Princess Delphine changed into a servant’s uniform and left the room, surrounded by men also disguised as servants. I didn’t know where they were headed, but it was likely one of the royal family’s hidden shelters for emergencies.
Mike stood before me, wearing a knight’s uniform.
Most of my entourage consisted of knights from the First Order, so I wondered how the Third Order had managed to get Mike assigned to protect me.
Now it was my turn.
I slowly made my way from the castle to the plaza, guarded by thirty members of the First Order of the knights.
Thunderous cheers erupted from the crowd as soon as I appeared.
I kept my head high and chest out as I walked with Princess Delphine’s measured gait. The knights at the front lined up in a single row, while the guards surrounding me formed a semicircle around my sides and back.
Only thirty knights stood between me and the crowd.
Someone shouted, “Princess Delphine!”
The call spread through the crowd, and soon, dozens, then hundreds, and finally nearly everyone in the plaza was waving their arms and shouting her name.
“Princess Delphine! Princess Delphine!”
The booming voices surged toward me like a tidal wave.
Though I lowered the coarse mesh veil to the middle of my nose, I kept my smile visible. I slowly waved, scanning the crowd while wearing a composed expression.
The knights held back the crowd flocking toward me. A small spark could ignite this chaos at any moment. I remained vigilant, observing the throng of onlookers closely.
And then I saw it.
Mike noticed it at the same time.
A vendor at a distant stall was crouching over, seemingly occupied with something. I kept my gaze fixed on him as he suddenly raised a bow.
“Get down!” Mike shouted, lunging to shield me.
“No!” I pushed him aside, lifting the hem of my dress to draw the concealed dagger strapped to my thigh. I’d lose my ability to act if he covered me.
The assailant disguised as a vendor loosed his arrow as I watched. I prepared to deflect it with my dagger, only to realize his shot wasn’t aimed at me. Its tip was on fire.
Several flaming arrows flew from various stalls around the plaza, but their targets were scattered and seemingly random, leaving me bewildered.
“What’s going on?!”
I stood on a platform near the northern part of the plaza, with thousands of people gathered around me. They saw the flaming arrows landing in the vicinity and began to scream, scattering like spiders fleeing a web.
The flaming shots ignited nearby stalls, the decorations made of cloth and paper that adorned the plaza, and several other objects. I searched for the man who had launched the arrows, but he’d already disappeared. He must be blending into the crowd.
Something was off about this whole thing.
This was the perfect moment for the enemy to fire a second or third volley, taking advantage of the confusion of the crowd to start a full-scale attack.
“Mike, is this a diversion?!”
“Most likely. At any rate, come with me!”
Mike pushed me from behind, guiding me off the platform and toward the castle. I glanced over my shoulder as we ran, checking for any pursuers.
Amid the chaos of the crowd fleeing the fire, I thought I caught a glimpse of a small girl with golden hair turning my way: Nonna.
Nonna?! It can’t be! I thought, but Mike shoved me forward again.
“Hurry!”
“But—!”
Another forceful push left me no choice but to keep running toward the castle. None of the knights came with us.
Of course. The knights must’ve realized I was a double the moment Mike was assigned to me.
We continued running, approaching the castle gates.
The large iron gates were almost fully closed, leaving only enough space for someone to slip through. A guard armed with a spear shouted, “Hurry!”
I turned for one last look.
The knights of the First and Second Orders were drawing their swords, searching for the men who had launched the fiery arrows. But with so many people around, finding them would be impossible.
The plaza in front of the castle had four entrances. Three were ablaze, forcing the evacuees to flood toward the southern exit. Nonna was nowhere to be seen among them.
Did I imagine her?
As I turned forward, a familiar voice pierced through the crowd’s screams.
“Mom!”
Both Mike and I spun around at the same time.
Nonna wasn’t running on the ground. She was leaping from the roofs of untouched stalls to the branches of the massive trees surrounding the plaza, heading straight for us.
What is she doing here? Why isn’t she at Lord Edward’s estate?
I bit my lip in frustration.
But it was too late to tell her to stay back; she was already on her way. I stopped in my tracks, waiting for her to catch up. Nonna gracefully jumped down from the nearest stall, her golden braid fluttering as she dashed toward me at incredible speed.
“Thank goodness! I’m so glad you’re safe, Mom!”
“We’ll talk later. Come on.”
I desperately wanted to ask why she was here, but that would have to wait.
Nonna, Mike, and I slipped through the gate and ran into the castle. The gates slammed shut behind us with a resounding clang!
The castle corridors were empty as we ran through them. The few people we did encounter were guards, swords drawn and radiating tension. Mike shielded me from view, carefully guiding us through the castle. Finally, he ushered us into an empty room, stepping outside to stand guard.
Voices shouted back and forth beyond the door.
“Did you find them?”
“Not here!”
“Hey! What about over there?”
Mike responded to the calls. “Not in this room, either!”
The guards seemed to be checking each room as they shouted, searching for someone.
Who were they looking for? Princess Delphine? If so, she should already be safely hidden away.
Frustration bubbled within me as I struggled to make sense of the situation. Mike continued leading Nonna and me toward the northern wing of the castle.
No, this isn’t right.
I grabbed Mike by the arm, stopping him. “Wait, where are you taking us? Nonna and I can handle ourselves. You don’t need to guard or hide us. You should be protecting Princess Delphine right now!”
I couldn’t help but raise my voice as I confronted him, but he pressed a finger to his lips. “Shh.” Then he gestured for us to follow. Despite my irritation, I obeyed as we continued to the northern tower.
He led us to a room on the third floor labeled DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT and motioned for us to enter.
I froze when we stepped inside the room.
There stood Princess Delphine, the very person who was supposed to be in the secret safe room meant for the royal family.
Ten men in plain clothes were surrounding her, their gazes sharp and alert. They all wore black knit caps pulled low over their faces. I recognized them immediately. They weren’t soldiers or royal guards but members of the Third Order. The air about them reminded me of Hagl’s Special Operations Force.
In addition to a maid uniform, Princess Delphine also wore a brown wig. Her blue eyes were uncovered, but with the bangs of her wig hanging low, their color wasn’t immediately noticeable.
Once Mike brought Nonna and me inside, he leaned close to my ear and whispered, “Keep acting as her double,” before turning to the men, whose expressions were clearly asking who the child was.
“This child is very capable. She’s stronger than me. Have her accompany Her Highness,” Mike said flatly before walking out of the room.
Although I thought his explanation was woefully insufficient, it reminded me of how things worked in this field. Covert operations were always like this. We’d been taught to figure things out in the moment and act accordingly.
Nonna had been silent until now, but she addressed me in a quiet voice. “Mom, can I join in now? It’s okay, right?”
“Well, you’re already here, whether it’s okay or not. Nonna, I can’t put you first right now, so you’ll have to protect yourself. Can you do that?”
“Yes. Leave it to me. Heh-heh…”
Nonna was trying very hard to keep a straight face, but her excitement was impossible to miss. She was practically bursting with happiness, thrilled at the prospect of fighting without having to hold back.
Inwardly, I let out an exasperated sigh.
Seriously, how did Nonna end up getting this far? I certainly wasn’t expecting this!
“Well then, from here on, I’ll resume playing the role of Princess Delphine,” I said, stepping forward. The men nodded silently.
I moved toward the center of their formation, while the princess shifted to the rear. One of the men guided her to a wall, where she climbed onto a chair, then a desk, and finally a bookshelf before someone pulled her up through the ceiling above.
“Nonna, go with her.”
“Can’t I stay with you, Mom?”
“No. Absolutely not.”
“All right. Got it.”
“Nonna, I want you to prioritize staying alive over defeating the enemy.”
“Got it.”
“No one else will protect you, so you must be prepared for that.”
“I know.”
“Guard Princess Delphine. Do you have a weapon?”
“Yes.”
“Nonna.”
“What?”
“I love you.”
“I love you, too, Mom.”
Nonna headed for the ceiling, grabbed the hand reaching for her, and disappeared. The chair and the desk were quickly returned to their original positions. I heard Princess Delphine’s calm voice coming from above. “Kate, I leave this in your hands.”
“Understood. That girl will help you, so please rest assured,” I said.
The ceiling panel was quietly replaced.
“What’s the current status?” I asked, glancing at the men around me.
The one whom I assumed was their leader replied, “A faction within the military has accused Her Highness of plotting to poison His Majesty the king. They moved to detain her without parliamentary approval. Their coordination suggests this operation was meticulously planned. The flaming arrows in the plaza were likely a diversion to scatter her guards.”
“I see.”