Weeping Men: The Innocent Princess's Secret Delight - Chapter 2.17
***
“Young Duke! Here are the confiscated items!”
Stimulants, whips, daggers, axes. Froyzen examined each of the terrifying possessions one by one before handing them back to the knight.
“Is there anything missing?”
“We’ve emptied all pockets except for underwear!”
“We mustn’t have any more unsavory incidents like earlier.”
“This time, we’ll even remove their underwear!”
The disciplined knight dragged the struggling Northerner back to the investigation tent. Froyzen quickly scanned the pile of confiscated items, briefly clenching his teeth before relaxing.
‘It’s not here.’
The tracking magic tool he had given to the leader. He had even mobilized his family’s knights to find it but to no avail.
Froyzen lightly rummaged through the pile of magic tools that had been separated from the confiscated items.
It wasn’t there either. It wasn’t that it was too small to be found; it simply didn’t exist.
‘I must retrieve it no matter what.’
If it were just a simple magic tool, he could have passed it off as a Northern product and disposed of it even if discovered later. But that earring was different. It was an item he had directly ordered from a workshop through the mercenary guild stationed at the tavern.
It was an item that cost an astronomical amount to produce, so if the mastermind were to be uncovered, he would be immediately caught. Only a few noble families could afford such an amount.
‘I’ll have to participate in the interrogation and dig deeper.’
He deliberately suppressed his impatience. Outwardly showing no sign that he was the designer of this commotion, Froyzen began inspecting the possessions of another newly captured person.
The assassin, who had been caught first and was restrained with his hands and feet bound, watched this scene and sneered.
“Search there all you want. You’ll never find it.”
“Shut up!”
He was then hit on the back of the head by a guard. He spat out blood and chuckled, licking his molars as if probing them with his tongue.
“What I’m saying is probably what that Young Duke wants to hear the most right now.”
“This guy just won’t shut up…!”
“Hey! Don’t engage with him.”
The knight who was about to fall for the provocation was forcibly pulled away by another knight, and the assassin was shoved into a corner. Having mocked the knights several times since his capture, the atmosphere now was that they avoided him out of disgust.
“It’s true though… heh, idiots…”
But at least this time, what the assassin was saying was true.
‘The place you should be searching is inside my stomach.’
The assassin inwardly mocked Froyzen further, savoring his sense of victory.
The very next day after hearing rumors that their leader had received a precious magic tool from the Young Duke, the assassin had stolen it from the leader.
The reason was obvious. Because he could use it best. Didn’t he even put it on the Imperial Princess’s ear?
The stupid leader, afraid he might have to compensate, didn’t report that he had lost it. Thanks to that, Froyzen was just wasting his efforts.
Of course, the assassin had been thoroughly searched as soon as he was caught by Kaizen, but the other half of the paired tracking magic tool wasn’t found.
‘They should have cut open my stomach.’
The assassin, who had perfectly concealed the evidence by swallowing the remaining half, muttered as if singing a song.
“Should I report it, or blackmail?”
“Report what?”
“…!”
An uninvited guest suddenly chimed in from the side. He instinctively showed killing intent, but as soon as he confirmed who it was, he smiled broadly.
The angelic woman, the Imperial Princess, had come close enough to touch if she reached out her hand.
Unable to contain her curiosity, she had secretly approached and was whispering from behind a pile of luggage.
“Are you interested, big sis?”
He spoke casually. Though he was likely much older than the Imperial Princess in reality, the term “big sis” came out shamelessly.
The Imperial Princess tilted her head and replied.
“You’d have to explain first for me to be interested or not, right?”
“Ah, I didn’t mention that part. Come closer.”
The Imperial Princess obediently brought her ear closer. Her attitude was friendly.
He smiled again at her carelessness, not even doubting someone caught for attempting to assassinate the Imperial family, and whispered.
“The person who let us in here.”
“……”
“At the same time, the mastermind who ordered us to harm you. I even have evidence of who it is.”
After saying this, the assassin observed the Imperial Princess’s reaction.
She was less surprised than expected. Instead, as if suddenly realizing who she had been talking to, she slowly straightened up and distanced herself.
Before she could completely run away, he hurriedly continued his proposal.
“Come to think of it, I could report to you, right? You’re a high-ranking person, aren’t you?”
“……”
“Want to know who it is? Aren’t you curious? If you untie my hands and feet, I’ll give you the evidence too.”
He wiggled his hands and feet as he said this. The Imperial Princess pondered for a moment. He was anxious she might refuse.
“How do I untie them?”
When he heard the answer, the assassin’s smile deepened.
“Just give me that knife over there.”
The Imperial Princess discreetly brought a dagger from the confiscated items. After cutting the knots to free his hands and feet, the assassin clenched and unclenched his fists once, then grinned and grabbed the Imperial Princess’s waist.
“Let’s go.”
Then he slung her over his shoulder and ran into the forest.
Escaping while concealing his presence, none of the surrounding knights even realized he was fleeing.
Judith remained calm even while being kidnapped.
Instead of screaming or resisting, she raised her head and looked at someone.
Despite having already moved quite far away, the person who felt her gaze looked directly at her.
Watching him as confusion spread across his face, she mouthed words.
‘I’ll be back.’
It was something an Imperial Princess with a safety blind spot from being raised with only love would say.
That’s why you can’t leave it alone. There’s also the obsessive-compulsive disorder I planted in you.
Having delivered her message, Judith lowered her head without hesitation. As he immediately began to follow, her plan was perfect once again.
***
“It’s here, big sis.”
Following the assassin’s guidance, Judith stepped inside.
The hideout was built in an underground tunnel, with more traces of habitation than she had expected.
‘If it were me, I would have taken her to a completely different place.’
She decided to be grateful for his arrogance in not bothering to show her a false location, having underestimated her.
Judith observed her surroundings with eagle eyes. There might be evidence somewhere pointing to Froyzen as the mastermind.
