The sixth prince, who had been executed in the kingdom after being betrayed by the trusted saint, was reincarnated and, in order to seek revenge, became engaged once again to the neighboring kingdom’s “Guillotine Princess.” As a result, he was adored and lived happily.

“!!!”

“You…!”

I really am a fool. I should have just left Claire alone, but here I am, getting involved in this mess.

But… huff, puff, there are four of them, excluding Claire.

All of them seem skilled, but they don’t exude fear. General Cyrus or Lord Glenn would probably have superior skills compared to Mick and Terry.

“To be honest, it’s troublesome to deal with you guys, and I won’t chase you if you just disappear. So, what’s the plan?”

“…Let’s go.”

With a bitter expression, they quickly left the shed.

They didn’t want to engage me in combat, indicating a strategic retreat due to the gap in strength. Or maybe it was because of their previous conversation and Claire’s actions, signaling that I was their primary objective.

However, in that case, they wanted to enclose me rather than eliminate me. What they expected from a lowly, illegitimate sixth prince like me was a mystery.

“Why…”

“Hm?”

“Why did you, Prince Gustave…?”

Claire wanted to ask something but bit her lip, falling silent. Her next words might have been, “Why did you come to help?” or “Why are you here?”

“Your match with Lord Glenn is over, and that man has formally apologized to Princess Abigail, resolving everything. Amidst that, you were the only one who left the training grounds without a smile.”

“…”

“It bothered me, and I was looking for you. That’s when I overheard their conversation.”

“…In that case, wouldn’t it have been more efficient if I had been eliminated by those individuals after they killed me?”

Ah… it’s frustrating to listen to this.

Her selfish actions were truly aggravating.

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

“Huh…?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. I told you not to be ridiculous. It’s your life, and you can treat it lightly if you want, but does it actually solve anything? Get over your self-indulgence.”

“!”

“If you’re going to say that, then it would have been more efficient not to help me, wouldn’t it? Isn’t that also Prince Gustave’s self-indulgence?”

Claire seemed displeased with my words. Uncharacteristically, she raised her voice and wore a stern expression.

“That’s right… it’s my self-indulgence. I weighed the information I could obtain from those people against your life and chose the latter. Because Princess Abigail would be sad.”

“Ah…”

Well, to put it simply, I didn’t want to be disliked by Princess Abigail, and I didn’t know who the mastermind was. But if I could get information from Claire about those people…

“Now, there’s no need to continue defending or making excuses for those people. Tell me everything you know.”

“…”

“Claire.”

“…Those people are working for Count Golton.”

“!”

I gasped when I heard the name from Claire’s lips.

Count Golton… the man who had approached us at the party on the day he arrived in the empire, seeking favors from the kingdom.

That man… why?

“Those people, acting as Count Golton’s proxies, threatened me. They warned, ‘If you don’t separate the two, Princess Abigail will come to harm,’ and…”

“…”

“Even though I had been cautious when contacted by those people, they did something so audacious. I thought that if there was even a slight chance of harm befalling Princess Abigail, I must protect her at any cost.”

This woman may speak eloquently and proudly place her hand over her heart, but she doesn’t consider her own feelings. She’s seriously deluded.

“…I understand what you’re saying. However, those people had hidden needles in Princess Abigail’s clothing as well. A warning to me, the one who initially declined, came along with it.”

“…”

“Despite being cautious when approached by those people, I did it so boldly. At this rate, I wouldn’t be able to protect Princess Abigail.”

Naturally, it seems that Count Golton’s agents had infiltrated Princess Abigail’s servants. Perhaps the warning letter contained phrases like “searching for the culprits will be in vain.” Well, they did a good job of cornering this woman.

“I understand why you followed those people… Count Golton’s agents. So, what’s the purpose of separating me and Princess Abigail? Even if they do something like this, I don’t think it will achieve anything.”

“I don’t know… I asked for the reason many times, but they wouldn’t tell me.”

Sigh… it seems like Claire was just being used and manipulated.

I mean, she may have instigated Glenn, but from the conversation with those people, it seems like Glenn isn’t involved in this after all.

“Don’t worry. I’ll take responsibility for this and resign as her lady-in-waiting. That way, whatever happens to me…”

“You, cut it out already!”

“!”

I lost my temper and raised my voice. I shouldn’t have said something so harsh.

“Anyway, such selfish actions… I won’t allow it. You’ll continue to serve Princess Abigail. Understand?”

“But… I’ve betrayed that person! And if I stay by her side, Princess Abigail may come to harm!”

“That’s why. You carry the weight of betraying her. Keep serving her faithfully. If she ever comes to harm, that’s when you should protect her at any cost.”

Well, before that happens, I’ll make sure to protect Princess Abigail at all costs.

“That’s your atonement. Understand?”

“…”

Huff… Anyway, the discussion is over. I’ll discreetly inquire with Mariette about Count Golton’s situation. After all, that man had made contact with the kingdom to seek advantages. So, there might be some information the kingdom has regarding this matter.

“Come on, let’s go.”

“You’re… a fool.”

“Stop it.”

While exasperated by Claire’s attitude, we headed to the training grounds where Princess Abigail and the others were waiting.