If You Take the Enemy Prince as Your Knight Chapter 138

The blond man whom noble young ladies supposedly went crazy over made my heart sink coldly.

 

Dominic quietly stepped up beside me and sipped from his own cup of tea. I gave no particular reaction and simply drank the tea I had already accepted without complaint. Apparently taking my silence as permission to stay by my side, Dominic struck up a conversation.

 

“My uniform is thicker and warmer. Shall I trade coats with you?”

 

“…”

 

“Your Highness?”

 

“I’ve decided not to respond to nonsense from now on. Keep that in mind.”

 

For a while, I was able to quietly appreciate the scenery of the field. Then Dominic brought up what seemed to be a carefully selected, harmless topic.

 

“If we depart tomorrow, we’ll reach the border within half a day.”

 

“Really? Which direction is the border?”

 

“Do you see over there?” A rocky mountain exposing layers of weathered strata stood in the distance. Dominic pointed toward the center of its ridgeline. “There is a canyon in the middle. Follow that path, and you’ll arrive at the destination.”

 

“A narrow road flanked by high ground on both sides…”

 

“Yes.”

 

“We’ll need to be careful.”

 

Of ambushes and surprise attacks.

 

“Things like falling rocks, I mean.”

 

“Exactly. They happen from time to time. Of course, since I’m here, you needn’t worry.”

 

“I see.” I answered indifferently and pretended to sink into thought. “Once we cross there, I’ll be parting ways with Lord Emilio.”

 

“You seem disappointed. Would you like to say your farewells?”

 

“Perhaps. It would be a shame to part just like this.” Ignoring the subtle sarcasm in Dominic’s tone, I answered as though it were an excellent idea.

 

Dominic clenched his jaw, but I pretended not to notice. Just then, one of Emilio’s servants came looking for me.

 

“Princess Silver Bird, Marquis Hwibrik requests an audience.”

 

“Excellent timing.” I handed my half-finished wooden cup back to Dominic and stood up. As I followed the servant, I could feel Dominic stepping on my shadow from behind. “Why are you following me?”

 

“I’m merely escorting you.”

 

“Monitoring me, more like.”

 

“The two are often difficult to distinguish.”

 

“As if.” I said that, but I did not stop him. To be honest, I was deliberately leading Dominic around right now as well.

 

“Marquis Hwibrik is inside the tent. However, Sir Dominic…”

 

“Don’t worry. I’m not going in.” The words were practically spat out at the servant before Dominic turned to me with dissatisfaction. “Just humor him appropriately and come back out quickly.”

 

That was exactly my intention.

 

Leaving Dominic outside, I lifted the tent flap and entered. The inside of the tent was lavish for a place meant for a single night’s camp. It contained a makeshift table, a cot, and even a respectable tapestry hanging on the wall.

 

“Welcome, Your Highness.” Emilio was waiting for me with a simple assortment of refreshments already prepared on the table.

 

I sat across from him, where he indicated. Crackling sounds came from nearby. Lowering my gaze slightly, I saw a metal brazier placed beside the table. It sat close enough that one could warm their hands simply by reaching out.

 

A suspicion crossed my mind. My eyes swept across the tabletop. Emilio had prepared more than refreshments. There was a small stack of paper cut into pieces about half the size of a palm, along with ink and two quill pens. He wants to communicate through writing.

 

As if confirming my suspicion, Emilio grinned. Well, Dominic was standing outside glaring like a hawk. The tent offered no soundproofing. If one wished to exchange secrets, one had no choice but to speak lies aloud while conveying the truth through writing.

 

“This table certainly shows a great deal of thoughtfulness.”

 

“I knew Your Highness would notice.” Emilio picked up a quill first and began writing. Annoyingly, his handwriting resembled Regen’s a little.

 

[Tomorrow, say that you wish to ride in the same carriage as me.]

 

At the same time, he spoke an entirely different message aloud. “We’ll arrive at our destination tomorrow. I regretted parting ways like this, so I asked for some of Your Highness’s precious time. Thank you for granting it.”

 

I picked up a quill as well. “There’s no need for thanks. I would have been disappointed if you hadn’t arranged something like this.”

 

[What is the plan?]

 

Emilio tossed the two used sheets into the brazier. The flames instantly devoured them, erasing all evidence of the secret conversation.

 

“Looking back, I find myself with many regrets. We could have spent more time together and created more memories.”

 

[We’ll disguise it as a rockslide accident.]

 

“Oh my.” Pretending surprise aloud, I calmly burned the paper he handed me. “…As it happens, I was thinking the same thing.”

 

“I’m delighted that our hearts are in accord. This is a modest gift.”

 

While continuing to spout meaningless pleasantries aloud, he moved his hand rapidly. His handwriting, becoming increasingly hurried with excitement, no longer resembled Regen’s at all. Soon, he pushed three sheets of paper toward me. Rather than detailing how the plan would proceed, they were filled almost entirely with descriptions of what he intended to do with me after it succeeded.

 

[Because the preparations were rushed, I don’t think I can provide you with an official position.]

 

[If you come with me to Lohengrin, you’ll have to live in a safe house while concealing your identity.]

 

[Please don’t feel too disappointed. I’ll quietly take good care of you.]

 

“…”

 

As I scanned the graceless black letters, my gaze turned cold. The meaning was obvious. He intended to hide me away and keep me as his mistress. When I looked up, my eyes met Emilio’s over the papers.

 

“What do you think of my gift?” He showed not the slightest trace of guilt for making such a proposal. No, it was quite the opposite. Sitting there with his chin arrogantly raised, waiting for my answer, he seemed to be saying, ‘You broke your promise during the martial tournament. Isn’t being demoted from the lady of the house to a concubine a fitting punishment?’ In other words, he was trying to punish me. The sheer absurdity nearly made me laugh.

 

“Lord Emilio.” I dropped the three sheets into the brazier. The disgusting proposal yellowed, curled, blackened, and turned to ash within moments. Throughout it all, neither of us took our eyes off the other as we exchanged deep smiles.

 

It was time to shatter the confidence of a man convinced that I could never refuse him.

 

“Your gift is far too burdensome.”

 

“Your Highness?”

 

“Thank you, but I’ll accept only the sentiment.”

 

“What are you saying…?!”

 

The bewildered expression on his face only made him more revolting. I didn’t even want to look at him. With a sharp swish, I turned on my heel, my dress flaring behind me.

 

“Then I’ll be going.”

 

✦

Outside the tent, Dominic stared blankly at the horizon blazing with the same color as his eyes. To the west lay the imperial palace he had left behind. Perhaps that was why memories of the past suddenly surfaced.

 

Dominic’s childhood memories began in the imperial palace. The mad emperor had taken young Dominic away from the Arondite family and personally raised and conditioned him within the palace. In a sense, he had entered hell long before the age at which imperial children were officially invested as princes and princesses. Outwardly, Dominic received treatment more lavish and attentive than most princes. Yet away from prying eyes, he endured merciless training and learned absolute obedience and submission to the mad emperor.

 

Dominic hated the imperial family. To his eyes, the boys and girls of similar age who lived comfortably in the detached palaces were impossible not to resent. Moreover, they carried the mad emperor’s blood. Unable to direct his resentment toward the mad emperor himself because of the domination imposed upon him, he found the princes and princesses ideal substitutes. And so Dominic tormented princes and princesses whenever he encountered them. The imperial family members would avoid him the moment they caught sight of his shadow.

 

Around that time, the mad emperor’s training grew even harsher.

 

“If I am to use you as the knight who stands at my side, I must refine your nature. I shall castrate the weakness from within you.”

 

The mad emperor forced Dominic to personally destroy everything that brought him positive feelings. The training began with small things and gradually escalated. Only after even the hunting dog Dominic, whom he had fed for years, became one of the training’s victims did the mad emperor finally seem satisfied and stop driving the young boy so relentlessly.

 

After that final lesson, part of the emotional center within Dominic broke forever. From then on, whenever he encountered something he might grow attached to, negative emotions surfaced first. It was around that time that he met Rosasia.