The Kidnapped Prince is Mine Now - Chapter 22

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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 22
“Not yet.”
“Sigh.”
Konrad had begun pacing in circles. My apologies for adding to your troubles.
In any case, this was precisely why I had to endure—until the Archbishop showed his hand, I could either drive Maximilian away or kneel before him.
Yet the situation was not entirely bleak. I had something to rely upon.
“The Archbishop will take my side this time.”
“What makes you so certain?”
“Intuition.”
Konrad’s eyes were practically cursing me. My apologies for finding the truth difficult to speak.
The truth was, I had added something to the letter sent to the Archbishop.
[It seems my powers as the Holy Maiden have awakened.]
Was it genuine?
Of course it was a bluff. I couldn’t deny it even if someone called me a liar the moment I opened my mouth.
I found it difficult even to lie to the Archbishop about hearing the Goddess’s oracle. After all, I was the very one who had directly heard the prophecy that “the Holy Maiden would come.”
‘If all else fails, I’ll have to reveal the regression itself.’
In any case, the die had been cast.
I met Konrad’s gaze—he looked as though he had aged ten years—and lowered my voice.
“Sir Konrad, so here’s the thing…”
As he listened to what followed, Konrad’s face grew progressively paler.
***
“Your Majesty. This tea is excellent for insomnia.”
“Ah, thank you.”
The night of that tempestuous day had grown deep. I rose from my bed and accepted the tea the Maidservant offered.
“I simply cannot fall asleep.”
“I understand, Your Majesty.”
The Maidservant withdrew quietly, offering a bitter smile as though she shared my sentiment.
I felt the warmth in my hands and gazed absently around the room left to solitude.
I knew this had been Rotar’s mother’s chamber, yet it felt excessively vast and empty for one person alone.
The reason was evident.
‘It’s lonely.’
The bear of a man who had warmed the bedside every night was absent. And he was now…
I descended from the bed and approached the firmly shuttered window.
As I parted the curtain slightly, soldiers hurried about below, transporting supplies even at this hour.
And when I lifted my gaze higher.
“Over there, then.”
Flickering lights near the Snowy Mountains caught my eye. It meant the battle with the monsters had not yet ended, even at this late hour.
“Sigh.”
I immediately drew the curtain closed and drank the tea. My mouth tasted unbearably bitter.
Maximilian, the Archbishop. Neither had shown any particular response by this hour.
If Maximilian never appeared again until death, I would be grateful. But the sooner I heard from the Archbishop, the better.
‘Yet there was no way to hasten matters.’
Waiting. That was the only thing I could do now—lying like a corpse, sipping tea between moments of idleness.
I could scarcely grow accustomed to this helplessness. It felt like being a prey animal hunted by a predator lurking in the darkness of a dense forest.
‘Damn it.’
I glanced at the gun resting at the head of my bed. A magical firearm, roughly resembling a pistol in form.
If I could wield this gun properly… would anything change?
‘…Perhaps not.’
Honestly, I had no idea. What could a single gun accomplish?
In any case, I had failed to prove my worth sufficiently. Least of all against Maximilian, that abyssal monster.
That was why I had drawn Rotar Eisenrit into this. Status, lineage, ability—wasn’t he superior to me in every regard? I intended to exploit him as much as possible.
‘Though I never meant to throw him as bait to those dark hordes of demons.’
Even now, Rotar was likely battling the endless tide of demons in that cold, dark Snowy Mountains. A life barely saved had been cast back onto the battlefield once more.
My heart grew turbulent, and I shut my eyes tightly. For the first time in ages, I made a wish—to my goddess, who had never once spoken to me.
‘Listen. If you want something, fight the Demon King directly yourself. Don’t let that monster run rampant in the human realm. What is all this chaos?’
As a bonus, I prayed that Maximilian, who was likely prowling around Graupels, would stumble forward and break his nose. It seemed I would only feel satisfied if that glossy face were marred.
I don’t remember when I fell asleep, tossing beneath the blankets like that.
I think I extinguished the lamp at my bedside with a hazy mind.
“…”
But where was I?
When I opened my eyes, I stood in the midst of a forest bathed in the dim light of dawn. For a winter forest, the verdure was remarkably lush, with crimson berries dotting the branches.
Was it merely a dream? Yet the sensation of damp earth beneath my bare feet felt vividly real.
As I gazed blankly around, I wondered if perhaps it was time to die again.
“Hello.”
A child’s voice came from below. I hadn’t sensed any presence.
Frozen, I turned around, and what I saw was—
“…What?”
A fluffy kitten. And a white-chested tuxedo kitten at that!
Those golden eyes and the soft fur bristling in all directions were impossibly adorable. What was this surprise attack?
Without thinking, I dropped to my knees. I carefully opened my mouth toward the kitten, who sat with dignified composure.
“Here, kitty. Come here.”
I wanted to touch it. I wanted to feel that warm, soft kitten.
Consumed by this intense desire, I wiggled all ten fingers to capture its attention.
Then the kitten before me slowly opened its mouth. I thought it might be about to cry, but—
“Elise. You’re good at everything else, but your intelligence seems a bit lacking.”
“…”
What? Unless I’d misheard, it sounded like insults were coming from that child’s voice.
The kitten raised a paw and began grooming its face as it continued speaking.
“That’s why it took you five attempts just to finally sever Maximilian’s neck. If it were me, I’d have done a one-shot kill by the third attempt at the latest.”
I simply stared blankly at this spectacle.
It’s strange. It looks like a cat, sounds like a child, and speaks like a pure troll. What on earth is inside that shell?
I asked, half-suspecting the answer.
“Pelmira?”
Just to be safe, I even added an honorific. I was terrified of being struck by lightning for addressing her so casually.
The kitten, having finished grooming itself, padded toward me with delicate steps and replied.
“That’s not the problem.”
It was only then that pink, jelly-like paw pads settled onto my lap.
“The problem is that you’re overlooking something crucial, Elise.”
Really? That didn’t seem right. Surely the sensation of those soft, pliant paw pads was far more important than anything else.
I barely managed to rouse my consciousness from the haze of rapture and asked.
“What, what am I overlooking?”
The kitten blinked its golden eyes and opened its mouth.
“What do you think a Saint is?”
…What?
I furrowed my brow at words I couldn’t comprehend.
Explain more specifically. My hand was already reaching out to grasp the creature’s body when—
“You can do it. I chose you, after all.”
With those words, a brilliant light flashed before my eyes.
And when I came to my senses—
“…What?”
I was staring at the ceiling of my bedroom, bathed in bright morning light.
I lifted my head and looked around. It was indeed the room where I had fallen asleep. Morning had simply arrived. The space beside me on the bed remained empty.
Was that just a dream? A vision? Or…?
I was attempting to recall what had just transpired when—
Knock, knock. A rapid knock sounded, followed by the tense voice of a maidservant from beyond the door.
“Your Highness, the Imperial Consort. Did you cough?”
Ah. How ominous.
As someone who had squandered five lifetimes amid misfortune, I could sense it. That a grueling day was about to begin.
“What is the matter?”
I forced out a hoarse reply.
The maidservant, as if she had been waiting, spilled out the day’s news.
“His Highness, the First Prince, has arrived in Graupels.”
Damn it.
Maximilian had made his appearance.
***
“Open the gates!”
At the shout from outside the carriage, Martha, Maximilian’s maidservant, flinched visibly.
The voice belonged to Belsh—the commander of the Second Imperial Knight Order, whose expressionless face betrayed nothing as he carried out whatever the First Prince demanded.
Peering cautiously through the carriage window, I could see the castle gates sealed shut.
Constructed from thick, unyielding stone, the fortress gates seemed impervious to destruction, even if several siege engines were brought to bear against them.
Would they simply open the gates? Martha cast a worried glance at the man seated across from her.
‘If they refuse to open the gates, he will slaughter everyone—save for one woman.’

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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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