The Lion and the Royal Princess - Chapter 2

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“Arrgghhhhh!”

The lady-in-waiting screamed. Adelaine lost her balance and fell head first. It was a carriage hastily acquired, so even with a slight impact, they would be like that because there were not enough safety devices. 

Adelaine managed to touch the floor with one hand and, with the remaining hand, clutched her injured shoulder. Intense pain surged through her. It was so excruciating that she could barely endure it with all her strength and could not afford to scream.

“Urgh…”

Her visions darkened.

As soon as the lady-in-waiting came to her senses, she supported Adelaine, who was suffering in agony, and shouted out the window of the small carriage.

“Hey! What in the world is happening?”

It continued to rain outside. Raindrops poured into the window, which was half open, adding to the already stuffy atmosphere.

Her knees felt damp. As she barely reached out and tried to close the window, a round face suddenly popped up through the gap.

Richard Selmore—a low-born knight who became a close aide of Crown Prince Cesare at the young age of 25.

With a cunning face, he exuded neither courtesy nor respect. He carried the criticism and contempt sent to Adelaine by Cesare Dixon, the Crown Prince of Marma.

“Well, are you all right?”

Adelaine recognized the interest and mockery hidden in his words. How he had treated her during the month-long journey with his annoying chatter and constant belittlement. He ignored her, looked down on her, and subtly undermined her as if it were his daily routine.

Adelaine quickly closed her mouth. Otherwise, she felt like harsh words would get out to the point where she would not be able to take responsibility for it. Fortunately, the lady-in-waiting, who belatedly regained her composure, shouted again.

“Sir Selmore! What is going on?”

“A suspicious group is blocking the road ahead. We could not help it.”

“A suspicious group?”

“They are knights in black armor… It doesn’t seem like an attack. Ask your noble companion there. Whether she wants to break through like this, or politely ask them to clear the way, or take a detour.”

Even though he was clearly making eye contact through the open window, Richard insisted on conveying his message through the lady-in-waiting, not directly to  Adelaine.

Childish.

Despite her discomfort, a twisted smile escaped her lips.

Adelaine deliberately spoke with a nonchalant tone to the lady-in-waiting.

“We must be careful, for there is no confirmation that it was not an attack. In my opinion, of course. The brave knight of Selmore can approach them, explain the situation, and asked them politely to make way.”

Ricard glared at her as he gritted his teeth.

“So, you’re telling me to…”

Richard would be the first to die if the knights in black armor were the assassins who appeared to eliminate Adelaine.

Adelaine smiled defiantly.

“You should make haste, Sir Selmore.”

Adelaine turned her head indifferently and signaled for the lady-in-waiting to close the window. The window closed with a rough sound.

Adelaine did not blame him for his audacious behavior. She also did not stop the lady-in-waiting from anxiously checking the situation outside. For it was none of her business.

As Adelaine rummaged through the newspaper with a stiff face, the lady-in-waiting cautiously spoke.

“Aren’t you scared, Your Highness?”

“Why should I be scared?”

“But…”

The maid hesitated, glancing at Adelaine.

Rustle

The newspaper in her hand let out the last of her nerves and was put aside.

Adelaine pondered. There were not many knights out there escorting her carriage now. At most, around ten? Over fifty knights were killed on their way to Sol-Marma, the capital of Marma.

If the men in black blocking the road were indeed attackers, it was highly likely that they would not survive.

But.

“It’s alright.”

The maid nodded vigorously at Adelaine’s calm voice.

“Of course. Your Highness, you will surely return safely.”

“No, that’s not what I meant…”

“Huh?”

She just kept her mouth shut. She believed that there was no way to explain it to the lady-in-waiting, as she would not understand.

I don’t die easily. If my life were so fragile, I would have died eleven years ago. My life is resilient, tough enough that it won’t be severed by the blade of any skilled assassin. I act like rules don’t apply to me for a good reason.

I should not say it like that, right?

If they want to kill me, go ahead and try.

She had survived threats to her life from her own parents, siblings, and even the kings of both this country and its enemies. There was no way she would succumb to the hands of lowly murderers.

Adelaine looked at the lady-in-waiting who was peering out of the window with a faint smile.

Then, she heard a man’s voice through the sound of the rain.

“Is this the carriage?”

A low, dry voice.

The stifling heat subsided in the damp rain.

While it seemed like Richard was responding, his voice was not clear.

On the contrary, the voice of the questioner was horrifyingly low and dry. It cut through the humid rain and penetrated her ears.

Who is it?

A sudden rush of hot air filled her chest and Adelaine gently clasped her fingertips.

“What’s inside?”

When the man asked, Richard seemed to answer something again. There was a heavy silence for a moment.

Adelaine did not like such a frustrating silence.

Step, step, step.

The sound of the man approaching from outside could be heard. The lady-in-waiting, who had been sticking close to the slightly opened window, was startled and stepped back. From outside, Richard’s flustered voice could also be heard.

“Well, that-!”

That dumbass.

Adelaine opened her mouth first before the man opened the door.

“What’s going on outside? Sir Selmore, are you a fool?”

“I…mean…”

Richard stammered in confusion.

“Just tell me if it’s an attack or not. It seems that my knight is a complete fool.”

“It’s not an attack.”

For some reason, Richard’s voice was very compliant. It seemed to be because of the man in black armor standing outside.

Adelaine opened the window. The wood moved stiffly with moisture. She cast her gaze out of the wide open window. Richard and the knights retreating to one side, heavy rain and fog, and…

A man.

There was a man in black from head to toe.

Her gaze reached him. Then, surprisingly, everything around them retreated and fell silent.

Despite wearing a heavy waterproof coat on his head, making his face invisible, an immense sense of intimidation emanated from the man. The lady-in-waiting, frightened by the man’s charisma, let out a gasp.

“Ah…”

The rain poured away the fog.

The man’s black armor glowed coolly without subsiding even though the fog strangely surrounded it. Although the waterproof coat covered his eyes, making it impossible to see his face in detail, the sharp lips on his white chin silently gazed down at her.

Droplets of water splashed through the open window and spilled onto her dress. Water droplets also clung to the back of her hand placed on her lap. As Adelaine frowned slightly, the man moved a step closer and approached the window. When she looked closer, she saw that the man was even bigger. When he covered the window with his body, no water droplets came inside.

The man reached for the carriage roof with one hand. His black waterproof coat draped over his shoulders and arms like an awning. Even the buzzing sound of rain got muffled. 

Adelaine looked at his mouth and he, in turn, gazed at her hand. They stared at each other for quite a while.

The man asked.

“Are you Adelaine Vita?”

The lady-in-waiting started to hiccup. Richard was startled and unconsciously took a step back.

Adelaine had to respond with a long sigh.

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