Chapter 43 The Imperial Princess and the Video of Betrayal
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
A reply came from Elisabeth, the princess of the Adrastea Empire.
Three days had passed since I made my first proposal.
The answer was yes.
Princess Elisabeth had decided to meet with me.
Of course, it wasn’t going to be completely private.
The meeting was set for three days after she replied. Each of us could bring one guard.
Getting such a fast reply to a very suspicious offer from someone like me…
I could tell she was a woman with strong will and quick action.
On the day of the meeting, I put on my school uniform. I hid defensive equipment under it, along with that Magic artifact. I had learned that lesson from my incident with Elenor.
In a negotiation, you never know when you might get caught off guard.
Prepare early. Better safe than sorry.
Princess Elisabeth had a private room reserved at the Academy for her.
After school ended, I headed toward it.
The hallway was already mostly empty. The heavy silence only made the tension stronger.
At the entrance, her group — fellow international students from the Empire — stood like guard dogs. Their looks were harsh. They glared at me, the son of an enemy kingdom’s Margrave, with open hostility and deep suspicion.
I ignored their stares. I took the invitation from my pocket and showed it to the student who was acting as the attendant.
”Where’s your damn guard?” the student barked, stepping forward aggressively to block my path.
”There’s no need for one. I am simply here to talk,” I replied smoothly, offering a calm, unbothered smile.
My relaxed attitude must have annoyed the student a lot.
Though a look of sheer disgust crossed his face, he reluctantly forced the door open for me.
From beyond the threshold, the faint, elegant aroma of high-quality black tea drifted outward, speaking volumes about the atmosphere of the room within.
I had deliberately chosen not to bring a guard.
I stood alone.
The princess, however, would have a guard by her side.
At that very moment, even before sitting down at the negotiating table, the psychological advantage was firmly in my grasp.
From the princess’s perspective, she would be facing an unarmed opponent while holding weapons herself.
It was bound to make her feel inadequate-making her view her own side as cowardly, impolite, aggressive, and unfair.
As I entered the room, Princess Elisabeth rose from a luxurious chair positioned by the window to welcome me.
The afternoon sunlight illuminated her profile, emphasizing a beauty so flawless she looked like a painting.
Standing directly behind her was a female knight who had that same picture-perfect grace, yet held a will as strong as hardened steel. The air in the room felt heavy, born from the contrast between the princess’s elegance and her guard’s quiet, scary pressure.
The Guardian Knight, Freya Bertrand.
I had already looked into her during my first information gathering.
She was twenty-two years old.
Her hair, a burning copper-red, was cut short for easy movement. It seemed to soak up what little light there was, giving a dull, metal shine. Her fit body had no extra weight, marking her as a veteran of many battlefields.
Her sharp amber eyes scanned the room with no weakness showing. Her gaze was as steady as a blade sworn to protect the princess. A few faint scars on her face only made her fierce, striking beauty stronger, and just by being there she raised the tension in the room.
I could believe the reports that she came from a poor knight house. You could imagine the huge effort she put into training to reach this point.
* * *
”Xenos-sama, son of Margrave Grimlock. I have been expecting your arrival,” Princess Elisabeth spoke, her voice cool and calm, though a small hint of hidden tension stayed under her words.
”I am honored by your invitation, Princess Elisabeth,” I answered politely.
Though she motioned toward a seat, I chose not to take it, wanting to start the conversation while standing.
”And pray, what is this matter you wished to discuss?” Princess Elisabeth cut straight to the point, her probing gaze locking onto me.
Her eyes were sharp, holding a hidden depth.
It was impossible to tell from her face just how much she was reading into my true intentions.
”As I stated in my letter, I am here to provide highly important, secret information. First, there is some footage I would like you to see…”
As I reached into my coat to pull out the projection-type Magic artifact, Princess Elisabeth raised a hand, quietly cutting me off. Her slender fingertips trembled ever so slightly in the air.
”Before that, I want to ask you something. Do you want peace between my Empire and your Asgard Kingdom? Or do you maybe oppose it?” she asked, trying to draw a clear line to know if I was a friend or an enemy.
Very well.
I would give her a completely honest answer.
Her question was the absolute best opening move she could have made to figure out my motives.
”Let’s see. I am opposed to peace. At least, as the heir to the Grimlock family, that is.”
I let a deliberately annoying smile play across my lips.
A proper villain had to behave exactly like one, after all.
”Though, the same could be said for your own nation, couldn’t it? There must be factions within the Empire who find it far more convenient for this state of war to continue.”1
The moment my answer left my lips, I felt the bloodlust coming from the guardian knight, Freya, rise to an undeniable peak behind the princess.
It felt like a cold steel blade was pressed against the back of my neck. Her reaction was within my expectations, or maybe even beyond them.
”…I see. Then this classified information you wish to show me is likely, for myself, a-“
Cutting off the princess mid-sentence, I immediately projected the footage from the Magic artifact.
I wouldn’t give her a single moment to hesitate.
From here on out, the rhythm of this meeting belonged entirely to me.
”It will be much faster if you simply see it for yourself. Look here.”
* * *
A vivid image projected clearly against the white wall of the salon.
Particles of light danced through the air, adding an eerie sense of reality to the scene.
What appeared on the wall was a scene of Liam, the First Prince of this kingdom, passionately chasing after my fiancée, Cecilia.
Liam’s sweet, honeyed words and Cecilia’s completely confused face were visible in perfect clarity. It was an undeniable reality, displayed right before our eyes — the kind of sight that would make anyone want to look away.
The moment she witnessed the footage, Princess Elisabeth’s expression froze.
Deep within her amber eyes, a quick flash of pure panic flickered.
Despite her best efforts to keep her emotions locked down, a faint, visible flush crept up her cheeks.
Was it shame, or was it pure rage…
Whichever it was, there was absolutely no doubt that she had been shaken to her core.
Her fingertips trembled slightly-
Just as I had calculated, it was a strike that completely shattered her composure.
It happened in the very next instant.
”-You rude wretch!!” Freya’s angry roar broke the silence of the room.
There was not a single bit of hesitation in her voice; it was fueled by nothing but pure, raw fury.
At the same time, her sword flashed, catching the light in a deadly arc as it swept forward at terrifying speed, aiming to tear my head from my shoulders.
The sound of the blade slicing through the air pierced my eardrums.
Clang!!
A sharp, high-pitched metallic shriek.
The deafening ring echoed violently through the room.
I had blocked the swinging blade with my left arm.
Beneath my school uniform, I had subtly equipped a protective bracer designed specifically for self-defense.
The solid, hard impact absorbed the force of her sword.
The numbing sensation that shot up my arm was entirely within my calculations.
Freya was a very skilled fighter, but I wasn’t completely helpless with a sword myself.
Blocking an attack when you already knew it was coming was well within my capabilities.
Though her first strike had been blocked, she showed no shock or hesitation.
Her assault didn’t stop there.
In a fluid, smooth motion, she spun into my blind spot and sent a second strike from my right side. Again, a high-pitched metal clash rang out, scattering bright sparks into the air.
Yet, just as I blocked that fierce slash with my other bracer-
”Stop, Freya!” Princess Elisabeth’s voice rang out. It was full of panic but carried an undeniable, commanding authority.
Her tone held a mix of leftover shock and royal dignity.
Obeying the order at once, Freya stopped immediately and stepped back to create distance between us.
She hadn’t dropped her guard, but her attack had ended.
* * *
Phew. Looks like I managed to survive that somehow.
Though I had successfully blocked it with the bracer, the slash had still managed to nick my arm.
A hot, throbbing pain began to spread slowly across my skin.
A single drop of dark red blood dripped from my sleeve, splashing onto the floor.
The bright red stain spread against the clean white carpet. Only then did the full weight of the pain truly hit me.
The defensive bracers were made mainly to be hidden, so they couldn’t fully stop an attack from a true master. It couldn’t be helped.
However, a minor wound like this was a incredibly cheap price to pay for what it accomplished.
Yes, because with this-
My leverage in these negotiations had just increased significantly.
I fully intended to get every bit of value owed to me for taking this injury.
As I calmly looked at the situation, the first rush of adrenaline began to fade.
And right on time, the pain from the wound started to get much stronger.
(Ow, ow, ow!! The bleeding won’t stop… Wait, did she actually cut me pretty deep? Is it really okay to just leave it like this? What should I do? Now I’m getting seriously worried here. I need to treat this ASAP. The sooner a wound is dealt with, the better… even just some disinfectant…)
While my inner mind was completely losing its calm, I made sure not to let any of it show on my face.
Acting as though a scratch like this was beneath my notice, I kept a perfectly calm front, my posture showing total indifference.
Focusing the Mana within my body, I applied internal pressure to the wound, attempting to force the bleeding to stop.
Fortunately, the blood flow finally subsided.
Though I wanted nothing more than to run off and get medical help, I had no intention of restarting these negotiations.
I had just secured the absolute best card in the deck.
The momentum was entirely on my side.
Slowly and on purpose, I took a seat in the chair I had rejected just moments before.
The Imperial princess could not hide her deep worry, and I had locked mine away. We faced each other once more.
—This was where the true negotiation began.
—
Summary:
Xenos enters the private salon alone to negotiate with Princess Elisabeth under high political tension. He reveals a projection showing Prince Liam wooing his fiancée Cecilia, intentionally breaking the princess’s refined composure. This prompts an immediate, lethal counter-attack from the guardian knight Freya, leaving Xenos wounded but holding supreme leverage as the true parley commences.
—
Trivia:
Xenos intentionally declines a seat at first to secure a psychological edge before exposing his leverage.
Freya Bertrand’s copper-red hair is cut short specifically to optimize battlefield performance and agility.
The concealed protective bracers worn by Xenos prioritize stealth over heavy defense, which is why Freya’s strike still managed to draw blood.
Xenos uses internal manipulation of his own Mana to staunch his bleeding while preserving his stoic expression.
—
Translation Notes:
Notes:
• Elisabeth – A transfer student and princess of the Adrastea Empire, she possesses lustrous blue hair, striking amber eyes, and a refined, dignified beauty akin to a living painting. Known for her icy composure and formidable royal authority, she maintains elegance even under distress. As a high-stakes subject of imperial negotiations, she carries herself with a grace that reflects her absolute status.
• Adrastea – Princess Elisabeth bears the imperial family name of the Adrastea Empire, representing the majesty of the enemy nation she rules. As a royal figure, she embodies the power and identity of her lineage, standing at the center of the empire’s influence and its complex relationships with surrounding nations.
• de – A particle used in the aristocratic name of the Margrave Albion de Blanchefort.
• Elenor – The Student Council President, a noble princess and revered “Saint of Light” with radiant golden hair and piercing blue eyes, is a sharp-minded master of adaptation. A skilled swordswoman and secret arena gladiator, she relies on past lessons with Xenos to prepare for threats like Grimlock’s tracking magic. Despite facing a brutal submission ordeal, she remains resilient, performing expertly to protect her secrets.
• Bertrand – The Bertrand family name, carried by the guardian knight Freya.
• Freya – A guardian knight serving Princess Elisabeth who lunged with absolute intent to kill, wounding the protagonist’s left arm. A hot-headed female knight with burning, copper-colored hair who serves as the personal guard to Princess Elisabeth. A twenty-two-year-old female guardian knight from a destitute knightly house who serves Princess Elisabeth. She has short, cropped copper-red hair, amber eyes, a toned physique, and a few faint scars etched across her face.
• Grimlock – Xenos, heir to the influential House of Margrave Grimlock, manages his family’s assets and military legacy from the Royal Capital alongside his father, Gaius. Behind this prestigious facade, the mana-less protagonist exploits his knowledge of the game’s script to manipulate others. Using tactical falsehoods, spatial magic, and the Collar of Submission, he maneuvers through dangerous social circles.
• Xenos – As the “Zero-Mana” heir to House Grimlock in the Asgard Kingdom, this cynical, calculating strategist masks immense power and a Magic Seal constitution behind an incompetent facade. Clad in his school uniform, he uses game-script knowledge to build a commercial empire while manipulating politics. He acts as a dominant, protective master to his slaves and allies, orchestrating their lives with pragmatism.
• Asgard – Elenor Asgard, the esteemed Saint of Light, and Prince Liam belong to the same prestigious royal lineage. Their shared high status and noble family name define their prominent social standing, though they navigate their respective roles within the realm with distinct responsibilities and public expectations.
• Cecilia – The eldest daughter of the Vermillion Duchy is a graceful noble with crimson hair and cobalt-blue eyes. Outwardly cold and status-driven, she masks her love for beastfolk and cosplay under a refined demeanor. Bound by a crest to Xenos—her target for annulment—she hides timid, teasing affection for him. She is also the designated fiancée of Grimlock and is currently pursued by Prince Liam.
• Liam – The idealistic First Prince is a calm, detached leader dedicated to human and demi-human harmony. Engaged to Princess Elisabeth Adrastea, he maneuvers against the warmongering Grimlock family while maintaining the absolute loyalty of his aide, Elliot Valias. His political standing is threatened by a leaked magic recording that reveals his secret, passionate pursuit of Cecilia over his duty.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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