Chapter 5

In the middle of the night, Opal Palace received great news. The news was that the 12th prince would visit soon.

“The 12th Prince? why? why!"

“We are finished. We are all dead!”

“Heuk, I should have told my kids I love them on my last vacation…….”

Opal Palace's servants were confused. There were people who were surprised, people who did not believe, and people who lost their reason in fear.

Among them, there were people who wrote wills while crying.

The chaos that enveloped Opal Palace was evidence of Richard's notorious reputation, as well as a glimpse of the level of Opal Palace's servants.

The servants of the palace are the hands and feet of the imperial family. A being who works in the most secret places and listens to the most intimate stories.

Therefore, a good servant had to be sharp-handed and quick-witted, as well as highly loyal to his master.

But Opal's servants lacked any virtue.

It was natural.

First of all, almost all of the ten or so servants of Opal Palace are spies sent by other members of the royal family.

There was no loyalty, and neither was his ability. If he had the ability, why would he enter the palace of an insignificant royal family like the 17th princess?

In other words, even if they were killed by the 12th prince's sword in a place like this, their 'original owner' would not care.

The servants of Opal, who had no ability but could grasp the subject, were well aware of this fact.

So they ended up clinging to Lucilia.

To the ostensible, their owner, a small girl with a weak heart who used to do unreasonable requests.

Compared to the 12th prince, she has little power, but since she is from the same royal family, wouldn't it be much better?

Concluding that, the servants knocked on Lucilia's door.

Please protect us when we meet the 12th Prince.

But the servants couldn't even get the word out.

Upon hearing the news that Richard was coming, Lucilia spoke with a decisive attitude they had never seen before.

"No. Tell them not to come.”

And slammed the door.

After a while, the sound of locking was heard.

“…… You should also write a will!”

Someone shouted in a cracking voice.

What happened?

How the hell did this happen!

I tore my hair and rolled over the bed.

Richard is coming here? Why? For what?!

I don't know where I went wrong. Didn't things end well?

Did you think it was rude for me to run away unilaterally? Or do you still think I'm an assassin?

Considering Richard in the original story, it could be a very simple reason. Maybe he came to kill me because he thought I was being arrogant for eating his jerky...….

“Princess! Princess!”

Servants knock on the door outside the locked door.

“The 12th Prince has already left the Ruby Palace! You're not the kind of person who will listen even if he doesn't come! You must hurry up and get ready to meet the prince!”

The voice calling out to me was very desperate. It was the first time that servants clung to me, even if I searched not only my memories but also Lucilia's.

But even now my maids are not on my side, but on someone else's side!

I ignored the cries of the servants and thought about how to get through this crisis.

I don't know what he's coming for, but Richard's goal is definitely not 'Lucilia', but 'the maid I met earlier'.

What would happen if he found out my identity in this situation?

Richard is incredibly moody. Besides he doesn't like lies or behind the scenes.

The moment he finds out that I was the princess, he might get angry and kill me for lying to him.

What if I lock myself in my room instead?

Richard had already committed the rudeness of breaking into my palace without permission. In this situation, I wouldn't force myself into my room.

He may search the Opal Palace to find the 'maid I met earlier', but what can I do when it's not there? Then when his head cools, won't he just go back?

Ok, this is it I made up my mind and clenched my fists.

By any chance, if Richard breaks my door and invades here, he's more of an idiot than I could have imagined...….

Let's just pray that I was wrong then.

It was a weak and sad conclusion. I tore my hair out again.

Richard entered the Opal Palace with a fearful expression on his face.

The servants of Opal Palace looked at each other with dying faces. Richard looked at them with annoyed eyes.

At first glance, I could tell that they were lousy people. But none of them seemed hungry.

There was not a single person as skinny as the child I had seen in the forest.

Richard's face contorted.

“Where is the princess?”

Richard asked, and the man in the front turned pale.

“That, that, she isn’t feeling well…….”

“Isn’t it good?”

A middle-aged woman standing next to him spoke in place of Richard, who was on the verge of fainting from accepting her life as it was.

“She took medicine and is now asleep. I'm very sorry, but you asked us to treat the princess well. I know it's extremely rude, but...….”

She, who had started to speak calmly, gradually began to speak gibberish as she received Richard's gaze. Fortunately for her, Luke came to her side to help.

“I heard that the 17th princess has been weak since she was born.”

“Fuck.”

A sneer erupted from Richard's mouth.

“I came to ask you something.”

“Yes, yes! Speak!”

The man who answered first shook his head and said. He seemed to be the chamberlain of Opal Palace.

“Is there a blonde maid working here?”

"Yes?"

He inadvertently asked again, then caught Richard's stern gaze and held his breath.

“Huh! There is! There are two!”

He shouted.

“Who is younger?”

“This is Miriam. She will be fifteen this year.”

A middle-aged woman answered instead.

Richard's expression became strange.

"Fifteen? Are there any children younger than her?”

“She is the youngest child in Opal Palace…….”

The prince seemed to think for a moment, then spoke.

“Bring it.”

"Yes?"

Richard's thin patience was cut short after he heard the number of questionings he didn't know. He drew his sword without a word.

“What? I-I will!"

A stuffy air hung over the place where the chamberlain had disappeared. Richard sat down in an old guest chair. Holding his sword.

Five minutes that seemed like five hundred years had passed, and a maid cautiously entered the parlor with the chief chamberlain.

“You said you were looking for me…….”

Richard glared at her with a deadly look.

It was a girl with short blonde hair. There was a mixture of fear and curiosity in her round eyes. She was a very ordinary girl, one you would see everywhere.

"Haha."

Laughter escaped from Richard's mouth.

The faces of the servants of the Opal Palace brightened.

I don't know why, but they misunderstood that the 12th prince was feeling better.

On the other hand, Luke and his men, who had served Richard for a long time, looked at each other in contemplation.

"Hahaha……."

The laughter died down, and Richard rose from his seat. He was still holding his sword.

“You mean this is your answer?”

"Yes?"

“Where is the princess's room?”

The chamberlain narrowed his eyes.

He couldn't understand at all how things were going. He only brought a blonde maid he asked for, but is this the prince's answer?

It was very common sense and a question that everyone would have. It was only natural that the answer was delayed.

But that natural hesitation sealed his fate.

It happened so quickly. The servants and even the knights did not immediately notice what had happened.

“Aaaaaaaaagh!”

Someone screamed and ran away. There was a strong smell of blood.

The head of the chamberlain was lying on the floor.

“I will ask you one last time.”

Richard said in a plain tone as if nothing had happened.

“Where is Lucilia?”

“This is the innermost room on the second floor!”

One of the servants shouted in a tearing voice. Richard turned and left the drawing room.

“Prince, wait!”

Luke hurriedly followed, but Richard did not wait. He climbed the stairs at a brisk pace.

Life flashed in his eyes as he brushed his teeth.

'How dare you lie to me?'

Richard thought as he climbed the stairs.

The guy I had seen before was obviously working for Opal Palace. So he cuts off the servants, but he refuses to release the child even though he feels threatened for his life.

Then there is only one answer.

The owner of Opal Palace, Lucilia, is hiding her.

There were many loopholes in Richard's logic. However, he was not the type to think deeply and was even angry.

So he firmly believed that this was true and stood in front of the innermost room on the second floor.

Richard kicked the door open without hesitation. The thick wooden door shattered like sugar cookies.

“Kyaaak!”

From the back of the room, I saw a small figure tumbling off the bed.

“Are you Lucilia?”

Richard looked around the room as he asked. He tried just in case, but there was no one in the princess's room.

Richard approached the child who was shaking under the bed. Then grabbed her by the shoulder and forced him to rise.

“Where are you, that child……!”

The words didn't come through.

The red eyes slowly widened and hardened as if frozen.

“Sorry, sorry…….”

It was a girl with long blonde hair and a worn-out dress. Her round green eyes flashed with horror.

She said while the child was trembling.

“I was wrong, I’m sorry…….”

“You, you…….”

It was a face I had seen before.

“Are you the princess?”

Ever since Richard broke into my door, I was so terrified that I couldn't even make a sound.

No matter how crazy he is, he would have thought that he would break down even the door that was locked by walking in pain.

Even Richard had a sword in his hand, and if my eyes weren't wrong, the sword had blood on it.

I couldn't stay sane.

“Kyaaak!”

Trying to get out of bed, I slipped and fell to the floor. I could feel my hands shaking on the floor.

“Were you, that child……!”

Richard forcibly lifted me from the floor. The shoulder blade in Richard's hand felt as if it would break.

Richard's life was so full in the narrow room that it was difficult to breathe. The air seemed to weigh me down with its mass.

“I was wrong, I’m sorry…….”

I don't know what I said to Richard. It was to the point where I didn't even know what I was talking about.

Will I really die this time?

Did the miracle end yesterday...….

Maybe it was because death was approaching, but somehow it felt like breathing was easier than before.

Come to think of it, the shoulder held by Richard hurt a lot less.

“You, you…….”

Heaven? Is this heaven?

“Are you the princess?”

There was a beautiful face in front of me.

Oh, it's heaven too

I laughed out loud.

“An angel.”

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