In The Basement Of Duke Ivanstein's Mansion - Chapter 2

Genoa Ivanstein asked, kicking the tip of his boot at the unconscious princess covered in dirt.

“Is this the princess, said to be the treasure of Reibritton?”

“Yes, her face matches the portrait exactly.”

Bane, the captain of Ivanstein’s First Knight Order, lifted the princess’s hair to confirm her face. Her facial features were identical to the portrait of the Reibritton princess they had obtained in advance. Even covered in dirt, her beauty was undeniable, making the title of Reibritton’s treasure seem inadequate.

“She certainly resembles her quite well.”

Genoa knelt on one knee and bent down to examine the princess’s face closely. Though he couldn’t see the color of her eyes behind her closed lids, in the portrait, the princess had vivid green eyes. Just like ‘that child’. Green eyes that shone like jewels. If the princess were to open her eyes, Genoa would probably be able to see what face ‘that child’ would have had if she had grown up safely.

“Find something to cover the princess’s face.”

At Genoa’s order, Bane’s face turned serious.

“Will that be enough, my lord?”

“Why? Do you think I can’t control myself and will kill her?”

Bane remained silent for a moment. Genoa knew that Bane truly thought so. Having served Genoa since he was very young, Bane knew his master’s temperament well. His lord could be infinitely cruel when it came to matters related to ‘that child’.

“We could report to the Emperor that the princess took her own life.”

Genoa smiled faintly at Bane’s words, which were tinged with grim determination.

“That won’t do.”

“My lord, you don’t need to humor the Emperor’s unreasonable demands.”

The old Emperor’s words no longer carried weight. All eyes and ears in the empire were focused on Duke Ivanstein, and every word that flowed from him determined the empire’s fate.

Everyone knew that this war had started because Duke Ivanstein had a purpose, except for the Emperor who was probably holed up somewhere in the palace, grinning as he imagined the princess’s naked body. The Emperor, left with only carnal desires, would probably prefer the princess of a defeated nation over the noble treasure of Reibritton.

“If she bothers you, my lord, you could kill her right here.”

The princess’s life was in the hands of Duke Ivanstein, Genoa, not the Emperor. Even if the Emperor wanted the princess alive.

“Bane.”

“Yes, my lord.”

“Do you pity the princess?”

At Genoa’s question, Bane immediately knelt and bowed his head to answer.

“Not at all, my lord.”

“Then why are you trying to send her off comfortably?”

Genoa kicked the crown rolling around near the princess’s head. With an unpleasant sound, the crown rolled across the dirty floor.

“This woman has enjoyed all she could.”

“I apologize.”

“Take her away.”

Bane said no more and hoisted the fallen princess onto his back. Though her limp body should have been heavy, the princess was as light as a feather. For a moment, Bane’s brow furrowed, but Genoa’s gaze was still fixed on the princess. He left the princess’s collapsed room before his lord’s mood could worsen further.

Michelo, Bane’s adjutant and vice-captain of the First Knight Order, quickly followed behind.

“Captain, Captain! Why are you needlessly suggesting to kill the princess? Huh?”

“…Once she reaches the imperial palace, the princess will taste hell. It’s too harsh a price for a single misspoken word.”

At Bane’s answer, Michelo beat his own chest and asked,

“No, why have you suddenly become so soft? Aren’t you afraid of our lord?”

“It was for our lord’s sake.”

“Don’t say such nonsense. You know better than anyone that our lord wanted to throw the princess to the Emperor.”

Bane shot Michelo a fierce glare. It meant to shut up. But Michelo just shrugged, unconcerned.

Bane was the person who would die if the lord commanded it. Having served him since before he became Duke Genoa Ivanstein, Bane understood his intentions best. Michelo couldn’t understand at all why Bane would try to go against their lord’s wishes.

“Tell me. Why did you intervene in the princess’s matter?”

Bane knew that his adjutant would keep talking until his curiosity was satisfied. He finally opened his mouth with a sigh.

“Have you ever heard about the slave who betrayed our lord?”

“……?”

Michelo’s face became puzzled at Bane’s words. The question itself didn’t make sense, so his mind couldn’t properly process it.

“Is it even possible for a mere slave to betray our lord?”

“It was possible.”

Bane spoke in a bitter voice to Michelo’s face, which couldn’t hide his bewilderment.

“At the time, our lord was facing his ‘test’. That slave was a child who could help our lord. So our lord burned the slave’s documents and even obtained a shelter for her, hiding her from the previous duke’s eyes.”

“If it was before the test… it must have been difficult even for our lord.”

“Our lord showed excessive mercy.”

The Ivanstein test. Any child of Ivanstein who failed to pass it could not exercise any rights to the family. Until they passed the test, they were like ghosts that didn’t exist in the world. The fact that Genoa could do that much for a slave while hiding from the previous duke’s eyes, even in that state, was proof that Genoa’s abilities were extraordinary.

“But that slave tried to escape when our lord entered the test chamber and died.”

Michelo swallowed hard. It was an unexpected twist.

“If she had stayed put, would our lord have eaten her? You know better than anyone how well our lord treats his own people, even though he has that… cruel side.”

“She might not have believed that our lord would pass the test.”

“How could she not know?”

“Anyway, that’s not the important part.”

Bane shook his head slightly to clear his throbbing headache as he continued his conversation with Michelo.

“The slave’s face resembles the princess’s.”

“……!”

Michelo’s face finally turned to shock.

“How can a mere slave’s face resemble that of the noble princess?”

“It’s as if that child had grown up to this age.”

“So the reason he hates the princess so much is…”

“She reminds him of that slave.”

Michelo took a fresh look at the unconscious princess’s face.

“Since he couldn’t send that traitor to hell with his own hands, he’s venting his anger like this.”

“Don’t interpret our lord’s intentions so frivolously.”

“……”

Michelo shut his mouth at Bane’s warning.

Michelo, not knowing the situation at the time, would never understand. What that slave meant to Genoa. What that slave had promised Genoa. What had happened that night.

“I need to go back to our lord. Restrain the princess and put her in the carriage.”

“Yes, understood.”

Michelo took the princess from Bane. He too briefly widened his eyes at the princess’s unexpectedly light body.

“Did the Kingdom of Reibritton starve their princess?”

“Go quickly.”

“Yes.”

Bane watched the princess being carried away on Michelo’s back before turning around. He had many things to deal with by Genoa’s side. This was as far as he could care for the princess. So Bane didn’t see the princess’s eyes flutter and close again on Michelo’s back.

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