If You Take the Enemy Prince as Your Knight Chapter 42

✦

“…”

 

“…”

 

The entire way back from the main palace to the detached palace, Sasha and Regen didn’t exchange a single word. Sasha, in particular, didn’t even glance back and walked ahead with quick steps.

 

“Your Highness, welcome ba—!” The maids, who had been greeting her, flinched as they sensed the tense atmosphere.

 

Sasha simply tossed out a curt, “I’m going to rest,” then entered her bedroom.

 

The three maids exchanged glances before turning their attention to Hamel. She cautiously followed Sasha into the bedroom. Left in the parlor, Demia and Sione approached Regen, trying to extract some information.

 

“What happened? Did Her Highness get reprimanded or insulted?”

 

“It’s nothing like that.” Regen refused to say anything further. This was a matter concerning the master he served. Moreover, it was an unresolved issue still in progress, and he couldn’t afford to speak carelessly about it.

 

Not long after, Hamel returned to the parlor.

 

“How is Her Highness? Is she alright?”

 

“She only said she wanted to rest.” Hamel explained that Sasha had even refused assistance in changing clothes and had sent her out.

 

The maids’ expressions grew more serious, and their gazes shifted to the next person. It was Demia.

 

“Alright. I’ll go and try to melt Her Highness’s heart with some charm.”

 

Demia returned even faster than Hamel had.

 

“Mmph, mmph…!”

 

“Ah, you’ve been silenced.”

 

“Mmph…”

 

With a tearful expression, Demia held up three fingers. Sione patted her on the back, comforting her as she faced three hours of being unable to speak.

 

Hamel let out a deep sigh and placed her last hope on Sione. “Lady Sione, would you like to go in?”

 

“I’m not confident, but I’ll give it a try.”

 

Surprisingly, Sione was allowed to stay in the bedroom the longest among the three. When she finally returned to the parlor, all the maids of the residence looked at her with anticipation.

 

“You were in there for quite a while, Lady Sione.”

 

“I did some cathartic venting for Her Highness. About four verses, if it were a song.”

 

“As expected, Lady Sione, you’re quite talented. How was Her Highness? Did she seem better?”

 

“Not really. She said she wanted to be alone and sort out her thoughts.”

 

The maids slumped their shoulders in disappointment.

 

Hours had passed since the bedroom door had been firmly shut. The sun dipped below the western horizon, casting a low, rippling red glow. Even as the world sank into the blackness of night, there was no response from beyond the door. The maids of Silver Bird’s chamber resumed their meeting.

 

“Sigh, it’s already dinnertime… She’ll just get more depressed if she skips a meal…”

 

“If we try to get Her Highness to come out, she’ll say she has no appetite. Should we quietly bring food in so she can eat a little?”

 

“Let’s go with Lady Sione’s suggestion.”

 

A tray was prepared with a meal crafted by the chef of the detached palace, filled only with Sasha’s favorite dishes.

 

“Huh? There’s chicken in this soup. I’ll take it out, Lady Hamel.”

 

“My goodness, Lady Demia. That was close. Her Highness has been avoiding chicken lately.”

 

“Still, I wonder why Her Highness suddenly dislikes chicken when she used to enjoy it. It’s probably the mad emperor’s fault, right?”

 

“Yes. Definitely the mad emperor’s fault.”

 

No one considered it might be because of her being called like a scruffy little chick, so they blamed the most likely culprit.

 

Now, they needed to decide who would take the dinner into the bedroom. Since Hamel, Demia, and Sione had already drawn the short straw, the answer was clear.

 

Demia spoke with a feigned solemnity. “We have to entrust this important task to Sir Regen.”

 

“I’ll do my best.” It just so happened that Regen also felt it was right for him to go.

 

Regen knocked and carefully opened the bedroom door. If Sasha was asleep, he planned to quietly leave the meal and step out. Should he call it fortunate? Sasha wasn’t lying in bed but was instead sitting by the window, gazing out at the darkened garden. Even as Regen deliberately made his presence known while approaching, she didn’t turn around.

 

“Just leave me alone until tomorrow.”

 

“Will tomorrow really be enough?”

 

“…” Sasha, who had stubbornly shown only her back, turned to him immediately, as if her response before was a lie.

 

“I brought dinner.”

 

“…”

 

Regen placed the tray on the table in front of the couch and stood upright.

 

The flickering candlelight swayed in the dim room. Though the silence between their gazes stretched on, Sasha didn’t tell Regen to leave. Perhaps it was because his face resembled her brother’s that she couldn’t be entirely cold. It made him feel a mix of joy and bitterness about the advantages his face held.

 

✦

The initial surprise quickly subsided. From the moment I sent Hamel, Demia, and Sione away one by one, it was inevitable that Regen would come to my bedroom.

 

I had conflicting feelings about this moment. I wanted to avoid it because it felt awkward to face him. But at the same time, I had been waiting for him to come. How contradictory it is to want to avoid something yet look forward to it. Thanks to Regenhart Lohengrin, I get to experience such astonishing emotions.

 

“Please, have at least a little something to eat.”

 

“I don’t have an appetite.”

 

“Was the mad emperor’s words really such a shock to you?”

 

“…”

 

A question that cuts straight to the point. With him asking like that, I couldn’t help but answer honestly.

 

“No. I had somewhat expected it.”

 

“…”

 

“I was just delaying the time to make a choice.”

 

In truth, I had already sorted out my thoughts long ago. And now that Regen had entered my room, I had no choice but to act according to the decision I had made in my head.

 

I got up from the window and moved to the couch, inviting Regen to sit across from me. With measured steps and impeccable composure, he took his seat and opened his mouth. “Have you made your decision?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“What will you do?”

 

His calm demeanor and low voice seemed to hand over all the decision-making power to me. The docility, as if he would follow whatever I chose without resistance, both reassured me and filled me with guilt. So, I spoke as if to justify myself.

 

“I told you before. Among the imperial family, oaths and promises are considered sacred. I promised Sir Regen that I would help you regain your power.”

 

“…”

 

“I can’t afford to lose control.”

 

“…”

 

I had to make every effort to help Regen regain his strength and achieve definite results. As a princess, I had no other choice. To tame him like a dog or to covet him like a lover—neither option was something I wanted to impose on Regen. A faint sense of resentment, as unreasonable as it was, crept in.

 

Why did he have to come into this room so quickly? If only he’d come tomorrow or the day after…

 

In the end, a cowardly thought slipped out of my mouth without me realizing it. “If only my knight had been Dominic instead…”

 

It was then.

 

“Sasha.”

 

His low, stern voice startled me. As I lifted my head, I saw him leaning over the table, one hand braced against it, his upper body tilted toward me. With a subtle hint of displeasure, Regen spoke. “For a trained knight, pain is nothing. Even if Sasha were to whip me with all your might, I’d worry more about your arm than myself.”

 

I was utterly taken aback. “What… are you even saying right now?”

 

“…”

 

“Do you really think I would use that method on Sir Regen?”

 

“…”

 

I felt so wronged and hurt that my nose stung. He wanted me to beat him like the mad emperor did to Dominic? Did Regen really see me as someone that low? The thought of being seen as less than human by the person I wanted to impress the most was unbearably painful.

 

I spoke, enunciating each word with force. “Even if I’m the mad emperor’s daughter, I’ve never even considered such methods.”

 

“Then the method you have in mind is something else?”

 

“Yes!” In the end, I couldn’t hold back my rising emotions and even raised my voice.

 

Regen’s expression grew complicated. What I could sense from him was guilt and confusion.

 

“I apologize for making a hasty judgment. But if I understood your words correctly just now…” His chest expanded as he took a deep breath, fully revealing his inner turmoil. After that deep, troubled breath, what followed was a question filled with anguish. “You will… do that with me.”