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Chapter : 5
‘Yeah. I have to go to the capital.’
I stepped out into the corridor and picked up the pace.
I had to go to the capital of the Elbenard Empire, where everything would unfold.
‘Only there can I cause some meaningful chaos.’
But this place was the southern villa of the Duke of Yekaterina.
Even by ordinary carriage, it would take over a week to reach the capital.
“Where were the portable portals again… one was on the third-floor corridor, and where else?”
Fortunately, I knew the locations of the portals scattered throughout the palace.
If I could just find one, getting to the capital wouldn’t be difficult.
“Diel! Diel Yekaterina!”
“Please, stop following me!”
The problem was Evan, that leech-like man chasing after me.
To make matters worse, his legs were ridiculously long, so it was obvious I’d be caught at this rate.
‘It’ll look a bit ugly, but well… no choice.’
Evan never runs, no matter the situation. Because he’s a noble.
Especially indoors—he’d rather die than commit such vulgar behavior as running.
That’s what being a noble is!
“Diel!”
But I’m not like that.
So I just bolted.
“Huh? Who was that woman who just ran past?”
“Wait—wasn’t that the princess?”
As I tore through the corridors at insane speed, the servants stared at me in shock.
‘Not here… was it the corridor side? What the hell, why does the corridor branch out in every direction?’
Damn it! This place is huge!
My breathing was getting ragged.
I’d only ever seen this place through a monitor, so actually trying to find it myself wasn’t easy.
“Hah, hah… that leech… isn’t even tired…”
How long had I been running around?
Just as I started to feel like I was going in circles, I ran straight into Evan.
“What are you idiots staring at? Capture the princess immediately!”
Evan shouted like thunder. Only then did the knights snap out of it and start chasing me.
“Stop right there, Your Highness!”
“Princess!”
I ran again without hesitation.
This time, not toward a portal—but toward an exit.
I threw my body against the door in front of me and shoved it open, sunlight pouring in.
It’s hot, damn it!
“Hoo…”
At the same time, my legs completely gave out.
Well, no surprise—this fragile body of Diel’s probably hadn’t even walked properly before, let alone run like that.
“Let go of me!”
“Until the young duke gives his orders, we have no choice.”
“Were you always this fast? Since when did your stamina get so good—hah…”
Click. The knights who had caught up bound my wrists.
The blazing sunlight felt like it would burn my head, and the gritty sand scratching at my legs was unpleasant.
‘Right. This isn’t headquarters.’
Only then did it slowly sink in.
From now on, this was my reality.
“Diel Yekaterina.”
I turned my head to see Evan walking toward me.
He stared at me like prey caught in a trap.
Even so, he never ran. His stride was just longer and more urgent.
‘Figures. A grand noble through and through. So dignified.’
I should learn that too.
“You really know how to piss people off.”
Evan, now right in front of me, grabbed my chin tightly.
“If I talk to you nicely, you should listen, Diel. What exactly were you planning to do after leaving here? Go to the imperial palace? And then what?”
I could tell just by his eyes.
‘When I was just crying, I guess he was only mildly annoyed.’
This—this was Evan truly furious.
It felt like I’d be thrown straight into the basement, but my eyes caught only one thing.
‘If he’d been this angry earlier, I could’ve opened the control window.’
But now that the condition had changed from anger to sympathy, it was useless.
“Excuse me, Young Duke.”
Then, a voice came from behind us.
“So this is where you were. We sent a telegram, but it seems our carriage was faster.”
Evan lifted his head irritably, confusion flashing across his face.
“…Marquis Karl. What brings you here so suddenly?”
A couple who had just stepped down from their carriage walked toward Evan.
“Ah, we’re here to deliver His Majesty the Emperor’s orders. It seems the new magic carriage we bought is quite capable—worth the money, I’d say.”
[Marquis Robert Karl, Rank C, the Emperor’s Third Chief Chamberlain]
[Marchioness Jane Karl, Rank E, wife of Marquis Karl]
‘The Emperor’s Third Chief Chamberlain…’
Perhaps flustered himself, the marquis rambled on inelegantly about money.
“But who is this person…?”
To be fair, anyone would find the scene strange.
A woman in indoor clothes, bound and restrained by knights…
“Ah, right. The young duke has come of age now, so he was playing—yes, playing tag—with his lover. Right. Yes. That’s it.”
“Oh, I see. He is at that age, after all. Time for marriage, so we should find a good match—ah, no, that’s not it. Shall we go inside first?”
The Marquis and Marchioness Karl were visibly flustered.
“That’s not it, Marquis.”
Evan calmly addressed the couple.
The great noble Evan—who never runs—wouldn’t just let such a filthy misunderstanding slide.
“Perhaps you didn’t recognize her after all this time. This is Princess Diel Yekaterina.”
“…What?”
Their gazes snapped toward me.
“As you know, Her Highness is not in good health, so incidents like this occasionally occur. I ask for your generous understanding.”
After labeling me a lunatic, Evan looked utterly exhausted.
The marquis, now wearing a sympathetic expression, tried to comfort him.
“How unfortunate. You must have it hard, Young Duke.”
The marchioness covered her mouth with a handkerchief and clicked her tongue.
“Well, most princes and princesses cast out by the imperial family end up the same way… Duke Rekaten must have acted out of kindness as well.”
Since Diel had been abandoned by the imperial family and Evan was the young duke of the great Rekaten house, the conclusion was obvious.
They would side with Evan, not me.
“Escort the princess. Make sure there’s no further disturbance until our conversation ends.”
“Yes, sir!”
“Let us go inside.”
After coldly warning the knights, Evan turned and began guiding the marquis and marchioness inside.
‘A magic carriage with buffs? Faster than an imperial telegram?’
Madwoman or not, the only thing I could see was that carriage.
That magic carriage the marquis had praised to no end!
If they left like this, forget the portal—I wouldn’t even be allowed out of my room for a while.
Therefore, the only thing that could save me right now was that ridiculously expensive carriage!
‘Marquis Karl is Rank C, and the marchioness is Rank E…’
The moment I made up my mind, I snapped my head up.
“Marchioness!”
“Yes—yes?”
The couple, already heading inside, turned around.
“Don’t you remember me, Madam?”
“Huh?”
Pretending to meet her eyes, I aimed for her control window.
I had to finish before Evan could interfere.
“I’m Diel. Back when I was in the imperial palace, you used to play with me often.”
“I did? With Her Highness? When—”
Of course, it was a lie.
But whether she believed it or not was her choice—and making her believe was mine.
“I left the imperial palace and came to the ducal estate when I was ten. So I remember you playing with me before that. Right, Marchioness?”
I maxed out the marchioness’s ‘Trust’ and ‘Loyalty.’
Her eyes gradually grew hazy.
“Oh my, Princess! It’s been so long!”
The marchioness slapped the marquis’s hand away and ran toward me.
“My goodness. Why are you so thin? You were ten—no, nine, maybe? Anyway, you were so chubby all over when you were little.”
She hugged me as I lay collapsed on the ground, tears streaming down her face.
Phew. As her tears soaked into my shoulder, I let out a sigh of relief.
Thank goodness she was a rank I could control.
“And who are these knights? How dare they threaten someone of such status with drawn swords, these ruffians!”
The previously gentle-looking Marchioness Karl erupted.
“Instead of properly caring for an ill princess, how can you treat her so roughly?”
“No, why is my wife—w-wife?”
“I had no idea the duke was this kind of person. I thought he was a man of great character.”
The marquis was flustered by his wife’s sudden change.
Well, nothing to be done.
“My wife and I haven’t even been married for ten years. When exactly did she ever enter the princess’s palace in the capacity of a marchioness?”
“Are you saying I’m lying? Why would I make up such a lie? Can’t you see these tears flowing down my face right now?”
From now on, the marchioness would take the lead for me.
“Waaah, Princess. You’ve become so thin. My heart is breaking.”
Held in her arms, I grinned smugly at Evan.
What? Never seen someone manipulate people before?
