The midday sun shone down on the park, warming the grass.
Leaning against a tree and sheltered by its shade, Selina had actually fallen into a deep sleep.
The fatigue she had accumulated over many days exploded at this moment.
Though she had rested the previous two days, she had been anxious about the banquet.
She was a little worried.
Years of pent-up thoughts erupted when she found a clue.
She wanted to see her, to face her as she was now.
Would she still recognize her?
Could she still call her by name?
Perhaps she was already a wife, a political tool among the nobles, or even holding a child in her arms.
Then what expression should she use to face her?
Countless thoughts intertwined in her mind, keeping her awake all night.
But now, she suddenly fell asleep.
With their company, she briefly cast those thoughts aside.
‘Mom, I will find you.’
Reality.
Qiluo had already heard her sleep-talking murmurs.
“Looks like she has a story too.”
Qiluo rested her chin in thought.
Just then, an old beggar slowly approached her, shaking his broken bowl.
A few copper coins in the bowl clinked incessantly.
Melrose immediately stepped in front of Qiluo, watching the beggar warily as she took an iron coin from her purse and dropped it into his bowl.
“Three shakes, three rattles. Looks like someone wants to invite me as a guest.”
She said in a low voice, her sharp gaze fixed on the guards hidden in the trees.
She stood up and walked out of the park.
Melrose hesitated for a moment, glancing from Qiluo to the sleeping Selina.
She gritted her teeth, carried Selina on her back, and quickly followed.
At the park entrance, an extremely luxurious carriage was parked.
The park was a public area, and such opulence would certainly attract attention, yet not a single person was visible around.
“Princess, are you sure?”
“Shut your mouth and don’t say a word.”
Qiluo glared at her, then entered the carriage.
Melrose carried Selina and climbed in as well.
The carriage was not only luxurious but also very spacious; even with three people, it didn’t feel cramped.
Selina was still fast asleep.
Melrose let out a sigh of relief.
Just then, the coachman’s voice came from outside.
“How rare. The Princess actually left the Imperial Palace.”
“I’m just looking into the common people’s lives. Since I’m acting as regent, I must also pay attention to public welfare.”
“Indeed. My master loves a shop in the eastern district that sells canaries. Their canaries are so well-behaved that even if you open the cage, they won’t fly away.”
Melrose shivered.
She tremblingly looked at Qiluo, whose expression was blank but whose eyes were icy cold.
She smiled coldly.
“Is that so? Then I’d like to go see that canary. Stop the carriage over there. We’re getting off.”
“Miss, our master still wants to invite you to his place for a visit. Why are you leaving in such a hurry?”
“No visit is necessary. Pull over immediately, or I’ll burn this carriage.”
When the coachman heard about burning the carriage, he didn’t think much of it—until a wave of heat came from behind.
Then he hurriedly stopped the carriage by the roadside.
Qilou got off the carriage angrily, and Melrose carried Selina down as well.
If it weren’t for the ordinary people around, she would have had Melrose blow up the carriage with a big fireball.
Calling her a canary?
Telling her to mind her own business?
If her grandfather weren’t bedridden, would you scum get to act wild?
After cursing those filthy noble families in her heart, she lost the mood for incognito inspections.
She had originally planned to visit a few viscounts and earls to test the waters.
But before even setting out, she got a warning.
Apart from the Rose Knights and a few senior civil officials, hardly anyone knew about her trip…
Just how many spies had those old fossils planted around her?
Could it be that she couldn’t even trust the knights who grew up with her?
Or was it the civil officials leaking information…
If she continued visiting those viscounts and earls’ mansions, there might be an ambush.
“Mel, we’re going back to the palace. Mel? Melrose?”
Qiluo called out several times, but Melrose didn’t respond.
When she looked at Melrose, she saw an extremely serious expression.
‘Enemies…’
Qiluo quickly looked around.
There were only ordinary people nearby.
But.
Why were they all staring at her?
Even if they saw a beautiful woman, it shouldn’t be that look.
Ordinary people?
Bystanders?
She suddenly gave a bitter smile.
“You really are… arrogant…”
“Draw your swords!!!”
A curtain of flames made of fire obscured the three of them.
Then the “ordinary people” around them suddenly moved.
At that moment, the sky became overcast with dark clouds and heavy rain began to fall.
Melrose frowned.
The rain was obviously man-made, specifically targeting a fire-type magic swordsman.
All her techniques would now be weakened by twenty percent.
Then wind-element arrows pierced through the flame curtain, scattering it and revealing that no one was inside.
Meanwhile, under a certain building.
Melrose placed Selina in a corner.
“Is it okay to leave her here?”
“It’s fine. Their target isn’t Selina.”
Melrose said, then pulled out a flare gun from her belt.
She loaded it, aimed at the sky, and pulled the trigger.
But the flare was immediately shot down by an arrow.
Undeterred, Melrose fired another, but it was also struck down.
“Damn it! They’ve cut off our contact with the outside world!!!”
“This is a coup! A blatant coup!”
Melrose roared, throwing away the flare gun, then grabbed Qiluo and quickly started moving.
Their position had been exposed.
Countless assassins were now rushing toward them.
Raindrops hit Selina’s face.
She slowly opened her eyes and gave a soft sigh.
‘Looks like I’ve been dragged into something troublesome again.’
She rolled her neck, sensing the auras around her.
‘A 4th-rank mage like me against a bunch of 6th- and even 7th-rank assassins? You kidding me?’
‘I’m out of here.’
Meanwhile, Melrose pulled Qiluo into a nearby park.
Qiluo had good magical talent, but as a royal, she had to spend more time on other subjects.
History, mathematics, literature, politics.
Mastering political maneuvering was essential, so Qiluo had almost no combat ability.
She had only reached the first rank in magic and left it at that.
Melrose was now in full power mode, holding a flaming blade and battling endless enemies.
Fortunately, none of these attackers were above 7th rank, or she wouldn’t have been able to protect Qiluo.
The rain grew heavier, and the ground beneath their feet became more muddy.
Qiluo accidentally stepped into mud, slipped, and fell.
Her clean face was smeared with mud, and her legs trembled uncontrollably.
“Princess! Get up quickly! If we can draw the attention of the city defense force, we still have a chance!”
Melrose urged anxiously.
Before she could help Qiluo up, a blade swung straight at her.
Melrose took a deep breath, changing her stance in an instant to block the strike.
Looking up, she saw a harmless-looking face, but the expression was extremely vicious.
The two crossed blades.
Melrose desperately wanted to reach Qiluo, but the enemy was determined to keep her pinned.
“Why are you trying so hard? If she dies, no one will blame you!”
“You… traitor of the empire!”
Melrose roared, channeling power into her flaming blade, melting the traitor’s sword and then cutting off both his hands.
“AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!”
“Princess!!!”
Without a moment’s rest, Melrose charged forward, grabbing an old woman who was about to strike Qiluo and throwing her aside.
She pulled a short sword from her waist and stabbed it into the assassin’s kidney.
She stood up, rain washing the blood off her body.
Looking back, she saw countless assassins closing in on Qiluo.
“Princess!!!”
Suddenly, a loud boom echoed in the sky, and a flare burst into brilliant light.
For a moment, everyone’s attention was on the sky.
Who was it?
Everyone wondered.
The flare fired in midair drew everyone’s gaze.
And in that split second when attention was diverted,
Melrose charged into the encirclement, hoisted Qilou onto her shoulder, and ran toward the direction the flare had come from.
“What the hell, Kyman?! Why didn’t you shoot down that flare?!”
The archer among the assassins was also baffled.
His eyes had been fixed on the fleeing pair, and he had seen them drop the flare gun.
Forget who fired it—that thing was single-shot, single-load.
Where did they get extra ammo?
Below where the flare had been fired, the muzzle of the flare gun was still smoking.
Selina was pleasantly surprised.
‘So this world has flare guns. That means firearms exist too.’
But considering the durability of heavily armored knights, she understood why guns hadn’t developed widely here.
She also had to thank the designer who had hidden a spare flare inside the grip of the gun.
While the archer’s attention was on Melrose and Qiluo, she had fired it.
‘That should do it. Support should arrive in a few minutes.’
She was suddenly curious about who Qiluo really was.
An ordinary clerk wouldn’t warrant so many assassins.
Beyond numbers, Selina could faintly sense
that these assassins were mostly 5th or 6th rank.
No 7th-rank experts.
Was there some concern?
She tucked the flare gun into her chest.
This place wasn’t safe to stay.
Time to run.
….
Meanwhile, Melrose was still escorting Qiluo near the area where the flare had been fired.
Suddenly, a short blade stabbed toward Qiluo.
Melrose blocked it.
The enemy with the short knife tangled with her, and she shouted,
“Princess, run! Go… find Selina… hurry!”
Melrose, who had already expended some stamina and magic, fought against the 6th-rank opponent.
At her peak, dealing with an untrained small fry like this wouldn’t have been a problem.
But after a series of battles and having to protect Qiluo, her body was now covered in wounds of all sizes.
The pain from the torn wounds did not affect her physical performance; she was incredibly calm.
Her hands were severely burned from overusing flames beyond her tolerance.
If Qiluo could escape, then everything would be worth it.
Qiluo limped into a building.
She entered an empty room and locked the door, as if that would keep the assassins out.
She was the regent of the empire, learned in history, mathematics, literature, and politics.
But none of that knowledge could help her escape this predicament.
She had underestimated the noble families’ control over the empire.
How long had she been out of the palace?
They dared to assassinate her during a simple incognito inspection.
She shouldn’t have taken that carriage.
But she had been too arrogant.
She assumed they wouldn’t dare act.
No room for negotiation—if they could act, they would, without a word.
Melrose was still outside fighting the assassins.
If she survived by some chance, Melrose would likely be in grave danger.
Were they going to take away everyone around her again?
Or could she only watch helplessly, as she was doing now?
Qiluo felt unwilling, but also deeply powerless.
Suddenly, the door was kicked open.
An ordinary-looking man walked in.
His expression was extremely cold, but the corner of his mouth curled slightly, as if sneering at her.
“Who would have thought that the great Eldest Princess of the empire would end up like this. In the end, your family has been on that throne too long. It’s time for someone else to be emperor.”
He reached out and touched Qiluo’s face, a hint of regret in his eyes.
Probably didn’t have enough time to have his way with her.
The Rose Knights would arrive in just a few minutes.
“What a pity. Such a pity.”
“Better finish this quickly, to avoid complications.”
He said to himself, holding a dagger as he slowly walked toward her.
A rank-1 mage like Qiluo was no different from an ordinary person.
This assassin didn’t even bother strengthening his body.
The princess, above everyone else, was about to die by his blade.
Qiluo closed her eyes, accepting her fate, which only boosted his confidence.
He let his guard down.
Allowing her to quietly sneak up behind him.
A pair of strong hands grabbed his head, and before he could react, with lightning speed,
snapped his neck.
The cracking sound of bones was crisp.
The assassin fell in front of Qiluo.
“You could have just run after firing the flare gun. Why did you come back?”
“Melrose is my friend.”
“Now, you are too.”