If You Take the Enemy Prince as Your Knight Chapter 83

“…” Noah couldn’t say a word, as if something was caught in his throat.

 

Meanwhile, Shumel was already crying her eyes out. Seeing her like that, Ciel instinctively knew this was a farewell. There was no resentment in his bittersweet smile as he handed her a handkerchief. “You’re crying again. I hope the next knight won’t make Your Highness cry.”

 

“…There won’t be one.”

 

“Pardon?”

 

“There won’t be a next knight.” Shumel blew her nose into the handkerchief with a loud sniff and spoke. “Shushu cried because what Sister Lette just said was so touching.”

 

“Your Highness, does that mean…”

 

“Shushu can’t win against older sisters anyway. So Shushu had already made up her mind to go to the convent.”

 

“…”

 

None of the princesses wanted to replace their personal knights. However, the mad emperor’s cunning was on another level, and he had already prepared the next step to stir the hearts of the princesses.

 

“Oh my, oh my. Are there none who catch your fancy? Well, I suppose it’s understandable. After all, you’ve already had a taste of war prisoners, so they might not satisfy you anymore. That’s why I prepared something more.”

 

With a snap of the mad emperor’s fingers, some of the imperial guards, who had been standing like part of the background until now, stepped forward. They positioned themselves in front of the war prisoners.

 

“I’ll give you more options. I’ve selected the most exceptional individuals among the knights I cherish. There are even volunteers among them.”

 

The princesses were visibly shocked at the sight of the final ‘volunteer’ stepping forward. Even Sasha was no exception.

 

“S-Sir Dominic?”

 

“This can’t be happening.”

 

As the princesses wavered, Dominic’s gaze locked onto one person. As always, the target of his relentless pursuit was Rosasia.

 

“…”

 

“…”

 

The princess, her face devoid of expression, and the captain of the imperial guard, wearing a picture-perfect smile, exchanged a silent look. Meanwhile, the princess’s personal knight, standing by her side, lowered his gaze, dark and heavy, reflecting his mood.

 

The mad emperor spoke. “Am I not known as a father who dearly loves his daughters? If my daughter desires it, I am willing to give even Dominic.”

 

“…”

 

“Now then, who will take him?”

 

The subtle provocation unsettled the princesses. Among them, Lilliana’s crimson eyes gleamed the brightest with greed.

 

Who was Dominic Mizekal? The strongest knight in the empire, no, in the world. He’s also a high-ranking noble favored by the emperor. With Dominic, winning the competition would be a certainty, not even a question. In other words, he was a guaranteed victory.

 

I want him. He was a man she had coveted from the start. There was no way she could let this opportunity slip by. So, she decided to ignore a few inconvenient truths, like the fact that Yulis was quietly watching her right now, or that Dominic had likely stepped forward solely to be chosen by Rosasia. Lilliana deliberately erased those thoughts from her mind.

 

“I will!” Lilliana hastily stood up from her seat. Her breath was slightly rough with anticipation. “I want to give it a try, Your Majesty.”

 

“As expected of Lilli. So bold.”

 

Dominic tore his gaze away from Sasha, which had been fixed on her like a nail, and glanced at Lilliana. The smile he had worn just moments ago had turned cold, and his eyes were filled with irritation, but the excited Lilliana failed to notice.

 

The mad emperor relished the situation. “Dominic is a strong knight. It will require considerable dominance. Are you confident?”

 

“I will do my best.”

 

Taking a knight imprinted by someone else was impossible unless there was a significant difference in dominance. At this point, no one could surpass the mad emperor in dominance. Therefore, for Lilliana to attempt to imprint Dominic, the mad emperor would first have to release him.

 

The mad emperor stroked his smooth chin, pretending to be lost in thought. “Come to think of it, do you know what happens to a knight when their imprint is broken?”

 

“…”

 

The princesses wore expressions that clearly showed they had never heard of it before. Sasha was no different.

 

“Perfect. This is a good opportunity to show you.” The mad emperor laughed as if he was thoroughly enjoying himself and gave an order. “Restrain Dominic.”

 

A few of the imperial guards nearby surrounded Dominic. They placed restraints on his neck, both wrists, and both ankles, restraints that seemed fit for a high treason criminal. Each restraint was connected by long chains, and the ends of the chains were held by five imperial guards. Even a wild beast captured in the most brutal manner would not have been bound so savagely. It was a rather humiliating treatment, but Dominic showed no signs of agitation. He even kept smiling as usual, making it seem as though such treatment was entirely appropriate. The ones who were truly shocked, however, were the princesses.

 

“Yo-Your Majesty?”

 

“Why are you treating Sir Dominic like this…?”

 

And it didn’t end there. The heavy sound of footsteps echoed across the floor of the audience chamber. Dozens of imperial guards, who had been standing against the walls, stepped forward in unison, closing the distance as if forming a tighter encirclement.

 

Dominic was deemed dangerous enough to warrant such a large number of guards closing ranks and even drawing their swords. The meticulous mad emperor wasn’t just wary of Dominic. He was prepared for other threats as well.

 

“Princesses’ personal knights, step back five paces.”

 

The emperor’s guards positioned themselves in pairs in the space created between the princesses and their personal knights. At first glance, it seemed like a measure to protect the princesses, but in reality, it was the exact opposite.

 

Regen stepped back, clenching his fist tightly in silence. He’s taken the princesses as hostages. The mad emperor had taken precautions to prevent the personal knights from attempting to assassinate him during the brief moment when Dominic’s seal was undone, a critical part of their combat strength.

 

The mad emperor’s measures were effective. The guards standing on either side of Sasha were ready to press their swords to her neck at any moment. With the distance now two steps farther than what Regen could cover to protect Sasha absolutely, there was no choice but to remain silent and cautious, unable to even attempt anything that might raise suspicion. To a personal knight, their marked individual was such an existence.

 

“Look into my eyes, Dominic Mizekal.”

 

Across the distance, the emperor and Dominic locked eyes. The same pattern appeared in both of their gazes, spinning in motion. As the bond formed by authority began to unravel, a pulse like a heartbeat reverberated repeatedly through the audience chamber. The princesses, forgetting even to blink, watched the alien scene unfold before them.

 

The atmosphere in the audience chamber calmed down after a moment. As if to signal that everything was settled, the mad emperor leaned back deeply into the throne, and Dominic let out a breath of relief, savoring the sense of liberation. The princesses, who had been inexplicably tense, also began to exhale in relief, thinking that nothing significant had happened. But suddenly, Dominic’s figure vanished from his spot. In the next instant, Dominic was charging toward the throne.

 

“Kyaaa!”

 

Several startled princesses screamed as Dominic extended his right hand, aiming for the mad emperor’s neck.

 

“…”

 

Even as a powerful grip capable of easily snapping a human’s neck closed in, the mad emperor simply smiled nonchalantly.

 

“Urgh!”

 

Dominic’s attempt was thwarted just before reaching the mad emperor. Chains connected to his limbs and neck yanked him backward, throwing him to the ground and pulling taut. The tension from the chains, as if trying to tear his body apart from five directions, restrained Dominic’s movements. The restraints also had the ability to suppress mana, leaving Dominic ultimately subdued by a dozen or so imperial guards. Even as his back was pressed harshly against the floor, Dominic’s eyes, filled with murderous intent, glared at the mad emperor.

 

The mad emperor observed him with an expression of intrigue. “Dominic, I never realized you wanted to kill me this badly.”

 

“Ugh…”

 

There was no response. It seemed that Dominic had lost all reason, leaving only his instincts behind.