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C80=C99 of WN
80. The Cruel Princess Realizes
"It’s much later than planned."
Stayle muttered as he looked out the window of the carriage. Tiara, following suit, peered out the window as well.
"Yes, but we don’t have any more plans for the rest of the day. As long as we make it to dinner, it’s fine."
It was already accounted for in the schedule that we might be late because of the inspection. Though, honestly, the delay wasn’t because of the inspection itself but because I had gotten carried away spending time with Prime Minister Gilbert’s daughter, Stella. Once we get off the carriage, I’ll need to have the guards carry all the books Tiara bought back to the room.
While I was thinking about this, Tiara suddenly raised her voice. "We’re almost at the castle!"
When I looked out the window, I saw that we were indeed nearing familiar sights. As Arthur stood up to open the door, it happened.
Clunk... clunk...
The carriage gradually came to a stop. Feeling something was off, Tiara and I leaned out of the window again, while Arthur and Stayle silently drew their swords. From outside, we could hear the guards shouting, "Hey, wake up!" "Move it, quickly!"
"What happened?! What’s going on?!"
Stayle, still holding his sword to protect Tiara and me, pushed Arthur aside and raised his voice to the guards outside the door.
Footsteps approached quickly, and a guard’s voice sounded in a hurried tone.
"I’m sorry! There’s a homeless person lying in the street, blocking the way... We’re removing them now, so please wait just a moment!"
A homeless person… It wasn’t unusual in our country, but this was right near the castle where the royal family resides. Why here? I imagined Stayle and Tiara had the same thought. We could have checked for ourselves, but occasionally there were bandits targeting royalty or beggars deliberately seeking to gain sympathy by approaching royal figures. So, we stayed seated in the carriage, waiting, and instructed the guards to give the person water and some food, if they were still alive.
After a while, there was a noise as something was thrown aside, and the carriage finally began to move again. Tiara and I, curious, quietly peeked out the window as we passed by, and saw the direction where the homeless person had been removed. Wrapped in ragged clothes and a hood, the person lay collapsed, looking utterly exhausted. I was thinking about asking Arthur to check on them when...
I noticed their brown-skinned hands and feet sticking out from the clothing.
"Stop! Please, stop!"
Before I could think, I shouted. At my command, the carriage abruptly stopped once again. With the sound of hooves and wheels grinding, the carriage lurched forward violently.
Arthur caught Tiara, who almost fell, while Stayle braced himself, using all his strength. I, however, grabbed the door handle and jumped out of the carriage.
The guards reached out in surprise, calling our names, and Arthur, following closely behind, rushed to catch up, with Stayle right after. "Please wait, Princess Pryde, Tiara, Stayle," the guards called out, trying to stop us, but I had no time to answer.
As I ran, memories from four years ago surged back.
"If you ever face a situation you cannot handle on your own and find yourself in dire need of help, come to me."
If, if he really...
"If you never find yourself in such a situation, then it will remain a needless worry."
It can’t be just a worry!!
"Val!!"
I shouted with all my strength and ran towards the person lying on the ground. As I stopped, I heard Arthur’s voice call out from behind, "Princess Pryde!"
I ignored it, crouching down to check on him.
There was no response. He appeared completely unconscious. I kneeled and cautiously removed his hood. It was him, no doubt. Though his appearance had changed slightly over the past four years, it was almost identical to the face I remembered from when he appeared in the game. He was breathing, but seemed to be in some sort of troubled sleep.
I placed his head gently on my lap and poured some water from the bag the guards had left beside him into his mouth. As I did this, Stayle rushed to my side. "Sister!" he cried out, and then, after seeing the man, his eyes widened in shock. "This man...?"
Val suddenly coughed and weakly opened his eyes. After a moment, his gaze focused on me for just an instant before he fainted again.
"Princess Pryde, who is this man...?"
Arthur seemed to have no recognition of him. While he had seen images, this was their first time meeting in person, so it was understandable. More guards gathered, asking if we were okay, if he was injured. Stayle seemed at a loss for what to say to the guards and Arthur, so I decided to take charge.
"His name is Val. He’s my guest. Take him with you."
Stayle looked utterly stunned, while Arthur just stared, mouth agape.
I still didn’t know. Was he here by chance, or had he come to see me? It wouldn’t hurt to confirm that first before making any decisions.
I was the one who had put him in this situation. I had given that order. So, it was my responsibility to deal with the consequences.
As the guards processed the situation, I looked back at Val, who lay unconscious. I was certain that whatever had brought him here was no mere coincidence. For now, I would follow through on my responsibility and figure out the rest later.
The carriage continued its journey, and I couldn’t help but think that something had just shifted, like a long-forgotten piece of my past was now coming to the surface.
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EUN: We're finally at the start for Val's arc!!!
The WN for Val's arc is extremely long, which is hard for me as a translator but as a reader and a fan of Pryde-sama, I just love how detailed this arc is compared to the anime or the LN.
AHHHHH I'M SO EXCITED~
Thanks for reading!! ^^
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