20.
“Aaaaargh!”
“Hurry, evacuate her Highness the Princess to safety immediately!”
“Who is this man?! Stop him now!”
The midnight campsite erupted into chaos, a cacophony of shouts and screams echoing through the night.
A fallen brazier sent flames soaring skyward, while over a dozen knights lay sprawled on the ground, groaning and crawling in agony.
All this was caused by a single intruder.
“Gwaaaah!”
With a single slash of his blade, another knight’s arm was severed. The victim barely registered what had happened.
The moment the black cloak billowed into view, another knight fell, instantly removed from the battle line.
Some were dead, others maimed, and a few were fortunate enough to escape with mere unconsciousness.
“Do you even know who stands before you?! Do you realize who this person is?! This person is…!”
The man, writhing on the ground, had his chin lifted by the tip of a boot. His eyes rolled back as he lost consciousness, like a dead frog.
“…This is… treason…!”
It was unbelievable that these men, each a member of the Imperial Knights, trained to the peak of their abilities, could be so utterly helpless.
“Just as the Imperial Family suffers from treason, wouldn’t the heart of a poor citizen of the Empire who was forced to commit treason also be heavy?”
“What kind of… bullshit… is that?!”
The Black-Cloaked Man.
The traitor who had attacked the Imperial Family’s hidden encampment.
He now strode into the heart of the camp.
“Why did this have to happen when the main force is away…!”
“Ah, that’s what we call a surprise attack—striking when the main force is absent. You still lack experience in warfare.”
“Ugh!”
The cloaked man struck the last remaining knight across the jaw with his sword hilt. The knight’s knees buckled, and he collapsed to the ground.
By the time the nearly twenty knights had been dealt with, the campsite had fallen into an eerie silence.
Only the massive tent they had risked their lives to protect remained standing.
“You’re quite skilled.”
“Your praise is too generous, Your Highness.”
“If you don’t mind, may I ask your name?”
“…Are you asking a rebel who draws his sword in the dead of night to reveal his name?”
“I simply can’t stand not knowing what I’m curious about.”
Beyond the tent, a shadow cast by candlelight let out a low chuckle.
“I don’t know whose subordinate you are, but I like you. If you live under my command, I’ll overlook all the mistakes I’ve seen you make so far.”
The Black-Cloaked Man smiled faintly. “You’re the same as ever,” he murmured to himself.
“I am destined to ascend to the most esteemed position in this Empire. I promise you will never be treated unfairly under my rule.”
“Even after I pointed my sword at you?”
“A sword belongs to the one who wields it. If you are a sword, I will claim you and handle you with care. I promise you, knight, once you come under my command, you will never raise your blade against me again.”
The man knew her words were no lie. She was not the type to utter petty falsehoods for immediate gain.
The Black-Cloaked Man already knew that her promise to cover up tonight’s events and her assurance that he would never regret his actions were both sincere.
“Knight,” she said, “tell me what I must do to win you over.”
Her words always carried a resonance that had captivated him for so long.
“Violet Rune Freesia,” he replied, “you truly live up to your reputation for eloquence. I almost fell for it.”
“That’s a good sign, isn’t it? Just a little more effort, then? To be honest, I wanted to return to the capital and taste the Imperial Palace’s pastry chef’s cheesecake one last time before I die.”
“……”
“I suddenly remembered I left a bite unfinished when I came here. Heh heh.”
She chuckled softly.
The man laughed along.
“May I ask you a question?”
“As much as you like.”
The Black-Cloaked Man paused briefly before speaking.
“The hidden daughter of House Marigold. What exactly is she to you?”
“The Imperial Family’s sworn enemy, the Emperor’s ghost, a prize for the Empire’s next ruler…”
The answers flowed out immediately, except for the final, lingering phrase.
“And to me, a danger that must be eliminated.”
21.
“What are you doing, Kyle?”
“Nothing, Sir.”
Kyle Dante continued to feel uneasy as he observed the women being sent to the capital.
Among the dozens of faces, one seemed strangely familiar.
‘I think I’ve seen her somewhere before…’
As Kyle Dante cautiously approached to get a better look at her face, the woman kept turning her head away, deliberately avoiding his gaze.
‘Hmm?’
Kyle crept closer, scrutinizing her features again.
“This will probably be another dead end anyway. Besides, this place is a battlefield now. We don’t have time to chase after women. It’s time to wrap things up and get out of here. Kyle!”
“Ah, yes, Captain.”
“Why are you still looking around so much?”
“I thought I recognized a face among the women…”
“What?”
“It’s nothing.”
Kyle quickly replied, glancing back at the woman’s last known position. Had she moved on already? She had vanished from his sight, disappearing somewhere.
“What’s your brother been up to lately, Kyle?”
“I heard that my brother is heading to the capital.”
“The capital? Why?”
“The Imperial Ball is coming up soon, isn’t it?”
“Tsk, tsk. That is just like the Knights of Verdunia, a bunch of bookish fools. Even in times like these, they’re still worrying about social gatherings? Your brother must be incredibly busy.”
The knights chuckled softly.
While a silent war raged on the borderlands, the capital was feverishly preparing for an untimely feast, its mood soaring.
Despite the absurdity of the situation, none of the knights seemed surprised.
Everyone knew that in this Empire, festivals and parties would continue right up until the very brink of its destruction. Even if the Empire were to fall tomorrow, there would still be those who would spend today at the ball.
“A ball. Sounds like fun.”
“Can’t we go too?”
Even as knights, mercenaries, and commoners were being torn apart on the front lines, and the imperial family’s power struggles were ravaging the land, the nobles of the capital continued to live their lives as always, lost in social gatherings and romantic pursuits.
“Kyle.”
“Yes, Captain?”
“Let’s gather a few men and head down to the Capital.”
“Oh!”
“Are we allowed to go and have fun?”
“Nonsense!”
The Captain of the Knights of Orleans sneered at his knights, who were instantly fired up.
“Even if Verdunia’s half-breeds are a bunch of dandies, they wouldn’t have come down here without a reason. Kyle, take a few men and go investigate.”
.
.
.
“A danger that must be eliminated.”
The Black-Cloaked Man.
Lancel was momentarily speechless at the words that had just left the First Princess’s lips.
“I never imagined that First Princess Violet, the highest-ranking member of the Imperial Family, would have anything to fear.”
“You’re terribly prejudiced, knight. Despite appearances, I’m quite a timid person.”
He knew that well.
She was the cowardly princess.
“My father, the late Emperor, who is no longer with us, left this Empire with an absurd legacy. What do you think of that?”
Lancel already knew.
“The Emperor…instructed that the Empire be divided equally among all members of the Imperial Family. I learned of this exactly one month before I fled.”
“If it’s about the inheritance, I’m already aware.”
“…Which loose-lipped fool has been spreading rumors?”
Her reaction was one of surprise.
Unlike the Third Princess, the First Princess had never revealed this secret, not even when a blade was at her throat.
“Since you already know, there’s no need to hide it. The late Emperor declared that the last surviving child of the Count Marigold family would inherit a quarter of the Empire.”
Lancel already knew this much too…
“By share, that’s a quarter of the Empire’s territory.”
“……”
But he hadn’t realized it was that much.
‘A quarter of the Empire’s land?’
Even a dying man’s generosity has its limits. Lancel couldn’t even begin to grasp the scale of twenty-five percent of the Empire’s territory.
It was more land than had been granted to any individual member of the Imperial Family.
“I suppose he wanted to settle his mental debt to the Old Empire he had destroyed. Was he worried about not going to heaven when he died? Or was it just for amusement? I don’t know. Who could ever understand that man’s sinister motives?”
“So, you were trying to kill her. The young lady of House Marigold.”
“You’re a quick-witted knight,” the First Princess replied in a low voice.
“The Empire will fall into my hands soon enough, even if I do nothing. But what if that woman were to marry another man? What if my innocent younger brothers, who have no ambition, start getting strange ideas?”
“…Marriage…”
“That’s why I ordered Delphi to kill her.”
Her tone was calm, but the implications sent a chill down Lancel’s spine.
Princess Violet, the First Princess, had orchestrated the First Prince’s actions, ordering him to kill Marigold.
“Unfortunately, I was born a woman, and my brother Delphi already has a woman of his own.”
Even if she were to meet a prince and their marriage were to be arranged, the aftermath was as clear as day.
Driven by their insatiable greed for the Empire’s power, the continent would be plunged into decades of war.
Even if Marigold were fortunate enough to become an imperial consort, a happy ending would remain beyond her reach.
But…
‘Marigold becoming the Empress.’
Lancel realized that this was not as impossible as he had once believed.
When he thought about it, it was strange. In the game, the prince who married Marigold always became Emperor. Yes, upon reflection, it was truly bizarre. In the game, he had simply assumed that it was because it was all just a game, but in reality, it made no sense.
Yet here they were, with all these circumstances intertwined. The Emperor’s dying wish was the reason.
That was it.
Marigold could become the Empress.
If a prince discovered that her existence represented twenty-five percent of the Empire’s shares, it would be entirely possible. In fact, she would likely be actively courted by ambitious princes.
Lancel’s arduous efforts to make Marigold an imperial consort now seemed like a complete waste of effort. She was inherently destined to become the Empress, the key to determining the Empire’s heir. Damn it.
Even Delphi Aaron Freesia, who already had a fiancée, couldn’t be certain of his future. If Marigold played her cards right, he might discard his beloved fiancée like a worn-out shoe, just as he had in the game. And Marigold could confidently seize that vacant position.
Empress Marigold.
Yes.
That was undoubtedly what Lancel had always desired.
There was a time when Lancel believed that making Marigold an imperial consort was the only way for her to achieve a happy ending.
Even if that wasn’t the case, he thought it might be an ending worth seeing at least once.
He had once helped Marigold with the single-minded purpose of making her the perfect match for the prince. Lancel was convinced he wouldn’t be satisfied until he saw her become the Empress.
Was it all for Marigold’s sake?
No, solely for his own.
Because he believed it was the only way to end his regression.
After all, wasn’t this game originally about making Marigold the Empress?
That was precisely how Lancel had first viewed her. He certainly didn’t think she was a woman who suited him. The young nobleman Lancel Dante had already proven he couldn’t make her happy. That fact, he believed, had already been demonstrated.
However..
‘…’
If…
Just if...
‘What if regressor Marigold still remembers… that I desired it in the past…? If the current regressed Marigold knows… that Marigold once wished to become Empress…?’
Time seemed to freeze.
Lancel felt the scattered puzzle pieces clicking into place.
===========
—Don’t look for me.
To my Sir Lancel.
From, “Marigold Curtain Marigold.”
===========
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
‘Marigold… Was this your plan all along?’
Lancel felt something pounding fiercely in his chest.
“Do you have any further questions, knight?”
The First Princess’s silent voice pierced his ears.
Girl thought her hb didnt need her womp womp