Arrows flew from all directions. Erica was busy blocking them with her shield. After becoming a full-fledged knight, she had wanted to participate in a war at least once. 

But somehow she had become the enemy’s target, and while fleeing on horseback, she found herself in a remote area. Even she thought it was reckless.

“Surrender immediately if you don’t want to die!”

“Seeing that this one’s a knight, we could negotiate a good ransom for this prisoner.”

Knights from the enemy country on horseback escorted a man. The man frowned and said,

“A knight who only runs away, I’d like to see your face.”

Since most official knights were nobles, they seemed to be thinking of negotiating for a prisoner. The arrows were being shot more as intimidation rather than to k*ll her.

‘Should I just let them capture me at this point?’

She couldn’t harm them anyway. Even though they were enemies, Erica was afraid of seeing blood. But even if captured, she didn’t want to be shameful. So she created a trap with rope where they couldn’t see.

One knight trying to capture Erica alive approached on horseback. However, the rope caught the horse’s legs, causing the horse to rear up and the man to fall.

“Aaagh!”

Enemy knights gathered around the severely injured man.

“Your Highness! Are you alright?”

“D*mn it, catch that bastard right now! Forget about prisoners, I’ll k*ll him!”

The man addressed as “Your Highness” had broken his leg. The knights thought they would be justified in killing her since she had broken the Crown Prince’s leg. 

While some knights made a splint for the Crown Prince, others dragged Erica out from the bushes where she was hiding.

“Remove the helmet! I want to see the face I will be killing!”

“Yes, sir.”

At the Crown Prince’s command, the knights removed Erica’s helmet despite her resistance. As soon as the helmet came off, long blonde hair cascaded down. 

Everyone was stunned seeing her deep-set eyes, high nose, and red lips. A knight who quickly regained his senses drew his sword and pointed it at Erica’s neck.

“…Should I k*ll her?”

The Crown Prince, seemingly just coming to his senses, shook his head.

“Wait. This can’t be a woman, right? You, speak up. Are you a woman?”

Erica hesitated a bit. She had deliberately dirtied her face with mud, but she didn’t expect to be discovered so easily.

‘If the enemy finds out I’m a woman, nothing good will come of it.’

But she didn’t want to die.

When Erica slightly nodded her head, the Crown Prince ordered the knight,

“Don’t k*ll her. Take her to the royal palace.”

“…What?”

Since the Crown Prince typically didn’t take prisoners, the knight asked again. The Crown Prince shouted angrily,

“Can’t you hear me? I said take her! Put her in the same carriage with me! Understand?”

“Ah, yes, sir.”

There were over ten knights escorting the Crown Prince. But even though she was a woman, she was still a knight, so riding in the same carriage with the Crown Prince was dangerous. Especially since the Prince now had a broken leg.

“Your Highness. She’s an enemy soldier, so it’s dangerous. Unless we bind her…”

“Then bind her.”

“Still, being alone with her is…”

The Crown Prince lost his temper.

“Shut up and prepare the carriage now. I won’t forgive any more objections to my orders.”

“Ah, yes sir!”

Several knights hurried to fetch a carriage. Meanwhile, Erica’s body, hands, and ankles were tied with rope. Unable to move and only able to blink, she found the Crown Prince staring intently at her. The tips of his ears were slightly red.

“Ahem. Your name…?”

“Ah…”

He seemed to be planning a hostage negotiation. It seemed best to give her real name so she could return to Duke Felix as soon as possible. Erica smiled brightly.

“Erica Mills.”

‘Oh, I unconsciously gave my maiden name. I’m Erica Felix now… But Duke Felix is so famous that they might ask for a higher ransom.’

While the Felix ducal family was quite wealthy, they still needed to think about the future. 

They wouldn’t go bankrupt in a few years just from spending, but saving was best for prosperity across generations. The Crown Prince replied to her answer,

“I’m Hiss Seranich. Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Nuovar.”

“Ah… yes.”

So what? Erica tilted her head. She already knew he was the Crown Prince from overhearing others’ conversations. But she had no interest in his name. In her position, she couldn’t casually address the Crown Prince by name anyway.

Just then, a knight brought a carriage. It was quite luxurious for something obtained from a nearby village. A knight lifted Erica and practically threw her into the corner of the carriage. With her ankles and wrists bound, Erica sat there like a piece of luggage, unable to do anything.

Crown Prince Hiss sat on the carriage seat and stared at Erica. Listening to the rattling carriage, Erica slightly regretted participating in the war, thinking if only she could turn back time. This carriage was undoubtedly heading to the Kingdom of Nuovar.

She felt anxious, thinking that the further they got from the Egria Empire, the further she was from Duke Felix.

“Do you have debts?”

“…Pardon?”

“Women usually become knights when they have debts. Especially beautiful women like you…”

Female knights seemed rare in both the Egria Empire and the Kingdom of Nuovar.

‘If I say I have debts, will he reduce the ransom amount during negotiations?’

Erica nodded. She wanted to return to her homeland through an affordable ransom negotiation. Looking at her disheveled appearance, Crown Prince Hiss sighed.

“I see. Then a ransom negotiation would be difficult.”

“What? No, no. It’s possible!”

This wasn’t the development she wanted. Seeing desperate Erica, Crown Prince Hiss shook his head.

“But if you have no money, you can work to pay your ransom.”

“?”

“Become a maid in the Crown Prince’s palace. After working for a few years, you can earn your ransom and be freed.”

“…How many years?”

Erica’s face turned pale. Crown Prince Hiss spoke to her with pity.

“Normally, prisoners who can’t bring money are killed, but I’m giving you a special opportunity.”

“…”

“What do you think, will you do it? If you refuse, death is your only option.”

She didn’t want to die. She needed to stay alive to return to her country and see Duke Felix again. Erica reluctantly nodded.

The Kingdom of Nuovar was where Otis had wanted to go. But Otis was dead, and only she had set foot here.

This war was nothing special. It was a small conflict on the frontier. But the Crown Prince acted like someone returning victorious from a major war despite it being minor.

When they stopped at a small town, the local lord and townspeople came out to perform a celebratory show. Erica, tied with rope, had to watch the entire performance next to the Crown Prince.

When Erica showed no signs of resistance, the Crown Prince had the ropes around her ankles untied. However, her hands remained bound.

“…”

She had thought it would be a battle where she wouldn’t need to move much, but things went wrong because the person targeting her happened to be the enemy country’s Crown Prince. The Crown Prince was surrounded by ten knights, all of whom were highly skilled.

‘Why did they target me when I was just standing still? Probably because I looked the easiest target.’

The play was so boring that Erica yawned. Then her eyes met Crown Prince Hiss who was staring at her.

‘Does he have something to say?’

“…?”

“Ahem.”

Crown Prince Hiss cleared his throat again. He asked Erica once more.

“How old are you?”

“…23 years old.”

The age at which she had been killed in her prophetic dream.

‘I thought I had barely escaped death, but now I’m captured by the enemy. Surely I won’t die here.’

She felt uneasy. Crown Prince Hiss said,

“I’m 24. I’m one year older than you.”

“…”

So what?

She was concerned that such a person was the Crown Prince, even of an enemy country. He clearly wasn’t suited to be king. A king should be dignified, excellent in judgment, and intelligent…

Suddenly thinking of Duke Felix, Erica’s face turned bright red. Seeing this, Crown Prince Hiss looked pleased.

“You may admire me.”

“What?”

“You seem like a fallen noble, so I’m saying you may admire me.”

“Ah… yes.”

‘What nonsense…’

A fallen noble? She was the wife of Duke Felix, who had more money than he knew what to do with. Who would have thought a Crown Prince could have such poor judgment?

‘I need to escape before we reach the capital… This is my first time in the Kingdom of Nuovar, so I don’t know how long until we reach the capital.’

If she became a maid in the Crown Prince’s palace as he said, she might have to work under him for years. Moreover, escaping from the capital would be even more difficult. 

The first problem would be getting out of the palace as a prisoner. She would be watched wherever she went to prevent her from escaping.

‘So now is my chance…’

The problem was that the Crown Prince kept her close at all times.

When night fell, the local lord provided a large room for the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince took her there too. After stripping off his clothes, he looked at her before washing himself.

“…You must feel uncomfortable too. Want to bathe together?”

“N-no…”

The Crown Prince stood n*ked in front of Erica. Uncomfortably, his dark red manhood was clearly visible. When Erica quickly turned her head away, Hiss laughed.

“No need to be shy. Once we reach the palace, you won’t have the opportunity to bathe with me.”

“No. Really, I’m fine…”

But the Crown Prince untied the rope binding Erica’s wrists. Suddenly free, Erica stared at him with blank eyes. Crown Prince Hiss, with a flushed face, ordered her,

“…Take off your clothes. Everything, including your underwear. I’ll grant you the honor of bathing with me.”

“What?”

“Don’t pretend you don’t know. Don’t you understand what it means when a man and woman bathe together?”

“Um…”

She knew exactly what it meant. Duke Felix enjoyed doing that thing with her in the bathtub. That’s why she absolutely couldn’t enter with another man.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t…”

Erica backed away, avoiding Crown Prince Hiss. But every time she retreated, he came closer. His eyes, filled with l*st, scanned her up and down.

“Shall I undress you?”

The Crown Prince grabbed Erica’s shoulders tightly. At that moment, Erica kicked his groin with her instep. It was one of the self-defense techniques Duke Felix had taught her. Fortunately, it connected well, and the Crown Prince screamed and rolled on the floor.

“Aaaagh…!”

“Haa. Haa.”

Despite the loud noise, no knights came in.