Extra S*ave Saves the Crown Prince Chapter 11

 

The season when new life blooms.

 

At the very height of the sunniest spring, there was the anniversary of the imperial princess’s death. Born frail, the princess had passed away at the age of eight, and she was someone the entire Imperial Family mourned deeply.

 

She was so charming and full of affection that there was not a single person who disliked her. She was popular even among the servants, and the day she left, the entire Imperial Family was awash in tears.

 

After her passing, the Current Emperor declared a day of remembrance so that everyone could honor the princess.

 

“Over there, wipe that chair one more time. Has the cloth dried yet?”

 

On the anniversary, the Pope and other key figures of the Empire gathered at the Imperial Palace. Although the ceremony was solemn and quiet, it was still one of the palace’s major events. Due to a lack of hands, even the slaves from the Crown Prince’s palace were mobilized to help.

 

“Hey. Who wiped this table?”

 

“I did.”

 

I was diligently wiping the utensils to be used for the event under the sunlight when it happened. Did I miss a spot? That couldn’t be. I went over to where the table was.

 

“What’s making it shine like this?”

 

“Pardon?”

 

“Everyone, come here and watch—learn from this, quickly!”

 

Maybe I had a knack for being a slave, because everything I touched drew admiration. I even received several offers to come work at their palaces. At this rate, should I try to make a name for myself as the Empire’s top slave?

 

“Sez, look over there.”

 

“Hm?”

 

“Don’t turn your head. Just your eyes, only your eyes.”

 

I was busy tying ribbons to chairs when Eva whispered to me. I glanced in the direction she indicated, and even from afar, I could sense that person was from another world.

 

“That’s her. His Highness’s fiancée.”

 

An invisible arrow pierced my head.

 

Cesaria Lechegno.

 

She was the heroine of the Original Story. She wore a deep violet dress, with white lace shining at the cuffs and around her neck. A violet ribbon fluttered in her half-tied silver hair. This was the first time since entering this novel that I laid eyes on the protagonist.

 

Her gait was neither slow nor fast, but there was an elegant dignity in her every step. I naturally imagined the Crown Prince standing beside her. Just the sight of them conversing gracefully would make a perfect painting.

 

“What’s with that smitten look on your face?”

 

“She’s beautiful…”

 

The Lechegno Ducal House was one of the most influential families in the Empire. As the only daughter, Cesaria was born with both beauty and wealth. Of course, she had a dark past, but people only saw the surface. I couldn’t take my eyes off her, as if I were under a spell, until she disappeared from sight.

 

In the Original Story <Blood-Soaked Moon>, Cesaria was originally an illegitimate child, abandoned at a brothel before being brought into the ducal house.

 

[I can’t tell you how long I searched for you. My precious daughter.] The Duke lied as if he had been searching for her all along. He hadn’t cared whether he had a daughter or not, but when she became useful, he brought her in. She believed his snake-like words completely.

 

‘Father has a favor to ask. Can you do it for me?’

 

‘I’ll do anything you ask, Father.’

 

He used her gratitude to make her the Crown Prince’s fiancée and ordered her to kill the Crown Prince. If she killed him, he planned to pin all the blame on her.

 

The prince also shared this secret with the Duke and drove the heroine into a corner.

 

Hurry up and kill Crown Prince Sihien.

 

The heroine was ready to do anything for her father, but she couldn’t do that. Of course not. She loved the Crown Prince.

 

If I remember correctly, there was an incident on the princess’s death anniversary.

 

The heroine is threatened by the prince, and the Crown Prince happens to witness it. The prince pretends to harm her on purpose, and in trying to stop him, the Crown Prince gets hurt. Although it’s clearly the prince’s fault, public opinion turns against the Crown Prince.

 

In the end, the Crown Prince is once again branded a dangerous being and is confined within a barrier created by the priests. The heroine, Cesaria, eventually goes to her father and the prince to beg for his release.

 

‘I’ll do as you say, so please let him go.’

 

She knows that the priests’ Divine Power and the Crown Prince’s power don’t stabilize each other but instead make things more explosive.

 

‘Ah, when I was just a reader, the angst was fun.’

 

In the original, this incident both deepens their feelings for each other and intensifies Cesaria’s inner conflict. A man she must kill but cannot.

 

As a reader, I enjoyed the doomed romance, but now I couldn’t. And this incident also makes the Crown Prince truly suspicious of who’s behind her.

 

‘First, I need to prevent the Crown Prince from getting hurt.’

 

I thought about how to change the original, and decided my top priority was his happiness.

 

If he doesn’t get hurt, the heroine won’t need to beg the prince and her father. I steeled myself again to do whatever I could.

 

And so dawned the long-awaited day of the princess’s memorial.

 

＊ ＊ ＊ 

 

The memorial for the princess was held in front of the temple within the main palace. Nobles dressed in black arrived one by one in their carriages.

 

Deng, deng—The bell in the temple’s belfry rang. Everyone who heard it clasped their hands and prayed solemnly. Eva closed her eyes and prayed beside me.

 

I was hiding with her on the upper balcony, looking down below. Once the event ended and everyone left, we’d quietly go down to clean up. Until then, I planned to watch from this corner through the gaps in the balcony.

 

Those praying turned in unison and bowed. The Imperial Family appeared, escorted by the Order of the Imperial Knights. The Current Emperor, Empress, and Prince walked in, receiving everyone’s respects. Their golden hair shone in the sunlight, as if a halo radiated behind the Current Emperor.

 

The prince and empress walked about two steps apart, but there was still an air of closeness between mother and son. Seeing the Imperial Family I’d only read about in the Original Story felt strange. It really hit me that this was another world.

 

The Crown Prince only appeared much later. Everyone who saw him attend paid their respects again, almost out of reflex. I could sense a small commotion. It was probably because he rarely appeared in public. I imagined they were whispering about how impressive he looked.

 

His perfectly fitted black uniform radiated strength. Who could suit the title of Empire’s hero more than him? Maybe because he was the last to arrive, he looked even more like the protagonist here. Perhaps the Empress had insisted on keeping her distance and not appearing with him.

 

A mother who calls her own son a monster.

 

She wiped her tears in front of the princess’s portrait. The Current Emperor gently wrapped his arm around her shoulders to comfort her. I saw maids in the very back of the temple, probably those who had served the princess, wiping their eyes.

 

“Let us all pray for the princess.”

 

The memorial was officiated by the Pope. Dressed in pure white, he stood out among the sea of black.

 

The Pope. I think he appeared in the original, too.

 

He only showed up in the latter half of the novel, and I recalled he was about the Current Emperor’s age. He seemed to play a significant role later, but I couldn’t remember clearly. That was the downside of skimming through. I’d almost stopped reading because it was so bleak, but kept going for the male lead, so the rest was hazy—especially the ending.

 

“Does your head hurt?”

 

“Huh? No, I’m fine.”

 

Eva whispered when I clutched my head in distress. All the important details must have been in the latter half. Why didn’t I pay better attention, even when I was paying to read?

 

“Ah, dear God.”

 

Eva clasped her hands in awe.

 

After the Pope delivered the word of God, he raised his hands to the sky. Then, as if a warm breeze was blowing, I felt warmth settle throughout my body.

 

So this is Divine Power.

 

Everyone wore pious expressions, bowing their heads with hands clasped. I pressed closer to the balcony, looking toward the Crown Prince. The Imperial Family was seated in special seats behind the Pope, so I could see their faces. It wasn’t very close, but I wanted to make sure he was okay.

 

He had his eyes closed as if in prayer. Outwardly, he looked expressionless, but I saw one corner of his eye twitch and then relax.

 

As expected… he’s enduring it.

 

Divine Power was bad for the power he possessed. Or, from another perspective, it was very good. Divine Power acted like a catalyst, drawing out his inner strength. If it aided him when he tried to use his power, the explosion would be even greater.

 

But right now, he was holding his power back. He was doing his best not to let it explode inside.

 

“Wow, the Pope is using an unprecedented amount of power today.”

 

Eva leaned against the balcony wall, looking entranced. Why did he have to use so much power today? The pleasant warmth washed over me again and again. If I hadn’t known better, I might have been moved by it, too.

 

But thinking of him enduring it alone, all I wanted was for it to end quickly.

 

But what about the Current Emperor and the prince? Were they okay?

 

The Current Emperor and prince looked completely at ease. It was a stark contrast to the Crown Prince’s face, which was growing more rigid.

 

Even though they shared the blood of dragons, was there really such a difference in innate power?

 

Still, didn’t they feel anything?

 

Does Divine Power affect each person differently, even among those with the same blood?

 

Suddenly, the prince adjusted his posture, glancing briefly at the Crown Prince. I was watching so closely that I caught it. I even saw the corner of his mouth lift and then fall.

 

He knows.

 

The prince knew exactly what effect this had on him.

 

“Hah.”

 

To think he could smile at his sister’s memorial. He was the villain who tormented the heroine and Crown Prince in the original, and seeing him in person was even more appalling. All he cared about was eliminating the Crown Prince to satisfy his ambition to become Current Emperor.

 

I will never let things go the way the prince wants.

 

He returned to a calm face, but the memory of that brief smile was burned into my mind. My desire to make the Crown Prince happy burned even brighter because of it.