Chapter 86

In terms of content, this follows "58 Suspicions."

For a while from here, the story will delve into the background of how Lana and her companions were captured.

I will strive to connect all the scattered stories and show how they led to the capture.

"Maybe... I shouldn’t exist at all."

A weak, fading voice. It felt like the ground beneath my feet was crumbling. My hands turned cold. My body, reflecting the dark thoughts in my heart, grew icy.

The one who stayed by my side was Kir. A warm hand gently took mine.

"Ms. Shina."

Kir’s usual gentle voice. The same gentle voice that always enveloped me in the Glass Forest. Slowly lifting my head, I saw silver eyes gazing at me.

"I will defeat anyone who harms Ms. Shina. If Ms. Shina says she will leave the Kingdom of Marita, I will accompany you wherever you go."

Kir’s usual words. But today, there was more.

"Ms. Shina, it is not true that you are unsuitable to be a princess. You undervalue yourself, but to me, you are the best master and a rare person with great potential. When you gave me the bracelet and the Flame Sword, you said, ‘Never call me a half-orphan again. I won’t allow anyone to belittle my Kir, even if it’s you yourself.’”

Kir smiled happily and enveloped my hand in both of his.

"I have received many things from Ms. Shina, but nothing made me happier than those words. Before I met you, I was often looked down upon as a half-orphan and couldn’t take pride in myself. But thanks to your words, I can live with pride."

"Kir..."

"Ms. Shina. I will return your words from that time. ‘Please don’t say such things about yourself. I won’t allow anyone to belittle my master, even if it’s you yourself.’”

Kir’s gentle reprimand felt like a warm light in my chest.

"Okay... I’m sorry, Kir."

No matter who rejects me, I have Kir.

Kir, who believes in me and will follow me wherever I go.

"Okay...! If the Kingdom of Marita says I’m not needed, let’s just leave together! Let’s travel again, just the two of us!"

I said this with determination, as if to shake off all my worries. It’s okay. It will be okay. Even if it hurts now, the pain will surely fade with time.

But Kir shook his head slowly, as if he understood everything.

"Ms. Shina, before you decide to leave this country, why don’t you talk to Prince Jinklett again?"

"Jin?"

Thinking about Jin made my chest ache. Despite my resolve, I was wavering, and Kir nodded firmly.

"Yes. I have always watched over you, whether you were with Prince Lector or Prince Jinklett. The current you is completely different from when you were deceived by Prince Lector. Back then, you were always shrinking, swallowing your words, and enduring."

Kir looked down, his eyes pained. Yes, back then, I always had a forced smile on my face. I did it so Kir wouldn’t worry. If I said anything else, I felt like I would shatter. “It’s okay” was my catchphrase, and I answered everything with that.

"When you are with Prince Jinklett, you look happy. You are at ease, relaxed, and joyful. With him, you laugh, get angry, and act affectionate every day. You show me your true self. I can say this with certainty, having watched over you for so long."

Kir smiled gently, took my hand, and nodded firmly. Just that made my heart, which was about to be consumed by anxiety, calm down.

Kir has always watched over me.

When I was in the Glass Forest, he always told me to leave quickly, not to trust Prince Lector, and that I would die if I stayed. But in the Kingdom of Marita, I was never told such things. The always tense Kir became softer. Most importantly, he started to entrust my care to others. This must be because Kir trusts the Kingdom of Marita and Jin.

"Prince Jinklett seems to care so much about you that he tries to solve everything on his own. Is that what you want?"

At Kir’s words, I shook my head reflexively.

I don’t want that at all.

I don’t want Jin to get hurt or injured while protecting me, without me knowing.

Kir made me realize what hurt the most.

It wasn’t that the king proposed a marriage to the Kingdom of Naris without telling me, but that Jin didn’t tell me anything. Why didn’t he tell me about something that involved both of us?

Jin might be trying to protect me. But...

My vision blurred. The back of my nose stung, and my chest ached even more.

"Jin... Jin..."

Unpleasant thoughts swirled in my head. The image of Jin turning his back on me and moving away.

"...Jin is going to send me to the Kingdom of Naris without my consent, just to keep me safe..."

"I don’t think so."

Kir cut me off with a very fast response, and my tears were held back by the force of it.

Kir looked at me as if I were a poorly behaved child. What? I sometimes get this look, but why?

"Ms. Shina, you shouldn’t underestimate Prince Jinklett’s attachment. He would do anything, even illegal things, to be with you."

Illegal? What? That sounds really dangerous.

Kir let out a deep sigh.

"To be honest, I’m surprised you don’t realize how dangerous, no, how deep, no, how intense Prince Jinklett’s love for you is. But let’s put that aside. You don’t need to worry about the impossible, like Prince Jinklett leaving you. As for why he kept the engagement with Prince Rolf a secret, I can make an educated guess."

What? Kir knows why Jin didn’t speak up?

Is my child a detective too? Amazing, Kir!

"You know? Tell me!"

Kir looked troubled and hesitated. He seemed very reluctant to say it.

"I can’t judge why the king chose Prince Rolf as a potential fiancé for you. There must be some deep reason, but honestly, I think he overestimates Prince Rolf. I don’t know, but he must have some outstanding abilities... I don’t know."

Kir’s words were prickly. He really doesn’t like Prince Rolf.

Prince Rolf has a colorful romantic life, but I haven’t heard any other bad rumors about him. He’s capable, of high status, and good-looking. On the surface, he seems to have good qualities. Plus, probably... From his aggressive and calm demeanor, and his skills in infiltration and magic, he seems quite experienced in covert operations. He’s like Barry, with a smile that hides his true intentions.

"And as for Prince Jinklett, probably... Well, the reason he kept quiet about Prince Rolf... It’s best to hear it from him. The reason I came up with is quite trivial."

Trivial...? Kir, who is usually strict with words, is so flustered. I’m curious.

I asked him to tell me, but Kir said, “If my guess is wrong, it could be considered a crime of disrespect,” and wouldn’t tell me. Is it that trivial?

Even in my past life as a detective, and in this life, I can’t solve mysteries without solid evidence.

"Hmm. Then what should I do? Jin and Barry won’t tell me anything. If Prince Canaan and the narcissist leave like this, the relationship with the Kingdom of Naris will worsen, and I won’t know why the king proposed a marriage to the Kingdom of Naris."

The narcissist said the king cares about me, but choosing him as a potential fiancé has zero credibility. I don’t want to be left with this nagging feeling. But trying to get the king or Jin to speak up directly is beyond my negotiation skills. I can only see a future where I’m led around in circles.

Even the tearful plea, a trick I learned from my popular friend, barely worked on Jin. Damn.

"I don’t care about the narcissist, but I want to be friends with Prince Canaan..."

My healing Prince Canaan. Saying goodbye to his chubby cheeks is unbearable.

While I groaned and pondered, Kir smiled at me.

"Ms. Shina, I know the strongest ally."