Extra S*ave Saves the Crown Prince Chapter 35

“Then are you in that kind of relationship with that slave?”

 

“No way. His Highness? Come on.”

 

“You weren’t at the square then, were you? If you didn’t see it, don’t talk.”

 

“I know that slave is pretty too.”

 

“Ah, that’s not the problem! You should’ve seen the atmosphere!”

 

“Yeah, and then he just took her hand and left. Seriously.”

 

“Oh, really? What?’

 

The three knights who had been putting away their weapons suddenly froze like ice. It was a 

familiar voice, but one they shouldn’t be hearing.

 

“Seriously, what? Why stop talking?”

 

The frozen knights suddenly snapped to attention, standing ramrod straight, their faces pale.

 

“Looks like you all have plenty of free time? Enough to gossip pointlessly?”

 

Arnik’s voice was calm, but the knights’ bodies became even more rigid.

 

“Let me hear it one more time. I can make sure you never have the strength to open your mouths again.”

 

“We’re sorry!”

 

Though she wasn’t currently in charge of training, Arnik’s notorious reputation was well-known among the Thorn Knights. There was a rumor that once she set her mind to something, she saw it through to the very end.

 

“Ah, I can’t go around sewing all your mouths shut for a while either.”

 

Leaving the disciplined knights behind, Arnik shook her head in exasperation.

 

“Hey, why does it feel like I’m the only one worried about this situation?”

 

“Sigh.”

 

Baslo, who was walking with her, answered with a sigh.

 

“We have to stop it from spreading throughout the Empire.”

 

“Sighhh.”

 

“This isn’t the time to just be sighing, you know?”

 

While they bickered, the two arrived at their intended destination: Captain Lekes’s tent.

 

“Captain, it’s Baslo.”

 

“Come in.”

 

Not long ago, when the monster appeared, the captain’s forehead had been badly cut by flying debris from somewhere. He was sitting on the bed, his head wrapped in bandages. Since he was injured right as the monster appeared, he hadn’t witnessed what happened between the Crown Prince and Sez last night.

 

“We’ve found her.”

 

There was no exchange of ‘Are you alright?’ Surviving was enough. This was the front line.

 

“Yes. Did you hear?”

 

Arnik and Baslo sat at the table beside the bed.

 

“Rather than found, maybe we should say she showed up.”

 

Baslo muttered as if talking to himself.

 

“Showed up?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Where?”

 

“We ran into her by chance at the edge of the fortress.”

 

“By chance? What happened?”

 

“She said she doesn’t remember.”

 

“What? Does that make sense?”

 

Arnik’s expression twisted as she listened, and eventually she raised her voice. After searching all night for that slave, she suddenly reappeared as if nothing had happened, claiming she couldn’t remember.

 

“I think I need to go ask her again. Where on earth was she?”

 

“Just wait. His Highness will ask her.”

 

“Is she with His Highness now?”

 

The captain had received reports that Sez had been found and that there had been a deep embrace in the square. He’d already been curious about what happened next, and as expected, they were together.

 

“Yes. She’s in His Highness’s tent.”

 

Lekes nodded with a ‘I see’ expression.

 

“Captain, rumors spread in an instant. Shouldn’t we do something to control this? If His Highness, the hero of the Empire, is said to be in that kind of relationship with a slave—!”

 

“Yes. Make sure to keep it under control.”

 

Lekes’s tone was completely unconcerned, so Arnik was left looking aggrieved.

 

“I really am the only one taking this seriously. Aren’t you worried about the rumors?”

 

“It would be troublesome if rumors spread. I’m sure the Imperial Family would just love that.”

 

“That’s exactly what I’m worried about!”

 

“But she came back alive, didn’t she?”

 

“…Sorry?”

 

“Isn’t it fortunate we found her before things got worse?”

 

Lekes’s eyes grew momentarily deep. Baslo ruffled his hair with his one good arm, as if he couldn’t bear to imagine a situation where she hadn’t come back alive.

 

“Before things got worse…?”

 

Arnik quietly repeated the captain’s words. Was there something more serious than rumors spreading through the Empire?

 

One hypothesis flashed through her mind, but she pushed it away, thinking surely not.

 

She recalled the image of her lord embracing the slave, but Arnik deliberately pushed away those heavy feelings, not wanting to face them.

 

＊ ＊ ＊ 

Heroic tales from Enapok always spread through the Empire as fast as light.

 

How the Crown Prince defeated the monster in an instant, how overwhelming he looked covered in blood—the citizens of the Empire were always thirsty for the latest news. The Crown Prince at the front line was their hero and protector.

 

And there was someone in the Empire who listened for ‘his’ news more than anyone else. That was the Crown Prince’s younger sibling, Eriden.

 

“I thought it couldn’t be…”

 

Ever since he carried the slave at the princess’s memorial, things had felt off. Still, he thought, surely not—but now, once again, a story about her had reached his ears.

 

“No matter how lacking in royal awareness he is. Tsk.”

 

She was pretty, so maybe, just maybe, his eyes could have been drawn to her. But she was a slave.

 

He’d gotten the news before it spread in the Empire, but as a fellow royal, he felt truly ashamed.

 

If he wanted to damage the Crown Prince’s reputation, it would be natural to spread even worse rumors, but this time, he actually wanted to stop it. It was sure to stain the Imperial Family.

 

“Surely, the rumors are exaggerated.”

 

Duke Lechegno, sitting across from the prince, replied.

 

Duke Lechegno was a trustworthy man in the Empire. He was always the first to come to mind when there was dirty work to be done. Whenever news came from Enapok, Eriden always shared it with Duke Lechegno first.

 

“I sincerely hope they’re exaggerated.”

 

They said he hugged a slave in front of everyone, even brought her into his tent.

 

The story of how he spent a sleepless night worrying she might be in danger was truly enough to make you cry.

 

“I’ll look into it in more detail.”

 

“By the way, how is the young lady doing?”

 

It was obvious why he suddenly brought up the young lady after saying he’d look into it.

 

“She seems to be missing her fiancé a lot these days.”

 

“Well, it’s hard to see his face, so I suppose that’s natural.”

 

Lechegno gave an awkward smile. The prince also looked as if he pitied the couple for being apart. But both of them knew all too well that wasn’t what they really wanted.

 

That afternoon, as soon as Duke Lechegno returned home, he called for his daughter.

 

“I don’t know why he can’t get his head straight over a mere slave, when he has such a beautiful fiancée.”

 

As he relayed the rumor he’d heard from the prince, Duke Lechegno looked regretful.

 

As she listened, Cesaria felt as if something inside her chest was crumbling apart.

 

“Even the prince is worried this could stain the Imperial Family. Tsk.”

 

“…Yes.”

 

“I should have exiled her from the palace altogether. This is all my fault as your foolish father.”

 

Enapok was a place where just staying alive was difficult. A female slave with no training would never adapt easily.

 

But to think the punishment he’d given would lead to this. The duke’s mouth tasted bitter.

 

“Cesaria, you must be bored staying home all the time. Why don’t you take this chance to get some fresh air and visit His Highness?”

 

“…Pardon?”

 

Cesaria’s eyes widened.

 

“What, you don’t want to go?”

 

The duke looked at her with concern, so Cesaria instinctively shook her head. She never had the courage to refuse what her father wanted.

 

“No. I’ve been feeling cooped up anyway. I’ll go.”

 

In truth, it was something she’d agonized over every day. She knew that if she asked her father to send her to Enapok, he would gladly do so.

 

But even though she wanted to be by the Crown Prince’s side, sometimes she felt it was better to stay away, thinking of the mission entrusted to her. Her feelings rose and fell many times a day, eating away at her.

 

『Kill the Crown Prince.』 

It was the words of the father who had saved her life. If only it had been an order. Then at least she might have felt resistance and tried to rebel.

 

But the duke had asked her, saying he would take care of everything else, if she could just do this one thing for him. At the time, she simply couldn’t refuse.

 

If only she had been completely indifferent to the Crown Prince. If only she hadn’t given him a single piece of her heart, it would have been so much easier.

 

“Alright, let’s prepare so your journey is as comfortable as possible.”

 

Duke Lechegno looked a little excited, as if he thought this was finally the chance to achieve what he hoped for from his daughter. Cesaria was so parched her throat hurt, but she couldn’t bring herself to reach for her glass of water. Her hand gripping her skirt was visibly trembling.

 

Two days later, Cesaria boarded the carriage, seeing her father off. It was rare for a noble to visit Enapok in person, so several gifts were loaded into the carriage as well.

 

『This is a poison said to end a life within a day if drunk.』 

 

Duke Lechegno personally handed Cesaria a small vial. It was small enough to fit in her palm, but Cesaria staggered slightly as if she’d been handed a stone.

 

『I’ll take care of everything, so don’t worry.』 With a gaze anyone would find trustworthy, Duke Lechegno saw his daughter off.

 

As she watched the mansion recede, Cesaria clenched her fists. She felt the weight of the mission entrusted to her, but in truth, her heart was being pulled more by something else.

 

Those honest, violet eyes dominated her thoughts. Just imagining her spending time with the Crown Prince made her blood run backwards.

 

She couldn’t count how many times she’d imagined that she had gone to Enapok herself. This time, she was determined to keep that woman far away, and her breath came short.

 

＊ ＊ ＊

 

Whether I really had a fever or not, I couldn’t remember how I managed to sleep so comfortably in this bed. I never remembered taking off the cloth pouch I always wore, but it was neatly placed on the nightstand by the bed.

 

After sleeping on a cloth on the floor of the herb room, lying on a soft bed made my whole body rejoice. The blanket was so soft, it felt wonderful against my skin.

 

The only problem was, this was ‘his’ bed.

 

“You’re awake.”

 

I was sitting up in a daze when I realized the problem. The owner of the bed came into the tent and treated me as if nothing was out of the ordinary. Anyone would think it was my bed.

 

“…Thank you.”

 

Shihien naturally poured me some water and handed it over. It was incredibly embarrassing, but I was truly thirsty, so I took it with both hands and drank it down.

 

“How long have I been here?”

 

I slept so deeply I couldn’t tell night from day. I hope I didn’t snore or anything.

 

“A day.”

 

“A day?”

 

Light was coming in through the slightly open window. Judging by the direction of the light, it seemed to be morning. Since I came in here yesterday morning, I’d really slept for a whole day.

 

I can’t bring myself to ask, Where did Your Highness sleep last night? Amazing. Sez. Truly amazing.

 

“Sleep more.”

 

“…Pardon?”

 

Is that an order? After rolling around in the Crown Prince’s bed, my brain was working slowly.