Chapter 31
I’m not sure what’s going on, but I have to stop it somehow!
Solinor, whose improvisation and decision-making in combat situations were unmatched, quickly came up with a countermeasure in moments like this thanks to his rapidly spinning mind!
In this case, there was no need to stop running.
Using the remaining strength in her body, Muriela barreled forward with all her might and tackled the assassin-like girl with her full momentum.
Thud!
Even though Muriela was small and light, the mysterious girl was also extremely skinny and defenseless, taking a direct headbutt to her chest.
Despite the difference in their physiques, it was inevitable that she would be knocked out in one blow.
It was truly the definition of a perfect knockout, as they say in martial arts.
Of course, a headbutt is considered a foul in most disciplines, but given the situation, let’s just let it slide.
Ah! You could say it’s like professional wrestling.
Muriela safely landed, using the unconscious girl as a cushion.
Whew, fortunately, it’s resolved without incident(?).
Case closed!
…Or so I thought.
Latecomers—servants, Kasper, Adeline, and even Alfred and Kaelen, who woke up from the noise—rushed to the scene.
In a word, chaos.
The real incident was just beginning.
***
“What? That’s Katrina? Katrina is your sister?”
“Yeah. Haven’t you met her before, Muriela?”
“I don’t think so? Muriela’s only recently started wandering around like this.”
The place was abuzz with chatter.
Everyone ignored the unconscious Katrina and eagerly discussed what had just happened.
On one side were Muriela, Kasper, and Adeline.
“But how did all these people get in here? I told everyone not to let anyone in. What kind of job are you doing?”
“That’s what I mean. Even though we told them all to move aside, they should’ve kept a proper watch.”
On the other side were Alfred, Kaelen, and the servants.
“Well, it’s just that so many people stormed in at once…”
“You fool, I’m not asking for excuses! How could you let someone like Katrina in? Don’t you know she’s completely unhinged? What if I had lost an eye?”
“…Princess Katrina seems to have come from the opposite side, crossing through the bushes instead of the direction I was guarding.”
Katrina’s clothes were indeed a mess. Leaves were stuck all over, and her garments were torn in multiple places from being scratched by branches.
The bushes pointed out by the servant also showed traces of someone passing through.
“Hah… Fine. I guess no one could’ve expected that weakling to pull something like this. Still, this is dangerous. Should I reassign those lazy guards from their private rooms? Ugh, having to deal with that irritating Emily is disgusting, but I suppose it’s better than being unsafe.”
Alfred could have accused Katrina of attempted assassination against the crown prince, but despite his harsh words, he wasn’t willing to cross that line.
“Brother, why are you calling her irritating? Sir Emily has been protecting us for five years and hasn’t been able to marry because of it. Isn’t that too harsh?”
“What, are you defending your swordsmanship instructor? Do you even know how rude she is when she looks at me? If you weren’t constantly hanging around her, I would’ve fired her already. There are plenty of others.”
“That’s not it! She’s only cold toward you because you keep hitting on women. She’s nice to me.”
“Tch, yeah, sure, you’re so lucky to be loved by her. Anyway, who are these people?”
Only then did Alfred turn his attention to the other servants.
Bianca, anxious about speaking with the infamous troublemaking crown prince, worried about offending him. What if she got fired? That would mean never seeing Princess Muriela again!
“Greetings to His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince. I am Bianca, Princess Muriela’s lady-in-waiting.”
But the seasoned (or not) spy Florina was different.
“Likewise, I am Florina, Princess Muriela’s lady-in-waiting.”
I’m actually here under royal orders as a special dispatch from the intelligence department. Even if I lose this position, it doesn’t matter at all.
The relaxed attitude of someone with nothing to fear.
Following their example, the servants from Queen Elodia’s side and those monitoring Katrina under Queen Irina introduced themselves as well.
“Ah, now that I look closely, I’ve seen all of you somewhere before.”
At this moment, a servant from Queen Irina’s side stepped forward.
He was a foolish man who believed the queen’s promise that she would reward him handsomely if Brandon became king and had turned a blind eye to Katrina’s insane actions today.
What do fools do? They say foolish things.
“Your Highness, Crown Prince Alfred, with all due respect, may I take Princess Katrina back to her quarters?”
“What did you just say? Do you even understand what’s happening? This mess happened because you failed to manage her, and now you want to wash your hands of it? Don’t you realize this could lead to your head rolling if I report it to Father?”
Rough but charismatic, Alfred’s single remark instantly silenced everyone.
After all, this wasn’t as simple as the time Katrina scratched Kaelen.
Back then, it was just a minor wound that a healer could easily treat.
However, today, the weapon Katrina used was a long, hard, and sharp gemstone.
If something like that had pierced someone’s eye, they could have lost it permanently, and their life could have been at risk.
Furthermore, if Muriela hadn’t stopped Katrina, Kaelen would have been in danger too. He had just finished swordsmanship training, drenched in sweat, and was completely passed out.
Alfred then turned his attention to the other servants.
“Why did you bring such young kids to a place like this?”
“Well… that is…”
After explaining the situation, Crown Prince Alfred suddenly burst into laughter, shocking everyone.
“Hahaha! You guys are hilarious.”
After calming his laughter, he approached his bewildered younger siblings, who were still confused by his sudden reaction.
“Hey, you two.”
Kasper and Adeline instinctively flinched at their scary older brother’s approach.
However, Muriela stood her ground confidently. She didn’t even bother answering when called and instead shot back with a bold question of her own.
“Brother Alfred! What did you do to make sister Katrina act like this?”
“Huh? What are you talking about? I didn’t do anything.”
“Didn’t you mess around with women? Maybe she got jealous, and that’s why this happened?”
…Solinor’s imagination got the better of him.
He concluded that Alfred and Katrina must have been in an illicit relationship, and Katrina had lashed out in jealousy because the crown prince was spending time with other women.
This was on par with Aiorin’s delusion when she thought her husband was having an affair with her granddaughter and fled the Fey Forest to seek vengeance. A match made in heaven, truly.
Crown Prince Alfred scowled at the absurdity.
“What kind of nonsense is that? I have nothing to do with her. Katrina’s just being unreasonably hostile to me!”
“Brother Alfred’s right. Sister Katrina does the same thing to me. This time, it’s really not Brother’s fault.”
Ah, right. She attacked Kaelen too. Could there be a love triangle between Alfred, Kaelen, and Katrina? Solinor nearly fell into another rabbit hole of assumptions but managed to self-censor.
It seemed like neither Alfred nor Kaelen had done anything wrong. On the other hand, Katrina’s mental health appeared to be quite concerning. What should they do about her?
“This time? Are you saying I’m usually wrong? Do you want to get hit?”
“You don’t even practice swordsmanship. I’ve been training for five years now, so I’m probably much stronger!”
The two brothers locked hands and started an arm-wrestling match.
“You little…!”
“Arghhh!”
While Solinor was deep in thought, the brothers bickered. To him, it just seemed like a playful squabble between his adorable grandchildren.
“Sister Muriela! You surprised us. But you really don’t seem afraid of brother Alfred, do you?”
“Yeah, when did Muriela become so fearless?”
“What’s there to be scared of? Everyone goes through rebellious phases at that age.”
“Huh? How would you know that?”
“Sister Muriela’s spouting nonsense again.”
Kasper and Adeline, startled by Muriela’s sudden old-soul remarks, quickly dismissed it with, “Well, it’s Muriela,” and moved on.
Maybe this is why being eccentric occasionally works in your favor? Not that there’s such a saying.
Somehow, it felt like Muriela was being treated similarly to the genuinely crazy Katrina.
“Haah… Haah… See? You’re still far behind… Haah…”
“Haah… You’re pretty strong, brother…”
Though Alfred wasn’t particularly active, he managed to secure a clumsy victory over his younger brother, relying on their difference in physique.
But isn’t it problematic for an 18-year-old to be fooling around like this with his younger sibling?
Crown Prince Alfred, who had grown up with almost no interaction outside the palace, was technically an adult but hadn’t entirely outgrown his teenage phase.
Look at the servants. They seemed uncomfortable, unable to even comment on the brothers’ ridiculous antics.
This is all Eldric’s fault for not properly managing his kids.
Then again, he doesn’t manage the country either. What kind of ruler doesn’t rule?
“Brother Alfred, are you just going to leave sister like that? You’re the highest-ranking person here. You should either resolve this or do something about it. Look, the servants don’t even know what to do!”
Muriela dropped another bombshell.
—
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