Chapter 4

The once splendid evening party had turned into a feast of screams and chaos.

People were screaming and running around, gentlemen and ladies were rushing towards the exits. Roars and screams echoed through the grand hall. The marquis, having lost all composure, was crawling on all fours, desperately trying to escape. The head he had thrown with a scream was rolling listlessly on the floor. The floor, polished for the evening, was now drenched in red.

I, overwhelmed by the scene, could not think or speak, and could only blink repeatedly, staring at Bernard's back in front of me.

What pierced my dazed ears was my brother's shout.

"Damn it, what are you thinking!? Have you finally lost your mind!?"

My brother tried to come towards us, but the royal guards held him back forcefully.

"It's dangerous, Your Majesty! Please step back!"

"Your Majesty, this way! We will guide you, please evacuate!"

The guards in their ceremonial uniforms gathered in front of my brother, forming a human wall. Other knights tried to lead my brother away, but he shook off their hands and shouted in anger.

"Don't be ridiculous, I can't leave my sister behind! Amelia, come here, Amelia!"

"It's not possible, Your Majesty! Please step back!"

"Your Majesty, we will risk our lives to save Princess Amelia! Please, evacuate from this place!"

The guards assigned to my brother were in an uproar, pointing their swords at us.

On the other hand, my guards, while showing a stance of resistance, were pleading with Bernard, their eyes brimming with tears.

"What are you thinking!?"

"I don't want to die because of this damn mad dog captain!"

"Why did you cut off his head!? Why!?! No one cuts off heads at a party, Captain!?"

"Princess, are you alright, Princess! Please escape if you can!"

"That's right, the Princess should go to the King! We don't even understand what's happening here!"

"The only thing we understand is that it's all because of this mad dog captain who was born as a human by mistake!"

When I timidly called out, "Bernard...?" he turned his head slightly and said,

"Please stay behind me, Princess. He's an assassin. I don't know if he's a real noble or an impostor, but he's a trained professional. There might be others with him."

As he said this, the Count of Cesnik, who had been standing in a daze, suddenly trembled and looked at Bernard in disbelief, then turned to me. The count dropped to his knees and pressed his head to the floor, shouting,

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! It's all my fault, my sin! I will accept any punishment, even if my head is cut off here and now! Please, please!"

He raised his face and looked at me with a desperate expression.

"Can you save my grandson, Princess...! Please, please, I'll do anything, even give my life, so please save my grandson, Princess...! He's only two years old, he has done nothing wrong!"

Tears streamed down the count's face.

His eldest son, rumored to be sickly and bedridden, the sudden drawing of Bernard's sword, and his words about the "assassin" and "trained professional" flashed through my mind, and I understood the situation.

I stepped out from behind Bernard. He tried to stop me, but I held up a hand and went to the count. I asked,

"Where is your grandson now?"

"I don't know...! They took him...! They said if I brought that man, my son, to the party, they would return my grandson safely. So... I'm sorry, Princess...!"

"Is there a way to contact them?"

"...When I return from the party, they said to go to a certain place...! They said they would bring my grandson there...!"

"I see. Then let's go. Count, will you guide us?"

"Princess...?"

The count looked up at me with a dazed face.

Two voices of protest came from behind me.

"You should reconsider, Princess. Going now would be futile. In such situations, there's no reason to keep the hostage alive. They're probably already dead."

"Mind your words, Bernard."

I sternly reprimanded Bernard, who looked away from me with a resigned expression.

My brother, looking flustered, poked his head through the gap in the guards and said,

"Wait, Amelia. If that's the case, I'll send the knights immediately. You won't go."

"Brother, time is of the essence. We must reach the Cesnik family's territory before the kidnappers learn that the impostor is dead. We don't have time to select personnel from the knights. Besides, we should act with a small group to avoid drawing attention."

I called out to the Count of Cesnik again.

"Will you guide us, Count? I and my guards will come. If we ride without rest, we can reach the kidnappers before they receive the news."

"── Yes! I will never forget this kindness, Princess...!"

If I could save his grandson, it would be the only way to repay his gratitude.

Bernard was right, and I knew it, but I had no intention of stopping.

"Let's go. And let's make it clear that our country will not tolerate such despicable kidnappers!"

My guards let out a collective "Oh!"

*

And then ─── to our great fortune, we were able to rescue the count's grandson.

The kidnappers had kept the child alive, thinking she still had some use. She was a very lovely little girl, only two years old. I didn't want to imagine what they had planned to do with her.

The young girl was restrained and confined, so weak that she couldn't even cry. However, the doctor determined that she was not in immediate danger and would be fine with rest and nourishment, which relieved us. After we rescued her, she clung to her mother and cried weakly. The next head of the family, her mother, was also in tears, apologizing to her child, "I'm sorry for making you go through this."

The Cesnik family expressed their gratitude to us en masse. The real eldest son, supported by a servant, came forward and prostrated himself before me, repeatedly apologizing.

"It's all my fault. The reason my child was kidnapped and our family was targeted is because I, despite my weak body, have continued to live. Please, please, let all the punishment fall on me. Although there was a reason, our family was involved in the assassination attempt on the Princess. I fully understand that this is an unforgivable crime. But please, have mercy on my sisters! Please...!"

Looking as if he might collapse at any moment, the eldest son pleaded desperately. The count also pleaded, saying he would accept any punishment, even renounce his title, as long as the children's lives were spared.

I could only say that I would take this matter into consideration. Although I was the target, as an attempted assassination on the royal family, I could not decide the punishment on my own. I would have to consult with my brother.

I could have refused the count's request for a formal thank you and returned to the capital with my guards, but I said,

"Let's attack their base now."

Bernard made a displeased face.