Extra S*ave Saves the Crown Prince Chapter 10

The corpses were laid neatly at the harbor. Some had jumped off the cliff and drowned, others were gravely injured in the explosion. It was not uncommon for some to be missing body parts. It was difficult to bury them all at once, so the bodies were gathered in one place for cremation.

 

And there was a man walking among those corpses, checking their faces. When he saw someone who seemed to be a woman, he would turn their face to check. Others wouldn’t even go near the place. But he went around inspecting each of those slaves’ bodies.

 

Why are you doing that? Why are you searching through them yourself? I’m alive. I’m not dead!

 

I shouted with all my might, but it seemed he couldn’t hear me. People, not knowing the true identity of the man in the black hood, pointed fingers and called him insane. When he was called the hero of the Empire, they cheered, but now they cursed him without knowing who he was. I wanted to smack them all.

 

I was angry. And more than anything, I started to get angry at him, who was searching through those gruesome corpses with an expressionless face. He even checked the same body twice, just in case he missed something.

 

Stop looking, just stop already, I shouted. He walked among the corpses several times with a face that betrayed no emotion.

 

“Gasp.”

 

I opened my eyes. It was just a dream, but it was so vivid my chest felt tight. I tried to tell myself it was just a dream, but his face kept coming to mind.

 

I touched my nose and eyebrows. Remembering his fingers, which couldn’t quite bring themselves to touch, I bit my lip again.

 

I want to give him a happy ending.

 

The Original Story would drive him to a bad ending. But I wanted to do my best for him. I wished for a day to come when he could say he was happy.

 

Then, does that mean he has to end up with the original heroine?

 

After the Salt Island explosion, he was already engaged to the original heroine. During my three-year journey to this palace, they must have built a strong bond. For a happy ending, I suppose he should marry her and receive everyone’s blessings.

 

“Cough.”

 

My chest stung for no reason. Maybe it was because the dream was so vivid. I chewed on the Noveni herb I’d left by the bed. It should have had a spicy aroma, but maybe my nose was numb—I couldn’t smell a thing.

 

＊ ＊ ＊

Sssshhh.

 

Today, as always, I headed to the hot spring. There was a statue here that looked remarkably like the Crown Prince. I had once grabbed its face and pried open its lips to stuff herbs inside. I’d tried that pose on the statue as a test. Looking back, I don’t know how I managed to be so bold. Staring at the statue’s pale lips, I started to feel hot. Embarrassed, I scrubbed its face even harder.

 

“Did I see that right?”

 

“Ah!”

 

I looked to the side and saw the Crown Prince leaning against the hot spring door. My body, flushed with heat, suddenly went cold. How long had he been watching?

 

“You look like you’re having fun.”

 

The corners of his mouth seemed to curve up slightly. Maybe I’d just gotten used to his usual blank or pained face, but seeing even that tiny, almost-not-there smile made my heart race.

 

He stared at me for a moment, then squinted his left eye slightly. The smile vanished as quickly as it had come, like a passing breeze.

 

He strode over and placed the back of his hand on my forehead. He didn’t touch me completely, but the coolness from his hand was still transmitted. How long had he been standing there? Remembering what I’d done to the statue, chills ran down my spine.

 

“Are you feeling unwell?”

 

“Sorry?”

 

I touched my own forehead. It did feel a bit hot. My throat felt scratchy, too.

 

“No, I’m fine.”

 

It wasn’t bad enough to say I was sick. It wasn’t like I’d been whipped or had to squat and work all day. I’d worked through worse pain than this, so this was nothing.

 

“You should go in and rest.”

 

“Oh, you came to use the hot spring, right?”

 

He seemed to really enjoy the hot spring. Good. At least I could be of help. The indoor bath was always sparkling clean, so there was no problem if he wanted to use it right away. But the outdoor bath still needed some work.

 

“I’ll get it ready for you right away.”

 

The outdoor bath had a wooden cover on it, to keep out leaves and bugs. The cover was heavy and had to be pushed aside bit by bit. After moving it, it had to be dragged away to somewhere out of sight.

 

“Huh?”

 

As I tried to push the cover, it slid aside all at once. Was it always this light?

 

“Your Highness.”

 

His left eye twitched again.

 

“I told you to go inside and rest.”

 

“If you just wait inside for a moment—”

 

“Sez.”

 

“I’ll just clear these leaves—”

 

“That’s an order.”

 

Ever since I’d possessed this body, the word “order” had been a powerful thing. If I didn’t obey, I’d be punished. But strangely, when he said “order,” it didn’t feel as scary or sharp as before.

 

“Yes, then I’ll take my leave.”

 

I kept glancing back, reluctant to go. He followed behind me until I slowly left, cleaning tools in hand. I should have been happy for the early dismissal, but not finishing the job perfectly kept nagging at me.

 

I really must be a slave to the bone.

 

That night, I went back to the dorm and came down with a fever. Was meeting him the cause? It felt like all my tension had finally drained away. Even though I sensed someone’s presence, I couldn’t open my eyes. Honestly, I think I pretended not to notice because I just wanted to keep sleeping. I vaguely remember getting up to take medicine at some point, but I’m not sure.

 

“Are you feeling better?”

 

When I finally woke up, Eva was beside me.

 

“How long did I sleep?”

 

My voice was so hoarse I had to clear my throat a few times.

 

“A day.”

 

“A day? Then, what about work?”

 

Eva narrowed her eyes.

 

“Work? That’s not what’s important right now.”

 

“Sorry, you should have woken me up.”

 

Since I couldn’t get up, someone else must have cleaned the hot spring. Most likely Eva. Feeling guilty, I quickly sat up. There was water on the table, so I gulped it down.

 

“Sez.”

 

“Hm?”

 

“I’m being really serious right now.”

 

Eva crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes even more. She seemed to have something to say.

 

“Sez. Have you met anyone important recently?”

 

“Huh…?”

 

“I just wondered if it had anything to do with you not being able to get up.”

 

“No, it’s just a bit of a fever.”

 

“Really?”

 

“Yeah. I’m usually healthy, but I guess I relaxed a bit.”

 

“You relaxed? Here?”

 

“Yeah. People here are all so nice.”

 

“Sez, you really…”

 

Eva shook her head. She even pressed her forehead, as if she had a headache.

 

“Do you know what happened while you were sleeping?”

 

“What happened?”

 

“A knight came by.”

 

“A knight?”

 

“You know the Knights of the Thorn, or the Blood Knights?”

 

The Knights of the Thorn were the Crown Prince’s closest aides. In truth, they were more often called the Blood Knights. Maybe it was because you could smell blood on them, or because they wore bloodstained hoods. In the Empire, they were more famous as the Blood Knights than the Knights of the Thorn.

 

“Yeah. I know.”

 

“That knight came and left you some medicine. Told me to give it to you.”

 

Eva spoke, pausing between each word.

 

“For me?”

 

“Yes! What’s going on here?”

 

“Why would a knight—?”

 

“Who are you asking? How would that knight know you were sick?”

 

“Good question. Who could it be?”

 

I’d never really met the knights face to face. I didn’t even know I was sick myself. And yet someone brought me medicine.

 

『Are you feeling unwell?』 

 

Suddenly, his voice came to mind. Even though I said I was fine, there was only one person who put the back of his hand to my forehead.

 

No way.

 

“Sez. Do you know where we are? No one would care if people like us disappeared without a trace. This isn’t the kind of place where you can just relax. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

 

“Yeah. I get it.”

 

“Really, Sez. Especially with a pretty face like yours, you have to be extra careful. You idiot. You really don’t know who it was?”

 

“Uh… I really don’t…”

 

Eva sighed deeply but still pressed my forehead.

 

“Must be expensive medicine. It seems to work well.”

 

Even as she grumbled, I could feel the concern in her eyes, so I smiled sheepishly.

 

“Don’t smile. Today you’re doing all my work too.”

 

“Okay. Got it.”

 

“Yeah, right.”

 

Despite her scolding, I had a feeling she wouldn’t really dump all her work on me.

 

A knight brought me medicine. Was it really “him” who sent it? Honestly, if it wasn’t him, I had no idea who it could be. My fingertips trembled, so I secretly gripped the blanket under the covers.

 

＊ ＊ ＊ 

 

Knock, knock.

 

“Captain. It’s Baslo.”

 

“Come in.”

 

In the Crown Prince’s palace, there was an office for the captain of the Knights of the Thorn. The Crown Prince had arranged it himself, but it was rarely used. He spent most of the year at the battlefield in Enafork.

 

“How is your family?”

 

“They’re well.”

 

Captain Lekes had just returned from seeing his family in the capital.

 

“But what’s with your appearance?”

 

“Oh, I came straight from the training grounds. You called for me.”

 

He brushed off his clothes awkwardly. He was covered in sweat and dirt from sparring with Arnic.

 

“Tsk. You know the Princess’s memorial day is coming up, right?”

 

“Yes. That’s partly why I came to the capital.”

 

“You and I are both serving His Highness now, so you should know.”

 

“Captain!”

 

“That’s all. You can go now.”

 

“So His Highness recognizes me as a close aide after all!”

 

“No. I said I would bring you along.”

 

Baslo’s shoulders slumped as if he’d been doused with cold water. Without even looking at him, Lekes waved his hand for him to leave.

 

“Captain.”

 

“I said go.”

 

“I have something to report as well.”

 

With a look that said, “You?” Lekes looked at Baslo. But the mischief was gone from Baslo’s face, replaced by seriousness. When he got serious, it was always about something important, so Lekes’s face grew grave as well.

 

“Speak.”

 

“The slave is alive.”

 

“What slave—?”

 

Lekes’s face froze for a moment. Then he stood up abruptly, his chair rattling from the shock.

 

“What? Is that true?”

 

“Yes. She’s here in the Crown Prince’s palace.”

 

“What? No, we need to inform His Highness right away—”

 

“He already knows.”

 

Lekes froze in the act of moving. His breathing grew rough.

 

“He knows.”

 

“I actually went to the slave quarters yesterday. His Highness ordered it himself.”

 

“He ordered it?”

 

“He gave me medicine to deliver to a slave named Sez.”

 

“Ha.”

 

Sez.

 

The moment he heard that name, Lekes’s legs gave out. He slumped back into his chair and pressed a hand to his forehead. A heavy silence fell between them. Only the two of them, besides the Crown Prince, knew that name.

 

『Do you know a slave named Sez?』 

 

『Have you ever heard of a slave called Sez?』 

 

Just hearing the name “Sez” sent his memories flying back to the past.

 

After the Salt Island explosion, Lekes and Baslo had desperately searched for that slave. They asked around for survivors and waited for the wounded to wake up so they could ask them questions.

 

The more they searched, the more unlikely it seemed that the slave was alive.

 

『Your Highness!』 

 

They spotted a familiar silhouette walking among the corpses.

 

He was always expressionless, so they thought the slave named “Sez” must have some important clue.

 

But seeing him search through the corpses so indifferently, they realized they’d been mistaken.

 

His gaze, as he checked each face, was filled with deep turmoil.

 

He even double-checked many of the bodies, just in case he’d missed her. Afraid his identity would be revealed, they couldn’t call out loudly, and could only watch in anxiety. Not knowing what she looked like, they couldn’t even help.

 

They couldn’t even dare to ask what kind of relationship it was—everything about their lord seemed desperate. They had served him for a long time, but had never seen him like that before.

 

Even when comrades returned from battle horribly mutilated by Beasts, their lord’s gaze never wavered. He would even, expressionless, put their bodies back together as best he could.

 

No matter how hardened you were by war, you couldn’t become numb to such things. Even if you suppressed joy or happiness, sadness and grief always showed in your eyes. But their lord was always the same. Emotionless. Nothing could be read from him.

 

But among the corpses, he was clearly different. Even if others didn’t notice, they could tell for sure.

 

In the end, when they couldn’t find her among the bodies and lost all leads, when all evidence pointed to her death—They could never forget the Crown Prince at that time.

 

“…After all that searching, to find her here in the palace.”

 

“I was truly shocked too. It’s not like I was possessed by a ghost.”

 

Lekes, his face looking worn in just a short time, let out a deep breath. What kind of trick of fate was this?

 

“No one else can know about this.”

 

“Yes.”

 

Lekes and Baslo, as if transported back to that time, fell silent together with dark expressions.