────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Chapter 55
Stella was a person who had never even held a sword once and would fall down if struck.
‘But, why…?’
At that moment, a thought flashed through my mind like lightning.
‘Maybe, this garbage—’
How I struggled to stop this war…!
Anger against Andre soared and I could not contain it.
“Listen, listen to me first…”
“I don’t need any excuses. If you had the guts to come here, you’d be ready to die.”
“Your, Your Majesty. Please—”
“I never spared anyone who entered my bedroom.”
Stella was weeping and begging earnestly, but Declan, who stood with his back to the moonlight, was like a messenger calling for death.
“Your Majesty!”
As soon as I saw him swish his sword up, I stopped in front of Stella.
“Get out of my way.”
“Your Majesty, wait a minute.”
“I said get out of my way.”
He must have been outraged.
Nevertheless, I couldn’t back down like this. Even if Stella and Mason had no relationship now, killing the original female lead was risky in many ways. Though she was an illegitimate child, if the Princess dies, it would be inevitable to avoid war.
“First, put down your sword, and let’s talk calmly.”
“There is no mercy for intruders.”
The lively green eyes shone as fiercely like when I first transmigrated here. But, after confirming the truth, there was no more fear.
“I beg you. Please?”
His dark eyebrows furrowed as I put my hands together and made a desperate expression.
“Ha…”
The sword lowered with a sigh. However, he was still watching Stella with a vigilant look.
“What is your purpose here?”
Stella hesitated, then slowly lifted her head, clutching the robe in her hand.
“Save, save me… Only Your Majesty can save me.”
“It doesn’t make sense. If you want to live, you shouldn’t have come here.”
Her body shuddered even more at the cold tone before she opened her mouth again, “…I came to live. Only Your Majesty can save me.”
As Stella staggered and rose from the spot, Declan pointed his sword at her again.
“Don’t move. I didn’t give you a chance because I trusted you.”
Stella’s face, with a sad smile, looked like someone who had given up on everything. Suddenly, an ominous feeling ran up my spine.
‘No way… Is she trying to commit suicide here?’
As I pondered how to stop it, Stella untied the ribbon she had tied her robe to.
Flop.
Declan and my eyes widened at the same time as the robe fell to the floor.
‘What, what…’
Because of the thin slip, her body was reflected at first glance, revealing her body. Even though I had to fix this situation, I was so startled that I couldn’t move my body.
“…Hold m, me. I belong to Your Majesty.”
Tears streamed down from Stella’s eyes.
“You’ve got a lot on your plate. Did your brother order you?”
“I am a tribute to Your Majesty from Ielro. Please, take a look.”
“What do you see me as?”
As he moved his sword under Stella’s chin and raised her head, drops of blood ran down her chin.
“Your dead body alone could be enough to charge you.”
When Declan pushed the sword further, Stella squeezed her eyes shut. I moved reflexively and shoved my face at Declan. His eyes widened as if surprised by my sudden action.
“Look at me. If you can only see me. You said you couldn’t afford to look anywhere else to look after me.”
There was a small ripple in the eyes that was flowing cold.
“Erica.”
“Yes, I’m here, so don’t look anywhere else.”
Declan, who gazed at me softly, nodded his head slightly.
“Your Majesty, you promised me not to go to war, right?”
“…Yes.”
“So, you can’t kill her.”
Declan’s expression turned dissatisfied, so I quickly added words.
“We’ll protest and punish her properly tomorrow. She must have come under pressure from the Crown Prince.”
Unknowingly, I gently caressed his cheek when I saw that he had a lot to say.
“Did I say I dreamed of being burned…? If that person dies at Your Majesty’s hands, I may suffer from that dream again.”
‘…So, please be patient with me.’
At the last words, Declan let out a small sigh and sheathed out his sword.
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
As I smiled softly, he shook his head as if he couldn’t stop me.
“Get dressed.”
Stella didn’t understand what he was saying, so her eyes were still closed and her body was shaking.
“Or, if you want to stay like that.”
Saying so, Declan turned away from her and lit the candle, making the room a little brighter.
“Please, don’t throw me out like this.”
Belatedly, Stella fell to the floor as though she understood Declan’s words, and she spoke.
“If you don’t save me…”
Declan’s expression became more and more ferocious in the words that followed.
“…I would the moment I leave this place.”
“Whether you die or not, I don’t want to get blood on my hands.”
“Your Majesty, please save me. I don’t ask for anything. A nameless mistress is fine.”
Stella fell onto the floor, probably shaken at the cold reaction and began to cry, “If I go out like this, I will die by the Crown Prince. You don’t have to look for me for the rest of your life. Just let me be by your side.”
The Crown Prince…
Just by his title alone, I could tell.
‘This is too much to do.’
Anger against Andrea and Ielro King soared.
“First of all, let’s protect her. All right?”
Declan took a step back when I judged that the Crown Prince could kill her and get framed.
“Let’s do that for now.”
At those words, Stella lifted her face, messed up with her tears. Perhaps, she thought it was an answer to her own request, there was a glimmer of anticipation in her.
“I will protect you until I get to your brother.”
“Your, Your Majesty, I…”
Declan raised his hand to stop her.
“If you don’t get dressed right now, I’ll throw you to your brother.”
When he raised the name Andre, Stella hurriedly put on the robe.
“What, what the hell is this?”
Andre protested with a flushed face. Meanwhile, Declan stared down at Ielro’s delegation, who had been captured and dragged.
“Your Majesty, please loosen the bonds and settle it through dialogue.”
Although Duke Heather calmly persuaded Declan, he did not respond and glanced at Liam. After a while, Stella, who was bound just like them, was dragged away, and Andre’s face hardened in an instant.
‘Look at that expression!’
I glared at Andre with all my might, but suddenly my vision went dark.
“Tsk, you should see only the good.”
When I turned my head, Declan was covering my eyes.
“Look at me.”
The delegation on their knees were bewildered by Declan’s actions. Though he was satisfied when I nodded, swallowing a sigh that was about to come out.
“You don’t know what’s going on even when you see the Princess?”
“Why was my sister brought here?”
Andre asked with a face that he had no idea.
‘…How shameless.’
Judging from the expressions on their faces, it seemed that Duke Heather and the rest of the delegation knew what had happened last night.
“Are you going to pretend you don’t know?”
Declan chuckled.
Andre struggled to capture his expression and glanced at Stella and Declan and persisted, “I have no idea what you are talking about.”
“Your sister, whom you say you love so much, broke into my room at night.”
“What? How could that happen? Stella, are you crazy?”
Stella’s body trembled at the deadly stare.
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────