The Poisonous Princess Who Successfully Infiltrated the Enemy as an Employee - Chapter 8

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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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Episode 8.

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A few days later.
The knights finally received their punishment.
It was to climb to the summit of the Pedrica Mountain Range in the Northern Region—where monster sightings were relatively sparse—in full armor, and return the same way.
Not painful enough to kill, but painful enough to come close to death, Selin had told me. That was the nature of their punishment.
And naturally, I changed into training clothes and threw on a thick coat before leaving my chamber.
I intended to keep my promise to undergo the punishment alongside the knights. Even if I couldn’t do it in full armor like they would.
“Your Highness, no! Absolutely not! You mustn’t! A person as delicate as you, well, um—in any case, you’ll freeze to death before you even reach the base of the mountain!”
I couldn’t fathom why she’d hesitated on the word “delicate,” but our beloved Selin had, as expected, blocked my path.
I reached out and gently stroked the crown of her round head.
“Selin, thank you for everything. You’ve been such a strength to me, having you at my side. If I don’t come back, take the silver candlestick and silver spoon I’ve hidden under my bed and sell them. Use the money for yourself.”
They were items from the Grand Duke’s Residence that I’d tucked away just in case.
It wasn’t that I truly believed I wouldn’t return, but by revealing even the emergency funds I’d hidden away bit by bit, I wanted to show her how much I trusted her.
Whether my sincerity reached her, Selin burst into tears.
“Waaah! Your Highness! When you say things like that with such a look on your face, it scares me more, not less!”
“…….”
What was that about?
I thought I’d just spoken quite tenderly, so why did it scare her?
I shrugged, withdrew my hand from the top of Selin’s head, and took my place beside the knights.
“I’m sorry, both of you. You have to climb that harsh mountain because of me.”
At my apology, the two knights seemed caught off guard, visibly startled.
Yes, I knew. Not just these two, but all the knights and servants of the Grand Duke’s Residence resented me.
After all, I was a princess from an enemy nation. From Delmar Kingdom—the very kingdom that had killed their comrades, their friends, their families.
A mad princess from that kingdom had thrown a tantrum, ventured into the City Center, caused their mission to fail, and ultimately brought punishment down upon them.
‘They must want to spit in my face.’
But they seemed taken aback—standing before the butler and the Grand Duke as they did, seeing him shield them, and then seeing me change into clothes to undergo their punishment alongside them.
“Not at all, Your Highness.”
One of the knights scratched his head awkwardly as he spoke.
“We were spared a worse fate thanks to you. If it weren’t for your intervention, we would have been stripped of our knighthood and cast out.”
At that, I smiled bitterly.
“……That’s exactly why I feel worse about it.”
“Ha—that wasn’t my intent in saying so.”
Then the other knight, who stood beside him, bowed respectfully and spoke to me.
“We are grateful for your consideration, Your Highness. But please, return to the residence now. We can complete this in a day, but you’ll collapse before you even reach the entrance to the range.”
“…….”
I blinked in mild surprise.
It wasn’t mockery in his words.
He was genuinely worried that I wouldn’t be able to endure it and would collapse.
I’d expected these knights to hate me, to blame me—yet here they were, concerned for my welfare instead. I was utterly bewildered.
Whether it was mere pity for a mad princess or something else, it didn’t matter. ……I was grateful.
“But I still—.”
Just as I opened my mouth to speak, a low, cold voice dropped from behind.
“Why haven’t you left yet? Do you have confidence you’ll be back before sundown?”
Barcan appeared from nowhere, his arms folded across his chest as he looked down at us.
The knights spun around as if struck by lightning.
“Oh—n-no sir! We’re leaving now! We’ll be back!”
The two of them bolted forward almost as if fleeing. Watching their retreating figures, I clicked my tongue.
“Goodness, how frightening.”
The poor things were already dreading their punishment—why did he have to intimidate them further?
When I glared at Barcan, he stepped in front of me and spoke.
“Your Highness. Might you reconsider?”
“Reconsider what?”
“The mountain range in the Northern Region is known throughout the entire empire for being the most treacherous and merciless. Why not return to the residence quietly while you still have the chance?”
At that, I grinned widely.
“In that case—care to make a wager with me?”
Barcan’s brows drew together at my sudden proposal.
“A wager?”
“I can’t promise I’ll return faster than your knights, but if I come back safely by today, you’ll grant me one wish.”
His eyes narrowed slightly.
“If it’s something within my ability.”
“Really?!”
At my delight, Barcan posed his question.
“But what do I gain if I win the wager?”
I paused briefly before answering.
“Freedom?”
“……Freedom?”
My answer seemed to catch him off guard, and he hesitated.
I beamed at him and continued brightly.
“If I don’t return by today, it means I’ve frozen to death somewhere in that mountain range or been devoured by a magical beast, doesn’t it?”
“…….”
“The troublesome girl from Delmar will have vanished, so what greater freedom could you ask for than that? You could finally choose a sensible woman for a wife. Isn’t that right? So please keep your promise!”
With that, I spun around and dashed eagerly after the knights toward the mountain path.
“I’ll be back!”
Giggle, giggle! Wow! Mountains! Snow! Snow-covered mountains!
Giggle, giggle.

***

“……Ha.”
A short, bitter laugh escaped Barcan’s lips as he watched the blonde girl disappear into the distance.
He’d just confirmed anew that the Princess’s mind was not entirely sound.
Neither was her insistence on climbing the Northern Range with the knights, nor was her wager with him.
And certainly not the way she’d spoken of that terrible possibility—that he might die—with such radiant cheer.
No sane person would conduct themselves that way.
Yet there was only one reason he’d agreed to this absurd wager and permitted the climb.
That small, delicate frame, no matter how excitedly she bounded away like a puppy, would never withstand the bitter northern winds—she’d collapse before they even reached the foot of the range.
‘No matter how warmly dressed, that slight body cannot scale the mountains of the North.’
Then Lucas, a member of the First Knight Order standing beside Barcan, stepped forward and bowed his head.
“Your Highness, I shall follow the Princess.”
“…….”
He meant he would follow her to prepare for any emergency.
But Barcan did not answer.
Barcan, too, had no intention of letting the Princess die.
Though she was a princess from an enemy kingdom, sent by the Emperor himself, he believed she must not die—not in the Northern Region, which was his own land.
To do so would give the Imperial Court grounds to oppress the Grand Duke’s house.
Barcan raised his hand, stopping Lucas from following.
“No. That won’t be necessary.”
“Your Highness?”
Barcan had been away from the Grand Duke’s Residence for over a week, conducting Monster Subjugation.
Though the subjugation was genuinely necessary, he could have returned earlier had he pushed harder to finish.
In any case, contrary to his intentions, he had foisted responsibility for the Princess onto his household staff and knights.
But now, facing her directly, he was beginning to understand just how much of a headache she must have been for them.
So he decided that from now on, it should be he himself who watched over her, not someone else.
Barcan clenched his teeth as he watched the blonde head recede further into the distance.
Dammit…….
He fastened his cloak and moved forward.
“I’m going.”
“Your Highness—!”
“Don’t follow.”
Barcan’s footsteps hurried swiftly toward the mountain path where the Princess had vanished.

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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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