Chapter 6

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 6

Chapter Title: Agrippina's Tear

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At the same time, I tensed every nerve in my body, watching his reaction.

How he would react to my blood.

But Arpad was only shocked that I had thrown myself into harm's way, when I could have died.

He showed no reaction to the blood itself.

'Good. So the time hasn't come yet.'

I could confirm anew that Arpad hadn't yet been fully swept up in his true mania.

The Crown Prince, with no idea of the reason or conclusion behind my observation, simply stared at me in utter bewilderment.

"I haven't heard that madness runs in the Delphin ducal family."

"Our house has such a worthless human bloodline that nothing like that happens."

In effect, that's what I'd said.

'Our family doesn't have that hereditary disease where you go insane because you can't overcome the dragon's blood, like yours.'

It was a slap straight to the Crown Prince's face.

'Well, what're you gonna do about it? You shoved a sword at me first.'

Besides, Arpad had already proven it with his actions.

'He really wasn't trying to kill me with that sword.'

If he had been, he would've just let me throw myself onto the blade and die.

But he stopped me.

At the very least, it meant he was curious about why I was doing this.

'And it also means my proposal tempted him, just a little.'

Arpad furrowed his brow for a moment.

Surprisingly, even when this inhumanly handsome man twisted his facial muscles, he still looked like a sculpture.

Must be nice living life like that.

Oh, wait. He'd gone mad and died three times already.

"Fine. Confident and brave Duchess. How exactly do you plan to keep this mad Crown Prince from going mad?"

So he was self-aware enough to call himself mad.

Unexpectedly good at being objective about himself?

"No one has ever cured the mania passed down in the imperial line. Tell me the method, and I won't kill you."

"Just with words?"

The Crown Prince was at a loss for words.

I flashed a bright smile.

"If I tell you the whole method right now, you'll kill me, won't you?"

"......"

Hey, why aren't you denying it?

Were you really planning to kill me?

A chill ran down my spine, but I pretended otherwise as best I could.

Arpad voiced an even more overt threat.

Which was proof itself that he was feeling cornered.

"...If I kidnap you like this, lock you away where no one will find you, and torture you, you'll eventually talk."

"Oh, you mean blocking and surveilling everyone traveling from the Delphin ducal estate to the imperial palace?"

When I voiced what he was about to say, Arpad's handsome face twisted oddly.

'No way he didn't expect even this kind of reaction.'

I replied with a beaming smile.

"There are multiple routes to leak Your Highness's secret. Some of them go straight to Her Majesty the Empress's family home."

My stepmother, the Empress, was the Crown Prince's greatest political rival.

Naturally, any info on the Mercenary King reaching her would be fatal to him.

Arpad's handsome face contorted fiercely.

He thrust his face so close that our noses nearly touched.

His breath brushed my skin, and I could hear his heartbeat it was so near.

Of course your heart would race being this close to such an artistic beauty...

'Race my ass. I'm just terrified my head might roll any second.'

After staring me down for a long while, Arpad finally surrendered with these words.

"You're a strange woman."

"I'm just an ordinary lady."

"An ordinary woman wouldn't know my secret identity and threaten to tell the Emperor."

"......"

"And she wouldn't sneak into an underground tomb alone on the ominous night of the Crimson Moon. How did you even know I was here?"

The Crimson Moon was called ominous partly because so many imperial heirs with dragon blood had gone mad and died during it in the past.

"I'll just say I knew."

"So you have no intention of telling me."

I grinned ear to ear. Why would I reveal all my cards from the start?

In truth, Arpad probably wasn't expecting me to anyway.

"But how can I trust you? If I follow your blackmail and get tricked, the risk is too great."

True. He was already treated like a ticking time bomb, barely holding on.

If word got out that the Crown Prince had abducted his healthy cousin's bride, everyone would think:

'The Crown Prince has finally lost it!'

Which meant now was the perfect timing.

'I've only wielded the stick so far. Time to offer a proper carrot.'

That way, my words would gain credibility.

I tried to speak as calmly as possible.

"Just let me go for a moment, and I'll give you the first advance payment on the commission."

"What?"

"I'm not asking you to let me escape."

I wiggled the tip of my right hand, firmly gripped in his arm.

"Just let me move one hand."

"......"

He glared at me with an expression screaming utter distrust, but eventually nodded.

The hand that had gripped my wrist so tightly I couldn't budge finally released.

I pulled a small velvet pouch from my bosom and held it out to Arpad.

"This is my advance payment. Mercenaries don't move without an upfront, right?"

Arpad tore open the pouch, brow still furrowed.

Something sparkling tumbled out.

His reflexes were sharp, as expected of a martial artist—he snatched the gem from the air.

A large blue pearl dangled from a silver chain between his pale fingers.

Arpad's red eyes widened at the sight.

I smiled triumphantly and named the gem.

"Agrippina's Tear. One of the five blessed gems Your Highness seeks. Isn't this enough for an advance?"

Agrippina was the goddess of the sea. Her tear was the nickname for this pearl.

One of the famous gems said to be blessed by the gods.

'And one of the heirlooms from my mother's side that she passed down to me.'

It was also one of the countless treasures that would end up stolen by Evangeline once I married Ludwig anyway.

But our Crown Prince His Highness cum Mercenary King wasn't so easily swayed.

He smirked wryly and shot back.

"Sure, it's a precious gem, but do you think I'd be blinded by something like this and do your bidding?"

Even as he denied it, his acting was flawless—despite how desperately he'd been searching for it.

I pointed it out with a radiant smile.

"As I said, I know Your Highness is seeking all five blessed gems, including this one. And I just handed you one."

His handsome brows shot up again.

I could tell what he was thinking.

'How does she know this? Did she plant a spy by my side? But even the Emperor doesn't know...'

I delivered the finishing blow.

"My advance isn't just the pearl. It comes with one more piece of information."

Caution and curiosity peaked in Arpad's eyes.

I shook my head and declared it like a sword cut.

"It won't work."

"What?"

"This pearl, or any blessed gem or divine relic—it'll all be useless."

"......!"

"The info that none of these can weaken or cure Your Highness's mania? That's part of my advance."

I smiled as I shoved the harsh truth in his face.

In that instant, the man's expression froze like a mask.

And then.

"Gah!"

Clang!

I heard the sword at my nape hit the floor a beat late.

Arpad's hand had already seized my throat.

This was nothing like when he'd lifted me by the scruff earlier.

He was squeezing my windpipe with genuine killing intent.

A bloodstained wolf-like smile curled his lips.

"Calling me with words that anger me your advance payment? Bold."

"Kkh!"

"Now I'm curious how you'll pay the balance."

"I... told you, didn't I? I'll keep Your Highness... kkh! from going mad! Loosen... your grip! I can't... even speak!"

Surprisingly, the hand choking my throat eased just a bit.

Letting me speak more comfortably.

"Cough cough! Haah, I said I'll make sure Your Highness doesn't go mad and becomes Emperor."

"Explain the method properly. If it's just empty words trying to make me commit political suicide..."

A Crown Prince already suspected of mania abducting his cousin's bride? Everyone would think he'd truly snapped.

Political suicide wasn't far off.

But I couldn't spill everything as he wanted.

'How do I say I know because I've regressed three times? He'd do more than choke me—he'd decapitate me for real.'

I switched from Delphin Duchess before the Crown Prince to client before the mercenary.

"You'll learn that after you accept the commission. Mercenary King, Gerald."

"...So pay up front?"

"Yes. I've already given the advance. Now you decide whether to take the job."

"...After threatening to expose my identity if I don't?"

"Ah."

That was a fair point.

I winked playfully in reply.

"That's all part of the commission terms."

Arpad suddenly looked exhausted.

As if I'd tormented him for ages, which was weird.

'I haven't tormented you at all! My neck's the one being strangled right now!'

"So after I abduct you in a bride abduction marriage tomorrow, I'll naturally find out?"

"Yes."

"This is maddening."

Arpad rubbed his face dryly.

Anyone watching might think the one cornered was him begging, not me with my neck throttled.

'But no choice! Nothing short of a bride abduction marriage—and by direct imperial line at that—will stop my wedding!'

I knew that from three regressions, etched into my bones.

So I drove the wedge home into the wavering Arpad.

"I can keep Arpad from going mad. I swear it's true."

"Swear? Swear on what?"

Arpad scoffed at oaths or trust.

Ordinary promises or vows from others wouldn't convince him.

So I reached out and touched the divine relic I'd given as advance.

I chanted the Sacred Word.

The relic's holy power flickered in response.

A glint entered Arpad's eyes.

"......!"

This was a beginner trick I'd learned during the regression when I'd briefly lived as a monk.

-By the goddess's blessing, I beseech thee to prove the truth of these words.

As the Sacred Word ended, holy power from Agrippina's Tear formed a bracelet around my wrist, then faded.

I thrust my wrist, still tingling with residual holy power, at Arpad.

"If I'd lied, my wrist would've been severed. I can suppress your mania."

"......"

A moment passed, but my wrist was fine.

"First woman I've seen who stakes her own wrist on a truth judgment via Sacred Word."

"Anything less, and you wouldn't believe me, right? Am I wrong?"

Arpad didn't deny it. Nor did he say he believed me.

But he released my throat and didn't stop me from returning to the mansion.

'Means he's curious about the 'balance' I'll pay.'

Which meant he'd started considering taking my commission.

I hoped so.

'If not... I might have to resort to even worse methods......'

With Sir Beltein's help, I slipped back to my room unseen.

There, my legs gave out, and I collapsed.

"Aaah......"

My whole body began to tremble belatedly.

Looking in the mirror, red handprints marked my neck vividly.

I'd clearly survived mortal danger.

'This is a gamble.'

But I was in a position where I couldn't survive without winning gambles.

After washing and changing, I crawled into bed, but sleep wouldn't come.

In the end, I greeted the morning of the wedding wide awake.