5 – I was watching.
Katia Bart could still not get up as her legs were trembling.
“….”
Now the tears had stopped.
But her heart was still pounding as if it would burst.
No matter how much she thought about it, it was really unbelievable.
“How could the Crown Prince be here….”
She bit her nails nervously.
No matter how hard I tried to rack my brains, I couldn’t understand it at all.
“Why on earth is the Crown Prince helping someone like Elaine… What in the world…”
Vaguely, I could guess.
That strange shower earlier might have been the beginning of this unbelievable incident.
It was truly strange.
The sky was clear without a single cloud.
And yet, suddenly, it started pouring rain.
Just as unusual as the appearance of the Crown Prince in this place.
Perhaps even that rain…
Could be something caused by the Crown Prince.
Since his blood is mixed with that of an elf, it wouldn’t be entirely impossible.
But…
Wasn’t he supposed to have become a cripple who couldn’t use his abilities anymore…?
As expected.
I couldn’t come up with a clear answer.
Cathia, who had momentarily raised her head, was back to square one in her thinking.
Until the rain started pouring out of nowhere, the mansion had been peaceful.
I had only been tormenting Elaine as usual.
But suddenly, the rain had poured down like a deluge.
There was no other choice. We had to go inside for now.
And after the maids wiped away the moisture.
It was time to warm oneself with a cup of hot tea.
In truth, while hurriedly moving to avoid the rain, there was no lack of suspicion.
From Noble mtl dot com
But I wondered, what could be so important?
The doubt quickly withered away.
After all, what mattered was tormenting Elaine enough until Father returned.
With that thought in mind, I sat down and absentmindedly turned my head when I felt a presence.
Something was protruding from the closed door.
It was as small as the palm of my hand.
It was a bluish-green thing, like a lump of lake water, and it was passing through the door like a ghost with a head that looked like a fish.
…Breaking through a wooden door.
At first, I thought I was seeing things.
So, I just stood there with a look of astonishment, mouth agape.
When I realized I should have covered my mouth right away, it was already too late.
In an instant, the fish flew towards me like an arrow and went straight into my mouth.
Naturally, she screamed.
With all her might.
To the point where her throat hurt.
“Ugh!”
But somehow, her tightly closed mouth didn’t budge at all.
I tried to get up in a hurry, but it didn’t go as I wanted.
I couldn’t move my body.
It felt as if my whole body had stiffened.
My fingertips and toes trembled, and all I could do was roll my eyes.
It was an unbelievable situation that I had never experienced before.
It felt suffocating, as if I were buried in the ground.
I ran out of breath in an instant.
My racing heartbeat echoed through my bones relentlessly.
Suddenly being unable to move, I felt like I was going insane.
And I was unbearably afraid.
A strange fish made of water.
That strange existence happened right after it entered my mouth.
There was no doubt about it.
It was definitely magic.
A sorcerer who received someone’s horoscope.
It seemed clear that they used such an unbelievable magic for some kind of gain.
They paralyzed me instead of killing me, so killing me wasn’t their goal.
But if they had the intention to kill, they could have easily done so.
My body trembled with a dizzying sense of terror.
The door opened at that moment.
The nerves in her arm trembled so intensely that she could vividly feel it. “Dangerous!” her mind screamed, and her whole body was filled with alarm.
A man wearing a black hood had suddenly entered and was staring at her.
Even though his face was hidden by the hood’s shadow, his sharp gaze felt like it was piercing through her flesh.
In that moment, Katia had a gut feeling.
He was infinitely dangerous.
The man in front of her was a presence that seemed incredibly dangerous.
She could assert that.
In her childhood, the most dangerous moment was when she had tried to push Elaine, her two-year-old sister, down the stairs but ended up falling herself.
He had managed to break through the numerous servants and guards at the mansion without making a sound.
Even though she was just a mere viscountess, she knew it was unusual.
Whether he subdued the servants or not.
The fact that he had come this far without causing any commotion meant that he was not an ordinary skilled person.
And besides.
What kind of place was Bart, the Viscount?
He was a prominent figure in the Empire.
He even had the protection of his uncle, the Marquis Karan.
The fact that he had intruded on someone like the Viscount meant that he had already discarded the idea of leaving any witnesses.
She could be certain.
If I made a mistake.
Without a doubt, I would kill myself.
Just like when he came in, he would effortlessly slip away.
So I had to give him what he wanted. At least for that moment, I had to obediently follow.
To stay alive.
No matter what he wanted, I would listen first and then risk my life.
I had thought that if I told my father, revenge would be possible.
But even that thought.
Once the man took off his hood, it melted away like sugar in tea.
He had an unusual silver hair.
And a face that resembled a sculpted piece of god.
With eyes that held the color of green in the middle of summer.
I couldn’t help but wonder about his true identity.
Eos Caldebrion, the infamous fallen prince.
Without a doubt.
The man I had only heard rumors about, he must be him.
It was a fleeting moment.
Even shorter than the blink of an eye.
Katia’s mind became a mess.
Why on earth is that useless wretch of a prince here?
For years, I’ve heard rumors that he would curse and assault people at the slightest opportunity.
But above all else,
He was a cruel murderer who would ruthlessly kill over ten palace guards in just one night.
A monster who had no hesitation killing people even in the palace, so there was no doubt he would do the same here.
Killing a viscount’s daughter would be nothing to him.
Once I reached that conclusion, all the random thoughts that had been popping up suddenly disappeared.
If I rebel, I will undoubtedly be killed. To live, I must do as I’m told.
Those thoughts filled my mind in an instant.
How could I possibly get through this and seek revenge against that devilish prince?
From the start, it was nothing but a dream.
No matter how notorious the prince may be, how could a viscount’s daughter possibly do anything to the crown prince?
Even if my relatives were to help, would revenge truly be possible?
Even the emperor himself couldn’t do it.
To the prince who committed all sorts of wicked acts and killed countless people for no reason other than his position as the crown prince.
There was a reason why he could only be punished with exile.
His maternal grandfather.
Because he was the king of the Elven Kingdom.
Having already wiped out numerous human kingdoms and engaged in a long-standing feud with the Empire.
No one would dare.
I couldn’t touch the abandoned prince.
So, the best thing she could do now was to faithfully follow that infamous abandoned prince. Now and in the future. Forever.
Otherwise, she would not be able to survive. It was as certain as a lightning-struck tree being engulfed in flames and breaking apart.
So, she did as she was told.
She didn’t speak when told not to.
She obediently nodded her head as he wished.
Even after the abandoned prince disappeared, she couldn’t stand up for a while.
Her legs still lacked the strength to support her.
But if she stayed still like this…
There might be a chance for the abandoned prince to return.
And at that time…
Without a doubt, blood would flow. Her own red and warm blood.
“……”
Katia chewed on her lips and gripped the table with both hands.
After struggling to get up from her seat, she pushed the cold cup away with the back of her hand.
Clang!
If she didn’t have such an outlet, she felt like she wouldn’t be able to bear it any longer.
She cautiously approached the window bathed in sunlight, one step at a time.
In front of the mansion…
As if Elaine already knew that the wastrel prince had come and gone, she knelt down with a composed expression on her face.
“What a vulgar woman….”
I couldn’t understand what that thorny woman had to do with the wastrel prince.
But now was not the time to dwell on such things.
Katia knew very well what was truly important at this moment.
Survival.
To survive against that extremely wicked wastrel prince.
She had to move, for now.
She had to speak, for now.
***
Until the wastrel prince disappeared from her sight.
Elaine stood there blankly for a while.
Somehow, it didn’t feel real.
Then, she suddenly thought of Katia.
She returned to the mansion once again.
And knelt down once more.
Because she knew from experience that if she didn’t do this, a greater torment would return.
But really, it was such a strange situation.
The words of the wastrel prince.
It wasn’t something easily comprehensible.
Help me.
He asked for healing when he got injured.
That strange otter, made of water, must have been the possession of the abandoned prince.
The person who healed him, even his injured knee, was that tiny creature.
What’s so regrettable that he asked for healing from someone like himself?
I couldn’t understand at all, so I just sat there blankly.
And then, a while later.
Someone’s foot came into my lowered gaze.
Familiar shoes.
Katia Bart.
She was the sister of the other, someone I shouldn’t even accidentally call “sister,” the sister of a different mother.
When I slowly raised my head.
A face angrier than ever caught my eye.
Red and blue.
Perhaps she was angry because she had left for a moment to chase after the abandoned prince.
It wasn’t an unexpected surprise.
As always, just like before, she must have been savoring the pain of her step-sister, whom she despised, as she looked down from above.
But somehow.
I couldn’t erase the strange feeling.
Her tightly clenched fists were trembling, and there were even tears welling up in her eyes.
I was taken aback.
Was it really necessary to get so angry just because I left for a moment?
His self-centered anger was so childish.
I almost couldn’t help but smirk.
And then, in the next moment.
An even more astonishing sight unfolded before my eyes.
Thud-
Suddenly, Katia knelt down.
Not to anyone else, but to her despised and lowly stepbrother.
She even lowered her head before the very person she had always scorned.
“I… I won’t… do it…”
Even.
Even in her dying moments, she uttered words of apology that she should never have said.
Trembling shoulders, a sobbing voice.
And tears falling steadily.
This was a sight that I truly could not have imagined.
“I… sob… I was wrong…”
It was an unbelievable day.
Unthinkable things kept happening.
The notorious and infamous prince, whom I had never encountered in my entire life, suddenly appeared and stopped the torment, healing my knees.
Now, my step-sister, who always despised and tormented me, was crying and even apologizing.
For a moment, a man with silver hair vividly came to Elaine’s mind.
Prince Eos, the Crown Prince.
Even the fact that my sister is apologizing now.
Perhaps it’s all thanks to that man.
No, if it weren’t for him, no one else could have done it.
From Noble mtl dot com
Elaine anxiously looked around.
But she couldn’t find any trace of the Crown Prince.
***
I was sitting on the roof of the Viscount’s house, watching Elaine and Katia.
As expected.
The saint was indeed a saint.
Even though she had gone through such hardship, she was gently helping up my crying step-sister.
Of course, Katia’s apology was probably not sincere.
With just threats, you can’t bring out true remorse.
Those tears were probably just flowing uncontrollably due to her frustration.
Even so, she was quite perceptive.
If Katia hadn’t moved immediately, I had planned to show her a taste of punishment….
With this, there is no need to worry about Elaine’s treatment anymore.
Time will take care of the rest.
Someday, when she awakens her divine power, she will remember the words I said.
Of course, in order to make her my ally.
I must not overlook continuous interest and encounters.
Anyway, today is the end.
It was time for me to start heading back as well.
That was when it happened.
‘ξжðŋζЖ!!!’
I heard the urgent cry of the earth spirit, Rak, in my head.
It wasn’t in human language, but understanding its meaning wasn’t difficult.
Someone had come, so it meant I had to return to the palace as soon as possible.
Considering the rapid heartbeat of Glentino, it was also speculated that it was not a normal situation.
Fortunately.
The distance from here to the palace was not far.
If I hurried, I could arrive without being late.
I escaped from the viscount and ran as fast as I could.
I almost collided with a horse pulling a carriage as I pushed through the bustling crowd.
hehehehe!
Fortunately, the horses that kicked their front legs stopped just in time, letting out a pained cry.
“Hey, you bastard! I want you dead!”
The carriage driver’s shout quickly faded away.
It was the moment when I arrived near the palace.
Lark conveyed the sounds around me.
“Why hasn’t His Highness the Prince come out yet?”
It was the voice of an old man, gentle yet resolute.
Clearly, it was the voice of the chamberlain.
“Well… His health isn’t very good, so it seems difficult for him today…”
It was a voice that anyone would find suspicious.
Clearly, it was Glenitino’s voice.
“In that case, I will call for the royal physician.”
“No, absolutely not!!”
At that urgent outcry,
Glenitino’s bewildered face appeared vividly before me, as if right in front of my eyes.
“Surely, Your Highness the Prince, are you trying to defy His Majesty’s orders?”
“N-No, that’s absolutely not it!”
“Then step aside immediately, I will personally deliver the message to His Majesty.”
It was a more urgent situation than I had anticipated.
I couldn’t be sure if the chamberlain was loyal to the Empress.
It wouldn’t be good for me to be caught not being in the Prince’s palace.
The moment I was discovered, Glenitino would be suspected of loyalty, and the guards against me would be even stronger.
Moreover.
If the emperor were to find out that I am not in the palace, the worst possible situation might unfold.
“Do not dare speak ill of your mother’s name anymore. And without Jim’s permission, you must not step a foot outside the palace. If you disobey, there will be severe consequences, so keep that in mind.”
It was a desperate plea from the emperor, whom I haven’t seen for several months now.
So, to avoid the worst situation, I needed to hurry even more.
I put more strength into my increasingly painful leg.
At the same time,
The angry voice of the Prime Minister echoed in my head like thunder.
“Step aside! If you continue to obstruct, I will rule you as a traitor!”
Now, Glentino had no choice but to step back.
If things continued like this, my absence would surely be revealed.
Sweat poured down my whole body like rain.
My mouth was dry, and my chest tightened, making it hard to breathe.
After running at top speed without a break, I had finally reached my limit.
Yet,
I still couldn’t even pass through the main gate of the palace.
It was faintly visible in the distance.
I had no more time. It was already too late.
In the end, I stopped, gasping for breath, as my strength gave out.
A strong gust of wind blew, causing my cloak and hood to flutter wildly like flags in a typhoon.
The powerful wind, swirling relentlessly around my body.
Without a doubt.
He was the spirit of the wind.
wow mc be drippin in plot armor