Extra S*ave Saves the Crown Prince Chapter 12

 

“How shameless. No one invited them.”

 

After the memorial service ended and before the banquet began, all the royals were heading inside to rest and tidy up their attire. From beneath her black veil, the Empress’s venomous words slipped out.

 

“Mother. Please, let’s go inside first.”

 

Prince Eriden gently wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

 

“Because of whom did our princess end up like that, and yet they dare come here.”

 

Her tone was very low and cold. Her appearance alone earned her the title ‘Ice Beauty,’ and just a few words from her seemed to lower the temperature around her.

 

The Crown Prince listened to her words with an expressionless face. As a child, he used to turn pale, but now it was impossible to read any emotion from him.

 

“Empress.”

 

“Your Majesty, don’t you feel sorry for our princess? How can you just stand by and watch?”

 

“The princess passed away from a chronic illness. Are you still saying such things?”

 

“And why do you think our princess became ill?”

 

“Eriden. Escort your mother inside.”

 

“Your Majesty. Please, never let them set foot in this palace again. I don’t want to see their face.”

 

“Empress. The Crown Prince is risking his life for the Empire.”

 

“Others are risking their lives as well, Your Majesty.”

 

“Mother. Let’s go inside.”

 

The prince all but embraced the Empress as he led her away. She seemed about to say more, but, yielding to her son’s urging, she let herself be taken inside. Anyone could see, leaning slightly on her son, that they were a devoted mother and child.

 

“It would be best for the Crown Prince to go to a different room.”

 

“Yes. I will do so.”

 

“I thought you might be able to rest there, so don’t misunderstand.”

 

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

 

The Current Emperor gazed at his eldest son and the Empire’s Crown Prince, Shihien. He was tall, but more than that, his presence seemed to grow by the day. His characteristic emotionless face had a power that made others wary. Had he himself possessed such an imposing aura in his youth? If he answered honestly, he had not. Shihien had a force that dominated the space around him just by standing still.

 

『That power will ruin the Empire, Your Majesty. You must listen to me.』

 

Even though he was her own son, the Empress was extremely wary of his power. She believed the princess’s frail health was due to being oppressed by the Crown Prince’s strength. She feared that the power that had killed a person at birth might one day turn against the Empire.

 

Life in Enafok would be harsher than imagined. The number of Beasts was steadily increasing, even exceeding the predicted areas. In this situation, the only one he could trust was the Crown Prince. Not once had Shihien ever complained about being sent to such a place. Even as a royal, he lived no better than the other knights.

 

Knowing this, the Current Emperor still left him be.

 

Pride in his son and wariness of his power were always weighing against each other inside him. The diagnosis that he would not live long was the same. There was regret for his abilities, and at the same time, a sense of relief that if he died young, it might be for the best.

 

A being both cherished and threatening. That was the Empire’s Crown Prince, his own son.

 

The Current Emperor quietly watched his son, who bowed to him, then went inside. The Empress and the prince were waiting in the room.

 

＊ ＊ ＊

 

“Sez, where are you going?”

 

“Uh, just for a bit. My body’s aching.”

 

“Don’t go far.”

 

“Yeah, I know.”

 

Leaving the worried Eva behind, I slipped away between the furnishings where no one could see me. Eva seemed tired too, already closing her eyes as if ready to doze off. Honestly, I wanted to use this brief break to rest like her, but there was somewhere I needed to go.

 

I closed my eyes and focused intently on the place I’d scouted out earlier. If I was caught inside the palace, not even my corpse would be safe. Cold sweat pooled in my palms from the tension. As soon as I felt a cool breeze, I ducked down and lay flat.

 

“Haa. Haa.”

 

A strong scent of grass. There was a small grove in the garden, with flowers growing up to my waist. This was the spot I’d picked out in advance to hide today. Lying down, I wouldn’t be noticed—perfect.

 

‘Huh?’

 

Once I caught my breath, I sensed someone’s presence. Through the grass, I saw the hem of a dress trimmed with black lace. Timing my movements with the wind, I crept closer, trying not to be noticed.

 

‘It’s the two main characters.’

 

In front of a wall made of flowers, a picture-perfect scene unfolded. As expected. Just seeing them together created a beautiful tableau.

 

The Crown Prince in jet-black uniform, the heroine in a black dress. It was as if they’d coordinated their outfits—they suited each other perfectly. This is what people mean when they talk about a beautiful couple. Compared to them, lying here in the bushes, I felt like someone from a completely different world. For a moment, I wondered—what could I, a mere slave, possibly do here?

 

“Aren’t you curious how I’ve been?”

 

After the Salt Island explosion, they’d become engaged, and by now their love should be in full bloom. The heroine must be feeling pressured to assassinate him, but she was probably trying not to show it in front of the Crown Prince.

 

“How have you been?”

 

It should have been a secret exchange of love that no one else heard. I felt guilty listening in. The Crown Prince’s voice was low and resonant, always striking my ears whenever I heard it.

 

“Thanks to you, nothing much has happened. Please, speak comfortably, Your Highness.”

 

Even without knowing the Original Story, it was obvious from her voice that she was in love. It practically dripped with sweetness.

 

“Did you reply to my letter?”

 

A chill ran through me. There was a dry, desert-like tone in his words. Surely, since they were in love, I must have misheard. No way.

 

“After not seeing each other for so long, you go straight to business… You’re as ruthless as ever.”

 

So it wasn’t just me who thought his tone was harsh. A strange sense of incongruity crept up my skin.

 

“Well. Sending a breakup request by letter is pretty ruthless too, isn’t it?”

 

My mind went blank. Not a marriage proposal, but a breakup request? My ears—am I hearing this right?

 

“We’ll break off the engagement however you wish. I don’t mind.”

 

“What if I want to keep this engagement?”

 

“I told you. It wouldn’t be strange if I died at any time.”

 

“Are you worried I’ll be left alone?”

 

A spring breeze swept past. It felt as if it was blowing through my own heart, making it ache. I understood the words, but not the meaning of their conversation.

 

Were they really talking about breaking up, not marriage? Why? According to the Original Story, they should be in love by now.

 

“Lady.”

 

But the Crown Prince’s tone was too stiff to sound loving. I’d never heard him speak so coldly, as if cutting off all feeling.

 

『Go inside and rest. That’s an order.』 Even when he gave me orders, he never sounded this cold. Compared to this, his words to me were almost sweet. The difference in tone was that stark.

 

“Your Highness. I’m not ready yet. Please, just a little more time.”

 

“How much more do you need?”

 

“Your Highness, if… if I were to say I love you, then would you—.”

 

“Let me know when you’re ready.”

 

“…Won’t you regret this later?”

 

She sounded as if she was trying to laugh, but the end of Caesaria’s words trembled badly. Any woman would recognize that. It was the voice of someone truly hurt.

 

“I hope your reply isn’t too late.”

 

As the Crown Prince spoke, he turned his head aside. Someone was approaching.

 

“How cozy.”

 

It was the prince. What on earth was happening now? Originally, the prince and heroine were supposed to meet first, and he would threaten her to kill the Crown Prince.

 

“I thought you forgot something. I came to return it.”

 

In the prince’s hand was a sword. It was probably the Crown Prince’s. No one was allowed to carry weapons at today’s memorial event. The prince must have picked it up after the Crown Prince put it down for a moment.

 

“What are you doing?”

 

The prince brought the sword to Caesaria’s neck, examining the angle as if he were sizing up a target. The sharp blade reflected the light onto Caesaria’s face.

 

“Maybe I’ll sound the alarm. People seem to have gotten too numb to danger.”

 

He meant to expose the Crown Prince as a threat. This line was more in line with the Original Story.

 

“If you cross the line one more time—”

 

The Crown Prince took a step forward. With just that movement, the pressure radiating from him grew immense.

 

“I told you, I’ll cross it with you.”

 

His voice was devoid of emotion. No anger, no irritation, nothing. It sounded dry, and that made him even more intimidating.

 

Crown Prince Shihien approached and brushed aside the blade aimed at Caesaria with his bare hand.

 

“I told you, brother. You should listen to Mother.”

 

The prince, who seemed about to put away the sword, now brought it to his own neck. He wore a playful expression, but his gaze was cold. In that look, he resembled his mother, the Empress, exactly.

 

‘Dangerous.’

 

The prince I remembered from the Original Story was someone who would gladly harm himself with that sword. If it meant putting the Crown Prince in a difficult position, he would do it without hesitation.

 

As the prince lowered the sword to his shoulder and shifted the angle slightly, I moved without thinking—driven by the single thought that I had to stop him.

 

I tried to bump into him to make him stagger. But wasn’t the prince also one of the Empire’s heirs?

 

Whoosh.

 

He was about to cut himself, but as soon as he sensed someone behind him, he swung the sword backward without even looking. I tried to dodge, but because I’d rushed out, the sword grazed my arm.

 

“Sez!”

 

The smell of blood hit me at once.

 

“What is this?”

 

The prince’s incredulous voice reached me. At least I’d stopped him from hurting himself. If the prince had been injured, the Empress would have demanded the Crown Prince be imprisoned immediately. There was a good chance the Crown Prince would never be allowed in the Imperial Palace again, accused of attempting to kill a royal.

 

“Ugh.”

 

But this wasn’t the outcome I wanted. I glanced down at my arm to see a red, slashed wound. I didn’t dare look closely, afraid it would hurt even more. I could feel the blood running down my fingers from the wound.

 

“What the—? Where did you come from?”

 

“I—I’m sorry. I got lost.”

 

Getting lost in the garden was plausible. It was designed as a maze, after all. But even with my excuse, the prince’s expression didn’t improve. Please, just don’t say you’ll punish me. Please.

 

God, it hurts so much. Maybe it’s because it’s been so long since I was last whipped. The unfamiliar pain made it hard to breathe.

 

“Your Highness! What are you—?”

 

Caesaria gasped, covering her mouth in shock. The Crown Prince knelt on one knee in front of me, examining my wound. His expression was so serious, I felt myself growing solemn too.

 

Wait, wait a second. I didn’t know what to say, so I just panted. The Crown Prince began unbuttoning his uniform with one hand.

 

Rip.

 

He opened his uniform and tore his white shirt underneath. Caesaria and the prince both looked so stunned, their faces blurred. I didn’t want to cry. Not here, not now.

 

He wrapped the torn shirt around my arm as a bandage, pressing it tightly. The cloth quickly turned red. As the wound was compressed, a dull pain made my body tremble.

 

“Y-Your Highness. I’ll go get someone.”

 

Caesaria belatedly tried to stop him, but he didn’t even look her way. The arm behind my shoulders felt warm, and before I knew it, my body was lifted into the air.

 

“I-I’m fine, really.”

 

“Just bear with it for a bit.”

 

His low voice made my heart pound as if it would burst. To think he’d carry a slave just for a cut on the arm. My head spun with confusion.

 

“Your Highness!”

 

Caesaria’s voice, and then the voices of people I didn’t know, reached me one after another. The Crown Prince’s grip on my shoulders and legs was so steady, I didn’t feel uneasy at all despite being carried.

 

In the end, since he wouldn’t be imprisoned, I guess this was for the best? But from below, his jaw looked so tense.

 

He’s handsome from this angle too.

 

I was flustered, confused, but also strangely happy and glad. He was looking at me with genuine concern. I could feel deep emotion in his words telling me to hold on a little longer.

 

The sound of my heart pounding was louder than the pain in my arm. Just his unique scent made me feel calm and secure.

 

“Oh my.”

 

“Your Highness.”

 

“The Crown Prince?”

 

As I heard the voices around me, I desperately wished I could faint. My expression was hard to control, being held in the Crown Prince’s arms as a mere slave. Thankfully, my mind slowly faded.