Chapter 106

“I suppose so. I can understand the hardship and exhaustion of Your Highness, having been a thorn in the Empress’ side since the moment you were born.”

 

I slumped to the floor, leaning against the wall. He had no intention of letting me go until the Empress was dead.

 

“Right? If so then—”

 

“However, Your Highness seems intent on walking the same path as the person you detest so much. Your ultimate goal is to no longer be threatened by assassination, to have no interest in the throne, and to stop being caught between the Emperor and Empress… isn’t that right?”

 

“This is for that very purpose.”

 

“I’ll finish what I was saying back at the Delta estate. Your Highness, do not try to become the same kind of person. There must be plenty of other ways.”

 

I spoke with my chin resting on my hand, hiding my bitter heart. Our eyes met, but he simply stood up in silence.

 

“My Lady, that is an ideal. I simply preferred the fastest route. If I delay any longer, I am the one in danger. And I am not the only one who desired this outcome.”

 

“If Her Majesty dies, Your Highness will become the Emperor! Because His Majesty exists!”

 

“……Lady Lepina. Did I not just tell you? I am not the only one who wanted this. And that person seems to be targeting others as well. I suppose blood doesn’t lie……”

 

What on earth is he talking about?

 

I stared at him blankly, unable to make head or tail of it.

 

“I should be heading back to the palace soon. You just need to wait here for a little while. This is just to buy time anyway. I won’t harm you, so there’s no need to worry.”

 

He won’t kill me, yet he’s going to kill the Empress? Once I open my mouth later, he’ll be a traitor. It felt as though he was casting himself in the role of a villain.

 

‘I just want to live quietly and peacefully, so why won’t these royals leave me alone…….’

 

If only the Emperor and Empress had gotten along from the start! Or if they had just accepted Fedeshar’s renunciation of the throne!

 

I shook my head to clear my cluttered thoughts. My top priority was escape.

 

I watched for the moment Fedeshar turned his back to open the cabin door. The knight’s sharp gaze was bothersome, but that didn’t matter now.

 

‘When the door opens, I bolt!’

 

As Fedeshar gripped the handle and turned it, the door opening slowly looked like a scene in slow motion.

 

‘Now!’

 

I sprang up and lunged toward him. The moment the knight tried to grab my shoulder to stop me, I dropped a scroll, pinned one end with my foot, and pulled the other with my hand so it would tear naturally. The space was too cramped to tear it openly, and I would have been suppressed immediately, so this was a diversion to draw their attention elsewhere.

 

The knight was focused on me jumping up and lunging; he didn’t pay attention to the scroll on the floor.

 

Naturally, I was restrained by the knight.

 

“Lady Lepina, if you just stay still, I will release you soon……!”

 

However, Fedeshar, watching from a distance with a wider perspective, seemed to realize what I had done.

 

“This is a wooden house, right? You’ll have no choice but to let me out—unless you want to be roasted alive.”

 

The flames that started from the paper met the wood like they’d hit oil, instantly intensifying as if to swallow the cabin whole.

 

“F—Fire!”

 

Taking advantage of the moment Fedeshar and the knight panicked, I squeezed past them and burst outside. After barely escaping, I looked back to see the cabin already being consumed by the roaring flames.

 

But Fedeshar and the knight showed no sign of coming out. Just as I thought they were too panicked to react in time, a massive orb of water formed above and crashed down on the cabin. It happened as quickly as the flames had erupted.

 

“……You’re thorough. I thought there was no way out since you showed no movement while left alone in the cabin……”

 

“Haha……. I should at least know who kidnapped me.”

 

I forced a smile, but my insides were a mess. My heart felt as blackened as the charred cabin.

 

‘What was that? A spirit? Or magic?’

 

If I had to guess, the latter was more likely. Yet, no information on Fedeshar ever mentioned him having magical aptitude.

 

“But what shall we do about this? You still need to behave for a little longer, My Lady.”

 

Fedeshar gave a slight nod to the knight. The knight pinned my hands behind my back, rendering me immobile, and dragged me before Fedeshar.

 

“But since the cabin has burned down…… what to do about this……”

 

Fedeshar narrowed his eyes slightly, as if he had a headache.

 

“Your Highness, what should we……”

 

The knight was holding my hands with one hand and gripping my shoulder with the other.

 

“I have a great idea. Release me right now!”

 

After a violent struggle, I bit down hard on the hand gripping my shoulder.

 

“Argh……!”

 

Startled by the unexpected resistance and pain, the knight lost his grip on my wrists. I immediately yanked out my earring. My earlobe stung because I didn’t have the luxury of removing it gently, but that didn’t matter.

 

Holding my breath, I crushed the tiny bead dangling from the bottom of the earring.

 

‘Eldan, your foresight was spot on!’

 

Eldan had sent this to me because I was always getting caught up in various incidents. It was a specially made earring designed after I told him I had been helpless against sleeping powder.

 

It carried the risk that the enemy had to be at close range to inhale the scent, but the effect was superb. The knight, who was close by to restrain me, collapsed after being hit by the powder.

 

I took a step back. I was surprised myself by how instantly he fell into a deep sleep.

 

“Fedeshar! You’d better let me go quietly! I have another trick up my sleeve! Just try to come near me, and I’ll put you to sleep too!”

 

I stood triumphantly with my hands on my hips, chest puffed out.

 

I wasn’t afraid of anything. However, I couldn’t afford to be careless, so I glared at Fedeshar, wary of any move he might make.

 

“…….”

 

Fedeshar stared at me for a long moment before raising both hands in surrender. My eyes widened at his easy-going attitude. My worry about magic flying my way was for nothing; he had declared defeat.

 

“Done?”

 

“Yes. Done. I have no other options.”

 

“You have magic, don’t you?”

 

“I’m all out. Honestly, just maintaining that cabin was taxing enough. And I’d rather not get poked.”

 

Fedeshar spoke while looking at me. The other earring didn’t contain sleeping powder; it hid a needle-like sting.

 

How did he know? I thought he wouldn’t notice. I scratched my cheek awkwardly.

 

“……If you let me go, I won’t do anything else.”

 

I backed away. He said he’d let me go, but there was no telling if he’d attack again.

 

“I’m leaving, okay?”

 

“Yes, go ahead. It won’t matter even if you return, as there’s nothing you can do.”

 

If it was true that Fedeshar burned down the greenhouse, then he was right; even if I returned, there would be no herbs to make the antidote.

 

‘Right. I suppose he could see it that way.’

 

I turned and ran as hard as I could without looking back.

 

 

***

 

 

“Spill it, now!”

 

“I will never tell you!”

 

The tightly bound man kept his mouth shut stubbornly and snapped his head away. Ben rubbed his throbbing forehead, feeling a headache coming on.

 

“He really has no intention of talking, does he? Maybe I should just……”

 

The man’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he watched the approaching blade. Even so, he shook his head as if he could never speak.

 

Ben stopped the employee who was quietly raising a dagger.

 

“Stop. We decided not to do things like that anymore.”

 

“……I’m sorry.”

 

As the employee backed off, the man let out a sigh of relief. This man was the mage they had caught by tracking the traces of mana from the attack on Evan and Lepina.

 

Just then, the tavern door swung open with a violent thud. All eyes, including Ben’s, shifted to the door. The person who stepped inside was Evan.

 

One could tell at a glance who Evan was targeting. With the eyes of a predator, he was looking straight at the mage.

 

Before the panicked mage could even finish a sentence, Evan grabbed him by the collar as if nothing else mattered.

 

“I—I can never say who it is. I owe that person a debt of—”

 

The mage, who had been sitting on a chair, was slammed to the ground. Evan tried to drag him outside by force, demanding he lead the way.

 

“Uh……? W—Wait! Please calm down. You can’t just go looking for them blindly……”

 

“It’s much better than arguing here. It seems you’re saying you’ll never open your mouth.”

 

As Evan’s piercing gaze bore into him, the mage immediately lowered his head. Nevertheless, his shoulders trembled. It felt as though a cold blizzard was swirling around him.

 

“Ben, go bring her.”

 

“T—That is……”

 

“Bring her. Haven’t we already investigated where she lives?”

 

“Who on earth are you……?”

 

The mage tilted his head, unable to understand the conversation happening above him.

 

Ben hesitated. What Evan was referring to was the mage’s mother, whom they had discovered during the background check.

 

However, Ben didn’t want to use a loved one as a hostage for threats. Besides, the Young Lady would be furious if she found out.

 

“With Lep kidnapped and her life in danger, you want me to sit back just to protect your principles? I’m sorry, but I can’t do that. If there’s blame to be had later, I’ll take it. Bring her now.”

 

Ben frowned at Evan’s biting words.

 

“He’s the one who was constantly looking for a chance to poison the Empress. Lep would have naturally refused his proposal. No one knows what he might have done to her to eliminate any loose ends.”

 

“……Understood.”

 

“W—Wait a minute! What does that mean……”

 

The mage looked at Evan in shock. He couldn’t understand the conversation between Evan and Ben. The person who had asked for his help was an upright person. He was the one who had saved his mother when she was on the brink of death. Such a person would kidnap someone and threaten others? And even poison the Empress?