episode_0331

Ten minutes into the hostage situation. Upon arriving at a suitable location, Ruan set Regina down on the ground.

“I’m leaving here. Scream a bit to draw some attention.” “Leave that to me. But can you escape? Your opponents are the Imperial Knights.” “You don’t need to worry about that. I can handle it myself.”

At his words, Regina pressed her lips together. She wanted to shout that she hadn’t worried at all, but she knew it would only make her look ugly. However, Ruan seemed to take that as agreement, maintaining a suitable distance from the Imperial Knights before throwing her forward and dashing in the opposite direction.

Woosh! With the wind rushing past her ears, Ruan’s disappearing back, like a fading light, entered her vision. Using photonization consecutively, Ruan vanished beyond sight in an instant.

“Princess, are you alright!” And then, the voice of the Imperial Knight who had belatedly caught her echoed loudly. Regina checked her entire body, confirmed there were no issues, and pushed the Imperial Knight away.

“I’m fine. Eunrang didn’t do anything.” “It’s a relief you’re safe. Let’s head straight to the Imperial Palace then. You should get treated just in case!” “No. Let’s go back to where we came from first. There’s something I need to confirm.” “But…” “This isn’t a request, it’s an order. I will recover my brother’s body.”

In truth, she had no such intention whatsoever. Though her heart still hadn’t fully accepted it, her reason knew that he was a possessor who had brazenly taken over her brother’s body. She merely intended to deal with the women, including Remian, who knew Ruan’s face. The fact that she had to commit murder to cover up, rather than protect the victims, pricked her conscience, but it couldn’t be helped. It was the only way to repay her debt to Ruan.

“…Understood, Princess. Please follow me.” The Imperial Knight, completely unaware of her true intentions, was simply moved by the sister’s feelings for her brother and led the way.

A short while later, Regina, who had returned to the nightmarish location, heard unexpected news from the remaining Imperial Knight.

“What? They all died?” “Yes. Remian Herana killed all the women and committed suicide while we briefly looked away. We apologize.” “…Were they released?” “No. She tore off her own limbs to escape and then choked the women to death with her teeth. In the end, she made her magic power rampage inside her body and committed suicide.” “Such a…”

Was Remian trying to help Ruan? ‘Perhaps she was.’ Because letting Ruan go safely was the greatest revenge against Damian. Damian’s actions were so heinous that a woman who had yearned for his love, even while corrupted by the Dark Cult, could change to this extent. It meant he got what he deserved.

“That’s truly regrettable. Please return all victims to their families and send them support funds. I will report to His Imperial Majesty.” “There’s no need for you to overexert yourself like that. You should rest…” “No. This is my duty. No persuasion is needed.”

It was already confirmed that Ruan would be framed. This was because they couldn’t publicly announce that the Crown Prince had abducted, imprisoned, and raped women, and was even a scoundrel who targeted his own sister. Naturally, they would pin the blame on the easiest target. If so, she had a duty to at least lighten his charges, even a little.

Regina left the scene and traveled towards the Imperial Palace by carriage. While doing so, she suddenly placed a hand on her chest.

Thump! Thump! Her heart was pounding furiously. It wasn’t simply because she had experienced something dangerous. Something special, different from that. It was the same sensation as when she first saw Isis as a child. The problem was that what came to her mind now was not anything dangerous, nor Isis, but Ruan.

‘Am I going crazy?’ She didn’t know why she was acting this way. Regina, flustered, tried her best to erase Ruan from her thoughts, but the more she tried, the clearer he became. She felt a different kind of crisis.

‘I shouldn’t meet him for a while.’ Until this strange sensation subsided, she absolutely must not meet Ruan again. She vowed that.

And the next day, she met Ruan. On a bed, no less.

*

“Princess. I have something to discuss, do you have time?” “Now?” “Yes.”

Regina blinked blankly at Isis’s sudden suggestion, then readily nodded. “Of course I’m fine!” “Then let’s move to a different place. It’s a bit awkward to do it here.” “Okay! Lead the way!”

What on earth was the matter that required them to move to a different location? After her deal with Ruan, she often accompanied Isis as a guard, but they couldn’t be as close as before. To her, she was not a close friend but a rival sharing one man. As such, Regina, who had always received a subtle form of vigilance, found Isis’s proactive demeanor unfamiliar yet incredibly joyful.

Regina followed Isis out of the academy without a hint of suspicion. Their steps led towards the bustling district.

‘Where are we going?’ She had certainly expected them to go to a cafe or a less crowded place, so this was unexpected. Perhaps what she said earlier was just an excuse, and she actually wanted to have fun with her? Or maybe, unbeknownst to Ruan, she was dreaming of a wild escapade with her. After seeing each other’s naked bodies countless times and rolling around with Ruan, they had subtly developed strange feelings. Perhaps Isis’s objective was!

“Here it is.” “H-here is…”

Isis’s steps stopped in front of a building. It was Solaris Hotel, a 6-star hotel representing the capital. Isis had brought her to a hotel!

‘No way, really?’ Does this mean she lied to get intimate with me behind Ruan’s back? Her heart began to pound like crazy.

“Y-you want to talk at a hotel?” “Yes. I’ve reserved a suite. Hurry.”

And a suite, no less! Being a hotel representing the capital, she couldn’t not know how much time and money it took to make a reservation there. How long had Isis endured, just to be intimate with her? Regina couldn’t refuse that resolve.

“Alright! Let’s go!” Grinning broadly, she rode the elevator with Isis towards the top floor.

Ding! The elevator stopped, and as she entered the suite with Isis, what she found was a man standing with his back to the window.

“Ruan. I brought her.” At Isis’s words, Ruan turned his head and smiled brightly at her.

“You’re here? You arrived faster than I expected.” “…What? Why are you here?” “Huh? Isn’t it obvious? Because there’s something to discuss. Didn’t you hear?”

Regina realized then. The fact that Isis had brought her here wasn’t to be intimate with her, but simply at Ruan’s request. Even Isis’s subtly sullen face on the way here was because she was displeased that Regina was meeting Ruan. Inside, a surge of anger swelled up.

‘I got my hopes up for nothing!’ A complex mix of betrayal towards Isis and self-pity tangled within her. And she had even vowed just yesterday not to meet him for a while, yet her resolve was broken! Regina took a deep breath, barely managing to calm her anger.

“So, what is it you want to talk about?” As she got straight to the point, Ruan’s face, which had been full of mirth, turned serious. He strode closer and placed a hand on her shoulder.

A soft brush— No, his hand barely grazed her shoulder, touching only empty air as it passed. It was because Regina had dodged.

“…Why did you dodge?” “It’s my business. Anyway, tell me what you want quickly. Otherwise, I’m leaving right now.” Although she had fallen into a trap, she had no intention of completely abandoning her resolve. She had to finish things as quickly as possible and leave. Ruan, looking awkward, twitched his hand and then withdrew it before speaking.

“What was the conclusion regarding yesterday’s events?” “That’s what you’re curious about? Well, all the victims died. Remian Herana reportedly broke free from her restraints and killed them all. And then she committed suicide. Thanks to that, your identity wasn’t exposed.” As she explained, a flicker of surprise and relief passed through Ruan’s eyes. If his identity had been revealed, not only he but everyone around him, especially Isis, would have suffered greatly. This was also a good thing for Regina.

“Remian, huh… A blessing in disguise, I suppose. And the Imperial Family? How do they plan to handle this matter?” “They’ll cover up what my brother did. Instead, they’ll pin all the blame on you and issue a continent-wide kill order.” “So that’s how it is. What does the Cult say about it?” “Of course they have nothing to say. Would they really demand that a criminal who killed the Crown Prince, a supposed possessor, be kept alive? That’s impossible no matter what they do.”

Even if the Cult’s authority was great, it absolutely did not surpass that of the Empire’s Emperor. If they were to rashly challenge his authority, the Emperor would surely try to crush the Cult by any means necessary. Although he was framed, the matter was so grave that there was no room for dissent.

“I’ll have to be careful from now on. Since things turned out this way, should I abandon my identity as Eunrang?” Even in a situation where he was targeted across the entire continent, Ruan didn’t lose his playful demeanor. It’s a relief he seems better than I expected.

‘No, wait. Why am I thinking like this?’ What does it matter if Ruan is fine or not! Regina denied her momentary thought and stepped back.

“Then I’ll get going now. I’ll be busy for a while, so I’d appreciate it if you didn’t call me.” “Huh? Already? Why don’t you stay for a meal? It’s almost lunchtime.” “It’s fine. You two can have a cozy meal together.” She didn’t want to make things awkward by intruding on the two of them.

But isn’t a person’s heart fickle? “That’s right. The Princess says she’s busy, so let’s just let her go. Or am I not enough for you?” Seeing Isis glare at her as if openly telling her to leave, a rebellious urge surged in Regina’s heart. Someone was tricked by her and ended up facing a person she absolutely didn’t want to meet, yet the perpetrator was busy checking on the victim. For the first time in her life, Regina wanted to get one over on Isis.

“…I’ve changed my mind. Let’s eat.” “Huh? Really?” “Yes. But there’s one condition.” “What is it?”

Regina lifted her skirt, showing Ruan her panties. “Cum one load right now and then leave.” So she could clearly see the man she loved having sex with another woman right in front of her eyes. Regina glared at Isis.

It was the typical behavior of a female striving to claim a male. Only she herself was unaware.