64
I opened my eyes to Blade’s shout. I must have dozed off for a moment. Being locked up in the imperial palace prison after a long time, it seemed like I had an old dream. Was the eighteen-year-old Kaiden a bit shorter than now?
[Hurry up and get up? We’re almost there!]
‘Okay, okay.’
At Blade’s urging, I yawned widely as if my mouth would tear and got up from the bed. Wondering if Kaiden had already come, I looked beyond the bars with anticipation, but there was an unexpected person.
“Marion.”
“Prince Lucas.”
I got up from my seat and approached him. There were no other signs around, so Lucas had come alone. His expression was not good.
“…I’m sorry.”
I stared at him blankly. Since Lucas is also a member of the imperial family, is he feeling responsible for what happened today?
“What do you mean?”
He spoke slowly with sunken eyes.
“…I couldn’t stop His Majesty and my brother.”
Those words meant that Lucas already knew the emperor and the crown prince’s intention to use the one-armed knight and Trash to separate me and Kaiden.
But even so, there was nothing he could have done. The second prince Lucas must be struggling just to stay alive under the checks of the crown prince and the empress.
“I understand.”
At my answer, I saw him clenching his fist tightly. He somehow looked frustrated.
“I’m trembling with anger at my own incompetence.”
“When His Majesty is determined, there’s no way around it.”
“…Marion.”
“Yes.”
He said, running his hand through his hair as if in pain.
“This is my position. I’m so powerless that I can’t even say a word for the woman my heart goes to.”
“…Yes?”
My eyes gradually grew wider. Did something tremendous just pass by…?
“My nose is three feet long, and since my life is like a candle in the wind, there’s nothing I haven’t done to survive.”
He looked at me with a self-mocking smile. I was confused.
“So even in this moment, I’m appearing in front of you, throwing away all face on a very slim chance.”
“…I don’t quite understand what you mean.”
“Marion.”
“Marion.”
He took a deep breath and said as if exhaling.
“Could you become my direct knight?”
[Wow, he really threw away all face.]
Blade commented sharply. I couldn’t understand the context of this. Noticing my expression, Blade kindly explained.
[Your marriage with Kaiden has been postponed indefinitely right now. It might even be prevented. He’s aiming for that moment to get you.]
‘What? As a direct knight?’
[Yes. He subtly has rational affection for you, wants to shake your heart, and obtain a swordmaster who would add to his power.]
‘Ah.’
Only then did I understand Blade’s displeasure. Lucas seemed to want to quickly pick me up since my situation is precarious.
The fact that I’m a swordmaster remains unchanged.
But what use would there be in attaching myself to Lucas now?
“I appreciate the offer, but I’m sorry.”
At my clean refusal, Lucas grabbed the bars with a desperate face.
“I’m not asking you to become my direct knight right away. Once the situation settles a bit…”
“Your Highness. I have promised marriage with the Grand Duke.”
Lucas paused for a moment and then said.
“…You know it’s going to be difficult.”
I smiled self-mockingly. Lucas’s words weren’t wrong, but I couldn’t help feeling hurt anyway.
“That’s right. If I can’t be with the Grand Duke, I’ll just grow old and die alone. I’ll dedicate this body to the empire by hunting monsters for life. It seems that’s what the great Emperor His Majesty wants as well.”
When I said it sarcastically, indirectly telling him I have no intention of jumping into the power struggle you want, Lucas fell silent.
No, isn’t that the case?
Although it’s bothering me that unlike the original story, Lucas came with a direct knight proposal, anyway, the current me is not the original me.
Rather than getting entangled in political strife and killing innocent people, it’s better to bury myself in the northern forest or eastern forest and just slash monsters. If I leave the secular world, at least my mind will be at ease.
From somewhere, drip, drip. The sound of water dropping was heard. Lucas slowly opened his mouth.
“I’m sorry.”
“Yes. I’ve said all I have to say.”
I have nothing more to say, go.
At my knife-like ending, Lucas smiled bitterly and turned his body.
“…I’ll come again.”
“Goodbye.”
Don’t come. I’m already annoyed to death.
I waited inside, cursing him plenty, until his footsteps disappeared. And only after they completely vanished did I open my mouth.
“Grand Duke. You can come out now.”
Kaiden, who had been hiding in the darkness of the underground prison, revealed himself. He had approached quietly while Lucas was persuading me. Of course, I had already noticed.
“…Prince Lucas came.”
“Yes, well….”
A moment of silence passed. It was an indescribable situation.
Me locked in prison a few days before the wedding, and Kaiden outside the bars.
I shrugged my shoulders.
“It’s been a while since you’ve been to prison, hasn’t it?”
“Indeed.”
Kaiden chuckled. It seemed old memories came to him too.
The dream I had briefly and this déjà vu-like situation were amusing. Whether 10 years ago or now, bad situations remained the same.
“Marion.”
“Yes.”
He said in a resolute voice.
“I won’t let you grow old and die alone.”
He heard what I said to Lucas. My cheeks heated up a bit.
“No, well… It’s not necessarily that I want to get married….”
“What? You don’t want to marry me?”
I could see Kaiden’s mood worsening immediately. I quickly waved my hands.
“No, that’s not it, the situation is bad.”
“Yes. I didn’t know the emperor would go this far. He has crossed the line.”
Kaiden’s eyes shone blue. I nodded.
“What do you plan to do now?”
“Hoo….”
He let out a sigh suppressing his anger and then opened his mouth.
“First, I plan to gather the noble faction.”
“You’re thinking of building a force to oppose the emperor from now on.”
“Yes. I’ll receive petitions from them and submit them. The emperor can’t keep you locked up forever, and to get you out of here as soon as possible, that method would be the most moderate.”
I frowned and shook my head slightly.
“It doesn’t seem like he’ll release you easily. You saw earlier.”
“…It did seem so.”
We were silent for a moment. The situation in the audience chamber came to mind.
The one-armed knight who committed murder and covered it up with my money. Trash who appeared claiming to be the child’s father.
It was so absurd, but anyway, both were connections from my past. Though one was executed, and I plan to take private revenge on the other later… Anyway, I had no face.
I only tarnished Kaiden’s name.
“I’m sorry, Grand Duke….”
“Name.”
“……”
The heart that was about to be consumed by guilt flew away. Even in this moment, must I call him by name?
I lowered my head again and opened my mouth.
“Kaiden-nim….”
“Drop the nim.”
A vein popped on my temple, but I tried to manage my expression. The guilty one has to grovel, no choice.
“Kaiden.”
“Yes. It’s not something you need to be sorry for.”
“Ah, yes….”
I should feel affection from Kaiden who came to see me locked in prison, but I didn’t feel such emotion at all.
I was just worried about how to overcome this situation so that it would be rumored as overcome well. It started to feel like just a slightly difficult hurdle.
“Is there perhaps another way?”
When I asked, Kaiden answered as if he had been waiting.
“Use of force.”
“Yes…?”
A dumbfounded voice came out naturally. What?
“It’s the last resort, but if the emperor doesn’t release you after more than two weeks, I don’t plan to stay still any longer.”
Then Blade muttered in a flustered voice.
[…He seems to have made a very big decision?]
Y-yeah. Isn’t this saying he’s going to rebel? I asked very carefully, unsure.
“Perhaps… meaning to strike the emperor… such words…?”
“No. Think of it as a show of force.”
“……”
Isn’t that the same thing.
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