Was I worried for nothing? Brantley didn’t need me anymore…
I turned away with a heavy heart.
‘I wanted to be alone for sometime.’
Leaving the dining area, I was walking down the corridor. Suddenly I heard someone argue.
“H-How could you treat our Jacob like this?”
“Then what do you expect me to do!”
It was the Duke and Duchess of Eisen arguing.
My ears perked up.
“Everyone may look down on Jacob, but you, his father, shouldn’t!”
“The Emperor favors Brantley.. and frankly speaking isn’t he the one with better qualities?”
“What? A-Are you really thinking of making Brantley the successor?”
“If not, what can I do?!”
“Are you insane! What about our Jacob! You promised me!”
“Get a grip! Changing the successor in this situation is just like ignoring the Emperor’s recognition of Brantley. He even received the Royal Knight’s title!”
“That knighthood can’t take the heirship away from my Jacob!”
“The Temple is already on the verge of collapse, but if you incur the Emperor’s wrath, we’re all doomed!”
Duke Eisen snarled.
Suddenly, the duchess began to cry, “My son, I feel so sorry for him…!”
“You can’t cry in public. As a Duchess, you have to maintain your dignity!”
After sobbing for a while, the Duchess clung to one last ray of hope and asked, “What is the Archbishop doing? Is he going to let the faction disappear?”
Duke Eisen glanced around, then whispered.
“The Temple is still thinking about saving Asta.”
“What? Has he lost his sanity?”
“The Archbishop said that he found a method to save Asta…”
“Shouldn’t he focus on the matters of the Temple? How long will he cling to Asta?”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying. The Archbishop is hopeless, and you should give up.”
“The Archbishop is out of his mind. If Asta ever gets free, do you think she’ll stay quiet? She’ll seek revenge without mercy.”
“It will be lucky if she doesn’t get caught trying to kill Princess Hanelope again.”
“Who cares about the Princess, we’ll be the first ones to suffer!”
I frowned as I listened to their conversation,
‘Was there a way to save Asta? They were still not giving in..’
How persistent and venomous!
A suspicion crept in, ‘Maybe…’
Just then., the Duke of Eisen sneaked a glance in my direction. I quickly ducked behind the wall.
“!”
But there was a bigger surprise behind the wall.
A boy leaning against the wall, staring down at the floor with cold eyes, raised his head, “We might get caught. Let’s go.”
Brantley whispered.
Despite the icy look on his face, the whisper in my ear was affectionate. We took each other’s hands and moved to a quieter spot.
“How long have you been there?”
“Since the beginning.”
“Since the beginning? But you were at the dinner…”
“It could be dangerous for you to wander alone.”
I found it a bit strange. How did he know I had left the dining room when surrounded by so many people? As if understanding my thoughts, Brantley spoke with a smile, “I’ve been looking at you the whole time.”
Then he leaned in and whispered, “If Asta tries to hurt you again, I’m not going to spare her.”
Brantley’s eyes shone with coldness. It was the same chilly expression I saw earlier.
I was taken aback, but I regained my composure soon.
I had to be careful.
“Is what the Duke said true?”
What if he said something suggestive on purpose, then shifted his gaze to me, only to gauge my reaction?
‘It was like he was checking to see if I was listening.’
Me overhearing Duke of Eisen’s words may have been a trap he had set. The Temple might actually have a way to save Asta from the dungeon.
“Still, I should inform dad and grandfather first. Let’s not get carried away.’
I stared into the darkness at the end of the dimly lit corridor.
‘It can’t be him.’
I appreciated his concern, but I didn’t want Brantley to be in danger because of me.
I casually replied, “It’s okay. Nothing’s going to happen. Grandfather and dad are here, aren’t they?”
Brantley stared at me for a moment and then smiled, “Yeah. Don’t worry. That’s what I’m thinking too. I’ll take care of her before she can do anything.”
His cold gaze gleamed with madness.
***
Late at night, in the interrogation room, in the dungeon.
Asta leaned against the wall and stared into the void.
Moonlight filtered through a small window, illuminating Asta’s tortured face.
She was in so much pain that she begged to be killed. But the cruel interrogators would not stop until she divulged everything.
“Now that I’ve told them everything I’ve done, there’s no way I can live.”
Her heart felt like it had been ripped out of her chest.
‘I feel so empty.’
How could I waste my hard-earned life this time?
‘Just to end up more miserable than my previous life…’
I couldn’t even get to meet Yenna. My family still abandoned me before anyone else. All of her admirers spat on her. Even God betrayed her.
‘If this is how it was meant to be, why did he give me another chance to live?’
Maybe it was Prache, the real demon.
‘It’s so unfair! Why is this happening to me!’
Thinking there was nothing more to come, tears streamed down Asta’s cheeks again.
“Have you been crying?”
It was then that a young voice came from beyond the bars.
Asta, who had been lost in her thoughts, was startled and looked up.
A familiar dark-haired boy looked down at her.
“Security was tight, so it was hard to sneak in.”
“W-Who are you…?”
The boy pulled down the hood that covered his face.
Seeing the face, Asta was horrified, “Y-You are…!”
The boy let out an eerie laugh.
“You might be getting out of here soon.”
“What?”
Asta had never heard that before.
“There’s a rumor that the Great Temple is about to let you out, but the guards must not have told you yet.”
“Wh-What….?”
The Temple that had abandoned her, was going to rescue her.
She thought to herself, ‘Maybe Prache hadn’t abandoned her! He must be punishing her for acting clumsily. I should have expected it from his bad temper.’
Yes, that’s right! He’s not going to give up on me so easily after all my work! He’s going to rescue me.
Asta was excited.
Grabbing onto the thread of hope at the brink of death, her blood was rushing in.
The boy, who was watching her coldly, asked, “If you get out, what will you do? Will you torment Hanelope again?”
Asta’s eyes, trembling with excitement, widened at the mention of ‘Hanelope’.
“What’s it to you? Do you think I’ll only torment Hanelope? I’ll kill everyone who abandoned me!”
The boy stared at the wrathful Asta and drew a sword from his belt.
Asta’s boiling blood turned cold.
‘He might kill me before I become free!’
Chained in the prison cell, Asta couldn’t move or say anything.
She desperately shouted.
“I- I’ll grant you anything you want if I regain my position as a Saint!”
The boy paused, “Anything I want?”
“Yes! No matter how high you fly, you can’t fully own what you want because of your lowly status. It’s your fate to watch others take what you want.”
The boy’s eyes narrowed.
“But if I help you, you can have ‘that’. I’ll grant you the blessing of the gods. No, I’ll even grant you an oracle! Then, you can have anything you desire!”
“Hmm… an oracle…”
The boy muttered with a face longing for something he deeply desired.
And a moment later.
Clang!
The boy’s blade dislodged the lock on the prison door.
He turned to Asta and ordered her coldly, “Come out.”
The next day, the empire was turned upside down.
Asta, the fake Saint who had misled the people and made countless human sacrifices, had escaped from prison.
There were no witnesses, no trace.
Only Asta herself had vanished.
All that remains is a single sentence carved into the wall.
“God has saved me.”
***
“Ensure strict security as ordered, and report immediately if anything seems amiss. Since Sherry is on a vacation today, pay extra attention to Hanelope.”
“Yes, understood, Master.”
Dad instructed the butler seriously.
Despite the repeated instructions, the butler responded earnestly each time.
Since Asta escaped from prison and disappeared, dad paid even more attention to the mansion’s security.
‘More precisely, he’s concerned about my safety.
Furthermore, since the priests who were caught helping Asta escape were also missing, dad was worried.
He was concerned that Asta might order the priests to harm me.
‘And I was more worried about him.’
But when I said this to Maxim, I was laughed at.
“The Princess does not need to worry, Master is really strong.”
“I didn’t mean physically. My dad is soft-hearted.”
“Soft-hearted.. puhahaha.”
As that memory resurfaced, my emotions immediately soured.
‘There’s no need to ridicule me to that extent, right?’
Afterwards, Maxim excitedly explained to me what a ‘monster’ of a knight his dad was.
‘I hate to admit, but his words eased my worries.’
When Dad finished talking to the butler, he came over to me.
“Behave nicely.”
His hand gently stroked my wavy hair.
I widened my bunny like eyes and puffed out my cheeks, “When am I not well-behaved?”
Was I worried for nothing? Brantley didn’t need me anymore…
I turned away with a heavy heart.
‘I wanted to be alone for sometime.’
Leaving the dining area, I was walking down the corridor. Suddenly I heard someone argue.
“H-How could you treat our Jacob like this?”
“Then what do you expect me to do!”
It was the Duke and Duchess of Eisen arguing.
My ears perked up.
“Everyone may look down on Jacob, but you, his father, shouldn’t!”
“The Emperor favors Brantley.. and frankly speaking isn’t he the one with better qualities?”
“What? A-Are you really thinking of making Brantley the successor?”
“If not, what can I do?!”
“Are you insane! What about our Jacob! You promised me!”
“Get a grip! Changing the successor in this situation is just like ignoring the Emperor’s recognition of Brantley. He even received the Royal Knight’s title!”
“That knighthood can’t take the heirship away from my Jacob!”
“The Temple is already on the verge of collapse, but if you incur the Emperor’s wrath, we’re all doomed!”
Duke Eisen snarled.
Suddenly, the duchess began to cry, “My son, I feel so sorry for him…!”
“You can’t cry in public. As a Duchess, you have to maintain your dignity!”
After sobbing for a while, the Duchess clung to one last ray of hope and asked, “What is the Archbishop doing? Is he going to let the faction disappear?”
Duke Eisen glanced around, then whispered.
“The Temple is still thinking about saving Asta.”
“What? Has he lost his sanity?”
“The Archbishop said that he found a method to save Asta…”
“Shouldn’t he focus on the matters of the Temple? How long will he cling to Asta?”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying. The Archbishop is hopeless, and you should give up.”
“The Archbishop is out of his mind. If Asta ever gets free, do you think she’ll stay quiet? She’ll seek revenge without mercy.”
“It will be lucky if she doesn’t get caught trying to kill Princess Hanelope again.”
“Who cares about the Princess, we’ll be the first ones to suffer!”
I frowned as I listened to their conversation,
‘Was there a way to save Asta? They were still not giving in..’
How persistent and venomous!
A suspicion crept in, ‘Maybe…’
Just then., the Duke of Eisen sneaked a glance in my direction. I quickly ducked behind the wall.
“!”
But there was a bigger surprise behind the wall.
A boy leaning against the wall, staring down at the floor with cold eyes, raised his head, “We might get caught. Let’s go.”
Brantley whispered.
Despite the icy look on his face, the whisper in my ear was affectionate. We took each other’s hands and moved to a quieter spot.
“How long have you been there?”
“Since the beginning.”
“Since the beginning? But you were at the dinner…”
“It could be dangerous for you to wander alone.”
I found it a bit strange. How did he know I had left the dining room when surrounded by so many people? As if understanding my thoughts, Brantley spoke with a smile, “I’ve been looking at you the whole time.”
Then he leaned in and whispered, “If Asta tries to hurt you again, I’m not going to spare her.”
Brantley’s eyes shone with coldness. It was the same chilly expression I saw earlier.
I was taken aback, but I regained my composure soon.
I had to be careful.
“Is what the Duke said true?”
What if he said something suggestive on purpose, then shifted his gaze to me, only to gauge my reaction?
‘It was like he was checking to see if I was listening.’
Me overhearing Duke of Eisen’s words may have been a trap he had set. The Temple might actually have a way to save Asta from the dungeon.
“Still, I should inform dad and grandfather first. Let’s not get carried away.’
I stared into the darkness at the end of the dimly lit corridor.
‘It can’t be him.’
I appreciated his concern, but I didn’t want Brantley to be in danger because of me.
I casually replied, “It’s okay. Nothing’s going to happen. Grandfather and dad are here, aren’t they?”
Brantley stared at me for a moment and then smiled, “Yeah. Don’t worry. That’s what I’m thinking too. I’ll take care of her before she can do anything.”
His cold gaze gleamed with madness.
***
Late at night, in the interrogation room, in the dungeon.
Asta leaned against the wall and stared into the void.
Moonlight filtered through a small window, illuminating Asta’s tortured face.
She was in so much pain that she begged to be killed. But the cruel interrogators would not stop until she divulged everything.
“Now that I’ve told them everything I’ve done, there’s no way I can live.”
Her heart felt like it had been ripped out of her chest.
‘I feel so empty.’
How could I waste my hard-earned life this time?
‘Just to end up more miserable than my previous life…’
I couldn’t even get to meet Yenna. My family still abandoned me before anyone else. All of her admirers spat on her. Even God betrayed her.
‘If this is how it was meant to be, why did he give me another chance to live?’
Maybe it was Prache, the real demon.
‘It’s so unfair! Why is this happening to me!’
Thinking there was nothing more to come, tears streamed down Asta’s cheeks again.
“Have you been crying?”
It was then that a young voice came from beyond the bars.
Asta, who had been lost in her thoughts, was startled and looked up.
A familiar dark-haired boy looked down at her.
“Security was tight, so it was hard to sneak in.”
“W-Who are you…?”
The boy pulled down the hood that covered his face.
Seeing the face, Asta was horrified, “Y-You are…!”
The boy let out an eerie laugh.
“You might be getting out of here soon.”
“What?”
Asta had never heard that before.
“There’s a rumor that the Great Temple is about to let you out, but the guards must not have told you yet.”
“Wh-What….?”
The Temple that had abandoned her, was going to rescue her.
She thought to herself, ‘Maybe Prache hadn’t abandoned her! He must be punishing her for acting clumsily. I should have expected it from his bad temper.’
Yes, that’s right! He’s not going to give up on me so easily after all my work! He’s going to rescue me.
Asta was excited.
Grabbing onto the thread of hope at the brink of death, her blood was rushing in.
The boy, who was watching her coldly, asked, “If you get out, what will you do? Will you torment Hanelope again?”
Asta’s eyes, trembling with excitement, widened at the mention of ‘Hanelope’.
“What’s it to you? Do you think I’ll only torment Hanelope? I’ll kill everyone who abandoned me!”
The boy stared at the wrathful Asta and drew a sword from his belt.
Asta’s boiling blood turned cold.
‘He might kill me before I become free!’
Chained in the prison cell, Asta couldn’t move or say anything.
She desperately shouted.
“I- I’ll grant you anything you want if I regain my position as a Saint!”
The boy paused, “Anything I want?”
“Yes! No matter how high you fly, you can’t fully own what you want because of your lowly status. It’s your fate to watch others take what you want.”
The boy’s eyes narrowed.
“But if I help you, you can have ‘that’. I’ll grant you the blessing of the gods. No, I’ll even grant you an oracle! Then, you can have anything you desire!”
“Hmm… an oracle…”
The boy muttered with a face longing for something he deeply desired.
And a moment later.
Clang!
The boy’s blade dislodged the lock on the prison door.
He turned to Asta and ordered her coldly, “Come out.”
The next day, the empire was turned upside down.
Asta, the fake Saint who had misled the people and made countless human sacrifices, had escaped from prison.
There were no witnesses, no trace.
Only Asta herself had vanished.
All that remains is a single sentence carved into the wall.
“God has saved me.”
***
“Ensure strict security as ordered, and report immediately if anything seems amiss. Since Sherry is on a vacation today, pay extra attention to Hanelope.”
“Yes, understood, Master.”
Dad instructed the butler seriously.
Despite the repeated instructions, the butler responded earnestly each time.
Since Asta escaped from prison and disappeared, dad paid even more attention to the mansion’s security.
‘More precisely, he’s concerned about my safety.
Furthermore, since the priests who were caught helping Asta escape were also missing, dad was worried.
He was concerned that Asta might order the priests to harm me.
‘And I was more worried about him.’
But when I said this to Maxim, I was laughed at.
“The Princess does not need to worry, Master is really strong.”
“I didn’t mean physically. My dad is soft-hearted.”
“Soft-hearted.. puhahaha.”
As that memory resurfaced, my emotions immediately soured.
‘There’s no need to ridicule me to that extent, right?’
Afterwards, Maxim excitedly explained to me what a ‘monster’ of a knight his dad was.
‘I hate to admit, but his words eased my worries.’
When Dad finished talking to the butler, he came over to me.
“Behave nicely.”
His hand gently stroked my wavy hair.
I widened my bunny like eyes and puffed out my cheeks, “When am I not well-behaved?”
