Extra in a Romance Fantasy

26 – End of the Festival (3)

“What… are you doing?”

Estelle forced out her voice.

But her bodyguard didn’t answer.

“I asked, what are you doing, René.”

“….”

Despite Estelle’s prodding, René remained silent.

And he didn’t lower the sword aimed at Estelle.

“You’re…!”

“hahahahaha!”

Just as Estelle was about to protest, laughter, resonant and mocking, interjected.

The owner of that laughter was the leader of the bandits.

“To think the mad princess would be seen shaking like this!”

As if he had witnessed something extraordinarily rare, the man, who had laughed heartily, soon formed a sly smile.

“Enough with the denial of reality, Your Highness. You already know what happened, don’t you?”

“….”

As the man spoke, Estelle’s mind understood the situation.

However, her heart refused to accept it.

“René…! Say something…!”

Despite Estelle yelling, her usually calm voice rising, René’s expression remained unchanged.

“I apologize.”

Finally, her lips parted, but the content was entirely different from what Estelle had anticipated.

What she had hoped for from René was not an apology.

“…Why.”

Faced with his calm and indifferent attitude, Estelle finally admitted the harsh reality.

That René had betrayed her.

That her sole confidant had turned away.

“Why… did you betray me?”

It was not something Estelle, in her usual self, would ask about the reasons for betrayal.

But she couldn’t help it.

She simply couldn’t bear it without asking.

“No, let’s save the answers for later.”

Estelle, who had been resolute, suddenly changed her stance.

“I’ll listen slowly after we settle the situation.”

Though Estelle considered herself to be making a rational judgment, it was far from the truth.

She was just afraid.

Afraid to hear the reason for betrayal from René’s own mouth.

“…After digging into the background, I’ll personally take care of you.”

Estelle’s icy gaze fixed on the mercenaries.

“Oh, be scared. Your eyes are quite sharp.”

However, even in the face of that chilling gaze, the man remained unfazed.

“I’ll make sure to sew your mouth shut.”

In response to Estelle’s sharp declaration, the man responded with a sly smile instead of fear.

“That authority is impressive… but is it really possible?”

Vowing to make the man regret his consistent insolence, Estelle summoned her magic.

René’s betrayal was undoubtedly significant, but it didn’t matter.

Her protection was not solely reliant on René.

Elite underground guards, each one a formidable force, were still at her disposal. With her added strength, Estelle believed that dealing with the approaching mercenaries wouldn’t be a daunting task.

However, her judgment proved futile.

No matter how long she waited, the elite guards did not appear.

Those who should have revealed themselves much earlier.

“Ah, looks like you’ve put quite a bit of trust in that escort knight.”

The man interjected loudly.

“Seeing the princess in such disarray…”

He chuckled.

“Now that your escort has sided with us, do you think the other guards will go unharmed?”

“…!”

Only after hearing the man’s words did Estelle grasp the situation.

Since René had joined them, and considering the fact that if she betrayed her, the other guards would undoubtedly be dealt with.

Those guards unaware of René’s betrayal would be defenseless.

It was something Estelle, in her usual state, would have realized much earlier.

“Now, what will you do, Your Highness?”

The man smirked.

“…”

In this situation, victory seemed impossible.

No matter how hard she fought, she couldn’t overcome their numbers alone.

In that case, she had to choose an alternative.

Escape or call for help.

Even in her confusion, Estelle’s mind didn’t stop thinking.

Finding a way to survive somehow.

“Oh, just in case you were thinking about running, it’s impossible. I’ve set up a barrier around, so escaping is out of the question. Thanks to the barrier, no sound or light will leak out, so no one will notice anything strange and come to help.”

However, every path she had envisioned was severed by the man’s words.

Even if she used the artifacts or tools she had prepared just in case, she couldn’t elude them all.

Even if she fought back as much as possible, she would likely be obstructed by the barrier.

She didn’t know the exact strength of the barrier, but judging from the man’s reaction, it seemed to be above average.

Even if it could be dispelled, it would undoubtedly take a considerable amount of time.

Death.

That single word loomed before her eyes.

Estelle reached a conclusion.

That she was defeated.

That she would die here.

“…Why.”

Estelle asked.

Still, facing her escort knight with calm eyes.

“Why did you betray me.”

In a situation where death was virtually certain, a desperate state.

Ironically, in such a situation, what Estelle felt was not a longing for life or bitterness at losing.

There was only one question.

Why did René betray her.

That was the curiosity.

Someone who had been together for a long time.

Always by her side.

A loyal knight who had tried to protect her even at the risk of his life, the only friend she could truly trust—why did he betray her?

It was just that curiosity.

“….”

René stared at Estelle’s eyes in silence.

How much time passed in that state, and finally, René’s mouth opened.

“I did not betray you.”

“…What?”

What was he trying to say in this situation?

Was he planning to belittle himself with nonsense now?

Facing the gaze filled with that question, René calmly uttered.

“I was never on your side from the beginning.”

The cold and chilling truth.

Thump.

Estelle felt her heart freezing cold.

“…What are you talking about.”

Don’t ask. Rather, don’t listen to the truth.

Reason continued to shout.

But Estelle couldn’t stop.

“Didn’t you ask what I was talking about…!!”

Estelle slammed the door.

Under normal circumstances, those around her would have trembled in fear, but here and now, there was no one who feared her.

Her anger merely echoed fruitlessly through the empty air.

“Let me tell you a story from the past.”

At that moment, a man uttered words seemingly out of place.

It was a statement entirely irrelevant to the situation.

Estelle glared at the man as if ready to tear him apart, but he paid her no mind.

“There was once a girl born in the slums. She didn’t know her parents’ faces.”

The man continued to unfold the story he had started.

“Like any other parentless child in the slums, she led a typical life—stealing bread from the streets, pickpocketing, getting caught and beaten… you know, the usual.”

The girl was no different from the other children in the slums.

Until she grasped a sword, that is.

“The term ‘wooden sword’ doesn’t do justice to the pathetic thing she had, but the moment she held that sword, she realized something. She realized she could do a lot with it.”

The girl’s skill progressed day by day, and soon, the entire slum became aware of her talent.

“Rumors soon spread beyond the slums. And not long after, a man intrigued by these rumors appeared before the girl.”

The man tested the girl’s abilities, confirming that her talent was genuine.

“He declared himself a royal knight and asked the girl to become his apprentice. She accepted, and thus, entered the palace. From the streets to the palace—such a rise to prominence is unheard of.”

Life in the palace was awkward, but the girl was content.

At least she didn’t have to worry about going hungry.

“Not long after entering the palace, it became noisy, and a mad princess appeared. But the girl paid no attention. It wasn’t her concern.”

In the vast stage of the palace, a humble existence like the girl went unnoticed by everyone, and she lived on, unaffected by the storm that raged around her.

Then, one day, a man appeared before the girl.

“He spoke to the girl, saying, ‘I am your father.'”

It was a sudden and unbelievable statement.

But instinctively, the girl sensed the truth in his words.

“What do you call that? A blood connection’s pull? Anyway, the girl realized she had a father she didn’t know existed, and she was overjoyed.”

The girl was thrilled to discover that she had family, a father, and she wanted to live with him.

However, the girl’s father shook his head.

“It’s not a good situation. He couldn’t be with her because being together might put the girl in danger. That was his reasoning.”

Despite the danger her father faced, the girl wanted to help him.

So I asked my father. What should we do?

How can my father escape from this crisis?

“The girl’s father hesitated, but eventually surrendered to the girl’s unwavering determination. The girl’s father made one request to her. To gain the trust of one person.”

That one person was none other than the mad princess.

A monster with no fear of blood or tears, feared by all.

She was the cause of the danger surrounding the girl’s father.

Those who rebel against her die.

Those who approach her also die.

She makes everyone entangled with her die.

So, everyone fears her and avoids her.

Approaching such a princess was practically equivalent to leaping into death voluntarily.

However, the girl approached the princess without hesitation.

For her father. For her only family.

“So the girl jumps into the jaws of death. She suffered countless injuries, faced the brink of death. After enduring such hardships… the girl finally succeeds in achieving what seemed impossible.”

After overcoming numerous hardships, the girl ultimately becomes the personal guard of the mad princess and succeeds in gaining her trust.

“This story.”

The man laughed.

“Doesn’t it sound familiar?”

With a somewhat bright face.

“…What.”

A faint voice escaped from Estelle’s lips.

Estelle had grasped the meaning behind the man’s story.

Who it was about.

Who the girl in the story was.

Estelle’s head turned slowly.

In the direction her gaze pointed, a woman was standing.

Yes, the bodyguard with cold eyes, looking at her mistress.

“Well then… about René….”

Estelle’s voice trembled with anxiety.

In response, the smile on the man’s face deepened.

“Right. This lady right here is that girl. And the girl’s father is His Highness Prince Ihwang.”

The man finally put a period at the end of his tale.

“…”

Estelle couldn’t utter a sound.

Confronted with the truth, Estelle lost her voice.

“I never stood by His Highness in the first place.”

Those words, the words she desperately wanted to deny.

They were the truth.

Rene, from the start, had approached her with ulterior motives.

All for her father, Prince Ihwang.

Awaiting the day he could plunge a blade into his own neck.

“How do you feel, Your Highness?”

Facing Estelle, who had encountered a despairing truth, the man pressed his face closer.

“Being deceived from start to finish, played like a puppet. That’s how it feels.”

Deceived and played.

That was exactly it.

Unaware, she had become a pawn, dancing on the stage.

Not realizing she was a pawn.

She had fallen for someone who had aimed for her neck from the very beginning, trusted him.

Stood by him. Thought of him as a friend.

How foolish. How utterly foolish.

“…hahahaha.”

A bitter laugh escaped Estelle’s lips.

She never wanted much from life to begin with.

Didn’t aspire to be happy.

Just one thing.

Just one person to understand her, that’s all she hoped for.

She thought that person was Rene.

But it wasn’t.

Everything about her was false.

Understanding, support, loyalty, dedication, sacrifice.

Everything was a lie.

The cruel truth mercilessly trampled Estelle’s heart.

“Now that I’ve satisfied your curiosity, it’s time to do what needs to be done.”

Swoosh—

The man drew his sword.

And then raised it high.

“Don’t feel too unjust. The Empire will be well-managed by His Highness the Crown Prince.”

As if tasting bitterness, the man spoke.

Unlike his hidden intentions, Crown Prince Yi Hwangja had built a positive image externally.

With Estelle reducing the power of the nobles, if she disappeared now, the likelihood of him taking the throne as the next emperor was high.

Exactly as planned by them.

“The responsibility for the princess’s death… Let’s see, we can attribute it to the Academy. The Empire’s princess killed in an attack by an unknown assailant at the Academy. Hmm… The Academy won’t be able to ignore Rainberg’s influence. Proper compensation is a given. Well, His Highness Crown Prince is truly wise.”

As the man continued to mutter, Estelle’s gaze did not turn towards him.

Her gaze was fixed on one person.

Directly at René, who was looking down at her with an impassive gaze.

With eyes devoid of any warmth.

Estelle’s heart shattered into pieces.

“Well then, take a break, Your Highness!”

The man finally swung his sword.

And then.

Whoosh!

A fierce flame began to rise from Estelle’s body.