My Beloved Princess ~The Boy Called Incompetent Rises with Only a Sword and the Princess's Devotion~ - Chapter 042: The Cornered Mouse Adores the Cat

—Black chain restraint.

This was a mid-tier spell among dark attribute magic.

Mid-tier meant it wasn’t an especially difficult spell. The academy taught beginner to intermediate magic, making it a difficulty level any Upper School student could master.

However, even with the same spell, differences in quality arose.

Normally, [Dark Chain Binding] was magic that summoned one or two chains from the otherworld ruled by darkness to restrain a target. And the number of chains that could be summoned depended on the caster’s ability.

Right now, the number of chains restraining Kōran was well beyond ten or twenty. There was only one person in this academy capable of such a feat. The one who easily accomplished what even teachers couldn’t was Kōran’s beloved stepsister. Blooming nobly and proudly—Princess Kuroyō, who possessed overwhelming beauty and power.

At first, her heart had leaped at the revered person’s appearance. But Kōran immediately noticed the hostility directed at her. And she instantly perceived that the Princess’s meager expression contained anger. A tremor came from her core.

“What is this, Kōran? Depending on your answer, I won’t forgive you.”

The voice held anger.

She’d understood. She’d been prepared.

She’d understood that attacking her fiancé would earn her wrath.

But—

“O-Onee-sama…”

Cold eyes that didn’t even try to hide profound disappointment looked down on Kōran.

Her teeth chattered together, making sounds.

“U-um… this is… well…”

Restrained by black iron chains and forced into a kneeling position, Kōran tried to fabricate words, but couldn’t form them properly.

Princess Kuroyō, raised with imperial education drilled into her, was someone harsh to both herself and Kōran.

It had been the same that day she’d visited Lower School. Toward Kōran who’d arrogantly proclaimed to clear the way, she’d sternly cautioned:

“Kōran. Your mouth runs too far. You still lack sufficient awareness as one who stands above.”

That was the mindset of one destined to lead a pack in the future—a leader’s resolve. One couldn’t move people merely by taking a high-handed attitude. The Princess constantly preached this to restrain the hot-blooded Kōran.

Since Kōran had a rash personality that acted before thinking, she’d been harshly rebuked countless times. However, that was guidance born from highly valuing Kōran, from expecting her to be someone who could attain high position in the future—a whip of love.

Kōran revered Princess Kuroyō deeper than God. Though female herself, possessing overwhelming ability that kept away not only peers but even older males, she was Kōran’s very ideal, her aspiration.

Therefore, Kōran recognized the stern guidance as the reverse side of expectations from the person she admired—in other words, love. As a result, the harsher the rebuke, the more ecstasy she felt. Being in such a state, she supposed she’d taken the Princess’s anger too lightly.

But,

—Being disappointed was outside her calculations.

Kōran held monarch-unnecessary type thinking.

Monarch-unnecessary type thinking was the philosophy of not recognizing any man as master and trying to create a pack of women only. Monarch-unnecessary type thinking and the Princess’s expansion-type thinking had basically the same fundamental policies regarding packs, but their thoughts about masters differed decisively. Kōran finally realized this difference in perception had led to disappointment.

‘(Just as Onee-sama exists for me, does that man have value worth staking her life for Onee-sama? If so—)’

She’d never forgive her.

Brr, a chill ran through her entire body.

“Kōran.”

The Princess’s cold voice came from above. Having no emotion was nothing new. But now, it echoed emptily cold.

“I knew you opposed my engagement. But what exactly do you intend by this? If you mean to harm my master, I’ll show no mercy even to a sister.”

Due to the chain restraint, Kōran’s gaze in kneeling form fell to the ground. She couldn’t muster courage to meet the Princess’s cold eyes directly. She thought in that position.

When she’d finally returned after finishing summer special practicum, her beloved Princess Kuroyō had become engaged. When told so by her mother the academy director, she’d thought it some joke.

Unable to accept it, Kōran had pressed the Princess, forgetting even courtesy.

But,

“Kōran! Kishō is an amazing man. He’ll surely become someone great in the future.”

Those eyes had radiated the greatest brilliance she’d ever seen.

“I’ve finally found him. A man to whom I can entrust my all. Kōran, you’ll follow me, won’t you? Then let’s marry together. Serve the same master and walk the path of hegemony together.”

The Princess’s will was firm, and Kōran had instead been persuaded to serve together.

Kōran had continued to object, but couldn’t get her heard.

“Why do you deny it, Kōran? Even Father started from a small pack at first. He climbed that far from nothing. With talent, one can succeed.”

Her eyes had completely become those of a maiden in love.

“He’s undoubtedly a vessel for Dragon King or greater. Don’t you trust what I say?”

They say love is blind. She’d felt that objective perspective had been lost.

Naturally, she couldn’t possibly accept it.

“In any case, I’ve decided. I’ll marry Kishō.”

Dragonkin entrusted their entire fate to their pack. Therefore, whom to marry was often decided by one’s own free will. In a princess’s case conditions were attached, but if those conditions were met, even His Majesty the Dragon Emperor could hardly object. Whether that man could fulfill the conditions was highly questionable, but the Dragon Emperor who doted on Princess Kuroyō might not be above granting undeserved rank. So Kōran had raised the pretext of testing his ability, challenged him to battle, and even considered such violent things as eliminating him if opportunity arose.

—There’s no way such a man could suit Onee-sama.

She’d believed this without doubt.

‘(Because it’s true, isn’t it? Lower School at that, a student rumored to have no aptitude attribute. Even Mother said so. That he’s unsuitable.)’

Apparently even the Princess’s mother, the General Consort, had shown reluctance.

Perhaps because of such circumstances, her mother Seiran as academy director had readily permitted bringing the Fire Ring Spear into the academy. If he had Dragon Flash equivalent ability, overturn this much handicap—that seemed to be it.

‘(I attacked with intent to kill. But that man casually dodged it. Barehanded, no less. Could he really…)’

That was an inconvenient truth for Kōran. If that man was truly capable, the Princess’s engagement would become legitimate.

But more than that now, how to overcome this crisis was the problem. She could always settle the man’s fate later, but she couldn’t bear having sisterly ties severed.

Just as Kōran opened her mouth,

“I’m disappointed. Kōran.”

Receiving the first strike, kuh—sound escaped Kōran’s throat. Her mouth moved open and shut like a carp but no words came out.

“You said you’d follow me anywhere. I thought I’d been guiding you with that intent too… is this your declaration of separation?”

She was making the worst possible misunderstanding among imaginable scenarios. Kōran found herself shouting:

“That’s… not it! There’s no falsehood in my loyalty to Onee-sama!”

“Then why did you attack Kishō?”

Dragonkin respect the pack’s master above all else and swear absolute loyalty. Though swearing loyalty as a student was normally impossible, since Kōran herself already intended to pledge loyalty to Princess Kuroyō, she could feel through her skin how serious the Princess was.

And her cornered brain began spinning furiously to extract some useful information. Like a revolving lantern from past to present, various images crossed her mind. And when the reproduced images approached the end, she suddenly remembered the man’s words.

—You too? Same type as Kuroyō who’d say something like demanding a duel.

At the time, being called her beloved Princess by name without honorifics, she’d become unbearably angry. So she hadn’t deeply considered what those words implied.

But thinking calmly about it now, it was obvious.

‘(Onee-sama challenged this man to a duel.)’

And probably lost. That’s why she recognized him as master.

Though it was incredibly hard to believe, thinking so made everything consistent.

Then there was only one move for Kōran to take. Even if humiliating, she should bow her head once here and let the storm pass.

She snapped her face up and declared as if gritting her teeth.

“I decided since childhood to follow Onee-sama. Then the person Onee-sama marries is also the person I’ll marry. How could I refrain from testing whether he’s qualified as my own master as well!”

Flash—the Princess’s face lit up.

Just as calculated, Kōran smirked inwardly. But she hadn’t realized what those words meant—that she’d dug her own grave.