Chapter 355

A shiver ran down my spine.

It was because of the princess’s abnormal(?) reaction.

Her cheeks were flushed, like a teenage girl who had met a boy she liked.

She was fiddling with her golden hair.

And her gaze was uncharacteristically awkward.

It was unfamiliar.

Very unfamiliar.

It was only natural.

I had never seen her act like this before.

My eyes must have widened in surprise.

I was flustered.

‘…What is she doing? What’s gotten into her?’

My mind was in turmoil.

But I forced myself to calm down.

‘Stay calm. This is a trap.’

We were alone.

And I was a subject, while she was the princess.

A scenario started to form in my mind.

A subject who had been seduced by the princess and had dared to touch her.

He would be beheaded, regardless of his status as a war hero.

The seductive dress, the intoxicating wine, the private setting…

Everything pointed to a trap.

She probably had someone waiting outside, like Regina.

Someone who would barge in the moment she screamed.

‘So that’s her plan? It’s a plausible tactic, but she’s underestimated my patience.’

No, I didn’t even need patience.

I had never seen her as a woman.

No matter how beautiful her appearance or how charming her personality, I knew her true nature.

“Honestly, I’m happy.”

She looked at me with a smile and a strange glint in her eyes.

Go ahead, try to seduce me.

I don’t see you as a woman at all.

“What do you mean?”

I asked calmly.

I wouldn’t be flustered anymore.

Never again.

“It’s the first time you’ve ever been sincere with me.”

“Cough! Cough!”

…But I was immediately flustered by her words.

It was a direct attack on my heart.

A dangerous attack.

If I answered incorrectly, I would become a heartless bastard who had never treated her sincerely.

A chill ran down my spine.

My mind went blank.

But I had to respond.

Silence would be interpreted as agreement.

“W-What are you talking about…?”

“No, let me correct myself. It’s actually the second time.”

*Gulp*

She took a sip of wine and continued, “I still remember it clearly. What you said back then.”

…What did I say?

“‘Live. Please live. It’s all over if you die. You’re not supposed to die here. Do you understand?’ You said that, right?”

I remembered.

I had said those embarrassing words when I was delirious after taking a blow for her.

It was so cringeworthy that I wanted to curl up and die.

It was even worse hearing it from someone else.

But why did she remember it word for word?

“That was the first time I felt your sincerity. And I was so surprised.”

Surprised…?

The princess, who wouldn’t even blink at the slaughter of hundreds or thousands of innocent people?

I was the one who was surprised.

What was she planning?

“I realized that I had been misunderstanding you all this time. I thought you saw me as a tool.”

“A tool? What do you…”

“Hehe, a tool for your advancement.”

“Cough! Cough!”

It seemed like she was determined to fluster me today.

I had been wrong.

I had thought this would be a safe meeting, but it was a battlefield.

I had a headache.

And more importantly,

‘…She knew all this, and yet she acted like that?’

She was wrong about me using her for my advancement.

But she had seen through my facade.

I had always thought it was impossible to completely fool her with acting, but I hadn’t realized she had seen through me to this extent.

My heart raced.

I had to make a decision.

How should I respond?

‘Why is she being so direct with me? And should I even believe her? She’s the least trustworthy person in the world.’

My mind was in turmoil.

She was someone I could never fully understand.

Then…

‘Should I just believe her and respond accordingly?’

I clenched my fist under the table.

Could she really be lying, even in this situation?

Of course she could.

I had been betrayed and killed by her countless times, even when I thought I could trust her.

But this time…

This time…

…I had a feeling that she might be telling the truth.

‘Damn it, let’s just believe her.’

I gritted my teeth and made a decision.

I would be a fool if I fell for her tricks again.

But if she was telling the truth,

It might open up a new path, a path I had never been able to reach before.

“Your Highness,”

I spoke, my voice serious.

“Yes?”

She smiled.

“Do you know why I’ve been lying to you all this time?”

I decided to be direct as well.

An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.

If she was going to be direct with me, I would be direct with her.

“Hehe, why?”

She didn’t seem surprised that I had admitted to lying to her.

Well, she had already figured it out.

But would she be able to maintain her composure after hearing this?

“Because you’ve been lying to me as well.”

“…”

Her eyes widened in surprise.

She blinked rapidly.

But she didn’t move.

And then,

“Ahaha, ahahaha.”

She burst out laughing, covering her forehead with her hand.

It was a genuine laugh.

I waited patiently.

I had to figure out what that laughter meant.

After a while, she stopped laughing and said, “That’s unexpected. I thought I was perfect, but I guess I was careless.”

“You seem to have fooled everyone else perfectly.”

“Hehe, I see. As expected of Senior. You’re different.”

She suddenly leaned closer, and I almost flinched.

But I managed to maintain my composure and meet her gaze.

Her eyes were sparkling like stars.

Who would have thought that such innocent-looking eyes could belong to someone so cruel?

I was grateful for my past self.

“Then this is a draw. We both did the same thing.”

“I guess so.”

“Good.”

She sat back down.

“Then let’s do this. Let’s be honest with each other from now on. What do you think?”

“…”

I hesitated.

Honestly, the princess’s true nature was terrifying.

But there was no turning back now.

We had both revealed our true selves. The only way forward was to keep going.

“Alright.”

I steeled my resolve.

I had to make her agree to my demands.

I had already set the stage.

If I could just manipulate her…

It would be over.

“Hehe, good. Then shall we begin our truth game?”

*Thud*

She placed a dagger on the table.

Where did she even get that from?

My heart skipped a beat.

She could easily kill me with that dagger, even if I was unarmed.

I doubted she would do such a thing in a private meeting, but you never knew what could happen when someone snapped.

“W-What are you doing…?”

“I won’t tolerate any more lies, especially after we’ve made a promise to be honest with each other. And I won’t lie either. If you sense any lies, feel free to stab me.”

She pointed at her left chest.

“…”

What a demon!

It was an unfair condition.

If I killed her, I would be finished as well. How could I possibly stab her…?

No, wait a minute.

If she killed me, a war hero, in a private meeting, she would be finished as well.

It was a huge risk for her as well.

So,

‘It’s fair, then.’

Her words sounded different now.

She was definitely different from her usual self.

Alright, I had already decided to trust her…

“Let’s do it.”

I agreed boldly.

“I like your answer.”

She smiled and removed her hand from the dagger.

The dagger was placed in the middle of the table.

The truth game had begun.

“Then let’s take turns asking each other questions. Wouldn’t that be fair?”

“Alright.”

I nodded.

“Who goes first?”

“I’ll let you go first.”

She gestured for me to ask.

It was an unexpected concession.

I had to make the most of this opportunity.

I couldn’t waste my questions.

But it was difficult to gauge the appropriate level of intensity for the first question.

I thought carefully.

And then I made a decision.

I would start strong.

The princess wouldn’t hold back just because I was being cautious.

“Then I’ll go first.”

“Yes, go ahead.”

“What is your weakness?”

I asked calmly, looking her straight in the eye.

But the question itself was far from calm.

To reveal your weakness to someone else?

It was unthinkable.

But she was the one who had set the rules.

So I decided to test her from the beginning.

To see if she was really telling the truth.

“Ahaha, as expected of Senior. You’re so bold. You’re asking a question that most people wouldn’t even dare to think about.”

She laughed pleasantly.

She was right.

It was a question that no one would dare to ask her.

It showed how determined I was to confront her head-on.

“Hehe, anyway, you’re curious about that, huh? Then I’ll answer your question.”

She didn’t hesitate.

I focused on her voice.

“I have two weaknesses.”

Two?

My eyes widened slightly.

I already knew one of them.

What was the other one?

“First, my heart.”

She revealed her lifelong secret without hesitation.

Her answer convinced me.

That she was being sincere.

I focused even more intently on her words.

The monstrous princess’s second weakness, a secret that no one else knew.

What could it be?

“Second,”

“…”

She suddenly pointed at me.

Huh?

What was she doing…?

“You.”

…My mind went blank.