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Chapter : 11
‘I should… at least scream?’
If His Highness was nearby, he would surely notice this commotion. I was just about to open my parched lips, hoping my voice would reach him.
A sharp clang rang out as the assassin’s sword was sent flying into the air. Contrary to what I had braced for, no pain followed.
“…Hah.”
As I tried to figure out what had happened, a voice I could never forget rode in on the wind. I opened my eyes, and beyond my blurred vision, a wave of golden light surged in.
An unfamiliar light flickered through the dark corridor. Even without seeing clearly, I was certain—he had come.
“There are… four of them. An archer is in the tree.”
After forcing out the words I absolutely had to say, the pain I had been ignoring came crashing down. It wasn’t as if this was my first serious injury, but if I was already losing consciousness, it seemed Aila’s body was far less resistant to pain than expected.
“Good. I’ve heard enough. Rest.”
At His Highness’s permission, I let my strength drain away.
“The archer is on the third tree to the left, the swordsman on the fourth pillar. Take them down.”
With a single swing of his sword, the Crown Prince eliminated two assassins and calmly issued orders. The knights who had heard my final words immediately moved toward the locations I had indicated without hesitation. From my low vantage point, all I could see was blood dripping from His Highness’s blade onto an already forming pool on the ground.
“How bothersome.”
Was he referring to the rat he had released in the garden earlier, now lying in a pool of blood? Or were the assassins the nuisance? I was curious, but I had neither the right nor the strength to ask.
“It’s been dealt with. The archer is still alive.”
“Use a potion if necessary. Keep him breathing for now.”
“Yes!”
One knight dragged the gasping archer toward the underground dungeon, while another ordered the bodies to be cleaned up. His Highness continued to look down at me in silence, his gaze refusing to move away.
“Your Highness, what should we do with this one?”
“Take her with us.”
He bent down without hesitation and lifted me as though I were luggage. It was a rough way to handle an injured person, but no one dared to comment. Even the true owner of this body, Aila, would not have dared such disrespect.
“Your Highness, you’ll get blood on your clothes. Let us carry her.”
I tried to speak as well, but my dry lips would not part.
“No need.”
His Highness spoke as though the matter was no longer worth discussing and continued walking.
“We found the mark of the Marquis of Estella on the archer.”
“It’s a decoy for cutting ties. Interrogate them until the House of Duke Ten is mentioned. That’s why I allowed the intrusion.”
“We will obey.”
His tone remained dull and indifferent as he discussed assassins. It was the lifelessness of someone who did not live life but carried it like a burden. It was both pitiful and reassuring to know he had expected tonight’s attack.
‘Even without me, it wouldn’t have become a disaster.’
Only the sound of cold footsteps and a sword dragging along the floor echoed through the corridor. Eventually, my vision faded completely, and I lost consciousness.
‘Where… am I?’
When I came to, pain struck me before I could even open my eyes. My hand instinctively moved to the wound. The deep slash was already beginning to heal. It was clearly the effect of a potion—more specifically, a high-grade one. The reason pain still lingered was that potions did not heal everything instantly, and the body remembered all injuries.
At least I wasn’t going to die. That thought brought me enough relief to sit up.
When I looked around, I saw a familiar place. More familiar than Aila’s bedroom.
His Highness’s bedroom.
I froze and immediately shot upright, forgetting even the pain.
‘Aila shouldn’t be here.’
Memories of what had just happened flooded back. I would have understood if I had been taken to the dungeon.
‘Why bring me to the bedroom instead of the reception room?’
More importantly, the owner of the room was nowhere to be seen. I quickly straightened the sofa I had been lying on and scanned the surroundings. The knights guarding the room were deliberately suppressing their presence, but not completely. That meant if I failed to notice them, I would die—and if I noticed but acted suspiciously, I would still be killed.
‘It would be better if they just showed themselves outright.’
As I considered what excuse I would give when His Highness returned, I noticed a figure lying on the bed hidden beneath the canopy.
‘It’s not Prince Kairen.’
The room was too dark to see clearly. It wasn’t His Highness’s rut period, so it couldn’t be an omega. And after the recent assassination attempt, it certainly wouldn’t be a noble lady either.
Then I remembered the earlier prophecy and walked toward the bed as if possessed. When I got close enough to see the face, I froze.
‘Of course… it’s my corpse.’
Seeing my own dead body up close was far more disturbing than in the prophecy. Even though it had clearly been dead for a long time, there was no decay, no smell of rot. I wasn’t familiar with magic, but something had definitely been done to preserve it.
Even more bizarre was the clothing. It wasn’t the same as what I had seen at the funeral—or in the prophecy.
‘So who changed the clothes on this corpse?’
My body swayed in shock, and I stepped back. The knights on standby seemed to react, their presence sharpening as if ready to intervene at any moment. Before I could steady myself, the door opened—and a blade flashed in front of me.
“Your Highness!”
At that moment, Sir Ken stepped in front of me and called out urgently. The sword that had been about to strike an intruder narrowly changed direction and struck the floor instead.
“This is a guest brought by His Highness. Please lower your blade.”
The oppressive gaze of His Highness made Sir Ken’s back tremble slightly. I realized then—the knights hadn’t rushed in because they suspected me, but because they feared His Highness might kill me.
“My apologies. I only meant to check because someone was lying on the bed when I opened my eyes.”
I stepped back two paces and lowered my head. The tense atmosphere gradually subsided. Still keeping my head bowed, I heard His Highness’s voice after a long silence.
“You seem to apologize quite often.”
“I will accept any punishment.”
“To punish someone who saved me from assassins would be harsh. Raise your head.”
His eyes, once stained with madness, had already cooled into something sharp and calm.
“People become sensitive in bedrooms. I hope I didn’t frighten you too much.”
“Yes. I am overwhelmed by your consideration.”
His eyes curved beautifully. It was the first smile I had seen since my death, and my fingers tingled so intensely that I lowered my head again. If I looked any longer, he would hear my heart pounding.
“You’re not frightened.”
For a brief moment of carelessness, his low voice felt like ice water poured over my head.
“You woke up in an unfamiliar room and met the Crown Prince, yet you are not surprised. Rather, you behave as if you already knew this bedroom belonged to me.”
I racked my brain for an explanation, but nothing convincing came. Even in this desperate situation, the pain in my wounds made it hard to think clearly. There were many reasons I failed to respond properly, but none I could say in front of him. He was a hunter who never missed even the smallest clue.
“Aila, I am waiting for your explanation. If it’s difficult to answer, shall I change the question?”
In a single step, His Highness closed the distance and grabbed my neck.
There was no pressure, but the position alone meant he could take my life whenever he wished.
“What… are you?”
Even though his hand held no force yet, my breath was already tightening.
