Chapter 9

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 9

Chapter Title: Abduction Drama

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Ludwig's knights finally snapped out of their daze, crying out in horror.

Their faces had all drained to the color of dirt.

"Such humiliation!"

"What will His Grace the Grand Duke say if he hears of this!"

"How could you do this to His Grace Ludwig, your own cousin!"

Amid the uproar, one lone knight alone raged on Hilia's behalf as the bride.

"How dare you insult a noble lady like this!"

Ching!

He drew his sword without hesitation and planted himself in front of Hilia.

The one most stunned by Sir Beltein's bold charge wasn't the surrounding knights or even the threatened crown prince.

It was Hilia herself.

'No! I have to get abducted today, Sir Beltein!'

At this rate, the desperate gamble of her life was about to be thwarted by her loyal knight.

The moment Hilia confirmed the crown prince blocking the bridal procession, she inwardly cheered.

'Yes! I'm saved!'

Cheering on his rampage, she got so excited she leaped out herself.

'This'll make it even easier to kidnap me!'

"At this rate, we'll be late for the wedding. Please step aside."

Her request carried an urgent prod.

'Hurry! Faster! Quicker than the wind! I'm all ready to be abducted!'

Only Arpad fully grasped her meaning.

He smirked.

'What an utterly bizarre woman.'

The most surprising part was that the feeling wasn't all that unpleasant.

Truth be told, it had been odd from the start if he thought about it.

"Please abduct me!"

He'd let live—and even sent back—a woman who'd made such an absurd threat.

In truth, the moment he'd spared her then, he might have already lost the tug-of-war.

Still, what he couldn't comprehend was this lack of displeasure despite the defeat.

'For whatever reason, she seems worth keeping close to observe.'

Even that felt like an excuse to accept another absurd threat.

No other choice, though.

The instant he'd thought, 'Why not give it a shot?' that was it.

His mood was riding high, so Arpad showed considerable mercy.

In other words, he didn't cleave in half the knight so bold as to draw steel before him.

"Gah!"

Clang!

The knight, his arm deeply slashed, dropped his sword.

Hilia screamed.

"Sir Beltein!!"

She was genuinely worried for him. Sincerely so.

'What?'

His soaring spirits deflated in an instant.

Arpad realized it: her expression alone had suddenly soured his mood.

Hilia stepped in front of her knight, pleading.

"Please show mercy, Your Highness!"

Her earlier act as the pitiful, chaste bride had clearly been just that—an act.

But her worry for this knight was real.

'Pure sincerity.'

Arpad felt a twinge of bewilderment. Something twisted inside him. Yet he still couldn't pinpoint why.

Arpad let his suddenly tangled emotions spill into his voice.

"So you're a knight in service to the lady?"

"Yes. A knight's sin is naturally the fault of his master. Punish me instead."

Her affirmation twisted Arpad's already knotted mood even tighter.

Sir Beltein, clutching his wound, tried to shield his lady once more and shouted resolutely.

"No! Drawing the blade was entirely my decision. The Duchess bears no blame!"

Even before the crown prince's blood-scented fury, Beltein stood firm.

"And above all, it was Your Highness who first shamed my lady!"

The softest smile imaginable curved Arpad's lips.

Anyone who'd heard even a whisper about this crown prince would know.

This smile when he laughed... was several times more dangerous than open rage.

'Argh! Stop! Just stop!'

She knew Sir Beltein was the epitome of chivalry.

But she hadn't expected him to be so stubbornly upright even before a mad crown prince.

As she moved to rein in Sir Beltein's rash charge, the crown prince struck first.

"Can you stand by those words you just spoke, Duchess Delphin?"

"Pardon? What words?"

'I said so much earlier, I have no idea which one.'

One corner of the crown prince's fine mouth curved sharply.

An uneasy chill crept over her.

'No way—he's not calling off the abduction because I pissed him off, is he?'

That would ruin everything.

But Arpad's words were unexpected.

"That you'd personally atone for your knight's sin as his master."

Oh, that? But why bring it up?

He smirked as if he'd seized her weakness. The stench of blood wafted strong.

No illusion. Sir Beltein—and some nameless squire—had already bled.

Yet she didn't yield an inch.

Turning your back on a beast only invites attack. That's how it felt.

"Yes. It's a master's duty to answer for her knight."

Of course, she only said that because it was Sir Beltein.

He was one of the rare few who'd never betrayed her in her past life.

And just in the previous loop, he'd met a horrific end because of her.

Recalling it alone was nightmare fuel.

'Not this time. Never again.'

Her answer summoned a smile on Arpad's lips—uncannily clear and fresh.

Unlike his earlier dangerous, blood-tinged grins.

With the dazzling sun at his back, perhaps? He looked strangely like an innocent boy.

That must be why. She lost herself for a moment in a smile so unlike him.

Snapping back to reality—

The man's face was right before her nose.

One arm snaked around her waist, hoisting her up in a flash.

"Ah!"

Her vision spun wildly; sky and earth blurred into gray.

By the time she recovered, she was cradled in Arpad's arms atop his horse.

'Huh? What?'

Horrified gazes turned their way.

Arpad's whisper tickled her ear.

"You said it yourself. You'd do anything. This has nothing to do with your little threat."

A chill raced down her spine.

She twisted slightly to meet his eyes.

And whispered back.

"What are you talking about all of a sudden? Forgot my commission already?"

"This and that are separate."

"Considering what you pulled, Sir Beltein's response was perfectly reasonable!"

"Even so, drawing steel before the crown prince is clear treason."

Winning an argument against Arpad was impossible.

He was practically sculpted from the words "he won't listen, so no chance of victory."

'Should've told Sir Beltein beforehand not to interfere.'

But knowing his stubborn nature, one word from her wouldn't make him sit idly by for a bride abduction.

And she absolutely couldn't reveal her regressions.

'No choice either way. Had to protect Sir Beltein too.'

Arpad eyed her conflicted expression and prodded.

"You really seem worried about him."

"...He's my knight."

'I want to save him.'

As if reading her mind, he added.

"You trust and treasure him quite a bit."

"Yes."

"Makes sense. From what I saw, he's the only one remotely worthy of being called your knight."

"Ugh."

Arpad had stabbed straight at her sore spot.

Three years leading the house after Father's death, and she had just one knight worth the name.

'That's on my incompetence.'

Too naive, clueless about the world.

She'd trusted only Ludwig and handed him everything.

'Never again!'

Reining in her wandering thoughts, she noticed something.

'Wait, what's with his face?'

Even after she'd handed him one of her weaknesses on a platter, Arpad's expression was oddly subtle.

'He kinda... looks a bit down?'

But why?

As she puzzled, his strange look vanished.

His infuriatingly handsome face held only a wicked smile.

"Remember this. You now owe me one. Equal to that knight's life."