~Chapter 05~
Well, what do you know. There wasn’t a princess—or anything close to one.
Instead, there was a middle-aged man draped in a black robe, pacing nervously all alone.
The man was muttering into the air as if rehearsing.
“Uh, it’s always been my wish… to meet with you alone like this.”
What the hell is he going on about? Antonio narrowed his eyes, listening closely.
“Though the princess is always so bright and devout… there’s still something she doesn’t understand. I wanted to tell her myself.”
It sounded like he was practicing a conversation with an imaginary princess.
“If you wish to join the monastery, you must dedicate everything to the deity. Complete obedience—your soul, yes, but also your body must be wholly offered.”
At first, he stammered nervously. But as he kept repeating the lines, his delivery became smoother and more confident.
That’s when Antonio realized.
He’d come to the wrong place.
While unease crept into him, the man continued his disturbing monologue deep within the garden.
“Renounce all impure things of this world. Offer your purest chastity as a sacrifice. And I, a humble servant of the divine, will—huff—help you. Ah, this won’t do. I must rehearse again.”
Antonio blinked, stunned.
Did he just say what I think he said?
The man glanced around furtively. Antonio quickly pulled back behind the vine-covered wall.
Apparently deciding no one was nearby, the man began hastily undoing his trousers.
“P-Princess… Obedience. You must… give yourself to the divine—think of it as complete devotion…”
The man’s face was flushed with ecstasy as he began acting out his twisted fantasy.
Antonio’s curiosity evaporated in a flash. His stomach turned. His face twisted in revulsion. A thread in his mind snapped clean.
Srrng!
Instinctively, he drew his sword. Veins bulged from his hand gripping the hilt.
Only the urge to kill surged in him like molten lava.
With blade in hand, Antonio charged through the garden toward the man. A crimson glow pulsed along the blade’s edge, born of his fury.
“Eeeek! Wh-Who—?!”
Startled by the sudden presence, the man reeled backward, tripping over himself. Antonio was overwhelmed with loathing at the sight of his naked, grotesque body.
“You don’t need to know who I am. You’re getting executed on the spot.”
Whether it’s attempted rape or the crime of desecrating my eyes—either way, you’re dead.
Antonio’s blade sliced through the air with a fierce gust.
Shhk— Something was cleanly cut.
It was the man’s robe.
The last shred of rationality inside Antonio had barely restrained him.
“P-Please, please have mercy!”
The man, now fully exposed, collapsed at Antonio’s feet and begged for his life.
“Haa… Fine. Committing murder on my first day back in the palace would be troublesome.”
Antonio smirked coldly and stomped his boot hard onto the man’s shoulder.
“Arghhh!”
The man screamed, writhing in pain.
“Then I’ll make you wish I had killed you instead.”
“Ugh…”
Antonio noticed something glinting around the man’s neck—a pendant. Using the tip of his sword, he pulled it closer. It was a triangle—symbol of the temple.
A priest? All that talk about god and sacrifice suddenly made sense.
Whatever. So what if he’s from the temple? It’s not like they’d care if one mid-level priest ends up half-dead.
Antonio sheathed his sword.
Then rolled up his sleeves.
The next morning…
A priest covered in blood was discovered in the Evening Primrose Garden.
Barely clinging to life.
Bang! Bang!
I jolted awake at the sound of gunfire early in the morning.
“Where the hell did all these damned birds go?!”
“Those cursed things—just show yourselves! You’re dead the moment I see you!”
I rushed to the window. The second prince Jose and the third prince Javier were furiously firing blank shots into the air, venting their rage.
Looks like they were trying to take revenge on the birds that attacked them yesterday by going on a hunt.
There weren’t any birds in sight near my window. Once the two princes disappeared toward the back garden, I let out a sharp whistle.
No response.
Good. Luna the owl must’ve gotten the evacuation message across to the birds.
Relieved, I slipped on my worn slippers.
Knock knock.
“Here’s your wash water, Princess.”
Right on time, Jane the maid arrived. I opened the door and took the wooden basin from her.
“Thanks, Jane.”
But there was something lying at the doorway that I didn’t recognize.
A palm-sized pouch.
I placed the basin inside and picked up the pouch. It was quite plump. I untied the strings and peeked inside—about ten candies. Judging by the medicinal smell, it was probably meant to be eaten with the herbal medicine.
Must’ve been from Tilla.
Maybe it was her way of saying thanks for helping her up the stairs yesterday.
After five years of living with her, I could read her well. She may seem prickly on the outside, but she’s the type who can’t live with herself if she owes someone something.
I stuffed the candy pouch deep into my desk drawer. After washing up and changing clothes, I packed up Heaven and Hell.
The crown prince might visit Tilla’s room again today. Better to leave early.
So I stepped out of Ruby Palace bright and early…
Only to be blocked by a massive figure.
All I could see was his chest—it was that tall. Tilting my neck back until it ached, I finally saw his familiar face.
The black-haired prince who’d jumped into the lake to cool off. The new hostage prince from far-off Saragot.
“…Morning,” I said awkwardly.
“Not quite. Don’t you have something to say to me?”
He abruptly shoved a small piece of paper in front of me and waved it furiously.
“I got hit with something unexpected last night. I think I deserve an explanation.”
His bloodshot eyes glared at me.
Maybe it was the way he waved the note too hard—but I couldn’t even read the contents properly. Not that it mattered. Something else had caught my eye.
The prince’s hand was soaked in blood.
“Gasp. What happened to your hand?!”
“…Let’s go somewhere more private.”
He looked around, then led me toward the lake in the back garden. Probably too risky to have this conversation at the palace entrance.
I followed him, watching his broad back, thinking: he must’ve gotten into another mess.
Once we reached the willow trees by the lake, he suddenly turned around. His eyes met mine, and my heart sank. They were as cold and sharp as ice.
Still, I couldn’t help but worry about his injuries.
“Was it the crown prince and his gang?”
I lowered my voice, wary of being overheard.
Hmm. Now that I looked closely, it didn’t seem like he’d been beaten up—his face and body were fine, only his fists were a mess.
That’s when it clicked.
He hadn’t been hit—he had done the hitting.
I grabbed his sleeve.
“Wait—you took revenge? Are you crazy?! You think you can just punch royals and get away with it?!”
I bombarded him with questions. He just stared at me like I was the dumbest person alive.
With a deep sigh, he placed the note gently into my hand.
What the heck is this?
I fumbled to unfold the note and read it.
“Huh? Why do you have this?”
I was completely confused. How did he end up with this?
“It fell out of your belongings by the lake yesterday.”
“Oh, right! I completely forgot. I put it back because I figured it wasn’t meant for me.”
“…So you’re saying it wasn’t intentional.”
He muttered through clenched teeth. He seemed a lot more on edge than yesterday, though I wasn’t sure why.
