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 4.9

The spirit car carrying Emilia and Iris careened wildly down the gentle slope. Behind them, Sieg pursued on horseback.

“Faster, Iris! He’s catching up!”

“This is top speed!? How is that horse so fast!?”

(Hah, the skill “Higher Self”!)

What came to Emilia’s mind was the spirit blessing possessed by Prince Sieg. It granted immense protection when ascending or being at high elevations.

“He’s higher than us! That’s why his skill makes it easier to track us!”

Twisting her body, she peered back from the shadow of the seat. Emilia furrowed her brows and shouted.

“The prince’s skill!? That’s absurd! If we keep descending like this, he’ll catch up——then! Aiter, our trump card!”

Iris, who seemed to instantly grasp the situation, gave some command to the spirit car. Then something like balls seemed to launch from the vehicle… bouncing as several headed toward Prince Sieg.

Mid-flight.

They exploded.

“Wha, bombs!?”

Emilia averted her face. There was a blinding flash and vibrations that shook the vehicle.

“Just sound and light! I prepared for something like this!”

“When did you!? Weren’t you doing embroidery!?”

“I get bored alone at night! I make all sorts of things!”

(This “Cheat Heroine”! How reliable! If this takes down the horse——)

Emilia squinted through the lingering light and dust cloud. Then.

She gasped involuntarily, shrinking back and pressing against the door. The seatbelt tightened around her body, but her pounding heart left no room to care.

“What’s wrong, Lady Emilia!? Is something——”

“He’s running. Coming.”

“Huh?”

She didn’t want to look. But fearfully, Emilia peered back from the shadow of the seat. Beyond the rear glass, where Sieg had been chasing on horseback earlier… now.

——Reflected there was the prince himself, running faster than his horse.

“Why, how!?”

“Don’t ask me, I don’t know either!”

“Car, speed!”

“Maximum! It won’t go any faster!”

The spirit car raced with enough force to send large trees flying, pursued by the running prince. The car desperately avoided rocks and trees at times weaving between them as the leaping Sieg closed the distance.

“He’s catching up! The flash grenade from earlier!”

“Sold out!”

“For times like this!”

“No more tricks!”

“He jumped again!?”

Sieg’s figure vanished from view beyond the glass——A THUD sound and violent shaking assaulted the vehicle.

“Front! He’s latched on!”

When Emilia turned around, she could see the prince’s legs ahead. His knees struck the glass… but only produced a creaking sound.

(Even with “Higher Self” enhancement, he can’t directly shatter the spirit car! But what do we do…!?)

“If we slam the brakes, maybe he’ll get thrown off!?”

“What if he doesn’t…?”

Emilia voiced her anxiety. Looking beside her, Iris wore a strained expression.

“I… don’t do well with gambles”

“Then——! Aiter, turn hard!”

“Eek!?”

The car sharply began rotating. Centrifugal force pressed on their bodies, throwing Emilia against Iris’s seat. The sharply turning car maintained its speed, gradually turning sideways, then the opposite direction.

“Hah, no good! Turn back!”

“Lady Emilia!? Why?”

“”Higher Self” second ability! When ascending!”

A CRACK sound.

Looking up, from the ceiling.

Fingers, were growing.

“Be(·)com(·)ing(·) strong(·)er(·) end(·)less(·)ly!”

The fingers, dug deep into the car interior.

The hands, to both sides.

Tore open, the ceiling.

“That’s impossible!? Aiter, to the water——ngh!?”

“Iris!?”

A hand instantly extended from above, grabbing Iris by the throat. In the corner of her vision… the prince with gentle eyes, staring intently at Emilia.

“I’ve come for you, Emilia”

“Holy Sword!”

Without hesitation, Emilia drew a sword from her hand. It flew toward Sieg with the momentum of its appearance.

With a CRUNCH sound.

It stopped.

(Teeth!?)

Sieg had bitten and stopped the silver blade. Though she gripped the hilt of the hastily drawn sword, she felt she might be swung around by overwhelming force. No matter how much strength Emilia poured in, she could neither push nor pull, nor sweep it aside.

“Iris, Iris! Iri——”

Desperately screaming, calling her friend’s name.

In Emilia’s shaking vision.

Iris, her neck gripped by the prince.

“Iris?”

Her face turning pale. She was struggling.

From Emilia’s eyes.

The light, vanished.

“Let go of Iris…”

She muttered blankly. Right before her eyes, the prince’s hand tightened.

Iris’s resisting face twisted in agony… her hands, trembling.

Strength——.

“Let go of my Iris!”

Emilia’s blood instantly boiled.

The “moya moya” circulating within it.

Exploded.

From beneath the silver.

A rainbow light, appeared.

No sound, just light bursting forth.

The light filled the car interior, rising to the heavens. Emilia watched as Sieg’s magic power, caught in it, was torn to shreds. His body floating up lightly too.

She watched as if it were an event from some distant world.

“Hah, Iris!?”

Seeing the ceiling repairing itself, Emilia regained her senses.

“Aiter, stop! Hang in there, Iris! Iris, Iris, Iris!”

Making the light sword vanish into her hand, Emilia turned toward the choking Iris. Pulling her close, she roughly stroked her back, or rather the hand pressed against her throat, breathing heavily.

The car slowed and eventually stopped. Iris’s coughing ceased too. By the time both their breathing had calmed, Emilia tightly embraced Iris.

“Wait here, Iris”

Whispering this, she pulled away. Unbuckling her belt, opening the door, she quietly stepped outside.

“Emilia, sama——no, don’t go out!”

“I’ll settle this. I won’t let him chase us again”

Turning her back to the restraining Iris. The “moya moya” still boiling fiercely in her blood.

“I won’t let him hurt you!”

Emilia couldn’t resist that impulse.

Descending the mountain path, she soon found the fallen prince. Unlike when they’d shaken off his pursuit before… he was completely limp.

“Emilia…!”

(The sensation earlier… I probably cut the skill’s core. But it’s just damaged, it’ll likely regenerate soon. If that happens, this person will definitely get up. Once standing, the skill’s effect will restore him. Then, now)

The light overflowing from Emilia’s hand.

(What I should do?!)

She clenched and crushed it.

She approached Sieg, knelt down grabbed him by the collar and pulled him up.

“I told you, didn’t I? That I. Would never love you again. Please don’t chase after me”

“If there was a misunderstanding, I’ll apologize, Emilia! But I love you! Giving up is——”

“Lies!”

Emilia screamed. From her eyes.

Tears, spilled.

“You don’t love me! You just wanted the duke’s daughter in your possession, right!?”

“No, that’s not true!”

“Then why, back then! That time at the ball! Why didn’t you answer me! You gave me this brooch just to obtain me! There’s no love in it, is there!?”

That time she performed the engagement annulment. Sieg hadn’t answered. In that moment… Emilia had become unable to believe him.

But.

“That’s not true! I knew you from before! I saw you during skill selection! Then it was six months until I gave you the brooch! I was always watching you! Paying no mind to “talentless” and your earnest efforts!”

“!?”

The prince squeezed out words. With an intensity that felt like his true feelings.

With emotions he had never shown before.

“You seemed to shine! With a brilliance surpassing even my mother’s! To make you queen, I resolved to become king! I learned what love was!”

With love, together.

“That’s a lie”

Emilia looked down, shaking her head.

“It’s not a lie, these feelings!”

“——Then prove it”

Raising her face toward the protesting Sieg, glaring directly into his eyes up close.

“Prove that I’m number one. You can’t, can you? You who gave this same brooch to her too. With what will you certify your love for me?”

With a voice cold and frozen, Emilia accused. Accusing Sieg’s unforgivable actions.

“I can’t do it. I can’t prove it! But my feelings!”

“Showing me something invisible like that is meaningless! If only this brooch had been unique! If you hadn’t given the same to Iris! I could have! Believed in your love!”

To Sieg weakly shaking his head.

Emilia poured out all her feelings.

Her regrets.

“No matter how much you love me, I can’t believe in that love. I won’t love you ever again either”

And her resolution.

“Then, I’ll prove it!”

“How! How will you do that!?”

“This country——no, the world I’ll offer to you!”

Resolution met with resolution.

Sieg’s powerful will, gritting his teeth.

Love transmitted from his eyes.

“You alone are worthy of the world’s summit, Emilia! By raising you there! I’ll make it the proof of my love!”

“Then, until you can do that, don’t chase me. Don’t appear before me”

Emilia still… couldn’t believe his love. Toward his passion, no feelings welled up in her. It sounded utterly empty to her.

“——! You are, you are! What will you do! If you become someone else’s! I!”

“…You men speak of concubines and mistresses, yet won’t permit women the same”

Looking down coldly at the clinging Sieg.

In her mind, she recalled someone with different values.

Someone important to her.

“The world’s summit isn’t me. It’s Iris”

In the depths of her chest, moya… something hot welled up.

“I’ll raise her up. No, we’ll stand together! It’s a contest, Lord Sieg”

She didn’t like gambling. But there were things she couldn’t back down from, even if wrong— The “moya moya” drove Emilia endlessly onward.

“If she and I are together at the summit, your proof doesn’t hold. I’m not number one”

“I’ll raise you up! Far, far higher than that woman! Higher than those arrogant with talent!”

“Then, farewell”

Emilia released her hand and stood up. Losing his support, Sieg collapsed weakly to the ground.

“Goodbye, Lord Sieg”

Spitting the words at his head, his back. Turning away from his trembling form, Emilia walked off.

(I too, with you! But, it’s over now. Going back——I can’t!)

Returning to the car, opening the door… she slipped inside.

(If told to choose between Lord Sieg and Iris!)

Seeing Iris welcoming her with a transparent expression.

“Iris, let’s go”

“——Yes, Lady Emilia”

Emilia, faced forward.

(I choose this girl)

From her eyes.

“…But”

Tears, were spilling. Endlessly, in multiple streams.

“I did, love you. I did, like you”

“…Yes”

“I wanted, to marry, Lord Sieg”

“…Yes”

“But, I can’t anymore. I, I, destroyed it”

“That’s not true, Lady Emilia”

“It is true, it is true… it was my fault. No one will blame me”

Words and tears wouldn’t stop.

“Don’t forgive me. Please… Iris”

Emilia simply wished.

Like a child.

She pleaded.