisha.”
I felt fear. What problem in the world could possibly keep Prince Kydel brooding for days?
“I must help Her Highness, too.”
“But there’s no way. This is a state wedding.”
“It hasn’t been announced yet.”
I stared at him, unable to grasp what he was trying to say.
He smiled at my nervousness and said,
“How about we be matchmakers together this time?”
“Your Excellency?”
"While you were busy nursing the sick, I thought about what Ryuel had said."
"What did Ryuel say?"
“He knew that in the reign of Prince Orl, a marriage alliance through the Princess would not be of much value; nevertheless, he was determined to proceed with the state marriage.”
"You say that out loud? You rascal!"
Prince Kydel smiled, seemingly satisfied with my criticism of Ryuel.
"If you add Her Majesty the Empress's words to that... This marriage may not be intended to make Her Highness the Princess of Smelian's consort, but rather to provide an excuse for Her Majesty the Empress to visit Smailean."
I wanted to slap myself. Who would have thought such serious words would come out so quickly?
“T-True?”
“Of course, he’d follow me. He said he’d stay by my side until I die. He said he’d never leave even if I told him to.”
“...”
I gasped. My breathing was suffocating, my airway was clogged, my nose was blocked, and I had no idea how to react.
But her next words were even more shocking.
“But I told him not to come.”
“Why...?”
“I’m a foreign Princess. It would be embarrassing to cheat on my husband with my knight. I don’t want to see the Smileans tie Sir Rond’s hands behind his back and drown him in the sea.”
“...”
I briefly glanced around Her Highness’s luxurious bedroom. It felt like death would never come to a room like this.
Maybe that’s why she’s still alive.
Her composure and her story confused me.
Her Highness the Princess stared at me intently, as if she was frustrated by my lack of response. Her eyes seemed to indicate she wanted to continue the lighthearted chat.
“No, even joking...”
“No kidding. I’ve been thinking about it, and I think I’m going to have an affair with Lord Rond. I’ll seduce him. Then that suffocating man won’t be able to do anything, right? Then he’ll get caught, and Lord Rond will die at the hands of Prince Smilean, and he’ll be imprisoned or something... That’s why I told Lord Rond not to follow me.”
After hearing the brief summary of the rest of Her Highness’s life, I quietly exhaled.
Was this what love felt like to Tagar?
“So what did Lord Rond say? You told him not to follow you?”
“I don’t know. He clenched and unclenched his fists, his face turned red, he looked like he was going to cry, and then you came. I couldn’t hear anything because of you.”
“I’m sorry...”
“You found me, right? The doctor said. If I’d been found even a little later, I wouldn’t have survived.”
“...”
“Actually, I can’t decide whether to be thankful or resentful... For now, I’ll be thankful. I can resent you for the rest of my life.”
It was a strange statement, a mixture of gratitude and a curse.
My mind was in turmoil. The person involved looked so at ease.
“Why did you do that?”
I asked. I knew it was a direct and harsh question, but I felt like if I didn’t ask now, I’d never be able to.
And if I didn’t know the reason, I felt like I couldn’t stop her from doing it again.
Her Highness the Princess answered surprisingly calmly.
“I thought nothing good would happen to me from now on.”
Just then, Eria brought me soup.
I told Eria when I would be shifting and sent her away, then fed Her Highness the soup and medicine. I bit down on the flesh in my mouth. It wasn’t until she fell asleep that I was able to sob.
"Nothing pleasant will happen from now on," was the saddest thing I'd ever heard.
***
Three days passed quickly. As the doctor had said, by the third day, the color had returned to Her Highness's cheeks and her skin had softened. That big incident seemed like a lie.
When Ryuel sent someone to meet Her Highness, I had made up the excuse of a cold and had sent them away.
The suicide rumor had been raised while the messenger who was supposed to take her as a bride was still in the palace, so everyone kept quiet, but with his intelligence, they might already have known the truth.
Her Highness Milliora continued as if nothing had happened. However, her words had noticeably decreased.
She didn't lose her temper or say anything as harshly as before, to the point where the maids felt uncomfortable.
Ryuel sent a basket of fruit upon hearing the news of Her Highness's "cold." She distributed it evenly among the maids.
Then she said to me,
"You should go home, too. Prince Locard will resent me."
“No way, Your Highness. The Duke is also very worried about Your Highness.”
“It’s okay. You’ve worked hard, so get some rest and come see me again.”
“...Yes, Your Highness.”
I wanted to stay longer, but I couldn’t stand to leave the house any longer, even to the Duke. In the end, I left the Princess’s palace with a heavy heart and boarded the carriage that Her Highness the Princess had given me.
However, when I got on, Prince Kydel was already inside.
“Oh, what a surprise!”
“Have you forgotten your husband’s face?”
He made a displeased expression at my surprise, but I smiled, somehow avoiding an argument.
Actually, meeting him so suddenly wasn't all that unpleasant.
"I was just surprised because I thought the carriage was empty."
I hesitated for a moment, wondering whether I should sit across from him or next to him, and he glared at me.
I quietly sat down next to him, and only then did he open his eyes.
But as soon as I sat down, he lifted his buttocks and moved to the edge of the carriage seat.
He then grabbed my arm and yanked my upper body over so I was lying down, my head on his thigh.
"Nursing is no easy task. Just rest until we get home."
How could you possibly be comfortable cutting into a man's thigh?
And his thigh was so hard it was uncomfortable to cut. He really was a man who looked different from how he felt. Feeling both strange and strange, I squirmed, not knowing what to do.
"Your Excellency..."
He sighed, perhaps sensing my distress.
"Do whatever you want."
I slowly sat up and smiled bashfully again.
“Thank you for your consideration. I’ve cut men’s thighs before, and life has its days.”
Prince Kydel averted his gaze, unsure of how to take my words, and I, too, couldn’t believe I’d said something like that.
After a moment, he chuckled.
“Haa...”
I had to calmly accept the consequences of my actions and sigh.
“How is Her Highness Milliora?”
“She’s fine. Only superficially.”
“...It’s a shame.”
“Yes. I’m truly upset.”
His thigh may have failed, but his words brought a sense of calm to my heart.
It felt as if he truly understood how much I was hurting for Her Highness Milliora.
For the first time, I felt how comforting such empathy could be.
When we arrived at the mansion, he took my hand and led me into the garden.
“Let’s go inside and get some fresh air.”
“Yes, Your Excellency.”
I answered calmly, but the cold wind made my shoulders shiver slightly.
He took off his jacket and draped it over my shoulders, not knowing when he’d seen it.
"Aren't you cold, Your Excellency?"
"I'm the one who survived Tunbar with just a blanket."
I opened my mouth, then closed it. I decided not to say anything to him about this from now on.
Surviving the harsh Tunbar Mountains with just a blanket meant he was either a superhuman or a liar.
But he wasn't the type to lie about such things. I thought it would be even more unbearable for a handsome man to be superhuman, so I decided to just pretend not to notice and keep quiet.
He led me to the garden table. When the servant noticed our return and ran over, he waved them off.
The dark garden wasn't so bad. The sound of insects and the cold wind seemed to wash away the accumulated fatigue.
He watched the servant return inside the mansion and asked,
"Did you hear why Her Highness did that?"
At that moment, I hadn't even thought of crying, but tears fell. Prince Kydel was startled, so I smiled brightly.
"I just heard that."
I told him about Her Highness Milliora and Lord Rond. She had probably lost hope in life.
Wiping away my tears, I said,
“Your Excellency, I don’t want to go to Smilean. But I really want to help Her Highness.”
“It’s not that you don’t want to go, it’s that you shouldn’t.”
He spoke firmly, almost as if it were a threat. I lowered my eyes, afraid of his face.
Prince Kudel continued calmly, as if he hadn’t intended to scare me.
“I’ve been thinking a lot these past few days, Lorisha.”
I felt fear. What problem in the world could possibly keep Prince Kydel brooding for days?
“I must help Her Highness, too.”
“But there’s no way. This is a state wedding.”
“It hasn’t been announced yet.”
I stared at him, unable to grasp what he was trying to say.
He smiled at my nervousness and said,
“How about we be matchmakers together this time?”
“Your Excellency?”
"While you were busy nursing the sick, I thought about what Ryuel had said."
"What did Ryuel say?"
“He knew that in the reign of Prince Orl, a marriage alliance through the Princess would not be of much value; nevertheless, he was determined to proceed with the state marriage.”
"You say that out loud? You rascal!"
Prince Kydel smiled, seemingly satisfied with my criticism of Ryuel.
"If you add Her Majesty the Empress's words to that... This marriage may not be intended to make Her Highness the Princess of Smelian's consort, but rather to provide an excuse for Her Majesty the Empress to visit Smailean."
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