Escape (1)
Within the imperial palace, the grandest and most opulent structure was known as the Prince’s Palace.
In the garden where lazy afternoons unfolded, rare flowers flourished that only the owner adored.
As the days passed, the body of the Empress—the highest ruler of the empire—grew increasingly frail.
Elina, the Princess who had been positioned as the ultimate successor, had suddenly joined the Hero’s Party.
The empire’s beloved, Karsen Arita, held absolute influence.
Even though the empire buzzed with endless speculation among the courtiers, here he felt completely at ease.
The handsome man with brown hair set his teacup down with a gentle clink.
On the table sat an array of treats the ordinary man favored—macarons, financiers, and more—especially the strawberry-topped slice cake that looked utterly delicious.
Karsen’s golden hair, warmed by the sunlight, sparkled radiantly.
Anyone who didn’t know the tale knew that the painter who had come to draw his portrait had cried out that an angel had descended.
“The weather is so nice, isn’t it, Brother Derek?”
“...Indeed it is.”
Karsen smiled with a kind expression.
He cherished Derek Ortini, the son of the Ortini Ducal House, as if he were a real brother.
At least on the surface.
“Where were we? Ah, right—the letter the Hero sent to me.”
“...How enviable.”
“Your Highness, the Princess sent me nothing.
I wonder if the Hero truly cares for Your Highness.”
“Ehh, Brother, don’t sulk.
Nuna’s always so busy.”
Karsen answered cheerfully, offering comfort.
Yet Derek found no peace in those words.
“Brother, is something troubling you?”
“...Well...”
Derek ran a hand through his hair and pressed his lips tight.
He couldn’t bring himself to voice the family’s shame.
Karsen, unable to contain his curiosity, urged him on.
In truth, Karsen was thrilled inside.
A man he had always considered perfect now wearing such an expression—his superiority swelled.
“Brother, what exactly is it? Could it be something you can’t tell me?”
When Derek sighed deeply at the persistent questioning, he knew he would learn the truth sooner or later.
It would be better to hear it from his own lips.
“My sister seems to be suffering from some illness.”
“...Ah.”
Karsen clamped his mouth shut upon hearing the answer.
Derek’s expression looked worse than he had expected.
“Love stories are always the most entertaining, aren’t they?”
If that saying held true, rumors about them would spread through the social circles.
If the Hero hadn’t been a miracle, he might have ended up in the same political marriage with that wild woman.
Of course, that was none of Karsen’s concern.
“Brother, don’t worry.
Women have their eyes wandering sometimes.
But they always come back, don’t they?”
Karsen spoke with the gentlest tone possible.
Yet the words also applied to himself.
“So, who exactly was the one who stole the heart of the infamous ‘Ortini Princess’?”
Karsen asked with a mischievous smile, directing it at Derek.
Still, Derek remained visibly troubled.
“...Hah.”
Finally Derek let out a long sigh.
Karsen almost stopped, but his curiosity knew no bounds.
“...Could it be you?”
“It’s so embarrassing I can’t even bring myself to say it.”
Those words revealed everything.
A spark of pity kindled inside Karsen, who had been feeling superior.
The Ortini Ducal House had two princesses.
One was an illegitimate child with exceptional magical talent, while the other was an adopted daughter who lived recklessly and was well-known in the social scene for her wild ways.
According to rumors, she spent her time with her own group and was constantly
flitting in and out of the brothel.
She enjoyed gambling too, making her quite troublesome.
“For now, at least.”
“...”
Derek pressed his hand to his forehead as if his head was throbbing.
Feeling a little sorry, Karsen changed the subject.
“Oh! Speaking of which, thanks to Brother’s wisdom last time, we got rid of that man.”
Derek exhaled a small sigh of relief.
He picked up a cookie from the plate and replied.
“That was entirely Your Highness’s doing.
What did I do?”
“Haha.
If it weren’t for Brother’s advice, the plan would have ended in failure.”
“That man will only bring trouble.
Don’t you know?”
“Of course I do.”
The man’s nature could never be underestimated.
The Hero and the Princess had shown interest in that foreigner.
An Otherworlder who provided no help whatsoever.
Both men found that fact embarrassing and impossible to understand.
Derek looked around cautiously and lowered his voice.
“Did you handle it properly?”
“Of course.
I sold him to the brothel.”
Karsen grinned.
He really looked satisfied and relieved.
But Derek’s expression became strange.
“...Does that mean you didn’t kill him?”
“Wouldn’t that be more painful?”
Derek’s face twisted in dissatisfaction.
But it vanished as quickly as it had appeared, replaced by a faint smile.
“Your Highness, I clearly told you I had to cut his throat last time.
”
“...Brother, are you angry at me now?”
Immediately, Derek’s tail drooped at Karsen’s appearance.
“No, I’m just worried.
What if he comes back...”
Only then did Karsen laugh again.
“Brother, you worry too much.
There’s absolutely no chance he’ll come back.
Unless he becomes a ghost after dying, anyway.”
“...If Your Highness says so, I have no choice.
I’ll believe it.”
After that, the two men continued their conversation.
They had been chatting for what felt like no time at all when they slowly began to look around.
“It’s already so late.
Your Highness, then I’ll take my leave.”
“No need to bow your head.
Brother, we’ll soon be family.”
The highest seat where the most noble man of the empire could sit.
The national secretary’s desk.
Derek smiled warmly.
It was a desire he could not hide.
Karsen found that base desire to his liking.
Derek also liked Karsen’s foolishness.
Unaware that they were using each other, another day passed.
******
After parting ways with Derek, Karsen immediately returned to his private chamber.
Harshly dismissing the attendants, he soon summoned his subordinate.
“Rika.”
At his call, the assigned attendant appeared.
The woman with striking pink hair answered in a somewhat stiff voice.
“Your Highness, you summoned me?”
“Did you decode it?”
At the somewhat sharp question, Rika lowered her head deeply.
No more words were needed.
It meant failure.
“That letter was completely unreadable.”
“I’m sorry.”
Snarling that it was useless, Karsen picked up the letter again.
Looking at the utterly useless paper, genuine anger began to rise.
The Hero who would save the world and the woman who should become his bride.
Yu Inna’s letter.
The biggest problem was that the recipient was not himself.
At first he thought it was just scribbles.
“She must have learned imperial script.”
Ironically, the address was in imperial script.
Meanwhile, pride swelled within him for the Hero who had quickly mastered the script.
Karsen was furious.
It was far too deliberate.
How could she possibly hate him?
Writing a letter to that kind of man instead of him.
It made no sense at all.
The Hero who saves the world and marries the prince, living happily ever after—that was Karsen’s long-held dream.
Or perhaps destiny.
How could the Hero who appeared for him possibly do something like that?
He was the number one groom in the empire.
Next was Derek.
Karsen reread the letter content.
The characters were hard to read, looking like drawings or scribbles.
Despite the considerable time and effort, it remained difficult to interpret.
“Whatever.
I’ll just burn it.”
“Your Highness, that’s—!”
Karsen picked up the letter and approached the fireplace.
Startled, Rika rushed over to stop him.
“Do you know what action you’re about to take?
Think about your hands.”
At those words, Rika flinched.
She was pushed away helplessly by Karsen’s fragile strength.
“It’s useless.”
The letter paper burned in the raging flames.
Only then did Karsen breathe out in relief.
“Anyway, we’ll never meet again.”
Karsen closed his eyes and recalled.
The woman who would become his.
Ah— my Hero.
Staring at the fireplace with a indifferent expression, a small smile formed on Karsen’s face.
He was unaware that guilt had entered Rika’s eyes as she stared at the same place.
******
The moment I came out, the escort who was waiting for me led me to my room.
Surprisingly, it wasn’t a bad building, with each room provided.
Surprisingly, it could be called quite good welfare.
Except for the underground part.
Photosynthesis had to be given up.
“Don’t get too excited.
Everything is on credit.
Even the food you’re eating now.”
The gentle man sitting next to me stabbed his salad with a fork.
It seemed he was on a diet.
“So, what happened?”
“What do you mean?”
“What, nothing?
The boss!!”
The gentle man hit his chest in frustration.
At those words, the food I was eating threatened to come back up.
Automatically, the situation replayed in my mind.
While barely hiding my flushed face, I responded.
“Ah~ Well, what can you do.”
“Whoa.
This guy had something, huh?
Your lips are all red.”
It was a teasing tone, but it felt more like caution.
Somehow, it felt closer to disgust than caution.
“...Really?
You were acting like a jerk at work.”
“That’s...”
No words.
Honestly, it’s my fault.
“...I’m sorry.”
“No, to be honest, there must have been something between the boss and you.
I can’t even believe you came out fine.”
“What do you mean?”
Then the gentle man laughed lightly.
Like he hadn’t known that at all.
How was I supposed to know?
“The boss has a thing against men.”
“A thing against men?”
No way.
It doesn’t seem like that at all.
No.
Why is it replaying again?
That intense kiss.
“What do you think happens to people who act out like you do in the room?”
“What happens?”
At his slightly serious words, I swallowed hard.
After all, they probably just get sold somewhere else.
“I won’t punish you.”
“Punish me?”
“Whatever.
Ignorance is bliss.”
I looked around.
There were quite a few men in similar situations.
But the number of staff who protected this place was extremely low.
“It seems the monitoring here is weaker than I thought.
I might be able to escape.”
“See that magic tool up there?
The room location is close to a sparsely populated forest.
It’s dangerous.”
“Is there no way to contact the outside?”
“No one except guests.”
I see.
It really isn’t easy.
“Do your best.
If you can.”
But repaying the debt would be much faster.
Maybe?”
“...I can’t repay that at all.
Did you repay yours?”
“I’m here because I like it.”
Amazing.
But I decided to respect him for now.
The most urgent thing was me.
My debt is nearly fifty million gold.
Even if I try my hardest, it’s impossible to repay.
Anyway, it’s not my debt.
“Since I ate everything, I’ll get up.”
“Oh~ Okay.”
I stood up from my seat to return the bowl.
It was fortunate that the gentle man seemed like a good person.
I turned back slightly for one more greeting, and his face came into view.
But his expression was...
Even more wrinkled than when he had been slandering the crude man.