MMLP 49

“Levietta!”

When a rift opened in midair—

The first person to reach out and catch the falling Levietta was Gilbert, who had been searching the garden.

“Are you all right? Are you hurt anywhere?”

“…Dad?”

For a moment Gilbert’s heart dropped, but he didn’t show it.

With his large hand he covered Levietta’s eyes to shield them from the blazing sunlight.

“You seem disoriented. It’s okay. I’ll take care of everything, so you just rest.”

At Gilbert’s call the search party gathered.

Some of the men were holding dolls in their hands.

“Suspicious objects were found nearby.”

“Is that all you found?”

“Yes!”

The moment Gilbert saw the three dolls that resembled the princesses, something in him clicked instinctively.

“It looks like these belong to the princesses. Go to the council chamber and tell them we found the missing ones.”

“Yes, Captain!”

The subordinate who received the order ran straight to the palace.

Whether it was because the subordinate was diligent or because someone wanted trouble for the princesses, the Empress arrived in the garden not long after.

Kaulen and Ivemaria were among the group following the Empress.

“You said you did your best to protect the princesses. The truth will come out, so don’t worry too much,” the Empress said.

Kaulen’s only takeaway from the Empress’s words was that they should use this missing-princess incident to their advantage.

Ignorantly barking that out, Kaulen’s words of course offered no comfort.

Ivemaria, who was burdened with worry, nearly screamed when her eyes met Levietta’s.

Levietta had smirked at her.

“Wait a moment.”

I stepped down from Gilbert’s arms and walked toward Cordelia.

Cordelia looked down at me haughtily, chin raised.

‘Go on. Puff up that pride while you can before you get flattened.’

Kaulen, who had appeared like a loyal retainer, jabbed a finger at me with a sharp tone.

“How dare you reduce the princesses to this state! Do you understand you’ll be disowned by your family and punished under the laws for injuring royalty?”

Gilbert, head tilted, moved to step forward.

I reached out and blocked him.

“I can explain everything. But even if I say it myself, no one will believe me….”

Snap!

At my snap, the magic binding the princesses was undone.

A bright light burst from the dolls and they shifted into human form — a scene like a magical girl’s transformation.

Gasps and relieved murmurs sprang up around us.

To make sure the protagonist of this incident had the spotlight, I took a step back.

The sudden dissolving of the magic left the princesses startled — eyes wide, glancing around in confusion.

But long familiarity with palace life makes one unshakable in crises. The first to grasp the situation and take charge was First Princess Laila.

Her authoritative words quieted the commotion.

“This was an unfortunate accident. We were able to return safely entirely because of the devoted protection of Princess Grimroar.”

All eyes turned to the mention of Princess Grimroar.

Now the light shone on Ivemaria’s creased face, but her role on today’s stage was a shabby bit part.

“In light of this, I ask that no baseless slander or distorted rumors be spread about Princess Grimroar — Levietta, the Thirteenth Prince’s Consort. She is not the mastermind of this incident; she is our savior who risked her life to protect Iris, Adeline, and me.”

Iris and Adeline flanked Laila as if to lend strength to her words.

Kaulen closed his mouth, and Gilbert smiled faintly and placed his hand over my head.

For an instant, Laila and Cordelia locked eyes. The mother and daughter’s gazes were tangled and unyielding.

Cordelia’s spirit was terrifying, but Laila did not back down.

‘Laila must have realized it. That Cordelia was willing to sacrifice her daughters to clear Diego’s path to advancement.’

There was no winner or loser here.

Only a split mother and daughter remained in this place.

Cordelia spun sharply, cloak billowing, and left in quick strides.

‘Now that Cordelia’s scheme is known, Laila will protect her sisters.’

In chess, pawns are weak and easy to sacrifice.

But if a pawn survives to the end, it can be promoted into a powerful queen.

The chess term is promotion.

‘Maybe a queen will be born from this.’

…Huh? Where’s Zerodines?

Usually he’d be hovering nearby, tossing out a comment or two.

The magic sigil on the back of my hand looked connected to him, so later I should smack my left hand and see if he appears.

He’ll show up irritated for sure.

‘For now… I should deal with that guy first.’

Among the crowd I met Rosinante’s eyes and, embarrassed from the feeling that welled up inside me, I glanced away.

‘Why am I avoiding him? I didn’t do anything wrong.’

And why does he look angry…?

After that, Gilbert took care of all the follow-up I should have handled.

What did that man who hates hassle want? Because of something I’d muttered when still half out of it?

“Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?”

“…Dad?”

Ugh. I don’t even know why I called Gilbert that. Maybe traveling between the human and demon realms left me dizzy.

Anyway, thanks to Gilbert’s overprotectiveness I found myself alone with a fellow who was twice as annoying as Gilbert.

Rosinante didn’t say a word to me until we returned to the Prince’s Palace and I had settled on a sofa.

I could have spoken first, but for some reason he seemed to be sending a whole-body signal that I shouldn’t, so I kept my mouth shut.

He had been pacing by the window and then took a step toward me.

I hoped, foolishly, that he was upset because I hadn’t bought him a souvenir — but of course that wasn’t it.

“…….”

He looked at me with complicated eyes and sighed.

Where does his acting end and his sincerity begin? Is there even sincerity between us?

Our motives are mission and revenge. What guides us is purpose, not feeling.

But outwardly it must look the same, so I reached out and stroked his cheek.

“Were you worried because I suddenly disappeared?”

His skin was soft under my hand. What secrets lie under that elegant shell?

What does he really think? I’m curious, but I don’t want to know.

“…….”

Maybe my gentle coaxing calmed him a little, because he knelt and made it easy for me to touch his face.

“Were you upset that I left without saying a word?”

“…….”

He must have been anxious that the mission would be compromised.

“You shouldn’t vanish after I said I would help you.”

“…….”

He must have been worried about losing the prince’s consort and the honor that comes with it.

“But I couldn’t leave someone in danger. Unlike them, I’m a mage — so I thought that if I stayed with them, their chances of survival would be higher.”

“…….”

Perhaps he even suspected I had other motives.

“And if I who was there couldn’t ensure the princess’s safety, Rosin, you’d be in trouble. Maybe the rank you worked so hard for would be affected.”

“You risked your life for such a petty reason?”

Ha!

At that moment a sneer escaped his lips.

“Thanks for worrying about me. But Levietta made one mistake.”

He grabbed my hand, pushed me against the back of the sofa, and the situation flipped in an instant.

He pressed his lips close to my ear and whispered something that might have been sincere.

“Whether it’s honor or rank, if you disappear, none of that will matter.”

“…….”

“I trust you, but I don’t trust the world you belong to. So until I have everything in my hands, until I wipe out every threat to you from the world, you….”

The moment that gloomy voice scraped into my ear, warning bells rang in my head.