The Protagonists of Romance Fantasy Novels Have Escaped

5 – Parting (2)

Rudmila found herself in a dire situation.

The successor of the Crimson Dragon.

A corner of the Seven Powers.

A valiant knight who had defended the Baltaria Empire.

Despite being a near-invulnerable presence, there were challenges that rivaled the inexorable. Moreover, the current situation that had unfolded was a puzzle demanding heavy sighs and constant contemplation.

“No! I won’t accept anyone other than Maximilian!”

“But…”

The imperial family of Baltaria had severed ties with the House of Hohenberg, who had broken off the engagement, by ordering a substantial compensation. Emperor Barbarossa had also convened the nobles to find a new match.

Perhaps it was due to the resistance against Maximilian.

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Or maybe it was a determination not to reduce his youngest daughter to a spinster like the second daughter.

Without consulting the party involved, his decision was hasty. To address the discord within the Baltaria imperial family that arose as a consequence, Rudmila stepped forward.

“Forget Maximilian. He’s already moved on.”

“Do you expect me to admit defeat like this?!”

Rudmila spoke with a composed tone, as if extinguishing a fire.

An acrimonious response was hurled back at her.

“The problem lies with the woman who stole my fiancé! Why should I be the one to give up?!”

Despite experiencing the shame of a broken engagement, Elizaveta still clung steadfastly to her one-sided affection for Maximilian. She went as far as putting up a stubborn resistance, vowing never to give up the engagement.

“My betrothed is none other than Maximilian!”

One could sense her unwavering resolve through her resolute blue eyes.

The inevitable clash between the stubborn father and the defiant sister was on the verge of escalating into a confrontation. Fearing this, Rudmila sought a compromise. More precisely, she aimed to persuade her sister, who adamantly rejected the separation. After all, the imperial decree for the annulment was already in motion and couldn’t be defied.

“First, take a look at these documents. They’ve been selected from the empire’s finest and most astute candidates.”

“I don’t need them!”

“You’re already twenty. Hurry before you miss the chance to find a partner.”

“Hmph! My twenty-seven-year-old sister has no right to say that! If you have such an excellent fiancé, why don’t you marry on my behalf!”

She had touched the forbidden subject.

A taboo that should never have been breached.

Crunch-.

The sound of grinding teeth echoed as if to prove him wrong.

“Ah, aaaaah! I’m sorry, I messed up, sis!!”

The mischievous younger brother, who had been rude to his unmarried sister, immediately found himself in a headlock.

Buried in her ample chest.

Simultaneously, a strong force pressed against his head.

If his head continued to be crushed like this, wouldn’t it go from 0 to 8? The revenge of the unmarried sister was so brutal that Elizabeth, in that moment, screamed in surrender.

“B-but… I really loved Maximilian. I know, I know I’m foolish.”

“……”

I know.

I know better than anyone.

That I love that damn woman.

So much so that I declared a divorce and ran away with the saint immediately.

However,

Even so, he couldn’t give up.

Even though he knew that insisting to the end would only make himself miserable.

Faced with the determined appearance of his younger sister, Ludmila felt a sense of bewilderment. He couldn’t force a marriage on his beloved sister, even though he was obligated and responsible as a noble.

‘Wh-what should I do…?’

Ludmila, representing one corner of the Seven Rivers that dominated the continent, was unfortunately close to being ignorant when it came to matters of love and relationships.

27 years old this year.

He had never been in a relationship even once.

Because he had walked the path of martial arts solely to become stronger.

His purity was so astonishing that even the nuns who had taken vows were shocked. It was an impossible feat unless he had been exiled to a country where only women existed. It could be said that his existence itself was forbidden for men.

‘If only there was someone who could solve this problem for me…’

Someone skilled in matters of love.

Someone with wit and eloquence.

And someone who could help him break away from his obsession with Maximilian.

As Ludmila pondered, tapping his cheek, he cautiously recalled a person he had met in the East.

* * *

While the Baltaria Imperial Family was grappling with the headache of marriage consultations,

The Hohenberg family, who had pulled the trigger of confusion, was facing another problem.

“Damn…! It fell again!”

Despite the expectations of the Second Industrial Revolution, they recorded a whopping 20% deficit in steel-related stocks.

This is just infuriating.

To think that a war broke out in the kingdom that imported iron ore.

Perhaps it was a cunning move to capitalize on the trend of the times. Numerous misfortunes overlapped, causing stock prices to plummet. Since exiting now would only result in the loss of investment funds, they chose to play the long game.

[Imperial Ministry of Technology, special bolt-action development.]

[Valua Kingdom’s knights defeated by black powder explosives.]

[“Chicken and pizza are not sex,” says a Royal Academy professor to the classroom audience.]

Every newspaper issued in the Yellow Empire always had common elements.

Patriotic praise to boost morale.

Dispatches from war correspondents roaming various battlefields.

And mundane and cliché stories unfolding throughout the Empire.

Subscription fees were a waste.

It made him want to deliver a bomb to the newspaper office.

Of course, the absence of headlines related to the Saint Party was a relief.

“This looks like a wand shooting lightning bolts. It was so loud it could make your ears fall off.”

“That’s right.”

Rue, who was examining the newspaper on the desk, said with a smirk.

A wand shooting lightning bolts.

A firearm seen through the eyes of a child seems to have that shape.

“There was something similar in Edan’s drawer! But it was a lot smaller…”

“I told you not to open it secretly. There are no lollipop candies you’re looking for in the office drawer.”

3 o’clock in the afternoon.

It was tea time.

As they left the office, a girl in a fairy-tale dress followed.

The attention of the servants who were engaged in household chores and miscellaneous tasks focused on her.

Whether it was because the girl who had visited with a heavy travel bag and the mark of a viscount had become completely integrated, a warm atmosphere permeated the surroundings.

“I specially prepared chocolate cake, Miss Fairy!”

“Ooh! I’m really looking forward to it!”

The girl with bright lime-green hair, her braids cascading down, ascended as the mascot of the Saintess Party and the representative mascot of the Hohenberg family. Like a panda making its debut in a zoo, she quickly seized popularity among numerous servants.

Indeed, it was an overwhelming popularity.

Could this little one end up stealing the family? Popular as she seemed, it already felt like her popularity had been stolen.

“Eat a lot. You’ll be working until dawn.”

“Ugh…! Edan is a truly wicked boss!”

They were in the midst of preparing countermeasures to repay the enormous compensation offered by the Valtaria Royal Family.

78 billion rachels.

Truly an enormous sum.

No doubt the goal was to torment the Hohenberg family for a long time.

Still, they didn’t complain to the royal family.

Even if they were to face disgraceful accusations that were not entirely baseless, paying the compensation was a gesture of gratitude for the Emperor’s discretion. It was something to admire.

“There were some events in the newspaper that caught my attention.”

Bombing in the Saboya Republic.

A mysterious fire in the Alond Kingdom.

Coincidentally or not, both the Saboya Republic and the Alond Kingdom were the homelands of the mercenary king and the sword saint, members of the Saintess Party. Furthermore, the locations of the incidents were close to their hometowns.

Accidents?

Or deliberate attacks?

With the disappearance of the Saintess Party members, sensitivity to casualties was inevitable.

If an unknown force sought revenge against the Saintess Party members, it undoubtedly targeted the Hohenberg Viscountcy. Sensing this, I harbored concerns.

“Take your time eating. Of course, don’t eat my cake.”

“Wait, is that even a possibility?!”

I wiped the chocolate-stained corners of the mouth with a napkin.

It felt like taking care of a niece.

Well, it wasn’t much different from looking after a niece, considering the damn brother had left it to me.

While staring at the awkwardly smiling Rue, I lifted the fork.

* * *

Originally, the desire for revenge affects not only the target but also his descendants.

I had anticipated it.

Hero Maximilian would undoubtedly be a formidable enemy for villains.

He ruthlessly exterminated those hostile to the saintess, repeatedly carrying out merciless slaughter without a trace of sympathy. Naturally, the enmity towards the valiant warrior would only intensify.

“Sometime, that vendetta will be directed towards the Hoenberg family.

Perhaps, that day might even be today.

With such thoughts in mind, the vendetta awaited the opportune moment to raid the warrior’s lineage.

‘If an attack is to come… it’ll likely be in the slackening dawn when vigilance wanes.’

The midnight draped in pitch-black is darker than any curtain.

It poses as an obstacle for both the hidden and the seekers.

Then, what might happen when both entities confront each other in this blackness? Undoubtedly, the one familiar with the profound darkness would hold the upper hand.

“Edanant von Hoenberg…! I’ve heard of you, a scion of the warrior Maximilian.”

“Have you come to throw a tantrum? Quite pitiful, really.”

Leaving behind a fairy who nodded off like a chick in the office,

I found myself facing a looming shadow while holding documents in both hands.

A mask veiling the face.

A sharp blade pointed downward.

A black leather armor storing numerous daggers.

Was this the assailant from the newspapers?

Or perhaps a new entrant this time around.

Regardless, what mattered now was the looming figure holding a sword in front of me.

“Draw your sword. I don’t kill empty-handed enemies… of sworn blood.”

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“Kindly for an assassin, aren’t you?”

They seemed to hold honor in regard to the subject of assassination. Quite peculiar.

I readily accepted the kindness.

And in response to that kindness, instead of a sword handle, I drew a gun handle.

Bang!

The bullet hit precisely between the assassin’s eyes.

Amidst the sharp gunshot, the stack of papers in both hands fluttered away.

The man who, despite planning an assassination, extended me a feeble kindness, collapsed with a bullet piercing through his head. With wide-open eyes as if caught off guard, he fell lifeless.

“Why today of all days? Tomorrow’s the weekend… because of that damn fool who’s gone wandering, ruining everyone’s sleep tonight.”

Muttering under my breath while holstering the smoking gun.