When I was in shock, the door opened with a bang.
Though I was lying down and couldn't see anything, I could tell it was the Emperor by his voice alone.
Now they wouldn't be able to kidnap me. Footsteps approached quickly. I felt a familiar hand stroke the back of my neck.
"Montego, what did you do to Mabel?"
The Emperor demanded in a menacing tone, as if spitting out the words.
"No, I didn't lay a finger on Your Majesty."
"What do you mean? Then why is Mabel lying down?"
"I, Your Majesty, flipped herself over."
An oppressive silence fell. Then, a moment later, the sound of a sword being drawn was heard.
"I didn't lay a finger on Your Majesty, I swear it by the name of God!"
The sound of someone kneeling was heard. The Emperor must have been pointing his sword at the man. What if he dies? It wasn't really my concern, but I still felt uneasy. He did try to kidnap me, but he didn't touch me at all.
'Alright. I should help this man.'
But I couldn't. I had managed to flip over, but getting back up was another problem. After a few grunts, I collapsed from exhaustion. The conversation continued while I struggled.
"Really, not a finger on Your Majesty!"
"Yes. That's the problem."
Grinding teeth could be heard. Then the Emperor spoke.
"……Because of you, I didn't see Mabel flipping over."
Ah… Mabel and I sighed simultaneously.
In the dead of night, the royal palace went on high alert due to the intrusion of unwelcome guests.
The knights who were prostrate and the waiting mages all tensed up at the Emperor's scolding. They were partly responsible for allowing Montego to approach the princess. Princess Mabel's position was special. She was second in line to the throne of the Ermanno royal family and the only heir of the Gadenia Marquis. The Gadenia Marquis had many enemies, so it was highly likely that his enemies would try to eliminate his potential granddaughter, who might become the head of the family in the future. Therefore, Esteban strengthened the security of the palace where Mabel stayed and increased the reconnaissance forces. He also had the mages reinforce the protective barriers. Despite all this, he thought Mabel was well-protected, but he was wrong.
"During that brief audience, you managed to create a gap in the barrier."
Esteban gritted his teeth. The gap was so small that even the mages who checked the barrier daily didn't notice it. The Abellardos had planned to kidnap Mabel from the beginning.
"I should have gouged out their eyes…."
Esteban muttered coldly. The old knights and mages, who remembered the young Prince Esteban, sighed.
'Could it be… that nightmare is repeating itself!'
In those days of constant bloodshed, they desperately wished the deceased Empress would return. But that was impossible. No matter how much of a divine child the princess was, she was the Emperor's only daughter. Even though the kidnapping attempt failed, it was natural for him to be angry.
'But gouging out eyes is a bit much…'
They exchanged glances as if they had made a pact. If they tortured or killed Montego, it would cause diplomatic friction with the Holy Kingdom. Who would risk their life to advise the Emperor? After a short but suffocating struggle, the Knight Commander Gerald was ultimately defeated. The reason for his defeat was his age. As the Knight Commander, he had the duty to take on many responsibilities, so there was an unspoken pressure for him to step forward.
'Impudent young ones. If someone has to die, it should be me, the old one. That's how things are these days…'
Gerald resolved to give a pep talk all day if everything went smoothly and looked up at the Emperor.
"Your Majesty, I believe punishing the criminal is too harsh. The relationship with Abellardo must also be considered."
Repeating Gerald's words briefly, Esteban fell silent. The longer the silence, the paler the faces of everyone except Esteban became.
'So, it seems I won't be going home today.'
Gerald closed his eyes solemnly. The faces of his family waiting at home came to mind. He had no regrets about speaking his mind to the Emperor. The knights held back their tears that were about to spill.
Finally, the Emperor, who looked like he was about to kill someone, spoke.
"She doesn't cry easily, but she was frightened by Montego and cried."
Thinking he might be joking, Gerald looked closely, but Esteban was dead serious. Gerald quickly regained his composure. He was momentarily speechless, but if this continued, diplomatic relations with Abellardo could indeed break down.
"……I understand Your Majesty's feelings, but the diplomatic relationship must be considered."
Rumors about Mabel had already spread throughout the palace. The legend that the Emperor, in his doting, had given her everything from the northern forest of the palace to the Fonse Castle and all kinds of precious treasures. He was so protective that even when his ministers requested to meet her, he never allowed it.
'So… those rumors were true.'
It was a moment that proved his intense love for his daughter to the world.
Gerald responded hesitantly. He didn't know how to react to the Emperor's excessive love for his daughter.
'No, isn't this more like an obsession?'
"Actually, I wanted to tear him apart in four directions. If it weren't for Mabel, I would have done it."
At those menacing words, everyone had the same thought.
Mabel's existence helped avert a diplomatic crisis. Let's set aside the fact that she was the cause of the situation.
"But since you, Gerald, are so opposed, let's put the Montego case on hold. It's better to keep him in prison and observe Abellardo's reaction."
Some people let out a sigh of relief. Fortunately, a full-scale war with the Holy Kingdom was avoided. Just as they thought Esteban hadn't lost his mind as much as they feared, he spoke again.
"So, Gerald, I want to test your judgment."
"Mabel needs a bodyguard."
This was the conclusion Esteban reached after the failed kidnapping attempt last night. No matter how many guards he added to protect Mabel, it wouldn't matter if they could be so easily breached. Therefore, someone needed to closely guard her to prevent her from being exposed to danger. He wanted to do it himself, but his position required him to be with Mabel all day, which was impossible. Esteban scanned the prostrate knights. The knights, with their heads bowed, avoided eye contact with the Emperor.
'…If I get picked, I'm dead!'
Being the princess's bodyguard was a sweet spot, a legal way to avoid hellish training, but it was a double-edged sword that could come with unbearable responsibility.
"…Is no one stepping forward?"
Esteban's low voice swept through the room. It was so quiet that the sound of someone swallowing could be heard clearly. Then, a man stepped forward.
"I will guard the Princess."
It was Lisandro Donavan, the younger brother of Duke Donavan. *** Sucking. At first, I didn't understand why I was given a pacifier, but now I do. In this harsh world, being able to suck on something without worry is a happy thing. The pacifier is the only drug God has allowed me.
"You're smiling. Do you like the pacifier so much?"
Larima, who was tidying up my toys, smiled and asked. I just sucked on the pacifier without answering. By the way, what happened to that Montego who tried to kidnap me yesterday? The last thing I saw was the terrifying Emperor dragging Montego by the back of his neck out of my room. In contrast to that terrifying night, my room was very peaceful during the day.
"Princess, you can flip over now."
When Xavier mentioned this as he passed by, Larima's eyes widened.
"You never believe me. You said there was no golden beast, but it was there. Believe me."
"I want to believe you, but you have a face that's hard to trust."
Xavier sighed deeply and headed for the door.
'Poor Xavier. Hang in there.'
That's all the support I can give. They argue every day but stick together all day, like siblings. They've been close since birth, so it makes sense they seem so intimate. I sucked on the pacifier while staring blankly at the ceiling. Having no siblings, I envied those who had someone to rely on. That's why Xavier and Larima's relationship seemed so good. Of course, I now have an older half-brother, Oscar, but it didn't really feel real.
'Someday, will I have a family to rely on…?'
"Hello, little princess?"
Something suddenly appeared in front of me. …Thump. Startled, the pacifier fell out of my mouth and rolled on the floor.
Bending down to pick up my pacifier, the intruder was a man I had never seen before. He had black hair and green eyes, with a gentle expression. His long hair was tied back in a ponytail, which was quite distinctive.
It's unlikely an assassin would sneak in during the day, so he must be someone important.
"You're surprised? A frightened little princess is cute."
Who are you to act so familiar?
I whined and turned my body. Glancing back, the man awkwardly held the pacifier and smiled awkwardly. He definitely didn't seem like an assassin, but who was he? Everyone had left while I was lost in thought, leaving only the man and me in the room. With the security tightened, he was probably not an assassin.
"Did I make a bad first impression?"
I heard the man laugh bitterly. He must have realized I didn't like him. I lay down and pretended to play with a rattle. Then the door opened.
"Oh. You're here, Sir Donavan. You're early."
The nanny greeted the man warmly. They know each other? Intrigued, I turned back to observe them. The man lightly kissed the nanny's hand and smiled faintly.
"It's been a while, Madame Lupa. You look even more beautiful than the last time I saw you."
"Hehe. Your smooth talk hasn't changed."
Sir Donavan? So he's a knight? No, more importantly, Donavan is the surname of the former Empress…!
"To be able to see Madame Lupa every day, I'm already happy."
I opened my mouth wide at the man's words.
'Why does he need to see the nanny every day? Why? Why?'
The question was quickly answered.
"Having the Swordmaster, Sir Donavan, guard the Princess is a relief. I was worried."
"The honor is mine, Madame."
The unexpected intruder seemed to be my bodyguard. While having a bodyguard is good for my safety, I didn't like this man for several reasons. First, he's from the former Empress's family, so I can't trust him. The current Duke, the former Empress, naturally hates me, and the same goes for this man. Second, I didn't like him from the start. He acted familiar on our first meeting and flirted excessively with the nanny. He's incredibly handsome, but too slick!
Feeling a rising sense of discomfort, I glared at Sir Donavan, who smiled awkwardly and looked down at me.
"Seems the little princess doesn't like me."
"Oh no. That's not true. She's so gentle and kind."
No, nanny. I can be bad too.
'No matter how I look at it, this man has a bad aura. He seems like a womanizer!'
"Don't worry, Sir. The Princess was probably scared by last night's incident. Oh, it was terrible. Trying to kidnap the Princess…"
The nanny's voice was filled with sorrow. She seemed to feel guilty about what I had experienced, even though it wasn't her fault.
It was the fault of Montego, who had planned to kidnap me.
…No one will believe me, but I called the nanny. At least the nanny looked at me. I stretched out my arms to her.
The nanny picked me up, looking surprised and happy.
"Why are you asking to be held? Look, Sir. She's so gentle and kind."
I wasn't gentle and kind, but I felt I should pretend to be. I smiled at Sir Donavan. He covered his mouth with one hand. The nanny cooed and looked at Sir Donavan.
"Just a moment, Madame. I need to take a deep breath…"
…? Why suddenly? Sir Donavan turned his head, took a deep breath, and looked at me again. I looked at him with a blank face and reluctantly smiled.
Suddenly, Sir Donavan's expression hardened. He then called the nanny softly.
"This is not the Princess. I'm sure of it."
The nanny's unspoken words were probably something like that. Confused, I stared at Sir Donavan's handsome face. Meeting my eyes, he exclaimed 'Hap!' and covered his mouth again.
"Clearly, she's an angel sent from heaven. The divine prophecy was true!"
Ah… I sighed inwardly. Can I really trust my safety to this man? After the Emperor, Oscar, and my attendants, another fool had appeared. The fact that this fool was my bodyguard made me wonder if the Emperor actually hated me. As I clung to the nanny's dress with this rational suspicion, the door opened wide.
It was Oscar's daily attendance check. Oscar, who usually maintained a mature attitude, became more childlike in my room. He would burst in without knocking, which was against etiquette. There was no one to scold him except the Emperor. Through the open door, I saw Oscar with a bright expression. But his cheerful face turned pale after a few steps.
Oscar stopped short, breathing heavily. His frightened gaze was directed at Sir Donavan.