TIRS 76

Chapter 76.

 Piya Will Leave to Find Love

After the manager left, I sipped at the cocktail in front of me, pretending to watch the opera.

At that moment, Enzer slyly slid a small box toward me.

“Here’s a gift.”

“Cookies?”

Inside the box were neatly wrapped cookies.

I feel like I’ve been receiving cookie gifts a lot lately. Maria gave me some before, too…

I stared at the cookies with disinterest when—

“In Luenhart, it’s customary to give cookies to someone you’re interested in, as a sign of affection.”

Hic!

His explanation startled a hiccup out of me.

Wait—those cookies Maria gave me… were those her way of showing affection? And I just accepted them happily, saying thanks?

Suddenly, my head was spinning.

“Princess Luibel? Are you all right?”

Enzer handed me water and patted my back.

No, no. She didn’t just give them to me. She also gave cookies to Anselot as a gesture of reconciliation. Don’t assign meaning to it.

By the time my hiccups had stopped, Enzer was smiling warmly at me.

“To think my cookies moved Your Highness this much—it makes me happy.”

He happily misinterpreted my reaction.

The cookies gave off a sweet fragrance.

Wait… this smell…

I realized I’d seen them before—on the last day of the festival at the temple.

Pweet!

—That’s the Heart-Throbbing Magic Cookie that makes love come true, Lulu! Piya never forgets a sweet smell once she’s sniffed it!

Recognizing the cookie, Piya’s eyes sparkled.

“Isn’t this the cookie they sell at the temple?”

I asked flatly, but Enzer replied smoothly.

“Of course not. These are handmade cookies I baked myself.”

Pweet!

—It might be a dangerous cookie, so Piya will taste-test it!

“Wait, Piya—!”

Before I could stop her, Piya, who had been staring longingly at the cookies, zipped over and nibbled one.

And then—

Boom!

Pink smoke enveloped her.

“Piya, are you okay?”

I rushed to check on her. At first glance, she looked unchanged.

“Piya?”

But she didn’t respond. She froze like a statue, and panic surged through me.

“Piya!”

What if she’d been poisoned?

“You! What did you do to Piya?!”

I grabbed Enzer by the collar and shook him furiously.

“No, wait, I—!”

He raised his hands, trying to explain—

Pweet.

Piya fluttered into the air.

“……!”

I gaped in shock.

She hadn’t been able to fly high lately because she’d grown fat from overeating. At best, she could only hop short distances.

But now she soared lightly into the air, gazing at the stage.

Pweeet.

—Piya has fallen in love.

“Piya?”

—Goodbye, Lulu. Piya is leaving to find love.

“Wait, Piya? Piya—!”

Before I could grab her, she declared her love and flew off, leaving me behind—

Toward the stage, where an actor was performing with a beautiful voice.

“What the heck…?”

She once swore she’d never leave me.

I slowly released Enzer’s collar and walked toward the balcony railing.

Looking down, I saw Piya’s shameless display of affection toward the actor on stage.

Pweeeet!

—I love you! My baby bird!

Pweeeet!

—Look at me! Accept Piya’s love!

Of course, to the audience, it was just some bird that had flown in, chirping noisily…

Is this some kind of love potion? Whoever eats the cookie falls for the first person they see?

I glared at Enzer’s cookie.

Turns out the cookie doesn’t grant the eater’s love—it grants the love of the giver.

How can the temple sell something like this?

If I’d eaten it without suspicion, I might have ended up throwing myself at Enzer.

“You tried to trick me?”

“Trick you? It’s just an ordinary temple cookie.”

“You said earlier you made them yourself.”

“Did I?”

He tilted his head, then burst into a smooth laugh.

“It’s not a trick—it’s courtship. I fell in love with you at first sight, Princess Luibel.”

“You lie so easily.”

“Ha ha, you’re not falling for it at all.”

He elegantly sipped from his glass.

“What about my bird?!”

“Don’t worry. She’ll be back in three or four days.”

Standing, he drew the curtain, enchanted with soundproof magic.

Shhhk—

The opera’s noise cut off, and silence filled the room.

“I’ll be direct. Break up with Uncle Anselot.”

He went straight to the point.

“And why would I do that?”

“Because I don’t want to see him gain power through you.”

“And if I refuse?”

“Do you remember what I told you before?”

He lowered his voice threateningly.

“About how Uncle Anselot’s fiancées all died.”

At last, he revealed his true colors.

“Yeah. And you were behind all of it.”

I glared without backing down.

“What?”

For a moment, he looked rattled.

“You were the one who benefited most, Crown Prince Enzer.”

“…That’s true. But I swear, I’m innocent.”

“Innocent?”

“I only ever tried to kill Uncle Anselot himself.”

He said it brazenly.

“I don’t hurt unrelated people. I’m a benevolent crown prince who loves his people.”

Benevolent, my ass. What kind of benevolence smears someone else with rumors like that?

I stared at him in disbelief, and he leaned closer, whispering:

“But if something were to happen to you now, when rumors already claim Uncle Anselot murdered his fiancées… how do you think that would look?”

“Didn’t you say you don’t target others?”

“I said I don’t kill them. I never said I don’t touch them.”

“What are you planning?”

“Just hurt you a little.”

He smiled sweetly as he explained his scheme.

“I’ve already spread rumors today: that Princess Luibel from the Azester Empire went out with Crown Prince Enzer instead of Anselot, and that Anselot is furious with jealousy.”

“……”

“Tomorrow, more rumors will spread—that in a fit of rage, Anselot killed his lover with his own hands. Just like he did to his fiancées.”

“Wow… you’re a total villain.”

“The villain here is Uncle Anselot, not me.”

“And since you’re spilling your plan so openly, I take it you don’t intend to let me walk out of here in one piece?”

“As I said, I won’t kill you.”

Of course. Everything is unfolding exactly as I expected.

I clicked my tongue inwardly.

“You really think you can handle me?”

“Of course not. Do you think I came here alone without a plan?”

Just then—

[SYSTEM] Item <Maria’s Wish-Infused Monocle> detects [Extreme Killing Intent].

“……!”

I shot to my feet.

The murderous aura from the door was far more powerful than Maria’s ever was.

This wasn’t the kind of intent someone would have if they only meant minor harm—it was Extreme Killing Intent.

I grabbed a dessert knife from the table, channeling energy into it, ready to strike.

The doorknob turned violently, and the door burst open.

And when I saw the man who entered—

“Wha…?”

I froze.

Because standing there, with a grim face, was—

“Princess.”

Anselot.

[SYSTEM] Item <Maria’s Wish-Infused Monocle> detects [Clear Killing Intent].

Suddenly, flames of hostility surged from Enzer as well.

So his claim of wanting to kill Anselot was true. His reaction to him was entirely different from how he treated me.

“Uncle Anselot. To think you’d come here…”

Enzer sneered, but Anselot ignored him and strode straight to me.

He seized my wrist.

“Come.”

“W-wait, Anselot!”

He tried to drag me out forcefully.

No! I haven’t even finished the quest yet!

I struggled.

“I still have things to do with Crown Prince Enzer—!”

“Things? Don’t tell me you mean that ridiculous quest?”

He glanced at my quest window with cold eyes.

And in that instant—

“Aaagh!”

A mass of white light twisted into ropes, binding Enzer tightly and hoisting him into the air.

“W-what… mmmph!”

Anselot even gagged him, then handed me the glowing rope’s end.

“There. Satisfied?”

In other words, he had tied Enzer up so tightly, even gagged him—and shoved the leash-like rope into my hand.

“That bastard can’t run now. He’s yours.”

When I tugged the rope, Enzer groaned in pain.

To anyone watching, it looked exactly like… Anselot was tormenting him in revenge.

But this would only add to Anselot’s dark reputation!

“Anselot, listen to me—”

“Have you lost your mind, Princess?”

He cut me off sharply.

“L-lost my mind? That’s too harsh—”

I stopped mid-retort.

Because though his voice was cold, his face was pale as death—like he was terrified.

“Anselot? What’s with your face…?”

“Why did you accept a quest like that?! What if you failed?!”

He shouted at me.

Anselot—was angry. For the first time, he was angry at me.

“You’re yelling at me… for the first time.”

I muttered, staring blankly at him.

“Ah…”

He froze.

“I didn’t mean to yell at you…”

His voice softened instantly.

The murderous expression vanished, replaced with flustered concern.

“I wasn’t angry. I was worried.”

He explained, almost like he was making excuses.

Worried.

So even he, who always seemed so composed, could lose his cool out of worry.

And knowing that worry was for me alone…

Why does it melt away all my bitter resentment toward him so easily?