The Protagonists of Romance Fantasy Novels Have Escaped

96 – 96. The Second (1)

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Clashing with the Valtaria Empire’s strong opposition, the triumphant Boern finally gave up persuasion.

The Alliance Conference ended peacefully.

There was no reason to stir up unnecessary turmoil in the current situation.

Edanant himself was reluctant to pilgrimage to the holy land. Therefore, the triumphant kingdom showed a temporary restraint to avoid conflict with the chosen champion of the sole god as much as possible.

“hehehehe, as a humble servant of the Great Mother, it is truly admirable. Even the hero and the saint ultimately did not prevent the pilgrimage to the holy land… I never expected Edanant to refuse.”

“Who would like a city filled with embers and ashes?”

A middle-aged man with a benevolent expression sighed deeply and spoke.

The girl with silver hair opened her mouth in a biting tone.

“It seems that Edanant has a deep bond with you.”

“We have solved several incidents together in the Valtaria Empire.”

Jebline, sensing the affinity subtly, nodded in acknowledgment to Boern’s question.

The watchdogs of the triumphant kingdom must have finished their investigation by now.

Any blatant lies would only arouse deep suspicions.

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Therefore, she casually welcomed Boern’s words.

“Refusing to prevent the pilgrimage to the holy land despite receiving the glory of the sole god’s grace is undoubtedly an act that disregards the sanctity of the earth and the dignity of the triumphant kingdom. I believe that even if it means pressuring the Valtaria Empire, we must invite Edanant to the holy land as the guest of honor.”

The priest, dressed in crimson robes, flashed his glasses as he spoke.

There are no exceptions.

The new champion of the triumphant kingdom must prevent the pilgrimage to the holy land.

A firm resolve was evident, showing no sign of compromise.

“Does the First Saint plan to continue staying in the Empire? It seems to be longer than expected.”

“I haven’t found Beatrice yet.”

Months passed since then.

Following the disappearance of the Second Holy Maiden, an enormous void emerged as the First Holy Maiden also vacated her position.

When will they return, indeed?

Numerous priests were awaiting Jevlinne’s return.

In response to Boren’s question, Jevlinne shrugged her shoulders, showing a clear disinterest in returning to the Holy Kingdom. Her blunt and cold expression seemed to convey that message openly.

“Surely, Your Highness, you wouldn’t ask me to prevent the return of the Endant, would you?”

“Of course not. How could I dare show such disrespect to the First Holy Maiden?”

hahahaha.

Boren burst into laughter.

Jevlinne wore a skeptical expression.

“The day approaches when the Demon King of Resurrected Death will arrive in this world. To prepare for that time, the full power of the Holy Kingdom will be mobilized.”

“It won’t be easy. Especially with no Holy Maiden party now…”

“It’s truly a lamentable situation.”

“…”

The resurrection of the Demon King of Death was imminent.

Nightmares were beginning to resurface.

The nightmare of death that had enveloped the continent was eagerly awaiting the moment of resurrection.

Boren let out a regretful sigh, indicating his concern.

How many lives had been lost until now, vanished without a trace? The ruler of the Holy Kingdom grasped the Rosario with a heavy heart, a gaze laden with solemn regret, a habit that surfaced whenever worries recurred.

“Could it be that the Second Holy Maiden of the Holy Kingdom is behind the nightmare of death’s resurrection…?”

“…Your Highness?”

He knew.

He knew that the Holy Maiden party was planning the resurrection of the Endant.

But how,

How did he know?

How did he know that, as he peacefully focused on his duties and read the scriptures in the Holy Kingdom’s office, Boren had somehow discerned that the Holy Maiden party was behind the Endant’s resurrection? It was an utterly improbable occurrence.

Jevlinne gazed at Boren with eyes filled with astonishment.

“The Earth Mother revealed it to me through a revelation.”

“A revelation? But the revelation only spoke of a new hero for the Holy Kingdom.”

It contained nothing about appointing Endant as the Holy Kingdom’s new hero or the impending resurrection of the calamitous deity of death.

Certainly, there was no mention of anything related to the Holy Maiden party.

“There are undisclosed details from the Alliance Conference. It’s the second revelation bestowed by the Earth Mother. A special mission from the Earth Mother to the humble servant of the Holy Kingdom.”

“…”

The second revelation.

Another revelation issued by the Earth Mother existed.

The reason for not disclosing it to the public was likely to keep it as a hidden ace for future use.

It felt like a blow to the back of the head.

His mind was so bewildered by the completely unexpected turn of events.

Jevlinne felt a heavy sense of unease constricting her chest. The fear that the revelation from the Earth Mother, which she had thought had ended, was still ongoing pierced her lungs like a sharp blade.

* * *

The chaos that had turned the imperial capital of Baltaria into a mess due to the sudden attack of the socialites and the onslaught of the rebels was gradually being restored.

The imperial capital regained its resplendent dignity.

And the city, which had been engulfed in flames, was also being restored, allowing the citizens to move in and out smoothly.

Perhaps in two months, all traces of the rebellion could be completely erased.

Receiving a very satisfying report that the restoration was almost complete, Barbados, eager to demonstrate the empire’s strength, immediately set out for the hunting ground.

“hahahaha! It feels so refreshing to be out like this! I thought my back was aching from dealing with sneaky folks at the table all this time!”

The Emperor, riding on the black-maned black horse, laughed heartily.

Sincerity could be felt in his expression and tone.

It must have been a liberating feeling that the Alliance Conference, where kings from various countries had gathered, had ended without incident.

“When will the wedding take place?”

“Probably… around next spring or summer, I am thinking.”

Every time the Emperor called me, he inquired about the wedding with Ludmilla.

There was a sense of urgency.

It must be sincere to marry off his second daughter who had already passed the age of twenty-seven. Barbados’ inquiries about the wedding were more serious than ever before.

‘He wasn’t this serious even when discussing the Third Race War… How genuine is he, really?’

Ta-da!

Actually, that was a lie!

Surely, there’s no way you’d marry a spinster several years older than you.

-If you make such a statement, you’ll end up living a life of being chased forever.

It was already too late to withdraw.

Fate had been sealed since scandals involving beautiful princesses spread throughout the imperial court.

“So, Mila is finally getting married! If only the Empress could have seen Mila in her wedding dress, it would have been truly delightful…”

“….”

Watching the Emperor, who smiled bitterly at the memory of the Empress who had passed away early, she realized that now, there was no way to avoid the matchmaking.

If one dared to mention breaking off the engagement, the Hohenberg family would surely face utter ruin this time. Without any proper negotiation, the betrothal decree would turn into ashes.

“That’s enough for today.”

“Yes, understood.”

Was the hunt really the main purpose?

Or was it to find a definitive answer regarding marriage?

The sun was slowly setting.

The large-scale hunt, which had mobilized many people, finally came to an end as night fell.

Returning to the palace with the Emperor, a tantalizing blonde princess appeared. Elizabeth, holding a towel, hurried towards them, as if she had been waiting for her father to return.

“You must have sweated a lot. Here, take this.”

“….Yes.”

The towel was cold.

Perhaps she had rushed over upon hearing of their arrival.

Glancing at the Emperor, Elizabeth cautiously accepted the towel handed to her. The Emperor, feeling resentment at being pushed aside by his youngest daughter, exuded disappointment in his expression.

“Did you catch a lot of prey? You’ve been in the hunting grounds for hours.”

“We caught quite a bit, but…”

“How many did you catch? Show me quickly!”

“Yes.”

She seemed unusually proactive today.

Had something happened?

After looking at the wild animals captured by the mischievous princess in the hunting grounds, the Emperor seemed to show a keen interest. Upon returning from the hunting grounds, he seemed to focus only on her.

“You seem to have sweated a lot. Here’s a towel.”

“Ahem! That’s enough!”

She handed the towel she received from Elizabeth to the Emperor. In response, the Emperor, showing discomfort, bluntly replied.

He seemed to be in a very bad mood.

“Lower your head for a moment. I’ll wipe it for you.”

“It’s okay.”

“I said, bow down quickly.”

“….”

Elizabeth snatched the towel from his hand and slowly began to wipe my face and neck.

A chilling sensation was felt.

Was it because of the cold towel?

Or was it because of the sharp gaze of the Emperor looking at me?

Despite the tense situation, Elizabeth, with a smile on her face, focused on her role. She was receiving a reverent gesture from the charming villainess as much as the heroine, but unfortunately, the timing was the worst.

Click-.

The Emperor, who had been holding a revolver, now held the trigger.

Seeming to ponder whether to pull the trigger or not.