episode_0084

“Long time no see, Liel Frost. You’re as bold as ever, even in this situation. I remember you being more courteous in the past.”

Personality aside, the prince had always been flawless in appearance, and now that he’d grown even taller, he looked like a perfectly handsome man. With his newfound maturity and dignity, he no longer seemed like just a childish prince. His sharp features exuded charisma, and his composed smile was the kind that could make the palace maids’ hearts flutter.

But to Arina, who had no room in her mind to dwell on others’ appearances, it was nothing more than an irritating grin.

“Will speaking politely reduce my sentence or something?”

“That would be difficult. Even if I had the authority, this matter isn’t something I can handle as I please.”

“Don’t lie. I know you hate me because of what happened back then. You’re just here to mock me again, aren’t you?”

“Not at all. Why would I blame you for the mistakes I made as a child? Of course, I resented you at first, but now I’m grateful. Thanks to you, I realized my own shortcomings.”

As if he held no grudge at all, Kyle shrugged. His casual expression and gestures were so natural that it didn’t seem like an act at all.

Had he really let go of his resentment toward her? For Arina, who had only been scorned by those who once admired her, it was hard to believe. Even though he had every reason to hate her, he claimed he didn’t.

Of course, objectively speaking, Arina hadn’t done anything wrong that day. She just never expected that the prince from back then would grow into such a decent man.

Kyle glanced at the handcuffs binding Arina’s wrists and spoke.

“Remove the cuffs.”

“Huh? But—”

“Her magic is already sealed, isn’t it? She can’t break through these guards and escape bare-handed, so take them off.”

It didn’t seem like this had been discussed beforehand, as the knight hesitated, but he eventually complied, albeit reluctantly, and unlocked the cuffs. With her hands freed, Arina rubbed her wrists, feeling both relieved and oddly unsettled.

“Why are you doing this? It’s making me feel weird.”

“You may be a traitor now, but long before that, you were a hero, weren’t you? This much is only your due.”

Such warm words. The very words she had longed to hear. Arina hadn’t expected anyone to affirm her as she was now, but she had hoped that at least her past self—Liel Frost—wouldn’t be denied.

Yet here she was, hearing those words from the last person she expected. Had that prince really grown up?

Well, it was obvious just by looking at him that he’d matured.

“Anyway, thanks for the kindness.”

It’d be strange to ask to be cuffed again when things were already suspicious. Arina stretched, savoring the feeling of freedom for the first time in a while. Dust fell from her messy hair.

She’d been knocked to the ground twice, and she hadn’t had a proper wash on the way here, so of course she was filthy. Only now realizing how she must look, Arina lowered her arms, her face flushing. Seeing her reaction, Kyle let out a small laugh.

“You should bathe first. There’s still plenty of time before the Emperor and the Pope arrive, so rest until then.”

“I thought you’d throw me straight into a cell. This is unexpected. Are you sure this is okay?”

“I’ve already gotten permission from my father, so don’t worry.”

Guided by Kyle, Arina arrived at a guest room in the palace. Aside from the barred windows, it was an impeccably luxurious room. The massive bed could easily fit three people, the blankets plush and stuffed with high-quality down, and the fabric seemed to be of the finest material.

The attached bathroom even had a bathtub. If meals were provided regularly, it wouldn’t be a problem to stay here indefinitely.

Arina wondered if she was under some grand delusion. On the way here, she had imagined a dark, dingy prison cell, beatings, torture—yet what awaited her was a royal tour courtesy of the prince.

Then again, when she thought about it, the nations had pursued her precisely because they needed her power. There was no reason to provoke unnecessary resentment by mistreating her.

That didn’t mean Arina was inclined to accept their offers, though. Once her return to the frontlines was decided, rejoining the hero’s party was inevitable.

Which meant she’d see him again—and this time, she wouldn’t be able to run away. She’d be forced to endure his torment, body and soul.

“How long are you planning to stay? Aren’t you leaving?”

“Ah… Would it bother you if I stayed?”

“So you were planning to watch me bathe?”

Arina’s blunt words made Kyle freeze for a moment before he quickly regained his composure.

“My apologies. I didn’t think you’d mind something like this.”

“It’s a relatively recent thing.”

It wasn’t that she felt shame at the thought of a man seeing her body. Well, she did, but not to the extent other women might.

The real reason she hesitated to expose herself was simply because she found lustful gazes uncomfortable. She hadn’t sensed that from Kyle yet, so in the past, she might not have cared. But now, there was another reason.

“Seems like you’ve had quite the encounter.”

Arina didn’t answer, instead shooing him away like a bug.

“Lilith?”

The name sounded vaguely familiar, causing Ian to raise an eyebrow. Beside him, Millen tilted her head as if trying to recall something.

After the owner of the impeccably clean hair—reflecting the sunlight like a mirror—disappeared to deliver the letter, Elin stared blankly at the sky for a while, tapping her lips with her index finger before suddenly turning her head.

“Well then, Ian, care to lend me a hand?”

Having cooled down from his earlier outburst, Ian had regained his usual demeanor. But his dislike for Elin remained unchanged.

“I don’t have time to waste on someone who stood by while Arina was taken. I need to find a way to save her.”

“Oh? And how do you plan to do that?”

“I’ll figure something out—”

Though his resolve was firm, his words trailed off because no answer came to mind. The only people Ian could rely on were his family and a few friends—and even among them, only a handful would help him at the cost of their own status.

Even if they launched a surprise attack, breaching the heavily guarded palace seemed impossible. At best, they’d be subdued before even catching a glimpse of Arina.

The only remotely feasible plan was to sneak in and extract her quietly, but even that had slim chances. No matter how skilled Millen was as a thief, infiltration was impossible if the other side left no openings.

“You should give up. Unless you want to drive another nail into that girl’s heart.”

“So you’re telling me to abandon her like you did? I could never do that.”

“‘If you can’t beat them, join them.’ Though that’s not the exact phrase for this situation. Still, hitching a ride on a better plan is smarter than relying on a half-baked one you came up with on the spot, don’t you think?”

Her tone wasn’t exactly confident, but there was enough self-assurance to make Ian straighten up and listen.

“Are you saying you have a plan?”

“Not mine, no. I just happened to receive an offer.”

She had received a letter predicting that her beloved disciple would soon face a great crisis. At first, she dismissed it as vague nonsense, not taking it seriously.

When Arina actually arrived at the Magic Tower, Elin assumed it was due to her mana poisoning. Only now, after everything had unfolded, did she realize the letter had been referring to this very situation.

“If it can save Arina, I don’t care what it is. What’s your plan?”

This kid’s devotion is downright blind. Elin sighed inwardly. Repaying his loyalty was going to be a pain.

“Just the two of us won’t be enough. First, we need to unite the Magic Tower’s factions.”

“Is that even possible?”

“That’s why I need your help. Convince them. Make those selfish, egotistical mages understand why we need to save her.”

“I’m not exactly the best at grand speeches—”

“Still better than charging into the kingdom alone, right? It has to be you. No one else has been as close to her as you have. I’ll help too.”

Is that really true? Ian wasn’t convinced. Elin was far more charismatic and eloquent than him—why would he be the one to persuade the mages?

Appealing to emotions wouldn’t work. So what could he do—

“Tower Master!”

Just as Ian was steeling his resolve, Azul—newly appointed as deputy tower master mere minutes ago—returned.

“Back already? That was fast.”

“No, that’s not it—”

“Hmm, so this is the Magic Tower? Feels like I’ve stepped into another dimension.”

“Say what you will, but it’s the most advanced city on the Peria Continent. This is my first time seeing it in person, too.”

“Um… Is it okay for me to be here? If I run into Arina, she won’t get mad, will she…?”

A succubus proudly displaying her wings and tail—the symbols of a demon. A man whose polite speech clashed bizarrely with his massive, intimidating frame. A girl who looked oddly out of place, shrinking timidly despite her surroundings.

“I went out to deliver the letter, but they came here themselves…” Azul explained belatedly.

The pink-haired succubus noticed Ian and approached cheerfully.

“Long time no see, Ian.”

“So it was you guys who had a plan to save Arina.”

“Yep. We’re almost ready. The Arina Rescue Squad—no, the Salvation Force. Just need you, and we’re good to go.”

Wanna join?