Translator: Elisia
Editor/Proofreader: TempWane
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The story told by the ninja girl was as follows:
After the Crown Prince, then still a regular prince, returned from a visit to Delkis, he changed.
Everyone thought it was just a temporary rebellion of a child, but the prince, who grew up doting on the wolf he brought back from Delkis, proved through his actions that it wasn’t a “temporary” rebellion.
The once timid prince, who was always overshadowed by his younger sibling, was gone. Instead, he became someone who carried himself confidently, regardless of whether he excelled or not. Admittedly, this newfound confidence sometimes went too far, causing him to act brazenly even in situations where modesty would have been appropriate.
When the Emperor offered him the position of Crown Prince to his empire, he astonishingly refused it once.
“I still have a rival to face.”
That was his reason.
At first, everyone assumed his rival was another man.
Considering the prince had abruptly left Delkis after experiencing something there, people assumed he had made a close friend during his stay.
After all, young boys often get swept up in such passionate ideals.
People thought it was nothing and that he’d grow out of it with time.
…But they were mistaken.
“…And when it became known that the rival was Lady Delkis, people’s perceptions changed.”
Yes, same-sex relationships don’t draw much attention. It’s easy to assume they’re simply close friends.
The issue was that the rival wasn’t the same sex—it was the opposite sex.
It was me.
“If he’s waiting for the woman who defeated him… it’s not just the passionate goal of a young boy. Especially when he declared it about a noblewoman, not a commoner.”
“…”
I was left speechless by the woman’s explanation.
The House of Delkis was a family with extremely restricted information.
They rarely interacted with families other than the Grattanmounts, and even when they sent people out, it was usually only to serve as escorts for high-ranking nobles.
Although some had made a name for themselves in wars, most eventually returned to Delkis over time. Few sought to climb higher.
Because of this, the house was only known within the kingdom as one that produced “exceptional swordsmen.” Outside the kingdom, in the empire’s eyes, it was even more obscure.
The Empire’s prominent families were alarmed.
The Crown Prince, should he come to their country, was someone they had hoped to wed to their daughters. Yet now, due to the daughter of a mere baron’s house, their imperial bloodline faced the possibility of merging with that of another nation entirely.
While it was true that the royal bloodline of the Alwen Kingdom was also intertwined with the imperial family, such biological details were secondary. The real affront was the idea of both their Emperor and Empress coming from foreign lands.
This was especially humiliating since they already had no heirs and had to accept a Crown Prince from another nation.
…At least, that was the official reason. In truth, the real issue was that they simply wanted their daughters to marry him. As a result, some in the empire criticized me for being the daughter of a “mere baron” and even speculated that my short stature—particularly small among the baron’s children—meant I had been abandoned by my family.
It seemed such rumors circulated behind the scenes in the royal capital’s social circles, as evidenced by the information this guild member had obtained.
“…”
Amelia openly displayed her displeasure.
“…”
Harvey-Hyung’s expression was similar. One of the reasons our family had been fighting fiercely against the barbarians was to ensure the safety of the one who had been sent away—me. Thus, such dismissive remarks about their efforts were deeply insulting.
As for me, I didn’t feel particularly offended.
I was more curious—”Why?”
I knew the Crown Prince had shown various interests in me, but I hadn’t considered that it would draw attention from the Empire. I could understand the Empire’s interest after hearing the story, but the fact that they were debating over someone like me, who had no romantic feelings for the Crown Prince, was absurd.
“Still, listening to her story, it makes sense.”
After hearing the ninja girl’s account, Amelia placed a thoughtful hand on her chin and nodded seriously.
“While noble marriages aren’t always based on love, they do take mutual feelings into account. Forcing together two people who are utterly incompatible creates its own set of problems. Nobles are people too.”
The ninja girl nodded fervently in agreement with Amelia’s words.
“Th-that’s why the empire made this request. To uncover information about the mysterious Lady Delkis.”
“…But why would they send an assassin of Swordmaster caliber for such a task?”
“Well, because we were paid a substantial amount.”
“…”
When money was mentioned, her reasoning suddenly sounded more plausible.
Right. If you’re paid that much, you’d go all out to gather even trivial information.
“…But earlier, you even went as far as to say ‘Kill me’?”
Could it be necessary to go so far just for a mission like this?
“That’s just a business term! When someone says ‘kill them,’ does anyone actually think they mean it? Negotiations are all about starting with unreasonable demands and then gradually lowering them.”
“If one side has an abundance of money, such negotiation tactics wouldn’t be necessary.”
Amelia sighed deeply, pressing her forehead.
“This is so absurd and pathetic that I don’t even know what to do.”
“But I think it’s too dangerous to let her go as it is.”
Harvey-Hyung spoke.
…He looked quite upset.
Was he that bothered by someone digging into my background? While I appreciated his concern, I wished he wouldn’t jump to lethal conclusions.
“If you release me, I promise to disappear without a trace and live quietly.”
The woman spoke earnestly, her face serious.
“What guarantee do we have of that?”
“We’re freelancers. The money’s with the guild, and I haven’t received my share yet, so I have no attachment to this.”
“…”
No loyalty. None at all.
“…We’ll discuss that matter later.”
“Pardon?”
“For now, stay where you are. We’ll inform you once we decide what to do.”
“Pardon? Like this? With my hands and feet tied?”
“Of course. Why should we untie you when we can’t trust your words?”
“Oh, yes, I understand not trusting me. But then, how am I supposed to handle… um, bathroom needs later?”
“Don’t people in your line of work usually learn how to hold it in for days? You can’t leave traces, right?”
“We’re trained to erase traces, not to hold bodily functions for days! How can anyone suppress basic needs?”
A fair point.
Even Delkis people can’t hold it in when it’s urgent.
Sure, in military training, some people held it in too long and ended up constipated, but holding back urine doesn’t work that way.
“Well, try holding it in. We need to discuss some things.”
“Pardon? Excuse me? Lady Grand Duke? Grand Du—mmph!”
Harvey gagged the ninja girl again. She flailed but went limp when he tapped her on the head.
…Was the gag really necessary if that’s all it took?
I wondered why someone capable of using aura hadn’t escaped. Then I remembered—she’d been unconscious in the bag, and the person who knocked her out was standing right next to her now.
She probably figured trying to escape might get her killed.
“Sir Harvey, I know this is a lot to ask, but could you watch her while we talk?”
“Of course. I’ll make sure she doesn’t escape.”
“Thank you so much.”
Amelia bowed sincerely, and Harvey’s cheeks reddened slightly.
*
“If we believe what she said.”
As soon as we entered Amelia’s room, she spoke.
“The reason the Crown Prince skipped class yesterday and tried to approach us today—it must have been because of her. He realized the truth a bit late and wanted to tell us.”
“That makes sense…”
The Crown Prince had indeed mentioned it just before we parted.
“…What about you?”
“Huh?”
Amelia’s sudden question made me blink in surprise.
“I mean, if the Crown Prince truly feels that way about you, would you consider following him to the Empire?”
“…Are you suggesting I become Empress?”
“Well, who knows, but isn’t it possible?”
I immediately frowned.
“I have no intention of marrying yet. If anything, I prefer the relaxed life I have here. Eventually, I plan to return to Delkis.”
“…I see.”
Amelia seemed pleased with my answer, smiling faintly at the corner of her lips.