Chapter 20
I squeezed my eyes shut.
I had expected this.
And yet, despite knowing it was coming, my body began to tremble uncontrollably.
It wasn’t just because I’d been thrown to the ground.
“Your Highness, are you alright?”
Damian quickly dismounted and helped me to my feet.
Bracing myself against the ground with my shaking arm, I managed to stand.
“I’m… ngh… haa…”
Fortunately, nothing seemed to be broken.
I lifted my head and glared at the figure approaching us.
An intimidating stride.
Unruly silver hair that looked as though it had never been combed.
Sharp golden eyes twisted into an insolent sneer.
He looked like the Emperor in his younger days.
There had only ever been one person in the Imperial Palace I truly feared.
One person I always avoided.
Him.
“…Vincent.”
The loathsome name slipped through my clenched teeth.
The Emperor’s legitimate eldest son.
First in line to the throne.
The man destined to become Crown Prince in exactly five years.
The First Prince—
Vincent Elbon Friese.
I knew it’d be him.
Just seeing his face made nausea rise in my throat.
For the entire eighteen years I’d lived in the Imperial Palace, Vincent had constantly looked for opportunities to destroy me.
Until the day he became Crown Prince, the existence of the purification stone had remained a secret known only to the Emperor and me.
Perhaps because of that, Vincent had viewed me as a thorn in his side.
He hated the way the Emperor regularly summoned me alone for private conversations while excluding him.
Whenever I got caught up in trouble…
Whenever I was unexpectedly injured…
Vincent was always behind it.
There had even been a time when I looked down on him.
Watching him struggle against me, I’d foolishly taken pride in being more valuable than the Emperor’s legitimate heir.
After all…
I’d believed the entire Empire lay beneath my feet.
That illusion had lasted right up until the moment the Emperor abandoned me and threw me into the underground prison.
I was arrogant.
Looking back now…
That conversation had been where everything started.
It had happened after one of my usual meetings with the Emperor about the purification stone.
I had been leaving when Vincent, who’d been waiting in the palace garden with that crooked grin of his, decided to provoke me.
Normally, I would’ve ignored him and walked away.
But perhaps I’d become too full of myself.
“Vincent, are you really so insecure that you feel threatened by someone like me? A half-blood?”
“…What?”
“I understand you’re anxious about your own incompetence and inferiority. But if you truly believe you’re worthy of becoming Emperor, shouldn’t you spend less time picking fights with me and more time studying statecraft?”
“What did you just say?”
“Isn’t it true? A half-blood princess who doesn’t even know her real mother… and the Emperor’s legitimate eldest son who’s only just celebrated the first anniversary of his appointment as Crown Prince. Looking at us objectively, there’s no way I’d ever be your rival.”
“…You filthy little worm.”
“How vulgar.”
I’d never had the slightest interest in the throne.
That’s why Vincent’s obsession with competing against me had seemed utterly pathetic.
I’d only wanted to get under his skin.
How could I have known…
That my taunts would drive him to investigate the purification stone…
And eventually persuade the Emperor to betray me?
It had been unbelievably foolish.
So who was the real fool?
Unaware of my thoughts, Vincent looked down at us arrogantly with a crooked smile.
“I figured you’d run away after throwing another one of your little tantrums…”
His gaze shifted toward Damian, who was supporting me.
“But this…”
A wicked grin spread across his face.
“This is an even better catch than I expected.”
A low, unpleasant chuckle escaped him.
From Vincent’s perspective…
This was the opportunity of a lifetime.
There was no way he’d let the perfect chance to eliminate two thorns in his side slip away.
After sizing up the situation, Damian stepped in front of me and raised his sword toward Vincent.
“Let’s skip the formalities. Why don’t you simply continue on your way, Your Highness?”
“Well, well.”
Vincent laughed.
“This is exactly why I’ve been begging Father to wipe out your family from the beginning. Look at you. You’ve got more nerve than sense. What, are you planning to commit open treason?”
“I don’t recall ever being treated as one of the Empire’s citizens.”
“You really have no shame.”
Vincent sneered at him.
I frowned.
There are too many of them.
This is bad.
I’d never imagined the Emperor would send not only Vincent but the entire Second Royal Guard.
Now we’d even lost one of our horses.
If things went wrong, escape would be impossible.
Damian couldn’t attack Vincent.
Starting a fight with the First Prince here would give the Imperial Family the perfect excuse to exterminate the Carter household.
Fortunately…
Perhaps because of Damian’s overwhelming presence, the knights hesitated instead of surrounding us completely.
“You know…”
Vincent giggled as he drew another arrow.
The razor-sharp arrowhead, crafted exclusively for the Imperial Prince, gleamed beneath the pale dawn light.
“Let’s see if you’re really as talented as everyone says.”
He actually started humming to himself.
He was smiling because he knew Damian could never strike him here.
Damian gritted his teeth and tightened his grip on his sword.
No.
The situation was terrible.
“Hahaha! This is just like hunting rabbits when we were children!”
Vincent aimed his bow directly at us.
We were deep inside the forest.
The terrain prevented the knights from surrounding us properly, and apart from Vincent, they carried only swords.
Damian could easily deflect Vincent’s arrow.
And our remaining horse was still close enough to reach.
Stay calm.
We can still do this.
I’d expected this.
Slowly, I moved one hand toward the dagger sheath hanging at my waist.
With the other, I gently tugged at Damian’s sleeve.
His green eyes flickered toward me.
“Don’t answer him, Young Master.”
I whispered quietly.
“When I count to three, get on the horse and ride at full speed.”
“Toward the other side—the gap the knights haven’t surrounded.”
“…What?”
“I know you don’t trust me.”
“But just do what I say.”
“Even if you block the arrow, fighting off all those knights while protecting me will only slow you down.”
Damian’s eyes widened.
Naturally.
I’d just referred to myself as dead weight.
But there was no room for pride now.
It was the truth.
“Understood?”
I asked again.
Reluctantly…
Damian nodded.
“Alright then!”
Vincent laughed loudly.
“I’ll deal with the young master myself! The rest of you—bring me the Princess alive! Anyone who captures her will be richly rewarded!”
The instant he drew his bowstring—
“One…”
“Two…”
Just before he released the arrow…
I pulled the birch branch covered in pollen from my dagger sheath…
And threw it straight at Vincent.
Thunk!
“Aagh!”
“Three! Now!”
Vincent staggered.
His arrow flew wildly off target.
Damian didn’t waste the opening.
He hoisted me onto the horse and spurred it into a full gallop.
“Hyah!”
Behind the thunder of pounding hooves…
I heard violent coughing.
Then frantic shouting.
“Cough! Cough! Gah!”
“Your Highness! Your Highness!”
“That crazy—cough! Gah! Cough! Help! Cough!”
“Protect His Highness! Hurry!”
A triumphant grin spread across my face.
It worked!
Birch pollen.
Birch blossoms bloomed in early spring and were infamous for triggering severe allergies.
And Vincent’s allergy…
Was common knowledge throughout the Imperial Palace.
I’d happened to learn that before my regression.
Who would’ve thought it would become so useful?
The knights completely forgot about chasing us.
Instead, they rushed to surround the choking Vincent in utter panic.
I faced forward once more and lowered myself against the horse.
“Don’t stop! Head southwest!”
