If You Take the Enemy Prince as Your Knight Chapter 58

“Alright.”

 

In the end, I swallowed all the words I wanted to say and answered quietly. Unlike my personal knight, I, as a princess, had to dress up.

 

I chose a flared dress. It was made of subtly shimmering cream-colored satin, boldly adorned with black patterns and lace. The design seemed modest at first glance, but left a strong impression.

 

“The ring.”

 

I wore a vintage ring inherited from my mother on my left thumb. I could feel Regen’s gaze settling on it.

 

“I’ve always been curious for a while… The seal part seems to be in the form of a locket. What’s inside?”

 

“Poison.”

 

“…”

 

“And medicine, too.”

 

“…”

 

I thought he already knew, so I don’t understand why he looks so surprised. Besides, he was a prince, wasn’t he?

 

“Isn’t it the bare minimum to survive the palace intrigues?”

 

“I don’t think so.”

 

“The royal palace of Lohengrin must be a peaceful place then. If I’m born as a princess again in my next life, I should marry into that kingdom.”

 

“…Pardon?”

 

“Preferably to a third prince with no real chance of inheriting the throne. I just want to take it easy in my next life.”

 

“…”

 

His golden eyes trembled, unable to hide his unease. It was fun teasing Regen when he got flustered, but seeing him only flustered was also a bit hurtful too. I couldn’t even figure out my own feelings.

 

“What kind of poison is it?” Demia asked at just the right moment.

 

“The same poison Nanaen used in the cup during the first competition. It kills slowly over two or three hours and reacts before any other poison or medicine.”

 

“You have the antidote as well, right?”

 

“Of course.”

 

The maids looked at me with understanding, while Regen’s expressions seemed uncomfortable.

 

“I hope you won’t have to use it.”

 

“I hope so too.”

 

For a knight who values fairness and honor, poison must seem like an incredibly dishonorable method.

 

I sat down in front of the dressing table.

 

“Your Highness, how would you like your hair done?”

 

“Should I try something cute, like pigtails?”

 

“…”

 

“Just kidding.”

 

Demia and Sione looked at me as if I had just made the most absurd request, so I quickly backed off. I knew very well that I was far from the ‘cute’ type myself. Still, Hamel seemed to understand my intentions and did her best. She braided my hair and pinned it up, letting long ribbons trail down. The two long tails of the ribbon gave off a slight impression of pigtails, even if just barely.

 

“Those ribbons look like they’d be really tempting to untie.”

 

“There are actually young men who think that way, Demia.”

 

“What? Sione, are you serious?”

 

“Yeah. It’s a way of signaling they want to spend the night with you.”

 

“What? How dare they try something like that with our Highness! Just give me the word, and I’ll chop their heads off, Your Highness!”

 

“…Demia, nothing has happened yet.”

 

I calmed my overly loyal maid and stood up from the stool. Regen extended a hand toward me.

 

“May I have the honor of escorting you again today?”

 

“Of course, it’s yours.”

 

Unlike before, the maids now saw us off with a more serious demeanor.

 

“Please, return safely.”

 

✦

The garden, where hydrangeas were in full bloom, was the pride of the imperial palace in spring. The flowers, dyed in a spectrum ranging from purple to blue depending on the soil’s acidity, were lush and irresistibly captivating. The nobles enjoying the banquet roamed far and wide. They wandered not only through the hydrangea garden but also through the nearby gardens, chattering about the competition to be held today.

 

 

“I heard that Marquis Osbond put a lot of effort into preparing for today.”

 

“I wonder what kind of competition will be held this time.”

 

“I’m looking forward to the game today.”

 

The competition that would decide my fate was nothing more than a mere game to them. The chatter brushing my ears was as irritating as a swarm of insects by the water. Then one unpleasant conversation was quickly replaced by another.

 

“Oh my, it’s Sir Dominic.”

 

A blonde knight, surrounded by people and wearing a sociable smile, came into view. His blue ceremonial uniform, as always, was adorned with numerous medals.

 

“I heard he achieved great feats in the south again.”

 

“He was only recently made a count, and now he’ll receive another reward.”

 

“He’s already received it. He’s now Marquis Mizekal. His status has been elevated.”

 

“My goodness. At such a young age.”

 

I turned the tips of my shoes to the side to avoid the noisy crowd, but Dominic spotted me.

I turned the tips of my shoes to the side to avoid the noisy crowd. But I was caught by Dominic. Seeing his delighted face only dampened my mood. His knack for finding me even in this crowd and at this distance was truly bothersome.

 

“Sir Regen, step back for a moment.”

 

“…Yes.”

 

Now that Dominic and I had made eye contact, I had no choice but to exchange pleasantries. I waited as he parted the crowd and strode confidently toward me.

 

“Rosasia—”

 

How dare he call me by name?

 

“—Your Highness.”

 

With a sly grin, he deliberately knelt on one knee, observing formal etiquette. I held back a sigh as his lips brushed the back of my hand, deciding I should quickly offer my congratulations and part ways. But then, he spoke first.

 

“Congratulations, Your Highness.”

 

“What?”

 

“I said, congratulations.”

 

“You’re the one who was promoted from count to marquis, aren’t you? What exactly am I being congratulated for?”

 

As soon as I finished speaking, a thought flashed through my mind, surely not…

 

“Why, for being elevated from countess to marchioness, of course. It’s only proper to congratulate you.”

 

“…”

 

I was proud of myself for not slapping him.

 

“Sir Dominic.”

 

“Yes, Your Highness.”

 

“Don’t you feel embarrassed behaving like this in public?”

 

“Not at all. Just speaking with Your Highness brings me joy. Could it be… Your Highness, are you feeling shy?”

 

His exaggeratedly shocked expression was the last straw for my patience. My eyelashes trembled with irritation.

 

“Don’t tarnish the honor you’ve built with your expertise in a place like this.”

 

I couldn’t win against Dominic in any proper way, but stooping to his level would cost me too much. The best option was to ignore him, so I walked past.

 

A chamberlain came out to greet me and Regen. The sash he wore, draped diagonally from one shoulder to the opposite hip, was a mark signifying that he was serving Marquis Osbond.

 

“The competition will begin promptly at the hour. Until then, Sir Regen is free to enjoy the outing as he pleases. Princess Silver Bird, please follow me this way.”

 

“Right now?”

 

“Yes, Your Highness.”

 

I felt a strong sense of resistance to the chamberlain’s attempt to separate me from Regen. Leaving him alone at the outing made me worry that the imperial nobles, like a pack of hyenas, would resort to lowly mockery and harassment. Moreover, the competition was about to start soon. Wasn’t this the last moment I could see his face and talk to him before it began?

 

“I’m fine, Your Highness.”

 

But I’m not fine. I barely managed to swallow the words before they escaped my lips.

 

“Your Highness, please hurry up.”

 

Urged by the chamberlain, I had no choice but to separate from Regen and was guided to a restricted pavilion. Inside, five of my sisters who had arrived earlier were already seated at the prepared table.

 

“You’re here, Sasha.”

 

“Welcome, Sister Sasha.”

 

Seeing them gathered around the round table reminded me of the last princess tea time. I glanced back and forth between the two empty seats.

 

“It’s the free seating just like you wanted. Sit wherever you like.”

 

“Don’t even think about sitting next to me.”

 

It was Sister Orlette and Lilliana who spoke.

 

I stopped in my tracks at the empty chair next to Lilliana, making it obvious. “With this much space between us, I don’t think it matters where I sit.”

 

“I told you not to sit next to me.”

 

“Oh my, I only saw that it was next to Shushu.”

 

“Hey, should I move?”

 

Her childish grimace was enough entertainment for now. Ignoring the chair the servant had pulled out for me, I walked past it. There were people who had already prepared a seat for me out of consideration. I went and sat in the empty chair between Sister Orlette and Nanaen. As soon as I sat, a small ornament symbolizing a silver bird was placed before me.

 

Shumel, who was sitting two seats to my right, cautiously brought up the topic. “How will today’s competition proceed?”