I Refuse This Life, Your Highness! - Chapter 60

What in the world is happening? Raiol had completely embraced me and was moving me around. Each time, I could clearly hear the sound of a blade slicing through the air. The other people were just anxious about the lights going out, but this meant that the assassins had come for us.

What about the Emperor? No, nothing was happening to him. These were the Emperor’s men. Raiol didn’t even have a ceremonial sword, so he was unarmed.

“Damn, I’ve never been good with martial arts.”

…That was truly a hopeless statement. Raiol, still holding me, rushed out of the ballroom. But the ballroom, now enveloped in darkness, had all its exits blocked. In desperation, Raiol pulled open the terrace curtains. It was a new moon, so there was no moonlight, and the only light was from the lanterns in the garden.

Raiol ran to the railing on the terrace, then clicked his tongue.

“Right, it’s the second floor.”

“Who’s coming?”

I could hear several footsteps approaching. Raiol had said he wasn’t good with martial arts, and these opponents seemed like elite assassins. Raiol had no weapon, and the terrace was on the second floor. If we jumped out…

We’d likely break our limbs and then have to face the assassins in that condition.

The footsteps of the assassins grew closer.

Raiol glanced behind us, then looked down at the railing before pulling me into his arms.

“Crouch down as much as you can and stick to me.”

I followed his instructions. Raiol swiftly placed one foot on the railing and jumped. The second floor was lower than I expected. Raiol bent his body and landed with a roll, but I was too disoriented to follow him properly.

“Are you alright?”

“My leg feels broken.”

“What?!”

“I’m joking. Let’s go. Count Kiara must be waiting for us.”

Raiol, seemingly only slightly injured, limped as he ran, but even in that state, he was running faster than I was. As we neared the entrance to the palace, I saw the Duke’s and other royal carriages lined up outside.

Count Kiara was waiting for us, nervously standing by the open carriage door. We had run desperately, and the assassins had been chasing us, but we barely managed to escape. As we reached the carriage, Raiol shoved me forward. I stumbled, but Count Kiara caught me and helped me into the carriage, then grabbed Raiol, pulling him in as well before slamming the door shut. Even before the door was fully closed, the coachman had started the horses. The sound of four horses galloping echoed through the quiet imperial avenue.

“Hah…”

My head was still dizzy. What had just happened? Count Kiara called me “Your Highness” and took my hand, using magic. It felt like drinking a cup of lukewarm water, which helped calm my nerves.

“This was probably Plan B.”

“Plan B?”

Though my mind had calmed, the effects of running at full speed hadn’t worn off. I breathed heavily, my body still shaking, and asked. Count Kiara gently patted my back and poured lukewarm tea into a cup from the carriage.

“Originally, they wanted to take you away, Your Highness. That would have been Plan A.”

“And if that didn’t work… they intended to assassinate me?”

“They probably just tried, but they didn’t succeed.”

Count Kiara explained.

“They wouldn’t gain anything by killing you suddenly… Even considering the situation, and I apologize for saying this, but also considering the Emperor’s interest…”

“…Right.”

Suddenly, I thought of the Duke. He had rushed off due to the sudden monster appearance. But if this had all happened while I was at the ball alone, then… was he alright? Was he safe?

“What about the Duke? Is the Duke alright?”

“Yes, he has already returned to the Duke’s castle after finishing the extermination. This monster was likely summoned by the Emperor.”

“Ah…”

I let out a deep sigh, and only then did I feel my breath stabilize. The surroundings slowly came into focus. The familiar carriage, the shaking from the speed, and Raiol and Count Kiara sitting across from me.

Now that I thought about it, it was strange that these two were here.

“How did the two of you end up here?”

There wasn’t much interaction between the Kingdom of Hasein and the Empire, and the Emperor had never invited the third prince to a ball he hosted. For national events, it was usually the king or crown prince who would be invited. And the Count hadn’t received an invitation and wasn’t a staff member of the palace. How had they gotten in and ended up in the carriage?

“I stole someone else’s invitation.”

“……”

“I’m ashamed to admit it, but I was involved too. It was necessary because of my magic.”

“I see…”

So, Count Kiara had used his mental magic to steal an invitation, and he had entered the palace as well. …At this point, wouldn’t the Duke be able to just assassinate the Emperor and become the Emperor himself? I guess that’s why the Emperor was trying to control and push the Duke out.

“I’m afraid, Your Highness, but I cannot stop the carriage until we reach Sert. You should rest in the meantime.”

Sert was a territory near Iser, not technically under the Duke’s direct control, but nearly as close as it could get. The carriage was still speeding along at an incredible pace. Seeing that neither of us had spoken, it seemed that the assassins were no longer a threat, but it still felt like it would be safer to rest closer to the Duke’s territory.

Normally, the journey would take four days at a slow pace. However, the coachman kept urging the horses forward. It seemed like we could reach Sert in about half a day. The Duke’s special horses could travel from Iser to Airdren in a day.

Despite being in the carriage, I couldn’t sleep that night. I had died six times already, though they were just attempts, but encountering assassins was another kind of shock. I remembered the time I died by the Emperor’s sword. That was at a ball I had attended with the Duke.

It was likely a plot by the Emperor, but I had committed an offense, and the Emperor, displeased, had drawn his sword. I didn’t know what happened afterward, but perhaps the Duke killed the Emperor and turned back time? I regretted not having witnessed the Emperor’s death. I should ask the Duke later how he did it.

Even after arriving in Sert and entering the inn, I tossed and turned the entire night. Having gone two days without sleep, the exhaustion was indescribable. My mind remained uneasy. Would I feel a bit more at ease once I reached the Duke’s territory?

Once we left Sert, we no longer traveled at the same fast pace. After enduring the rough carriage ride with only my eyes closed, we had another half-day’s journey. Finally, I saw the Duke’s territory ahead.

“Hmm…?”

Raiol, who had been riding beside us, tilted his head and leaned toward the window.

“Your Highness, do you see who’s over there?”

“Huh?”

I poked my head out of the window, my eyes wide. At the entrance of the Duke’s territory, someone I recognized was mounted on a horse. It was the Duke. I opened my mouth, then grabbed Raiol’s wrist. He nearly swayed from his horse.

“Lend me your horse!”

“Well, I suppose so.”

Raiol dismounted willingly. The carriage stopped, and I immediately mounted the horse Raiol had been riding and sped toward the Duke. From a distance, I saw the Duke looking at me with a surprised expression, then he smiled. I urged the horse to its fastest speed and headed toward him. As I got closer, he dismounted.

Without hesitation, I jumped off my horse and into the Duke’s arms. His strong body caught me with ease. The Duke lowered his head as he held me tightly. His lips brushed against the back of my neck.

“I missed you, Your Highness.”

“I missed you too.”

I hugged him even tighter.

“Are you saying the Emperor wasn’t there?”

Raiol nodded. He had been staying at the Duke’s castle since returning from the masquerade ball. After briefly stepping out today, he came to a gathering that included the Duke, me, Count Kiara, and Sir Leon, where he delivered unexpected news.

He said that when the lights went out during the masquerade ball, the Emperor had been missing for a long time. The witness was a Lamia. The Emperor had been with this unmarried Lamia, rolling around on the secret terrace long before the lights went out.

“The capital is in chaos over the Emperor’s scandal with the young Lamia. They’re debating whether to take her as a concubine.”

Disgusting man.

I frowned, and just as I was about to speak, the chamberlain knocked on the door.

“Your Highness, Count, a gift and letter have arrived from His Majesty the Emperor.”

“……”

What new trick is this? With a displeased expression, the Duke waved his hand lightly. The chamberlain politely placed a box wrapped in brocade and a letter on the table before leaving.

“By the way, the Emperor wasn’t there? But you clearly danced with him.”

“…Yes.”

Then who could that have been? Someone pretending to be the Emperor? Perhaps the Emperor had purposely left someone behind to avoid suspicion about his prolonged absence. But with that demeanor and those eyes, it definitely seemed like the Emperor.

“It could have been someone the Emperor brainwashed.”

“Ah…”

Only then did I nod. If the Emperor had used magic to brainwash someone, that person would have believed they were the Emperor, which would explain why I felt the same atmosphere. Changing eye color would be easy enough.

The Duke reached for the letter.

“…Ha. The person is apologizing, saying they feel regret for what happened that day and are sorry as the host of the banquet.”

“They’re not taking responsibility, though. Not surprising, but…”

Who would send assassins to a royal ball and target someone other than the Emperor?

“The assassins were strange. They didn’t seem to have any intent to truly kill. Well, they might have accidentally killed us, though. Whether it was you or me.”

I frowned. If the intention wasn’t to kill, then why send assassins in the middle of the ball? The lack of clarity about their purpose only made it more unsettling. The Duke set the letter aside and opened the brocade box.

The Duke’s face twisted when he looked inside the box.

“What’s wrong?”

Without a word, the Duke turned the box toward me. My expression, like the Duke’s, twisted in confusion. The item the Emperor had sent was a bracelet that looked exactly like the one he had previously given as a gift.

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