MMLP 27

chapter 27 

I managed to hold it in twice, but by the third time, it was impossible. An unrestrained yawn burst from my mouth.

“Hyaaah.”

All the dignity and honor of a noble were shattered with a single yawn, but there was nothing I could do about it.

If I had known waiting would be this boring, I might have just entered the tournament myself. Although, Gilbert probably wouldn’t have allowed it anyway.

“Excuse me for a moment.”

Around 2 PM, when sleepiness was hitting hard, someone approached me while I was yawning sluggishly.

“Are you Princess Levieta?”

He was an ordinary-looking adult man. Judging from his knightly attire, he seemed to be on official duty—but why would a knight come to me?

I asked suspiciously,

“Yes, that’s me. What’s your business?”

“I’ve come to fetch you at Sir Gilbert’s request.”

“Oh.”

Now that I thought about it, Gilbert was nearby. My mind had been completely occupied with thoughts of Rosinante, so I’d forgotten.

I rose from my seat and flicked my dress to smooth out the wrinkled fabric.

“Please guide me.”

The man led me along a forest path. Using a shortcut, we had to push through patches of unkempt undergrowth.

‘Wow, no consideration at all. Could you walk a bit slower?’

Struggling to keep up with the adult man’s long strides, I panted and moved my legs as fast as I could. So focused on walking, I hadn’t realized we were stepping into a secluded area.

I sensed danger when Zerodines, who had been silent until now, finally spoke.

—“No wonder I felt something was off… looks like we’re dealing with a hunting dog that has an owner.”

He pointed toward the trees in the distance.

—“Two… no, three people are lying in ambush. They’re probably planning to attack you as you pass by.”

I see. So that’s why it had seemed too peaceful. It was about time something appeared.

I stopped walking quietly, and the man who had been leading me turned to look at me. His face seemed ordinary at first, but knowing his schemes now, his expression looked sinister.

“I drank too much tea… I really need to go.”

“Can’t you hold it just a little longer? We’ll reach our destination soon.”

As I stepped back slowly, he strode threateningly toward me, as if ready to resolve things with force.

“No, it’s really urgent…”

“The playtime’s over. If you don’t want to see yourself hurt, stop whining and follow me.”

Just as I feared, the man revealed his true colors and stretched out a large hand.

I barely dodged it and tried to cast magic, but an assailant appeared from behind and pinned my mouth and hands.

“Got you.”

“…!”

Zerodines clicked his tongue in frustration.

—“There was another one? Judging by their caution, this isn’t just a bunch of ordinary bandits.”

If even the Grand Magus frowned, this must be a seriously dangerous situation.

Who could be behind this? Ibemaria isn’t involved in this hunting tournament, so the only remaining person could be Diego…

‘If it’s Diego, he’s probably trying to take revenge for last time.’

The problem was that the tournament was ongoing. If these masked attackers were truly Diego’s men, he was committing an absurd foul.

‘Arrogant and cowardly!’

Just as I was growing more certain that Diego was responsible, the four assailants ahead suddenly screamed and collapsed forward.

“Kyaaah!”

“Ahhh!”

It looked almost like a display of camaraderie—they each had an arrow sticking in their back.

No arrows had missed. Four arrows, four targets. By any measure, perfect accuracy.

“Who the hell is this!”

With his comrades all down, the lone remaining assailant cried out in a trembling voice. Fear had tightened his hands so much that breathing through his blocked nose and mouth was nearly impossible.

Anyone… please… hurry… I’ll suffocate like this!

Fwoosh—!

The final arrow struck the assailant’s hand.

“Argh!”

He writhed in pain, and I took the opportunity to break free from his grip.

I ran blindly toward the direction from which the arrows had come and found a hunter with a very familiar face—a boy.

“Your Highness Rosinante…?”

“Are you hurt?”

“No, thanks to you, I’m fine…”

It turned out to be Rosinante. No, more than that—this guy’s archery skill is exceptional. There’s no way the past version of the male lead could handle a bow like this. Maybe the fake replaced him faster than in the original story.

There was no time to ponder that. The assailants had gotten back up and were charging at us.

“Run!”

I grabbed Rosinante’s hand, and we dashed forward without hesitation.

Through the underbrush, over vines, we reached a sheer and dizzying cliff…

“I’ll handle this.”

Rosinante moved ahead to cover me. Courage alone was impressive, but there was a problem—the enemies numbered five, and he only had one arrow left.

‘Are you sane? Not even Jumong could handle this.’

Magic was our only hope.

I decided to use my right hand instead of my left. With Zerodines’ stable magic, Rosinante’s true form couldn’t be recognized, so I resolved to use my own power.

“There’s a better way than dealing with them directly.”

I whispered into Rosinante’s ear. Hearing such a bold—and reckless—plan, he tried to hide his surprise.

“…Understood. Then I’ll draw the enemies closer so the princess can cast her spell.”

Rosinante nocked the last arrow.

The arrow, which one would expect to target an enemy, instead pointed in an entirely different direction. It seemed to aim where Diego was.

“If you attack the head first, you won’t need to cut off the limbs.”

“Stop!”

The assailants, predictably provoked, charged at Rosinante.

I waited for the right moment and triggered a magical explosion.

The pre-practiced spell erupted in a loud explosion, sending flames flying in all directions.

The blast was powerful, but thanks to Rosinante shielding me, I remained unharmed.

Whoosh—!

A unicorn flew in like the wind.

“I thought it was a mythical creature, but it really exists.”

“Guess its name.”

“White Horse… Blanche?”

“Wrong. You have two more chances.”

Perched on the unicorn’s back, Rosinante and I flew through the air, watching the assailants fall toward the abandoned building below the cliff.

“Gloria? There’s a windmill here. It looks like they’ll survive even if they break bones hitting the blades.”

“It’s not Gloria. Judging by its old, neglected state, this is probably the remains of a forest village from long ago.”

“There are still unknown places in this world, it seems. And the unicorn’s name is definitely Ethel.”

“No, it’s not.”

This composure. This confidence. The male lead must have been swapped with a spy.

I opened my heart fully and smiled softly.

The sunlight, closer than when we were on the ground, brightened my smile.

“Rosinante.”

“Yes?”

“I meant your name, not His Highness. I named it that way.”

He blinked in surprise.

It was just playful teasing; the reason could wait until after the tournament results.

I pointed to the windmill below.

“Ah! They’re trying to escape. Should we use magic?”

But using another explosion against the injured enemies could be dangerous. No matter how much of an enemy, killing them was not allowed.

‘I need to capture them alive to report Diego for breaking the rules.’

Just as I was considering using my left hand, Rosinante pulled on the reins, guiding the unicorn downward.

“No, I won’t make the princess go through that trouble twice.”

“What about your last arrow? It flew off during the explosion.”

“Eh? Ah, it doesn’t matter. Archery isn’t my specialty.”

He jumped down and kicked the long sword at his waist.

With a simple move, he destroyed the door, preventing the enemies from escaping.

I thought the sword was just decorative, but he could handle both a bow and a sword effortlessly.

You… have no intention of hiding that you’re a spy, do you?