Translator: Blushy
Editor: Sam
The large garden where we always played in was full of dragons that no one was riding. But that wasnât all.
âThere are soldiers.â
âBe quiet, Your Highness.â
Hans hid us away from the window sight.
âTheyâre not Kingdom soldiers. Just what the heck is happening?â
Just then, the sound of a group of Rug Dragons running approached from the direction I always came in on the carriage.
âStop! It should be here!â
âThe Thiwd Pwince!â
I couldnât see him, but it was his voice.
âThird Prince? Theyâre from Easter?!â
âItâs him?!â
Hans and Nico responded to my voice.
âQuieth!â
I silenced Hans and Nico this time. But they were fine since they were quick to react. Nicoâs guards couldnât react on time and looked panicked.
âThis is the back of the castle where the royal family heirs live. I canât believe that foreign soldiers would be here.â
âBut theyâre here now.â Hans snapped.
I thought hard with my little head. But I knew why they were here even without having to think.
âThey wanth Nico.ân/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
âMe? Not you?â Nico looked back at me in surprise. Itâs true that the Third Prince gives off an impression that heâs obsessed with me, but his aim this time is different since he came all the way to the castle. I have the Four Marquise eyes, but Iâm not an heiress or anything, Iâm just an infant.
âLei ish onwy cuthe. The importhanth one ish Nico.â
Normally, Hans would sharply retort back whenever I say Iâm cute, but he didnât do that this time. Hansâs instructions were given to Nicoâs guards.
âI donât know what happened nor what they want, but we canât let them get Prince Nico or Lei-sama. Go into the castle!â
âHey, you said into the castle, but where?!â
âTsk. I was part of the special forces, so I donât know much about the inside of the castle. You should know where to take shelter in this kind of situation!â
âThere isnât...â
âThere isnât anywhere to hide?!â
Hans was good at retorting even when he wasnât retorting back to me.
I recalled a place where we could hide inside my mind.
âThe shecreth bashe on thop of thhe three.â (The secret base on top of the tree)
âIsnât that the secret base of Lei-sama, Prince Nico and Chris?â
His retorts are going strong.
âNo, thatâs it! Letâs go!â
Hans picked me up without humming and put his hand on the door handle leading into the castle.
âNico!â
Then, he clicked his tongue loudly when he noticed that no one was following us except for Natalie.
âYou! Pick up Prince Nico and follow me!â He instructed one of the guards and the guard picked Nico up in a hurry.
âYou and you get a message upstairs and to the inside of the castle! The rest of us will get inside and seal off the entrance with furniture!â He instructed before heading out the door and into the castle.
âIt seems the soldiers havenât come inside yet. Did they come here to get Prince Nico after all?â
Hans normally kept his hands open to protect me, but he was carrying me this time while walking fast. He was walking so fast that Natalie, who was holding a big stuffed animal for some reason, was trotting after him. We turned a few corners and came to a long corridor.
âThe greenhouse is to the south if we go straight down here, but the road is too straight. Things will get out of hand if they find us. Dammit!â
I donât know if they were friend or foe, but I heard multiple footsteps coming from the bend in the corridor. Hans quickly opened a nearby door, got us inside, then closed the door. I could hear people running on the other side of the closed door.
âIf they were moving properly, then the door to the Princeâs Palace should be closed now. I donât know if theyâre friend or foe, but thereâs a chance that theyâll turn back around.â
Hans, who had rushed through to this point, seemed unsure of what to do.
âLetâs go to the barrier room,â Nico instructed while being held by his guards. I also remember this way. When Mark was here, we took an intricate path from here to the barrier room.
âBut the barrier room is a dead-end, Prince Nico. Itâs a room from which no one can escape from.â
âItâs difficult for those who are unfamiliar with the place to get there. And look.â
The sound of some more footsteps ran past the door.
âTsk. We canât go out, and itâs a bad idea to stay here. Weâll just have to follow Prince Nicoâs advice and go to the barrier room.â
âThen, Iâll stay here.â
Natalie bowed at Hans and I.
âNatawie?â
âIâm a maid. Even if the Easter soldiers find me, I can act confused and frightened and theyâll let me go.â
âSorry, Natalie.â
âItâs fine. Hans, Iâll see you later.â
Natalie smiled at me as best as she could. Then, she opened the door and stepped out just as the footsteps seemed to have disappeared around the bend. I could hear faint footsteps running towards the south greenhouse.
âAlright, this way then.â
Hans followed the complicated path, but he stopped in front of a few doors.
âI canât remember where to go when Iâve only been there once before.â
I mean, you acted like you knew the way last time, but it was actually your first time going there? Iâm surprised you remembered this complicated pathway well.
âOk Hans. Not here. Open this door to the right.â
âPrince Nico, you...â
Even if you were talking to a Prince, youâre indeed no good. But I kept that retort to myself so that I wouldnât get in his way.
âI remembered it the other day. Go on.â
How smart is this Prince?
Hans trusted Nico and proceeded further into the castle as instructed by Nico. Eventually, he came to a door with two soldiers in front of it.
âPrince Nicholas! Why are you here?!â
The guards were doing their jobs properly this time.
âItâs an emergency. Easter soldiers have probably invaded the castle. Thereâs a lot of Rug Dragons outside, but we donât know how many soldiers they have. We escaped to the back of the castle.â
âBut this only goes to the barrier room.â
âItâs fine. Weâll be there.â
Nico signalled his guard and got placed down. I also patted Hans on the shoulder and got him to put me down. Itâs harder than you might think to hold me in his arms and run.
âThen, Hans. Iâll leave the rest to you.â
Hans nodded his head at Nico and looked at me. I know.
âUnderstood. Iâll go back, Prince Nico and Lei-sama.â
âWait! Hans! Weâre guards too arenât we? Why are we splitting up?!â
The sound of Hans clicking his tongue echoed loudly down the corridor. How many times have I heard him click his tongue today?