CHAPTER 163,…………………………………..
Adel, standing on the hill, plucked a leaf from an oak tree as she gazed at the vast plain stretching out before her. The river winding through the plains shimmered like stars in the evening glow.
“…….”
So we’ve finally made it here.
The expressions of the three siblings standing side by side were both different and the same.
Adel, in the center, showed a nonchalant expectation, while Caiden, standing to her left, openly revealed hostility.
And on the right was Noella…
“……So this is the place.”
Her calm gaze, as if transcending all emotions, seemed almost sacred.
There was no trace of anger or sorrow. Just as when she had calmly observed the people of San Fidelio, she now quietly looked down at the villa on the plain.
“I always thought I’d have the chance to come here someday.”
Noella’s voice, dreamlike, made Aaron, who stood a step back, feel his neck flush red.
“……Lady Noella.”
“Yuliana.”
Being the main character, she even handles introductions with a certain flair.
Adel reflected on this, whether with admiration or a sigh, and grabbed Caiden’s arm.
For the first time, Caiden’s eyes, which had always been fixed solely on their elder sister, were now fixed on another woman.
“I believed it. The great god Enes always responds to those who pray earnestly.”
“……Elder sister, that—”
“Leave it.”
This is not something one should be looking at.
Adel tugged Caiden’s sleeve, signaling him to ignore it.
Noella, hands clasped in prayer, embodied the height of reverence.
‘What on earth did she do to deserve this?’
A fresh wave of respect for Rebecca stirred within him.
They gazed at the villa in silence for quite some time. Despite the long journey to get here, none of them showed even a hint of fatigue.
Ironically, the first to cough from the cold wind was Aaron, who had lived his whole life in a monastery.
“Are you not cold? Unlike the south, nights here are particularly chilly…”
“It’s warm.”
“Just perfect.”
“I’m sweating.”
“Ah…….”
Aaron stopped adjusting his collar at the simultaneous barrage of responses from the three siblings.
They might all seem strange to each other, but the aura each sibling exuded was otherworldly.
At least to ordinary Aaron, it certainly was. Yet he tried, in his own way, to make sense of the situation.
“Judging by appearances, the princess has not arrived yet. It seems we came earlier than expected.”
“If they only moved after hearing I went for convalescence, they’d naturally be a step behind.”
“Then shall we go inside first and search? If we find her heart before Chloe arrives…”
“……In this vast place?”
Adel gestured to the villa, indicating they should look carefully. From the massive fountain to the building, which had been repeatedly expanded, the scale rivaled that of a noble family’s main residence.
“Surely, it wasn’t neatly placed in a treasure chest. Even thinking of possible hiding places, there must be thousands. And if we happen upon it, any woman would rather die than hand it over to me.”
“That said, we can’t just wait here forever.”
“Whether I want it or not, as Crown Princess of the Empire, can I just trespass? It would be different if we were visiting Noella’s friend’s house.”
Right?
Adel cast a questioning glance at Noella, who released her clasped hands as if in prayer.
Not just released, but flicked them away, her voice still exuding a detached, transcendent loneliness.
“Of course, sister.”
“…….”
“Having received the teachings of god Enes at San Fidelio, it would be unthinkable for us to commit such a brazen act.”
“Ah… Lady, your heart is so deep.”
“Damn it…….”
Seeing Aaron struggle to say anything further to Noella, Caiden finally spat out a curse.
“Seriously….” He trailed off mid-sentence, and even Adel agreed it wasn’t a combination likely to produce anything good.
“Elder sister, how long do we have to watch that…… ah.”
“Shh.”
As Caiden sensed a presence, Adel pressed her lips together and signaled him to be quiet.
Noella and Aaron also stilled their breathing, watching below.
The group, slipping like shadows through the darkness, reached the villa entrance in an instant. Upon closer look, more than one person was cloaked in robes.
When had they even hired mercenaries?
Adel’s eyes flickered as she smirked.
Among the large men, finally, the long-awaited Chloe appeared. No matter how tightly she wrapped herself, she was unmistakable.
“……Sister.”
“Hold it together.”
Adel extended her arm toward Noella, more shaken than herself. Any rash movement now could ruin everything.
“Wait until Chloe disappears alone.”
“Princess, the mercenaries’ movements are unusual. If you wait here, I can handle them.”
“……Your Highness?”
“The three of you alone won’t suffice. It would be safer for you, Lady, or the fragile young lady, to step back…”
“You’re telling us to retreat?”
“…….”
Did I do something wrong again?
Aaron, sword drawn, hesitated at Adel’s reluctant gaze.
Caiden didn’t know, but the two ladies were so fragile that he feared for their safety.
“Lady, I just……”
“It’s time to make this clear.”
“Huh?”
As Adel pulled him, Aaron couldn’t resist and was dragged along.
Caiden glared at him as if to kill, but even he couldn’t go against his sister’s will.
Just as Aaron tried to ask why, a voice whispered across his body, sending shivers down his spine.
“Your Highness, do you perhaps like my sister?”
“Y-Yes…… what?”
“I knew it.”
This is why the main characters’ infatuation is terrifying.
Adel smiled knowingly and withdrew from Aaron’s ear.
Judging by the aura rising from Caiden, if they didn’t shake it off quickly, a conflict might erupt before even confronting Chloe.
“……Then it would be best for Your Highness to keep watch here.”
“That’s impossible. I cannot…! For my brother’s sake, it’s impossible!”
“I say this out of gratitude for your feelings.”
“……Huh?”
“I only wish to protect Your Highness’s illusions.”
As is proper, good protagonists deserve rewards.
Though Aaron wasn’t the deepest thinker, he knew his duty. To reward him, Adel decided to keep him away from them.
After all, he’s the male protagonist.
“Now, we should go in. Fewer people make less noise, which is better.”
“You really mean just the three of you?”
“Your Highness, you stay in the rear and handle anyone we miss.”
Adel followed Chloe, disappearing into the villa before it got any later.
Seeing the mercenaries Chloe brought take positions around the villa, it seemed they were just as pressed for time.
“……Sister.”
“……Sister.”
Noella and Caiden, alongside her, released their hands. The quiet breathing of predators rippled as the hunt disguised as hide-and-seek began.
Adel raised her hands, which had been resting on her stomach, and carefully donned her gauntlets.
“You both know, even without me saying…….”
In the swirling wind, she finished putting on the other glove she had held between her teeth.
“……We must not let excitement cause sound to escape.”
The two younger siblings nodded earnestly.
With all preparations complete, it was now time to enjoy the feast.
“Let’s go. The one who finds it first is the owner.”
