Chapter 34

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 34

Chapter Title: Purging the Delphin Manor

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Of course, the source of this information was my memories from before my regression.

From Polman's perspective, it must have felt like he'd been possessed by a ghost.

After all, I'd pinpointed something even his family didn't know about.

The shock must have been immense, because Polman was too busy stammering "How? How?!" to do anything else.

I sneered at him and tossed out a single line.

"This is happening in my house. Did you really think I had no idea?"

"Gasp?!"

I drove the wedge home to the Polman who looked like he'd actually seen a ghost.

"I've shown you mercy all this time, waiting for you to repent, but it was all for nothing."

Polman's face turned ashen.

"L-Lady, no, Your Highness the Crown Princess! I—!"

I furrowed my brow and cut him off.

"You're making my ears filthy."

At that, the mercenaries clamped a hand over Polman's mouth.

"Mmph! Mmmph!"

In the meantime, the people I'd ordered to search Polman's room came downstairs carrying a chest.

It was stuffed full of precious metals, jewels, and money.

I widened my eyes in astonishment.

'He embezzled this much?'

I remembered hearing in passing where he'd hidden it before my regression.

But seeing the sheer amount with my own eyes was a first.

It was absurd.

I glared sharply at each of the Delphin manor's employees who'd been dragged out amid the commotion, herded along by the mercenaries like cattle.

Among the crowd were some from the Kielern Grand Duke's household.

There weren't many, but they were Ludwig's close aides—the higher-ups were probably still upstairs with him right now.

The ones left were just the hangers-on. Even they strutted around acting superior within the Delphin manor.

I dismissed them entirely from consideration.

"They're heading back to the Grand Duke's manor anyway."

At those words, the Kielern retainers' faces drained of color.

I ignored them as if they didn't exist and began picking out familiar faces from among the Delphin manor employees and vassals.

"You, you, you over there, that guy. And the one hiding in the corner too."

The mercenaries hauled them over in a heap and forced them to kneel before me.

All the ones I'd singled out were people who'd betrayed me to side with Evangeline.

More precisely, the ones who'd been particularly eager about it.

The ones who'd tormented me, stabbed me in the back openly, or pulled some stunt that stuck in my memory.

They couldn't have been all of them.

But the way I'd instantly picked out Evangeline's key players left everyone stunned.

They echoed what Polman had muttered just moments ago.

"H-How?"

"It wasn't me!"

"Why are you doing this all of a sudden, miss?"

"I've only ever served you loyally...!"

Some wailed in denial of their crimes, while others shrank back in fear.

I issued my orders coolly.

"Round them all up separately. We can interrogate them at our leisure."

Obviously, Polman wasn't the only one embezzling from the Delphin family. They'd all been grabbing what they could.

A quick search of their rooms would kick up enough dust to rival a sandstorm.

That was plenty to purge everyone tainted by Evangeline.

I planned to toss them out with nothing but the clothes on their backs anyway.

Chaos erupted.

From above, I watched the black-clad mercenaries suppress the employees.

And behind them, the one man quietly observing my actions from the same vantage point as me.

Arpad.

No—right now, the Mercenary King Gerald.

He was watching how I was seizing control of the Delphin manor.

'He probably sees this as another one of his tests.'

What a truly unlucky bastard.

At that moment, a slightly gaunt Annie came rushing out.

The one welcome face among those who'd returned home.

"Annie!"

"L-Lady—no! Your Highness the Crown Princess!"

Annie's face lit up as she hurried to me and knelt gracefully in a deep bow.

A greeting fit for the Crown Princess herself.

None of the people I'd told to show proper respect had bothered.

Yet here was Annie, doing it without being asked.

I took her hand myself and pulled her up.

"Enough of that. No need for formalities. We're not the type for this."

Annie was like a milk-sibling to me, one of the few in the manor who truly cared.

But her eyes burned with fury and resolve.

"No! That's exactly why we need to!"

Annie shot a glare full of anger and contempt at the subdued employees.

Now that the situation had flipped, even they cowered before Annie.

She whispered a few names in my ear.

Even after three regressions, I didn't know every traitor. Annie filled in the gaps perfectly.

"You've caught all the big ones. But those three maids over there, the stablehand, and that kitchen assistant—they were all cozying up to that Evangeline woman too."

I ordered the mercenaries to take them down as well.

The screams rang out again, smaller this time but no less desperate.

"Your Highness! Please forgive me!"

No one dared call me "miss" in that mocking tone anymore.

"I was just following orders!"

"I've served the Delphin family since my grandfather's time!"

But none of them deserved my mercy.

After sweeping through, two-thirds of the Delphin manor's employees were subdued.

Still, I couldn't fully trust the remaining third either.

So I left them a warning.

"Don't think I'm letting sinners off because I don't know who they are. I'm just giving you a chance to make amends."

In other words:

'Start snitching on each other from now on. Who knows? I might let you live.'

And naturally, I had no intention of forgiving anyone just for ratting out others.

I was just sieving them one more time.

Then, a bit later than I'd expected, a welcome face appeared from the passage leading to the basement, supported by two mercenaries.

But there was no time to celebrate the reunion.

Sir Beltein looked like a total ragamuffin.

"Sir Beltein!"

I rushed to him in shock.

Bruises covered every exposed bit of skin—face, arms, legs—and there were whip marks too.

Half his face was so swollen it was hard to make out his handsome features.

Yet he recognized me and smiled.

"You're... safe..."

Then, his strength gave out, and his head lolled forward.

Panicking, I checked if Sir Beltein was dead. Thankfully, he was still breathing steadily. Just passed out.

Annie sniffled beside me as she spoke.

"You don't know how cruelly the Grand Duke's been torturing him down in that basement all this time!"

I was horrified.

I whipped my head around to glare at Arpad, who stood there like some gawking spectator.

After all, I'd asked him to look into Annie and Sir Beltein's situation in the Delphin manor.

And he'd told me there were no major issues.

That's what had let me relax a little.

I shot Arpad a look that screamed:

'What the hell is this? Why didn't you tell me Sir Beltein was in this state?!'

Arpad, seeming to get it, shrugged infuriatingly.

'He's alive, isn't he? That's what I reported.'

Fury boiled up inside me. But now wasn't the time to pick a fight with Arpad.

I barked orders at the mercenaries.

"Take Sir Beltein to a doctor right now and get him treated!"

The mercenaries obeyed their client's command promptly.

Arpad—Gerald—must have given the order too. And yet he'd hidden Sir Beltein's condition?

Grind.

My teeth ground audibly in my ears.

Then, Arpad—who'd been standing there like wall decor—glided silently to my side.

He lightly touched my chin and murmured something ridiculous, in a voice too quiet for others to hear.

"Careful. You'll hurt those pretty lips."

I smacked his hand away with a sharp crack and hissed back.

"Cut the crap."

"I've only ever spoken the truth to you."

"When we get back, you're not getting off easy. I specifically asked about Sir Beltein..."

"That was just a favor you asked. Not part of our contract where I have to oblige."

"...!"

Arpad lowered his voice even more, whispering right in my ear.

"That's why I told you—asking your husband to check on his lover's well-being is too much."

"Don't insult Sir Beltein's honor."

Arpad shrugged again.

"You come rushing over with that desperate look, fussing over him—denying it doesn't make it convincing, you know?"

His masked face hid his expression, but Arpad seemed genuinely displeased.

I was pissed too, though.

'If I'd learned even a little later, Sir Beltein could have died!'

He was one of the two people I was determined to protect this lifetime, no matter what.

In a way, protecting them mattered more than my own life.

Annie and Sir Beltein had already sacrificed three lifetimes trying to protect me.

So I had no intention of letting this slide.

"Think whatever you want. But if something happens to Sir Beltein because of your stupid misunderstanding, I won't let you off either."

"......"

I figured Arpad would snipe back or mock me more.

But surprisingly, he just scowled and said nothing.

And we didn't get more time to argue anyway.

Amid all the uproar, Ludwig finally staggered into view on the second floor, dead drunk.

"...Hilia?"

Ludwig clutched a half-empty bottle of liquor.

He rubbed his eyes and stared at me intently several times before reaching an absurd conclusion.

With a beaming smile, he shouted,

"You've finally come back!"