Extra 36 – Anna Cellars (11) Attack

The journey was reaching the ending and we were staying in the last inn.

The meals and drinks that were served were mostly mixed with poison, but both Yulian-sama and I prevented them from being consumed.

The escort knights from the neighboring country were not able to fulfill that role.

I could only think that the weak security was applied on purpose, but we were not at the stand who could complain, so we stayed silent.

Every time when they were about to have a meal, Princess Lily said, “I want to eat with my brother,” shook off the maids and knights. Ever since then, the poisoning had rarely occurred anymore.

This was the last chance for the other side to take action as we were staying in the last inn before we reached the castle.

The culprit who was getting impatient was likely to take action tonight as he must succeed.

It was late at night. Inside the room where the evidence was already being dropped, only the moonlight shone through the window lit the room.

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Gp kv oyp, vbl rlapsd obspl pvlr oyp zkjl vbl dkdfy’p oyp yrrasynbkdt vbl cle.

Kwetkdt qasx vbl qssvpvlrp, vblal oyp sdzu sdl ldlxu.

Tkekdt kd vbl pbyeso sq vbl qwadkvwal, qsa y xsxldv, R pyo y tzkvvlakdt zktbv vbyv oyp alqzlnvkdt vbl xssdzktbv.

Mbl byde powdt esod vsoyaep vbl cwztl sd vbl cle.

“R eke kv! R eke kv! Ekvb vbkp, R okzz clnsxl aknb…! Ob…?”

Gv zypv, vbl kdvawelap dsvknle vbyv vbl jdkql oyp pvycckdt psxlvbkdt psqv.

Jwv kv oyp vss zyvl.

“—Whose life were you trying to take? Tell me.”

A sword was touching the neck of that man who was just crying out of joy.

And the one who let out such a cold tone was no other than Yulian-sama.

“Wh-who are you?! I don’t know anything.”

“Even after this, you really don’t know when to give up. A person who doesn’t know anything will not intrude into other people’s rooms late at night and swing a knife. Why did you do it?”

“I-I don’t know! I just did it because I was told that I will get a big amount of money if I kill the person who stays in this room!”

It seems that the man who lived in this town was hired by money.

Even in fear, he only said that he didn’t know repeatedly.

I’m sure he didn’t know the abyss.

“I didn’t kill him, so just let me go.”

Wha? I saw the vulgar smile of that man as it was lit by the moonlight.

I met my eyes with Yulian-sama’s as I unintentionally lifted my skirt.

“… Please bear it. It is still early.”

“Ha? Who are you talking to? He-hey, get this off me.”

“I won’t. Why do I need to receive your instruction?”

“Please bear it.” Those words from Yulian-sama were directed to me.

I let go of my hand from the vessel on my thigh and took a deep breath.

“… Anna…. Your skirt… It is bad for my heart…”

I tried hard to focus my attention so that there was no harm directed to him, as he was hiding next to me, His Highness Sieghart’s words didn’t reach mine.

◇

“It is a small fry.”

After finishing tying the man, Yulian-sama made a sigh.

The man was sleeping soundly because of my sleeping pills as a gag was put on his mouth.

“Yes. He is not a professional.”

I agreed with his statement.

According to what I heard from Emma-sensei, the person who was working in Marquis Rottnel Residence as a tutor and taught Lettie-sama and me a lot of things, a top-notch assassin often commits suicide the time when they fail their mission.

There are several ways such as self-destruction, drinking the poison hidden in the teeth, or biting off their own tongue. It was an absolute rule that they cannot leak any information about their clients, so they would not beg for their lives.

However, this man is different.

He begged for his life, and there were no suspicious movements.

He was really just hired on an ad hoc basis.

“He said that he was hired by a woman in a black robe. And then, the woman has a birthmark on her wrist.”

At the time when the woman was giving him the advance payment, from the sleeve of the black robe, there was a birthmark.

The man said that since it was quite rare, he noticed it.

—It will take no time until the woman is identified.

“Really, why was His Highness Sieghart targeted like this, although they only hire small fries who are likely to leak out information about them.”

“… I agree. I didn’t think I was resented this far.”

His Highness Sieghart looked depressed by every day’s poisoning and attacks. Of course, he did. It is terrifying that someone wanted you to die.

“Anna, you asked previously whether I know why I was targeted, right?”

“Yes.”

“It’s not good to hide this from the two of you as you have worked this hard. There are a lot of reasons. It is because of my immatureness, my position, and the problems that could not be fixed anymore.”

Even in the moonlit room, I noticed that his eyes were filled with sorrow.

Yulian-sama also silently listened to His Highness as he continued his words.

“My elder brother, the first prince, and I, the second prince, both have different mothers. My mother is a consort and her status is low. Moreover, the purple hue in my eyes, which is the symbol of royalty, is faint. Because of that, it was almost definite that my brother is in the next line of the throne.”

His Highness let out a breath.

“… I know it is weird for me to say this, but I am more excellent in studies than my brother. Lily and I, who were raised isolated, rarely see my brother, so we only knew him from the rumors. Besides… Do you know that we have our own original food culture? Udon and green tea, shoyu, and the other seasoning. Those were invented in our country and they are already distributed internally in our country.”

I tilted my head towards His Highness Sieghart who suddenly started talking about food. It is because I could not find the connection between food and the assassination attempts.

About udon, I also knew about it because I saw the book about the neighboring country that Lettie-sama read until late at night. Her shining eyes while reading it made her really cute.

It was the time when I thought about bringing back the udon recipe as I was thinking about Lettie-sama’s smile.

“When I was eight, I was the one who officially proposed udon to the outside world. It was actually Lily’s idea, but because it was an idea coming from a 6-year-old princess, I decided to bear the brunt. After that, I turned Lily’s idea into shape… And as I was doing it, the public gave a good evaluation towards me, ‘The Excellent Second Prince who creates innovative ideas’. As the evaluation went up, the favor in the royal palace conflicted between the first prince and the second prince. —That’s why I am an obstacle to him.”

His actions were made so that there was no harm directed towards Lily. He said so with a serious look.

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