I had no other choice but to give an evasive answer to Charlottes words, that relieved me somewhat.

Hu,huh?

The princess was already aware that her life was in danger.

Rather, the way she stared at me so calmly confirmed to me that my guesses were correct. she was looking at me with such serious eyes, as if she was never so preoccupied with the food.

Its difficult for me to go into detail, but my half-brother, Bertus, was probably blindly waiting for me to die. For him, knowing that I was still alive, would be like a thorn in his side.

The girl that was sitting in a prison cell holding her mothers body and crying was completely gone. Charlotte, who returned to her seat, was calm, as if she realized again that she was a member of the imperial family.

However, Bertus actually had a lot of followers. He was a villain, but he sure wasnt incompetent.

However, I dont know how he plans to kill me. I dont know who will do it, I just know it will happen soon.

She didnt know how she was going to be attacked and Charlotte didnt know who to trust in this chaotic situation just after the end of a war. Due to most forces searching the Demon Kings Castle and cleaning up the stragglers, almost all the main forces were missing.

And the people I turst arent here. I think it was intentional.

When Charlotte was rescued, she realized that none of her own were around. Then something flashed through my mind like lightning.

Hoh, so thats why you told the people to leave.

Well, yes.

In the first place, she kicked everyone out except me because she couldnt be sure if any of them would end up being her killer except me.

Rather, Charlotte was a lot more cautious than I was.

She didnt know who to trust, or when shed be killed. How could one know if they hadnt poisoned the food?

Hey, the food might gotten poisoned.

At my words, the princess laughed.

If they poisoned the food, Id just eat it and die then, in this situation.

She was so hungry she didnt care anymore.

I couldnt imagine just how hungry the princess was, but it seemed like she was so starved that shed rather die than not eat the food in front of her. She was so hungry that shed even eat poisoned food. Fortunately, there wasnt any poison in it.

Most people stationed in these barracks will be enemies.

Is that so?

Charlotte was convinced that not just a few but most of them were her enemies.

I tried to leave the barracks a few times before, but they didnt let me, with the excuse that I should relax. Im sure theyre trying to lock me up.

Charlottes voice was getting lower and lower.

Its not known yet that I was rescued. They didnt want to announce this either.

Is that so?

Even when she got rescued, she came out wrapped in something like a thick coat. Charlotte was convinced that there werent other survivors inside the Demon Kings Castle.

Theyre probably waiting for instructions on how to deal with me. Thats why they dont want it to be known that Im alive. After killing me, theres a high possibility that theyll just say I died in the Demon Kings Castle.

They would make it out that she died in the Demon Kings Castle, but would keep quiet about her getting rescued, so there they could say that they retrieved the corpse from inside the Demon Kings Castle. Charlotte was looking at a number of possibilities.

From the outside it seemed like they cared for the First Princess, however, in reality, it was more like hundreds of people holding Charlotte in custody. Just the thought gave me goosebumps all over my body.

It didnt look like that at all. At least to me.

However, Charlotte already knew their intentions.

So I, who was rescued with you, am also in danger.

Obviously, Charlotte said our life is in danger and not my life is in danger after all.

This wasnt just a matter of them finding out if Im a demon or not anymore.

Bertus followers would remove anyone who knew the first princess was alive, and I wasnt going to be an exception.

In the end, I was in a position in which I had no other choice but to try my hardest to keep Charlotte safe.

Listen. Well leave the barracks now.

She was in even greater danger after getting rescued, so she was planning to escape from this non-surveillance.

Are we even able to run away?

But with so many soldiers patrolling the grounds, was it even possible to escape properly?

Of course we cant run away, but thats not the point.

Charlotte laughed.

I want as many people as possible to know that Im alive.

Her purpose wasnt to run away, but to inform the ordinary soldiers of her survival.

No.

But.

I was older.

So why did she seem so much smarter than me?

Charlotte rose from her seat, while I felt a strange sense of defeat.

The meal was over.

* * *

No one even imagined that Charlotte de Gardias could still be alive, so there wasnt much surveillance in the barracks Charlotte and I were in. They were now waiting for instructions from above and didnt seem to think that wed be able to get away.

Even if I called it barracks, it was really just a tent.

Escaping from it was simple.

I slightly cut the tent in the back with a knife provided for the meal and checked their movements outside.

After cutting a hole in the tent, we crawled outside. We came out from the back and not its entrance so there were only a few troops walking around. It was quiet, which was understandable, as most of them were gathered in the Demon Kings Castle and not the garrison.

No one seemed to have expected that the princess would feel her life in danger and escaped as soon as she was rescued.

Yeah, that was normal. I was surprised by her behavior as well.

However, we couldnt walk around for long. Theyd soon find out we were gone. Charlotte knew that as well.

Okay, well be caught soon.

One might wonder why she came out when she knew that shed be caught soon, however, Charlottes purpose was to reveal her own survival to everyone so it didnt matter.

Just rumors about it alone would prolong Charlottes life a little longer. Like this, the fact that she was still alive would spread among the ordinary soldiers, preventing her death from being made out as something that happened in the Demon Kings Castle.

This could keep her alive for a bit until she found an alternative method.

That was Charlottes purpose.

You go ahead.

Yes.

Charlottes eyes lit up a little as she looked at me.

You have to come back as soon as possible.

At that moment, I was able to catch a glimpse of Charlottes fear of having to face death again.

Yes.

You must live, no matter what.

I left Charlotte behind and started running through the grounds.

-H, her, her Majesty the Princess?

-Her Majesty the Princess is alive!

Soon after, the cries of the remaining troops could be heard echoing through the camp.

Charlotte would be taken back to the HQ barracks, but that would leave me with greater freedom of movement.

If they find out that youre gone, theyll naturally try to find you as well. Run as far as possible. They wont try to kill you right away, but they will definitely kill you.

Find Sir Francis and make sure to come back together with him.

I need you to find him and make him my escort.

Just before we left the tent, Charlotte told me as such.

Sir Francis.

She said she didnt know whod be her enemies and whod be her allies.

However, she said that there was only one person who could never be her enemy.

The knight who rescued us, Francis.

If he had been Bertus minion he wouldve killed us right on the spot, but saved us himself. That was why he couldnt be one of Bertus servants.

From the moment she got rescued, Charlotte already had a hunch that she was about to face another crisis before she was even able to be happy about having gotten saved.

Originally, Charlotte would eventually get killed even though she was aware of the danger to her life. Charlotte couldnt do anything on her own to survive even with her wits. Which meant

My success or failure determined Charlottes life or death.

Charlotte couldnt find Francis on her own. Perhaps she gave orders to bring him to her, but those orders wouldnt have been carried out.

In the end, I had to find him myself and bring him to Charlottes side.

The soldiers coming and going from the vast barracks only titled their heads when they saw me running around, but none came directly towards me. While Charlottes face was well known, mine was not, hence, making this possible.

I approached one of the passing soldiers who looked like an officer and asked him.

Do, do you know where Sir Francis is?

He looked down at me and nodded.

Well? Whats going on?

I have an urgent message from the Commander-in-chief.

If I mentioned the princess here, it might take me some time to explain, so I had no choice but to cover this up with lies. He scanned my body and clothes from top to bottom. Fortunately, I changed into luxurious clothes, so I wasnt just dismissed.

If I had worn the rags, he would have told me to get lost.

I dont know Sir Francis very well, but Im pretty sure hes searching through the castle. I heard that most of the knights were sent there.

Damn it.

After rescuing us, it seemed like he had focused on his original mission, searching the castle, again.

No.

No, wait a second.

Bertus minions would kill anyone who knew that Charlotte was alive.

Its clear that Francis life would also be in jeopardy. He wasnt loyal to Bertus, so he wouldnt keep his silence. Bertus, however, would want to eliminate anyone who knew of Charlottes survival.

Only

I wasnt the only one whose life depended on Charlottes survival.

We must go find Sir Francis! His life is in danger!

Wha, what?!

I had no choice but to urgently shout to this unknown officer.