Ch#17

Episode 17

She was hiding behind a large pillar unique to the Imperial Palace, but I could recognize her.

There was no way I couldn't.

"Farewell, Original Heroine."

A feeling as if some pitch-black smoke was filling my chest.

I was reminded anew of my death in my third life.

Right after the guillotine blade descended on my neck.

Covered in my blood, that woman was laughing with a mouth stretched wide.

"...Huh?"

"......"

"Hilia."

Perhaps because I recalled the pain and rage from that time.

For a moment, I didn't hear Arpad calling me.

Only after he grabbed my shoulder and shook me did I barely come to my senses.

"...Are you alright?"

Somehow, Arpad's face had come right before my nose.

Close enough that his breath touched my cheek.

It was so close that even my intense anger towards Evangeline was momentarily forgotten.

It felt as if he had pulled me out of a swamp I was sinking into with one hand.

Thanks to that, I was able to understand a bit late why Arpad was worried about me.

"Your hands are cold."

Somehow, Arpad's hand was holding mine.

"And you're sweating too much."

And his forehead was touching mine. Arpad muttered quietly.

"It doesn't seem like you're physically ill..."

"I-I'm fine."

It was just that my emotions had become too intense for a moment.

But Arpad didn't listen to my words.

"No. You seem very unwell."

"What? I clearly said I'm not...!"

But the man who seemed like a personification of stubbornness jumped off the horse while holding me.

My vision swayed.

"Eek!"

Surprisingly, he performed the trick of maintaining the princess-carry position even while landing on the ground.

'I'd heard the dragon bloodline affects physical abilities too... but this is amazing.'

He started heading towards the Crown Prince's palace while carrying me in a princess carry.

"My bride is too weak, I'm worried about putting her on horseback any longer."

He spoke as if for the surrounding people to hear.

That's when I saw over Arpad's shoulder.

Evangeline's gaze burning several times more fiercely than before.

She was clearly enraged.

'Did Hilia just glare at me?'

That wasn't all. She even laughed as if showing off.

As if she knew exactly what Evangeline was feeling.

Even Evangeline herself didn't know she'd be this hurt seeing Arpad carrying a woman.

But, as if she knew all about it.

'How dare a mere book character!'

Empress Isabel, unaware of her daughter's condition, clicked her tongue quietly.

"They're struggling. Even so, His Majesty won't be able to recognize it."

Malicious and vicious rumors about them had already circulated throughout the Capital five or six times.

The palace servants were also eagerly spreading related rumors.

"I heard those two were having an affair from the start."

"What? I heard rumors that Duchess Delphine seduced both His Highness the Crown Prince and His Grace the Grand Duke."

"My goodness. If that's true, isn't she a femme fatale of the century?"

"Even so, to commit marriage-by-abduction with his cousin's wife... Has His Highness the Crown Prince truly gone completely mad? It's terrifying."

All sorts of negative rumors were swirling around the two.

At the same time, many words sympathizing with Ludwig were also heard.

"Having his bride taken away by the Crown Prince's Madness is too pitiful."

"They say even after such an ordeal, he doesn't resent His Highness the Crown Prince or Duchess Delphine."

"He's too kind, what should we do."

It was a rumor that would have made Ludwig feel shame and rage if he knew.

But the Empress didn't care about such things.

She scoffed and commented.

"It would have been best if Ludwig had retrieved his bride, but since it's come to this, there's nothing to be done."

The Empress turned her head and looked at her daughter.

"Think of it as gaining a good weakness to drive that woman out after Ludwig swallows the Delphin family later... Eva?"

"......"

The Empress clicked her tongue and took her daughter's bloodied hand.

"You still can't let go? That foolish heart?"

"But Mother..."

"Didn't I tell you to give up? Arpad will never become a puppet like Ludwig."

The Empress had known her daughter had long held feelings for Arpad.

It was also the Empress who had been persuading her daughter all this time.

Urged by her mother, Evangeline answered as if she had no choice.

"Yes, I know. Mother. I know very well."

But Evangeline couldn't possibly accept the scene she had just witnessed.

Even if Arpad was someone who would soon die, even if she couldn't have him.

'Why should I just let another woman be by his side? I'm so angry and heartbroken like this?'

The possessor within Evangeline had always thought.

That she was the real heroine.

Why should she treat mere book characters as if they were real people?

'I'll kill her! Plans or whatever, I absolutely won't leave her alone!'

Evangeline's green eyes burned with sinister murderous intent.

* * *

Surprisingly, Arpad really carried me all the way to the Crown Prince's palace.

And yet, his breathing wasn't disturbed in the slightest.

'Amazing stamina.'

Even though I had already realized it painfully while riding together for three days.

At the Crown Prince's palace, the chamberlain and palace servants greeted us in a state of confusion.

"Your Highness! You've finally returned!"

"You have no idea how shocked we were when we heard the rumors!"

"Could it be, that person is...?"

Everyone was looking at us with gazes mixed appropriately with astonishment, curiosity, and suspicion.

Arpad ignored the confusion of his subordinates and replied extremely calmly.

"The Crown Princess."

Incidentally, I was still being carried by Arpad.

A bit embarrassed, I whispered to Arpad.

"Can't you put me down now?"

"Why don't you want to be held? Do you dislike me holding you?"

A wrinkle formed on his smooth forehead. Somehow he looked displeased again.

Why? He was truly a man whose mood was impossible to gauge.

"That's not it, but it's embarrassing in front of others."

"Why embarrassed? Am I embarrassing?"

If I said yes, he seemed like he'd seriously get angry.

"...Not that. It's naturally embarrassing to be held in front of everyone."

"I'm not embarrassed."

Arpad was very confident.

"I'm embarrassed, so put me down!"

"No."

"Why? Why? I have feet too! I walk well!"

"Because you keep asking to be put down, I don't want to."

Are you a contrarian!

Feeling absurd, I tried to wriggle down with force, but it was completely useless.

Since I was overpowered, I had to continue being held.

Adding insult to injury, Arpad committed the eccentricity of scolding the palace servants while still holding me.

"What are you all doing now?"

"Y-yes? Your Highness?"

"Aren't you going to properly pay respects to your mistress?"

I was astonished.

'No, for greetings or courtesy, you should put me down first! Everyone was waiting for that!'

But Arpad was insane. Being insane means being someone common sense or reason doesn't work on.

And the palace servants of the Crown Prince's palace, who had served such a madman for a long time, were accustomed to bowing low.

They knelt one by one and greeted me.

"We pay our respects to Her Highness the Crown Princess."

"May the glory of Artanus always be with Her Highness the Crown Princess."

Thanks to that, I had a special experience.

Receiving greetings from palace servants while being held in a man's arms.

It couldn't be anything but a special experience.

'I'm probably the only Crown Princess in history to be greeted like this!'

Hiding these inner thoughts, I replied gracefully.

"...Nice to meet you."

I want to cry. I'm so embarrassed.

So I had no choice but to pretend to hide my face by burying it in Arpad's very broad shoulder.

The palace servants and Arpad seemed to interpret this strangely.

"Her Highness the Crown Princess seems very fatigued."

"Shall we call the court physician?"

"Just in case, have them on standby."

No need!

"Just in case, we've already prepared and cleaned the Ivory Bedchamber."

"Well done."

The Ivory Bedchamber is the Crown Princess's bedroom.

It was also a room I had never used in my three past lives. Somehow my feelings were strange.

And, Arpad carried me all the way to the Ivory Bedchamber.

'Yeah, your stamina is really good!'

Only after entering the bedroom did Arpad finally put me down.

But the sound wasn't of my feet touching the floor.

He placed me on the bed as if I were a feather.

Arpad and my gazes collided head-on.

Translator: Nox