Chapter 96: 97

Even if he lied and said that he never saw the letter, there was no reason for him to lie to me like that. 

It wasn’t Alan who cleaned up my letter.

Alan raised his eyebrows in anger next to my frozen body.

“I told them not to touch your drawing, but… looks like someone broke the order. I’ll find them and punish them.”

“Ah, no.”

I quickly shook my head and closed the frame.

“Don’t do that. There is no way the servants will violate Dad’s orders…”

As I spoke, goosebumps grew on my forearms.

The person who removed the letter from the frame would not be a mere servant.

In the Duke’s Castle, there were only a handful of people who could ignore Alan’s orders and touch the frame.

***

It was a cloudy night.

Benimus walked along the shadows of the trees by the road to the Duke’s Castle. Even in the darkness where he couldn’t see an inch ahead, he never stumbled.

He suddenly looked up at the night sky.

The moon above his head was more intact than the crescent moon that appeared during her debutante. Compared to three days ago, the activities were not very good.

“…It’s still fine.”

Benimus spoke to himself in a dry tone and walked faster. Each time he took a step, his shadow stretched and fell like mud.

Whoo, whoo.

The cries from below the ground quickly subsided.

The world, which was full of noise, gradually became quiet.

Benimus knew well what it meant. A faint smile appeared on his expressionless lips.

At the end of the road, the building of nature appeared.

‘She’ was standing on the terrace carved with the lily pattern. The body leaning against the railing was in danger as if it would fall at any moment.

Benimus turned into a black, thick liquid and then glided up the wall.

She was no longer surprised when the sphere that appeared on the terrace turned into a boy.

“Come in.”

She took Benimus’ hand and hurried into the room. It seemed that she was paying more attention to the eyes of the surveillance that had become more severe than usual.

Even though he could make the guards around faint on the way, Benimus meekly followed her. 

As they walked through the soft curtains, he could easily see the gorgeous room.

Even after the coming-of-age, the pile of dolls proved the duke’s attitude towards her was still that of treating her like a baby.

“I’m sorry I’m late, Princess.”

“…….”

She was especially quiet today. It was kind of weird, but he didn’t care.

Because he was prepared that her smile would disappear in a brief moment.

“Let’s go.”

As Benimus reached out his hand, she backed away in surprise.

“Huh? Let’s go…?”

Benimus tilted his head.

She was the one who wanted to escape from the Duke’s Castle more than anyone else.

Even to this day, that feeling has not changed.

Even when she pretended to be smiling, her existence itself was always floating. It was natural as the people living in this land and their race were different.

Still, she hesitated to hold his hand.

Benimus could not guess the reason for the sudden change of heart.

“Didn’t you promise to go with me?”

Benimus took a step closer and looked directly at her face.

Every time he did this, she strangely averted her gaze.

As if she was afraid that Benimus would look inside herself.

He wanted to bring her to the real world.

“…Come here.”

The boy lowered his eyes and felt the vibrations from his toes.

A very subtle tremor that humans could not feel.

The monsters beneath the ground were clamoring to tear the barriers apart.

On the day of her debutante, he tried to bring them together, but things went a little wrong because she fainted.

Unconscious, she remained in the duke’s arms until the day passed. If he had tried to take her away by force, her delicate skin could have been hurt.

No matter how quickly she could regenerate, he didn’t want to scratch her.

“Just hold my hand.”

He wandered around the room in the night breeze with a whispering voice.

Yes, everything was over as long as she was in his arms.

Soon, the summoned monsters would come out and destroy this land.

He would kill those who torment her, and turn off all the lights that make her sad.

“Then all nightmares will be over.”

Benimus whispered softly.

There would be no misery in a world where only the two of them existed.

Biting her lips, she slowly reached forward with her left hand, which she had been hiding behind her back.

The moment he was about to hold that hand with a happy heart.

“Benny. I have something to tell you.”

She stared at Benimus. What followed was shocking.

“I think we should put off our escape plan.”

Benimus blinked and turned his hand back.

“…I see. Why do you want to postpone it?”

“T-There’s  a lot of eyes right now…”

“It doesn’t matter.”

Benimus straightforwardly reassured her.

“We will never get caught. I can promise you.”

It was ridiculous to be caught in the first place because he would destroy the castle instead of running away.

But the princess was still restless and distorted her cute face.

She asked softly while holding her breath.

“Benny, you… did you take my letter?”

It was a question with no clear intent.

“What do you mean by a letter?”

Even if he shook his head saying he didn’t know, she did not loosen her guard.

Benimus lowered his eyebrows worriedly. She had been really weird since earlier.

“Do you have anything to pack before we go?”

“I can’t go, Benny.”

“You don’t have to worry about getting caught.”

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Benimus approached her closely. In the greedy advancement, there was a strange smell of iron along with the scent of roses.

She crouched down like a terrified rabbit and spoke intermittently.

“But I can’t right now.”

“What’s going on? If you tell me, I’ll solve it for you.”

“Benny.”

“There’s no one who can chase me anyway…”

“Benimus Albrecht.”

At that one word, Benimus bit his mouth.

His mother’s voice, which he had forgotten for a moment, resounded in his ears.

“You are his son. Benimus Albrecht.”

He hadn’t heard in a long time, the name she gave him. It was a distant and nostalgic sound.

He slowly raised his head.

There was fierce fear and determination comparable to that in her lovely eyes.

Drip, drip.  

Red liquid dripped from her left hand, which she lifted into the air.

On the palm of her hand was a cut that had just been dug.

The length of the red wound was exactly the same as Benimus had told her this morning.

 “…I…”

She growled. As if she would turn into a monster if he came closer.

“I can’t go with you.”

The hoarse breath that filled her room was like the roar of a leopard.

***

“Leader, we’re done with patrol here!”

Late at night. A loud voice spread through the night air.

Pedro, who was standing like a rock on the northern stairs of Duke’s Castle, responded with a louder voice.

“Hey, brat. What do you mean patrol over here? I don’t even know where you’ve been?!”

“Oops! That… we finished patrol outside the northwest wall!”

“Good job.”

Pedro nodded satisfactorily and went down the stairs.

At that time, a shadow, who was standing far away, suddenly stood out.

The men who were trying to report on their patrol followed his gaze and were ready for battle at once.

“Who’s there?”

“Emergency! Emergency! Gather everyone…!”

“Hey, hold on.”

Pedro was surprised and grabbed the tails of his men at once.

There was a new sound that was like pulling the string of the talking doll.

“Le, leader! But over there…!”

“Can’t you smell flowers?”

Pedro’s words made his subordinates sniff.

After a while, the light scent of lily flowed into their lungs.

It was a very familiar scent for the knights under direct control of the duke.

“I should get going now. I guess he’s sleepwalking.”

Pedro nodded at his men and ran toward the suspicious silhouette.

And he hit his opponent’s shoulder so much so that a punching sound could be heard.

“Hugo, why aren’t you sleeping?”

Normally, Hugo would have held onto the shoulder that had been beaten and created a magic spear.

However, Hugo did not respond. His dark face was revealed under the hazy moon.

Something was weird.

Pedro waved his hand in front of his disheveled brother, which was rare.

“I think you’re awake… Did you finally sell your soul to the devil after studying black magic day and night?”

“…….”

“What’s wrong with you, dude? We both need to protect Lily with all our might. And what’s that in your hand?”

Hugo had a crumpled piece of paper in his hand.

Hugo, who had been slouching up until now, stepped back as Pedro tried to take away the paper.

Pedro opened his eyes wide in response to a fiercer reaction than expected.

“What’s that?”

“….It’s none of your business.”

Hugo turned his head away. Pedro groaned.

His younger brother was a sensitive person, but he looked worse today.

In this case, it was best to bring up topics that Hugo would unconditionally react to.

“Don’t you know that Lily woke up this morning? I’m sure she misses you.”

“…….”

Hugo clenched his teeth.

Pedro was puzzled by the unexpected response.

“…Brother…”

Hugo hid the paper behind him and bit his thin lips.

Somehow he looked distressed as if he was stabbed with a knife.

“What if… What would you do if Lily was a liar?”

Pedro looked at his younger brother with a gaze asking what kind of idiot he was.

“I’ll lie too and play along with her.”

He tried to turn it over as a joke, but Hugo frowned as if it was not his desired answer.

Pedro was dumbfounded.

“You bastard, what’s wrong with you these days? You’ve been making a fuss all four years that you’re looking forward to Lily’s debutante, but on that day, you disappeared without saying anything. Did you two fight?”

“…No.”

Hugo looked at the rough dirt floor and turned his back.

“That’s why it’s a problem.”

Hugo was heading toward the academy, not the Duke’s Castle.

Pedro followed him, nagging, but stopped the moment he reached the end of the patrol area.

It was his duty to protect the Duke’s Castle.

He sighed and tapped his younger brother who never stopped walking on the back.

“Still, come and have breakfast.”

Hugo disappeared into the darkness without looking back.

When there was finally absolutely no one around him, Hugo stopped in place and unfolded the crumpled paper.

「To Duke Alan.」

The stiff title was clearly written in his little sister’s handwriting.

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