Chapter 236
by Jessie@AFNCCA single dagger, drawn from my dress late in the evening, gleamed in the light spilling out from the palace.
Of course, I had no intention of facing him head-on with just a dagger. After all, there was nothing to gain from fighting him one-on-one in this situation.
The dagger was merely a deterrent, something to keep him at a distance. Since I had already sent the signal, time was on my side.
âWhatâs this? A dagger? Planning to stab me and run off again like last time?â
âOh, Iâll stab you, alright. But this time, Iâm aiming for your neck, not your hand.â
âAre you sure thatâs a good idea? Killing a royal is a capital offense. If you commit regicide, death might be the least of your worries. Wouldnât it be better to just become my fiancĂ©e instead?â
âLike hell. Youâve already thrown away a truckload of women after tricking them with talk of engagement. Iâd rather kill you and end it all than crawl between your legs.â
âA truckloadâŠ? Is that some kind of dialect? Anyway, itâs fascinating how much you know. The way you were wary of my powers last time and prepared for them… How did you find out?â
ââŠâ
âYou really are an interesting woman. Maybe this time, Iâll get to play with you longer.â
Magic flared around McHart. He hadnât yet unleashed his full demonic power, suggesting that he was at least mindful of our location within the palace.
As these thoughts flashed through my mind, his body suddenly launched toward me.
Thwack!
âHah!â
McHart closed the distance between us in an instant, using a burst of magical speed. The way he reached out, trying to grab me, suggested he intended to drag me into that nightmarish dream world of his once again.
He left his arm and neck exposed to me, as if daring me to strike. For a moment, I could almost see a cut line drawn between his jaw and shoulder.
Swish!
I stifled the desire to kill him right then and there, leaping into the air with Lillisâs natural agility.
If I drove my dagger into him now, he would surely drag me into his mindscape. I couldnât afford to let my desire to end this get the better of me.
Thwack!
Swish!
Thwack!
Slash!
For what felt like several seconds, McHart and I engaged in a silent chase around the garden outside the palaceâs rear gate.
McHart used his magic-enhanced speed, while I relied purely on the physical abilities I had honed in Lillis’s body.
If only I had Seiâs wind magic, it would have been helpful in this situation, but unfortunately, the two spirits were waiting for me outside the palace.
Due to the magical detection devices installed in the palace and its grounds after the last attack, bringing the spiritsâwhose very existence is magicâinside was impossible.
In this fight, I hadnât used a single ounce of magic, dodging McHartâs attacks purely with physical skill. McHart, on the other hand, was pouring magic into every move.
The reason McHart could use magic inside the palace while I couldnât was simple. As a member of the royal family, his magic was registered and thus wouldnât trigger the detection devices.
It was frustrating, having to dodge and roll on the ground to avoid his attacks while I couldnât use my magic, but if I wanted to complain, I should have been born royal.
âA moment ago, you were all about stabbing me with that sword, but now that weâre actually fighting, all you do is run. Are you scared of the crime of regicide?â
âWith that nauseating face of yours coming at me, who wouldnât run? Humans are wired to avoid ugly things out of instinct, you know.â
âHm, I do like a woman with spirit. After living with this face for so long, no one dares to defy me anymore, so itâs been rather dull. But calling this face disgusting⊠You donât really mean that, do you?â
âIâm not talking about that leather mask youâre wearing. I mean the real face youâre hiding underneath, you idiot.â
ââŠâ
âOh, sorry. I shouldnât have called an idiot an idiot. That was harsh.â
ââŠI donât know where you got your information, but Iâm definitely going to capture you.â
I spat in his direction, signaling that he could try if he wanted. He paused momentarily, clearly caught off guard, and the sight of him hesitating made me smirk.
âPathetic. Look at you flinch just because I spit. Who would have thought?â S~eaÊáŽh the NovŃlÆire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
âThereâs nothing wrong with avoiding something dirty flying at your face. But your taunts are losing their sting.â
âYou talk about engagement, but are you really grossed out by your fiancĂ©eâs spit? Besides, isnât your real fiancĂ©eâs mouth even filthier? I heard the sounds of her sucking off another man in the bathroom were loud enough to reach the banquet hall.â
âShut up. You donât know anything about Ebelin. Sheâs not someone you can insult.â
Just like in the original story, I pressed his buttons, and McHart snapped, charging at me. What a fool, defending his whore of a fiancée.
But I had to be careful not to push him too far. If I provoked him too much before my allies arrived, I might not survive long enough.
âBut seriously, where the hell are theyâŠ?â
It had been about a minute since the chase with McHart began. Even if all four of them couldnât make it, at least one of them should have shown up by now. But I didnât sense anyone approaching the garden yet.
Ethan might take a bit longer since I caused such a scene, but the other three should have had plenty of time to slip away with some excuse.
Agnes and Cerista, especially, had stealth magic and concealment blessings at their disposal, so they should have been able to arrive by now. So why were they so late?
Just as an uneasy feeling began creeping into my heart, McHart, as if reading my expression, smiled slyly at me.
âYouâve been glancing towards the banquet hall for a while now, as if youâre waiting for someone.â
âStop spouting nonsense.â
âI have a pretty good idea who youâre waiting for, but I think you should give up.â
âWhatâŠ?â
âDid you really think Iâd come here unprepared? Havenât you considered that might be a little too optimistic?â
âŠHe had to be lying. There was no way McHart could have figured out that I was setting a trap for him.
Even if he had suspected something, there was no reason for him to walk into my trap on purpose. If he did, it would only be because it somehow benefited him. But no matter how many soldiers McHart might have brought, it was impossible for them to stand against the hero, a high-ranking priestess, a magical powerhouse, and a dual-wielding sword expert.
ââŠYouâre delusional. Youâre just making wild guesses.â
âYouâve been running from me desperately without using any magic. Itâs obvious. If you use magic, the palace guards will come running, and you donât want that, do you?â
ââŠYeah. If the guards come, I wonât be able to slit your throat.â
âFor someone who wants to kill me, youâve been running away this whole time. And youâre not even trying to leave this area. Iâve enjoyed humoring you, but it looks like youâre about to reach your limit.â
ââŠâ
âBy now, the banquet hall must be in an uproar. If you were counting on your magic signal reaching the hero or the saintess, itâs too late.â
ââŠI donât understand what youâre talking about.â
Damn it. Did he really know? Did he figure out from the start that this was a trap?
Could he have known all along, despite the magic duels I had with Agnes at the academy and the ridiculous loverâs spat I staged with Ethan in the banquet hall, all to set this up?
As I struggled to hide my shock, McHart looked at me with a mocking expression and mentioned someone unexpected.
âThereâs a rather interesting lady among the group youâve gathered to trap me.â
ââŠâ
âAgnes, was it? That short little girl.â
ââŠYou bastard⊠If you so much as touched herâŠâ
âCalm down. Sheâs pretty, but Iâm not into children. Do you really think Iâd be interested in a little brat like her when I have Ebelin as my fiancĂ©e?â
ââŠâ
âBut it seems my little brother doesnât share my tastes. Heâs been making quite the fuss over that tiny girl.â
Unfortunately, at that moment, I didnât fully grasp what McHart was implying.
I couldnât yet imagine what kind of âvariableâ McHartâs brother had introduced at the banquet hall.
â â â
Around the same time that Lillis and McHart began their standoff in the garden behind the rear gate, inside the banquet hall…
Hero Ethan Richard Blackwood couldnât even check if Lillis had sent the magic signal, as he was pinned down in the center of the hall.
In truth, even if he had managed to confirm it, the outcome might not have changed much.
Surrounded by the attention of everyone at the noble gathering, there was no way Ethan could discreetly slip away without attracting notice.
âDraw your sword, Ethan Richard Blackwood.â
âNo, Your Highness, itâs a misunderstandingâŠâ
âTonight, I will reclaim my fiancĂ©e, who attended this gathering with you, by my own hand.â
The fifth prince of the Argentian Empire, Antonio Robert Valtoria.
His appearance was an unexpected variable that neither Lillis, Ethan, nor anyone else had anticipated.
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