En Travesti - I Became a Fake Prince - Chapter 5

“Three hundred years ago, until the Empire’s first Emperor cursed this land.”

“……”

“Your kind may have forgotten that fact, but we remember. We can’t forget.”

Leticia looked at the wasteland beyond the castle walls, listening to the Grand Duke’s words.

The Grand Duke described the curse placed on the Grand Duchy without a trace of anger, in a very dry manner.

‘So that’s why.’

She felt she understood why the prince taken as a hostage had to die by the Grand Duke’s hand.

Looking at the endlessly vast wasteland. Hearing that this land has been in drought for three hundred years.

Although Leticia was only ten years old, she knew how painful hunger could be, how unbearably hot the inescapable sunlight could be. Because she had experienced homelessness before.

So she asked the Grand Duke.

“Did you bring me here for revenge?”

Generational grudges and revenge were now quite common plot devices.

Leticia decided not to resent the Grand Duke even if he were to push her off the castle wall where she was sitting.

After all, it was the Herta Imperial family that had put Leticia in this deadly situation, not this white Grand Duke.

“It’s not revenge.”

The Grand Duke added in his usual dry tone.

“If it were revenge, we wouldn’t have brought an innocent baby in the first place.”

Baby?

Leticia tilted her head at his words. Was there a custom in the Grand Duchy to call children babies?

“And the one we should take revenge on already died three hundred years ago. I just want to break this curse.”

Leticia was momentarily surprised. It was such a rational answer that it felt rather virtuous.

While she was overwhelmed by the endless wasteland, the Grand Duke, instead of pouring out anger or hatred, was trying to solve the problem.

“Do you need me to break the curse?”

“Yes. We need the life of a Herta royal. Honestly, it doesn’t matter who among the royals, but the Emperor gave you to me.”

Ah, so that’s why.

The Grand Duke didn’t seem like someone who would kill someone out of spite. She had wondered why he had specifically brought a young prince as a hostage to kill, but this was the reason.

When Leticia realized why the Grand Duke needed the death of a young prince, she felt her heart sink.

Because she wasn’t the real prince.

Therefore, even if she gave up her life, the curse on this land wouldn’t be broken.

“You came here as a sacrifice. You must die here.”

If only she hadn’t known, she could have died without hesitation, thinking she was dying to save her family.

Leticia couldn’t help but ask back.

“Why are you telling me this? You could have just killed me without explanation……”

“Because your life is your own.”

The Grand Duke bent down to meet Leticia’s eyes and said.

“Although it may not be a fair trade, you’re giving us your life, so we should at least give something in return.”

The Emperor had told Leticia that hers was ‘a life that would die anyway.’

However, the man who was actually going to kill her was trying to pay a price for a life he could have taken freely.

Even to an eight-year-old child.

In fact, Leticia would have willingly died without any compensation if her life was needed to save the land that had been barren for three hundred years and the people starving on it.

Because she could use her ‘life that would die anyway,’ as the Emperor said, in a meaningful way.

But sadly, Leticia wasn’t the real prince. She couldn’t save this land.

Unaware of this fact, the Grand Duke said to her.

“I’ll grant you one wish. Anything except asking to be spared.”

The Grand Duke was a good person.

He had never smiled at her, never spoken kind words to her, not even promised to spare her life, but Leticia thought so.

The bad one was Leticia herself.

If she really felt sorry for the people of this land, she should tell them now that she wasn’t the real prince, but she couldn’t say anything out of fear that the Emperor would harm the remaining family members of the Borba troupe.

Leticia bowed her head deeply, blaming herself.

“I’m sorry.”

“That doesn’t mean I can spare you……”

“I really hope the curse will be lifted when I die.”

The Grand Duke must have brought her here expecting that she could save this land. Leticia’s death would probably frustrate that expectation.

Not knowing what expression the Grand Duke was making, she whispered softly.

“If this place doesn’t come back to life even after I die, I won’t be able to apologize then.”

The saying that death is fair to everyone was wrong.

The death of a royal was far more valuable than the death of someone like her. To the extent that she couldn’t replace it.

“I’m apologizing in advance just in case……”

***

It took another fortnight of travel to reach the Grand Duke’s castle.

During that time, the Grand Duke never showed his face, but his aide Yen often came to check on Leticia’s condition.

Honestly, every time Yen visited, Emma’s nerves were on edge, making it truly difficult for Leticia to even drink water easily on those days.

Throughout this time, Leticia struggled painfully with her inner conscience.

Should she tell them now that she was a fake and have them bring the real Prince Sion?

But what about the lives of the troupe family members that the Herta Imperial family held?

The images of the troupe sisters and brothers who had embraced her kept circling in her mind.

Leticia curled up inside the carriage.

She couldn’t give up on her sisters and brothers. They were the only family who had ever approached her as an orphan.

“Your Highness, you need to get out.”

At Emma’s urging, Leticia made her decision as she stepped out of the carriage.

She had to keep lying. She had to die as a fake prince. For her sisters and brothers.

As she came out of the carriage, she saw people rushing out.

The castle was bustling with the Grand Duke’s return.

Amidst the commotion, for the first time since leaving the prison, she felt alive.

Emma, seemingly anxious, gripped her shoulder painfully tight while darting her eyes around.

“Your Grace!”

A young woman ran out from inside the castle and approached the Grand Duke.

Wondering if she was the Grand Duchess, Leticia glanced at her.

She had learned basic information about the Grand Duke of Basilinte. Though it was just that he had a wife and one son.

She was curious about how someone lived who was righteous enough to offer compensation even for killing the descendant of an enemy.

Surely he must treat his wife well and love his child. He would never abandon his child on the street like her parents did.

The bad rumors circulating must have been spread by the Empire’s nobles who disliked the Grand Duke of Basilinte.

She had seen a lot of this while living with the troupe. People who spread strange rumors when things didn’t go their way.

The woman who had run up whispered something to the Grand Duke.

“…Her Grace… big trouble……”

The Grand Duke suddenly turned to look at Leticia.

Startled by the sudden eye contact, Leticia was taken aback.

However, the Grand Duke, Ferik, still with an indifferent face, just slightly furrowed his brow and ordered those around him.

“We need to check the western tower first.”

With those words, Ferik turned and left.

Then, the young woman who had been talking to him quickly approached Leticia. She was a tall woman with short black hair.

The woman smiled slightly and greeted her.

“Hello, Your Highness. I’m Hilda Sefrenter, the head maid here. Please call me Hilda.”

Leticia wondered if everyone in this land was tall. She had felt it when seeing the Grand Duke’s party, but even just looking at the passersby, they were all tall and well-built.

“Hilda……”

As she nodded and murmured, Emma painfully pressed on her shoulder.

Hilda glanced at Emma’s hand and then spoke.