INTC 49🍒

Chapter 49

That snide voice was really starting to get on my nerves, but this wasn’t the time or place to make another scene. Dorian’s hired thugs might still be lurking nearby, and if any reporters caught a whiff of scandal, it would be a nightmare. The sun was already high enough for passersby to peer into the alley curiously.

“Just follow your orders faithfully. Understood?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Then see her home safely.”

“Yes. Take care, sir.”

Kathleen bowed politely. The captain just gave a lazy wave of his hand and walked off. Of course, all I got was a perfunctory nod in my direction.

“What the hell. What a rude man.”

“Lady, he might hear you.”

“So what? He’s already far away.”

“No, I meant—Lady Hilder might hear you.”

Valerie glanced at the woman standing beside us. Kathleen slowly turned her expressionless face toward me.

“Let’s go. I’ll escort you home.”

“Oh, no, it’s fine. I can go alone. You must be busy, and I’d feel bad.”

“As you heard, those were the captain’s orders. If you refuse, it’ll put me in a difficult position.”

“……”

The more she spoke, the smaller I felt. Maybe it was guilt from having seen something I shouldn’t have earlier, but I was definitely the one who owed her an apology. Judging by her tone, her assignment had been changed because of me. Anyone could see that I was the one who should be sorry.

“Well, actually, I’m… not staying at the Kainan ducal residence right now.”

“Are you saying it’s inconvenient to reveal your whereabouts?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll keep it confidential. I’ll accompany you in the carriage and quietly return.”

“If that’s the case… then all right.”

I nodded reluctantly—and immediately regretted it.

“……”

“……”

“……”

The carriage was filled with suffocating silence. Only the occasional rattle of the wheels broke the stillness. Even in that oppressive quiet, Kathleen’s gaze remained steady, focused squarely between Valerie and me. That was the poise of a true noblewoman. Sitting there with her back perfectly straight, she was impressive enough to admire. In the end, I couldn’t stand the silence any longer and broke it.

“Valerie, what’s in that paper bag?”

“Oh, this? It’s a strawberry tart.”

“Tart? Did Lian make it?”

“Yes. He felt bad for making you wait so long, so he baked it for you. It’s a little cold now, but would you like a piece?”

“Sure. Maybe Lady Hilder would like one too—”

“I’m sorry, but eating during duty hours is prohibited.”

Her crisp reply was so sharp it made me flinch. Feeling awkward, I exchanged a glance with Valerie and tried again.

“Ah, would you like to take it with you, then? Just as a small thank-you.”

“Thank you, but I’ll have to decline.”

“Then maybe you could give it to your brother? I owe him for earlier.”

“……”

“Oh, never mind. Sorry, that was thoughtless of me.”

The moment I mentioned Teyron, Kathleen’s lips pressed into a hard line. The air in the carriage grew even colder.

‘Ugh, you idiot. You saw what happened, remember?’

Getting compared to her brother in front of others—no wonder she hated hearing his name. Desperate to smooth things over, I quickly changed the subject.

“Anyway, you’re really amazing.”

“?”

“I noticed back there—you were the only woman in the entire guard unit. You really stood out. Right, Valerie?”

“Of course. I heard Lady Hilder is the Empire’s first female guard officer.”

“Really?”

“Yes. She even won the swordsmanship tournament a few years ago. I went to watch it myself, actually. All my friends couldn’t stop talking about how cool she was.”

“Wow, that’s incredible. And I overheard that you were assigned to guard the Empire’s foreign dignitaries. That’s not something just anyone gets to do. You must have a lot of trust from your superiors.”

“I was—until it got canceled. Thanks to someone.”

They say you can’t spit on a smiling face—but what she threw back was colder than spit. Even with my thick fur coat, the chill seemed to pierce right through me. Silence fell again.

“……”

“……”

“……”

‘Great. So it’s not just the male leads who hate me now.’

Rumble.

The carriage stopped, ending the miserable journey at last.

“We’ve arrived. I’ll step out first.”

Kathleen moved with flawless precision, disembarking first, then helping Valerie down with the luggage. When I was about to follow, a pale hand suddenly appeared in front of me. Kathleen’s.

“Take my hand, please.”

“Oh, thank you.”

As I took her hand, Teyron’s face flashed in my mind—how he had once helped me to my feet.

—We’ll meet again soon.
—I’ll accept your thanks properly then.

After closing the carriage door for me, Kathleen bowed deeply, then turned to walk away.

‘It’s such a long way back from here!’

“Wait, just a moment!”

“Yes?”

“You’re heading back to Moonlight Square, right? Take this carriage.”

“I’ll be fine.”

“It’s freezing out! I’d feel terrible letting you walk back.”

“I’m used to the cold.”

“What if you catch a cold?”

“If you’re offering extra kindness because I’m a woman—”

“No.”

My firm reply made her crimson eyes widen slightly.

“You might miss your next assignment if you fall ill. And besides, because of me, your previous mission got canceled. You were really looking forward to it, weren’t you? I’m sorry for that.”

“!”

“So, please—just take the carriage as a small apology.”

Kathleen studied my face for a while, looking somewhat surprised. Her gaze even seemed a bit softer.

‘Heh. She’s touched. See that? I’m a totally different person from the wedding day.’

If I could win Kathleen over like this, meeting Teyron again would be so much easier. Brilliant, as always.

“You should be more worried about yourself than me.”

Her cold tone shattered my hopeful little fantasy in an instant.

“W-what do you mean?”

“If I were you, I wouldn’t be leisurely wandering around the square at a time like this.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I heard you’ve been summoned to trial.”

“…What?”

“Waaah! What is happening!”

I screamed into my pillow. Valerie was sweating bullets trying to calm me down.

“My lady, please calm yourself.”

“How can I? I might be in prison soon!”

“The verdict hasn’t been given yet.”

“I just came back from the brink of death, and now I’m going to rot behind bars! Aaaagh!”

“Please, just take a deep breath.”

If I end up imprisoned, the game won’t progress at all! The time limit is only three years—if I’m locked up for longer than that, it’s straight to game over!

“It’s not like a royal trial just happens out of nowhere. They can’t charge you without a crime.”

I pounded my poor pillow in frustration.

“Exactly, you’ll be fine.”

“No, I’m doomed!”

“I understand how you feel, but please, sit down and rest a bit.”

“Ugh, fine.”

“You haven’t done anything wrong, so they’ll release you soon. Don’t worry.”

Valerie really knew how to soothe people. Her gentle voice calmed me down enough that I stopped sniffling and tried to think logically. What had I done, exactly? No matter how I racked my brain, I couldn’t think of a single thing.

Did Dorian sue me? No, breaking an engagement isn’t a crime. Maybe the Brick Mercenary guys? No, that would hurt their own business. Could it be my father? That makes even less sense.

No matter how I looked at it, I hadn’t committed any crime. And yet somehow, I was being treated like a criminal. That thought reignited my outrage.

“What could they even accuse me of?”

“Probably lèse-majesté.”

Caesar, who had slipped into the room at some point, said it matter-of-factly. My jaw dropped.

“What? Lèse-majesté?”

“Yes.”

“That bastard, Prince Hector!”

I shot up from the bed and yelled. Of course—it had to be him! The smug face of that insufferable prince flashed before my eyes. Valerie tried to shush me, but I was too furious to care.

“My lady, please! He’s in the next room—you’ll be heard!”

“So what! The trial’s already happening anyway!”

“We’re not certain of that yet.”

“Of course we are! You heard him too, talking about charging me with lèse-majesté!”

“Well, yes, but—”

“Fine then! I’ll go tell the Emperor myself that the prince is hiding here. Let’s see who regrets it more!”

“No. I don’t think His Highness is the one who filed the charges.”

Caesar’s quiet remark froze me mid-yell.

“What do you mean? Only a member of the royal family can file a lèse-majesté charge.”

“That’s true. Only royalty can initiate such a trial.”

“Then if it’s not Prince Hector, who else could it be? I haven’t even met any other royals! They’re all in the palace, aren’t they? The only one I’ve ever spoken to is him!”

“That’s also true. But… see for yourself.”

He handed me an envelope sealed with the royal crest. My fingers trembled as I tore it open. The title on the document alone made my blood run cold.

“Royal Trial Summons.”

“I—I can’t read it!”

“I’ll read it for you.”

“Not out loud! That’s even scarier!”

“Then what should I do?”

“Just… tell me the important parts.”

“All right.”

Valerie’s pink eyes turned serious as she scanned the paper. When she finally looked up, her expression was one of utter confusion.

“…My lady.”