Chapter 84
On the bed, the Princess' face was flushed redder than a ripe tomato, radiating heat.
Tears pooled over her closed eyes.
“…You’re mad.”
Her trembling hand grasped sothing by her ear.
A transparent device—a receiver.
More precisely, a listening device.
No different from a hound’s leash…
But she couldn’t bear it any longer.
Her heart ached too much.
Placing the device beside the bed, Princess Adela lay on her side, covering her face with her hands.
“You’re mad, Adela. Get a grip…!”
It was hot.
Her heart pounded.
Her blood seed to boil.
A sensation she’d never felt in her 17 years of life.
The unfamiliar feeling dominated her body, and though it should’ve scared her, it was exhilarating, like soaring through the sky.
That’s why it terrified her.
She knew the cause.
“Martin…”
At first, she approached him thinking he was the Peacemaker.
But he wasn’t.
Just a wastrel.
She considered killing him to silence him, but his exceptional skills were too valuable.
She needed a public hound, after all.
So, she blackmailed him using his precious maid, Lilac, and forced him into the Black Knight armor.
She made him fight the Platinum Knight and, even after facing death in a simulation, gave him no rest, piling on more work.
During the Longevity Festival, she got drunk, caused a scene, and even slapped him.
Princess Adela naturally assud he’d hate her.
Wouldn’t that be normal?
“I, I…”
When Prince Kazaks tried to sway Martin, she was certain he’d betray her.
But the words she heard through the listening device were the opposite.
“Why…?”
Even this hunting tournant.
Kazaks was surely scheming sothing!
This ti, it would be truly dangerous.
‘I’ve thrown Martin into danger countless tis.’
So why was he still with her?
“But her heart is tender. Her current deanor is like a hedgehog’s spines. A facade she had to erect to protect herself.”
“You, who drove her to this point, should know better.”
“I pity her. Believing she was ant to bloom like a golden flower, I chose to stand and fight by her side.”
Martin’s words, heard through the device, echoed like a hallucination.
‘This is wrong.’
She realized sothing was terribly off.
At that mont, a distant mory surfaced.
Her nursemaid and old knight.
In a world where no one spared her a glance, only they had looked at her.
And now… one more person had appeared.
“No…”
This situation was exactly like when she lost her knight and nursemaid.
Her wide golden eyes trembled with unprecedented fear, vivid even in the darkness.
For the first ti since losing them, soone she didn’t want to lose had appeared in her life, which she’d once thought held nothing worth keeping, not even her own life.
***
Day broke.
The hunting tournant’s opening day brought a tension that hadn’t been present yesterday.
On my way to the Princess' room, I drew countless stares.
Everyone I passed either burned with rivalry or flinched and backed away.
‘Exhausting.’
I knocked on the Princess' door.
A tired voice answered.
“Co in.”
Opening the door, I saw an ordinary room.
The war command-like setup from yesterday was gone, which was fine.
But she’d said we’d finish studying this morning.
“….”
“….”
In the quiet room, Princess Adela sat alone on the bed, staring at .
Observing her closely, I smirked.
Her face was steeped in fatigue.
Even Princess Adela had sleepless nights from tension?
“Looks like you didn’t sleep last night. But to imprint the image you want on the public, you’ll need to move a bit…”
“Martin.”
“…?”
Did she just call by na?
…It wasn’t unheard of, but it was the first ti it sounded so clear.
Uncharacteristically avoiding my eyes, Adela stared blankly ahead and asked.
“If I said I’d abandon the hunting tournant, what would you do?”
“?!”
What was this…?
“I won’t be Kazaks' pawn. We’ll call off the tournant.”
“Wait, what do you an?”
“We’ll stay here quietly, and when the tournant ends, we’ll leave.”
“….”
Sothing must’ve happened overnight.
Otherwise, she wouldn’t have changed her mind like this.
“Yes, understood.”
I could just agree and stay put.
But what had caused Princess Adela to change so suddenly?
Convinced this tournant was a turning point for her, I couldn’t let it slide.
“Didn’t you want revenge on the Emperor and Prince Kazaks?”
“…It’s not the ti.”
“This is almost your only chance. If you back down now, with montum on your side, Kazaks' faction will crush you. That’ll make your path to the throne much harder.”
“That’s not important.”
My head spun.
The life goal she’d proclaid all this ti was just negated by her own words.
“…Hah.”
As I stood silent in shock, Adela scoffed mockingly.
That expression nearly made lose my temper.
“Just kidding, Hound. Did you think I’d make such a ridiculous declaration?”
What a prank.
Fine, this was better.
I thought it was absurd.
I gave a hollow laugh.
“…I knew it.”
Know-It-All (Lv 3) analyzes Princess Adela’s expression, determining a 70% chance she’s lying.
Wild Instinct (Lv 3) is certain Princess Adela is hesitating about sothing!
“Let’s go!”
Adela stood up.
I had a mountain of questions, but the influx of attendants at her shout stopped from asking.
***
A solemn atmosphere dominated the venue.
Today’s hunting tournant, hosted by Prince Kazaks, had taken an unexpected turn.
A well-grood elderly man on the platform shouted.
It was the imperial head butler.
“The greatest gold of the Imperium Empire! His Majesty the Emperor enters!”
[Boom! Boom-boom!]
Majestic military music resounded as an elderly man walked up the golden carpet.
He sat on the throne at the highest seat.
The Emperor of the Imperium Empire.
Everyone knelt on one knee.
‘Is this for real?’
A hunting tournant absent from the original story had escalated, now drawing in the Emperor himself.
“Everyone.”
A resonant voice echoed through the venue.
Despite being outdoors in a massive banquet hall, the Emperor’s authority reached every corner.
“Be at ease.”
Only then did the crowd stand and look up at the throne.
The Emperor, draped in a golden fur cape, looked far too robust to be a patient.
“I hadn’t planned to attend, but I couldn’t resist the excitent of a hunting tournant after so long. I changed my mind from leaving it to the Prince and ca myself.”
Cries of gratitude echoed from the crowd.
“I’m not here to make things heavy. The Prince will still oversee the event; I just want to observe. Carry on as you were.”
As if anyone could carry on normally!
…Or so I thought, but Prince Kazaks imdiately began preparing the tournant with ease.
The nobles, too, ford groups and went about their tasks.
He said he ca to observe, but was this okay?
“To think His Majesty would attend. Considering the heir competition, it’s unprecedented, isn’t it?”
“Of course. Traditionally, the Emperor doesn’t interfere during the heir competition, no matter what happens.”
So that’s how it was.
A key setting, barely touched in the original, only now beca clear.
“Five minutes until the hunting tournant begins! All participants, please stand by at the starting point!”
Announcers spread the word.
“Black Knight.”
“Yes.”
I turned to see Princess Adela looking up at .
Her eyes were far more unstable than before, like glass on the verge of shattering.
“…I’ve thought about it several tis, but maybe this hunting tournant…”
“Princess Adela and the Black Knight, you’re here.”
Interrupting Adela mid-sentence was none other than the imperial head butler, the Emperor’s eyes, ears, mouth, hands, and feet.
“His Majesty wishes to see the Black Knight.”
Adela glared at the butler with murderous eyes, then…
“Go.”
She turned abruptly and walked off.
‘She was clearly about to say sothing.’
Should I let this pass?
But I had to et the Emperor now.
Following the butler, I ascended the platform to the Emperor’s throne, overlooking the entire tournant.
“I greet the great gold of the Empire.”
“Hm, no need for formalities. Black Knight, co closer.”
“…?”
I wasn’t an expert in dieval imperial etiquette, but I knew this wasn’t common.
No one could approach the Emperor’s side carelessly—that was common sense.
As I slowly stepped forward, the Emperor spoke quickly.
“Seeing your loyalty to Princess Adela, I assu you know so of my past with her?”
“…Forgive , but yes.”
The Empress, who bore Kazaks, died giving birth to Adela.
The Emperor, who loved her dearly, resented Adela, confined her, and later killed her old knight and nursemaid.
“By tradition, I cannot interfere in the heir competition. I’m already overstepping. I can’t speak long, so listen well. Prince Kazaks has ordered your assassination to over half the noble houses in the tournant. His entire faction is your enemy. And he’s likely tampered with the ergency escape magic assigned to you.”
“…!”
Over half?
That’s at least a thousand.
Nobles, born with exceptional or above-average abilities and trained rigorously, were elites.
“Be careful. I’m telling you because I can’t stop Adela. My presence may deter overt actions, but it won’t fully protect you.”
“…I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Go now.”
I slowly stepped back, distancing myself from the throne.
Behind , the Emperor called for Muller and Shuga, representatives of Kazaks' faction, likely to balance things out.
‘Is the Emperor trying to atone for Adela?’
The Shadow Knights were under his direct command.
It made no sense for Adela, who had no foundation, to receive them.
During the last Longevity Festival, he’d asked to look after her.
And today, he was openly checking Kazaks' dominance.
‘Damn, I don’t get it.’
I instinctively looked for Adela but had no ti.
I needed to get to the starting point, or I’d be late.
Standing on the teleport gate at the tournant’s starting point, the announcer began.
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