Ch.338338. Of Course I Had to Know.

“Father… there’s something wrong with my body.”

Lucien collapsed into my arms with a thud.

The Etherian Princess and Sairin Princess gaped in shock.

However, there was no time for explanations.

No one knew when the dragon’s rampage would begin.

Lucien’s body was burning hot, almost scorching.

Her pained expression and slight trembling were clearly felt.

“Your Highnesses, please stay here.”

Holding Lucien tightly, I immediately threw myself toward the window.

The cold air rushed past my face, and even in that brief moment, I focused all my attention on protecting Lucien.

Thud-!

I perfectly absorbed the impact as my feet hit the ground and immediately started running.

With little time to spare, my movements were decisive.

‘I need to get to the Forest of Death first.’

The Forest of Death—a portion I had preserved while developing the Forest of Miracles as a tourist attraction and for my subordinates’ combat experience.

Holding Lucien close, I hastened my steps.

Whoosh-!

As I ran through the darkness, a massive shadow suddenly loomed overhead.

Reflexively, I looked up.

A large silhouette was flying toward us—a dragon.

Its wings gleamed silver in the moonlight, and its body exuded an overwhelming presence.

“Lord Selden Alphonse, I apologize for losing track of Lucien.”

“Ro-Robert?”

“Yes, it’s me!”

Robert’s voice, now transformed into a dragon, resonated powerfully.

I felt a slight relief.

I nodded briefly and tensed my lower body to continue toward the Forest of Death.

“Let’s go!”

Robert flew ahead, guiding the way.

Each time his wings spread, the wind brushed against my face, seemingly urging me to hurry.

Grrrrrr-!

As we reached the entrance to the Forest of Death, an unfamiliar sound made me look up again.

Dragon-Robert was taking a deep breath.

His massive chest swelled instantly before he opened his mouth and released an enormous breath.

With a thunderous roar that seemed to split the sky, hot flames swept through the forest.

Then his booming voice sounded again.

“I’ve cleared a path. Quickly, let’s move!”

He must have cleared out any monsters that might have suddenly appeared.

Nodding, I dashed into the path he had cleared with fire.

“Father…”

“Lu-Lucien!”

Her body grew increasingly hot, perhaps as the rampage drew near.

Her skin was turning red as if burning, and even in that painful state, she clutched my collar and spoke.

“Fa-Father… please leave me and run away.”

“It’s okay, Uncle Robert is here, so it’ll be resolved soon.”

“Please… you’ll be in danger.”

“It’ll be fine, just hold on a little longer!”

Quickly crossing the forest, we finally arrived at a vast clearing.

As I wondered if such a place had always existed in the Forest of Death, Robert landed beside us with a powerful flap of his wings.

His enormous feet pressed into the ground, creating depressions and sending vibrations through the earth.

“Lord Selden Alphonse, this is a place I prepared for any contingency. I’ve already set up magical barriers, so there will be no damage to Lake Territory.”

“What about Lucien?”

“You needn’t worry about that either. I’m right here, aren’t I?”

Robert’s words were somewhat reassuring, but Lucien’s breathing remained rough, and her body continued to emit increasingly intense heat.

With a trembling voice, I asked:

“…Why is Lucien’s body so hot?”

“Her body will soon emit enormous flames!”

“Th-then what should we do now?”

“There’s not much time! Place Lucien on that rock over there.”

I carefully placed Lucien where Robert indicated.

“What next?”

I turned my head, but feeling a flash of light, I quickly looked back at Lucien.

The reddish heat was beginning to turn golden.

“Lo-Lord Selden Alphonse, the rampage is starting now! You must get away quickly!”

“…What?”

As I tried to move quickly after hearing those words, Robert flew in front of me in an instant, wrapping his wings around me.

“The rampage started faster than expected. This… might be dangerous. You should close your eyes to avoid being blinded.”

Just as I was about to say, ‘Didn’t you just tell me not to worry?’ Lucien’s desperate voice reached my ears.

“Fa-Father… please get away…”

With those words, intense light seeped through the wings that enveloped me.

Following Robert’s advice, I squeezed my eyes shut and strained my voice so Lucien could hear me.

“Lucien!! No parent in this world would abandon their child!!”

*

“Si-Sister, did you hear what that girl just said?”

Meanwhile, at the mansion in Lake Territory.

As Princess Sairin raised her voice, Princess Etherian responded indifferently.

“I heard it, no need to make a fuss.”

“She called Lord Selden Alphonse ‘Father’!”

Princess Etherian gave Princess Sairin a somewhat chilling look.

“And what of it?”

“…Pardon?”

“I think if Selden Alphonse has a hidden daughter, he must have his reasons.”

“Bu-but he lied to us.”

“So, will you give up on the marriage?”

Princess Sairin bit her lip.

Though she felt betrayed by Selden Alphonse, she didn’t want to give up on the marriage.

She had only gotten a head start.

Although she had known Selden Alphonse first, at some point she felt that he had become closer to Princess Etherian than to her.

Watching them, she grew jealous.

She even developed feelings of inferiority toward her sister that she had never felt before.

That’s why.

Though she couldn’t act as aggressively as Princess Etherian, she had tried her best.

Whenever Selden Alphonse came to the imperial palace, she did everything she could to engage him in conversation.

Then, unexpectedly, an opportunity arose.

When she woke up one morning, wasn’t she lying in bed next to Selden Alphonse?

Her face flushed as she sat up, but then she saw Princess Etherian beside him and remembered the previous night.

It seemed they had all mistakenly fallen asleep in the same bed after drinking.

“Haaa…”

As Princess Sairin sighed deeply, a commotion was heard outside the bedroom door.

“Come on! Just open the door! Princess Sairin said she was drinking with Princess Etherian in the bedroom last night, but she hasn’t returned!”

“I-I know nothing of this.”

It was the voice of her steward Oliver and Princess Etherian’s steward Welsran.

Princess Sairin anxiously bit her nails as she listened at the door.

“What, did Princess Sairin, who went to drink with Princess Etherian, suddenly fly into the sky? Or sink into the ground?”

“P-Princess Etherian is currently in a deep sleep.”

“That’s why I’m just asking to talk for a moment! Aren’t you worried that Princess Sairin is missing, Sir Welsran?”

“Didn’t I say I know nothing? When Princess Etherian wakes up, I’ll call for you, so please go back.”

“Are you trying to destroy evidence in the meantime?”

“Y-Your words are too harsh!!”

It was understandable to misinterpret.

This was during a time when the succession dispute between Princess Sairin and Princess Etherian was fierce.

The atmosphere was such that it wouldn’t have been surprising if one was assassinated.

Oliver raised his voice toward the knights who served Princess Sairin.

“I will bring His Majesty the Emperor, so please guard the door to Princess Etherian’s bedroom!”

“Th-the Emperor?! What are you saying?!”

“You started this, Sir Welsran. Normally, I wouldn’t care what Princess Etherian does, but when Princess Sairin is involved, it’s a different matter.”

Meanwhile, hearing Oliver’s receding footsteps outside the door, Princess Sairin grabbed the doorknob to leave the bedroom but then glanced back at the bed.

‘But do I really need to run away…?’

Princess Sairin squeezed her eyes shut and thought calmly despite the urgent situation.

What if Emperor Malius really came to the bedroom?

What would happen if he saw Princess Etherian, Selden Alphonse, and herself all lying side by side in bed?

At the very least, when discussing marriage with Selden Alphonse, she could start on equal footing with Princess Etherian.

Although she had gotten a head start, she felt the distance had grown at some point—this was a chance to catch up in one fell swoop.

And so.

Princess Sairin lay back down on the bed and waited for Emperor Malius to enter the bedroom.

Having swallowed her pride both as a princess and as a woman, she now felt all the more betrayed by Selden Alphonse.

Princess Sairin swallowed the tears welling in her eyes with a deep breath and stared at Princess Etherian.

“Sister, you don’t love Lord Selden Alphonse as much as I do!”

“No, I love Selden Alphonse quite sufficiently.”

“And you’re not angry about this situation? You don’t know what I’ve done to have Lord Selden Alphonse!!”

“…You mean that day when you were already awake in bed but pretended to be asleep?”

At Princess Etherian’s words, Princess Sairin was startled, her eyes widening.

“H-how do you know about that…?”

“Of course I would know.”

Princess Etherian brushed her hair back with her fingertips and continued with an expressionless face:

“…I was already awake long before you woke up.”