Serena and the Mysterious Labyrinth - Chapter 338

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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338. The Princess’s Charges (2)

Though trembling with fear, Serena did not close her eyes or turn her head away.

She had to see and remember everything that was about to happen with her own eyes.

The guard forcibly made Serena and Ralph stand up and put shackles on their ankles and handcuffs on their wrists.

The sensation of the medieval handcuffs and shackles, which gave no consideration to skin and joint health, touching her skin felt as chilling as a guillotine blade approaching her neck.

‘I never wore silver bracelets in my past life, but now I get to wear them after being born a princess.’

After putting on all the handcuffs and shackles, the guard pushed Serena’s back.

Thud. It hurt considerably, making Serena groan involuntarily. The force was so merciless that she thought her bones would have broken if she hadn’t been wearing silver fabric.

“You bastard! How dare you do such a thing to the Princess!”

“Count Ralph. I’m fine, so stay still. It’s a fake monster, and an inanimate one at that.”

“Ugh. I’m sorry. I can see the armor moving so I know it’s a monster, but it seems so human…”

The guard outside the cell pulled on the iron chain connected to the shackles.

If she hadn’t been watching the guard’s actions carefully, she would have lost her balance and fallen when the shackles were pulled.

Serena and Ralph walked down the corridor as the guard led them.

After passing through the massive iron door they had never been able to get through, a new cell area appeared.

‘It’s big.’

The new area was larger than the area where the two had been confined. Both the area and number of cells were at least twice as large.

Since the guard didn’t get angry when she looked around left and right, Serena eagerly surveyed the prison.

‘The cells here are better than our cell.’

The second cell area. Let’s call it Area 2 for convenience. The cells in Area 2 had small but proper beds and real toilets.

At the end of the corridor, another massive iron door was waiting. After passing through the massive iron door, another new cell area appeared.

Serena doubted her eyes.

‘This place is definitely nice?’

A bed with a mattress, probably stuffed with straw but still a mattress. Privacy screens for when using the toilet. And even storage shelves for keeping belongings.

The area where Serena and Ralph had been. Let’s call that Area 1 for convenience, and this Area 3.

Comparing Area 1 and Area 3, they differed about as much as her room in her past life and her room in this life. That was with a lot of exaggeration added.

What was the reason for the difference in cell facilities?

As the princess was working her not-so-good brain hard while rolling her eyes around, a familiar voice caught her ear.

“Princess! Knight! Over here, over here!”

It was Olive’s voice, whom she hadn’t seen a single hair of since entering the 12th floor.

“Ugh!”

Serena turned her head to look for Olive and ended up stumbling and falling.

“Princess!”

Ralph tried to help Serena up but was stopped by the guard. Serena tried to get up quickly, but it was difficult to stand because of the shackles.

The guard kicked Serena in the side.

“Cough.”

“What are you doing!”

“The silver fabric blocked it, so I’m fine.”

Ralph tried to attack the guard, so Serena quickly stopped him. It wasn’t a lie – thanks to the silver fabric, it really didn’t hurt that much.

However, this was the first time in two lifetimes that she had been kicked in the side, so she was mentally shocked.

Serena hurriedly got up before being kicked again.

‘It has no brain, so why is it so faithful to this concept!’

As she grumbled inwardly, Olive’s voice was heard again.

“Princess! Are you okay? You fell because you were surprised by me, right? I’m sorry!”

The guard holding the iron chain connected to the shackles urged them to walk faster. Serena followed along and spotted Olive waving her hand through the bars.

“Miss Olive! You’re safe!”

“Are you alone? What about the others?”

Olive was imprisoned alone in her cell. No other party members were visible.

“I’ve been alone since I woke up! Where are you and the knight going? Are you being released?”

“I’m not sure!”

Unlike Ralph, Olive didn’t seem anxious seeing the two moving.

She didn’t seem to think they would execute them just one day after imprisonment.

“I want to help, but if the monsters spot me, it’s straight to the cell! Wait until I figure out how to break through!”

Olive waved enthusiastically at the two moving away. Olive’s location information would be useful in the next round.

Serena was curious about why Olive was imprisoned alone. Even considering only the crimes committed in Heuji’s Labyrinth, Olive’s sins were not few.

‘Theft, fraud, sexual harassment. If applied cumulatively, shouldn’t she be imprisoned in a worse place, Area 2? Did getting flicked on the forehead offset it?’

While thinking about this and that, they had reached the end of Area 3. This time too, a massive iron door was tightly closed.

The guard opened the iron door. Behind the Area 3 iron door, there were no cells. Just a stone building corridor and ordinary doors instead of bars were visible.

‘Now we’re moving to the execution ground.’

Serena gulped. When she had gotten three strikes and game over to mount the guillotine, it was automatic movement so she didn’t know, but walking to the execution ground herself was quite long.

‘Did they deliberately place the execution ground far away to cause stress?’

If she mounted the guillotine like this, what Serena would do in the next round was decided.

‘I need to change the party. Besides me and Ralph, who should I include?’

The Number Siblings couldn’t be included in the 12th floor conquest team because they had killed the leader.

‘I’ll include Low, and since two people are missing, I want to add one more. Grey won’t work either. He’s been scamming continuously since entering the labyrinth.’

Olive could escape from the cell by herself so that was fine, but if Grey, who was young and a mage, was imprisoned alone, it would be very troublesome.

‘There are no people.’

She had formed a second-string party, but there was still a shortage of talent.

‘Sigh. Biron aside, the leader died naturally. But would they still judge it as murder?’

Clank. The guard holding the iron chain stopped walking. They had arrived at their destination.

She remembered that when she had met her end at the guillotine before, the guillotine was outside the building, but the door where the guard stopped had no particular features.

‘If I open that door, will it be outside?’

Since it was an execution ground with a guillotine, it wouldn’t be outside the prison but a space within the prison walls.

Serena took a deep breath and spoke loudly enough for the knight following behind to hear.

“Count Ralph. Don’t be surprised no matter what. I’ll be fine no matter what happens.”

“Yes, understood.”

The guard opened the door. The princess, who had already prepared to die, looked inside the opened door and doubted her eyes.

“Lady Serena! Thank goodness you’re safe! Count Ralph, I’m glad you’re safe too!”

“Your Highness, are you alright? Count Hanson, are you injured anywhere?”

Inside the opened room, Count Randy and Count Alpha were standing on the opposite side of the bars.

As soon as the two men saw Serena and Ralph, they rejoiced and grabbed onto the bars.

“Count! Count Alpha! You’re both safe too! Thank goodness!”

“I knew the party would scatter, but I was so surprised when you suddenly disappeared! Still, I was relieved to know that Count Ralph was with Lady Serena!”

“I’m sorry the visitation request was delayed. We were flustered when only we remained and disappeared, and while exploring the prison we missed the visitation request time, so we could only apply this morning.”

“But special meal requests were possible in the evening too, so we applied. Did you enjoy breakfast? We’ve applied for special meals for all meals, so don’t worry and eat well.”

Visitation. And special meals.

The princess’s body trembled as she learned the truth about the steak that came out for breakfast.

Serena clenched her fists so hard that her nails dug into her palms to avoid losing her reason to the uncontrollable torrent of emotions.

“Don’t tell me… the steak that came out for breakfast was because you applied for it?”

“Yes.”

Serena gritted her teeth.

She couldn’t believe that the identity of the special meal that had made her misunderstand that she would be executed just one day after imprisonment was a misunderstanding born from the kindness of the alchemist and Imperial Knight.

‘How much stress did I go through!’

If the steak hadn’t come out for breakfast, she wouldn’t have been so surprised seeing the guards who came in a group in the first round.

She would have followed along suspiciously but to gather information, and would have reunited with her companions smoothly.

‘Aaaaah!’

Her neck, which had been cut twice at the guillotine, complained of pain. It was so absurd that she was about to burst into bitter laughter, but Ralph beat her to it.

“Ah! So that’s what it was? I had such a strange misunderstanding and was so scared! If the Princess hadn’t been there, I would have been too scared and rebelled, making visitation impossible.”

“A strange misunderstanding, you say?”

Ralph made a sad face and honestly confessed the fear he felt from the misunderstanding.

“The day before, I got white porridge for lunch and dinner, but steak came for breakfast. As time passed, a group of guards came and opened the cell door. So I couldn’t help but worry that I was being dragged to the execution ground!”

“Execution?”

“After hearing Count Hanson’s story, it’s not a ridiculous misunderstanding. It’s understandable.”

Both Count Randy and Count Alpha looked puzzled at first, then showed expressions of belated realization after hearing Ralph’s words.

Both were people so far removed from prison that they hadn’t anticipated such a misunderstanding.

“Ah! I’m sorry, Lady Serena! And I apologize, Count Ralph. We weren’t imprisoned so we didn’t think of it.”

“We should have thought from the prisoner’s perspective. I have no excuse.”

The alchemist and Imperial Knight apologized seriously.

Ralph released his resentment with just a few words and smiled cheerfully.

“It’s fine. I was the only one who had a ridiculous misunderstanding, but the Princess knew everything. Right, Princess?”

Ralph shot eyes full of respect and admiration at Serena.

Cold sweat ran down Serena’s spine.

‘No. I didn’t know either.’

She had naturally thought they were going to the execution ground. Who would have imagined it was a visit.

Serena narrowed her single eye and observed the alchemist and Imperial Knight beyond the bars.

The alchemist’s offensive potions on his belt were still there, and the massive double-edged axe he was holding to attach the magic magnet to people was also intact.

“Are you two not imprisoned?”

“Actually, Lady Serena.”

Count Randy and Serena’s words overlapped.

Count Randy, who should rightfully yield his turn to the Princess, actually furrowed his brow and swallowed hard.

Since it was obvious just by looking that the two weren’t imprisoned, Serena nodded to the Count.

“Actually, Count Ralph’s thoughts weren’t entirely off the mark. It’s truly devastating and regrettable that I have to deliver such news with my own mouth.”

Count Randy let out a small sigh as if it was difficult for him to speak.

“The execution of Lady Serena and Count Ralph is indeed scheduled. It’s planned to be carried out six days from today.”

Six days until execution. Serena wasn’t very surprised.

Compared to thinking she would be executed just one day after imprisonment, she even felt psychological relief.

‘It’s not like Wonhyo Master’s skull water or anything.’

If she had first been told there was a week left until execution, she would have felt suffocated and stressed, but the misunderstanding prevented that.

Ralph, who had been worried, also seemed to regain his positive mindset as his expression brightened.

‘For people who say the cup is only half full of water, you just need to first tell them there’s only a sip of water.’

Serena realized a new truth. If you do that, everyone will be happy saying ‘Wow! The cup is half full of water!’

“What is the reason for our execution?”

Count Randy watched the Princess’s reaction before speaking with difficulty.

“Murder.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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