Chapter 24

“What?”

Yzhar doubted what his ears heard and turned around.

What his eyes saw was the woman he was momentarily forcing in, standing in a dignified posture, with her determined face and cold gaze he had never seen before.

“I will not go in. Why do I have to go in?”

“Psychke.”

“The real Princess, Lillian, is also back, right? Even my engagement with Duke Lestir will disappear once the monsters in the north was defeated. There’s no reason for me to shackled here.”

At the words of treating herself as a tool, Verndia’s expression became strange.

Since she was unable to see his face, she continued to bring up those words which had been locked up in the very depth of her heart.

“Since you have raised me during this time, I will do my best to live. But I will no longer be here.”

“Psyche Silkisia!”

“I plan to stay somewhere else until all the monsters were all killed in the Duchy of Lestir. Therefore, I advise you to be low-key and don’t ever dare order soldiers to look for me, if you don’t want me to reveal this.”

“Do you think things will go as you like?”

With his fuming anger, Yzhar stretched his hand, intending to take her with more force this time around.

He knew that her power was far superior than him, but she look so pale and she was sweating coldly, so he thought he could take her with force.

However, the attempt was thwarted by Verndia’s strong hand.

“Duke!”

“I think the discussion is already over.”

Verndia tilted his head as if he was eagerly curious.

(TN: These two, this couple would have been a powerful one if they are in love. Just when will there be love between them? Oh, please, I’m craving such romantic scenes~!)

“She’s not even a child, but an adult. So what’s the problem for her to want going out?”

“It’s not for the Duke to care!”

“It’s her fiancée’s business, so I have to clean this.”

“Since when did you ever care about her so much?”

“You’re right, I didn’t take care of her too much, which is more than why I will take care of her from now onwards.”

(TN: I made sure that the TL of this part is sweet~)

Psychke, who had been caught in the midst of the men fighting, turned her head.

Verndia chuckled at his puzzled face, wondering what he was hearing now.

“By the way, Duke. Silkisia seems to have a very unique custom.”

He jokingly stopped Yzhar from taking Psychke’s hand, and he said playfully.

“Or there are many things to keep inside the mansion?”

“……?”

“The entrance and every floor are guarded by private soldiers. I was amazed at how great your discipline is.”

There was no way Verndia could not feel what Psychke felt too.

He was quick to notice. I don’t know how her situation is going, but I know you shouldn’t let her go like this. He doesn’t know about her situation, but he knew that he couldn’t let her go like this. If this was the case from the very beginning, he wouldn’t be able to meet her easily in the future.

He was going to tell her that the mansion is a place which the safety is questionable. Fortunately, he didn’t.

‘He knows.’

So, in order to strike him back, she gently scratched Yzhar’s heart. Even the resentment she had endured because of his support for the Imperial Knights was mixed to her heart’s content.

“… ”

Yzhar, who ruined his father’s plan, licked his lips.

he thought Psychke could be deceived if he hid her pretense as much as possible. But the person accompanying her was the Duke of Lestir.

He covered things like that, but everything seemed to be revealed at once.

“Let’s go, princess.”

Finally, Verndia, who won the quarrel, smiled refreshingly and pushed her fiancée into her arms.

It was in the direction of Silkisia’s mansion, not in the direction of Lestir’s carriage.

When she asked him with her eyes what he was doing, he answered with his face cleared of the old congestion.

“You have to pack your bags.”

“Ah.”

Come to think of it, she had only thought of going out of this hellish place and had forgotten all the important things.

Relics that were hidden in drawers and collected one after another whenever money was made.

She must stay in an inn or anywhere safe. Her physical condition was so bad that she didn’t have the courage that she could go out or in easily, so she did not dare.

Seeing what she was talking about, was he trying to help her?

The two passed over Yzhar, who was shaking in rage, and Lenox, whose eyes were wide open in surprise that his brother, who he thought was heaven, was pushed deliberately.

And without any hindrance, he entered the mansion and succeeded in climbing up to her room on the second floor.

The Sword Master is in a critical condition, saying that it would not have a fun outcome if she moved, but there were no soldiers who were out of their minds in front of the street to stop them.

***

Psychke clenched the bag containing the trash and the note Aiden had left.

And as soon as Lestir’s carriage passed through the front door, she licked her lips.

“Thank you for your help. Please drop me off anywhere nearby.”

Verndia, who was sitting opposite her, stared at her with his perplexed face. Then he languished his arms and leaned his back against the back of the wagon.

“Is the person named Aiden so important to the princess?”

“……?”

“I’m saying this because it seemed as if he hold an importance in your heart. Could he be the reason why you left the mansion? You’ve never been so—oh, excuse me. I think I preserved despite being ignored like this.”

When she heard about her shameful past from others, she became embarrassed. Psychke blushed slightly, and Verndia remembered her subconsciously that she was so cute the way she was.

“It’s not that. He was going to come out sooner or later.”

If she had been dragged away as it was, he would have died in solitary confinement just like in her previous life.

Psychke swallowed her inexpressible thoughts.

After listening to her words, Verndia asked seriously.

“Then he’s not her princess’ lover?”

“……? Yes, that’s not the case.”

She looked like she was asking why.

In other words, it doesn’t matter whether she and Aiden are lovers or not.

Verndia was just curious, so he said yes, and muttered. He doesn’t even know why he was curious.

“Is there anywhere to go?”

“I don’t have a place in mind. I’m going to check out the inns in the capital.”

He replied looking out the window at the scenery passing by quickly. The thought of living alone out of the prison-like mansion made her heart flutter like a child.

“How about in the Lestir mansion?”

“…… Pardon?”

As it was an unexpected suggestion, the response was delayed by one beat.

Psychke looked up at him.

And she slowly shook her head.

“No, it’s fine.”

“… These days, the capital inns are infested with thieves. It would be dangerous.”

“Is the security guard not patrolling properly? I’ll have to talk to them.”

The man who turned people who were working well into negligence quickly turned around.

“Come to think of it, that was last year, and I hear it’s okay now. They said that the inn had no vacancy due to the upcoming festival.”

It was a made-up statement, but it was not an unfounded story like the police force.

A large-scale festival was scheduled to be held in the capital to commemorate the coming-of-age ceremony of the second prince shortly thereafter.

When Psychke remembered it, she looked troubled. However, she soon relaxed her expression,

“Still, if you look closely, I will find at least one room left.”

With she said, his heart exploded.

“There will be none.”

“I haven’t checked, so there should be at least one.”

“No, there won’t be. For sure.”

Since this happened, he was even thinking of taking the money to reserve all the inns in the capital.

It was then.

Hnnnng!

The wagon came to a sudden stop at the same time as the screams of the startled horses could be heard from outside.

“Kyaaaah!”

The inside shook violently. She tried to hold on because of the force, but as a patient, she could not hold for much.

As she was about to be thrown onto the floor, Verndia suddenly grabbed her. And the wagon shaking, her head was spinning, and her body was startled.

She wasn’t this cold when they were Silkisia. It seemed that his body was getting worse.

“Where are you going with this body?”

“It’s overwork. Rest and I will be fine.”

She pushed him away, but he didn’t want to loosen his arm. Instead, he banged on the wall where the horseman was.

“What’s going on?!”

“Suddenly a bird flew out of the grass, and the horses seem to be startled. Please forgive us.”

After the rearrangement, the carriage began to move smoothly.

Then Verndia sat her down by his side, crossed his legs, and wiggled one of his feet.

It meant that she was sitting uncomfortably.

“Just go to Lestir.”

“No. Please drop off as soon as you arrive in the city.”

“If you say that with a face that looks like you’re about to faint, do you think I’ll let you go?”

“If you let me off the street, there will be no mention of you leaving your sick fiancée behind.”

“….. Ha”

Even in this situation, she was shocked to see him worrying about her reputation.

How the hell does he see her?

“There are a lot of rooms left in Lestir.”

“I don’t want to cause you trouble.”

“The owner says it’s okay, what’s the problem?”

“It is a matter of my heart. I feel uncomfortable.”

“Do you think my heart will be at ease if I let princess go like that? Also, if the Duke send enlisted soldiers from Silkisia, and you’re not in good shape, can you handle them at least a bit?”

Psychke was silent for a moment.

Although she warned that if they were release the enlisted men, Silkisia will be taken as innocent. So, shouldn’t she be careful?

No, it couldn’t be. She doesn’t know whether they will come to her in the middle of the night.

Just thinking about it gave her a headache. But in any case, this had nothing to do with Verndia.

“Ah, true. One more thing. It is a breach of contract if the princess is dragged to Silkisia.”

“Pardon?”

A question like a sigh followed after a sudden remark. Breach of contract?

“I don’t know the circumstances, but considering that they even mobilized their enlisted men, it seems that they intent on imprisoning the princess. Then you can’t come out on your own, right?”

“…”

“Do you know that both parties must be together to break up a marriage? So-”

“Duke, about our breakup.”

Something came to mind at the word ‘breakup’. Psychke, who hardened her face, interrupted him.

At the same time, Verndia also stiffened his face with tension.

She tried to persuade him by giving him carrots. She also couldn’t shake the feeling that somehow he had taken it out wrong.

to try to persuade someone to do something by offering them a reward if they do it)

And that feeling became a reality.

“Can you do it right now?”

(TN: I wonder what will happen, hmm…)