🔊 TTS Settings
~Chapter 41~
Dane ran in and grabbed Camilla, pulling her out of the basement.
“Put out the fire! Bring water from the nearby canals!”
“Yes, Your Highness!”
The knights pulled Nina close to protect her and started fighting the flames. Even the awkward mercenaries followed the knight’s orders and tried to put out the fire.
Camilla could hardly believe what was happening in front of her.
She couldn’t understand why the boy she had hurt was here.
“Dane, did you come yourself? Wait, today is your birthday party…”
Suddenly, Dane’s warm scent brushed past her nose. His skin, which always felt cool, was now hot.
“…I’m glad. I’m really glad.”
“Dane…?”
With trembling hands, Dane let go of Camilla. Behind his sweaty bangs, his clear blue eyes shone.
“I thought I was going to lose you. Are you hurt anywhere?”
Camilla felt her heart flutter. The person in front of her was clear. He should be angry at her, but he kept searching for her.
He even left his own birthday party and ran all the way here.
And now, he was looking at her as if she was more precious than anything else. Even with all the chaos around, Camilla wanted to keep looking at him forever.
Camilla swallowed hard and snapped back to reality.
‘No, now isn’t the time.’
“I’m fine. Dane, did you lead the knights here yourself?”
Camilla looked around. Before she knew it, the fire was out.
“Yes, but these aren’t knights from my family.”
That’s when Camilla realized the people in armor looked familiar.
‘Wait, these are…’
Camilla’s heart sank.
‘Knights from House Mowin!’
Just then, Sir Dylan, vice-captain of House Mowin’s knights, ran up.
“Your Highness! The fire is out!”
“Good work. What about the kidnappers and their hideout?”
Sir Dylan reported to Dane. The scene was so strange that Camilla felt dizzy.
‘Why is Dane leading the Mowin knights instead of the Leonid knights?’
“The hideout seems to be completely burned down.”
“And you didn’t find any proof tying this to the Everitt family?”
“We found a burnt woman’s body, but we need to investigate more.”
That’s when Camilla spoke up.
“Dane, the people who kidnapped Nina and me aren’t from the Everitt family.”
“Did you figure out who the kidnappers are?”
Camilla nodded. Sir Dylan pointed to some people.
“Are these the ones, miss?”
“Let us go! We don’t know anything!”
“We just did what we were told, right, miss?!”
The knights pointed their swords at Howin and the mercenaries, who had helped fight the fire.
Dane’s gaze also turned to the Tiptoe mercenaries.
Camilla nodded.
“They’re telling the truth. They were just used to kidnap us. In fact, they helped Nina and me escape.”
“…Really? We should hear the details somewhere else. Since you both breathed in smoke, you and your sister need to be checked by a doctor.”
Dane put Camilla on his horse first, then climbed up in front of her. Holding his sword, he called out,
“Take the mercenaries in for questioning!”
“Yes, Your Highness!”
“Leave a scouting party to search here. The rest, take the witnesses and return to the Grand Duke’s house!”
The knights bowed their heads in answer. The horses began to run. On the horse riding next to them, Nina looked relieved.
But Camilla, holding tightly to Dane’s waist, spoke as the wind rushed past them.
“Wait, Dane.”
“What is it?”
“Why are you leading the Mowin knights?”
Dane let out a soft laugh. Then he shouted with a bright, clear voice:
“Because I’ve become your fiancé.”
‘…?!’
“What?!”
Earlier, at Dane’s birthday party…
Dane frowned as he looked around the party hall.
Though he sat like the main character in the middle of the fancy hall, he wasn’t comfortable at all. The chandeliers, music, and laughter all around made him feel busy as he kept looking for someone.
‘There’s still no news from the knights.’
He knew he should be looking for Camilla himself.
‘Father searched the Everitt house himself, but found nothing.’
Rumors spread among the nobles that the Grand Duke was pressuring House Everitt, and that Nina and Camilla’s kidnapping shook high society.
“Oh my, kidnapping? They might come back injured!”
“Did the Drake family do this?”
“Who knows, either way both the Everitt and Mowin families are finished!”
‘Disgusting.’
He was sick of the nobles gossiping for their own fun.
But if he didn’t stay here and keep things under control, the Grand Duke wouldn’t let him take any troops.
‘What is Father thinking?’
Just then—
“Hello, Your Highness.”
A girl with soft, curly brown hair and a beautiful pink dress covered in jewels looked like a dazzling rose.
Dane narrowed his eyes.
‘This girl is…’
“My name is Amelia Hayden, sent here by the Empress Dowager herself.”
She smiled sweetly.
“May I have your first dance, Your Highness?”
By royal law, someone sent in the Empress Dowager’s name must be treated as if they were the Empress herself.
‘So this is like the Empress Dowager herself asking me to dance.’
Everyone knew the Empress Dowager’s power, so even the Grand Duke’s heir should take her hand.
‘Go on, take it.’
As Amelia gave a charming smile, the nobles around gasped.
But Dane just blinked and answered flatly.
“I’m not well enough to dance. I’m sorry, Lady Hayden.”
Amelia looked confused, then quickly blushed.
“You’re… not well?”
“Yes. I haven’t been out of bed for long.”
No one had heard that Dane was ever sick.
Besides, refusing to dance when even a delicate lady could do so was just a lame excuse.
“Pfft!”
Someone laughed behind Amelia. She turned her head sharply and saw a young nobleman with blue hair standing there.
“Ah, sorry. I just couldn’t help but laugh. To see Lady Amelia, the flower of the capital, turned down like this!”
Amelia glared at him, but he ignored her and bowed gracefully to Dane.
“I’m Ian Velua, eldest son of the Velua family, who rules Velua Port, Your Highness.”
“I see.”
“Forgive me, but you look all dressed up for your birthday party but don’t seem interested at all!”
‘Annoying.’
Ian’s approach was different from Amelia’s, but just as bothersome to Dane.
“As the son of a port family, I know all sorts of things. I can’t sleep if I don’t hear at least three juicy rumors a day!”
“…Is that so.”
“Ah, what would interest you on your birthday, Your Highness?”
As Ian talked on and on, Amelia’s hand began to tremble with anger.
‘That clown!’
Ian spun his glass and raised his voice.
“A scandal about the Churello family’s love life?”
Dane’s eyebrow twitched slightly.
“Or secrets about smugglers at the harbor?”
Dane started to ignore him, thinking of going to the Grand Duke to ask for permission to leave.
Ian smiled and lowered his voice so only Dane could hear.
“Or maybe… the whereabouts of the lady who’s in a scandal with you?”
At those words, Dane’s eyes turned sharp in an instant.
