The Two Babies Changing the Original Story Chapter 22

“!”

Estate gate. The princess. Urgency.

Those three words rarely combined into anything positive.

What about Her Highness?

Cleus’s mind froze.

Something had happened to the princess.

No—he shouldn’t be alarmed.
She was someone he was supposed to hate.

And yet, the mere thought that something might have happened to her made it impossible for him to breathe.

He didn’t understand why.

But one thing he knew for certain: if something had happened to Ellie, he would not be able to smile or enjoy it.

“What about the princess?!”

“K-kehk! H-hah! That—!”

The butler tried to answer Cleus’s urgent question, but his lungs had reached their limit. His body refused to speak another word.

Cleus didn’t wait. He started running.
He didn’t even think to drop the practice sword in his hand—he wasn’t even aware he was still holding it.

His mind contained only one thing: Ellie’s safety.

He needed to see with his own eyes what had happened.

“Your Grace!”

The knight-captain and the knights, startled by Cleus’s sudden sprint, dashed after him.

He was young, but Cleus’s body was swift.
He ran so fast none of them could catch up before he reached the estate gate.

On a normal day, Cleus might have been overtaken—but today, he was so panicked that he outran everyone.

“There!”

One of the following knights spotted the royal carriage stopped at the estate entrance.

Only one person was allowed to use a royal carriage right now:

Princess Ellia.

Just as the butler had implied—something must have happened to her.

Cleus veered off toward a shortcut leading down the hill to the estate gate.

“—Huh?!”

Rilkea, who had been anxiously waiting near the front entrance of the mansion, also saw it.

Because the mansion sat atop a hill and the gate below, she could see everything clearly.

What in the world is that?!

Rilkea had expected Cleus to receive the princess politely—perhaps with mild annoyance or regret.

She had not expected Cleus to sprint downhill at full speed like a rampaging beast, sword in hand, as though charging at the princess’s carriage like he meant to slaughter someone.

That wasn’t running to greet her—
it was running like someone prepared to kill.

No way?!

Rilkea’s hair practically stood on end.

As someone with extreme protective instincts, her imagination leapt straight to the worst scenario.

He must be furious at the sudden arrival! So furious he’s lost all reason and is attacking out of rage! They’re enemies—maybe he’s been pretending to behave and was waiting for a chance!

Inside the palace, the countless stationed guards would’ve prevented him from ever touching a single hair on Ellie.

But this place was different.

This was the Berndt knights’ base.

“Your Highness!”

Rilkea shouted, mounting her horse and racing toward the carriage.

At the same time, she signaled the guards surrounding the princess.

Get away!

Whatever Cleus was thinking, running toward them with a weapon drawn was undeniably threatening.

At Rilkea’s signal, the royal guards quickly started moving the carriage.

Unfortunately, to Cleus’s eyes, it looked exactly like this:

The princess was being kidnapped.

He was too panicked even to recognize her official escort.

“Princess! Protect the princess!”

Cleus reached the carriage just as it began to move.

But the ring of guards prevented him from approaching.

It all happened in a matter of seconds—too quickly for Rilkea to arrive or for the breathless butler to explain.

And the Berndt estate knights—elite, well-trained—swiftly overpowered the surprised royal guards.

“Your Highness!”

Cleus yanked the carriage door open.

Ellie, startled pale by the sudden chaos outside, was clutching Madam Laval for dear life.

Marquis Simon had rolled up his sleeves, ready to protect his princess with his life.

That was the scene Cleus burst into.

“Duke Berndt?!”

Ellie cried out in shock.

“I’m here to rescue you!”

“…Rescue?”

“Hurry, take my hand!”

Cleus extended his arm toward Ellie.

“Princess, no!”

“Your Highness, get behind us! Duke Berndt, what are you doing?!”

Madam Laval and Marquis Simon closed in around Ellie protectively.

Only then did Cleus realize something was wrong.

“Huh…?”

Were you… not being kidnapped?

Before he could piece anything together, Rilkea came flying at him―literally.
She tackled him before any knight could intervene.

Rilkea was fast.
Rilkea was strong.

And in an instant, she had Cleus pinned.

Rilkea grabbed Cleus by the scruff of his neck and yanked him out of the carriage, shouting inside:

“Run!”

At the same time, Cleus—struggling violently in Rilkea’s grip—also shouted:

“Run!”

“?”

“…?”

Both froze.

What were they even saying?

Who was supposed to run from whom?

“Um…?”

“Uh…?”

Everyone inside the carriage was just as bewildered.

Whoooosh—

For some reason, even the spring breeze felt bleak today.

Cleus awkwardly turned to look at the person holding his neck.

Rilkea looked down at him too.

“…Captain of the Guard?”

Cleus hadn’t even realized the person choking him was the captain of the royal guard.

Only now did he notice that the soldiers subdued by the Berndt knights were actually the princess’s guards.

“Why were the royal guards trying to kidnap Her Highness?” Cleus asked, with the imaginative logic of a child.

Rilkea replied with the sober realism of an adult.

“The guards were simply doing their job. You are the one who attacked the carriage with a sword, Duke Berndt.”

Cleus glanced at his hand.

The sword he’d been holding had already slipped away during Rilkea’s tackle and lay rolling on the ground.

And not far off, the Berndt knights were aiming their blades at the princess’s guards.

“……”

So… in this situation… who looked like the bandits?

Rilkea’s eyes clearly asked that question.

Cleus accepted his complete mistake. Cold sweat drenched him.
If anyone interpreted this poorly, he could easily end up charged with treason or attempting to harm royalty.

But one thing still felt unfair.

“…This is my house.”

Why was he being treated like an intruder in his own home?

“…Ah.”

Rilkea awkwardly let go of his collar.

“Masterrrrrr!”

At that moment, a person tumbled down the hill.

Not ran—tumbled, quite literally.

The butler, now fully “seasoned” with sweat and dust, rolled down like a sack of potatoes.

He was the true culprit behind this entire catastrophe.

 

 

 

****

 

 

 

 

“Welcome.”

Cleus personally opened the door and led them inside.

The butler was carried away, barely conscious from exhaustion. He certainly wasn’t in any state to host guests.

So Cleus had to greet them himself.

The house was always kept tidy by the staff, and the reception room was properly arranged.
However, whenever an important guest arrived, they usually brought in lavish flowers and hung expensive curtains.

But today, nothing was prepared.
It was just… the house.

Even the tea the servant brought was plain. There had simply been no time to prepare anything special.

Cleus felt strangely embarrassed, as though he were exposing a personal flaw. He blushed and muttered,

“…Nothing was prepared in advance, so this house is quite unfit to receive Your Highness…”

“…No, Duke Berndt. I’m the one who’s sorry for showing up so suddenly…”

Ellie lowered her head and mumbled apology after apology.

All of this mess came from her impulsive decision.

She never imagined her choice would cause things to escalate into something so violent and terrifying.

People drawing real swords, people risking their lives for her—Ellie had never even imagined such things.

Her heart was still pounding wildly.

“Duke Berndt… are you okay?”

Cleus had been grabbed by the neck and dragged out like a helpless kitten because of her.

How painful and frightening must that have been?

“I’m fine.”

Cleus’s face turned bright red.

It was a moment he desperately wanted to erase.

Attacking the royal guards by mistake, being instantly subdued by the guard captain, being dragged around like a rag doll—utter humiliation.

“…What matters is that Your Highness is unharmed.”

But Ellie being safe—that was what truly mattered.

The frozen panic in his head was finally melting away.

Without realizing, Cleus let a small, spring-like smile appear.

Ellie lifted her head.

Listening closely… she could hear the emotion behind his words.

“Duke Berndt… were you worried about me?”

Her question stabbed Cleus straight in the chest.

The truth was, he didn’t even understand his own behavior yet.

Why did I—?

She was practically the daughter of his family’s enemies.

By all rights, he should have been pleased if something had happened to Ellie.

But the thought of something happening to her made him sick with fear.

What was happening to his heart?

Even Cleus didn’t understand his own feelings—and it left him deeply confused.