Flirting With the Villain’s Dad

Chapter 6

I had to make sure my sister Theresia got evacuated ahead of Bellecourt’s invasion.

Of course, I was going to be hiding somewhere safe, but if something went wrong, Sergey would come get me anyway.

It won’t be difficult, I thought.

And just a few days later, it happened.

Well, to summarize, Plan B was a success. I stopped the imperial troops that raided the palace from kidnapping Theresia.

The problem was…

His silver hair gleamed in the thin rays of sunlight. He stared right down at me with amaranthine eyes like violet flowers.

I looked up at him from where I was scrunched behind a pillar.

Unblemished silver hair and amaranthine eyes.

The corner of the man’s mouth curved up, and a languid smile formed on his previously expressionless face. Yet, the battle’s stark aura was still openly apparent around him.

“The amaranthine eyes glowing with a reddish light pierced through her with a powerful aura.”

I had finally experienced the passing description in the novel firsthand.

His eyes flashed strangely, like the eyes of a predator that found the prey it wanted.

The eastern powerhouse of Rhyger, the emperor of Bellecourt, reached out to me.

“Got you, princess of Livovny.”

“Kugh…”

Huh…?

* * *

Just a few hours earlier.

It was a peaceful afternoon. I was visiting the palace with my sister and having lunch with our mother and father.

My mother looked at me worriedly. “Yenny, you don’t look so well. Do you not have much of an appetite?”

I shook my head, gulped down the grass in my mouth, and gave her a bright smile. “I’m totally fine. You don’t have to worry.”

Of course, I was lying. I really didn’t have an appetite at all. After being on edge for the last few days, I could feel the exhaustion building up.

At the same time, it wasn’t as though I could relax when the Bellecourt troops could ambush us at any moment. For some reason, I felt especially anxious.

What is this feeling? I feel uneasy…

After finishing our lunch, we, the Livovny family, were enjoying tea in the back garden. In my mounting anxiety, I just kept fidgeting with my teacup.

Since there was no way for the three of them to know how I was feeling, they were peacefully enjoying their conversation.

“What did your doctor say?”

“That I have nothing to worry about. At this rate, I should be able to give birth on the due date.”

“Oh, that’s such a relief. Be sure to stay relaxed, Theresia, all right? You should be surrounded by only good things.”

“Of course. I’m always doing my best.”

I’m definitely uneasy. Uneasy!

I couldn’t hold back any longer and jumped up from my seat. “Let’s head back, sis. It’s not good to stay outside for too long.”

“Hmm? But Yerenika, it hasn’t even been two hours—”

“Two hours is plenty!”

I was in a hurry. I forced Theresia to get up as Mother and Father watched on with wide eyes.

Before they could say anything, I spoke up. “Theresia gets tired really quickly, even after a little bit of walking around. I’ll drop her off at the duke’s estate and come back.”

“Oh my. Theresia, you said you were fine!”

Theresia glanced between me and our parents, looking flustered. Meanwhile, I grew more antsy. I linked my arm with my sister’s and began walking. I didn’t forget to call back to Mother and Father over my shoulder.

“Stay inside today. Don’t go out, okay?!”

“Yerenika?”

“We’re leaving!”

And fortunately enough, my intuition was shockingly accurate.

It wasn’t even half an hour later when a red flag flew over the ramparts. Soon, all five of the beacons lit up simultaneously. It was a sign that enemies had invaded.

“An ambush!”

Maybe I need to go into fortune-telling! I held Theresia’s hand tighter and began to run in the opposite direction of the main castle.

“Yenny, what’s going—?!” Theresia yelled, looking pale.

“There’s no time, Theresia. This way!”

An expectant mother should be careful even when walking, so making her run? But it was unavoidable. Anything was better than being dragged off to the empire.

I led my sister to the temporary palace. There was a place I’d checked out in advance, just for this event. We dashed up the stairs, and then I pushed my sister into the last room on the second floor.

Theresia was crying now. “Yenny, Yerenika. Mother and Father…”

“They’ll be fine.”

I tried my best to calm my sister down. In actuality, the king and queen of Livovny were going to be absolutely fine since the emperor of Bellecourt only kidnapped Theresia in the novel.

However, my sister didn’t look like she believed me. The way she kept glancing uneasily at the window made it seem as though she was about to run back out at any moment. Of course, I had no intention of letting her.

There was a large bookcase in the otherwise empty room. I pushed it with everything I had, and a small space that was just big enough for one person appeared. I wiped away the sweat that started running down my face and pointed at the space.

“Go inside, sis.”

My sister looked between me and the space with her tear-stained face. Her gaze made it clear she needed an explanation, but there was no time. I could faintly hear yelling from outside.

I quickly and gently squished my sister inside. I remembered the novel saying the hole was big for Brigitte, but it was definitely a little small for a grown adult. There was no way two adults would fit. It couldn’t be helped.

The hidey-hole had been mentioned in the novel—a small space behind the bookshelf in the last room of the second floor in the western palace. It was where Brigitte had hidden after fighting with Alexio to trick him when she returned to Livovny. And then she accidentally pressed a trigger knot and fell into the basement.

Just in case, I firmly told my sister, “You see that small knot on the floor, right? If the imperial troops barge in, press that. You’ll slide right down into the basement.”

“Yerenika.”

“Watch closely through this crack, got it?”

Theresia couldn’t hold back any longer and yelled, “Yenny!” Her pale face was streaked with tears. “At least give me an explanation, please? What’s all this about?”

“Later. You just need to think of Brigitte right now.”

With those final words, I struggled but managed to cover the hole up again with the bookcase. It seemed like my sister was sobbing with her hand over her mouth.

I said my farewells through the crack in the bookcase.

“See you later, sis.”

I really had no idea that that would be my final goodbye to Theresia! Anyway, after successfully hiding Theresia, I snuck out of the temporary palace. Now, it was time to head to the second hidey-hole I’d made note of.

After descending to the first floor, I could hear loud shouting and screaming and the crash of metal on metal. I could also hear the Livony knights yelling as they looked for me.

“Your Highness!”

“Princess Yerenika!”

I heard the battle nearby as metal clanged.

I gasped. Did I mess up? Should I just have hidden in a closet on the second floor or something…? Sergey would come to rescue me anyway, but…

I peeked out from around one of the thick pillars of the palace and sucked my breath at the sight in front of the main castle. The scene that had once only been in writing was unfolding before my very eyes.

A reddish amaranth flag flapped in the wind. Someone’s sharp silver hair flashed in the sun. It was just for a brief moment, but I thought I also saw the red spray of blood. I ducked behind the pillar again, unable to look at the battle any longer.

“Oh my god… What was that?”

This is no joke!

I scrunched behind the pillar and nervously bit my lip. The hideaway I had been heading to was at the eastern palace. It was another hole that similarly led to that palace’s basement. Brigitte had uncovered that particular hidey-hole while wandering around the royal grounds.

Should I really be going that far…? Or should I wait here for Sergey?

But that uneasy feeling struck me again.

How would Sergey know to come here to rescue me? How would he know where I am?

Though I was a devotee of the original novel, I was also the culprit responsible for destroying the plotline.

Eventually, I got up on trembling legs. The eastern palace was straight ahead anyway. If I moved around the pillars, I’d be able to get inside without being caught.

“Ugh, crap…”

I felt chills at the clanging sounds I could hear.

I took a deep breath and glared at the next pillar. Yeah. I felt like I could jump behind it if I leaped as far as I could.

I peeked around and got an idea of the situation, and then… I braced my legs and pulled my skirt up slightly.

Now!

Hop.

“Ohh.” I successfully leaped to the next pillar with a jump so powerful that I surprised myself.

Oh, nice. I can make it all the way to the eastern palace just like this.

From what I could see, I estimated that there were about six pillars left.

Damn it. Why are there so many?

I swore under my breath and looked around the pillar again. It seemed that the imperial knights hadn’t broken into the temporary palace just yet. I waited for an opening and leaped with all my strength once again.

“Huwargh.” A strange noise escaped me, but I landed smoothly. As soon as I hid behind the pillar, I covered my mouth and looked around.

No one else is around, right? Good, good. Let’s go…!

I leaped past two more pillars. There were only two left. The end was in sight.

I very peeked around the pillar. Once again, no one was look—

In the next second, I made direct eye contact with someone looking straight at me.

My heart almost leaped out of my chest. I pressed right up against the pillar, my heart racing.

Wh-what…?! How long had they been watching me?!

The eyes I met were a pure amaranth color. Before I could realize what that meant, I heard heavy footsteps coming my way along with the sound of armor clanking. I let my body slide down the pillar I’d been pressed against as I heard the footsteps grow louder.

My heart raced like it was about to leap out of my chest. I covered my mouth with both hands so that not even the sound of my breathing would escape.

Two footfalls thudded near me. I felt like crying. I was desperately shouting in my head.

Sergey, this is your time to appear! If you show up now, I’ll kiss you a hundred thousand times. Come find me! Please!