The Kidnapped Prince is Mine Now - Chapter 15

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 15
Beneath half-pinned hair cascaded a platinum chain ornament, and below it, a silver off-shoulder dress adorned with snowflake patterns shimmered with a soft glow.
The bare neckline was filled by a pendant necklace crafted from lavender moonstone.
I swept my gaze over the borrowed appearance I’d worn for decades, then nodded in approval.
“I like it.”
To be honest, it didn’t matter what I wore.
I was satisfied precisely because this outfit reflected neither the Archbishop’s taste nor Maximilian’s.
“Now let’s go out. Please, let’s just go out.”
“Yes, Your Highness!”
One of the maids quickly rose and opened the Dressing Room door. The other two lifted the hem of the dress.
I was about to leave the room and head toward the Banquet Hall when—
“…Elise?”
I encountered Rotar Eisenrit, who was also exiting his room.
‘Oh.’
A black midi coat with gold thread embroidery and deep navy slim trousers. Hair swept back naturally and eyebrows neatly groomed.
His already distinctive appearance shone even more brilliantly. Compared to when we were in the Carriage, he now exuded the dignity and composure of Imperial Family.
He wore not a single medal, though one could fill an entire wall with them.
And yet—
“What’s wrong?”
Dilated pupils. Parted lips.
Rotar’s expression as he regarded me was peculiar.
The maid adjusting my skirt whispered softly.
“His Highness seems to have been captivated by Your Highness’s beauty.”
Is that it?
Well, that’s possible. Until now, I’d only worn modest pure white dresses.
Objectively speaking, my appearance was indeed exceptional. Though it had never brought me happiness.
I sometimes thought that if I’d been even slightly less beautiful, my life wouldn’t have become so twisted.
I approached Rotar and whispered as I brushed away a speck of dust that had settled on his coat collar.
“Why? Are hymns playing in your head? Does everything around me look in black and white except for me, or something like that?”
Rotar, coming to his senses belatedly, furrowed his brow slightly.
I wondered if I’d teased him too much, but he grasped my hand and countered.
“How did you know? Is that from personal experience?”
Wow, he’s quick with comebacks after taking a break.
I laughed and took his hand.
“Stop talking nonsense and escort me.”
“…”
Rotar’s eyes narrowed as if something displeased him, but he was no longer my concern.
‘This is what he calls a lean arm?’
My attention had been drawn to Rotar’s thick forearms.
No matter how I looked at it, I couldn’t imagine how bulky they must have been before.
When I reached out to touch his arm, I couldn’t even dent it despite applying full force.
I pounded my fist against Rotar’s forearm, hard as stone, as we descended toward the Banquet Hall.
“Doesn’t that hurt?”
“It barely registers.”
Whether he was joking or serious remained unclear—his unreadable expression would require considerable time to decipher.
The Marquis and his wife, who had arrived at the Banquet Hall first, rose from their seats at our entrance.
“The Holy Maiden! Or rather, now that you’re one of our family, I suppose I should call you Elise. Did you rest sufficiently? I left some rather useful items in the bedside table of your bedroom, though I forgot to mention it.”
“How thoughtful of you.”
Whatever it was, they could take it back. I had no desire to open it.
Rotar simply pulled out my chair with an impassive expression.
This fellow had grown up well even under such an eccentric aunt. I found myself growing oddly fond of him.
The banquet commenced shortly after. The Marquis, having given the servants a cursory glance as they withdrew with the dishes, spoke first.
“Well then, before we begin our meal, shall we clarify something?”
He turned his gaze toward his nephew.
“Rotar. How much do you know about Maximilian’s backing?”
Rotar picked up a dinner roll and responded calmly.
“I know nothing concrete. Elise instructed me to hear it directly from you today.”
“Is that so?”
His eyes widened in surprise, but only briefly. The Marquis, now wearing a mischievous smile, continued.
“Then choose: somewhat good news and terribly bad news. Which would you prefer to hear first?”
“The balance seems rather unequal.”
“Isn’t that how life tends to be?”
Fair enough. I nodded quietly to myself.
“Since they say it’s better to take the beating first, I’ll hear the terribly bad news.”
“You will?”
The Marquis took a long drink of red wine before speaking again.
“Then I’ll tell you the somewhat good news first.”
“….”
He was doing this deliberately, trying to provoke me.
I admired Rotar’s profile as his eyes narrowed slightly—I recognized that expression. He was irritated.
“First, I minimized the soldier demobilization. I’ve secretly sent about ten thousand elsewhere, to territories even Tobias doesn’t know about. The Emperor hasn’t caught wind of it either.”
“I see… So only ten thousand remain out of the original thirty thousand.”
“Think positively. Ten thousand soldiers still remain.”
Thirty thousand. Originally, that would have been enough to march on the Capital.
Had Rotar managed to recruit fifty thousand more through additional noble alliances, an overthrow of the Empire itself would have been possible.
Such a path was feasible precisely because Rotar had been thrown into warfare from childhood and maintained active connections with military nobility.
If he had succeeded, Maximilian would have knelt at Rotar’s feet.
I placed red meat into my mouth. The conversation between Rotar and the Marquis continued in the still-relaxed atmosphere.
“Is that all the good news?”
“No. I also discovered a traitor beforehand. Your right hand, Tobias. Frederike is pregnant with Maximilian’s child.”
“I’ve already heard that from Elise.”
“Is that so? Then we’re done here.”
“….”
Rotar Eisenrit brought the wine glass to his lips.
‘This aunt certainly has a talent for tormenting her nephew.’
I noted that the Margrave also called the future Empress “Frederike”—it seemed the ties between their houses ran quite deep.
‘What does that woman mean to Rotar Eisenrit?’
I chewed the meat in my mouth while recalling a distant memory.
A red-haired woman who had found even meeting my gaze unpleasant. She was a beauty with a splendid appearance that suited Rotar Eisenrit well.
Just as I thought the brief silence had ended the conversation.
“Ah, but no! The finest news is right here, is it not?”
Suddenly, Konrad, the Margrave’s husband, raised his voice.
“The union of His Highness Rotar Eisenrit and Her Highness Elise! Though belated, I offer my heartfelt congratulations!”
“…? Thank you?”
It seemed one of Konrad’s roles was to somewhat recover the atmosphere that the Margrave had so thoroughly overturned.
I offered my thanks with an awkward feeling and glanced to the side. I sensed an intense gaze, and my eyes immediately met Rotar Eisenrit’s.
Had I seen correctly? He seemed to be in better spirits than before.
At that moment, the Margrave across from me raised her voice in disbelief.
“That’s obvious! Isn’t the source of all this news the ‘Oracle of the Goddess’?”
“…Yes?”
Ah, and there went Rotar Eisenrit’s brow furrowing again.
Still, this much was part of the planned flow. From the start, I had intended to reveal the full circumstances of the matter to Rotar Eisenrit at this banquet.
I set down my fork while gazing into those green eyes demanding an explanation.
“‘Aid the Second Prince and sever the breath of the cruel First Prince.’ That was the voice the Goddess spoke to me.”
“…Is that so?”
“Of course! Have you been deceived this whole time?”
The Margrave responded in my stead with a voice like a steam engine.
I’m sorry, but yes, you have been deceived. It was a lie.
“Didn’t the Goddess foresee Tobias’s betrayal as well?”
This too was a lie. Everything was pure fabrication.
An oracle? Foresight?
If I possessed such power, I would have split Maximilian’s skull in half from the first cycle.
I had merely created a convincing mechanism using my position as the Saint and my memories up to the fifth cycle.
The method by which I had brought the Holy Knight Order under my sway was the same.
‘Move to prevent the wicked deeds of the fallen Archbishop.’
This was the oracle of the Goddess that the Holy Knights knew.
Earning faith was not difficult. One need only foretell a future that an ordinary person could not predict.
A sudden heat wave, an epidemic in the Western Region… With a life repeated so many times, the trivial details I remembered were abundant.
However.
‘Rotar Eisenrit—that man knows I’m a returnee.’
Well, I revealed it myself, after all.
He must have already caught on that I’d resorted to deception—invoking the goddess’s voice and all manner of tricks—to persuade that stubborn Border Earl.
Would deceiving Rotar Eisenrit from the start have made things easier for me? Perhaps not.
If I lied to an imperial prince already sitting at rock bottom from repeated betrayals, and he discovered the truth later, it felt like our trust would shatter completely.
Rotar Eisenrit’s gaze lingered briefly on me as my eyes darted about, then withdrew. He turned to the Border Earl with a question.
“What is this terribly bad news?”
A natural change of subject. It seemed he had no intention of pressing me about my deception.
The Border Earl set down her spoon, which had been lifting soup, and a dark smile spread across her face.
‘Why is she smiling?’
There was nothing to smile about. This aunt of mine certainly had a cruel streak.
She opened her mouth slowly.
“Demon Nakshura.”
In that instant, Rotar Eisenrit’s green pupils dilated.
“Maximilian made a pact with it. He swore to offer ten million souls.”

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