Chapter 76

The second prince stood behind the person, with Johann standing respectfully behind him.

"I'm not a vassal of Lady Camilla, so I'm fine."

Johann's words from before resurfaced in my mind. At the time, I hadn't thought much of it, but now it all made sense. Johann was a vassal of the second prince. The "a little more" he mentioned earlier might have been because he was waiting for the second prince to arrive.

"Brother, why are you here..."

"I came to bring you back. That's why I was against you going out. It's too late to say anything now, isn't it?"

The second prince directed a cold gaze at Princess Camilla. Despite their obvious resemblance as siblings, there was little warmth between them.

"You all, step back. Prepare to return immediately."

"Hai!"

The group of soldiers who had surrounded us straightened their posture and saluted. Their expressions were more serious than before, and after forming a neat formation, they left for the palace without even glancing at Princess Camilla.

Left behind were Princess Camilla and her attendant, Prince Sieg and Colonel Radine, Lars and the knights, the second prince and Johann, a few soldiers standing behind the second prince, and Noah and I.

"There's no need to bring me back. I had a reason to stay. If Einhard nods, I would have returned to Anheim immediately."

"Are you a fool? Falling in love with a knight from a foreign country and trying to bring him back is not a sane thing to do."

"Oh, I don't have any impure thoughts about Einhard. What's wrong with wanting to keep someone I like close?"

Princess Camilla sighed, placing her slender hand on her cheek, looking troubled. The second prince sighed even more deeply and turned his gaze towards us—more specifically, towards Noah.

"Are you the knight Einhard? My foolish sister has caused you trouble. I will formally apologize to you on behalf of Anheim. Of course, to your fiancée as well."

Noah didn't say anything, but the second prince didn't seem to mind. He turned to the soldiers behind him and nodded. In response, the soldiers surrounded Princess Camilla.

"I didn't realize how troublesome it would be to deal with someone who doesn't listen. This is partly my and my brother's fault for leaving you alone. Camilla, the marriage to the Kingdom of Montbrowe is off. We don't know what kind of disaster you might cause if we let you out of the country."

"What do you mean? I was supposed to marry into Montbrowe as their hope."

"Montbrowe wanted you for the support Anheim would provide through a marital alliance. It doesn't have to be you."

Princess Camilla's face twisted in displeasure. She gripped her closed fan tightly and then threw it to the ground. The sound was louder than expected, making me flinch. Noah pulled me closer, reassuring me. The broken pieces of the fan scattered on the stone pavement, illuminated by the sunset, and the gems embedded in it sparkled.

"You are to be confined to the palace. You won't be allowed to leave the palace, let alone the country. All your attendants and guards will be replaced, so don't expect any of your whims to be fulfilled."

"Such... such a thing..."

"Think about the trouble your whims have caused."

"...Father will never allow such tyranny."

No one could interject in the exchange between Princess Camilla and the second prince. The idea of confinement made me think, but it might be presumptuous for me to have any thoughts on what Anheim has decided.

"This decision has been approved by Father. Everything you've done in this country has been reported. It took time to convince those who indulged you, and it caused more trouble for this country. From now on, no whims or luxuries will be allowed."

"…Lies… such lies…"

Princess Camilla's gaze shifted from the second prince to Prince Sieg, then to Noah. She paled and swayed, supported by her attendant. Her trembling breath reached my ears.

"I just... wanted to say what I wanted, that's all, isn't it?"

"Using soldiers for personal reasons and saying such things is quite a feat. Using soldiers who entered the country as envoys to use force in the palace could be considered an act of war."

"I didn't mean to...! I just wanted to create a setting to persuade Einhard."

"Enough, be quiet. Talking to a fool is exhausting."

As if on cue, the soldiers pulled Princess Camilla and her attendant apart. The attendant went quietly, but Princess Camilla didn't move.

"Brother Sieg! Is what I did so terrible? It's not a crime worthy of confinement, is it?"

"There's no point in me interfering with Anheim's decision. However... Anheim has sent multiple protests. You won't be allowed to leave the country, and even if you do, you won't be allowed to enter this country."

Despite his fatigue, his words were firm and rejecting. Princess Camilla repeatedly shook her head like a child.

Then her gaze turned to Noah, her tears streaming down her cheeks.

"If you had come with me willingly, this wouldn't have happened."

The air in the room froze at her words. The second prince and Prince Sieg stared in disbelief. I probably looked the same, but Noah's expression was blank. He might still be holding back.

"If you hadn't repeated such nonsense so many times, this wouldn't have happened."

At Noah's words, Princess Camilla's face contorted. Her blue eyes darkened, and her gaze turned to me.