I Don’t Want to Be a Lady

“Are we really going to have to infiltrate through those troops?” Charter, who looked exhausted, asked Paku.

We walked for two days and only quenched our throats with water. In this current state, getting caught while dealing with some soldiers was easy.

“Where is that person?”

If it wasn’t in the middle of the enemy camp, we might be able to sneak in and get out of it somehow.

“That’s….” Paku, scratching his head as if embarrassed, took two steps back before opening his mouth. “You two should be hostages from now on.”

Gulp. As expected, taking two steps back wasn’t enough. Paku, who was kicked in the stomach by Arianne’s kick, collapsed helplessly. Normally, he wouldn’t budge, but he hadn’t eaten properly for two days. Even the place where he was beaten by the Surg tribe hadn’t healed yet, so his condition was terrible. Rather, Arianne, who still had the strength to kick him, was amazing.

“You human beings! Were you dragging us around to make a credit? Come here! Don’t stop me! Let go of this!”

Charter grabbed Arianne from behind, then she struggled and yelled at him. Despite Arianne’s fierce resistance, Charter didn’t loosen his grip on her. If he released her, she might run and strangle Paku. Under the current situation, there was no way they could stay alive without Paku.

“Take it easy. Let’s listen to him a bit more…”

“What to listen to? He must be trying to turn us over and make a merit!”

“There’s nothing to gain from handing us over.”

At Charter’s firm words, Arianne stopped resisting.

“…That’s true. But there’s no way they’ll fulfill the enemy’s demands to save us.”

The cunning Duke Krow would take this opportunity to let his opponent die. Maybe he would even provoke them to kill us. Even the emperor would have no choice if he objected to saving us. If that’s the case, Duke Krow was more than enough to put pressure on the emperor along with the nobles who followed him, saying that they should take practical benefits rather than justification.

“Now, let go of me.”

Arianne tapped Charter’s arm, who was holding her, and said that. Charter relaxed his grip on her after confirming that she had calmed down. Arianne, who quickly pulled herself out of fear of missing the chance, rushed to Paku and gritted her teeth.

“That’s it! I won’t let you go!”

As Paku stood up from his seat, he grabbed Arianne’s wrist as if to restrain her from straggling his neck, and let out a hollow laugh. He thought she would at least ask for a reason, even if she didn’t fully trust him…

It was the moment when he realized that Arianne’s instincts took precedence over her reason. Even while her wrist was being held, she showed a strong will to somehow strangle his neck by shifting her weight. It’s really extreme.

Paku’s gaze turned to Charter. Seeing that he wasn’t surprised, it seemed that he was already familiar with her temper. And. He had an expression as if saying since it has come to this, there’s no way out even if she kills me.

Just by seeing that he didn’t come to stop her immediately, Paku could swear on his life that it wasn’t his imagination. Not only Arianne, but that man as well, were far from ordinary.

It wasn’t until Paku’s resentful gaze pierced him that Charter pulled Arianne away and resumed trying to calm her down.

“Even if you want to kill him, let’s listen to him once, then kill him.”

“I’ll listen to him after I kill him first,” said Arianne, flashing her purple eyes furiously.

“The dead don’t talk.”

“…”

Grit. Arianne gritted her teeth and said with a sniff, “Now that I’ve calmed down, let me go.”

Kwak. Despite Arianne’s words, Charter didn’t take away his strength. No, rather, it seems like he put in more strength?

“…This time for real.”

Only then did Charter loosen his hand that held Arianne, silently blocking her way from Paku.

I have really calmed down! Arianne took a glance at Charter and said to Paku. “Let’s hear it. I will take it as your will and listen to it.”

Paku, still feeling her gaze on his neck, quietly covered his neck and said, “Now we must get into the middle of that camp.”

“Could it be that the person we should meet is the commander of that army?” asked Charter.

It wasn’t something that wasn’t possible. He had expected that if someone could help them gain access to the emperor, that person would surely have a high position. Still, he didn’t expect that person to be the commander of such an army.

“That person’s name is Dondon, the commander and also my younger sibling.”

“Younger sibling?”

Paku nodded at Arianne’s question.

“Are you saying you can trust that person?” Arianne’s question continued.

“Yes. That person is someone you can trust.”

“Your younger sibling?”

“…Yes?”

Paku looked at Arianne’s distrustful eyes and wondered what the problem was.

“I don’t think it’d be weird if your younger sibling tried to kill you right away.”

The Kelteman Emperor was famous for purging all his blood relatives who could threaten his throne except for his children. It was a reasonable suspicion that they would only stay still seeing his children grow up.

Paku understood what she meant by asking that. Although he understood it, he felt bitter inside.

“That person has no interest in the throne. Of course I—”

“Yes~ Yes, it’s enough. You trusted that person. I’d rather trust Count Bornes’s unconditional donation than that,” said Arianne without trying to hide her ridicule.

“Count Bornes?”

“Yes. That means it’s so bullshit.”

“…But I’m serious.”

Paku was serious, and Arianne was more than serious. At that time, Charter, who believed the second fight would break out if they continued like this, intervened between the two.

“Did you say hostage?”

At Charter’s question, Paku took his gaze from Arianne and turned his head. “Yes. It would be better if you enter proudly as my hostage.”

“Hostage…”

Still, as a duke of the empire, he had dignity and pride. Besides being a hostage to a man who loves his wife? Strangely, Charter felt like Paku was scratching his pride even more.

“The camp is easy to infiltrate, but my sibling won’t be easy. You might lose your throat before you can even talk to that person,” said Paku as he looked at Arianne again. There was a 100% chance their neck would fall off. Because his sibling wasn’t as patient as this woman.

“Even if you say so, you still can hand us over as a real hostage, right?” I still had doubts. There’s no way this man could help me without any conditions.

Just because I’m his lifesaver? What’s the big deal? In the first place, the person who gave the favor made a mistake, and the person who paid it back wasn’t enough. But just because I saved your life once, you’re ready to abandon your kingdom, parents, and siblings? Ah, of course, there’s a reasonable price…. nothing that shouldn’t be done… right?

I tilted my head slightly. At that moment, I straightened my head in amazement. Get yourself together! I don’t know if it was me before, but as a noble who received a title, I shouldn’t be thinking like this! Because I’m different from that person. And I would never live like that. Still, I learned one thing from him, even though I didn’t want to admit it.

“There’s nothing more certain than material for solid trust. Do you have anything like that? Like the ring of the imperial family, a treasure of the imperial family, or something like that?”

Something that would guarantee my life. Not something shallow like a promise.

“There is no such thing.”

“Tsk.”

Unfortunately, we had come this far, and there was no other way. I could only hope that person was a human being dumber than I expected.

After a while, the three figures approached the ten thousand troops.

(Who are you!) The guard who spotted the intruder pointed his gun at them and shouted sharply.

(I’m Paku, the commander of the battle unit under the direct control of the emperor. I brought hostages.)

The guard was briefly startled by Paku’s overwhelmingly low voice and stepped up with a torch. Soon the guard saw a man and woman tied with a rope behind a large man in front of him, which made him widen his eyes.

(Harpion? Excuse me, but please prove your identity.) The guard spoke politely to Paku. Identification was essential because he, a low-level soldier, couldn’t know the face of the prince.

If a low-level soldier greeted the prince, he might shrink without realizing it and lead the way without hesitation. Still, the guard’s careful behavior proved that this army wasn’t a mere gathering of fools.

When Paku held out a small wooden plaque from his waist, the guard confirmed it and bowed.

(I apologize for not recognizing you, Your Highness.)

(It’s okay. Guide me to the command tent.)

(Yes)

Behind Paku’s reliable back, I glared at his head with blazing eyes as if to light a fire with my eyes. What’s wrong? What is that? If you had that card, we could have passed it safely! I should have hit him, not trusted him, and removed his clothes to find it before! I was angry at myself for being complacent.

Charter, who was watching me growling, opened his mouth. “For now, let’s follow him. There’s no way to get out of here.”

Charter believed the pocket knife in Arianne’s insole. And the rope they were tied to looked like it was tied tightly at first glance, but it was supposed to be untied by pulling the knot. His concern was only that Paku knew about the existence of the pocket knife.

Charter was sure Paku wouldn’t stab them in the back, but he couldn’t relax. It was because he had someone to protect.

Arianne. He would protect her somehow, even if the cost was his life.

* * *

(Who’s coming?)

Among the hundreds of tents, a uniquely gigantic tent stood out. Charter and Arianne, who were standing in front of it nervously, widened their eyes at the sharp, shrill voice coming from inside.

Female? After a while, the person who appeared was a woman. A short woman, about the same height as Arianne’s chest. That person was Dondon, Paku’s younger sibling.

Dondon tucked her hair behind her shoulder and asked with wide eyes open. “What are you doing here?”

Unexpectedly, her round eyes resembled Paky. Bright yellow eyes like those of a beast.

“I have a favor to ask of you.”

“I don’t want to.”

From the simple conversation between the siblings, Charter and Arianne knew they were doomed.