I Became the Maid of the Lout Prince-Chapter 468: Misfortune or fate (2)
“These men... they came to kill Princess Rainy.”
“......”
“......”
“......”
Even as they listened to my words, the three men maintained composure, suppressing any change in their expressions. They were perceptive enough, unlike Natalie or Silena, to understand my implication.
More importantly, the hero himself, already familiar with the original story, was likely prepared to act even without my warning.
“...Understood.”
“...Right.”
“Yes.”
Each responded with a short acknowledgment, nodding in unison. As I moved back, they launched forward like the wind.
-Whoosh!
-Swish!
-Thunk!
“...What?!”
The vice-captain, who had been too complacent, assuming we would simply hand over Princess Rainy, fumbled to draw his sword, but he was already too late. Even with his skill as vice-captain of the Defrin Kingdom’s 4th Knight Order, there was no way he could fend off all three of them at once.
-Clang!
“W-Wait...!!”
-Slice!
-Thud!
“Urgh, gah...!!”
Though he managed to block the hero’s sword, Bartholomeo failed to counter the strikes from Ethan and Thomas, leaving him vulnerable to their ambush. In a fair fight, he would have been a formidable opponent, but caught off-guard, he was reduced to little more than a fool.
-Thud!
“V-Vice-Captain Bartholomeo!!”
“Damn it! Everyone, rescue the vice-captain!”
“Damn! Kill those little bastards!!”
The remaining knights scrambled, now thrown into disarray. It was evident from their actions, prioritizing their leader’s safety over Princess Rainy’s, that they were a team dispatched specifically to assassinate her.
Had we handed Rainy over, she would likely have ended up as a cold corpse by morning—perhaps even used and abused by these scum for hours before being discarded.
I couldn’t let someone who had lived a life of misfortune suffer such a miserable end, especially not days before her twentieth birthday.
“Lady Agnes, Lady Silena, Lady Natalie! These people are all bandits!”
“Just burn them all, then?”
“...I suspected it from the start. Even an elf’s insight could tell they weren’t genuine knights...”
“Here I goooo!!!”
Natalie charged forward, rapier in hand, joining the men who swung their swords and spears, while Agnes and Silena positioned themselves to cast spells and fire arrows. Lydia, who had been silently observing the scene from the start, remained close by Princess Rainy, ensuring her safety while watching the unfolding battle.
“Lydia.”
“Yes, Lady Lilith.”
“Please continue guarding Princess Rainy. Those so-called knights—or rather, bandits—are clearly after her.”
“Of course, she is someone I will protect with my life.”
With Lydia by her side, we could be confident Rainy would have a solid defense if anyone tried to target her amidst the chaos. I, too, prepared my arcane arrows and magic chains to join the battle.
The fight between the hero’s party and the knights concluded swiftly in a matter of minutes.
“Secure the captain—no, save me first... gugh!”
“Damn! Just kill the princess! If we don’t take her down, we’re dead... Aaargh!”
“Gah, aaaargh!”
Without Bartholomeo, the knights were disorganized, crumbling quickly under our team’s coordinated attacks. In contrast, the hero’s party, despite only a partial team, had fought together for years, instinctively covering each other’s weaknesses and dispatching the knights with precision.
Additionally, both Ethan and I had previously joined them on a few research expeditions, learning to work together smoothly.
“You filthy... Run for it!!”
‘Neigh!’
“Look, one of them is escaping on horseback!!”
Just as we finished off most of the knights, one attempted to flee on horseback. We couldn’t allow even a single one to escape, or they would return with reinforcements the next day to finish the job.
“I’ll go after him!”
“What?! Wait, Lilith!!”
Without a second thought, I mounted a horse and pursued the fleeing man. With my horsemanship skills from Dietmayer and my magic, I could perform airborne attacks while riding.
-Gallop, gallop, gallop!
“Huff, huff...!”
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“......”
As I closed in, I aimed an arcane arrow at the back of the man’s exposed head, firing as he fled.
-Thud!
“Ugh, guh...!!”
‘Neigh!’
The man tumbled from his horse, which, startled by its rider’s fall, bolted away into the night. Not wanting to waste time chasing the horse, I searched the fallen man for any items that might serve as evidence.
‘A badge of a junior knight from the Defrin Kingdom... and a few silver coins. That’s about it.’
While I already knew some of the kingdom’s knights were targeting Princess Rainy, the others might not be aware. Evidence like this would be crucial for legitimizing her future claims and ensuring her safety.
After hiding the body at the edge of the forest, I rode the horse back to camp.
⁎ ⁎ ⁎
When I returned, having dealt with the escaping knight, the battle at camp was already over.
About twenty men had come to assassinate Princess Rainy. Excluding Bartholomeo, the 4th Knight Order’s vice-captain, the rest were of roughly average skill, making it easy to end the fight without major injuries.
Though our carriage and tents had been damaged in the scuffle, thankfully, no one was hurt or killed.
“Lilith!”
“I’m back, Master Ethan.”
“Do you realize how reckless that was?! Running off on your own like that was dangerous!”
“It was only a junior knight. You know my abilities, Master Ethan.”
“Even so, there’s always a chance...”
“Would you have me hang back while everyone else risked their lives? I simply did what I could, so please refrain from over-worrying.”
“...Alright, just be more careful next time.”
Having returned unharmed, with the enemy defeated, Ethan refrained from further scolding. After calming him down, I helped gather coins and identification badges from the fallen knights.
“It appears we have badges from junior knights, full knights, and even a regular knight, confirming they truly are members of the Defrin Kingdom’s Knight Order.”
“W-What?! Didn’t you say they were bandits?!”
“In spirit, they might as well be. Regardless of their titles, if they’re trying to kill Princess Rainy, they’re no different from the bandits and monsters we’ve fought before.”
Among them, there might have been knights who simply followed orders, driven not by greed but loyalty. Even so, I felt no regret in killing them. After all, Princess Rainy was a heroine in Luminor Academy, my favorite game, and her life held far greater significance to me than twenty nameless knights.
“Knights attempting to kill their own princess? Such a sentiment is baffling to an elf.”
“...It seems we’re entangled in quite the mess.”
“If Bartholomeo was the vice-captain of the 4th Knight Order, then it’s possible the entire knight order—or perhaps the kingdom—may be conspiring against Princess Rainy.”
“...If that’s the case, this situation is indeed troublesome.”
As Thomas examined Bartholomeo’s badge, his expression grew darker with suspicion, while Ethan, visibly worried, pondered how best to handle the situation.
Amidst the tense silence, Lydia finally spoke up, breaking the quiet.
“...It’s unlikely that the entire knight order harbors ill will toward the princess.”
“Lydia?”
“You sound like you know something.”
“...I apologize. Until now, I’ve been debating whether or not to confide in you. Asking for outside help could endanger Princess Rainy’s safety...”
“......”
“However, since you are trusted friends of Lady Lilith, I believe I can speak. It concerns the succession struggle currently unfolding within the Defrin Kingdom.”
Given the events that had already transpired, Lydia had little choice but to ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ trust us now.
By this point, both I and the hero’s party were fully invested in Rainy’s safety, our fates tied to hers.
