Chapter 293. Unwanted Help (1)
Passing through the red sky of the demonic realm, the boundary gate of the frontlines finally revealed itself. Recognizing her safe return, Arin let out a long sigh, relief mixed with a slight concern.
“Why do you look troubled, Princess? You seem unwell.”
Emily, beside her, asked with a worried expression.
“Oh, it’s nothing! I just feel a bit sorry for those who were probably worried because of . After all, I left without a word, only a letter…”
“But in the end, all is well. What’s done is done, right? As long as one can manage the aftermath properly after acting impulsively.”
To Lunab, who had much experience with such situations, this didn’t qualify as a worry at all.
Arin smiled awkwardly at the sowhat vague comfort.
The person she felt the most sorry for was undoubtedly Resimus.
With a resolve to bow first without excuses upon her return, Arin tightly gripped the sword of Duke Verth given by Sian.
“Princess!!”
Upon their final return to Belias, the troops stationed at the boundary gate hurried to welco them.
Arin imdiately bowed her head towards the knights.
“As a mber of the royal family, I made a personal decision based on emotion instead of sound judgent! I sincerely apologize to all who were concerned!”
The sudden apology left the knights visibly flustered.
“The matter has been resolved for now. We didn’t find the instigator, Eshel Verth, but the situation with the Demon King has been peacefully…”
Arin began to raise her head and stopped mid-sentence as she saw the expressions of the knights looking at her. There was an inexplicable urgency plastered on their faces.
She noticed that Resimus was nowhere to be seen.
The one person she thought would be anxiously waiting for her…
“We will escort the Princess!”
“Has sothing happened in my absence?”
Arin intuitively sensed that another incident had occurred with her diplomatic party.
“We’ll explain on the way! We have no ti, we must move now!”
With that, Arin quickly moved inside Belias, and upon hearing the full story later, she slamd her hand on the table in a fit of rage.
“What do you an, a rebellion?”
“Would you take a look at this?”
Arin quickly reviewed the docunt presented by the knight.
“Who is the instigator?”
“It’s suspected to be the first prince, Luinel Sevellus. It seems he planned the rebellion while the Princess was away.”
-Crunch
As if she had seen enough, Arin crumpled the docunt on the spot. Anger was swelling in her shaking pupils.
“You an to say the nobles are siding with this rubbish edict?”
Without saying a word, the knight offered her another docunt.
Similar to the previous one, but sothing familiar yet shocking was stamped at the bottom.
“The, the seal of House Verth?”
Arin’s eyes shook violently with shock.
“According to known information, this edict was first spread by House Baron’s Setting Sun.”
“Who could have spread such an edict?”
As Arin was calming herself from the shock, a thought flickered through her mind.
“Yulken Darius…”
Verth’s adjutant and the knight known to have left Belias for another mission. A knight from Belias who was confird to be immune to the power of enthrallnt.
“Could it be him? Why? It was said he was free from the power of enthrallnt?”
“That could have been a lie.”
In the confusion, Lunab entered the room.
The knight tried to stop her, but Arin signaled for him to allow it.
“What do you an, Lunab?”
“The power of enthrallnt isn’t sothing you can overco with just belief or willpower. I can assure you of that as soone who has directly analyzed it.”
“But Duke Verth overca it! You saw it too, right? The scene where he faced the Demon King to defend us!”
“Well, what if Duke Verth hadn’t received an order not to protect the Princess? I’m sure nobody thought the Princess herself would be at the scene.”
“If what you say is true, then why would Duke Verth have this edict spread?”
“Well, it’s obvious, isn’t it? Naturally, it’s ant to sow chaos in the Empire and the continent.”
“…!”
“We’ve been battling till now to prevent this.”
With Lunab’s answer, Arin bowed her head and sank into thought.
“Was this the intent from the very beginning?”
Was this the will of Duke Verth, or was it Eshel’s?
In the returned confusion, Arin knew all too well that only she could resolve this crisis.
“Where is Resimus?”
“The Princess had left Belias just a few hours before your return. He left in your na to gather loyal royal forces. Maybe he headed to the Duchy of Kundel first.”
“I will begin sorting the forces that will join the rebellion and those who remain loyal to the current royal family. When the list is ready, I will send edicts from the royal family with varying content to both sides!”
“As per the Princess’s command!”
The knights imdiately took action upon receiving the orders.
Arin, compared to the bustling knights, turned to Lunab, who stood idly by, and said with a small smile.
“Could you gather the others, Lunab?”
* * *
“What in the world is going on? Rebellion? What kind of ss do we face imdiately upon return?”
Emily, in agony, was pulling her hair out.
Nana, taking a deep sleep in the corner to relieve the fatigue accumulated from the arduous journey, and Brian, looking anxiously back and forth between the two.
Aware of their glances, Emily strode towards Brian.
“Hey, if you have a mouth, why don’t you say sothing? How long are you going to just sit there idly?”
“Bu-but, without the young master’s return, there isn’t much we can do…”
“Who’s asking to do anything now? Just think for once!”
A scolding maid and a scolded knight. An ordinary daily situation, but Brian, unlike his usual panicked self, was looking at Emily with intense eyes.
“What? Why are you looking at like that?”
“What am I supposed to say?”
“Huh?”
“Didn’t you also not say anything to , Miss Emily?”
Emily stood speechless for a full 10 seconds, flustered.
“Look at this man. Are you upset because I disappeared without saying anything? Look, Brian! I’m always here for the young master…!”
“Am I not living for the young master as well?”
Emily’s mouth stopped again.
“The feelings you have for the young master, I understand them well. But Miss Emily, you’re not the only one living for him, right?”
Brian, as he spoke, boldly took Emily’s hand.
Startled, Emily’s face flushed red.
“Next ti, please speak to as well. I may not be soone to lean on, but I’d like to be of assistance.”
“Why are you suddenly setting the mood like this?!”
Emily jerked her hand away briskly and turned around quickly.
After calming her startled heart, she hesitantly spoke.
“I’ll tell you everything later. Just the two of us, in private…”
Unable to et his gaze, she averted her eyes to the window.
“Don’t make wait too long.”
Brian sent her a gentle smile despite the helplessness.
-Creak
Just as an awkward atmosphere was about to linger, the door opened, and the others called by Arin appeared. Lunab and Set, now special attendants to the Princess.
Upon entering, Set flopped down on a chair.
“Goodness, how can issues crop up in succession? The Princess must be having a tough ti too.”
“I’d rather deal with it all at once. It’s easier to handle that way.”
Although present as the Princess’s honorary attendants, both were clearly foreigners. Ideally, they should return safely to their holand without entanglent in this affair, but their attitude suggested they were ready to join the fray.
Emily and Brian quietly sat down, quietly gauging.
Lunab glanced around and tilted her head curiously.
“Where is Hastia?”
She was one of those Arin had asked to be summoned, but for so reason, she was absent.
“That, well. She said she needed to pray alone for a mont and wanted so solitude.”
“Prayer?”
“Yes. Sothing about a white elf tribal ritual. We didn’t dare bring her while respecting her wishes…”
“I see.”
Lunab seed not to think it a major issue, but felt a nagging discomfort.
As Lunab pondered going to check on her, the door opened again, and Arin reappeared.
“Sorry I’m late. Thank you all for gathering despite the abrupt request.”
Arin bowed deeply, gratitude sincere.
“Now’s not the ti for ‘thank you’s’, right? So, what do you need from us, Princess Arin? Should we call in troops from the Kingdom of Spania? The justification is clear!”
Set was ready to call in reinforcents in his na, and…
“I’ve told Shultz to send a ssage to the Karam Academy. If the Academy’s mages co, they can help not just with troops but with supplies as well.”
Lunab was ready to utilize the power of the Karam Academy for support without hesitation.
Their offers to help in a foreign matter without hesitation touched Arin deeply.
“I truly appreciate it. All of you.”
Arin bowed to them once more.
“But I’ll just take your intentions with gratitude. I didn’t ask you here for help.”
“…?”
But Arin refused all their offers. The unexpected response left everyone but her wide-eyed.
“Please leave the Ushif Empire as soon as you leave this room. I’ll ensure your safety.”
“Princess, are you serious?”
“Yes. I am serious.”
“But Arin, this matter is…”
“This matter belongs to the Empire, and none of you have a reason to get involved. It occurred solely due to my negligence and the Empire’s internal affairs.”
Arin’s deanor was absolute. Seeing the resolve, Set and Lunab couldn’t continue.
“And one more thing. I have a request.”
Arin’s firm gaze shifted to Emily and Brian.
“When Sian returns, please, do not ntion this incident.”
“Really?”
Emily’s instinctive reply echoed.
“Yes. Even if Sian learns of it…”
Arin clenched her fist as she continued.
“Please tell him I do not want any help.”
(To be continued)
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