The One Who Won't Be Abandoned - Chapter 60

“Yes. Died pissing himself like a fool. Truly incredible… pfft—puhahaha!”

Strake stood paralyzed by the mad expression on the princess’s face.

“Ahh… it’s just too funny…”

At last, the princess wiped the tears from her eyes and let out a light sigh, calming her laughter. She then turned toward the mirror.

As she approached, Strake instinctively tensed, shrinking back. The princess stopped just short of entering the passage. The distance between them was close enough to touch.

The princess stared briefly into the darkness of the mirror passage before turning her head. Her cool, violet gaze locked with Strake’s. Strake flinched.

Before killing the Emperor, Princess Grecia had confessed two secrets that must never be revealed: Tim Ferrier was not the son of the late Emperor, and Tim Ferrier was the father of her son.

The problem was—the Emperor wasn’t the only one who had heard it.

Should she kill Strake? Or not? It was no heavier a decision than choosing between coffee and tea.

Reading the fear in Strake’s eyes, the princess quickly came to a conclusion—Strake’s role wasn’t over yet.

“When I’m gone, scream in about an hour. That’s when your job ends. Simple, right? Oh, and don’t forget to say that he collapsed clutching his chest during intercourse.”

“Y-Yes, ma’am!”

The princess glanced over her shoulder at the Emperor’s body.

“But… are we sure he’s actually dead?”

“…”

“Maybe he’s just unconscious?”

Though she had already confirmed the dilated pupils and absence of breath, the princess wanted to plant doubt in Strake’s mind—just to make sure the deed was sealed beyond a shadow of a doubt.

Strake slowly turned her head, following the princess’s gaze to the Emperor’s lifeless form.

What if the Emperor wasn’t fully dead? What if he woke up… even for a moment?

The mere thought of that possibility filled Strake with a bone-deep chill.

In her head, she repeated it again and again:

“The Emperor must be completely, undeniably dead.”

Barely finding strength in her legs, Strake rose. Naked like the Emperor, her body looked frail and vulnerable. Her slow, shaky steps toward him seemed like she might collapse at any moment.

But her eyes—fixed and cold with determination—mirrored the very same madness that had burned in the princess’s.

Staggering forward, Strake picked up the pillow the princess had thrown to the floor. Trembling, she looked once more at the Emperor’s pale, corpse-like face.

Then she gripped the pillow tighter.

And with sudden force, she slammed it down over his face and pressed with all her might.

Her trembling vanished. What replaced it was raw resolve: To kill. To make certain. To crush any chance of survival.

The princess turned away, watching with satisfaction as Strake killed the already-dead Emperor once more. Her steps into the pitch-black secret passage—where not even a foot ahead could be seen—were remarkably light.

* * *

I extended my stay at the inn from one day to a week. A bad feeling told me I might not be able to meet Andrei or the knights within a day or two. And sure enough, when I asked the palace guards to deliver a note to the princess’s fiancé or one of his men, they looked at me like I was insane.

“Really, I just need you to hand them this note! I swear, I’m not suspicious at all!”

“Oh, and do you think a suspicious person would say they’re suspicious? Get away from the palace gates! If you bother us again, I’ll have you thrown in prison!”

The guard’s harsh tone made me flinch, but I couldn’t give up.

“If I can just meet with my young master, I promise he’ll reward you handsomely.”

“You’re trying to bribe me? A proud guard of the Grand Palace of Sendfinden?”

“I-I mean, not really a bribe, more like a small token of gratitude…”

“Get lost!”

Exploding at my persistence, the guard swung his spear threateningly. I shrieked and jumped back.

“Eek! You really swung it?!”

“What, you think this is a decoration? Huh? Get out of here! Are you leaving or not?!”

“I’m going! I’m going!”

Once I was far enough away, I shot the guard a sharp glare. He only laughed mockingly, nudging his fellow guards as they shared a chuckle.

“So cold… All I’m asking is for them to know I’m here…”

The capital was heartless. I wasn’t even trying to sneak in—I just wanted to deliver a message. I missed the warm people of D’Hel already.

“But I’m not giving up.”

I hadn’t trekked for weeks just to turn back. I hadn’t come to the next estate over—I’d come to the capital. I couldn’t let all that suffering go to waste.

“Andrei, wait for me. I’m coming.”

Plan A: wait in front of the palace until something happens.
Plan B: find a way to sneak into the palace directly.

Just as I left the inn, I saw an ad in the paper—a merchant who supplies goods to the palace was hiring laborers. I would apply and try to get into the palace that way. If I was lucky, I’d run into Andrei or the knights immediately. If not, maybe I’d see them after a few trips in and out.

First, I had to find the merchant’s guild. But if they rejected me just because I was a woman, I’d move on to Plan C—wait for the guard who shouted at me to rotate out and try again with a different one. It was a long shot, but I wasn’t giving up.

“Alright, then.”

Opportunities only come to those who persist. Determined, I turned my back on the palace and headed off—

But I only made a few steps before stopping in my tracks. A sudden, thunderous trumpet blast echoed behind me.

“What… what is that?”

Startled by the loud sound, I turned around. The massive iron palace gates were opening wide. A royal knight on horseback emerged, fully armored in shining plate and helmet, holding a tall white flagpole fluttering a large banner.

All eyes turned toward him as he rode to a halt in front of the gathering crowd. With dignified composure, he swept his gaze across the people, then declared in a loud, ringing voice:

“His Majesty, Babeisil Dysnya Sendfinden, Emperor of Sendfinden, has passed away!
His Majesty has passed away! All citizens of Sendfinden, remain calm and mourn the death of your Emperor!”

The note I’d been clutching slipped from my hand.

It weighed next to nothing, yet as it fell gently to the ground, I felt my heart crash to the floor with it—a heavy, gut-sinking thud.

* * *

Harmon was born the fourth child in a family of seven. He had older brothers and sisters, younger brothers and sisters. Among all the siblings who had reached adulthood, Harmon—serving as a noble’s personal attendant—was considered the most “successful.” But only he knew the truth, and every time his family expressed their envy, Harmon felt like dying inside.

Serving Andrei was something he often wished he could run away from. Just thinking about that one time—when he had to witness a bizarre and unidentifiable object and Andrei moaning as he pleasured himself—still gave him nightmares. It was that shocking. That grotesque.

Later, Harmon had whispered this secret only to Jeanne. For that, he was met with a terrifying threat from Andrei: “Say one more word about me and I’ll rip your mouth open from ear to ear.” The threat came with action—Harmon’s arm had been dislocated.

It was the first time in his life he’d ever heard such a horrific threat, and from Andrei, of all people, he truly believed it was possible. The pain of his elbow being popped out—and then suddenly slammed back in place with a sickening crack—was still fresh in his mind.

“I trust you understand now,”
Andrei had murmured in a deadly calm voice, just as he let go of Harmon’s arm.

That same Andrei gave Harmon his first real “assignment” the day before leaving for the capital.

‘Watch Jeanne. Who she meets, what she talks about—observe closely. If anything dangerous happens, step in. And if anyone flirts with her, find out who they are and report back to me when I return.’

The moment he heard it, Harmon knew—Andrei was in love with Jeanne. The soft expression on his face, the subtle, unconscious smile… there was no denying it. Love wasn’t just present, it was practically dripping off him.

Harmon was stunned. Not because a noble loved a maid, but because that Andrei—the one who could dislocate an arm with no remorse—was capable of loving someone. It was more believable that the devil would repent and go to church.

Still half out of it from the shock, Harmon only came to his senses when he saw Andrei’s eyes urging him to answer. And so, despite every urge to grab someone and scream about this insanity, Harmon quietly accepted the task. From then on, he shadowed Jeanne constantly.

Following her around the manor wasn’t difficult. The problem was Longta Street—the most lawless zone in D’Hel. Jeanne lived there. If the men of Longta were wild beasts, Harmon was a helpless herbivore.

Still, he braved it for a few days—until a drunk thug nearly punched him. After that, Harmon couldn’t bring himself to go back. He gave up on confirming Jeanne’s safe return home.

And that was his mistake. Because without notice, Jeanne vanished. She had taken an unauthorized, indefinite leave.

Even Madam Judith, who never gossiped, clicked her tongue and criticized her behavior. And the Lord himself was so concerned that he sent knights to follow her.

“This is unacceptable. To leave without saying a word? Jeanne clearly lacks the basics of what it means to be a servant. I’m very disappointed in her.”

As Harmon silently agreed and trashed Jeanne in his thoughts, his head slowly drooped in defeat.

Andrei had entrusted him with a serious mission—and he had blown it. In his mind, he could already see Andrei’s cold, terrifying glare. The image alone made his knees weak.

“…Sniff. Jeanne. Where are you?”

Not even as a child, when his brothers left him lost in the woods, had he been this scared. Honestly, being trapped in a forest now would feel safer.

Harmon had left D’Hel for the first time in his life to follow Jeanne’s trail to the capital. He tracked her movements—she had taken a merchant wagon from Ferrier to the capital.

But searching for Jeanne in a bustling city was like looking for a needle in the desert. Fortunately, Harmon wasn’t alone.

“I’ll begin searching the inns near where she disembarked.”

“Then I’ll check with the city watch.”

He was with the Kaimans’ knights, sent by the lord to retrieve Jeanne. Even discovering her destination had been their work.

Yes, up to this point, Harmon had done nothing but stick close to the knights like a burden while despairing over his future.

Then, something changed. The already-busy city streets suddenly grew tense. The Kaiman knights sensed something strange and quickly moved Harmon to safety. Moments later, a royal knight on horseback appeared, waving a white flag and shouting something.

Harmon and the knights stepped aside to let the rider pass. As the knight drew closer, his words became clear—

“His Majesty, Babeisil Dysnya Sendfinden, Emperor of Sendfinden, has passed away!”

The royal knight was announcing the Emperor’s death to the public. With the Emperor gone, it was certain the entire Empire would now enter a mourning and memorial period that would last at least a month.

The Kaiman knights, who had momentarily stiffened at the news, soon began speaking up, one by one.

“The Emperor…”

“He’s finally dead. I wanted to slit that bastard’s throat with my own hands.”

“I hope he died in excruciating pain…”

Harmon blinked and stuck his pinky in his ear, thinking he must’ve misheard them. Hallucinations, surely. One of the knights noticed him and gave a subtle signal to the others. The knights, who had all been wearing a bittersweet yet relieved expression, fell silent and composed themselves.

That’s when Harmon’s gaze caught sight of a woman in the crowd—someone who looked strikingly like Jeanne.

“Huh? Jeanne?”

“Where?”

“There—over there, that woman walking by!”

Without thinking, Harmon pointed at her with the same pinky finger he’d used to clean his ear—only to notice the earwax and hastily wipe it off on his clothes.

“Should we make contact?”

“The lord said that if Jeanne doesn’t want to return, we can simply confirm her destination and safety and report back. Let’s keep watching until we understand why she came to the capital.”

“Still, it’s a relief we found her so quickly. Wonder where she’s been all morning…”

The knights looked sympathetically at Jeanne’s face, thinner than before, likely from not eating properly during her journey to the capital. Harmon, momentarily forgetting that he’d been desperately searching for her, stared blankly along with the others—until Andrei’s face flashed through his mind like lightning, and he jolted in panic.

“W-We should report this to the young master at the palace, shouldn’t we?!”

“The palace? Why? With the Emperor dead, the place will be in chaos. They probably won’t even let us in.”

“B-But if we don’t tell the young master…”

“He’s probably overwhelmed right now. We’d only be a nuisance.”

But Harmon knew. If Andrei found out later that he hadn’t reported Jeanne’s arrival, he would be punished in ways too terrible to imagine. Terrified at the thought, Harmon persisted and finally persuaded the knights—they would go to the palace and report to Andrei.

* * *