Chapter 98 The Captured Princess
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
I’d come to rescue her from the criminal organization.
The underground chamber was dim, lit by flickering magical lamps. And there she sat—the princess I’d come to save. But the moment our eyes met, she fixed me with nothing but pure hostility in those beautiful golden irises.
I paid no mind to her reaction. Slowly, I approached her where she sat in the chair.
”How… how did you get here…”
Her voice trembled—shock and anxiety bleeding through.
”—Well now. I wonder how indeed.”
I didn’t answer her question. Instead, I reached for her slender shoulder.
”W-wait! Stop!”
Princess Liliana unleashed her Light Magic without hesitation.
Five orbs of pure white light, each about eight inches in diameter. They blazed toward me with enough heat to sear the air itself—devastating speed.
But the moment they touched the field of my [Magic Seal], they dispersed like illusions.
For an ordinary person, a single one of those would’ve been enough to incapacitate. For a girl her age to use magic this powerful spoke to genuine talent.
”Oh my. It seems a princess who’s been far too naughty needs a lesson in manners.”
I placed my hand gently on Princess Liliana’s shoulder. With careful force—allowing no refusal—I lifted her from the chair. I pulled both her arms behind her back, securing them firmly so she couldn’t escape.
”Ashraf. Bring me some rope. Something suitable.”
”At once, sir.”
The shadow demon who’d been following behind me like a second self vanished and reappeared in an instant. In his hand, a length of rope—apparently borrowed from the kidnappers’ hideout.
I bound Princess Liliana’s resisting arms behind her back, securing the knots tightly.
”Do you honestly believe you’ll get away with treating me like this?! Release me this instant! You insolent—!”
I used the remaining rope to gag her mouth. Gently. Thoroughly.
”I apologize, but we can’t have you raising a ruckus. It might alert any remaining kidnappers to our presence. You’ll have to bear with this for now.”
With that explanation, I scooped her bound body up in my arms.
Princess-carrying a princess.
The members of the criminal organization in this facility were already unconscious—put to sleep by Ashraf and myself. There probably weren’t any stragglers, but other factions could be hiding in these underground spaces.
Discovery would be troublesome. As sorry as I felt for her, her mouth needed to stay shut.
Still holding her, I retrieved the magical artifact I’d been using to record the room. I projected its footage onto the cave wall.
The image showed Princess Liliana and the piggish Information King, Ignazio—in a perverse exchange, recorded in perfect detail.
A princess, astride a fat, pathetic old man, striking his enormous rear with a whip—again and again.
The footage alone was damning. But the conversation they’d shared contained information that could shake the very foundations of the royal family itself.
”Your little schemes with that criminal—all recorded. First, let’s get you somewhere safe. Then we’ll have a nice, long talk.”
I said it gently. Her golden eyes widened in despair. Tears welled in an instant.
”Mmm~! Mmmm~~~!”
She shook her head frantically, desperately—and then she truly began to cry.
”Oh dear. Were you that frightened? There’s no need to worry anymore. I’ll protect you. You have my word.”
I held her trembling form against my chest—as gently as if I were cradling something cherished—and retraced my steps.
I carried her back along the same path I’d come.
Through the underground ruins. Up the long spiral staircase that led to the surface.
She’d been squirming in my arms the entire time, but in that pitch-dark stairwell, she fell suddenly quiet. Whether her sharp mind had judged that struggling was too dangerous, or whether she’d simply exhausted herself—I couldn’t say.
Eventually, we emerged above ground.
The ruined church was filled with cold night darkness. The unconscious guards Ashraf had neutralized still lay scattered on the floor. They’d wake by morning.
I glanced down at Liliana in my arms.
(Now then. What to do with this troublesome princess…)
I’d acted on instinct, separating her from the Information King—but I hadn’t thought beyond that.
If I returned her to the royal palace claiming I’d rescued her, they might suspect I was in league with her captors.
I found myself quietly at a loss.
Making sure she could hear, I muttered to myself:
”So then. What shall I do with our troublesome princess? Use her as a hostage to negotiate with the royal family? Leak that footage to the public and destroy their authority entirely? Or maybe that’s too much trouble. I could just take her into the mountains somewhere and bury her alive. Or—feed her to the monsters. That’s a thought.”
A little revenge for the princess who’d tried to kill me. Just a bit of teasing. It was obviously a joke—but Liliana took it seriously. Terror overtook her, and she began struggling again.
”Mmm~! Mmmm~~~!”
I held her tighter so she wouldn’t fall.
(…Maybe I went too far. But really—what am I going to do with her?)
As I deliberated, Ashraf spoke from the shadows behind me.
”If I may, my lord. What if I were to place that princess under my control? I would take full responsibility for her management.”
Ashraf removed his glove—and on his porcelain-white hand, an ominous mana began to gather. He reached slowly toward Liliana’s trembling face.
The terror in her eyes was something else entirely. Nothing like my half-hearted threats.
The light vanished from her golden eyes—
They were filled now with pure fear and disgust.
And in my arms, I felt the warmth of liquid spreading slowly through her fine dress.
She’d lost control. Her despair had drained the color from her lovely face.
”—Hold, Ashraf. I have a use for her.”
I spoke quietly. Ashraf stopped instantly.
”As you wish, my lord. My apologies.”
He bowed deeply and disappeared into the darkness once more.
(…I saw that. He looked disappointed. Just for a moment.)
The rare crack in my usually expressionless servant’s composure lingered in my mind.
I carried the limp princess into the carriage waiting outside. I spread a fine blanket over my knees and laid Liliana gently on top of it.
I ordered the driver to set off. We were headed first for the Grimlock Margrave estate.
Her beautiful golden hair had been kept immaculate—almost as if she’d never been kidnapped at all. The scent of expensive soap drifted faintly from her body. She’d apparently been kept clean and comfortable. Despite the kidnapping, her captors’ leader had treated her well.
No—to call Ignazio a kidnapper would be an understatement. He was more like her loyal subject. From what I’d observed, their relationship was that of a queen and her devoted servant.
And now, she’d been taken from that gentle servant by a genuine villain.
The sudden, unforeseen change had left her confused and frightened. I said nothing—just adjusted my hold, wrapping her more securely.
I felt a flicker of sympathy for the small, trembling form in my arms.
(Maybe I should be a little kinder…)
All while thinking about how that premium blanket—now faintly damp from the princess’s little mishap—would fetch a handsome price from Balthazar.
—
Summary:
Xenos rescues Princess Liliana from captivity but immediately restrains and gags her, revealing he has recorded incriminating evidence of her dealings with the Information King. After threatening her with various fates, he carries her to a carriage, but Ashraf’s suggestion of mind control reveals deeper tensions. The chapter ends with Xenos feeling unexpected sympathy while simultaneously calculating the resale value of her urine-soaked blanket.
—
Trivia:
Xenos can nullify Light Magic using his [Magic Seal] ability
Princess Liliana has genuine magical talent for her age, capable of producing five powerful light orbs
The recorded footage shows Liliana and Ignazio in a perverse relationship where she acts as queen to his devoted servant
Ashraf is a shadow demon with teleportation abilities and mind-control capabilities
Ignazio is actually more of a loyal servant than a kidnapper, despite the situation
Xenos is heading to the Grimlock Margrave estate with the princess
The blanket has both practical use (comforting Liliana) and commercial value (Balthazar would pay high price)
Xenos has access to a recording magical artifact that can project footage onto walls
The royal family’s authority could be severely damaged if the footage leaks
Xenos and Ashraf have already neutralized all guards and kidnappers in the facility
The princess lost bladder control at the threat of mind control, not from the physical restraint
Xenos’s threats were jokes, but Liliana took them seriously
Notes:
• Liliana – Known as the “Angel of the Asgard Kingdom” for her golden hair and sky-blue eyes, this princess is the younger sister of Prince Liam and Elenor. While maintaining a refined, angelic public facade, she is a manipulative mastermind who wields explosion magic. As Serena’s liege and the true culprit behind recent assassination attempts, she carefully hides her dark nature behind whispered, noble asides.
• Lilia – Xenos’s fiercely loyal, trauma-resilient Head Maid is a lovely, pale, busty woman with long dark hair, a chest tattoo, and a nullified crest. Dressed in a black uniform, she maintains refined, icy elegance when disciplining others, especially Elenor. While formal and efficient with guests, she masks deep, jealous anxiety for Xenos, finding her greatest joy in serving him and sleeping by his side.
• Ashraf – Job: Teleportation demon; Relationship: Guardian of Xenos’s mansion; Note: Guards against potential attacks.
• Ignazio – Greedy merchant and information broker of the underworld. Previously approached Xenos to buy Leela (Layla Nura Zahara) for four hundred thousand gold coins. When refused, sent assassins after Xenos. Currently holds Liliana-hime captive in his private area of the underground ruins.
• Grimlock – Xenos’s family name.
• Xenos – Job: Heir to a high-ranking noble house; Relationship: Owner of Lilia; Has romantic connections with Elenor, Cecilia, and Lizel; Item/Magic: Summoning magic, [Substitution Collars]; Note: Was caught up in a Royal Palace explosion and missed three days of school. Pragmatic and calculating personality. Job: Noble of Grimlock family, protagonist; Relationship: Manipulator of Princess Liliana, pursuing Serena; Item/Magic: [Ring of Transformation]; Note: Reincarnated villain with game knowledge, calculating and arrogant. Job: Theater Owner and noble of Grimlock family; Relationship: Fiancé to Cecilia; Item/Magic: Game knowledge/metaknowledge; Note: Reincarnated villain protagonist who knows the original game script.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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