After sending Ombre off, I got ready to go to bed.
‘Surely nothing will happen tonight, right?’
To the Aligiosa people, this was a foreign land.
Someone else’s home.
Would they dare do anything to the crown prince here?
Sending Ombre was just a precaution, just in case.
I started preparing for sleep.
I washed my body with hot water, then dried myself thoroughly with a clean towel.
After carefully applying lotion, I put on my pajamas.
I buttoned up the buttons from the bottom, feeling proud as I looked in the mirror.
‘I’ve grown up.’
I’m a child who can button buttons well now.
When I was three, barely able to hold crayons, the maids always buttoned my clothes.
But now, I can button buttons and tie ribbons all by myself.
I looked happily at the neatly fastened buttons, then headed to my bed.
I rolled around in the sheets that smelled nice from the sun.
Just as I was about to fall asleep—
Rattle, rattle, rattle—!!
The dresser shook violently.
‘Ombre?’
I quickly opened the dresser.
I saw Ombre peeking out from the shadows.
“Why, Ombre?”
Ombre couldn’t speak, so it showed through actions.
Rattle, rattle!
Since I wasn’t moving and was just looking at it, Ombre anxiously moved back and forth inside the shadows.
It seemed to be telling me to follow.
“Okay. Let’s go!”
I immediately left the room.
I ran down the corridor until my feet were sweaty.
Still, I carefully checked my surroundings.
‘No one’s here. Thank goodness.’
If I wandered around the Aligiosa people’s quarters for no reason, I’d surely get suspicious looks.
Luckily, there was no one.
It was late at night, and the servants were focused on the drinking party with the Aligiosa guests.
The generous first prince shared the alcohol he brought with the servants serving them.
So at the servants’ lounge...
“If not now, when else will we get to try Aligiosa’s liquor?!”
“I heard Aligiosa’s liquor is superb! Let me try some too.”
“Ah, how long do you plan to keep dancing on your feet?”
—They were busy admiring the Aligiosa whiskey.
At Abino’s room door, Ombre circled around, indicating this was the place.
My heart was pounding as I ran.
‘It’s strange that he gets groggy after taking medicine.’
Strong medicine can do that, but mixed with a suspicious servant, it’s another matter.
What if the servant gave him not just headache medicine?
I moved because I felt something was off.
As I stepped closer to the door, Ombre slipped back inside my shadow at my feet.
Pressing my ear to the door, I heard a very faint voice.
“...please... don’t...”
A tiny, muffled voice.
It sounded like the servant’s.
‘It’s so hard to hear.’
The soundproofing was thorough.
‘Good for me to use, but inconvenient if someone else uses it.’
Just in case, I pressed my eye against the keyhole.
‘Darn. I can’t see anything.’
Peeking secretly would have been the best plan, but...
‘Ugh, no choice now.’
Time for plan B.
I took a deep ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) breath and clenched my fist tightly.
Then I knocked.
Bang! Bang bang!
I shouted as loudly as I could,
“Your Highness! I’m here to show you a monster! Prince Abino!”
I heard voices inside, but suddenly it went quiet.
I know he’s awake.
But even after shouting like this, no one comes out?
Normally, they’d be scared and check if it was an attack.
It’s the precious crown prince, after all.
It’s right to check and eliminate any dangers.
It seemed the servant was hiding and trying to ignore me, but sometimes ignoring works and sometimes it doesn’t.
Especially now.
‘They’re pretending so much?’
My anxiety grew.
I widened my eyes.
‘Pretend all you want. No way it’ll work.’
I deliberately made even more noise.
“Prince Abino! It’s Erilot!”
Bang!
Bang bang!
Bang bang bang!
Because I made such a ruckus, maids came running from the other end of the hall.
They were maids from our cadet branch.
“Miss Erilot, what’s going on?”
“We were told to show a monster, but no matter how much we called, no one came out!”
Since they were maids of the cadet branch, interfering with external guests’ affairs wasn’t easy.
One maid hesitated and tried to persuade me.
“Maybe he’s asleep?”
“But I’m worried. He was holding his head in pain in the garden earlier.”
“Oh...!”
The maid’s face changed.
It was understandable.
If they ignored my words and left Prince Abino sick through the night, the maids would be responsible.
If they didn’t hear from me, maybe, but after hearing, they had to take some action.
At least pretend to, to avoid blame.
I looked worried to death, my eyebrows drooping.
“He said his head hurts and that he feels groggy. What if he collapsed inside? What if he fell and hit the floor?”
“That must not happen.”
The maid nodded as if she understood my concern.
“I’ll inform the master and call a doctor—”
Bang!
Just as if they were listening, the door opened at the perfect moment.
It was the servant who said Abino needed to take medicine.
‘That look in his eyes still bothers me.’
There was a murky, insolent gleam.
Those types always end up betrayers.
I asked suspiciously,
“What’s Prince Abino doing?”
“He’s sleeping.”
“That can’t be. He asked me to wake him up.”
She lied shamelessly without batting an eye.
Women have guts.
Abino never told me that, but I said it anyway.
“He just fell asleep, so I’ll come back tomorrow—”
The servant glared and silently gestured for me to stay still, looking a little anxious.
‘Definitely weird.’
I’m the granddaughter of Duke Astra.
Is it right for someone to treat me so disrespectfully?
‘No, this won’t do.’
Swiftly, I slipped past the servant’s blocking stance and entered through the door crack.
“Miss!”
A maid from the cadet branch shouted in surprise.
“What are you doing?!”
The servant hurried after me and tried to grab my arm.
“Ombre!”
Ombre, hiding at my feet, perfectly understood my command.
It slipped into the servant’s shadow and yanked his pant leg hard.
“Ah! What?!”
Feeling a strong force from nowhere, the servant was startled.
As he lost balance and staggered, I dashed to the bedroom.
“Abino!”
Abino was slumped on the sofa.
He didn’t look normal.
His mouth was wide open, and his eyes were unfocused.
His state wasn’t natural or accidental sleepwalking common to children.
It was—
“Memories... bad people....”
—hypnosis.
The medicine given wasn’t headache medicine, but a hypnotic drug.
‘To make him forget.’
It was obvious Abino couldn’t remember.
The memories from when he went missing.
‘That servant was involved in Abino’s disappearance. Or was acting on orders from those involved.’
I shook Abino’s body.
“Prince Abino! Prince Abino!”
Wake up.
Break the hypnosis!
As I tried to wake him, a strong hand suddenly grabbed my nape.
“Ugh!”
“How dare you touch a noble!”
That’s when—
“That’s who’s touching whom, here!”
A familiar voice rang out loudly.
Turning, I saw Hilda, now a senior servant, dressed simply but elegantly.
Apparently, a maid outside quickly called her in.
‘Maid sister, you’re the best!’
She listened because I logically explained why Abino needed checking, and when the situation escalated, she promptly called a superior.
An attitude every professional should emulate.
Behind Hilda were several other maids, as if reinforcements.
The maids all stared sharply at the Aligiosa servant gripping my neck.
How dare a servant commit such an act that would be sensitive even if it were the crown prince?
The maids’ eyes were fierce.
“What is this? You swarm the prince while he’s resting! Is this how you treat guests of the Astra family?”
More people appeared, and the servant, flustered, began slandering our family.
‘Are you stupid? Don’t you know that can turn into a diplomatic incident?’
And it wasn’t just anyone, but a servant!
I was speechless.
Are they really that clueless?
Hilda stepped forward and shouted,
“How dare an Aligiosa servant, who insults the crown prince, act so rudely to foreign nobles! Release the young lady immediately!”
Hilda’s voice was strong.
It carried an authority that couldn’t be disobeyed.
I couldn’t help but applaud inwardly.
Hilda is so cool!
It was amazing, considering when I was young.
‘But now’s not the time to think about that.’
Abino didn’t wake despite the commotion.
“No... bad... child... no....”
‘Poor thing.’
It was better to make Abino’s condition widely known.
“Hilda, bring grandpa! Prince Abino is under hypnosis!”
“Yes?”
“Hmph!”
Hilda was surprised, and the servant’s face stiffened.
When the maids hurried to act, the servant shouted fiercely,
“Stay still! Don’t move even a little—!”
It seemed like he intended to take me hostage.
I quickly bit his arm hard.
“Ah!”
Startled, he staggered, and I dashed away from him.
Then one maid rushed out to summon help.
“Damn! This girl!”
The servant glared fiercely and gritted his teeth.
He hesitated for a moment, then hurried toward Abino.
He carried still-hypnotized Abino to the window.
“Where are you going!”
I hurried after him.
Maybe because I’d been running so much today, my legs felt slower than usual.
I should really exercise more regularly!
“Get lost!”
The servant kicked toward me, but with Ombre clinging to him, he missed.
“Damn!”
Swearing, the servant jumped out the window carrying Abino.
I took out my whistle necklace.
Whistle!
Before long, Ragon flew over.
At the cadet branch, Ragon was always on standby near me.
Besides, since we’d had grapes and rice in the garden earlier, the feeding times were perfect—no delay.
“Ragon! Come here!”
I jumped out the window following the servant.
I didn’t want to ride Ragon because of this kind of incident, but—
I climbed onto Ragon’s back and balanced myself.
“That way!”
I pulled Ragon’s fur to the left, and he flew left.
I’d only ridden Ragon once, but I hadn’t forgotten that amazing experience.
I had always really loved taming and training monsters.
Because—
“Eek! G-Go away! This monster—!”
The servant screamed in terror, kicking wildly.
It was useless.
‘No human’s physical ability can outrun a monster.’
Unless it’s a noble with a running-specialized Gaho, no one can escape me.
The steel raven is said to fly at speeds of 160 km/h despite its heavy weight and steel feathers.
Even if the servant ran away long ago, Ragon would have caught him by now; only a slight time difference.
No chance at all.
“Ragon, knock him down!”
Ragon acted exactly as trained.
He flew over the servant’s head, threatening to stomp down with his sharp-clawed foot.
“S-Save me! Eek!”
The servant’s legs twisted in fright.
Thud!
He fell to the floor, and Abino, carried on his back, was thrown weakly off.
Rolling like a ball, the small body made me jump off Ragon and run to Abino.
“Abino!”
I held his limp body tightly.
‘No major injuries.’
The soft grass nearby cushioned his fall.
Well, that was the point of telling Ragon to knock him down.
While I checked Abino, the fallen servant was fuming.
“You damned girl—!”
He tried to threaten me, limping comically.
“What kind of trash feeds a child hypnotics and then dares to open their mouth to a person? Smells like trash.”
“What did you say?!”
Snap!
The servant grabbed my shoulder roughly.
Ugh.
This guy goes for violence first when angry.
He must have a violent criminal record.
I sneered and explained,
“Just so you know, if I don’t order Ragon to hold back, he eats any human within a 100-meter radius.”
“You’re trash among humans.”
He’s a good protein source for Ragon.
“What did you say?”
Just as he tried to call Ragon—
Bang!
With a loud crash, the servant was flattened against the floor.
It was as if an invisible massive weight was pressing down on him.