The Protagonists of Romance Fantasy Novels Have Escaped

148 – 148. Death and the Villainess (4)

Is it because they are sisters?

They resemble each other.

In Elizabeta’s resolute voice, I recalled Ludmila.

A determined will not to bend.

And the dignity of a princess born from her haughty yet noble pride.

No matter how I tried to persuade her, it wouldn’t reach Elizabeta. The voice of the villainess, who desperately wanted to help, pierced through my heart, filled with anxiety and fear.

“…It’s dangerous. Your life will surely be at stake.”

“It’s okay.”

“The opponent is the harbinger of death. Is there really a chance of winning? Perhaps there may be no chance at all.”

“I have my sister and Edanant with me. So I’m not afraid.”

I raised my hand and gently caressed Elizabeta’s soft cheek.

At that, the villainess accepted my touch with a shy smile.

“I need you.”

“…….”

“Your Highness Elizabeta… I need Your Highness’s help. I sincerely hope that you will assist me.”

“Yeah, of course.”

I know.

This is a perilous task that one must risk their life for.

They were trying to impose such a precarious role on the delicate princess.

Just as they had done to Ludmila,

Just as they had demanded of Jebeline—.

This time, they asked Elizabeta to take on an unreasonable role, with love as collateral.

Even knowing it was a truly petty and shameless act, the words slipped out. Yet, Elizabeta, while shedding tears, burst into a bright smile.

“Eda-nant is really insensitive… If I had hesitated just a bit longer, I would have kicked you in the shins.”

“That would have been dangerous.”

“Ahem! I never thought I would become this sincere. I showed a rather ugly side of myself.”

“To me, you are always beautiful.”

Wiping the tears from her cheeks with a handkerchief, Elizabeta calmed her flushed face. Seeing the blushing villainess shudder with embarrassment, Eda-nant responded with a tone full of flattery.

Beautiful.

At that, Elizabeta’s face turned even redder.

It was merely a cliché compliment she had heard thousands of times before. For Elizabeta, known as the Empire’s most beautiful, the word “beautiful” was more common than a simple nod or greeting.

Yet, the praise Eda-nant offered was special above all else.

It was proof that he truly loved her.

Thump—. Thump—.

Her heart thudded heavily yet frivolously.

Elizabeta faced Eda-nant, calming her elevated spirits with deep breaths. The villainess, realizing once more that she genuinely loved Eda-nant, subtly extended her hand.

“But I’m not saying I’ll help you for nothing. After all, it’s a matter of mobilizing the Empire’s platinum princess. You understand what that means, right? It means Eda-nant has to pay an enormous price to me.”

“…….”

He took her outstretched hand.

Then, with his other hand, he embraced the princess’s slender waist, pulling them closer together.

He lowered his head.

In response, Elizabeta slightly lifted her heels and stretched her neck.

“Mmm…!”

A faint moan escaped her full lips.

With the sound of her tongue gently flicking, Eda-nant and Elizabeta indulged in each other’s lips.

It was hot.

And sweet.

Elizabetta, breathless, did not stop kissing. Instead, she embraced Edanant even more fiercely. Edanant, who had intended to keep it brief, found himself caught in a prolonged kiss due to Elizabetta’s enthusiastic advance.

“Are you really thinking you can just solve this with a kiss? How brazen. I mean, it’s not that I dislike it, but….”

“That’s not the case at all. I have no intention of brushing it off with just a kiss.”

“Huh?”

“I will take responsibility for you, Elizabetta, for a lifetime. I swear on my family’s honor… I will dedicate my life to ensuring your happiness, Elizabetta.”

What is this?

What an embarrassing thing to say….

A confession.

It was clearly a proposal.

A kiss filled with sincerity was more than enough. Like chocolate melted in a double boiler, Elizabetta, who had melted away, was left in a state akin to a blank check.

But Edanant thought differently.

This wasn’t enough.

It was utterly insufficient to repay Elizabetta’s devotion.

Thinking this, Edanant made an unexpected proposal to Elizabetta, putting his entire life on the line.

“Ugh…! Ah, ahhh!! Wh-what do you mean…! You say you’ll take responsibility for a lifetime…! Then, are you saying you want to take me as your wife? In other words… this is a proposal to marry me, right?!”

At Edanant’s declaration of taking responsibility for a lifetime, Elizabetta reacted violently, like a ticking time bomb about to explode.

She stuttered.

She swayed like a marionette with loose joints.

Elizabetta, heated to her limits, became so overwhelmed that she could barely communicate. Forgetting her dignity and composure as a princess, she blurted out in a desperate voice.

“I mean I will give you anything, Elizabetta.”

“Anything?!”

“I will accept any request. You can even demand my life.”

“Wait! Wait, wait!! There’s no way I would ask for Edanant’s life! More importantly… that confession just now was indeed a proposal, right? Just tell me that first!”

Edanant’s proposal, backed by his life and lifetime, struck Elizabetta’s heart directly.

Thump, thump thump thump thump thump-.

It felt like her heart might stop at any moment.

Her mind became hazy.

In stark contrast, her body was hotter and more sensitive than ever.

Despite being in a state of emotional and physical weakness from the relentless confessions, Elizabetta asked with a desperate voice about the truth of the proposal. She had been excited only to be disappointed more than once before.

“It is indeed a proposal.”

“…….”

“I sincerely admire Her Highness, Elizabeta. Is it possible that the proposal does not please you? Perhaps it came on too strong…?”

“Oh, no! I like it! I just wasn’t expecting it, and I didn’t know what to say, so I couldn’t respond!”

Hoo, hoo…!

Stammering as she answered Edanant’s question, Elizabeta took short, deep breaths.

A confession.

It really was a proposal.

It wasn’t a misunderstanding. It was truly a proposal.

Imagining herself in a pure white wedding dress, welcoming Edanant in a dreamlike cathedral, Elizabeta felt tears welling up. She was simply overjoyed that Edanant had finally confessed to her.

“Edanant… First, I have a request.”

“Yes, please speak.”

She pressed her full lips together, pondering.

Finally, after gathering her thoughts, Elizabeta opened her mouth.

“Could you… call me Liza? My family all uses nicknames.”

“It is an undeserved honor.”

“And when we’re alone, feel free to call me that. You’re older than me, after all? And… since we’ll eventually be getting married, I’d like you to call me like a lover would.”

“Understood, Liza. It’s a cute nickname.”

Edanant called her by the cute nickname.

In response, Elizabeta beamed with a radiant smile, as if her face was glowing.

* * *

One month.

The mage tower had ordered a month’s time for the installation of the long-distance teleportation magic.

However, thanks to the harsh treatment of the grand mages dispatched from the tower, the long-distance teleportation magic was completed ahead of schedule, just three weeks in. As proof of this, a large-scale magic circle located in the garden of the Hoenberk mansion was emitting a brilliant blue glow.

“While I welcome the quick completion… I’m concerned about the quality of the construction.”

Can safety truly be guaranteed?

What was expected to take a month was finished in just three weeks.

Edanant looked at the results with a troubled expression, constantly urging the elderly grand mages. It was clear he found it hard to trust the outcome.

“How dare you belittle the capabilities of the mage tower, boasting a success rate of 79%!”

“…….”

79%.

It was an unpleasant shame.

It was hard to be certain, yet difficult to disbelieve.

Thinking of the game’s gacha, the odds seemed incredibly generous, but the teleportation magic that connected the spaces of the world was a spatial leap that risked one’s life, leaving me with an undeniable sense of foreboding.

Whooom—.

The radiant glow of magical power overlaying the space.

The numerous magic stones installed around the magic circle that composed the teleportation spell began to shine.

Surely, the coordinates of the Hoenberk family and the Demon King’s castle were interconnected. When the grand sorcerers sent signals, the coordinates linked like dots would unfold the spatial leap.

“First, let’s trust in the capabilities of the Magic Tower. Isn’t there no other way?”

“That’s true, but….”

Rudmila, who had approached right beside me, shrugged her shoulders as she spoke.

In response, Edanant let out a deep sigh and nodded.

“I have a good idea! To confirm the safety… let’s send in the wizards of the Magic Tower first! We’ve paid an astronomical cost, after all. Naturally, we must not shy away from human experimentation for the sake of our employers!”

“…Are you really a saint?”

The clergy and sorcerers had long been in a bitter rivalry over the supremacy of divinity and magic.

As if to prove this, the saint with her flowing silver hair smiled brightly while demanding human experimentation from the wizards of the Magic Tower.

Had she truly become a witch, after being called ‘witch’ by the holy knights of the Holy Kingdom?

Faced with Jebeline’s innocent yet cruel demeanor, Edanant turned his head away, sweating coldly.

“That’s a good suggestion. Let’s proceed with that.”

“The elderly wizards have lived long enough anyway.”

It was utterly ruthless.

Indeed, a fitting remark for one who bore the misfortune of innocence.

Turning my head aside, I saw Elizabeta nodding in agreement with Rudmila and Jebeline’s opinions.