The One Who Stands Beside You in Your Darkest Hour #12
On the final day of November, Alena Esterien departed Locni with two thousand troops and arrived at Myrdin, the capital of Rosdea.
Officially, it was to fill the void in the capital’s defenses caused by the king’s illness… but of course, no one believed that.
The princess had come to Myrdin to claim the crown that was rightfully hers.
And it seemed that was exactly what would happen.
The captain of Myrdin’s city guard did not refuse the rightful heir’s request and opened the gates.
Thus, on the first day of December, Alena Esterien entered the capital.
“Lord Damon is occupied.”
“Even though his beloved niece has come to visit?”
The first person Alena sought out was her uncle, Damon Esterien.
Her father, King Raymond, hovered between life and death, and her ambitious uncle had every reason to covet the throne that should have been hers.
But I was faster.
That was why Alena had struck first.
She intended to occupy Myrdin with her forces, wait until her father passed, and then solidify her claim to the throne.
Of course, some would curse her for sullying her father’s deathbed out of a lust for power.
But Alena did not care.
The reason she had been able to move so quickly was that her uncle Damon’s two illegitimate sons had secretly aided her.
“Ah, as if he could possibly be busy. Even if he were, he’d only be busy whoring around in his chambers. After all, that’s how I was born, wasn’t I?”
“…So says Sir Neil.”
One was Neil Bloodfire, the man she trusted most—though she could never fully trust him.
The other was Gil Bloodfire, who had distinguished himself in the war five years ago and been acknowledged as a legitimate son by King Raymond. He now called himself Gildeon Esterien.
“In any case, go to my uncle and tell him that I wish to see him no matter what. If he refuses, deliver the message to Gil—Sir Gildeon.”
“Y-yes…”
Damon’s steward, looking haggard, returned to his master.
What could my uncle possibly gain by stalling for time? Is it Alon Ricgard? If he can borrow the power of the great Ricgard family, then dragging things out like this makes sense…
Alena did not grow impatient.
She had no desire to spill blood within Myrdin, but even if something unexpected occurred, she had two thousand seasoned soldiers from Locni.
Still, she truly hoped it would not come to that. After all, Myrdin was a city she would have to rule.
Eventually, Damon’s steward returned.
But something was clearly wrong.
The steward emerged even more haggard than before, his face deathly pale as if he had seen a ghost. He trembled violently and stammered.
“I-I was unable to see Lord Damon, b-but Sir Gildeon has ordered that Princess Alena be allowed in. P-please, enter at once…”
With that, he fled as if running for his life.
“Wait! Hey!”
But the steward did not return.
Feeling that something was terribly wrong, Alena nevertheless proceeded to Damon’s quarters with Neil at her side.
“Your Highness… Princess Alena. Doesn’t this seem strange? Perhaps that bastard Gil has betrayed us. This could all be a trap.”
“Neil, I’ve always thought this, but you have an excessively paranoid view of Sir Gil. He is your brother, you know.”
“And the last person in the world I would ever trust. I don’t believe a single word that man says.”
Regardless, Alena continued walking without pause.
What was strange, however, was that not a single servant could be seen.
Neil must have noticed as well; he kept his hand on the hilt of his sword, walking with constant tension.
“…Uncle. May I enter?”
Alena reached Damon’s chamber and knocked lightly on the door.
She waited for her uncle’s reply, but the voice that answered was not his.
“Come in.”
It was the voice of Gil—Gildeon.
Bewildered, Alena opened the door.
And she was met with a scene of horror.
The bed was soaked crimson with blood.
Damon Esterien lay upon it, lifeless.
Beside the corpse stood Gildeon Esterien, a bloodstained dagger still in his hand.
“……!”
Had Alena not possessed an iron will, she surely would have screamed.
Her uncle Damon lay on the bed, the sheets drenched in his blood.
“Welcome, Princess. Or rather, Your Majesty. Rosdea is now yours.”
And beside him stood Gildeon Esterien, holding a dagger stained with his own father’s blood.
With an utterly calm expression.
“What the hell is this, Gil?”
Neil drew his sword without hesitation, pointing it at his brother.
Yet Gildeon remained composed.
“My dear little brother. Can’t you see? I have eliminated a traitor for the sake of our princess.”
“That was your father.”
“He was our father. But the moment he conspired with Alon Ricgard to commit treason, he ceased to be. He is a traitor. So I killed him.”
Gildeon tossed the dagger to the floor.
“Now then, brother. Your task is to take this traitor’s head to Iredain and inform Alon Ricgard that his foolish rebellion has failed. Then, in the name of the queen, grant him mercy.”
Neil frowned deeply.
“Who are you to speak of mercy? You yourself called Alon Ricgard a traitor. Then he should receive judgment befitting his crime.”
“Ah, my foolish little brother. Do you not know who resides in Iredain?”
Gildeon let out a low, unpleasant chuckle, a twisted smile on his lips. He reminded Neil.
“Our queen’s beloved younger sister is there. Even if that weren’t the case, turning him into an enemy right now would be idiotic. If we show him mercy, he will cower and bow his head.”
“It’s all right now, Princess Irenie.”
Neil said those words, and they were true.
Neil’s arrival had completely overturned the situation for Emil and Leni in a single day.
“Alon Ricgard. If you confess your crimes, Her Majesty Queen Alena has declared that, in light of the loyalty you have shown the royal family until now, she will not punish you severely.”
Neil tossed a sack at Alon Ricgard as he spoke.
Alon opened the sack.
And screamed.
Inside was the severed head of the traitor Damon.
According to Neil, Damon had been the one who instigated Leni’s kidnapping through Alon Ricgard.
Originally, Alon had planned to use Leni as a hostage to threaten her older sister Alena.
But because Emil had cured Leni’s curse, the plan changed. They had decided to kidnap her outright and deliver her into the hands of his uncle Damon.
At those words, Emil felt a complicated emotion.
Did that mean that curing the curse for Leni’s sake had instead put her in even greater danger?
Yet Neil praised him.
“In any case, you cured Princess Irenie’s curse when no one else could. No amount of gratitude would be enough.”
“You flatter me, Sir Neil.”
“Moreover, I hear you even rescued the princess from her kidnappers. Is that true?”
How does he know that?
The realization that he had been under surveillance the entire time sent a chill down his spine.
Leni stepped forward and spoke.
“Yes. The priest saved me… so it’s not his fault. He did it for me.”
Neil looked slightly surprised.
“It’s extremely rare for this princess to step forward and defend someone. It seems she’s taken quite a liking to you.”
Neil grinned and turned back to Alon.
“Now answer me. Will you confess your crimes?”
Alon broke into a cold sweat on his bald, hairless head.
“I… I confess. Please, show mercy.”
And so, Alon Ricgard’s rebellion came to an end.
After that, everything changed.
Specifically…
First, their room changed.
Leni, who had been using the most remote and shabby room in Iredain, was now assigned the finest chamber that had once belonged to Daisy.
Daisy could say nothing about it.
Leni was now a princess.
And Daisy was, after all, the daughter of a traitor.
Even the servants’ attitudes made it clear.
Whenever they saw Emil and Leni, they would stop and bow deeply. They all avoided making eye contact.
…It can’t be helped.
In any case, Leni would not be staying in Iredain for long.
Once the chaos in Myrdin was settled, the queen planned to summon her sister.
“Her Majesty the Queen is very interested in your contributions. If you are willing, even after we return to Myrdin, you may continue to serve as Princess Irenie’s personal priest.”
Those words meant the wealth and glorious future Emil had always desired.
“It would be an honor, Sir Neil…”
Yet for some reason, Emil could not feel happy.
Perhaps it was because everything had begun and ended while he remained completely in the dark.
What a stupid thought. If things resolve themselves without me doing anything, that should be a good thing.
Emil was not a brave man.
If Alon had continued to threaten his life, he might have truly abandoned Leni and fled Iredain.
Was I supposed to act like the protagonist of some story, uncover Alon’s conspiracy, heroically rescue Leni, and live happily ever after?
He had never once dreamed of such a thing.
All Emil had ever wanted was wealth and honor.
Yes. This is enough. This should be enough…
Yet the uneasy feeling in his chest refused to disappear.
As if, in truth, nothing had truly been resolved…
Time continued to flow with that lingering discomfort, and before long, the year had passed. The calendar turned to January.
And then,
Emil became the protagonist of the story.