I Became the Maid of the Lout Prince

Late in the evening, a dagger from my dress flashed, reflecting the light flowing from the annex.

Of course, I had no intention of confronting him with just one dagger. Anyway, there was no benefit to me facing him alone in the current situation.

It was enough just to threaten him so he couldn’t approach easily. Time was on my side now that I had already sent the signal.

“What’s this, a dagger? Are you trying to stab my hand and run away again like last time?”

“I’m stabbing you. This time, I’m aiming for your neck, not your hand.”

“Are you sure? Regicide is a serious crime. If you commit it, simply being executed would be getting off lightly. Wouldn’t it be better to become my fiancée instead?”

“You’re talking nonsense. You’ve used and discarded a truckload of women by seducing them as your fiancée or whatever. I’d rather kill you and then commit suicide than get between your legs, you bastard.”

“Truck…? Is that some kind of dialect? Anyway, it’s amazing that you know even that information. How do you know all this, including how you were wary and responded to my power last time?”

“……”

“You’re an interesting woman, indeed. I might be able to play with you for a long time now.”

Mana rose around Machart. The fact that he wasn’t emitting demonic energy yet showed that he was still conscious of being in the annex.

As that thought flashed through my mind, his body came flying towards me.

Zoom!

“Haha!”

Machart closed the distance in an instant using magic-enhanced footwork. Seeing him reach out to me without hesitation, it seemed he was trying to grab my arm and take me to his domain again like before. [Only on DarkStar Translations! / Axiomatic]

He thrust his defenseless arm and neck at me as if daring me to cut them, and for a moment, I could almost see a cutting line between his chin and shoulder.

Whoosh!

Suppressing the desire to swing now and kill him in one blow, I lifted my body into the air with Lilith’s innate agility.

The moment I push my hand to stab my dagger there, he would deliberately drag me into his mental world. I couldn’t let my desire to end this ruin everything.

Fwoosh!

Whoosh!

Fwoosh, fwoosh!

Thump!

For about ten seconds or so, Machart and I repeated a chase in the garden behind the annex’s back door without exchanging a single word.

Machart used his magic-enhanced physical acceleration, and all I had were Lilith’s basic physical abilities, which I had been training until now.

Sei’s wind magic would have been helpful in this situation, but unfortunately, the two spirits were waiting for me outside the annex.

It was unavoidable due to the Magic Detection Devices installed in the Imperial Palace and Annex after the previous monster invasion incident. I couldn’t bring the two spirits, whose very existence was magic itself, as they would trigger that detection device.

In fact, even in the current battle, I was dodging purely with physical abilities without using a single bit of mana, unlike Machart, who was coming at me while freely using magic.

The reason why only Machart could use magic in the same annex was simple. That bastard’s magic, being of royal blood, was registered not to be detected by the Magic Detection Devices.

It was frustrating to be in this situation where I alone had to roll on the ground to avoid his attacks, but if I was frustrated, it would mean I’d rather have been born as royalty.

“You were talking about stabbing me with a dagger just a moment ago, but now, you’re just running away as soon as we engage. Are you scared now that I mentioned the crime of regicide?”

“It’s strange not to run away when you’re shoving that nauseating face at me. Originally, humans have excellent crisis detection abilities, so it’s genetically ingrained to instinctively avoid ugly bastards.”

“Hmm, you’re really to my liking, young lady. Women should have some spunk after all. Since I’ve had this face, no one even thinks of resisting, so it’s been quite boring. By the way, saying my face is nauseating, you don’t really mean that…”

“I’m talking about the real mug buried under that fake face, not that smelly leather skin, you idiot.”

“……”

“Ah, sorry. I shouldn’t call an idiot an idiot. That was harsh.”

“…I don’t know who you heard it from, but I really must capture you now.”

Hack, ptoo!

I spat saliva in the direction he was approaching, meaning “Do it if you can,” and it was amusing to see him suddenly stop and be flustered as he was chasing after me.

“Idiot. Look at you flinching just because of some spit, you coward.”

“…I just avoided something dirty flying in front of my eyes, what’s the problem? Your taunts are completely unconvincing now.”

“You were the one talking about me being your fiancée and whatnot with your own mouth, and now you’re saying my spit is dirty? And speaking of dirty, isn’t your original fiancée’s mouth much dirtier? I could hear the sound of her sucking another man’s dick in the bathroom all the way to the Banquet Hall.”

“…Shut up. What do you know about Evelyn? She’s not someone you can insult.”

Just like in the original game, Machart rushed at me angrily when I flicked his trigger switch. Those slutty bastards are really at each other’s throats.

However, I didn’t want to stimulate him too strongly and risk my life before my other comrades arrived, so I just finished by raising an appropriate level of tension regarding his fiancée.

‘By the way, when are they coming…?’

About a minute had passed since I started playing tag with Machart. Even if all four couldn’t make it, at least one of them should have shown up in this annex garden where Machart and I were, but there was still no sign of anyone approaching.

Ethan might take some time due to the commotion I caused when I left, but it was enough time for the other three people to make excuses and slip out. [Only on DarkStar Translations! / Axiomatic]

Among them, Agnes and Seriste, who could handle invisibility magic and concealment blessings, should have arrived by now if they had confirmed the signal, but why were they so late?

Just as an unknown anxiety was creeping up in my mind, Machart looked at me with a sly smile, as if he had read my expression.

“You keep looking at the corridor towards the Banquet Hall, don’t you? As if you’re waiting for someone.”

“…You’re talking nonsense. I told you to stop your delusions.”

“I roughly know who you’re waiting for while buying time like this, but you should probably give up.”

“……What?”

“Did you think I came to get you without any preparation? Didn’t you think it was too much like a dream?”

…It can’t be. There’s no way Machart’s could have come up with the idea that I was setting a trap and waiting.

Even if he had thought of it, there was no reason for him to deliberately fall into my trap like this. If he did fall for it, it would only be in a situation that benefited him, but no matter how many troops Machart had gathered to fight, it didn’t make sense to face a Hero, a high-ranking clergy, a tank of a mage, and a Sword Expert wielding dual swords.

“…You’re talking nonsense. You’re just roughly guessing…”

“It’s obvious when I see you desperately running away without using magic. If you used magic while escaping, the Imperial Palace Guards would rush here, and you don’t want that, right?”

“…Yeah. Because I can’t take your head if they come.”

“For someone saying that, you’ve been running away this whole time. You’re deliberately not leaving this place either. I played along because it was amusing to see you desperately running around, but looking at your stamina, you seem to be reaching your limit.”

“……”

“By now, the Banquet Hall should be in quite an uproar. If you’re waiting after calling the Hero or the Saint in the Banquet Hall by flowing your magic, it’s already useless.”

“…I don’t, know what, you’re talking about.”

Fuck. Did he really notice? Did he find out that this was a trap to lure him out?

Was he aware from the beginning of this plan that I created by having a magic duel with Agnes at the academy that wasn’t even in our destiny, and then that ridiculous love triangle fight with Ethan in the Banquet Hall earlier?

As I was rolling my eyes, unable to hide my confusion at his words, Machart mentioned an unexpected person with an expression that seemed to mock me.

“There was quite an interesting young lady among the members you gathered to trap me today.”

“……”

“Agnes, was it? That short girl.”

“…You fucking bastard…! If you laid even a finger on Agnes…!”

“Calm down, calm down. Well, that young lady is quite pretty, but I’m not particularly a pedophile. Do you think I, who have Evelyn as my fiancée, would be interested in such an underdeveloped brat?”

“……”

“However, my brother doesn’t seem to think that way. I wonder what he likes about that short brat to make such a fuss.”

Unfortunately, I didn’t understand Machart’s words immediately at that time.

I couldn’t imagine what kind of mischief the ‘variable’ that Machart had mentioned was causing in the Banquet Hall at that moment.

Around the time Lilith and Machart began their confrontation in the back garden, inside the Banquet Hall…

Hero Gyeongmwajogyegigwat, who had received the magic signal from Lilith, was stuck in the center of the Banquet Hall, unable to even confirm if Lilith had sent a magic signal.

In fact, even if he had properly confirmed it on time, the result might not have been much different. [Only on DarkStar Translations! / Axiomatic]

He was already in a situation where he couldn’t sneak out without attracting others’ attention, being the center of attention of everyone participating in the noble exchange meeting.

“Take up your sword, Gyeongmwajogyegigwat Volt.”

“No, Your Highness. That’s a misunderstanding…”

“Today, I will reclaim my fiancée, who participated in this exchange meeting as your partner, with this sword.”

The Fifth Prince of the Argentian Empire, Antonio Robert Valtoria.

It was the appearance of a variable that neither Lilith, nor Gyeongmwajogyegigwat, nor anyone else had anticipated.

T/N

Hello! Axiomatic here.

Thanks for reading, see you in a bit for the bonus chapter!