The Hero’s Party Members Treat Me Well for Some Reason - Chapter 101



The Struggle for the Throne (6)

After a long while of sobbing, the princess finally showed signs of calming down.

Her shoulders still trembled, but at least the sound of her crying had subsided.

Seeing this, I gently distanced myself from her. After all, I was cursed, and staying close would likely only bring negative effects.

…And to be honest, I felt a bit embarrassed. If I had to mention it, she was still in her negligee. A negligee that had been slightly torn by the hands of intruders.

“Sniff, hic…”

Even after I had pulled away, she was still sniffling. Though it had lessened, the tears continued to flow.

It was clear that her mental state had been severely shaken.

I would like to keep her a little longer if my heart had its way, but time was tight. The distance between the palace and the dock was quite considerable.

If I wasn’t careful, there might not even be enough time to sleep.

For that reason, I conveyed good news to help restore her mental state.

“Rayleigh is alive.”

Thud.

As soon as I delivered those words, her crying stopped, as if the earlier scene had been a lie.

She looked at me with her reddened eyes and asked,

“······Is it true?”

“Yes, there will be some scars left, but it won’t affect his life. Belita found him quickly and saved his life.”

“······.”

Upon hearing that, Dayla was momentarily dazed. After a while, she buried her face in her knees and began to cry again.

“Thank goodness. I’m so relieved···!”

It was a mix of tears and relief. For her, Rayleigh must be quite a precious being.

In a situation where everyone had turned their backs on her, he was the only loyal subject who remained. Regardless of his abilities, she couldn’t help but feel attached.

After crying for a while, she finally regained some strength and stood up.

Her eyes, now completely red, overflowed with determination. Good, with that expression, I wouldn’t have to worry anymore.

Once she had caught her breath, she spoke to me.

“Let’s go.”

“Yes.”

It was time to return now.

*

“Phew, when will the princess actually arrive···.”

“Wasn’t she supposed to be here today?”

Before long, time had passed, and it was now the morning of the day of the meeting.

The informant who had sold information to the first prince quietly surveyed the meeting place.

As it was an important day, the leaders of the resistance had arrived precisely on time.

The only ones missing from this gathering were the princess and the mysterious masked man she had brought along.

To be honest, the informant didn’t want to be there either, but… it was obvious that not showing up would raise suspicion, so he had no choice but to come.

And judging by the atmosphere among the gathered leaders, it was not good.

With the main planner absent, those gathered were beginning to show their doubts.

If they don’t come soon, they’ll surely voice their discontent and return home one by one.

Of course, the informant was convinced that the princess would not return. The First Prince had sent the execution squad, after all. By now, she was probably quietly buried somewhere unknown.

And perhaps the fate of the resistance here wouldn’t be much different.

The First Prince had no reason to spare those who defied him.

Everyone here would likely be purged, except for the one who sold the information.

Regardless of ability or conviction, in the end, it is the one who aligns themselves well that emerges victorious. The one who survives to the end is the strongest.

The informant congratulated himself on his wisdom.

“To think that the instigator would be late on such an important day. What on earth is the princess thinking…?”

“Could something have happened?”

“Whatever it is, we can’t just keep waiting like this. Shouldn’t we find another way?”

As dissatisfaction began to brew among the resistance members, the door to the hideout creaked open.

Two figures entered.

The princess, who had been waiting all this time, and a masked man of mystery.

They walked toward the center of the hideout, looking more disheveled and weary than usual.

Though their appearance was less than presentable, there was a fierce determination in their expressions that had never been seen before.

‘W-What?!’

The informant gasped inwardly at the sight, his face resembling that of someone who had seen a ghost.

*

…It was indeed a long way.

Despite running hard to arrive quickly, being slightly late was unavoidable in the end.

In the end, I had no choice but to carry the princess and run, yet when we arrived, it was already the dawn of the third day.

Including the time spent washing up and preparing, there was hardly any time left to sleep.

Still, I had to recover my strength, so I managed to sleep for about three hours. That was why I was so late.

To be honest, three hours was far too little time to recharge. After staying awake for nearly three nights, only getting three hours of sleep felt absurd.

Anyone who has gone to work after a sleepless night knows that getting up feels almost like a death wish. The state of my body drained my willpower entirely.

However, despite the fatigue, the princess’s eyes were resolute.

It seemed she had gained some insight from this kidnapping incident.

“…I apologize. I’m a bit late.”

“Y-Your Highness?!”

Of course, everyone was taken aback at the sight of the disheveled princess. It was clear that something had happened.

As I surveyed the shocked faces of the resistance members, I thought to myself.

‘There must be a traitor among them.’

It was obvious. Otherwise, there would be no reason for her to be captured.

If it were up to me, I would want to brainwash everyone to find out who the traitor was, but…

Doing so could lead to losing even the little trust that remained among the innocent members.

After all, the power of the puppet master was a particularly unpleasant kind of force. If things went wrong, the trust among the members could shatter, and they might withdraw from this place.

Yet, leaving things as they were felt equally awkward…

Thus, I quietly asked Dayla.

‘What should we do? We could find out if we look. Should we investigate who the informant is?’

‘…No, let’s leave it for now. Once we capture Brother Ian, we’ll naturally be able to find out. And… there’s another method we could try.’

Indeed, she had grown more resolute. Knowing that someone had betrayed her, she still chose to hold off for now.

She was someone who could plan for the future.

“Your Highness. No, what is this… What on earth has happened?”

As the conversation ended, one of the executives asked.

She replied nonchalantly.

“Nothing much. Just know that I’ve acquired a useful card for now.”

The kidnapping of royalty was indeed a significant matter. Even if it ended in an attempt, it fell under the category of serious crimes.

Even if a member of the royal family were the perpetrator, once revealed, they could not escape public condemnation.

Thus, if we combined the case of the third princess’s kidnapping with the murder of the first princess, it could deal a tremendous blow to him.

Perhaps we could truly prevent his succession to the throne.

“…Well then, since the princess has arrived, shall we begin to implement the plan?”

“No, wait a moment before that…”

Dayla interrupted the nobleman who was hastily trying to proceed with the plan.

She surveyed the room with her deeply-set purple eyes.

“Let’s change the personnel a bit.”

“Pardon?”

One of the executives questioned in response to her words.

To suddenly change the members when the plan and participants had already been established made no sense from his perspective.

“It’s not possible, Your Highness. Everything has already been decided, and to change it now? It will definitely cause confusion among everyone.”

“Don’t worry. I can control everything. And besides…”

She trailed off, looking at me. I could roughly guess what she was trying to say.

After all, my strength alone is sufficient. All that remains is to find someone who can voice it.

Going to rescue the Second Prince is important in itself, but at the same time, it serves as a cornerstone for publicizing her faction.

Because there’s no way people wouldn’t notice such a significant event.

In other words, the members participating in this case would practically become the face of the Third Princess’s faction. Their names would be well-known in high society.

Given that, the selection of members had been made with great caution.

But to change that… I racked my brain to decipher her true intentions.

Regardless, the members were changed.

Originally, the participants were simply chosen from volunteers, but this time, it was entirely up to her selection.

There was no right to refuse. Who would dare to decline when a princess is selecting?

Thus, the selected members were me, our adorable Belita who was newly added, Albert, the head of the Breinin Marquis family, Lowell, the third son of the Kehlern Baron family, and Primo, the third son of the Coward Baron family.

‘…Hmm.’

Upon hearing the changed members, I let out a small hum. Most of the names were familiar.

Except for the last one, Primo. Who on earth is he?

Given that it was a hastily assembled party, the members’ reactions were not particularly positive.

Belita and I were already on her side, so we were fine.

But Albert and Primo openly displayed their discomfort.

“Ahem, cough. To have this old man included as a member… I’m worried whether I’ll be of any help… ahem, cough…!”

“M-me? H-haha, Your Highness, that’s too much of a joke. I’ll surely be of no help…”

Not being able to outright say they didn’t want to participate and instead using euphemisms was truly characteristic of nobles.

“To be at the forefront! Ah, I was so sad last time when I applied but wasn’t selected, and now this opportunity arises. I, Lowell, will carry out the mission to the end under the name of the Kehlern Baron family!”

If I had to choose a favorite among the three members, it would only be Lowell.

Yes, even if his brain is innocent, I was relieved he had enthusiasm.