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Chapter 7
“A request?”
“I need proper transportation and an escort.
I would like you to prepare them as soon as possible.”
Carlos frowned at my demand.
“Where did my warning to stay quiet go?”
“That’s why I’m saying this. I have to go to the West.
I can’t travel such a long distance alone.”
Originally, I planned to wait longer, but I changed my mind.
If this artifact could hide my identity even a little,
it was better to move one day sooner.
“Once we officially form a guardianship,
the imperial family’s surveillance will become strict.
Then even the necklace won’t hide my identity.
So it’s better to move now, while the watch is still weak.”
The West was the land of mages.
It was a place where magic users gathered,
since the influence of demonic energy had not reached there yet.
And most importantly—
He should still be there.
I had to meet that person as soon as possible.
“You came asking for protection,
yet you want to leave the Grand Duke’s territory
before even half a month has passed…”
Carlos looked down at me coldly.
There was not a trace of trust in his eyes.
“What reason do I have to grant that request?”
“You already know I came here
to escape the emperor’s eyes.
So if you truly doubt me,
tell the emperor I’m here and let him take me.”
My bold attitude made Carlos narrow his eyes.
“It’s something I absolutely must do.”
“…Is it related to refined stones?”
“Probably.”
Carlos stayed silent for a long time.
He looked as if he were trying to guess
what kind of plan I was making
after running all the way here to escape the emperor.
But he could never imagine it.
He would never think
it was something meant to help him.
Our gazes clashed in the air for a long moment.
The one who looked away first
was Carlos.
He closed his tired eyes tightly, then opened them.
“…I’ll think about it.”
At that moment—
Bang!
“Father!”
The office door burst open,
and a sharp voice rang loudly.
Before I could even turn my head,
a large shadow strode across the room
and slammed a hand onto the desk.
“You say the princess came here—what on earth…!”
The boy shouting in anger turned his head toward me
and suddenly froze.
Black hair—the symbol of the Grand Duke’s family.
Green eyes, probably inherited from his mother.
A face that had not yet lost its youth.
…Damian Carter.
The heir of the Grand Duke’s house.
And the man who, in truth,
should have been my older brother.
It’s my first time seeing his younger face.
The last face I remembered was older,
and much rougher.
He used to mock me endlessly with a smiling face,
so seeing him lose his composure felt unfamiliar.
After a moment, he seemed to recognize me
despite my changed eyes and hair,
and his face twisted in anger.
“How dare you step into this place,
Your Highness the Princess.”
His murderous voice fell over my head.
“I knew you were crazy,
but I didn’t expect you to be this insane.
Have you finally decided to gamble with your own life?
If that’s why you crawled in here—”
His endless mockery made my mind grow dizzy.
Of course.
The mockery machine never changes.
Unlike Carlos,
Damian never hesitated to insult royalty in front of me—
always just carefully enough
to avoid actual punishment.
I had lost count of how many times
he raised my blood pressure during private meetings.
Back then, I never stayed quiet either.
But now, things were different.
“Damian, that’s enough.”
“But Father!”
“Stop.”
Carlos waved his hand irritably and stopped him.
“Princess. It would be best for you to leave now.”
“Yes, understood.”
I stood up immediately,
as if I had been waiting for those words.
Carlos was one thing,
but facing an enraged Damian
would bring nothing good.
“Then I’ll take my leave.”
I quickly walked past Damian with small, fast steps.
As if I’d ever want to face him.
I ignored the sharp gaze
that followed me until the door closed.
* * *
Inside the office after Loreia left—
“Father, what are you thinking?
Why on earth would you keep that cursed girl…!”
“Lower your voice. My head hurts.”
Carlos leaned back in his chair
after calming Damian again.
“How is the eastern territory?”
“…Monster attacks have increased recently.
We eliminated the nearby nests,
so it should be fine for a while.”
“It seems the demonic energy
has already reached below the mountains.”
“We are supplying refined stones regularly.
We also purchased more recently,
so it’s nothing you need to worry about yet.”
Carlos nodded slowly.
The eastern lands of the Grand Duke’s territory—
closest to the center of demonic energy—
were still stable
thanks to Damian and his knights.
“And the task I gave you?”
“I investigated,
but there is no information anywhere in the Empire
about the refined stone you mentioned.
Even the imperial family seems unaware of it.”
“Are you certain?”
“Yes.
But what exactly is that refined stone?
You said its effect is dozens of times stronger
than ordinary ones.”
Instead of answering,
Carlos took out a palm-sized box
and handed it to Damian.
Damian’s eyes widened
when he saw what was inside.
Dozens of dark red refined stones
were piled within.
“What is this…?”
“The princess brought them.
She says she can give as many as we want—
on the condition that I become her guardian.”
“…Guardian?
What do you mean?”
Damian’s face filled with confusion.
Had his father truly gone mad?
“For some reason,
she asked me to protect her
from the imperial family.”
“What nonsense—”
“It’s exactly what I said.”
Damian’s face twisted.
“Impossible.
She’s the emperor’s favored monster.
Why would someone like her need protection?”
To Damian,
Loreia Frieze was the worst kind of human.
How many people had been ruined
by a single cruel word from that princess?
How often had she abused imperial power
to control the people?
He spoke through clenched teeth.
“She must be plotting something.
How can you trust that cunning witch?”
“Yes. I know.
It’s suspicious.”
Carlos closed the box.
Then he spoke calmly.
“That’s why
you will watch the princess.”
His deep red eyes
looked toward the office door
where Loreia had disappeared.
“Whether she is truly innocent…
we will learn by watching.”
