The Princess’s Final Wish Before Her Time Runs Out - Chapter 62

The street was full of life.

As soon as they arrived in the busy part of town and stepped down from the carriage, Lady Tericia’s gaze lingered on the lively scene for a long while. She tried not to show it, but there was a subtle excitement in her expression.

Heinz watched her with a strange feeling. Lady Tericia wasn’t someone who went out often. She usually stayed quietly in the mansion, keeping to herself and spending time with her duties.

He had always thought she was naturally quiet and preferred staying indoors. But seeing her out here, smiling so brightly, made her seem her age for the first time.

“She’s only twenty-two…”

Now that he thought about it, she was younger than his own sister. Of course someone her age would prefer going out rather than being confined to a house.

Maybe it was the environment around her that didn’t let this young lady live as someone her age should.

A faint, guilty smile formed on Heinz’s lips for reasons he couldn’t quite explain.

When we return, I should suggest to His Grace that he take her out more often.

“My lady.”

At Heinz’s call, Lady Tericia turned around.

“Do you have somewhere in mind?”

“Ah…”

She paused in thought for a moment.

“Do you happen to know a good weaponsmith?”

“A weaponsmith, my lady?”

“Yes. There’s something I’d like to buy.”

Her voice was brighter than usual, and without realizing it, Heinz found himself smiling too.

“A weaponsmith… yes, I know a good one.”

He began guiding Lady Tericia as they walked through the streets.

They soon left the main road and entered a narrow alleyway—far too tight for any carriage to pass through.

“If anyone finds out that you walked through a place like this, there’s going to be trouble,” Heinz said with a light chuckle.

Lady Tericia laughed, already guessing who he meant. Her rare laughter echoed softly, and the innocent look on her face was so refreshing that Heinz couldn’t help but smile warmly in return.

“It’s a gift I’m buying myself, after all.”

“Ah, for His Grace’s birthday?”

“Yes.”

Lady Tericia could tell she was more excited than usual. Just the thought of getting him a gift made her feel oddly happy.

Heinz looked at her, smiled again, and didn’t ask anything further.

He was curious about what she planned to give, but judging by the place she’d asked to visit, he had a good idea.

“A dagger would be perfect.”

As soon as they arrived at the shop, she confirmed his guess by placing her order.

“It needs to be well-crafted, of course, but I’d also like it to look beautiful. Oh, and could you add a design to the scabbard?”

“Do you have a specific design in mind, my lady?”

“Yes. A black background with part of our family crest engraved in gold would be ideal.”

“…That may take some time.”

The shop owner, who was also the master craftsman, realized that the intricate design she wanted on the scabbard was less challenging than what she likely expected from the blade itself.

“I know a dagger won’t take less time just because it’s shorter than a longsword, but I’d still like it finished on time. The cost doesn’t matter—just make sure it’s ready by the date.”

She wanted to give it to Rashid on his birthday, ideally before the day ended.

“Please.”

“…Understood. I’ll see what I can do.”

The craftsman nodded. He knew Roben Heinz well—the captain of the Hespelt Knights.

He was one of the few customers who paid fairly and truly understood the value of a well-made blade.

The craftsman had always felt grateful toward him. If this request came from someone under his care—especially someone who spoke of the family crest—he wanted to do his very best.

“I’ll send word once it’s finished.”

“Please do. I’m counting on you.”

Lady Tericia repeated her request several times before stepping out of the shop.

Heinz followed her silently. Once they had fully exited the alley, he finally spoke.

“…So you’re planning to give him a dagger?”

“Yes. He already has a sword, so I thought something smaller and easy to carry might be nice. Do you think it’s a good idea?”

“If it’s from you, my lady, he’ll surely love it.”

“I hope so.”

She smiled shyly, truly hoping it would make him happy.

“Please keep it a secret until Rashid’s birthday.”

“Of course. You have my word.”

Heinz smiled and nodded, following after her.

After their short outing, Heinz returned directly to see Rashid.

Just as he raised his hand to knock on the Duke’s office door, it opened, and Adler stepped out. The timing was perfect.

“Is His Grace inside?” Heinz asked out of habit.

But Adler didn’t answer. He simply stared at Heinz in silence.

“…Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Roben.”

Adler let out a deep sigh and called Heinz’s name.

“…What?”

“Why are you so dense?”

“What are you talking about?”

Adler didn’t answer. He just shook his head.

“…Just go in and face it yourself.”

“What?”

“I’m done.”

He patted Heinz’s shoulder twice—firmly, with a weight that wasn’t casual.

Then, as he walked off toward the end of the hall, he muttered, “Even after all that, you still haven’t figured it out…”

Heinz stared at Adler’s retreating figure for a moment, shrugged, and then knocked on the office door. After a short pause, he stepped inside.

“…!”

The moment he walked into the room, he instinctively reached for his sword—but forced himself to stop.

A cold, sharp killing intent rushed at him the instant he stepped through the door, aimed straight at his throat. His body tensed on reflex.

It was the kind of bloodlust he hadn’t felt since the battlefield.

But why would there be killing intent here?

Heinz heightened his senses and cautiously took a step forward.

An assassin in the Duke’s office?
Unlikely. He’s not someone who would be caught off guard so easily…

Still, he scanned the room carefully.

The atmosphere was thick and heavy, filled with tension—but nothing seemed out of place. The office was exactly as it always was.

Except for one thing.

The source of that intense pressure was none other than the Duke himself—Rashid—reclining in his chair in front of the desk.

“…Your Grace?”

Heinz let out a small sigh of relief after confirming they were alone. But he couldn’t relax. The Duke’s presence was still overwhelming. No—frightening.

“……”

Rashid didn’t respond. He simply tapped the armrest of his chair with his finger—something he did when deep in thought or particularly displeased.

Heinz stood silently, sensing that something was seriously wrong, and waited.

After a long pause, Rashid finally looked up at him—and smiled.

It was a beautiful smile that sent a chill straight down Heinz’s spine.

“So.”

That low, smooth voice rolled out like velvet—dangerous velvet.

“You went out with Lady Tericia. Alone.”

The word “alone” came out in a cold, heavy tone that made Heinz’s heart drop.

…I’m dead.

Now he understood why Adler had shaken his head and walked away without a word.

Heinz closed his eyes tightly. He had a feeling that if he explained the reason for the outing, the Duke might actually be pleased… but if he didn’t explain it right, there’d be no avoiding his wrath.

“You must keep it a secret until Rashid’s birthday.”

Lady Tericia’s sweet smile flashed in his mind. And with it, the realization that her smile might very well be the death of him.

“Seems the position of Hespelt’s Knight Commander must come with a lot of free time.”

“….”

“Free enough to leave without notice.”

“….”

“Free enough to be gone all day without issue—must not be such an important job after all.”

The sarcasm was sharp, and Heinz couldn’t say a word. People often told him he was oblivious, but even he knew that saying anything now would only make things worse.

Some part of him—maybe instinct—told him silence was the only way to survive.

“So. Why did you go out?”

Rashid asked the question with every ounce of patience he could summon. He was barely holding himself back from drawing his sword right then and there.

When he first heard that Heinz had gone out alone with Lady Tericia, he had tried to reason that, as her guard, it made sense. But his vision had still gone red with fury.

Heinz? Of all people, Heinz? With her?

Of course, if someone other than Heinz had accompanied her, he would have been furious too. But he didn’t want to go down that mental road. That could be handled if it ever happened.

“…I can’t say.”

“…What?”

Rashid stared at him, stunned by the unexpected response. Heinz stood firm, lips sealed, his expression resolute.

“You can’t say?”

“No, Your Grace.”

It was beyond absurd. Roben Heinz—known for being upright to a fault—was refusing to answer the Duke. It was unheard of.

“Are you defying me?”

Rashid’s voice dropped even lower. It growled like a beast preparing to pounce.

“I gave my word to the Lady, Your Grace. I promised not to speak of it.”

The killing intent that had been building came to a sudden pause.

“…A promise? With Tericia?”

“Yes. She asked me to keep it a secret.”

If Adler had been there, he probably would’ve shouted “You clueless idiot!” and smacked him in the back of the head.

Rashid was so stunned by Heinz’s blunt honesty about promising secrecy to Lady Tericia that he was momentarily speechless.

The anger boiling in his chest cooled ever so slightly at the sound of her name.

But that didn’t mean he wasn’t still furious.

“Now that I think of it…”

That tone didn’t sound like forgiveness. If anything, it meant something else was about to happen.

Rashid could overlook the secret—for her sake. But the fact that Heinz had spent time alone with her still burned inside him.

So he smiled again.

“It’s been a while since we last sparred.”

“…!”

“Meet me in the training grounds. I feel like getting some exercise.”

There was a deadly edge in the Duke’s smile.

Heinz was reminded—once again—that people can smile while still very much intending to kill you.

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