He’s asking for confirmation: “Do you really want to burst in?”
“Rescue Nathan and capture Hugh—those are our two objectives.”
“Understood.”
“Lord Sil…are you ready?”
“Yes.”
“It’s you Hugh is after, Sil. Don’t forget that.”
“Yes…I know.”
By the time we burst into Sirius’s study from the secret corridor, Nathan was barely able to stand. And there was only one other person standing in the room with him: Hugh.
Besides them, there were a few traitors that had probably come in with Hugh, but they were unable to move. That was probably Nathan’s handiwork.
A longsword clanged as it rolled along the ground. Its tassel shook with each roll.
As Nathan braced himself against the wall, Hugh raised his sword to strike him—and promptly lost the ability to attack.
Thanks to the dagger Klifford threw.
Hugh slowly lowered his hand…but not to pick up his sword. He just stood still, motionless. As he stood there in his bodyguard uniform, he looked like his usual self—it was so surreal.
He calmly looked over the new arrivals, his eyes landing on Sil.
“Looks like luck was on your side, Lord Burks.”
“Don’t resist arrest,” I told him.
“I won’t.”
This…is just too anticlimactic.
I guess he kinda has no other recourse, but…is he really just gonna give up?
When I shot him a look of disbelief, Hugh smiled cynically. “Your arrival signals my defeat, Princess. Isn’t that right?”
Sil ran over to Nathan. Slinging Nathan’s arm around his shoulder, he helped him get away from Hugh. The true entrance to the study was tightly secured from the inside. Did Hugh and his men do that? So they did secure the room…so nobody could interfere. Irregular pounding noises echoed from the other side of the door. Somebody was trying to break in from the other side.
“So…you admit it?”
“Admit what, Princess?” Hugh asked calmly.
“That you—”
The words caught in my throat. I had come to get a confession out of him. I knew it was an open-and-shut case. In my head, I knew it…but my heart still couldn’t believe it.
As I sat there, fumbling, Hugh picked up where I left off. “That I tampered with Lord Burks’s carriage? I suppose that’s what you mean. I did not do it personally, but I did give the order. I did not anticipate having a witness, however.”
He just confessed to being the mastermind without blinking an eye. He spoke fluidly, without even a tremor in his voice.
“So…this is your approach?” Nathan demanded.
“My…approach?”
For the first time since our intrusion, there was a glimmer of emotion on Hugh’s face. And Nathan, the man who had gotten it out of him, was quite wounded. His uniform was drenched in blood and ripped in places. His right arm was hanging lifelessly—probably broken—but his eyes were still sharp and fierce.
“People don’t always take the right path. Sometimes they are forced to walk a path of thorns, even if they know it’s wrong. All the more so when they’re royalty. And as for me…even if I know a path is the wrong one to take, if my master wills it, I should endure any slander that comes my way and silently follow him. I thought that was my role to fill; that it was not my place to advise him against it.”
In the books, Nathan would sometimes go against Sirius’s orders, but never outside the scope of an order itself.
“I always thought…advising the prince against making mistakes was your role,” Nathan said.
“My role?”
In contrast, Hugh was the type of character who would always give Sirius advice if he was about to go astray, even if it meant defying a direct order.
“Me, dissuade Prince Sirius? How presumptuous.”
“Then why did you commit such treachery?! Give a reason!” Nathan shouted.
All signs pointed to Hugh being the culprit. Hugh even admitted as much, but it just didn’t make sense.
“Nathan is quite right. What was your reason?” I asked.
Hugh fell silent.
“I attempted to murder Sil Burks. I am the culprit—isn’t that all that matters?”
“So you won’t tell us?”
“I’m remaining silent.”
So he doesn’t want to reveal his motive?
“Because you’re the culprit, that claim won’t work,” I told him.
“……Is that so?” Hugh murmured, narrowing his eyes. He pulled something from his pocket and threw it. He was aiming for Sil, but since Sil’s hands were full with Nathan, there was no guarantee he could dodge it—
“Klifford! To Sil!”
He knew my command to protect Sil without my needing to say it. But Klifford’s immediate response only brought temporary relief. Hugh raised his sword and kicked off the floor.
Then he flew like a gale—but not at Sil.
He was flying straight at me. His jet-black eyes were clear as ever—and a prickling sensation assaulted my skin.
But not from Hugh. From Klifford, repelling Hugh’s attempted attack on me. From the malicious look in his eye. From his clear intent to kill.
Yet Hugh had a satisfied smile on his face.
And in the blurry blink of an eye that the attempted murder took place, my head was oddly clear, and rage boiled up from deep inside my gut.
Because I knew why Hugh was trying to kill me.
Oh… So that’s why.
“Klifford! Stop!”
I desperately threw my arms around him from behind. Klifford grunted in confusion as I grabbed his sword hand with both of mine. He swiftly changed sword hands, parrying Hugh’s attack. But he stopped short of killing Hugh…just like I’d wanted.
“Please, don’t be so reckless.”
Klifford looked back at me, his indigo eyes deep with confusion and rage.
“Don’t kill Hugh.”
Klifford’s brows knitted together.
Oh dear… I gave him the wrong idea.