The Kidnapped Prince is Mine Now - Chapter 47

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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 47
Empress?
To be honest, I thought I’d divorce him before it ever came to that.
Bluntly put, at first I only cared about taking down Maximilian—what happened to my life afterward was irrelevant.
A marriage of convenience, after all. I never imagined I’d end up like this with Rotar Eisenrit, a man I’d barely exchanged words with before.
“Have you thought about what it means to live as Emperor?”
I quickly added more, anticipating some response about disappointment.
Rotar Eisenrit remained silent for a moment before speaking.
“Yes. I intend to change Imperial law.”
“Oh.”
It was a more concrete plan than I expected.
“How?”
“Monogamy.”
“What?”
That was something I hadn’t anticipated.
“Why the sudden change?”
“An Empress. Multiple Imperial Consorts. Countless heirs beneath them. Isn’t that where the bloodshed of imperial succession begins?”
As Rotar Eisenrit spoke, his gaze fixed upon me.
“So you needn’t worry.”
“…?”
“It matters not if you bear no children. There will be no other consorts or concubines in my life. You alone are enough.”
Ah.
Only then did I understand why Rotar Eisenrit had broached the subject of Imperial law.
He wanted to say it—that he would never take another woman into his arms for the sake of producing an heir.
‘…Now that I think about it, he said something similar before.’
When the Staufen Margrave was desperately trying to lock Rotar Eisenrit and me away in a private chamber.
Even then, Rotar Eisenrit had told me I needn’t concern myself with the duty of maintaining bloodlines.
‘Forcing myself to bear children would only create more unhappy people, would it not?’
And yet.
‘The context has changed.’
It was no longer a duty that could be fulfilled by bearing one or two children with his blood—it was something far more distant.
Rotar Eisenrit spoke with the certainty that we would spend the rest of our lives together.
“…”
My heart raced inexplicably. It felt as though I were dreaming an impossible dream.
Yet looking into Rotar Eisenrit’s eyes, I could tell. The most solemn man in the world was offering me a vow forged from his very soul.
“…Fool.”
For some reason, tears threatened to spill.
I closed my eyes and found his lips, biting gently.
As I wrapped my arms around his neck, a low laugh flowed between our joined lips.
As if he’d been waiting, his hands grasped the back of my thighs and lifted me.
It was a time of sweet slumber.
***
The Expedition Force that had remained in the Snowy Mountains entered Drakenloch about four days later.
“I’m relieved to see you safe, Your Majesty!”
“And you all seem to have escaped without serious injury, which is fortunate.”
The knights of Graupels couldn’t hide their expressions of emotion upon seeing Rotar Eisenrit with all his limbs intact.
From what I gathered, they had pressed forward with the expedition with the resolve to complete their mission, if only for the sake of their lord who had met such a tragic end.
Wolfgang Lichtenbrun, on the other hand.
“Ha ha, so you were alive?”
“….”
Irritatingly nonchalant. As if he’d never once entertained the thought that I might be dead.
Had his cheeks not been so sunken compared to the last time I’d seen him, I would have stamped on his foot.
“The Commander was deeply concerned about you.”
“Yes. Even after defeating the monster, we barely managed to stop him from leaping into the chasm.”
With the Holy Knights around me whispering about what had transpired after my disappearance, I couldn’t very well ignore it.
‘Pretending he wasn’t worried when he clearly was.’
Wolfgang was certainly a complicated man to handle. As the Commander of the Holy Knight Order, he was far too forthright and talkative, yet there were times when he kept his true feelings locked away, refusing to reveal them.
I looked up at Wolfgang’s smiling face for a moment before speaking.
“I’m sorry. For worrying you.”
The way his smile vanished in that instant was so characteristic of him. I patted his shoulder and turned away.
‘Any more concern than this would be a sin, a sin.’
Having decided to spend my life with Rotar Eisenrit, it was only right that I give no quarter to anyone else.
By the time Shisha returned from the Capital, the secretaries had finished organizing their records. A select few Holy Knights specialized in interpreting ancient texts were immediately assigned to the archive to begin analyzing the materials.
We were on the verge of achieving the goal that had brought us across the Snowy Mountains to Drakenloch.
Of course, I hadn’t simply been idle all this time. First and foremost, Shisha had brought me something upon her return.
[Elise, a gift for you.]
“…!”
An elongated barrel and a stock.
A rifle. And a sleek, refined one at that!
My mouth fell open involuntarily. The moment I took it, I flipped it up and down, examining all the components attached to it.
Unlike my pistol, it wasn’t quite the same form as a modern rifle, but this weight. This satisfying grip. Oh, how I had missed it.
Most importantly.
[It even has a suppressor.]
“Oh, blessed heavens.”
I lifted the rifle high, my exclamation tinged with religious reverence.
Yes, this is the taste of modern weaponry!
Until now, every time I fired, the sound was so loud my ears would ring. There were inevitable restrictions on its use.
While a suppressor wouldn’t completely silence the shot, it would be far better than before. The magnifying scope mounted on top would prove useful as well.
Shisha’s gift didn’t end there.
[Take this too. It’s equipped with a magnifying scope and suppressor as well.]
A modern pistol.
It resembled mine in appearance, but the moment I took it, I was startled. The weight was barely perceptible.
[The materials have been improved for convenience. And in emergencies, a pistol is still more practical than a rifle.]
“Shisha….”
At this point, I couldn’t help but feel moved.
Come to think of it, there was no need to thank the gods. Shisha had given me all of this!
‘Oh, blessed Shisha.’
Still, I couldn’t afford to be labeled a heretic, so I only shouted it inwardly. Instead, I spread both arms wide.
Shisha stared at me for a moment before asking.
[What are you doing?]
“An embrace. A hug filled with love and gratitude.”
[Ah. A traditional greeting among your people, I see.]
Shisha nodded in understanding and opened her arms in return. I rushed forward and wrapped my arms tightly around her.
The old me might have found embracing a walking serpent somewhat awkward.
But seeing her every day had made it far less unsettling.
‘In fact, it’s rather endearing.’
Shisha’s body was cool and slippery, so it didn’t quite feel like holding a person. I wondered how she experienced this gesture.
I rested my chin on her shoulder and whispered.
“Thank you. Truly.”
[Hehe, that’s my line.]
I was grateful for the translator. It allowed me to convey my sincerity through words.
The old rifle I’d been using was later donated to Drakenloch. I no longer had need for it, and apparently it had value as a historical artifact for analysis.
Still, acquiring two firearms was an unexpected windfall. There was one problem, however.
“That long weapon is far too conspicuous, is it not?”
Wolfgang was right. The pistol could be concealed in my robes as usual, but the rifle was typically slung across the shoulder. Carrying it that way within the Empire would almost certainly draw unwanted attention.
This led to the idea of ‘disguise’—not for me, but for the rifle itself.
“We could craft an outer casing to make it resemble a walking staff. You could use it as a container.”
If the casing were made sturdy enough, there would be no problem using the rifle to support myself as I walked.
“If anyone questions why a young Holy Maiden carries a staff, we can say your strength has weakened from years in the harsh north.”
It stung my pride to be perceived as frail, but I saw no better alternative.
In the meantime, I practiced regularly with the rifle in the castle’s training ground. How long had it been since I’d shouldered a rifle and fired at distant targets?
I trained diligently, imagining the distant target was Maximilian’s head.
And there was one more matter I needed to prepare for before returning to the Empire.
“Come, Elise.”
“Yes.”
“Strike.”
Thunk.
I drove the blade through the straw dummy’s neck without hesitation—the silver-mounted sword Rotar had placed in my hand.
“Well done. However, aim slightly more toward the center.”
Rotar gently adjusted the angle of my wrist as he offered his guidance.
“Like this. Cut off their breath in one swift motion.”

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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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