If You Take the Enemy Prince as Your Knight Chapter 59

It was a question everyone was curious about.

 

According to the information that was obtained with great difficulty by planting informants in the palace more closely than usual, it was said that the arrangement of the imperial guards inside the palace was being reorganized in a highly systematic manner. Although the information was very limited, one thing could be inferred from the manner in which the competition was being held.

 

A competition that uses the entire imperial palace as its stage. But there was something I couldn’t understand.

 

“Why have they isolated us in a distant pavilion?”

 

“Isn’t it to prevent the princess’s influence this time? So no one can pull any tricks like someone did before.”

 

Lilliana took Nanaen’s words and used them to attack me. Though I had a different opinion, I decided to keep my mouth shut.

 

Sister Vivian, looking pale and worn out, summed up the situation. “All we can do is trust in the abilities of our personal knights and wait.”

 

“You all heard Sister Vivi, right? Everyone’s probably on edge, so let’s not provoke each other and wait quietly. Especially you two, Lilli and Sasha.”

 

“As long as she behaves.”

 

“I’ll do my best.”

 

Lilliana and I each responded to Sister Orlette’s scolding. Tolerating Lilliana, who seemed to have a mental age lower than Shumel, wasn’t really an issue. Rather, at this moment, there was someone else I was more concerned about.

 

“I-It seems I’m the last one.”

 

The last princess entered the pavilion, her glossy black hair swaying as she took her seat. She sat a little to the right of my direct line of sight.

 

“…”

 

“…”

 

Gwendellin, who met my gaze, bit her lips nervously. She looked like she was dreading the possibility of her actions in the harem palace being exposed.

 

I shifted my gaze to my teacup. I didn’t have the luxury to worry about Gwendellin on the day of the competition.

 

“Did you two have a fight?”

 

“There’s no way.”

 

“Then, at least say hello.”

 

“…Hello, Sister Gwen.”

 

“Everyone is here. When we hold the second princess tea time, I’ll let you sit like this again.”

 

Sister Orlette, who hadn’t given up on improving our sisterly relationships, carefully observed the seating arrangements at the round table. Starting from me and going clockwise, it was Sister Orlette, Sister Vivian, Lilliana, Gwendellin, Shumel, and Nanaen.

 

There were about 15 minutes left until the competition began. In the distance, nobles were enjoying a leisurely picnic, laughing and chatting without a care. Somewhere among them, our personal knights were likely mingling.

 

Shumel didn’t bother hiding her gloom. “I didn’t even get to say goodbye to Ciel. If I had known this would happen, I would have come last.”

 

“Even if you came late, it would still be just as awkward.”

 

“They could’ve at least told us beforehand. It’s so unfair.”

 

It was a sentiment that all the princesses could relate to. Before being escorted to the pavilion, the last conversation we had with our personal knights might very well have been our final one. That unsettling thought lingered in everyone’s hearts. And anxiety and gloom were emotions that spread easily.

 

“Don’t cry, Shushu. Let’s ask Marquis Osbond to give us some time to say goodbye to our personal knights.”

 

“Do you think he’ll allow it?”

 

“If all the princesses demand it, he won’t be able to refuse.”

 

“Right?”

 

Seeing a glimmer of hope, Shumel quickly brightened up with a radiant smile. The other princesses seemed to agree without any objections.

 

“Even that cold-hearted man would probably grant us a chance to say a final goodbye.”

 

“Sister Lette, what do you mean by final goodbye? Don’t say things like that, it sounds ominous.”

 

“Yeah, it’s uncomfortable to hear.”

 

“Ah, you’re right. That was a slip of the tongue, my dear sisters.”

 

Receiving a stern look, Sister Orlette quickly apologized. Even so, the heavy atmosphere at the table showed no signs of lifting. And then it happened.

 

“Pfft.”

 

There was a sound that didn’t suit the atmosphere at all. All eyes turned toward the source, Gwendellin.

 

“Ah.” She hastily covered her mouth with her teacup, but it was already too late.

 

“What’s so funny, Gwen?”

 

“Ah, Sister Lette. I-It’s nothing. Really.”

 

“…”

 

“I-I just had a random, si-silly thought for a moment.”

 

The sisters accepted her excuse and didn’t press further. But for me, a strange sense of discomfort gnawed at the back of my mind. Something’s off.

 

Gwendellin is usually an anxious and emotional person. Yet right now, there was no trace of the fear one might expect from someone who could be the next to be eliminated in the competition. In fact, that laugh earlier—it felt far too relaxed. As if it had nothing to do with her. And… as if she had something to rely on.

 

“Sister Gwen.”

 

At my call, Gwendellin flinched, reacting with an almost exaggerated sensitivity.

 

“W-Why? What?”

 

“You’re unusually confident today. Did you figure out some foolproof strategy to take first place?”

 

“W-Why would I need to get first place? As long as I don’t come in last, that’s all that matters.”

 

Every careless word she throws out is a clue.

 

“Are you sure you won’t come in last?”

 

“Huh? Ah…!”

 

Gwendellin, finally understanding the meaning behind my words, couldn’t hide her flustered reaction. Just in case, I turned to Lilliana, who was sitting next to her. She shot me a sharp look as if saying, ‘What? Why?’

 

Lilliana isn’t involved. She’s acting alone.

 

When I looked back at Gwendellin, she was clearly trying to avoid my gaze, her eyes darting around nervously. Her hands, holding the teacup high to cover as much of her face as possible, trembled slightly from time to time. That’s fear. But the source of this fear isn’t the anxiety of being eliminated. It’s the fear and anxiety of a guilty person, worried about being caught.

 

“Sister Gwen.”

 

I needed to dig deeper. The best day to do that was…

 

“Have you decided on your final words for Sir Heinz?”

 

“What?”

 

To provoke her.

 

“You were seventh last time, weren’t you? If you get the same rank this time, you’ll be eliminated.”

 

“You…”

 

“We should at least exchange final words. Even if you don’t care, I’m sure Sir Heinz must have already given up on the competition.”

 

“Give up?”

 

“It must be embarrassing to fight while serving someone who doesn’t even know the meaning of honor as a lady.”

 

“…!”

 

She immediately snapped back.

 

“Don’t make me laugh! You should be the one preparing your final words!”

 

“…”

 

As expected, Gwendellin was sure I’d be the one eliminated.

 

“What did you do?”

 

“W-What?”

 

“I asked what you did. To my knight.”

 

“…!”

 

Gwendellin’s body flinched violently. It was an honest reaction of someone who had been caught.

 

At that moment, Sister Vivian suddenly stood up and intervened. “Sasha, why are you acting like this?! Apologize quickly, ugh!” As she staggered, she accidentally knocked over a teacup, spilling its contents all over the table.

 

While everyone was startled, Sister Vivian covered her mouth and bent over as if she was about to collapse. Sister Orlette quickly supported her.

 

“Sister, what’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”

 

“M-My stomach, it feels like I’m going to throw up. The tea… something’s definitely off…”

 

“The tea?”

 

The commotion spread. At a distance from Vivian, there was a sharp clatter. Gwendellin had practically thrown her teacup down, causing the noise.

 

“Hic. Hiccup!” Her face had turned as pale as a corpse.

 

“Sister Gwendellin…?”

 

“W-What is it? What’s wrong?”

 

Confusion and bewilderment took over the table. While the other princesses blinked in incomprehension, the sound of Vivian’s shallow retching and Gwendellin’s exaggerated gagging filled the pavilion.

 

“W-What’s wrong? Was the tea poisoned…?” Shumel looked back and forth between Vivian and Gwendellin with a dumbfounded expression.

 

Shumel looked back and forth between Vivian and Gwendellin with a dumbfounded expression. Vivian, who had stopped gagging, answered weakly. “N-No. I think I was mistaken. My stomach just felt a bit queasy for a moment…”

 

“Yeah, a little…”

 

Vivian, now composed, straightened her posture and sat properly. Seeing this, Gwendellin also realized her unsightly behavior and quieted down.

 

Having witnessed everything, I had to suppress the sensation of ice water running through my veins instead of blood. Gwendellin.

 

Everything pointed to one conclusion. She had used a method that was utterly low and despicable, yet undeniably effective.