Chapter 84

"!"

Elina's eyes snapped open. She tried to sit up, but her arms wouldn't move. She saw that her arms were tied with ropes. No matter how much she tried to exert force, the ropes wouldn't budge. It was clear that the tightly bound ropes couldn't be removed. Struggling, Elina managed to sit up.

Elina found herself in a place she had never seen before. The room was dimly lit, probably because the only windows were small. Only a little light came in from them, making the entire room feel dark. It wasn't a small room. There were wooden boxes and burlap bags, but they weren't neatly arranged, making it look more like a cluttered storage area.

"How...?"

Where was this place? And why was she here? Elina was confused.

Then she remembered what had happened. She had been about to get into the carriage with the Duchess of Forboard when a child suddenly ran out. When Elina approached the child, who seemed frightened, smoke came out from the child, quickly obscuring Elina's vision, and she fainted.

What did this mean? Elina understood. The child was probably a diversion. From the start, the target was Elina, as evidenced by the fact that they had confirmed she was the Crown Princess.

"Was the fear... just an act...?"

"Hmm, surprised. You're already up? Hehehe."

"!"

Suddenly, a voice rang out, and Elina's body trembled. She didn't know when the person had entered the room. A young man in a hood slowly approached. He wore grayish clothing and black pants. His face, visible under the hood, was smiling like a child who had found a toy. Despite the smile, Elina felt a deep fear. She clenched her lips tightly to suppress her trembling body.

"Hello, Princess."

"..."

"I thought you'd be crying and screaming. You're not scared by this? Really, disappointing."

Despite saying it was disappointing, the young man didn't seem to care. He appeared to be enjoying the situation. He slowly walked up to Elina and, when he reached her, knelt down in front of her.

"Hey, Princess. You're the granddaughter of that fox-faced Duke, right? How did you get close to that man? He didn't like women with harsh faces like yours, did he?"

"..."

The young man was referring to the late Duke of Forboard, Elina's grandfather. So, who was the man he was talking about? There were only a few men close to Elina. If she said something wrong, she would give the man information. So, Elina just stared at the young man in silence.

No, that might not be the reason. If she spoke, she would reveal her fear. This was a kidnapping. Elina was being held hostage.

"Hmm, silent, huh? Well, that's fine. I don't really need to hear from you. I just want to make that man aware."

"...that man..."

Elina repeated it involuntarily. The man the young man was talking about and "that man" seemed to be the same person. The young man smiled, apparently satisfied with Elina's reaction.

"Yes, that man... his name is Alvis."

"!"

Hearing an unexpected name, Elina's eyes widened. She hadn't expected to hear Alvis's name here. What did this mean? Knowing Alvis's name wasn't unusual; he was the current Crown Prince and the next king. The young man spoke of him as if he were an acquaintance. It was understandable that Elina was shocked.

"Actually, the one who should have been by his side was my sister. He belonged to my sister, so why is he married to you?"

"..."

"Hey, Princess, you don't really think he loves you, do you? He can't love anyone but my sister, and he can't forget her. That... is impossible."

The young man's expression changed. What was he talking about? Was the "man" he was talking about really Alvis?

"He was looking for a place to die. My sister helped him, but... she was just used by those above. It's so easy to manipulate a naive noble. They don't even question what's behind it."

"..."

"You."

"That's why... Alvis belongs to my sister. He should be. I won't forgive him for killing my sister and trying to forget her."

Killed. The word lingered in Elina's mind. She remembered something Alvis had said to her before.

"I'm a terrible man."

"...If you knew, you might be disappointed in me."

What had happened in Alvis's past? Elina wanted to know. It was frustrating that Littine, the princess, knew something Elina didn't. She felt jealous of Littine, her childhood friend. But she wanted to know about Alvis. That was her true feeling. But perhaps it was a sad and painful memory for Alvis, something he didn't want to remember.

"That's why I want to make him realize."

"..."

A sharp sound reached Elina's ear. She felt a cold sensation at her neck.

"If I kill you, he will suffer more, right? After all, your death will be Alvis's fault. People dying for him. Hahaha, it's perfect."

"..."

"You don't want to die, do you? You'll be killed for a marriage of duty. Hate him, right? You'll die because you married him. Hahaha, then he'll be hated by you too."

Elina could only freeze. It was a knife. If she moved, it would cut her neck. No, it wouldn't just be a cut. If her neck was cut, she would bleed, and the young man wouldn't help her. She would be very close to death.

"Scared? Or do you want to say something hateful? Don't worry. I'll kill you right in front of him. Then you'll give him a hateful look. He'll blame himself for your death and continue living. Maybe he'll even kill me. It's so exciting."

"...You're... crazy."

"That's right. But don't worry. I won't kill Alvis. I'll only kill you. Or maybe it would be more painful for him if you betrayed him?"

"..."

The young man lowered the knife from Elina's neck and placed his other hand on her chin. Elina turned pale, understanding what he was about to do.

Being alone with an unknown young man in such a place. Elina had only been alone with a man, other than her family, with Alvis. For a duchess's daughter, being alone with an unknown man was a scandal. If Alvis saw her in this situation, what would happen? No, not just Alvis. If any third party saw her, she would be disgraced as the Crown Princess. It would be like being caught in an affair.

"Hey, what will you do? Will you switch to me instead of him? If you do, I might spare your life."

The young man seemed to only want to hurt Alvis. The reason he hated Alvis was related to his sister. He was using Elina just for that. Elina felt her mind go cold. There wasn't much she could do here. But there was one thing.

"...I love Alvis. So, I'm not afraid to die for him."

"..."

Elina could only believe in Alvis. No matter what his past was, her feelings wouldn't change. She could say that with certainty.

When she said this, the young man froze, his eyes wide open as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

Then, a loud bang echoed.

"Elina!"

"..."

Seeing Alvis, who had run in, out of breath, Elina felt relieved. But that was a mistake. Despite the declaration, the moment she saw Alvis, she let her guard down.

The young man, startled by the loud noise, raised the knife, but Elina didn't notice.

"...It's time to die."

"?"

Suddenly, Elina's vision turned completely red.

---

A few days ago, to celebrate the release of the manga and the third volume, I posted a couple of short stories in the short story collection. You don't need to read them to follow the main story, but if you're interested, feel free to check them out.