episode_0470

Although the carriage was broken, there was no major impediment to further movement. Since all twenty knights showed up on horseback, there were many useful fine horses raised in the palace.

First of all, since he is a warrior who has mastered the art of horse riding, he would naturally have learned horse riding, and Natalie and Thomas, who are from the border, also know how to drive or ride horses. The same goes for me, who learned horse riding from Lydiana Dietmeyer, Princess Raini’s escort maid.

Of these, four people are unable to ride horses on their own, but a horse of this level would probably be enough to carry two people at a time.

“Have you, Mr. Warrior, Miss Natalie, Mr. Thomas, and Miss Lydia ever learned horseback riding?”

“Yeah. It’s essential when you travel far away without a carriage.”

“Oh, yes! I learned it when I was young too.”

“I’m the same as Natalie.”

“It was a skill that had to be learned, even if it was just to protect Princess Raini.”

“Thank goodness. Since I can ride a horse, we can each take one person who can’t ride a horse. First of all, Princess Raini should be led by Miss Lydia, and Miss Agnes should be… .”

Just like when we were traveling in a narrow carriage, each person can take one person. Agnes will be taken by Natalie, who is of the same sex, Silena, who is the heroine he is in a relationship with, and I will take Ethan.

As for the remaining horses, I had no choice but to leave them behind, even though it was a pity. What I had learned was horsemanship, not the breeding skills to drive multiple horses. In the first place, I didn’t have the time to drive and move multiple horses.

“Then let’s go. Lord Ethan, please hold on to my waist tightly.”

“Oh, yeah.”

-Tub.

“No, I don’t mean to grab it with your hand like that. I mean, wrap your arms around my waist and grab it.”

“… Isn’t it uncomfortable to be so close?”

“Rather, if you hold on halfway, I feel more uncomfortable because I think that Lord Ethan might fall.”

“… Okay.”

-Whoa!

“… This is enough.”

After confirming that Ethan’s body was pressed behind mine and that each of the others was following their riders, we set off again towards Princess Raini’s villa.

⁎ ⁎ ⁎

Although horses that can run fast have been created, that does not mean they can run at top speed.

In this situation, if we had been speeding carelessly, Princess Raini’s horse might have suddenly collapsed or her ankle might have broken, which would have been unfortunate.

Simply reducing your speed can help reduce such accidents and minimize injuries if they do occur.

A group riding and walking at a moderate pace, not too fast, but not too slow.

Still, thanks to running at a slow pace since dawn, I was somehow able to arrive at the villa before the sun set.

“The building you see over there is the Dephrin Kingdom’s villa, where Princess Raini originally resided.”

“The original meaning of staying was… .”

“Queen Veronica was wary of Princess Raini’s influence remaining within the palace. That’s why she made it a point to have Princess Raini stay in this villa from the time she turned ten. She claimed that the princess’s unlucky constitution might affect the fortunes of the nation.”

“… … .”

… Well, the one who has the greatest influence on the national fortunes is Queen Veronica herself.

She had thoroughly ruled out any influence that might have on the royal authority while acting as regent. Of course, all her painstaking efforts would be meaningless in a few days.

Even if Queen Veronica really succeeds in breaking through us and assassinating Princess Raini, her power will end soon. The reason Queen Veronica can rule the Deprin Kingdom like a king is because she is Princess Raini’s regent.

Keeping Princess Raini alive by any means possible was her way of maintaining power, and the moment the princess died, Queen Veronica lost her right to rule and died in treason.

If she had at least served as regent and led the kingdom well, she would have had some supporters, but she didn’t have anything like that.

‘That doesn’t mean there’s no need to protect Princess Raini, though.’

Once you keep her alive, Princess Raini’s luck will be of great help to your warrior party.

Of course, since it is a power that only works when Princess Raini truly wishes for it, it is difficult to use it to immediately stop the Demon King’s resurrection or something like that, but at the very least, it can be used to instill enough protection to prevent someone from losing their life in an accident on the battlefield.

Putting everything else aside, the biggest reason is that I want to see her happy ending.

“… I’m hungry.”

“Because I had to run here without eating anything since dawn. The carriage broke down, so I had no choice but to leave the food behind.”

“But since it’s a villa, wouldn’t there be something? Even if Princess Raini was persecuted by Queen Veronica, you’re not the only maid who served the princess in this large palace.”

“Yes. Besides me, there were two other maids who served Princess Raini, so they must have cleaned and maintained the mansion during that time.”

“… Are those maids trustworthy?”

“Yes. Just like me, they are children who have served Princess Raini since childhood, so you can trust them completely.”

Lydia answered with a confident look in her eyes, saying that they were people she could trust with her own words. However, knowing the future that would soon be upon me, I could only remain silent and watch their reaction.

… The situation they were about to encounter inside the villa was sure to be a not-so-good memory for Princess Raini and Lydia.

-Ring ring!

“Laura, Neris, are you inside!”

“… … .”

-Ring ring!

“Laura! Neris!”

“… … .”

Lydia rang the bell in front of the mansion and called the maids inside the villa, but there was no answer from inside.

Lydia’s expression hardened slightly as she called her colleagues along with her. She must have guessed that the possibility that the two maids who were supposed to always guard the villa had vacated the mansion and gone somewhere else was extremely slim.

“… I think he probably went out to the village to see the market or something. Luckily, I have a spare key with me, so I’ll show him around. ”

“Really?”

“Okay, let’s go in quickly. I’m cold, hungry, and sleepy… .”

With those words, we unlock the gate leading to the villa garden and walk into the mansion inside.

Before Lydia could open the door to the mansion and step inside, Gyeomjoseogi grabbed her wrist and made a cautious suggestion.

“Just in case, I’ll open the door and go in here.”

“Yes?”

“Queen Veronica is the kind of person who attempted to assassinate Princess Raini as soon as she returned to the Kingdom of Dephrin. She may have even been using the villa before Princess Raini even arrived in the Kingdom of Dephrin.”

“… … .”

“It’s only a ‘one in ten thousand’ possibility. However, considering Princess Raini’s constitution right now… .”

“… I see. If the ‘Warrior of Prophecy’ says so, I think it’s right to be careful. ”

Lydia carefully put the key in the lock and stepped back, saying those words.

When Geumjeong Jossegi, who had taken over her role, carefully opened the door and went inside, the inside of the mansion was already in a state of disarray, as if a storm had passed through it.

A broken chandelier that had fallen from the ceiling and was left there. A central staircase railing that was also broken and left there.

In addition, the muddy footprints of dozens of young men were spread throughout the mansion, which meant that the ‘one in ten thousand’ possibility that Geumbyeoljossegi had spoken of was about to happen.

“… … Huh?”

“… … !!!”

Princess Lydia and Raini are shocked to see that the mansion is in complete disarray, unlike its relatively normal appearance on the outside.

The other members who came in after that also cautiously let out a word of concern as soon as they saw the mansion in disarray.

“Ah, ahhh… . W, when on earth did it start… .”

“This, this is… .”

“Surely, as the warrior said… .”

“… What a meticulous woman. Well, I guess she had no intention of keeping the princess alive when she was sent to the villa.”

“But first, shouldn’t we check if the maids I mentioned earlier are safe? Was it Neris and Laura?”

“Ah, ah! Laura!! Neris!!”

Lydia, who had been kneeling on the floor in despair, hurriedly ran up the central staircase of the mansion.

Calling out the names of the two maids who stayed behind to guard the villa while Princess Raini left for the academy.