Chapter 2. The Act of Plunder
Arpad suddenly revealed his twisted mood through his tone of voice.
“I suppose he is the Knight who serves you as his lady?”
“Yes. Therefore, the Knight’s sin is naturally my sin as his master. Please hold me accountable.”
At Hilia’s affirmation, Arpad’s mood, which was already more twisted than a pretzel, became even more complexly tangled.
Beltane, pressing down on his wound, tried to step in front of his master and shouted resolutely.
“No! Drawing the sword was entirely my own will. The Duchess is not at fault!”
Even in the face of the Crown Prince’s bloodthirsty wrath, Beltane remained unshaken.
“And above all else, it was Your Highness who first brought disgrace upon my master!”
An exceptionally smooth smile played on Arpad’s lips.
Anyone who had heard even a little about this Crown Prince would have known.
That Arpad was several times more dangerous when he smiled like this than when he was visibly angry.
* * *
‘Ugh! Stop! Just stop!’
I knew well that Sir Beltane was the very epitome of chivalry.
But I never imagined he would be so needlessly upright even in front of the mad Crown Prince.
Just as I was about to stop Sir Beltane’s sudden outburst, the Crown Prince beat me to it.
“Can you keep the words you spoke a moment ago, Duchess Delphin?”
“Pardon? Which words are you referring to?”
‘I said quite a lot just now, so I don’t know which part he means.’
One corner of the Crown Prince’s fine lips curved sharply.
For some reason, a sense of unease washed over me.
‘Surely, he’s not saying he’ll call off the predatory marriage just because I made him angry?’
That would be a disaster.
However, Arpad’s words were unexpected.
“I mean the part about you, the master, personally paying for your Knight’s sin.”
Ah, that? But why that?
He was smiling as if he had caught me by a weakness. The scent of blood wafted toward me.
It probably wasn't an illusion. Both Sir Beltane and an unnamed squire had already shed blood.
Yet, I did not back down in the slightest.
It felt as though if I showed my back to a predator, I would be attacked instantly.
“Yes. It is a master’s duty to take responsibility for their Knight.”
Of course, I only said this because it was Sir Beltane.
He was one of the rare few who had never betrayed me in my past life.
And in that very previous life, because of me... he met a death so gruesome that just thinking about it was horrifying.
‘I will never let it happen like that this time.’
At my answer, an unnervingly clean and fresh smile appeared on Arpad’s face.
It was different from the dangerous, blood-soaked smiles he had shown until now.
Perhaps it was because he had his back to the dazzling sunlight, but he looked like an unnervingly pure boy.
Is that why? I found myself momentarily dazed by a smile that was so utterly unsuited to Arpad.
By the time I snapped back to my senses...
The man’s face was right in front of my nose.
In one swift motion, his arm wrapped around my waist and lifted me up.
“Ah!”
My vision shook so violently that the sky and ground blurred together into a mess of gray.
When I finally regained my bearings, I was already held in Arpad’s arms, mounted on his horse.
‘Huh? This is...?’
The horrified stares of the people were fixed on us.
Arpad’s whisper tickled my ear.
“You said it clearly with your own mouth. That you would do anything. This is a separate matter from your blackmail.”
A chill ran down my spine.
I turned my head slightly to meet his eyes.
Then, I lowered my voice and asked.
“What are you talking about all of a sudden? Have you forgotten my request?”
“I told you, this and that are separate.”
“Considering what you did, Sir Beltane’s response was perfectly reasonable!”
“Even so, drawing a sword before the Crown Prince is clearly an act of treason.”
It was impossible to win an argument against Arpad.
He was practically the human embodiment of the phrase ‘I have no confidence in winning because he won’t listen to reason.’
‘If I had known it would come to this, I should have told Sir Beltane not to interfere beforehand.’
But considering Sir Beltane’s rigid nature, he wouldn’t have turned a blind eye to a predatory marriage just because of a single word from me.
And I certainly couldn't tell him about my regression.
‘No matter how much I think about it, I had no choice. I have to protect Sir Beltane too.’
Seeing my complicated expression, Arpad suddenly asked.
“You seem quite worried about him?”
“...Because he is my Knight.”
‘I want to save him.’
As if he had read my thoughts, he added.
“You seem to trust and cherish him quite a lot.”
“That’s right.”
“Well, seeing the state of things earlier, it seems he is the only one you can truly call a Knight.”
“Ugh.”
Arpad poked right at my sore spot.
Despite being in charge of the family for three years after my father passed away, there was only one person I could truly call my Knight.
‘This is clearly my own incompetence.’
I had been too naive and ignorant of the world.
I had simply trusted Ludwig and left everything to him.
‘That will never happen again!’
After pulling my straying thoughts back together, I realized something.
‘Wait, what’s with this man’s expression?’
Even though I had readily revealed one of my weaknesses, Arpad’s expression was subtle.
‘Somehow... he looks like he might be in a bit of a bad mood?’
But was there any reason for that?
While I was feeling bewildered, Arpad’s strange expression soon vanished.
All that remained on his annoyingly handsome face was a malicious smile.
“Remember this. With this, you owe me one. A debt as valuable as that Knight’s life.”
Translator: Nox