Chapter 31

"Cordeeliaaaa!!"

A roar like that of a beast struck Cordeelia's eardrums.

"Princess Katharina?!"

Katharina, who was supposed to be imprisoned as a criminal, stood there with disheveled hair and sunken eyes, a far cry from the dignified appearance she once had as a duchess's daughter.

"Hehe, hahaha! Finally, we meet, Cordeelia!! Just as Prince Zaid said!!"

"Did you also fall for Prince Zaid's manipulation?"

"The Prince said!! If I kill Cordeelia and Priscilla, he would grant me the position of Empress!! He acknowledged that I am the one fit to be the mother of the nation!!"

Katharina's hand, raised unsteadily, glinted with the dull light of a dagger.

(That's it!! He manipulated Priscilla and Topac to lure me out, and then planned to have Katharina, who harbors a grudge against us sisters, dispose of us all!!)

Even as the Crown Prince, Zaid wouldn't have a lackey he could trust to assassinate the innocent Cordeelia. Katharina, on the other hand, could be turned into an impromptu killer with a few well-placed lies. As Cordeelia braced herself, she cursed Zaid.

"Die!! Die for me and the country!!"

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!"

Topac screamed and fled. Ignoring him, Katharina lunged at Cordeelia.

"!!"

Cordeelia dodged desperately, and Katharina's bloodshot eyes glared up at her.

"Tch!! You're so nimble!! Then I'll start with your sister!!"

"NOOO!! Don't come near me!! You, be my shield!!"

"Let go!! I don't want to be a substitute for you!!"

Priscilla shook off the maid's hand, and the maid ran away. The maid and Topac abandoned Priscilla and fled through the room's entrance.

"Hahahahaha!! Pathetic, Priscilla!!"

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!"

"Die――――――――Gyahh?!"

A candelabra thrown by Cordeelia struck Katharina's head. In the darkness that enveloped the room, Katharina's mad laughter echoed.

(Where can I run...?!!)

From the direction of the room's entrance, Katharina's screams could be heard. Cordeelia looked around for an escape route and saw a thin line of light piercing the darkness on the opposite wall.

She ran to the light, placed her hand on the wall, and felt a protrusion like a doorknob. Pushing it open, blinding light flooded in.

"...!! This is the second floor!!"

Beyond the door was a wide balcony with a railing. The ground was far below, and a failed landing would likely break a bone or two.

"Big sister!! What should we do?! Quickly take care of Princess Katharina!!"

Priscilla, who had fled later, shouted irresponsibly.

"It's impossible. It's dangerous, but we have to jump from here."

"Are you kidding?! I'm running."

Katharina was closing in from behind. There was no time to worry about her sister.

Placing her foot on the railing, Cordeelia was about to jump when,

"NO!! Don't go, big sister!!"

"What?!"

"Kyaaaaa?!"

A shock from behind knocked her off balance, and she fell into the void, dragging Priscilla, who had grabbed her dress, down with her from the second floor.

"...Priscilla, are you okay?"

She managed to avoid landing headfirst, but a sharp pain shot through her right leg, making it difficult to stand. Despite the pain, she raised her head and saw Priscilla running away.

"Priscilla...!!"

How dare she. At this moment, Cordeelia felt anger and hatred towards Priscilla for the first time in her heart.

"Do you intend to take even my life?!"

Priscilla's back grew smaller as she continued to run without looking back. Cordeelia needed to escape quickly; Katharina would surely be chasing her from behind. Just as she was trying to stand despite her injured leg,

"Hey?"

A red flower bloomed in Priscilla's silver hair.

"Hot?! What's――――――――Gyaaaaaaah?!"

Flames erupted, burning Priscilla's head.

"AAAAAAHHHHHHH―――――――――!!"

Scorched by the heat and flames, Priscilla screamed and fell. The shock seemed to have extinguished the flames, but Priscilla lay motionless on the ground.

"Priscilla..."

"Hahahahaha!! Burned to a crisp, just as she deserved!! Trying to run from me!!"

From the balcony, Katharina's insane laughter echoed.

(That's right...!! Princess Katharina uses fire magic...!!)

Cordeelia had forgotten in her desperation to escape the dagger. She could only avoid the fireballs raining down from above by lying flat on her stomach.

"Hahahahaha!! This is fun!! You look like a miserable caterpillar!!"

Cordeelia gritted her teeth as more fireballs landed nearby. None of them hit her directly. It seemed Katharina had decided to torment her.

"Learn your lesson!! For mocking me, a duchess's daughter!! I'll make sure you remember!!"

Katharina screamed and began a long incantation. At the end of her hand, a massive flame began to grow. Cordeelia looked up in despair.

(Not here, not to such a woman...!!)

Determined not to scream, she clenched her teeth tightly—

"Cordeelia!!"

The approaching fireball vanished without a trace of smoke.

"――――――――Prince Leonhardt?!"

Leonhardt, who had rushed over, gently helped Cordeelia to her feet.

"Are you alright?!"

"Thank you. I twisted my right leg, but I'm otherwise fine—"

"Why are you here?!"

Katharina's shrill voice interrupted their reunion.

"Why is Your Highness here?! Why isn't my magic working?!"

Her screams were followed by incantations, and fireballs were launched their way. However, as soon as they approached Leonhardt, they dissipated into the air.

(Regression...?)

Katharina was a powerful mage, but she was still just a human.

The royal family's ancestor was a holy beast that controlled fire. As a regression, Leonhardt also reigned over fire in this place.

"......Did you hurt Cordeelia?"

"Kyaa?!"

Exposed to Leonhardt's, the Fire King's, gaze, Katharina shrank back. Shaking with fear rather than malice, she chanted a spell—

"Gyaa?!"

The out-of-control magic, driven by fear and emotion, turned on its caster. Katharina flailed wildly, trying to extinguish the flames that scorched her dress.

"Your Highness!! Please, extinguish it!!"

"――――――――Fine. If that's what you want."

At Leonhardt's glance, Katharina's flames vanished.

However, her confusion did not immediately subside—

"Dangerous!!"

In her flailing, she overbalanced and fell over the railing.

"Kyaaaaa―――――?!"

Her scream cut off, and the sound of flesh hitting the ground echoed. Katharina lay sprawled, her neck twisted in an impossible direction.

"......Princess Katharina......"

Katharina, who was foolish and had repeatedly attempted murder, should have been judged in a court of law. Even though her death was self-inflicted, it left a bad taste in Cordeelia's mouth. She silently prayed for the silent woman and looked up at Leonhardt.

"Prince Leonhardt, could you please carry me to Priscilla?"

"You're going to help your sister, who abandoned you and ran away?"

"......Even such a sister is a beloved daughter to Father and Mother."

Though her mother had only oppressed her, her father had shown her affection in her childhood, albeit briefly. Cordeelia had given up on Priscilla, but she didn't want to see her father's sad face.

If a life could be saved, she wanted to save it. Understanding Cordeelia's thoughts, Leonhardt lifted her into his arms. As they approached, the blackened head of her sister, still emitting a small plume of smoke, came into view.

"Cordeelia, you shouldn't see this."

"......Your Highness, please let go. As a member of the same earldom, I have a responsibility to witness this."

Gently pushing his hand away, she looked at her sister.

"......Terrible."

Her proud silver hair was completely burned away, and her head was scorched. Her forehead, eyebrows, and the right side of her face were cruelly burned, making Cordeelia feel a wave of nausea.

"......With those burns, even the best doctor couldn't restore her appearance...... Her breathing is stable, so there should be no burns to her mouth or internal organs."

"......The only thing we can do is make her understand that she's lucky to be alive."

Sighing, she felt a sharp pain in her right leg.

"I only injured my right leg. If Your Highness hadn't been here, I would have been roasted by now. How did you find this place?"

Looking around, she saw sparse trees and a towering aqueduct. It seemed to be a forest on the outskirts of the capital. It was almost evening, and it had been less than half a day since she was kidnapped from her home in the afternoon.

"Did you follow my scent all the way here...?"

"No, that would be impossible. Someone informed me of your danger and this location—"

"Kyaa?!"

A strong impact. Staggering, Leonhardt gently set Cordeelia down and fell to his knees. A deep arrow was embedded in his right shoulder, near the base of his neck.

"Your Highness...?!"

"Stay there, Leonhardt. I will arrest you for treason."

From the forest, which was turning to twilight, Zaid appeared with his soldiers.