EEBT CHAPTER 10 : The Crown Prince
by Scarlet“…Will this be okay?”
“It should be… probably. And didn’t Lake’s younger brother get a job at this duchy? To some extent, it’s only right to accommodate the young lady…”
The riflemen carried their belongings and entered the mansion. After the operation at the black market and the subsequent reprimand from the brigade commander, it was hard to imagine they’d leave a good impression on the Lopitz ducal family. Staying here as guests was bound to feel awkward for them.
“Well… at least we’ll get to sleep under a roof for once. We’ve been living in tents all this time.”
When Swafford spoke, the others nodded in agreement.
Right.
Since we’ve been invited, we might as well rest properly.
As they waited in the courtyard, Alex emerged from the mansion.
“Is everyone here?”
“Yes, sir.”
Even after hearing their response, Alex counted them himself, making sure even Lake—now a civilian—was present before speaking.
“Alright, let’s get straight to the point.”
He cleared his throat and addressed them.
“Finding accommodations has become increasingly difficult, as we’ve all experienced firsthand. That’s why we’ve accepted this offer.”
“So, we don’t know what we’ll have to do in exchange for staying here?”
At one member’s question, the others nodded, sharing similar concerns.
They worried that this invitation might give Adeline some leverage over them.
But Alex had already considered this and resolved it beforehand.
“In exchange for staying here, you’ll be responsible for the mansion’s security and my role as Adeline’s close guard. You’ll just take turns pretending to patrol and get some proper rest.”
The members visibly relaxed at this. They had been wary of receiving favors without strings attached, so hearing there was a clear exchange put their minds at ease.
“We’ve been assigned three guest rooms in the east wing. Settle in as you see fit.”
“Yes, understood.”
“Since we’re here, we might as well make the most of it. Let’s hit the baths later.”
“Yes!”
“Alright, in my absence, follow the chain of command. By rank.”
“By rank.”
As the members followed the servants into the mansion, Alex let out a deep sigh, making sure they couldn’t hear him.
‘Is that bastard Syed here?’
‘I really hope not,’ he thought, glancing around.
But if he could be found just by looking around, he wouldn’t be the head of the information guild. Alex chuckled dryly, picked up his luggage, and headed inside—or at least, he tried to.
“Captain Manningham.”
Hearing Adeline call his name, he stopped mid-step and turned toward her.
“How about joining me for a tour of the city? Naya is busy arranging the servants, and a lady can’t wander alone, so I’d like you to escort me.”
As she extended her hand, Alex frowned slightly before taking it and performing the customary kiss on the back of her hand.
“Understood, my lady.”
Hearing his agreement, Adeline began walking with him, leaving the mansion behind.
The city, designed for leisure and tourism, was filled with beautiful European-style buildings, offering a feast for the eyes.
“Wow… is that the Grand Bathhouse? The one that’s been here since ancient times?”
As they walked up the hill, a particularly grand and tall building stood out among the uniformly sized structures.
Located right in the center of the city, the bathhouse was surrounded by crowds, and white smoke billowed from its chimneys.
“Yes. That’s the Grand Bathhouse.”
He answered with a look that seemed to ask, *Why are you asking something so obvious?* Adeline, gazing at the bathhouse that had stood for hundreds, if not thousands, of years, looked utterly fascinated.
“Heehee.”
“…What’s so fascinating about it?”
Alex looked at Adeline with a hint of pity. Of course, it was possible she didn’t know and was genuinely curious, but for some reason, her reaction stirred an inexplicable emotion in him.
After briefly analyzing the feeling, Alex quickly dismissed his own conclusion.
*No, no. Cuteness? Nonsense.*
*Let’s just chalk it up to annoyance.*
As he was thinking this, his eyes caught sight of someone standing at the corner of an alleyway, watching the two of them.
Alex glanced around, then took Adeline’s hand and began to move.
“This way.”
Adeline had no idea why they were suddenly leaving their sightseeing, but she couldn’t resist Alex’s strength and had no choice but to follow his lead.
They weaved through the crowd and ducked into alleyways.
“Hey, where are we going?!”
“Just follow quietly. You asked me to be your escort, didn’t you?”
Alex’s expression was tense, as if they were being chased. Adeline, seeing his demeanor, clenched her lips and continued to follow him.
After walking for a while, Alex finally stopped to catch his breath.
“This is… the same place we were before!”
They were back on the hill where Adeline had earlier asked if that was the Grand Bathhouse.
“Are you… bad with directions?”
Adeline asked, struggling to catch her breath, but Alex muttered as he scanned their surroundings.
“We’ve shaken them off for now.”
Ignoring her question, Alex let out a sigh of relief and explained.
“Someone’s been tailing us since we left the mansion. Luckily, it seems to be just one person, so I took a roundabout route to lose them.”
Adeline felt goosebumps rise on her arms. The thought sent a shiver down her spine.
She had a good idea who it might be.
“…Syed. It must be him.”
Adeline’s face twisted in disgust as she spoke, and Alex tilted his head, asking her.
“Didn’t you bring him into the ducal household?”
When Alex asked, Adeline shook her head vehemently and protested loudly.
“Do you really think I’d do that?”
“Your voice.”
He pointed out her raised voice, then hesitated for a moment before grabbing Adeline’s wrist again.
“Let’s keep moving. If we stay still, we might get tailed again.”
His reasoning made sense, so Adeline closed her mouth and nodded.
It was frustrating to think that all this trouble was because of one wrong person.
How on earth had Syed, the man obsessed with the heroine, ended up in the ducal household?
“Then that injury back then…”
“I ran into Syed. He wouldn’t have known it was me, though.”
“…I’m sorry.”
“It wasn’t something you could’ve predicted. Just bad luck, that’s all.”
Alex looked at her.
“But Syed being in the same place as Naya is a serious concern.”
“Why’s that?”
“Syed has been observing your behavior since Naya started working here. He’ll likely try to gather information about Naya. Maybe even…”
Adeline understood what he was worried about.
“I’ll fire Syed from the ducal household immediately. I can come up with a reason. Will that work?”
Considering the help Naya had given her, firing a mere stablehand wouldn’t be hard to justify. After all, the previous Adeline had built up an image of being a ‘capricious noble lady,’ which would suffice as an explanation.
Of course, the stablehand she needed to fire wasn’t just any stablehand—it was Syed in disguise. But on the surface, he was just an ordinary stablehand.
However, Alex’s response was different from what she had expected.
“No. Don’t fire him. Keep him employed.”
“…Why?”
“If he goes into hiding, it’ll be even harder to track him down.”
Adeline immediately understood Alex’s intention. They wanted Syed.
“I trust you can cooperate with us on this. Just until we make our move.”
Adeline then turned to him and asked,
“Why should I?”
Of course, it made more sense to keep a criminal under watch rather than let him go, but she couldn’t help but push back, feeling a bit mischievous toward Alex.
After all, he hadn’t even trusted her word in the first place.
“As a noble, it’s your duty. Nobles have social responsibilities to uphold.”
When Alex played the “social responsibility of a noble” card, Adeline was left speechless. In the end, she had no choice but to agree.
“…Fine. Then.”
Adeline looked at Alex and said,
“Help me.”
Alex stared at her with a stern expression and asked,
“Wasn’t that matter already settled?”
“That’s different. If you’re taking something, shouldn’t you also give something in return?”
“……”
Her words weren’t entirely unreasonable, so Alex fell silent and studied her for a moment.
“With your skills, I’m sure you can handle it easily.”
“We’re not omnipotent.”
“I heard a bit from Naya on the way here.”
Adeline glanced toward the Grand Bathhouse, worried she might give away any clues that could expose her lie. Then, she told him something she had barely recalled from the novel, pretending it was something Naya had told her.
“Riflemen suffer more joint injuries compared to other units, right? Did you know that?”
When the Crown Prince had asked Alex for help to find the kidnapped heroine, Alex had tapped his knee and asked why he should go without any compensation.
That moment had turned Alex from a colorless extra into an unlikable character, but now things were different.
“Coincidentally, one of the orphanages supported by my family is run by a priest.”
“……”
“There’s still enough room to accommodate the children we rescued this time. And since he’s skilled in medical volunteer work, he’s quite capable.”
A look of anguish flickered in Alex’s eyes.
At that moment, a group of people approached them.
When Alex turned his gaze toward them, his expression hardened. Seeing this, Adeline swallowed dryly and looked in the same direction.
“Ah, Lady Lopitz. It’s been a while since the last banquet, hasn’t it?”
Adeline recognized him immediately.
“Your Highness, the Crown Prince.”
Adeline bowed slightly, lifting the hem of her dress as she greeted him. The Crown Prince. The face she had only seen in illustrations from the novel was now right in front of her.
“……”
But Alex simply stared at him blankly. The expressions of the Crown Prince’s attendants grew increasingly displeased, but Alex remained silent, his gaze fixed on the group.
It was a blatant disregard for the Crown Prince, but the Crown Prince himself seemed unfazed and approached Adeline.
“I’d like to have a word with you. Is that alright?”
“……”
Adeline glanced at Alex. She had no idea what kind of relationship the two of them had.
After a moment, Alex said to her,
“Don’t worry. Go ahead. We’ll continue our conversation later.”
After saying that, he stepped away and walked off in another direction. Adeline watched his retreating figure, her ears tingling from the Crown Prince’s soft voice.
Under normal circumstances, she would have found his voice pleasant, but for some reason, it made her uneasy.
“Then, may I have the honor of escorting you for a while?”
For some reason, her mind kept sending warnings about this handsome man.