The Abandoned Prince Heals an Enemy Soldier on the Frontlines, Only to Discover She’s the Seventh Imperial Princess - Chapter 10: The Abandoned Prince Lets His Guard Down

Chapter 10: The Abandoned Prince Lets His Guard Down

“—And that’s how it all happened. We’re having a wedding soon, so you guys better come!!”

““”…”””

My subordinates, whom I was meeting for the first time in weeks, exchanged silent, bewildered glances.

Currently, they were still classified as prisoners of war.

However, they weren’t being mistreated in any way.

Instead, thanks to their battlefield experience with healing magic, they had been given paid positions working at the Imperial Capital’s medical centers.

Today, I had invited them to my room so we could catch up on each other’s lives.

I was still confined to the imperial castle, but listening to their stories made me realize just how many interesting things existed in the capital.

I really enjoyed these conversations.

And after hearing my insane life updates—

All of them responded with the exact same words.

“””””HOW DID IT COME TO THIS!?!?”””””

“Whoa, jeez, calm down.”

They all shouted in perfect unison.

“What are you, Captain?”

“How the hell did you end up marrying both the Empress of a major empire and the Seventh Imperial Princess!?”

“So basically… a mother-daughter combo. I hope your manhood falls off.”

“Just falling off isn’t enough. This guy’s Perfect Regeneration would just fix it. We’d have to cut it off and seal the wound.”

“Vice-Captain Dangan, what do you think about all this?”

One of the men turned to Dangan, my second-in-command.

The same guy who used to punch me in the stomach to wake me up on the battlefield.

“Well, if I’m being a bit pragmatic here… isn’t this actually a good thing? To be honest, the kingdom has been exhausting itself year after year. Even with financial and military support from other nations to stop the Empire’s invasion, there were always limits.”

““““”…”””””

“…W-What? W-Why are you all looking at me like that?”

Dangan was, for better or worse, a serious man.

His loyalty to the kingdom and his protect-the-nation mentality were unshakable, and he had always been fiercely hostile toward the Empire.

But somehow, without me realizing it, he had softened a great deal.

To hear him say that making peace with the Empire was a good thing—

The other men clearly sensed something was up.

And sure enough, they all exchanged knowing grins.

“Huh? What? What do you guys know?”

“Oh, that’s right. His Highness doesn’t know, does he? Vice-Captain Dangan has been getting real close to a certain lady he met in the capital’s taverns.”

…Oh ho!

“Tell me everything.”

“She works as a server at a tavern. Apparently, before they met, she got caught in a carriage accident and was taken to a healing clinic with some pretty bad injuries. But when she was completely healed—without a single scar—she immediately started pursuing Dangan hard. I saw her once—she’s a simple, cheerful girl.”

“In other words—our dear Vice-Captain is heading down the exact same path as Prince Reyshel.”

The other men continued grinning and teasing, while Dangan sat there, his face completely red, silently enduring their chatter.

Seeing the ultra-serious Dangan wrapped up in romance was… unexpected.

“Feels kinda bittersweet, y’know? Happy for him, but also a little lonely.”

“And what exactly is your position in all this? …Ahem. Anyway, enough small talk. We actually have some important information for you, Your Highness.”

“Hm? What? Are you getting married too?“

“…We only just started dating, and unlike Your Highness, I don’t make impulsive decisions, so it’s still undecided. That’s not the point!!“

Dangan cleared his throat, suddenly looking dead serious.

“It seems that quite a few people in the Imperial Court see you as an obstacle. You should be careful.”

“…Huh?”

I was genuinely caught off guard.

The other men, who had just been casually chatting, also stiffened at the sudden shift in tone.

I turned to Dangan, listening carefully.

“What do you mean?”

“I’m talking about the central government—the ministers who assist Empress Alcarion in ruling the Empire. These people, who do nothing but sit around and feast, hate the fact that you’re in such good standing with both the Empress and the Seventh Imperial Princess.”

“…I mean, to be fair, I am just a freeloading NEET at this point. I guess I’d be annoying to actual working officials.”

“NEE… what? I don’t really get the details, but apparently, the Imperial Court is filled with complaints about you, Your Highness.”

It seemed Dangan had been gathering information from a soldier stationed at the imperial castle who frequented the same tavern.

Apparently, among the imperial ministers, complaints about me were running rampant.

“Most of it is just talk—basically, glorified gossip and insults…”

“But the way you’re phrasing that… sounds like some of them are actually serious about removing me.”

“That’s right. It’s unlikely that they’d resort to outright force, but… there are factions considering it. Just be cautious.”

I doubted anyone would risk provoking both Alcarion and Rosemary just to get rid of me…

But still, this was a warning from a trusted subordinate. It was better to keep it in mind.

With that, our meeting wrapped up for the day.

After my men left, I took the chance to rest alone while waiting for Rosemary and Alcarion to arrive.

Lately, I had been sleeping in the same bed as both of them every night.

Alcarion took it upon herself to demonstrate proper technique, and Rosemary had been… rapidly improving.

With their rivalry fueling them, every night became more intense, and the pleasure was seemingly endless.

It was pure bliss.

And then—

Knock, knock.

“Oh? Right on time!“

I assumed it was Alcarion and Rosemary, so I eagerly went to welcome them.

But when I opened the door—

There was no one there.

“Huh? I swear someone knocked just now… Was I imagining it?”

Just as I turned to head back into my room—

BAM.

A sudden, blunt force impact struck the back of my head, and my consciousness immediately faded.

The injuries healed instantly thanks to Perfect Regeneration, but once I was knocked out, there was nothing I could do.

No—technically speaking, with how ridiculous my ability was, I might have been able to recover from unconsciousness, too…

But unlike poison or curses, which I had subconsciously adapted to healing, I had never been knocked out often enough for my body to instinctively counter it.

…I had let my guard down.

Dangan had just warned me about this, and yet here I was.

At this rate, I really was an incompetent fool who deserved to have his throne and fiancée stolen by his brother.

◆

[Side Agarham – ???’s Perspective]

“Milady, are you seriously planning to escape?”

“Of course I am.”

The grand Agarham Royal Castle—

Within its historical walls, there was a secluded chamber meant to imprison me.

I had spent five long years locked away here, cut off from the world, with only one trusted maid by my side.

Even the new king, my so-called fiancé and later husband—when was the last time I had seen him?

From the very beginning, he had only chosen me as his fiancée to revel in the satisfaction of stealing me away from him.

The fact that he didn’t even show up on our wedding night was proof enough.

There was never any love.

“In that case, shouldn’t I be allowed to choose the one I love?”

“…You say that, but…”

Even knowing my unyielding resolve, my maid still hesitated.

She was a striking beauty, with rare jet-black hair tied into a ponytail—a rarity in these parts.

Annoyingly enough, even I had to admit her figure was exceptional.

Though, I wasn’t about to lose to her!!

She may have had size, but in terms of shape, mine was far superior.

I reaffirmed my determination and spoke firmly.

“If I’m going to act, it has to be now. There won’t be another chance.”

“And why now, exactly?”

“I heard… that he has been taken prisoner by the Dragoon Empire.”

“…Yes, that does seem to be the case…”

There was only one man I would ever refer to as him.

My former fiancé.

The only one I ever loved.

The man who meant everything to me.

“What if… he is suffering in the Empire right now?”

“Milady…”

“I’ve made up my mind.”

If I was going to act, it had to be now. Because—

“When I dramatically swoop in to rescue him, I know exactly what he’ll say! ‘Kyaa, how wonderful!! Eliza, please be my wife!!’“

“You’re completely driven by selfish desires, you hopeless noble lady. Would it not be more appropriate to dedicate yourself to the king instead?”

“Absolutely not. That brat is beneath me.”

Over the past few years, Agarham had fallen into chaos.

With financial and military aid pouring in from various nations, there were more than a few people who were pocketing a portion of it for themselves instead of using it for the kingdom.

The honest bureaucrats either resigned early or were corrupted by the system.

At this point, this country was done for.

“If he were here, this never would have happened.”

He had always been isolated from noble society.

Of course, there was a reason for that.

For better or worse, to them, he was… incompetent.

“You know that too, don’t you?”

“…Well, yes. It is a well-known story.”

There was a time when he had one of the kingdom’s longtime ministers dismissed by pleading his case to the former king.

That minister had abducted a town girl—one who was already engaged—and did unspeakable things to her.

The girl’s fiancé was a soldier stationed at the royal castle, and he overheard the man grieving about it one day.

What happened next was surprising.

He immediately went to his father, the former king, and demanded an investigation.

Once the truth was confirmed, he had the minister stripped of his position.

The minister’s faction, along with many nobles, furiously opposed the decision—

But the words he declared in response still remain unforgettable to this day.

—No, but seriously. A rapist holding a high government position? That’s just messed up.

Dismissing a minister wasn’t something that could be done lightly.

It had a significant impact on the kingdom.

And because he failed to consider the political consequences, he was branded an idiot by the nobility.

But that was exactly why I fell for him.

How many rulers are actually capable of punishing evil as it is?

Because of this, he was beloved by the common folk.

What he lacked was the power to mitigate the fallout of his actions—

And the ability to communicate in a way that wouldn’t alienate the nobles.

But those were problems that could easily be solved.

For example, by me, or me, or, oh, I don’t know—me.

“So in conclusion—!! He needs ME!!“

“Haaah…“

“…Excuse me. Did you just sigh at me?”

“It’s your imagination.”

Well, whatever. It didn’t matter.

“Alright, it’s time to go!! Thanks to spending these past five years behaving, the guards have completely let their guard down. If we’re escaping, now’s the time!!”

“…Understood. I am still far from perfect, but I shall pave the way for my hopeless noble lady.”

“Oh my, how reliable you are!! But if you call me that one more time, I will punch you!!”

And so, I escaped from Agarham Castle—

And set off for the Empire.

Only to learn that he had gotten engaged to the Empress and Seventh Imperial Princess—

And then vanished just days later.

“WHAT IN THE WORLD IS GOING ON!?”

I couldn’t help but scream in shock.

He had always been prone to doing unbelievable things—

But even I never expected this!

How in the name of logic does someone end up marrying the Empress of an enemy nation and her daughter at the same time!?

My brain had officially entered panic mode.

―――――――――――――――――――――

[Afterword] 

A Random Tidbit

Author: “So if you cut it off and seal it with duct tape, it won’t regenerate…?”

R: “Hiee—!!“

If you thought, “Even his subordinates want to take him out,” “His ex-fiancée has arrived!!”, or “So we finally figured out how to remove it, huh,”—

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