Chapter 21

— — —

The horse ran hard for a long while before finally slowing once we were completely out of the forest.

The trees thinned.

Open plains stretched endlessly ahead.

“…What just happened?” Damian asked.

His voice sounded faintly stunned, as if he still hadn’t processed it.

I imagined the expression he must be wearing behind me and shrugged deliberately.

“It wasn’t that serious.”

“It absolutely was.”

“Well… I expected Vincent to show up.”

The Emperor was sharp.

By now, he would have realized this wasn’t one of my usual dramatic disappearances.

Of course he’d send Vincent.

“The imperial palace runs on survival of the fittest. Did you know?”

I glanced back slightly.

Damian’s expression shifted—not disgust, but confusion.

“You care about that sort of thing? I thought you treated everyone except the Emperor like insects.”

“That’s technically true. But hearing it from you is irritating.”

“I’d call it objective.”

Is there no way to silence this man?

“Whether you agree or not, I controlled the palace because I fought for it.”

“Should I applaud?”

I shot him a glare and faced forward again.

But it was true.

I hadn’t started powerful.

The imperial family worshipped bloodlines. The Emperor’s favor alone didn’t make people bow.

When I was first adopted, the First Prince’s faction dominated everything. Even the maids assigned to me vented their resentment by pinching and tormenting a two-year-old child.

After all, Lorea was only decorative.

I was seven when I realized that survival meant inspiring fear.

Five years.

That was all it took.

I rolled my eyes lightly.

“Vincent has a pollen allergy. Birch.”

“So that ridiculous ‘sword’ was meant to counter that?”

“What else was I supposed to do? You hate the imperial family enough to glare at them—but not enough to cut down a prince and face the consequences.”

Damian let out a short breath.

“What?”

“Shall I be honest?”

“…Your tone already says yes.”

“I’m surprised you can think.”

“…I shouldn’t have asked.”

I sighed.

The Grand Duke’s son was insufferable.

If I could, I’d bonk him on the head.

He only shrugged, unapologetic.

“Regardless, we lost supplies,” he muttered. “We can’t head straight west like this.”

“I never expected we could.”

There were several cities along the western route.

I pretended to deliberate for a moment.

“Let’s go to Jeda.”

That had been my intended stop all along.

Damian frowned.

“Instead of a major city like Akene, you’re choosing Jeda?”

Naturally he’d question it.

Jeda was barely worthy of being called a city.

I smiled sweetly.

“Yes. I have a plan.”

“You have a plan…”

I heard that.

“No objections. You’re my escort. This is a legitimate request from the person with the objective.”

“Yes, yes.”

He sounded resigned but didn’t argue.

He turned the horse.

“We need to reach it before sunset.”

We arrived in Jeda just before dusk.

After the ambush, we should have been unpacking and resting.

Instead—

“…Are you absolutely certain? Truly?”

We stood before an inn.

More precisely, Damian stood in front of it, blocking my path.

I stretched on my toes to peer past him. When my calves began to ache, I snapped.

“I said I’m certain. That’s the tenth time you’ve asked.”

“Have you lost your mind? Was life as a princess so dull that you’re seeking hardship for amusement?”

I ignored him and studied the inn.

It was old, weathered, expected for a small western town. But it looked clean enough.

“This is fine.”

“I’m going insane.”

Damian dragged a hand down his face.

The situation was simple.

I intended to stay at the inn.

Damian refused.

Before we left, Carlos had given him an artifact—a necklace capable of conjuring temporary magical lodging.

He insisted it would be far superior to this place.

An artifact.

Why would a man already drained by mana waste energy like that?

Carlos wouldn’t even respond to my farewell.

I couldn’t tell whether I annoyed him—or whether he cared at all.

“I can literally create lodging with magic. Father gave this to me. For you.”

Damian shook the red pendant at his neck pointedly.

“No.”

I glanced at it and turned away.

Absolutely not.

I wasn’t wasting Carlos’s mana on comfort.

To him, it might be trivial.

To me, it wasn’t.

I owed him at least this much.

“I’m going in first. Pay and come up.”

“…What?”

“A suite.”

Before he could stop me, I slipped under his arm and darted inside.

Sometimes being short is useful.

Damian stared after me, stunned.

“Hey—! Young lady!”

Ignoring him, I hurried up the stairs.

“That little burden!”

The way he talks to a princess.

And to think he’s my biological brother.

Out of his sight, I stuck my tongue out and continued toward the top floor.