The Omega Princess and Her Two Leashes - Chapter 105

Schedule: Monday and Friday

Chapter 105

“Lost? You’re saying you were lost?”

“Yes. We both became hopelessly lost. We wandered around the village for quite some time before finally encountering Sir Camin, who then escorted us back to the royal palace.” Leybid lifted his chin. “That’s what happened.”

“….”

This fabricated account stemmed from Leybid’s earlier promise to help create an alibi. Incidentally, it was the same story he’d given Camin. And the reaction he received was remarkably similar. His listener stared at him, incredulous, struggling to mask their disdain with an unsuccessful attempt at a neutral expression.

“So…you’re saying His Imperial Highness, the Crown Prince, fled because he was frightened by a… terrorist act?”

“Yes. Because I’m a coward.”

Leybid’s declaration was bold, his face devoid of shame.

“At the time, I wasn’t aware that it was Demonas targeting the magnate Alpha. I was convinced it was an attempt on my life. Despite the ongoing peace negotiations, I am still the crown prince of an enemy nation. I’m a perfectly reasonable target for such an attack.”

With a sigh and a shake of his head, Leybid looked directly at Enrique. “As you can see from the fact that I fainted after eating mere street food, I am truly nothing more than a delicate flower raised in the sheltered greenhouse of the imperial palace. So, imagine how terrified I must have been.”

Having declared himself a coward and a hothouse flower, Crown Prince Leybid shuddered dramatically, his clear blue eyes conveying a distinct message, Is it wrong that I’m a coward and a hothouse flower? Why?

Unable to formulate a response to that unspoken challenge, Enrique stifled a sigh and nodded. “Indeed, Your Highness. You acted wisely. Had the Empire’s Crown Prince been caught in a terrorist incident on our soil, the Kingdom of Fleurose would have been deeply embarrassed.”

Leybid bobbed his head vigorously. “Precisely! That’s exactly what I was thinking. My flight wasn’t just about my safety, but also about preserving the honor of your kingdom.”

Enrique swallowed another sigh at Leybid’s self-congratulatory tone. He was brimming with retorts, but as a representative of a smaller nation beholden to the Empire, he couldn’t voice them. However, he couldn’t quite suppress the thought that bubbled up: The Empire’s Crown Prince is remarkably pathetic. This realization made the earlier reprimand sting even more. A coward and a hothouse flower dared to lecture me? The audacity… No, he thought, this isn’t the time for personal feelings.

With the practiced composure of a crown prince, Enrique pushed aside his irritation and refocused.

At the very least, this explanation provided an alibi for Arlenrose, establishing her whereabouts during the attack on Graham. While some details remained unclear and would require further investigation, he no longer felt the need to pursue them. Now that his initial agitation had subsided, he wondered what had possessed him to entertain such wild suspicions. Arlenrose, after all, was still the same timid, hesitant individual who couldn’t even meet his gaze. A pair of cowards, a fitting match, Enrique thought, sneering inwardly as he glanced at them.

Moreover, Arlenrose possessed no spirit powers. He’d briefly considered the possibility that she did have such abilities but kept them secret. However, that seemed absurd. If she did possess such powers, she would have revealed them by now. There would be no reason to endure the humiliation and stigma of being considered a royal liability. The very idea of this frail princess participating in a terrorist plot, aiding the rebels, was utterly ludicrous.