Chapter Twenty-Four: I Will Go
Estelle
A loud bang from the door as it closed caught my attention. It was Princess Sina walking angrily and after her was Adela.
"What's wrong with her?" I asked Adela as the Princess immediately jumped into her bed and covered her face with pillows. It looked like she was frustrated about something.
"I honestly don't know. I just saw her storming off the Prince's study acting like that," Adela said and vented a sigh as we both directed our gaze to the Princess.
Adela and I just waited for her to calm down and when she did, she was the one who told us what happened even though we didn't ask.
"I will be sent back to the West by the end of the week," Princess Sinan started which startled me and Adela.
Wait, what did she say?!
"P-Princess... So suddenly?" Adela panicked.
"Worry not, Lady Adela. You will have other assigned duties in this palace. I made sure of that."
Princess Sina gave Adela a pat on her shoulders as if she were saying that everything would be alright. But is it really?
If Princess Sina will be sent to the West, what about the plan Master Hagas gave me? Maybe I could do something so that I can stick to the plan.
"Then, why are you so angry earlier?" Adela asked. Princess Sina went back to her bed and sat there looking up at us.
"I have a duty. I am the descendant of the Holy Saintess and throughout our generations, Holy Powers are passed down and we are trained to sacrifice our lives once an ancient divine creature would wake up one day. It didn't happen for the past generations but now... Now, it's happening in mine."
"Princess..."
"I should fulfill my duty. I should be there are the Grafgue Forest," she firmly said and bowed down her head.
Silence filled the room and I took it as a chance to state my offer.
"Princess, why do you often go out at night?" I asked even though we all know the answer about that.
"I... I am doing something that I am passionate about," Princess Sina honestly said and gave me a weak smile.
"Why do you think I agreed to your offer to take your role as a Princess?" I said and sat behind her. I held both of her hands at placed them on her lap.
"W-Why?"
"That's because I want you to chase your passion. I want you to choose, yourself. I know this may sound selfish but as long as I am here in this world, I am willing to take your role."
"E-Estelle. I don't— what do you mean by that?"
"Princess Sina, I am so sorry but this time, I would rather you go to the West than join the knights in the forest." I held her hand firmly as if I was trying to convince her that Prince Lorcan's idea was good and ideal.
But as I expected, she got mad.
Princess Sina immediately removed her hands on mine and looked at me with such displeasure.
"I am their only hope! How can I—" She let out a deep sigh of frustration and put a hand on her head. "The officials surely would be on my side. They want me to be there to be an aid in hunting that dragon. I am scared to have my life taken away, yes, but I cannot run away!"
"Princess, what if I tell you that I am not from this world?"
"W-What?"
Not only the Princess but also Adela, was so stunned when I said those words. I didn't mean to reveal this but I have no choice. I should convince the Princess to save herself and let me go to the Forest instead.
I stood up from the bed and faced the two of them.
"I am not from this world, Princess. I am not a witch nor anything like that but surely, the witch who swapped with me on my world is strong."
"What are you trying to imply here?" Her voice seemed to calm down.
"We need to tell Prince Lorcan about me. The officials, you say? They won't say a word because Princess Sina, me, is going to the forest. You are not running. Just think of this as a chance to turn around your destiny. I know you are scared. You have me."
"What if something bad will happen to you?" Adela asked and Princess Sina nodded in agreement. I smiled and shrugged my shoulders.
What's the worst thing that can happen to me? Die? As if I'm not dying in months if I cannot successfully execute this plan.
"I need to do this. The body of the witch is located at the place where they will take you, Princess. I need to go there and let her drink this," I said as I grabbed the potion from my pocket. "I need to do it so I can go back to my world because if not, I will die."
I can see the worry on the faces of Princess Sina and Adela.
"You're joking right?" Adela said as she walked towards me and gave me a hug.
"I hope I am," I said as I hugged her back. The moment we finished hugging, Adela patted my shoulders.
"With all of these strange happenings, I am afraid that I believe you," Princess Sina said and grabbed my arm.
"W-Where are we going?" I asked as she dragged me outside the door. Princess Sina just smiled at me and Adela walked behind us.
"I am going to the Grafgue Forest," I said to Prince Lorcan who was still fixated on the papers in front of him.
"My answer will remain the same. You're going back to the West with me," Prince Lorcan responded.
"I will be." Beside me, Princess Sina answered. That answer confused Prince Lorcan which made him put down the papers he was reading and the moment he laid his eyes on the both of eyes, he chuckled and massaged his head.
"What is this?" he said while chuckling. His stare is still not budging.
"What you see is as it is," Princess Sina answered. I saw Prince Lorcan's face twitching as he stood up and walked in front of us.
"I was suspecting but it seems like I was not mistaken or going crazy all along," he said as he looked at me with piercing eyes.
"Who are you?"
"My name is Estelle, Y-Your Highness," I stuttered while uttering his title because I could feel the grimace on his aura. It feels like he's treating me like an outsider. Which I really am!
"You have a unique mana, different from Sina's, yet somehow kind of similar."
I was taken aback when suddenly he gripped my face using only one of his hands. I can feel him slowly crushing it.
It hurts!
"She's doing nothing wrong!" Princess Sina immediately grabbed me.
Ah, thank you, Princess. I thought I would be going back to my world with a crushed skull.
"She's a trespasser. What will you do if she harms you?" Prince Lorcan said coldly.
He used to be so kind in front of me but now I want to kick him so hard. But maybe he was only kind because he thought of me as Princess Sina?
"No person who dares to harm me would be willing to take my place instead. Estelle will be my replacement."
"Why? Is she a witch, perhaps? What could she do if the dragon attacked? Her mana doesn't even exude a bit of the Holy Power. Is she wanting to be the dragon's worm?" he said sarcastically as he crossed his arms.
"It's better than dealing with the officials, don't you think? And I will be more than willing to go with you to the West. I don't see any problems."
Silence filled the room when Princess Sina answered him. It looks like he was thinking but I cannot read if he was taking the excuse that we are saying.
I hope he will! My life is on the line here, hello?
"Are you implying to send her to the troop to give them a false hope?"
I already feared his red eyes from the moment I saw them but this time, I was just hoping that a miracle would happen and I would just disappear in a snap. It feels like he's burning me alive by his stairs.
"Crown Prince—" Princess Sina was cut off.
"Tsk, alright. We will send her," he said and walked back to his desk. "I have a hunch about your double but surely, my brother already knows you."
"H-He knows me?" I answered in shock.
"He knows that your existence and Princess Sina's are different. He can differentiate mana more than I am as he's always using that ability in the battlefield. Let's just hope that they'll be in no need of the Holy Powers. Especially that we are sending a fake."
At that moment, the face that twitched was mine. Sure I am not from this world but to call me a fake is rude.
This guy is starting to get on my nerves.
"Why would he even know you?" he added sarcastically which made me bite my inside cheek.
'Oh yeah, why would he even know me if he's just someone who would leave in the middle of the banquet just to go to the inn where I work and hang out in there with me?'
I want to say those sarcastic words to him but I need to keep it still on myself. After all, he's the Crown Prince of this Kingdom.
"Then it's settled, let's go," Princess Sina said as she dragged me outside of that room. Prince Lorcan acted like he was about to stop her but since Princess Sina ignored his hand gesture, he just let out a deep sigh and let us go.
"Good for him," I mumbled to myself as I chuckled to myself. Seems like he's really interested in Princess Sina but her action says otherwise earlier.
Just what's up with this couple?
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