Chapter 3: Mad Nobles (2)

“Your highness! What exactly do you have in mind to use against the court this time?”

Previously, the court had made countless futile effort in having me step down from the throne. They tried framing me for countless rumors and marrying me off to another kingdom with the excuse of strengthening our bonds.

“With an heir in the picture, I will have to get father on my side. I am sure he would not hand the throne to a child born from wedlock.”

“And if he did?”

Odette’s straight-forward speech does get on my nerve at times. Looking at the bright side, not that many people had the guts to speak in such a way to a royal.

It feels like I have a friend by my side.

For some reason it was nostalgic.

Odette paused walking and bowed down almost immediately. She was the kind to act before she thinks about the consequences.

“I apologize your highness!! That was extremely rude of me!”

I stared at her bowing down body. And I didn’t like it.

“Odette, it’s alright if you speak that way as long as we’re alone. And…”

It was wrong of me to order only her not to bow down when many others do.

“Lift your head, lady Odette.”

So I let the matter pass and continued walking.

A few moments passed with the only sounds echoing throughout the empty palace corridor being the clicking of our heels against the ice cold floor. That is until we neared the training grounds where the knights continuously cross their swords with each other.

However it was not just the swords colliding with one another that echoed. It was the cheering which was louder than those during festivals.

I could only think of a single person who could cause such a disturbance among the prestigious royal knights.

And as if she read my mind, Odette walked ahead of me.

Most of the time, my ladies-in-waiting walked a step or two behind me. It was only when a certain person shows up that Odette and Lucrece step forward to hide my body from him.

“Odette, you will not be able to hide me this time.”

“I will try my best.”

“You do remember he can smell my perfume regardless.”

Hydra.

An assassin from a noble family who was sent to murder me but ended up murdering the man who sent him to kill me instead. He returned back and chose to become a knight, abandoning the life of an assassin.

Hydra keeps saying that he will keep me safe no matter what and I believe it was his doing that the court stopped sending assassins over to my study. Maybe he killed a couple of them and sent their heads to the court?

Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

Knowing his nature, he probably did something grimmer.

It was because of his bloody and merciless actions that my ladies in waiting preferred if I interacted with him as little as possible. A princess acquainted with an ex-assassin was unheard of. It will not only affect my reputation but will also give the court the upper hand in the war they hint to start as the day of the emperor’s successor announcement approaches.

Odette extended her arms to both her sides and waited. And I waited behind her as well.

The rumbling of footsteps running down the corridor sounded.

“Princess~!!!”

And for some reason, the same man capable of murdering an entire army when ordered to, seems to have dedicated himself to me when his needle almost penetrated through my neck.

Did I forget to say that he resembles a puppy when he sees me?

Odette’s barrier failed as he easily dodged her when she was about to grab him. Hydra threw his arms around me and engulfed me in a warm hug.

I couldn’t help but wonder if that was how an older brother felt like.

I tapped on his arm lightly as my sight landed on the crowd of knights following him, probably the ones who were defeated by him and thought he was running away.

“Hydra, please refrain from such actions in public.”

He immediately let me go and brightly smiled. His diamond pair of emerald eyes shrinking slightly.

“I’m no longer sir Hydra the knight then? Call me just Hydra from now on. It sounds really elegant from the princess~”

I sighed and stood on my tip-toe to reach his blonde hair and ruffle it.

“I will as long as you keep me safe, Hydra~”

Hydra chuckled and lowered his body slightly for me to reach his hair easier.

The knights behind him bowed down as soon as their eyes landed on me. And behind Hydra’s huge frame, I could see Odette’s eyebrows twitching from anger. I ushered for Odette to not frown at him so much by tapping my finger in the area between my eyebrows. She pouted instead, which was in a way better.

I soon retrieved my hand and stood straight in front of him.

“I hope you are starting to fit into the palace. Though I am sure your busy training schedule does not spare you any time to think about whether you fit in or not.”

It was alright for me to have a conversation with him in front of such a large crowd. That way the court won’t try to spread rumors since many people have already seen us together.

Hydra was clearly happy with our interaction. Most of the time, I would ignore him and pass right by. He, of course, understood why I did so due to his extraordinary senses.

Feeling the concealed presence of the court’s spies was nothing to him.

“I am satisfied with seeing you every day. Fitting in does not matter much to me. Also,”

His eyes peaked at the knights behind him who were clearly annoyed at this certain man.

“Training with the knights reminds me back of when I was 6 years old. The bears in the forest were much of a challenge back then.”

He snickered at them, earning a few harsh glares directed at him while the rest were just too intimidated by him to even lift their eyes from the floor.

My guess was that someone like Hydra will never be able to get a friend or two within the walls of the palace.

I covered my lips slightly as a laugh escaped.

“How assuring would it be for you to become my personal guard.”

It was meant as joke, of course. But everyone’s expression turned cold and solidified. For the princess to hint at a knight who once was an assassin to become her guard. A part of me hoped for them to act as if they heard nothing but another part wished for one of the knights to turn out to be loyal to the court.

So that they are aware that the chances of killing me were slim.

Hydra bowed down to me with his right hand on his chest.

“I swear with my life to protect yours. Even if I have to defy the whole world.”

The knights behind him there and then lowered down to the ground on one knee. Were they pledging their lives to me? I wonder if they would do the same thing if they knew that the palace was about to be split into 2 factions.

I tapped a finger on my chin and contemplated whether to ask or not.

“Would you… kill someone for me?”

The seemingly harsh words came out in such a soft voice. I wouldn’t be surprised if they started laughing and did not take it seriously to avoid seeing the gentle and kind princess of their empire as a person who orders murders.

But what surprised me wasn’t the hesitation in the knights’ eyes.

It was the determination and dedication in a single knight’s eyes.

Hydra’s emerald orbs were as dark as a dense forest at night.

They were excruciating to look at.

The intense gaze he had while staring at me was suffocating. That was when I thought, ‘he’s an assassin for a reason after all.’

And oh how glad I was that I am not on his prey list.

“Ah. This won’t do.”

An evil smirk was forcing its way to my face and covering my lips with the palm of my hand was not enough to hide it.

Should I just take the life of the heir then?