Chapter 164
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Chapter 164
The Knights hesitated before retreating backward, disappearing beyond the barracks. I watched Enoch's retreating figure as he drove them out, lost in thought for a moment.
It seemed Kaiden hadn't mentioned Jenath to Enoch either. I couldn't bring up a story that Kaiden himself hadn't broached first.
'Why didn't he tell him? Still, we should all share this information before too much time passes.'
I would need to have a conversation with Kaiden about this matter.
Kaiden had said there was nothing to worry about—that Jenath would remain eternally subordinate to him and suffer accordingly. But it was Kaiden I found myself worrying about.
Was he truly all right?
Enoch returned after dismissing all the Knights and apologized to me.
"I apologize for the Knights' conduct. If it was unpleasant, I'm sorry."
Despite being the Crown Prince, Enoch seemed quite skilled at apologizing. Perhaps he only did so with me. As he studied my expression, he finally revealed the reason he'd sought me out.
"If you haven't dined yet, would you join me for a meal? Rodban and the Crown Prince will be attending as well. Ah, and the Bishop too."
Everyone had gathered except Diego, who had gone to the Western Military Camp to meet his younger brother.
"Asdal seems to have found the peony pattern."
He'd already found the peony pattern? My eyes widened as I stared at Enoch.
Enoch was quietly glaring at Yuanna, who was lying on my bed as though it were her own. He seemed to be giving her a pointed look. Yuanna, unbothered, lay calmly on the bed and greeted Enoch with composure. She seemed entirely indifferent to the fact that this wasn't an isolated island.
I set aside the silent confrontation between the two and asked Enoch.
"Should I go right now?"
In any case, it would be better to hear everything about the peony pattern when we were all gathered together. And after the meal, I would need to have a separate conversation with Kaiden.
At my question, Enoch nodded and personally retrieved my outer garment for me. As he dressed me in the flight jacket and began fastening the zipper, I watched with slight embarrassment.
"I can do it myself."
"I want to do it for you."
Enoch looked down at me with eyes that seemed as though they might be hurt by rejection, so I resigned myself to accepting his assistance with my clothing.
Yuanna, witnessing this, gasped and whispered to me in a low voice.
"Only we would know the Crown Prince is such a seductive man, wouldn't we?"
"I heard that. How much longer do you think I'll tolerate the Holy Maiden's rudeness?"
"Yes, yes. I'll be careful in front of others."
"Not in front of others—in front of me. Be grateful that Margaret is here, or I wouldn't let this slide."
I'd thought Yuanna was Kaiden's natural enemy, but now it seemed she was Enoch's as well. Come to think of it, she'd also bickered with Asdal. Perhaps she simply didn't get along with any of the men.
"Ah. And Margaret, a letter arrived from your family."
Enoch produced a letter envelope from his breast pocket. The envelope already bore signs of having been opened and read.
"It was addressed to me, so I read it first."
He added the explanation quickly. True to his word, the sender was my sister Innis, and the recipient was Enoch.
The letter's contents stated that Rodban was the supreme commander of the Langrid Empire and that he seemed likely to use military force against us.
It also mentioned that there was an implication he would dispose of Enoch before his return.
I looked up at Enoch in shock.
"Rodban, the deposed Crown Prince—no, the Imperial Prince—is the commander now?"
Rodban was Enoch's half-brother and had originally been the legitimate Crown Prince. He was infamous as an incompetent fool—a man who possessed nothing but the Empress as his backing and his legitimate bloodline.
In the past, he'd attempted to assassinate Enoch but was caught red-handed and exiled. When Enoch disappeared, his status had been restored.
"So I'm told. He's currently stationed at the Western Military Camp. We did meet this morning to discuss peace negotiations, but..."
Enoch stroked his chin, his expression thoughtful and silent.
Yuanna kept glancing at us, clearly curious about the letter's contents. However, this was too sensitive a matter to mention carelessly, so I had no choice but to remain silent.
"Let's head to the dining hall where the others are waiting."
At my words, Enoch finally emerged from his reverie and looked at me. Both Enoch and Yuanna nodded in agreement.
* * *
Though we were in a ceasefire, this place remained a battlefield. Moreover, the military barracks were so poorly maintained that they were hardly suitable for nobility.
Yet for us, who had lived on an isolated island teeming with monsters, even these military barracks felt like a heavenly sanctuary.
As I pushed aside the cloth covering the barracks where the meal was prepared and stepped inside, Rujeep and Kaiden were already seated.
"Hey, you zealot. I heard the Holy Knight Order is retreating entirely—why aren't you disappearing with them?"
"And why aren't you disappearing with the Mage Military Camp, you godforsaken fool?"
Watching them grab each other by the collar brought back old memories, and I felt a sudden surge of emotion. The fact that we had all survived and escaped safely finally felt real. I rushed toward Rujeep.
"Bishop! Are you alright?"
Rujeep, who had only just noticed me, was so startled that he stumbled backward. Seeing him react as though he'd seen a ghost, I could only stare at him in bewilderment.
"What's wrong?"
"Y-y-Young Lady, it's been so long."
"What?"
It hadn't even been a week since we opened the gate and fell onto the battlefield. So much had happened in such a short time.
Everything had moved so quickly that we hadn't even finished negotiating the ceasefire with the enemy.
"Since we saw each other every day, a week without seeing you does count as a long time."
I had slept almost constantly for three days after arriving, so it did feel like barely any time had passed.
Moreover, unlike Yuanna, who had exchanged greetings with me here and there, Rujeep seemed to be avoiding me—it was difficult to encounter him at all.
Though I had heard from others, I wanted to ask him directly what I needed to know.
"Have the vengeful spirits truly disappeared?"
"They have found peace. It seems they achieved what they desired and departed."
Rujeep answered while avoiding my gaze. How strange. Why was he acting this way? I stood before the table and fixed him with a direct stare so he couldn't evade me. "Bishop, why do you keep avoiding me?"
"W-w-w-when did I ever—!"
"What? I, I, I, I... when did I...!"
"Ugh... what a fool."
Kaiden clicked his tongue at Rujeep. Then, on Rujeep's behalf, he explained his condition to me.
"He's been feeling guilty toward you."
"Guilty? Toward me?"
"You trusted him and entrusted him with sealing the vengeful spirits, but because of him, we nearly couldn't escape the island. And you were even kidnapped by that damned mage..."
As Rujeep spoke, sorrow welled up in him, and he bit his lower lip hard before lowering his head. Oh dear.
"No, don't blame yourself like that. You have nothing to apologize to me for. If we're going to be that way, we'd all have a hundred things to apologize to each other for."
At my words, Yuanna, who had been eating a cookie from the table, flinched and stopped mid-motion. I noticed her glancing at me before she quietly set the cookie back down on the table.
"Ah, everyone's gathered here! As expected, the protagonist always makes a grand entrance!"
Right on cue, Asdal announced his arrival with great fanfare. Looking at him, Asdal seemed more like a frivolous chatterbox than a noble prince.
As Asdal walked in energetically and spotted Rujeep, who was thoroughly dejected, he wore a puzzled expression.
"Why is the Bishop standing there like a defeated man? And why are you standing, Rodban and Young Lady? Everyone, sit down. Sit. I didn't prepare this meal, but please, all of you, sit comfortably."
He draped an arm around Rujeep's shoulder in a companionable embrace, laughed heartily, and invited us to sit with great ease. Then he took a seat across from Enoch.
Enoch and Asdal sat at opposite ends of the long table, while the rest of us found our own seats in between.
"Ah, Young Lady, please sit here."
Asdal suddenly gestured to the seat beside him.
"...Pardon? Why me?"
Despite my bewildered response, Asdal paid it no mind. With a composed expression, he looked at me and pulled out the chair. What was wrong with this man? Had he eaten something that disagreed with him?
"I simply wish to become better acquainted with you."
"With me? Why?"
"Because the position of Crown Princess in the Hestia Kingdom is currently vacant."
"Cough."
"What the hell is this nonsense?"
Rujeep coughed in surprise. Kaiden immediately kicked back his chair and rushed toward me, seizing my hand and pulling me away. Enoch blocked our path and shoved Asdal backward.
"Back off."
At Enoch's threatening demeanor, Asdal raised both hands in surrender and retreated.
"This is like a jungle, a real jungle."
Yuanna clicked her tongue as she observed the three men.
"Come now. It was merely a jest, a jest. Everyone, calm yourselves. I simply wished to become better acquainted with the Young Lady."
Asdal looked at me and winked playfully. Then he clapped his hands to lighten the atmosphere.
"Now, let us all be seated. We must eat."
Enoch and Asdal took seats at opposite ends of the long table, while Kaiden and I sat in the center, with Rujeep and Yuanna across from us.
I had not expected anything like a banquet on a battlefield. Yet the meal that began was surprisingly well-prepared.
According to Enoch and Asdal, when members of the imperial family participate in warfare, regardless of the nation, preparations are made to maintain basic dignity in consideration of negotiations with enemy leadership—this is standard practice.
When Asdal rang the bell, the meal service began. Carpaccio was served as the first course. While the meal was being set, everyone remained silent.
Once the servants had all departed, Enoch finally spoke.
"The commanding general of the Langrid Empire is Crown Prince Rodban. He was stripped of his title as Crown Prince and exiled in the past, but it appears His Majesty the Emperor has restored his status."
I recalled the letter Innis had sent. She had written that Rodban planned to eliminate Enoch before his return by utilizing military forces. Repeating the same mistakes as before—it seemed this man was incapable of learning.
Enoch continued his explanation with a composed expression.
"He will likely storm into this barracks soon. His objective appears to be my elimination, and I ask for your understanding."
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Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
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