I Will Break Off the Engagement Because I'm Jealous - The Untalented Villainess Who Rejected the Prince Searches for a Safe Haven with the Cheat Heroine - Chapter 3.8

“Promise promise promise—I can’t fulfill it like this! How dare you do this, you promise-breaker! You’re not even human! Aaaahhh, Your Highness, that’s not right, Your Highness, I’ll keep my promise, Your Highness—aaah!”

As Emilia shattered the chains with her light sword, Donixbarret continued to scream.

But as he looked up at the sky, his madness suddenly stopped.

“Hah! You there, draw your swords! Take Baron Fran with you now!”

“Yes, Donixbarret-sama!”

“And don’t move, you monkeys! I wasn’t told to ‘bring the baron back alive’! If you understand, don’t come any closer!”

(Oh no!?)

While everyone stood frozen in shock, the baron was restrained by his servants’ arms. A slender sword was pressed against him, piercing his skin and drawing a trickle of blood.

(What should I do… With the Holy Sword’s skill, I could—Iris?)

Suddenly, he saw Iris’s face, her eyes.

She wore a fearless smile.

Her gaze was steady.

Emilia recognized that expression.

There was a time when Iris had stayed up night after night, writing something. It later turned out to be a manuscript titled “On the Relationship Between Vegetation and Spirits”—which Sieg had snatched and claimed as his own achievement. At one point, having hit some kind of wall, Iris had agonized and struggled for hours. But then suddenly, she’d made the same intensely fierce face as now.

“Finally, I understand,” she had whispered.

The manuscript that would astonish the academic world was completed one hour later.

“That’s your interpretation, isn’t it? Donix.”

Iris spoke provocatively, mockingly. She accused Donixbarret of twisting Sieg’s words.

“What did you say, you insolent fool! Are you claiming that I, of all people, have misinterpreted His Highness’s words!?”

“If you’re saying my father can die… then yes, you have. Listen, you said this.”

To him, who had lost his composure after his name was mistaken.

Iris pressed on.

“‘Zlight Crocus, head of the Fran Baron household, is to proceed to the royal capital immediately.’ Understand? Unless my father goes to the royal capital himself! Your mission remains unfulfilled!”

“Waaah! Your Highness, Your Highness, I will fulfill your words, I will fulfill my mission, I swear it—uuuuh!”

Donixbarret descended into madness again. Emilia took half a step forward, but.

“I said don’t move! As long as he doesn’t die, right!? We could tie his body to a horse and bring him back barely alive!?”

(No good… At the very least, if I could divert the attention of those two away from the baron…)

Gripping the hilt of her light sword tightly… Emilia waited carefully for her chance.

“Of course not. My father is just a hostage to summon me, right? You’re just parroting Sieg’s words exactly—could it be you’re not thinking at all?”

Iris provoked Donixbarret again.

“Don’t you dare speak Lord Siiiiieg’s name so disrespectfully! Then I’ll tear you to pieces right here too!”

“Your promise was not to lay a hand on me, wasn’t it, Donix?”

“Ugaaah! Donixbarret! Don’t get my name wrong!”

The effect was immediate. He was rapidly losing his composure.

Then.

“…Release my father. Take me instead.”

Iris dropped a bombshell.

“Iris!?” “Stop, Iris…!”

Emilia tried to inch closer but noticed Iris glancing briefly at her.

(That just now… Huh? Could it be…)

“Can I trust you!? That promise-breaker over there will just cut me down, won’t she!?”

Donixbarret pointed at the sword Emilia still held.

“Lady Emilia, please don’t intervene. If they try anything, I’ll take my own life before they can.”

“Iris…!” “Stop, please stop! If you die, I’ll…!”

Iris delivered her ultimatum… and glanced at Emilia once more.

(As I thought. It must be…!)

Seeing the light in her eyes, Emilia felt certain and waited for the opportunity to arrive.

“Now, promise it, Donix! Don’t let anyone lay a hand on Lady Emilia! Release my father and take me to the royal capital! Present me to Sieg! You want to fulfill your mission, don’t you!?”

“Kuaaaaaaa! You disrespectful monkey who keeps getting my name wrong! Repeat after me! ‘If I do not let anyone lay a hand on Lady Emilia, I will release Baron Fran and take S… Iris to the royal capital instead’!”

Donixbarret, his eyes unfocused.

Accepted Iris’s proposal.

“Don’t let anyone lay a hand on Lady Emilia! Once you release my father, I will go to the royal capital! Now, hand over my father… Baron Fran!”

“You there!”

The servants, understanding their master’s intent, hesitantly moved their swords away from Zlight and released his restraints. Zlight rushed to Iris’s side.

Donixbarret placed a hand on his chest, his fist turned outward.

“Alright, alright, ALRIGHT! Bind her, ‘Promise Chain’!!”

His triumphant voice echoed.

The sound, carried by the wind.

Faded away.

“Hey, what’s wrong?”

The chains merely dangled slightly from the back of his hand.

They bound nothing.

“What’s wrong with my skill!? Come out, come out, ‘Promise Chain’! What did I do wrong!?”

Emilia stepped forward, shielding the bewildered Zlight behind her. Iris also took a step forward.

“You did it, didn’t you?” “Yes, you certainly did.”

“You broke your promise.”

“………………………Huh?”

At their synchronized accusation, Donixbarret made a foolish sound in response. Emilia and Iris exchanged glances and nodded.

“First of all, you tried to lay a hand on me, breaking our previous promise. That skill is a restraint… which falls under the category of ‘laying a hand,’ doesn’t it?”

“That was only attempted! Something that trivial couldn’t break my promise…!”

Donixbarret snapped at Iris’s statement, but this was only the beginning. Emilia took over and spoke.

“Second. You acted against Lord Sieg’s mission, didn’t you? If you release the baron, what happens to your promise with him?”

“I can handle that somehow! I will definitely fulfill my promise! Your Highness, Your Highness! I will surely bring the baron—”

“If you try to take him, it contradicts your promise with me. That’s why the Chain won’t form.”

“Kiiiiiiiiii—!”

As the two pressed him, Donixbarret descended into madness. The servants began to hesitantly approach their master.

“And the final third point. You said this, didn’t you? ‘Lord Sieg’s words take precedence over everything.'”

Emilia stared steadily at Donixbarret, whose eyes were welling with tears.

“You made a promise with Iris and released the baron. You chose not to take the baron with you! No matter how much sophistry you use, you can’t undo what you’ve done!”

His expression.

Froze.

“Promi…se, pro…mise, I was keeping my promise…”

Clink, clink—sounds rang out.

It was the sound of chains. The remnants of chains, barely emerging from the back of his hand.

Clatter, clatter—as he tried to move them, Donixbarret attempted to draw out the chains.

“Father, Mother, Lord Sieg… they all kept their promises to me… but I… I… why… Don’t break your promise, Donix—uuuh! I can’t… I can’t face them! This isn’t me! I was keeping my promise————”

The tears flowing from his eyes dripped onto the back of his hand.

The chains quietly turned to sand.

“If only,I had kept it. Then, that wouldn’t have happened… Father… Mother…”

From the back of Donixbarret’s hand.

The light vanished.

“Owaaaaaaa————…………”

A sound like crumbling sand escaped from his slack jaw… and Donixbarret fell to his knees. A hazy, light-like substance emerged from his shoulders and disappeared into the void.

“Donixbarret-sama!?”

Emilia saw her chance and swung the Holy Sword. Then, far away, the swords held by the servants were “cut” clean through the middle.

“I’ll let you off with this. You there, take your lord and return home. Safely, all the way to the royal capital.”

“Wait, Lady Emilia! We can handle these guys ourselves—!”

“No.”

Stopping Iris’s protest, Emilia glanced back briefly. Zlight, who looked surprised and stunned… quietly nodded.

“If you properly take your master back… we won’t intervene.”

The servants tried to help up Donixbarret, who had collapsed into a limp heap. As they looked up in a fluster and stared at Emilia.

“That’s a promise. Do you need me to repeat it?”

She said this and smiled at them.