Chapter 20
Killian Hounbert tried to assassinate the Holy Emperor!
A major incident that shook the empire in the original story—and the first time Killian found himself in serious danger.
Because of this incident, Killian was bound hand and foot and imprisoned in a tower, suffering until Arwen came to rescue him.
“I can’t let that happen.”
Elshanin clenched her fists tightly as she glared at the cotton candy prince walking in front of her.
“W-why are you looking at me like that? D-did I do something wrong? Sniff…”
Perhaps misunderstanding her gaze, the prince looked up at her with a cute, anxious voice. Elshanin shook her head.
“No, I’m just suddenly hungry.”
“……”
For a moment, a flicker of pity passed through the prince’s golden eyes—only to quickly shift into the glitter of shameless greed.
“Hehe, you’re as generous in appetite as you are in spirit, Sister! You just ate so much, and you’re hungry again?!”
Was that a diss?
She wanted to flick his round little head, but since she was disguised as his maid, she couldn’t. How unfortunate.
Elshanin clicked her tongue and walked on behind him.
The attendant who had tried to take the prince’s gloves before was not with him this time, claiming to be helping the Holy Crown Prince.
“So his influence is that weak in the palace that even his attendants get taken away…”
“Ahem, d-do you think Father will really show up today?”
Aside from when he talked about money, the prince always spoke in a short-tongued voice. Elshanin had grown used to it.
She glanced at his deer-like eyes and replied.
“Who knows? Why, do you want him to?”
Huh. She’d assumed he was just greedy for money, but maybe he had genuine affection for his father?
Just as she was thinking that…
“Yes. The stakes are high this time.”
The prince replied in a low, clear voice.
“I bet he’d appear at the New Year’s festival last time too, but he didn’t. Tsk. I lost quite a bit because of that.”
He clicked his tongue in disappointment, voice gruff and ill-fitting with his cute appearance.
It was such a mismatch that Elshanin stumbled in her steps.
Did he really make a bet on his father’s health?
“No wonder readers didn’t sympathize even when he went down.”
Elshanin shook off the brief moment of sympathy and put on an indifferent expression.
“Your Highness the Prince! Welcome. His Highness the Holy Crown Prince is already here.”
As they chatted, they finally reached their destination.
It was a large hall.
Normally, this circular hall was used for the Holy Emperor to give blessings and mingle with high-ranking nobles and royals. Today, it was already filled with people.
“It’s my first time seeing them up close.”
Having spent much of her time outside the capital on monster hunts, Elshanin rarely saw the royals.
She had only seen Crown Prince Seamus—who was designated to succeed the Holy Emperor—a couple of times.
With long white hair loosely tied to one side, Seamus had a beauty that could only be described as ethereal.
“Haha! The little prince is here!”
Seamus waved at the prince as he toddled in.
To others, the scene might’ve looked warm and friendly—but to Elshanin and the prince, who knew his dark nature, it felt like a devil cackling.
“So that’s what politics looks like, huh.”
His smile was friendly to the extreme.
But behind it, he was surely scheming how best to get rid of Killian.
Seamus was politically opposed to Killian until the end.
Correction—Killian didn’t really care about Seamus, but Seamus alone had declared him a rival and tried every possible trick to strip him of the title of Guardian of the Empire.
“And eventually even joined hands with the demons…”
A Holy Empire’s crown prince making deals with demons?
It was absurd.
Elshanin watched Seamus exchange pleasantries and blessings while laughing politely and muttered to herself.
“I should’ve nipped it in the bud when I had the chance.”
Back then, she had already given up on changing the original story, so she let him live. Even if she regretted it now, it was too late.
“Oh, the Guardian is entering.”
A crack appeared in Seamus’s cheerful smile.
Killian was entering the hall.
“It’s the Guardian!”
“He always looks so gallant!”
“B-but isn’t he a bit scary?”
The nearby nobles whispered.
“Ever since Elshanin disappeared, they say he’s gone mad.”
“Yeah, I heard he sliced down the King of Dairen in one move…”
Someone gasped and quickly interjected.
“Ahem! Watch your mouth.”
“Right! Even if he’s changed a bit over the years, our empire still stands strong thanks to him!”
“Exactly!”
And then—
“Even if he’s mad, who cares? If he became my son-in-law, that wouldn’t be a flaw!”
“Oh my, you’re right. They say marriage proposals for him never stop, don’t they?”
“Wonder when he’ll give up.”
“Give up on what?”
Someone whispered carefully.
“Elshanin, of course.”
Hearing all of this, Elshanin felt a chill down her spine.
“Eek.”
Everyone knew Killian was searching for her. He must’ve been so intense that it left a strong impression on them.
“He really loves Arwen.”
She had always known it, but hearing it from others gave her pause.
“I have to get back on track and revive Arwen.”
Looking at her precious friend Killian—who was too dear to hurt even with a glance—Elshanin silently reaffirmed her resolve.
* * *
Killian stood alone, away from the crowd of nobles.
Though his last eight years were marked by instability obvious to all, he never missed an event that a Guardian was required to attend.
Ironically, the reason he kept showing up was because of the very cause of those unstable years—a single person.
“Killian. They say the position shapes the person.”
“Huh?”
“Ah, maybe that’s a bad example.”
Back when the title of Guardian still felt unfamiliar, she had said—
“You know, characters—no, people—when they take on a role but don’t carry it out properly… Oh! You know gears, right?”
“Gears?”
“Yeah. Gears interlock and work together to move a big machine.”
Because she was a spirit, Elshanin had always looked like an adult, even when he was a child. She gestured as she looked down at him.
Even though she was taller, he’d thought she was cute.
“So what happens if one gear stops moving?”
“…The other gears stop too.”
“Exactly. So if we’re all gears, and someone doesn’t play their part… the world can’t function properly.”
“Hmm.”
She scratched her head, unsure how to explain better, then patted his shoulder.
“So just think of being the Guardian as being one of the gears. You don’t have to be perfect—just fulfill your role.”
“……”
“Don’t stress about being amazing. Just take it step by step.”
As he watched her cheerful smile, Killian had once thought, completely out of context—
“Then what kind of gear is Elshanin?”
And he…
“I thought she was the gear meant to stay by my side forever.”
Killian muttered, swirling the wine in his glass.
Once, he truly believed that.
“What a fool.”
His voice turned cold.
He took a sip of wine and looked across the hall.
There hung a large painting of him and his comrades fighting demons. His eyes settled on the blue-haired woman beside him, wielding water magic.
He couldn’t take his eyes off her—and at that moment—
“Um, Guardian.”
A man approached him.
“…What is it?”
He recognized him. He had seen him before.
He had been the prince’s attendant.
But today’s attire matched the color scheme of the Holy Crown Prince, not the prince.
An attendant was supposed to match their master’s clothing.
The man spoke hesitantly, fear evident in his trembling voice.
“Well, I think I just saw something… incredible.”
“What did you see?”
“Ahem. Near the entrance to the Holy Palace, I saw a woman… with blue hair…”
“…Blue hair?”
“Yes!”
The attendant nodded vigorously and quickly added—
“She seemed to be in some kind of trouble… I thought, just maybe…”
“….”
Killian’s expression stiffened.
He glanced down at the bracelet on his wrist, then back up at the attendant.
He spoke quietly.
“Lead me there.”
* * *
“Ah! Sister! Is it time?!”
The prince, who had been chatting with the Holy Crown Prince in his short-tongued voice, called Elshanin over in secret.
Trailing behind him like a maid and sneaking glances at Killian, Elshanin quickly answered.
“Yes. Now’s the time.”
Let’s move out, cotton candy!
Looking down at his fluffy white head, Elshanin pointed far off into the distance.
It was the exit Killian had just taken.
