PRKE 79

CHAPTER 79……………………………………

“Right?”

I asked with a smile. Karsatuna hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded.

“Even if I tell you Igrene wouldn’t cooperate with a spy, you won’t believe me.”

In the princess’s mind, I was already someone untrustworthy.

The kingdom had a fairly strong monarchy. I had fallen out of favor with the king’s daughter, the First Lady herself.

‘It’s pitch black ahead.’

In the past, I had been weak and foolish, and Aris had taken advantage of me.

I had thought I wouldn’t fall for such schemes anymore, yet this time I had outright offended a person of power.

Karsatuna, seeing me, seemed to make up her mind and held my hand. It was cold, but soft.

“Don’t worry so much, Igrene. I’ll try to persuade the princess.”

“Then you might end up out of the princess’s favor too.”

“I don’t care.”

Her firm answer surprised me. Her face flushed slightly, perhaps embarrassed by my gaze.

“The princess and I have been close friends since childhood. She won’t easily dismiss me. Right now, she’s just troubled because this is all new to her. And aside from that, I believe in you, Igrene. You’re not a bad person.”

I had always been curious about this.

“How can you be so sure?”

Karsatuna blinked. I could have simply said “thank you” for her help, but I asked anyway.

“How can you be sure I’m not a bad person?”

“Just…”

“Just?”

“I just feel it. You’re not bad. In fact, you’re a very good person.”

‘What a naive girl.’

That wasn’t entirely accurate. I was far too calculating.

I had reasons for wanting to survive, after all.

In truth, Princess Laratou and Karsatuna had been used in capturing the spy.

Being trusted absolutely by someone who had every reason to blame me felt strange, and I was too flustered to respond.

After a long pause, I finally spoke.

“Miss.”

“Yes?”

“You’re not… seeing me in another way? You know, like… as a man?”

I cleared my throat repeatedly.

I was usually calm in speech, but I couldn’t bring myself to ask plainly if she liked me.

Karsatuna stared blankly at me.

“….”

“….”

I quickly nodded.

“Not really?”

“Yes.”

“Ah…”

Karsatuna let go of my hand. She did it carefully, which somehow made it even more embarrassing.

“Anyway, don’t worry too much. There are many who want to help you, not just me. Even Count Hubert Lorenst is looking everywhere to find a way to save you.”

“…?”

Did I hear that right?

Hubert… for me?

‘It must be for Aris, not me.’

But Karsatuna’s expression showed she wasn’t mistaken.

“I’ll keep trying to persuade the princess. And…”

She hesitated, then firmly shut her mouth.

“Miss?”

“Nothing. I just have some things to think about. I’ll come again later. Ah! I thought you might be hungry, so I brought clean bread and wine.”

Karsatuna handed over a basket covered with cloth.

I could faintly smell the bread.

Her silence was briefly uncomfortable, but my stomach, empty for a whole day, rumbled.

After she left, I eagerly chewed the soft white bread and washed it down with wine.

The buttery bread soaking up the wine felt like heaven, even in prison.

In my past life, no matter how hungry I was, food would never have gone down so easily.

‘Maybe it’s because I’ve already experienced the worst. Still, at least they didn’t send me straight to the guillotine.’

With a full stomach, my mind cleared a little.

I tried to avoid it, but the ending was still prison.

Sigh.

“Isn’t there any way?”

I looked up. A semi-transparent snake shape wriggled on the ceiling. Soon, Tyrin poked his head out and looked down at me with his blue eyes.

「What way?」

“A way to get out of here. Or for you to go check on Hubert or the princess.”

「I can’t leave your side.」

“Not much help.”

Tyrin’s tail flicked angrily.

“Can’t you sweep the guards away?”

「If I could, I wouldn’t have been eaten by humans in the first place.」

“Yeah. I didn’t really expect it anyway.”

「Hmph.」

Tyrin snorted. That was it.

‘Why so calm?’

Normally, he would have launched into all kinds of mocking remarks.

He looked unusually worried.

“You’re not… worried I might die, are you?”

「Why wouldn’t I be?」

I blinked at Tyrin’s counterquestion.

‘Well, I am his hope. The last remaining spirit. Or half-human, half-spirit, technically.’

I was Tyrin’s hope.

A tool to fulfill his revenge.

I had told him I was not Hilda and had no reason to do as he said, but now facing death—or at least exile—made me uneasy.

‘Maybe it’s because I’ve seen how spirits get attached.’

I sighed.

“Don’t worry. Even if you get expelled, I’ll help with the revenge. I may not be able to kill anyone, but just taking the priests’ power will be enough revenge for the kingdom.”

「Who said I’d care about that!」

His tail swished right past me. Following its irritated movement, I asked,

“So?”

「You figure out how to survive.」

His voice was sharp.

“Why so tense…”

I clicked my tongue, then paused.

“Are you really worried I might die?”

「If you die, I won’t have the face to see Leo!」

Tyrin leapt up, furious. When I just stared, his once-aggressive tail drooped.

「You are half-human. If you die, who knows what will happen. You might not even remain as a spirit.」

“….”

Tyrin was a grumpy old man.

Now only in snake form, but in the past he must have looked the same: proud, stubborn, shouting constantly.

Yet even he smiled now.

「Why are you smiling?」

“Because it feels nice that you’re honestly worried.”

「Nice…」

His tail slapped against the wall.

Every movement betrayed his annoyance.

「You’re a princess here.」

“Yes, by title. But now it doesn’t really matter.”

「Why doesn’t it matter? Humans care about that the most. Status! Why do they value something they can’t even eat? Anyway, you’re not going to try to kill the princess, right?」

Tyrin stared at me.

When I assured him that I wouldn’t, his gloomy face brightened.

「Yes. Right. You won’t kill her! And if things go wrong, reveal you’re a priest.」

“I can’t explain my abilities suddenly manifesting. If I slip, my absorption power could be exposed.”

「Still, you’d survive. If not, I can move as a necklace.」

“Do you want me to beg for my life from humans I despise?”

He frowned but didn’t deny it.

「Yes.」

After a while, he finally said,

「Your life matters most.」

Embarrassed, I stretched and changed the subject.

“Ugh, you’re called a god but not very helpful.”

「That was your own doing! A powerless spirit can’t do much.」

Tyrin’s temper didn’t change.

He shouted furiously, yet somehow seemed upset. I wanted to tease him more, but held my tongue.

‘Does my situation really look so bad that even Tyrin is worried?’

I gazed at the gloomy prison and closed my eyes.

Behind my closed lids, Giovanni’s large, solid back appeared.

‘Did he hear I’m imprisoned?’

If this went badly, how would he react?

Would he be sad?

‘Or angry?’

The thought made me laugh strangely.

I felt a bit better.

Suddenly, I opened my eyes.

Tyrin, who had been quietly watching me, flinched.

“All right. We can’t just wait here forever.”

「What do you mean?」

“First, untangle this mess. I’ll call the guard.”

I immediately began banging loudly on the bars.

“What are you doing?!”

The angry guard entered, shouting.

“Call the princess!”

‘Should I have told her myself?’

Click, click.

In the carriage back home, Karsatuna’s face reflected the gloomy thoughts that had been troubling her these past few days.

‘But how could I tell her… that my father is a spy!’

Her beautiful face twisted miserably.

Frustrated, she lowered the window. Already in the Regatan territory, the farmers who saw her quickly bowed their heads.

Unable to watch their innocent faces, she quickly closed the window and buried her face in her hands.

She had realized her father’s corruption about a week ago, around the time Igrene and Aris’s trial was held.

That night, her insomnia, which had improved after meeting Igrene, returned worse than ever.

Heading to the kitchen for tea, she noticed light coming from her father’s study.

Normally, her melancholy kept her from noticing anything, but that day… why was she so curious about her father’s affairs?

What she overheard were her father’s orders to his subordinates:

To secretly support the Empire’s assassin, but if it affected this side, cut off the trail immediately.

That the noble behind the Empire’s spy attempting to kidnap Princess Laratou was none other than a noble of the kingdom—her own father.

Karsatuna covered her mouth in shock.