Thousand Faces
A man disguised as a lowly servant strolled leisurely through the crowds of the Imperial Festival.
...No one paid him any mind.
Plain servant's garb, an utterly ordinary face you could see anywhere.
Even if someone brushed past him, they'd just assume he was one of the countless bustling attendants.
...This was his weapon.
In the underworld, people called him Thousand Faces.
An old man, a matron, a noble.
Thanks to his flawless ability to transform into anyone, no one knew his true face.
That's why he could slip through even this ironclad security net of the festival so easily, wearing the face of a mere servant.
...Well now. Who's today's prey?
The man drifted languidly across the square, scanning every direction with eyes that hid his killing intent.
...His commission was simple.
Take the life of one of the Empire's noble bloodlines here at the festival.
It didn't matter who.
The goal was to stain this grand event with blood and leave an indelible stain on the Empire's prestige.
...The problem was that all those nobles were surrounded by tight escorts.
The Emperor and the imperial family, ringed by Imperial Guard Knights with no gaps.
No matter how skilled he was, breaking into the center would be no easy feat.
...Tch. Not going to be simple, huh.
The man unconsciously licked his lips with the tip of his tongue.
A habit that slipped out whenever his prey was in sight but showed no openings.
...Right then.
He spotted a woman rising gracefully from her seat above.
A woman in crimson robes, with hair like jet black.
Undoubtedly imperial blood.
And for some reason, she was heading this way alone, without a single attendant.
...Oh?
The man's eyes narrowed with a glint.
...He knew that face well.
Jet-black hair and blazing red eyes.
It was unmistakably Princess Victoria.
The princess known as "Victoria of the Crimson Eyes," whose name was constantly on the lips of the Empire's people.
...Heh, what luck.
A predatory smile tugged at the man's lips.
...For such a big fish to walk right out of her guard and into the jaws of death.
Anyone would do, but naturally, the more prestigious the bloodline, the higher the value of that blood.
...What a windfall.
Of course, her being a princess gave him pause.
But here in this crowd, isolated in her robes...
The job would be done before she could even draw a sword.
His fingers began twitching involuntarily inside his sleeve.
Another habit that emerged whenever he locked onto prey.
...Time to go.
The man casually blended into a group of other servants, acting as if nothing was amiss.
He picked up a tray and subtly shifted his steps toward the woman.
...Hidden by the throng, unseen by any eye.
Like a viper uncoiling silently toward its meal.
At that moment, I was honestly at my limit with all this guarding nonsense.
I'd been circling the square since the crack of dawn—god knows how many laps.
My head was numb.
I just desperately wished this damn event would end already.
...Ahh, I wanna head back to the lodging. Have some steaming soup with rice.
I scanned the square with soulless eyes, lost in such thoughts.
...I wasn't expecting much, really.
What could possibly happen amid this airtight security?
I just hoped the time would pass without incident.
As I listlessly swept my gaze over the crowd...
...Huh?
My eyes suddenly locked on a servant.
A plain guy heading somewhere with a tray.
Anyone would peg him as just another run-of-the-mill attendant.
But for some reason, I couldn't look away from him.
...No, it was his hand.
Fingers twitching inside his sleeve like he was fiddling with something.
And a long, old knife scar on the back of that hand.
...In that instant.
Something flashed in my mind.
...Wait. That habit. That scar.
Where had I seen it? Definitely somewhere...
...Ah.
Aah.
I remembered. Right, the original story.
This novel I transmigrated into.
In one of the free episodes, there was definitely a guy like that.
──Thousand Faces.
The infamous assassin who disguised himself as anyone and was never caught in his true form.
The relentless killer who slit the throats of countless VIPs and always slipped away.
...But the author had described one telltale clue about him.
No matter how perfectly disguised, when he targeted prey, his fingers twitched unconsciously, and he had an indelible knife scar on the back of his hand.
No doubt about it.
That servant wasn't a servant.
That was... Thousand Faces.
...Crazy. Why the hell is he here?
A chill raced up my spine in an instant.
My foggy head cleared like a lie, turning ice cold.
A heavyweight assassin infiltrating the festival meant someone was marked for death.
And the direction he was heading...
...I slowly traced the path of his gaze.
And my heart plummeted.
At the end of that stealthy pursuit was none other than a woman in crimson robes strolling alone through the crowd.
Victoria.
I urgently whispered to Celine beside me.
“...Vice-commander. See that servant with the tray over there?”
“Pardon? A servant...?”
“...He's suspicious. Probably targeting Her Highness the Princess. I'll handle him myself, so tighten security around the area just in case. Check on His Majesty the Emperor too.”
“...!”
Celine's face hardened in an instant.
She might not know why, but she sensed something off from my tone.
“...Understood. Please be careful.”
Quick on the uptake, as always.
She didn't pry and moved straight to her post.
Whew...
I deliberately slowed my steps.
...I wanted to bolt.
But if I rushed over now, he'd notice immediately.
He might even stab the princess before aborting.
...Couldn't let that happen.
Acting like it was just a routine patrol, I casually made my way toward them.
Thump, thump, thump.
My face was the picture of calm.
But inside, my heart was pounding like mad.
Just a bit closer.
A little more.
Without tipping him off, I narrowed the gap one step at a time.
Over there, Kyle was walking straight toward her.
Victoria's heart began to race on its own.
...Just moments ago, he'd been so chummy with that woman Celine, but now he'd left her side and was heading right for her.
...Hmph. So he ends up coming to me after all.
Victoria turned her head primly, feigning indifference.
But she couldn't hide the smile creeping onto her lips.
...Still, she was annoyed.
Recalling how he'd flirted with that woman earlier made her chest tighten anew.
...But what's with that expression?
Kyle's face as he approached was somehow very different from usual.
...The man who usually panicked and plotted his escape at the sight of her was striding over today without a hint of hesitation, his face set like stone.
Could it be—he really missed me so much he's rushing over like──
...That very moment.
A faint rustle came from right behind Victoria.
A servant with a tray had crept right up beside her.
Something cold glinted in his bosom──
...In that split second.
Whoosh!
Like a gust of wind, Kyle brushed past Victoria.
In the blink of an eye, he slipped behind the servant, wrapping one arm around his neck.
His other hand clamped over the man's mouth, stifling even a scream.
...Crunch!
With a gruesome sound, the servant's body convulsed violently for a moment before going limp.
“...!”
It had all happened in the wink of an eye.
Victoria could only stare blankly, eyes wide.
What just happened?
It was all so fast her mind couldn't keep up.
Then...
“...W-wait. What are you──”
“──Later.”
Kyle cut her off sharply, but with unyielding resolve.
“Questions later. Get back to your seat now.”
Victoria was left speechless.
That voice, those eyes.
Not the usual bumbling, nonchalant guy.
Gripping the limp assassin in one hand, staring at her with those cold, piercing eyes—like a beast ready to pounce.
Overwhelmed by that presence, she swallowed hard without thinking.
...W-what? How does he have this side──
Her heart pounded wildly.
...She wasn't without resentment.
She was a princess, yet this man dared order her around.
But for some reason, facing that fierce gaze...
Her usual haughty dignity, her petulant sulk—all vanished.
She just wanted to obey meekly, this strange feeling.
...Gah! What's this? It's infuriating!
Victoria bit her lip, face flushing crimson.
Yet her feet had already turned back as he'd commanded.
...She was mad, but somehow... it didn't feel bad.
This situation where she was utterly at his mercy—it oddly didn't bother her.
As she returned to her spot, she kept glancing back.
Kyle had slung the assassin over his shoulder and was quietly vanishing into the crowd, unseen.
Victoria's cheeks burned hot again as she watched his retreating figure.