The 17th Princess Just Wants to Live

Before Tristan could respond, I burst out with my words.

“I know that the duke is powerful enough to look down on even imperial family. That’s why I understand you’re worried about me. But I’m crafting a sword that will kill the duke. When that sword is finished, his head will fall on the guillotine.”

I deliberately used intense words to provoke Tristan.

Did it work? Tristan’s eyes wavered. But I couldn’t tell if it was a sign of agreement or if he was frightened and about to flee.

“The rest of the duke’s family will meet the same fate. Especially Ludwig Aschenbach.”

I emphasized that name.

“He’ll share his father’s fate. And do you know what happens after that?”

I paused briefly, watching Tristan’s reaction. He seemed shaken by my words but still lacked conviction. I smiled brightly at him.

“You’ll become the Duke of Aschenbach.”

Tristan said nothing.

“But to make that happen, I need your help. I came here today for your answer. Will you help me, Tristan?”

After saying everything I had to, Tristan still remained silent.

I waited patiently for his response. Outwardly calm, but inwardly anxious.

Tristan was expressionless, half of his face hidden in the shadows, making it harder to read him.

Maybe I shouldn’t have mentioned killing. But he needed to know. Since I was involving him in a rebellion, it was inevitable that I revealed the final outcome.

After what felt like an eternity, Tristan spoke in a low voice.

“I’m an illegitimate child. I can’t become a duke.”

“You can!”

If that was what Tristan was worried about, convincing him would be easy. I spoke to him with gleaming eyes.

“Of course, it won’t be easy through normal means. But with the emperor’s permission, it’s possible. Gaining that permission requires a lot of preparation, but it’s by no means impossible.”

I had even looked through history books to be sure. There were precedents of commoners being granted titles if they achieved something significant for the empire—like preventing a disaster or saving the emperor’s life during war.

Besides, Tristan had the blood of the duke. Being his illegitimate child might even work to his advantage in this situation.

When the Aschenbach family crumbled, the northeastern region would fall into chaos. Tristan was the only one who could restore order while obscuring the family’s identity.

“Becoming a duke may be difficult… but you can at least obtain a title. It’s true.”

“If I were to become a noble…”

He began but then stopped speaking.

“If you become one?”

I wondered if he had something he wanted to do as a noble. I waited without pressing him, but Tristan didn’t finish his thought.

“I’ll do it.”

Instead, he gave his answer. It was such a calm acceptance that I doubted my ears at first.

“Really? Wait, did you just say you’ll help bring down the Aschenbach family?”

“I don’t know if I’ll be of any help, but I’ll do whatever Your Highness commands.”

“There is! Of course, there’s something you can help with!”

I finally succeeded. Inside, I felt like fireworks were exploding with joy.

I had pulled Tristan out from his cave and secured his promise to join the plan! I was so excited that I wanted to jump for joy.

But since the situation called for discretion, I refrained from making a scene and instead grabbed Tristan’s hand.

“We’re a team now.”

I smiled brightly at him. Tristan looked at me silently and suddenly frowned.

“Oh, sorry!”

Startled, I let go of his hand. I must have startled him by touching him suddenly when we weren’t that close. Tristan didn’t seem like someone accustomed to physical contact. I should be more careful from now on. I got carried away with excitement.

Even after I released his hand, Tristan continued to stare at it before lifting his head and asking.

“What should I do now?”

“Wait for me.”

I answered, relieved inside. Thankfully, he didn’t seem too upset.

“I’ll tell you the detailed plan tomorrow. It’s too risky to talk about it here for long, so we should stop for today.”

“Tomorrow…”

Tristan murmured quietly.

“Yes, tomorrow. At the usual place.”

I replied, adding in a playful tone.

“Whether you like it or not, from tomorrow on, I’ll bring food for both of us. Let’s talk while we eat together.”

With that, I left the stable. The mansion was quiet, locked in the night. I waved at Tristan and walked toward the back courtyard.

There, a small door used by the servants led in and out of the duke’s mansion. The lock was much more complex and sophisticated than usual ones, but it wasn’t a problem for me.

“Did it go well?”

As I opened the back door, a soft voice greeted me. His silver hair, tinged with a blue glow, shimmered in the moonless night like it had its own light.

“Yes, Brother.”

I beamed confidently at Rudolph.

Tonight, my sole escort on the night outing was Rudolph. But considering his skills, he was far better than having ten knights follow me.

When I said I would meet Tristan alone in the middle of the night, Rudolph initially objected, but once he realized how determined I was, he sighed and followed me.

“Judging by your expression, it seems things went well.”

Rudolph said as he lightly touched the back door of the duke’s residence I had come out from. A faint bluish-white light seeped into the door, and then I heard a faint click from the other side as it locked.

“Could others know that it was opened and closed with magic?”

I asked, purely out of curiosity. Rudolph chuckled.

“This level of mana will dissipate in a few hours. To track even the remnants, you’d need a wizard of extraordinary skill.”

Was I sure there was no wizard among the duke’s family or his son? I suddenly recalled what Tristan had told me about the crow.

“Brother, did you sense any flow of magic while we were outside?”

“No, not at all.”

Rudolph answered. Since it was coming from a future archmage, he probably wasn’t wrong. But then, what could that crow have been?

Only after I got into the carriage to return to the imperial palace did I explain to Rudolph what I had seen. He listened intently, his expression serious, then said.

“The rumors might be true.”

“Rumors?”

“There’s a rumor that the power of an Ancient God has been passed down in the House of Aschenbach. Have you heard of it?”

The power of an Ancient God?

An unexpected phrase emerged.

“Do you mean something like Stella?”

In ancient times, when Gods still walked the earth, it was said that Gods and humans could communicate freely.

It was even said that humans made deals with Gods, and the Gods of that time would lend their power without hesitation if humans provided a proper offering.

The first emperor of Esperusa was one such human who made a deal with a God. He promised to build the largest temple on the continent and praise the Sky, the King of the Gods, every year. In exchange, his bloodline was blessed. That blessing was known as Stella.

“Exactly. Stella is the most famous example. There’s also Gaias, who made a deal with the Earth, and the Temple of Radiance, which made a deal with the God of Life.”

Gaias was the name of the largest plain in the south, as well as the family that ruled over it. They promised to offer a tenth of their harvest to Gaias in exchange for a bountiful crop.

The Temple of Radiance made a similar deal with the imperial family. In return for spreading the name of the God, the temple’s priests were granted the blessing of the God of Life.

Most people in the empire knew these things.

Even if they didn’t know the specific terms of the deals or confused the names of the Gods, it was common knowledge that the Ancient Gods still had influence in this world.

“As you know, both the imperial family and the Duchy of Cardina possess the power of Ancient Gods. It’s strange that only the Duchy of Aschenbach is said not to. Until now, I thought it was just gossip, but this is intriguing.”

Rudolph’s blue eyes gleamed with interest.

“If it wasn’t caught by my magic, it must either be a familiar summoned by a wizard as skilled as me or the power of an Ancient God. Either way, it’s useful information.”

“Can’t magic reveal the power of an Ancient God?”

“It’s difficult. Magic and divine power operate by entirely different rules.”

Rudolph smiled as he said that.

Was it just my imagination, or did Rudolph seem more excited than usual? He seemed to enjoy this kind of discussion. He was like a professor being asked about his field of expertise.

“That boy could be useful.”

Rudolph said, looking at me.

“By the way, how much did you tell him?”

I had told Tristan everything except for the fact that the duke was plotting treason. But I had a strong feeling that if I said that, Rudolph would scold me. I avoided his gaze and replied.

“I couldn’t tell him much because I was afraid the crow would return. And I didn’t want to wake the servants.”

“You didn’t mention treason, did you?”

“Not yet.”

Rudolph frowned and fell silent for a moment.

“We might need to put a leash on him, just in case he betrays us.”

“What?”

I was startled by Rudolph’s words. Leaving aside the harsh term , betrayal?

“He won’t betray us.”

I said, defending Tristan desperately.

“Tristan has been abused by the House of Aschenbach for a long time. He’ll be happy now that he has a chance for revenge.”

“Did he seem like someone burning with a desire for revenge?”

I was at a loss for words. Indeed, Tristan didn’t really seem that way…

“What bothers me is that he’s been domesticated for so long.”

Rudolph leaned on his chin, speaking in a languid voice.

“There are many people who act in ways we can’t understand, Lucilia. Children who love their abusive parents, hostages who defend their kidnappers, slaves who return to their masters even after being freed…”

I immediately understood what Rudolph was implying. He didn’t say the term, but it was clearly Stockholm syndrome.

Even though Rudolph claimed he couldn’t understand their feelings, the fact that he knew so much about human contradictions made me wonder if he actually had a deep understanding of people.

“That’s why I’m worried, Lucilia. I’m afraid he might stab you in the back.”

“Tristan wouldn’t do that.”

“What makes you so sure?”

Once again, I was at a loss for words.

When I thought about it, it was an unfounded belief. I thought I knew Tristan, but the Tristan I knew was a kind of illusion.

The Tristan I had met and the one I knew was just a child who had been abused for a long time, one who said that happiness was impossible for him.

“But I want to believe in him.”

That was why I wanted to believe in him. Without any concrete evidence or guarantees, I just wanted to trust him.

I wanted to let him know that he was someone worthy of that kind of trust.

“So if you send Tristan some strange ring, I won’t stand for it.”

I said, glaring at Rudolph with narrowed eyes. He snorted.

“Do you love him?”

Rudolph asked. I scowled. Come on, it wasn’t like I had ulterior motives.

But since Rudolph didn’t deny it, I didn’t answer his question either.