CH 18

Chapter 18 – Benedict’s Identity

Translator: Lioness

“Your Grace!”

Plein burst open the door without knocking, interrupting his thoughts.

“Miss Alice has come to visit!”

“… Why is that?”

She had no reason to visit him, so he narrowed his brows when he heard the news even though he was already disturbed. He was showing an expression that didn’t want to meet up with Alice but Plein didn’t comprehend him so he said again.

“She said she wants to see Your Grace. She wants to thank you for yesterday.”

Plein’s face was full of joy as he spoke with a smirk. However, he couldn’t understand his joy, who looked like he was benefitting something from his relationship with Alice.

“Plein.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

“Did you know that Alice Hamilton is the only one left?”

“Ah, I know.”

“Then you also know that she is likely the candidate as a Princess”

“… Yes.”

Lawrence sharply looked at Plein’s serious eyes.

“When everything becomes clear that she was the Princess, she must be taken care of.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

“Don’t be fooled anymore.”

“Understood.”

“Let her in.”

“Yes.”

As Plein went out, Alice came in. Lawrence was the first to speak as she arrived, not alone but with an escort.

“What is going on?”

“I came to say thank you for yesterday.”

“Sit down.”

Lawrence, who had given Alice a chair in front of her, ordered Plein to bring them tea. Lawrence’s eyes widened when he saw the face of Benedict standing behind Alice.

‘Why is His Grace here…’

Upon receiving the handkerchief, he was fixated on the handkerchief, so he didn’t recognize his face. He was then convinced when Benedict put his index finger on her lips. He was someone he knew. Benedict Flenas.

The Duke of Flenas of the Nakran Empire. He was a member of the Ducal family, but he heard that he left the family because he was fed up with power struggles.

‘To think that he was by Alice’s side, who might also be the princess.’

Can this really be a coincidence? Lawrence’s confused face hardened. Embarrassed by his hard expression, Alice hurriedly opened her mouth.

“I’m sorry about yesterday.”

“…”

“I am thankful that you were there, otherwise, I would have been crying nonstop.”

“You would have cried there the whole time?”

“Yes.”

She really would have done that since she didn’t know what to do. If had not been for him, she would have just stood there foolishly until her carriage arrived. She doubted if the carriage arrived, would she have any energy left?

‘Because if it wasn’t for Lawrence, that voice wouldn’t have disappeared.’

“Then now-”

“Wait.”

Lawrence raised his hand to stop Alice. Nevertheless, just in case Benedict misinterpret something while escorting her, he glanced at him and asked her.

“Can I really tell you that even with the presence of your escort?”

“Ah.”

Alice, who was in a hurry to talk about the contract in a hurry, kept her mouth shut.

“Sir Benedict. You may leave now.”

“I can’t do that because I’m an escort.”

“This is a safe place, you can leave.”

“Isn’t that where people from other empires are?”

Lawrence laughed out loud at Benedict’s words.

‘You’re from another empire, aren’t you?’

Lawrence’s cold eyes turned to Benedict, who was brazenly discussing lies, but he did not move.

“Even if I am from another empire, we are close friends.”

At Lawrence’s words, Alice stared blankly at him.

“Was it not?”

“Ah yes! Yes, that’s right. We are closer than anyone else.”

An incredibly grateful man. That was her assessment of Lawrence, and she bobbed her head up and down at his words making Benedict’s expression twisted, but not in Alice’s eyes.

Lawrence is a precious person who will take her to the Nakran Empire. So rather than traveling alone, her journey with him would be smoother, and would be powerful.

‘Of course, we’re close!’

As she nodded, she raised her face from a chill she felt somewhere. Benedict was looking at her with fearful eyes. Alice flinched at that gaze and averted her gaze, pretending not to know, and opened her mouth again.

“That’s why, you can go out in relief.”

“Is that true?”

“Yes. Really.”

After staring at Alice in silence for a while, Benedict went outside without hiding his angry expression and Alice shrugged at the door closing with a bang.

“Your escort knight has no manners.”

“Still, Sir Benedict is a good knight.”

“A good knight? He is a person who does not show an example of a good knight.”

“You don’t know Sir Benedict.”

Still, as her escort knight, Alice sided with him.

Meanwhile, Lawrence’s heart ached at Alice’s innocent words. She was even unaware of what gaze he used while looking at her, as if saying that she was for him.

“That man was for Miss Alice?”

“Since he is my escort knight, of course…”

“I am not saying that. Nothing in the world is for granted.”

Despite his firm words, Alice still only blinked her eyes. It was as if she was wondering why this person would say this to me.

‘Haa.’

However, as it turned out, the four escort knights cannot be said to be the direct lineage of the duchy that disappeared from the Nakran Empire. Lawrence only sighed in her frustration.

“Duke.”

“What?”

As a result, his answer to Alice’s words came out unevenly.

“What’s going on?”

‘Something must be wrong with you, not me.’

He wanted to ask her why she was crying, why she was disturbing people so much, and why she was showing up with Benedict, but he couldn’t get the words out of his mouth.

“Why are you here?”

“Because I want to thank you—”

“Is there any other reason besides that?”

Alice’s expression turned playful. Her eyes twinkled as she smiled as she rolled her eyes.

“How did you know?”

“You have the same expression as when you proposed to me with the Diamond of the Abyss.”

“That’s right, I’m here because I have something else to say.”

Seeing Alice’s serious face in an instant, Lawrence also straightened his back while sitting. When his expression faded from his face, he whispered.

“Before giving this, could you write a contract for me?”

She pulled out her little pouch and placed it in her hand. Lawrence could easily guess what was in the pocket.

‘Diamond of the Abyss.’

It was an item he entrusted with that jewelry shop to which Alice took, but instead of looking to her pockets, he stared right into her eyes.

“It wasn’t on purpose that I took this.”

“Then?”

“The clerk almost threw it at me and gave it to me… Later, I needed this.”

“You needed it?”

“Yes. I have to go to the Nakran Empire.”

“Ms. Alice.”

Before Lawrence made his decision, she had something to ask her.

“Are you really going to go to the Nakran Empire and not do anything?”

“Yes.”

“Not even sell things or trade?”

“Yes.”

“Then can’t you just stay here?”

“No.”

Alice sighed and continued her words.

“That’s not it. I have a reason to leave this place.”

Lawrence wondered if Alice knew what she was. But when she looked into her eyes, she didn’t look like that.

“Is that so?”

“Yes. So, I must leave this place.”

“Why is it the Nakran Empire?”

“It’s the largest and closest place to the Erha Empire. When I get there and settle down, you can go somewhere else.”

“Maybe you can go somewhere else…”

“I will go to the Nakran Empire because the first person I asked for a favor was the Duke, and if it was anyone else, I would have gone with his country.”

At Alice’s words, Lawrence’s head tingled with shock as if he had been hit in the back of the head.

‘If it wasn’t me, she could have followed someone else?’

It was something he hadn’t even thought of. Alice nodded her head as if there was no lie mixed in. She didn’t mean to provoke Lawrence since she was sincere.

“Still, there were only a few options when it came to choosing the safest place, and after choosing the largest country, it became the Nakran Empire.”

“If it wasn’t necessary for the Nakran Empire, there would be no reason to sign a contract with me, right?”

“Yes, there was.”

“There was?”

“Yes. But not now.”

Alice had to make a pact with Lawrence and flee to the Nakran Empire. For some reason, she heard the voice again but it vanished when Lawrence appeared, that was why his presence is more important now.

The only thing that can protect her from her creepy voice was him. Lawrence Littenverk.

She couldn’t give up on him until she got out of this Erha Empire. She had to hide by his side and avoid that voice.

‘I’m sure there’s a reason I started hearing that voice again.’

The reason is probably to harm her, but Alice had no intention of taking the matter lightly. Because the original story was already finished.