Episode 3 – The Princess and the Hero (2)

The Princess and the Hero (2)

It all started with something trivial. The flower of the empire, the princess, and the hero who appeared to save the other world. There were many women who were fascinated by the hero’s kind nature, so it was inevitable that the princess, considered the most noble, fell deeply in love with him.

It’s just that her love went a little awry.

“Flan… why would you play such a prank on me…”

“Your Highness.”

“A prank… yes, a prank! It’s something you could do on a festive day like this. Isn’t it?”

“Princess Aliana.”

“Can you think of any reason why the hero would commit suicide? If you thought I would really believe such a story, you’re mistaken. I’ve heard some rumors, but this is beyond my imagination, Flan.”

Despite her calm expression, Aliana’s lost eyes were shaking incessantly. A look that begged me to say the current situation was false. Despite her pitiful and pathetic gaze, I didn’t react at all.

“Princess Aliana!!!”

“….”

Aliana’s babbling mouth stopped. The shock of being yelled at by a mere porter was shocking, but that’s not the important part.
The hero’s death. She doesn’t know why, but the root cause of the shock is there.

If you ask whether the hero’s death would cause such a disturbance for the princess, I could naturally answer no. Of course, I would have said the same in any situation if we hadn’t faced the current one.

“Flan. Is it really true that Troka is dead?”

Aliana, who had somehow calmed the turmoil on her face, was still trembling, not noticing the blood rising in her burnt hand. She was still holding my arm that held the letter, looking intently at the small canary-colored letter as if it was her last lifeline.

“Once again, the hero is dead.”

“…Yes, I understand. Roughly…”

“Thank you for understanding.”

Silence flowed, but it was brief. Now we have to think about the future.

The unopened letter will have to be investigated separately to see if there’s a way to open it. If that doesn’t work, we’ll have to resort to a secret method. It’s risky and incredibly annoying, but it’s something we have to endure to get home.

Hmm…, it would be a disaster if the rest of the letters don’t open either. Let’s think about that later.

-Groan

Just as I was about to turn around and leave the room, I felt a strong pressure on my arm.

“…Didn’t you say you understood?”

Aliana was still holding my arm. She even came closer, digging deeper than before. She didn’t show any signs of letting go even when I tried to gently pull away, so I slowly increased my strength and pushed her away.

“Let go. I have many places to visit within two weeks.”

“Please return my letter first. Then I’ll let you go.”

“Didn’t you see with your own eyes that the Goddess’s blessing rejects you?”

“…Tsk.”

After I gave a pretty good excuse, Aliana clicked her tongue and removed her hand from my arm. Then she scrunched up her face and bit her lip. It was such a resentful action that blood was flowing from her crumpled lips.

And suddenly, the letter that had been tucked away soared into the sky, only to fall onto Aliana’s hand. The magic was of the same kind that opened doors. That is…

“Gravity magic. I knew you’d use it. You might be accused of treason for using such magic when you’re not yet the emperor.”

“…It’s just a spell I lightly use in my daily life. I’ve already demonstrated this level of gravity magic in front of my father, so there should be no problem.”

Aliana, who had snatched the letter, moved to the window and tried to open the letter again. However, no matter how many times she tried, the letter only spewed flames and showed no signs of opening.

“Just give it to me. The conditions for the seal aren’t clear, so it might be faster to go around and solve it myself.”

“It’s my letter, I’ll handle it.”

“Ha…, if you were so obsessed with the hero, at least he wouldn’t have died.”

Startled. Aliana’s movements stopped. She seemed uncomfortable with the monologue that suddenly popped out, as if she hadn’t expected such words to come out of my mouth.

“Are you saying that I’m responsible for the hero’s death?”

A surge of emotions boiled up, but I barely suppressed it. What’s the point of speaking to someone who won’t accept anything I say?

Still, no matter what. Maybe I could add just one more thing. She might sincerely reflect on the past.

“Do you think you’re not responsible? If you can say that even after reflecting on your actions, I’d be greatly disappointed.”

“I have nothing but a sense of duty to do my best for the Hero. If that’s a crime… well, I have nothing more to say.”

“…You say you’ve been working hard for the Hero?”

“Yes. Do you know who organized the festivals in each country? Or who blocked questions about Troka’s whereabouts from various nations, in case they might hinder his recovery?”

All of it was self-serving effort. Nothing but self-satisfaction, nothing truly for him.

“And who do you think calmed those who were spreading rumors about the hero? Also….”

“Why did you work so hard for the hero?”

I couldn’t bear to listen to her self-praise any longer, so I changed the subject.

“…Because Troka is my fiancé.”

“Wasn’t that engagement already broken? Or has a new engagement proceeded without my knowledge?”

“A royal promise never disappears. Even if the engagement is cancelled, it’s just words, it has no effect. And there’s no reason for you, Flan, to know about my engagement with the hero.”

A royal promise never disappears. It was something the first emperor said to the hero in the beginning. It sounded romantic when I first heard it, but now it sounds vulgar.

“Weren’t you the one who wanted to break off the engagement with the hero? Why have you changed your mind now?”

“A hero who killed the Demon King and one who didn’t are different. And I need his fame to ascend to the throne more quickly.”

“So, in the end, you wanted to marry him not for love, but for the fame of being a hero.”

“…Think as you wish. Regardless, his love for me will not change, and I had enough affection to accept him when he returned.”

Even knowing full well the expression of the hero who was ridiculed in front of everyone. The hero loves you? You should say something that makes sense.

“Aliana. Do you truly love the hero?”

“He was kind to me, strong, and although there were some scandals… I could love him to that extent. No more than that.”

Then why.

“Why then, did you want the hero’s last letter so much? To you, the hero is nothing more than a simple proof of qualification, nothing more, nothing less. Now that the hero is dead, you wouldn’t need such a letter.”

The princess pretended to love him because she needed the title of hero.

That emotion was neither love, nor affection. Let alone simple lust, it was just a fabricated feeling. As someone who had clearly watched such a side of the princess, I couldn’t understand her now.

“Doesn’t it contradict too much with the attitude I’ve heard and seen so far? If you truly liked the hero, at least for him then…”

Before I could finish my sentence, I was thrown against the wall. Gravity magic, the secret of the Imperial family. They said it was only used casually in daily life, but that was a lie.
A disgusting sensation as if my intestines were turned over erupted in my abdomen.

“Cough, Khe…, it’s all shattered…”

“Leave the letter and leave quietly. Then, no sin will be questioned.”

Aliana’s tone changed. Unlike her original smooth voice, it was now hysterical, and she was no longer polite.

“You’re quite rough for a royal etiquette. That’s why the hero… Ah.”

When Aliana pointed her finger upwards, my legs shot up to the sky. If she could specify a certain part of the body and change its gravity, she would be at least a great mage. I wonder if the emperor knows this.

“Shut up. Don’t casually mention Troka.”

“Do you think you are qualified to mention that name? You can’t even open the letter he last left.”

My shattered bones are piercing my ribs, and my head is filled with blood, making it hard to keep my consciousness.
Damn body, it would have been nice if it was a little stronger.

“I am his fiancée. You are just a porter. So don’t interfere.”

She’s not even listening to me now. There’s a special measure for times like this.

“Well, if that’s the case, I have nothing to say… but if I must add.”

After saying this, I probably won’t be able to get out of this in one piece. But I have to say it. I’m the only one who can bring up this story. To her, who is trying to evade the responsibility of the hero’s death, the truth.
It’s a bit nerve-wracking, but what can I do. At most, I’ll be dragged out by the guards, right?

“The moment the hero began to fall apart was a day before heading to the Demon King’s castle, right after you decided to break off your engagement with him in front of everyone. Aliana, I want you to know that your actions were the starting point that led the hero to make such a choice. So, if you feel even a bit of guilt, don’t think about reading the letter, and don’t take pride in the things you did for the hero. It’s disgusting.”

That should be enough, right?

There’s still a lot I want to say, but I didn’t bother to elaborate. From the moment Aliana took the letter with her gravity magic, her eyes had already lost their vitality. It’s impossible to deliver too much truth at once to someone who refuses to face reality and tries to avoid it.

“Hehehe… nonsense…”

Is it even hard for her to accept this much? She started to look at me with eyes soaked in madness.

“That day, in front of everyone, you…”

And before I could finish my sentence, she pointed her finger at the ceiling.

My body, turned upside down, was slammed into the ceiling with a loud crash.