The Baldina Royal Palace.
"There's nothing here! Are you sure the Grand Duke dropped a keepsake here before he left?"
Inside the empty envoy quarters, Birna burst out in irritation.
"Dammit, that low-class girl. She can't do anything right!"
She’d give her a thorough beating once they returned to the Duke's house. Birna muttered grumpily to herself.
Not long ago, the Castulo Grand Duke had secretly visited the Claudio Duke Family again.
However, perhaps because he felt disgraced by his near-expulsion from the Baldina Royal Palace, he had merely passed by Birna with a brief nod.
"Um, Milady... I overheard what the Grand Duke was saying to his subordinates... and I thought it might give Milady a reason to visit His Grace..."
In the midst of that, a new maid had shared a rumor she’d picked up—that the Castulo Grand Duke was looking for an item he’d failed to pack and left behind in his quarters. Birna had come to the palace secretly because of that tip.
"Hmph, that girl Sheila was incredibly stupid, but you've got a head on your shoulders, don't you? Keep it up. I'll promote you to a lady-in-waiting soon."
Birna failed to notice the cold light flickering in the maid's eyes at the dismissive praise.
'If it's a keepsake of the late Empress, it’s no small matter. The Grand Duke will be extremely grateful to me.'
She had been confident that she could use it as a pretext to reopen a dialogue with him, but his quarters were empty with nothing left behind.
Huffing as she left the quarters, Birna suddenly paused. It was because she sensed the restless atmosphere within the palace.
"What is it? What's going on?"
The metallic clatter of armor and black smoke rising from the administrative wing and the Queen Dowager’s palace in the distance.
She instinctively felt that it was dangerous.
"Birna!"
Just then, someone came running toward Birna.
"P-Princess?"
Fluttering silver hair and beautiful green eyes. Dazed, Birna blinked.
"Oh my god, you were here! Thank the gods. I can't tell you how much I looked for you. I thought you had already been captured."
Medeia panted, placing a hand over her chest.
'Why is this girl looking for me? And what does she mean, captured?'
Birna was simply bewildered by what she was saying.
"Let's go, quickly. We have to get out of here."
"What on earth is happening?"
"A rebellion has broken out! They'll storm the Royal Palace any moment. Hurry!"
Medeia grabbed Birna’s wrist and pulled. Her face was filled with urgency.
As if she were paralyzed by fear, the hand holding Birna’s wrist was damp with sweat.
"A-A rebellion?"
Birna’s eyes widened.
"My uncle told me about a passage we can use to escape. Come with me, quickly."
As if there were no more time to talk, Medeia hurriedly led Birna toward the garden.
Birna hesitated and tried to pull her hand away, but when she saw the crest of the Claudio Duke Family engraved on the armor of the knight standing beside Medeia, she followed her quietly.
'If Father even sent a knight from the house, then it must be true.'
If there were any danger in the place they were going, the knight would have stopped Medeia from taking her long ago.
After walking for a while, a small side door was revealed after clearing away the thick ivy clinging to the back wall of the royal garden.
*Thud.* The knight wedged a scabbard into the gap and twisted, and the door opened with a creak.
The interior, which led to a long passage, was chilly and pitch black. It was a darkness where one couldn't tell what might be lurking.
"I-I don't want to. You go first, Princess."
Birna stepped back and pushed Medeia’s back.
"Understood."
As if to reassure her, the knight lit a torch.
Only after confirming that nothing happened when the knight and Medeia entered did Birna finally step into the secret passage.
The passage smelled of earth and the fishy scent of grass. Birna covered her nose.
'This is the worst.'
The floor was damp with moisture, and the air was stagnant.
*Hack, hack.* Somehow, just the thought of breathing in this filthy air made her feel like her throat was rotting.
"They say this path connects to the outskirts of the Royal Capital. They said someone would be waiting to help us escape, so please bear with it a little longer, Birna."
The Princess comforted Birna in a mature manner.
Just then.
"Run away—!"
"Aaaaaagh!"
Eerie, distant screams echoed from afar. It seemed the Royal Palace had turned into a chaotic mess.
'Have the Rebels arrived already?'
Birna bit her lip. She could tell that the Royal Palace had been turned upside down, just as Medeia said.
'A rebellion. Why on earth didn't Mom and Dad tell me about such a big event?'
She realized that the Grand Duke’s visit and her parents barring her entry while they talked amongst themselves in the office for the past few days were all because of this.
Birna trembled with a sense of betrayal.
'They went to rescue Medeia personally, but they didn't even look for me, their own daughter, and just left me behind?'
How long had they been walking through the passage?
As they moved further from the Royal Palace and the sense of urgency faded slightly, the neglected resentment began to rear its head in Birna’s heart.
Consequently, she noticed Medeia’s movements slowing down beside her a step late.
When she snapped back to her senses, the Princess’s footsteps, which had been audible beside her, could no longer be heard.
"What's wrong, Princess?"
Birna turned around abruptly.
About five paces away, Medeia stood still under the dim light of the torch.
"I don't think I can do this. I have to go back."
"What did you say?"
"I am the Princess of Baldina. How can I run away alone like this to save myself when the palace is in sorrow? Even if I escape the capital, my heart won't be at peace."
'That's your problem!' Birna’s expression twisted.
'No matter how soft-hearted you are, there’s a limit. Do you really want to play the saint even in this situation?!'
"It'll be fine. Even if we go back, what could we possibly do?"
She tried to persuade her cousin to just keep going, but Medeia was adamant.
"They might kill all my maids and palace servants."
"..."
"What about Grandmother? Will the Queen Dowager be safe? She’s elderly, so she must have been terribly shocked..."
"Fine. Then you go back, Princess. I’m going to the end."
Finally, Birna’s patience reached its limit.
"But this knight must come with me. Since I’m indulging your stubbornness."
"Birna, my uncle said guards would be waiting at the end of the passage. If you just keep going this way. But I..."
So she wanted her to give up the knight? That was absolutely out of the question.
Why should she have to go through this dark passage alone for Medeia? Why should she show such kindness?
'I’d rather you go back alone and die, captured by the Rebels left in the palace!'
The thought of blind blades piercing that girl... a cruel yet pleasant imagination flashed through Birna’s mind.
'Then I definitely can't give him up.'
"I'm sorry, Princess, but he is a man of our house. You're not thinking of taking him from me just because you're royalty, are you?"
"Birna..."
"The armor he's wearing, the sword—they're all Claudio property. His salary comes from our family's pockets. Therefore, protecting me, the Claudio daughter, is his responsibility."
In the first place, Birna wouldn't have been able to escape like this if it weren't for Medeia.
However, far from feeling grateful, she was hell-bent on sending Medeia back empty-handed.
Birna glanced triumphantly at the knight holding the torch.
Since he was wearing a helmet, his face wasn't visible, but seeing him remain quietly silent, it seemed he understood perfectly who his master was.
"I'll share the torch with you instead. The way back is quite dark, after all."
Her tone suggested she was doing a great favor.
"I understand, Birna. In that case... please be safe."
Medeia approached and squeezed Birna’s hand tightly. A faint tremor could be felt, as if she were shaking with fear.
For a moment, Birna wondered if she had gone too far, but she soon eased her guilt by tossing out empty words.
"...Please wait just a little longer, Princess. I'll get out first and send a unit of knights to the Royal Palace. Don't lose hope."
"Please wait just a little longer, sister. I'll get Rhea to safety and send people to rescue you. You must hold out firmly until then."
The hollow promise she didn't mean was sweet and soft. Just like that time she held Medeia’s daughter and made a promise.
"I'm glad, Birna. That you haven't changed."
Medeia nodded.
"Pardon?"
"I'll wait."
Holding the torch, Medeia turned and walked away.
Within the black passage, the torch grew smaller and smaller until her figure seemed to be swallowed by the darkness.
"Hmph, who’s going to stop someone who wants to walk to their death?"
Once Medeia’s figure disappeared, Birna stuck out her lip.
"Let's go."
"..."
They began walking through the passage again.
