"Uu…"

When I came to, I saw an unfamiliar ceiling. Immediately after, I recalled what had happened to me and quickly raised my body.

"Where is this!?"

I was lying on a single-person bed. Of course, it wasn"t mine. It was covered in a bedspread made of relatively good fabric.
When I hurriedly looked around, I understood I was in something like a guest room that doubles as a bedroom. Hanging on the walls are landscape paintings, there"s even a mirror. It"s equipped with the minimum necessary furniture such as a fireplace, clock, table and chairs.
The quality of the spread carpet or the furniture I can see is not bad. However, unfortunately there are no windows, and there are iron bars a little distance away.
I have little doubt that this is a luxurious prison.

"… I got caught."

I"m saved that my limbs are free, and I"m grateful it"s not a place like a dungeon.
I woke up on a bed, so my body isn"t in pain, and probably the medicine used on me was a light one with no side effects. There are no aftereffects. I feel like I took a nap, so rather my head feels clear.
However I tilted my head at the treatment too good for somebody imprisoned.

"Hmm? I wonder if after all they can"t afford to treat me badly because I"m Freed"s fiancée."

It"s difficult to deal with kidnapped royalty. It may become a problem between countries afterwards.
I don"t know who kidnapped me, but whoever that might be, they might have thought they should treat me as royalty. In which case, I"m saved.
Waking up in a gloomy prison would be the worst. Thinking about the future, it"s certainly better if I"m comfortable.

"… Err."

I"d composed myself a little, so I tried arranging my memory.
I remembered a woman appearing. Then the talk about Milly being given a curse.
Recalling that I"d wanted to somehow save Milly before losing consciousness, I felt relieved.

".. Milly. I"m glad you were saved."

I should"ve cancelled the curse. Recalling the feeling that the neutralization magic activated without a doubt, I breathed out with relief.
Milly is by no means a bad child. Even though she was violated by such a curse, in the end she told me to run away, and probably she couldn"t help it. That"s why I don"t mean to blame her.
But――.

"Freed. Could you help Milly…?"

Immediately after waking up, and now too, the Royal Flower on my chest felt hot. I didn"t realize I called for Freed, but probably I unconsciously sought his help.
And for sure I can be calm because of that heat.
After all, since the Royal Flower reacted, my situation certainly got transmitted to Freed. And so, it"s impossible that he wouldn"t come.
Freed will come.
Precisely because I"m confident in that, I"m not fl.u.s.tered.
But, there"s only one thing that worries me.
That is, Milly"s matter.
Because I"m aware how much Freed loves me, I know his anger will be frightening.
I wonder if he"ll forgive Milly, the direct cause of my kidnapping.
Freed is surely losing his mind. I understand that much.
Even if what Milly did was unavoidable, it was a serious crime. However, I understand that from the bottom of her heart she didn"t want to take a life.

"So you"re awake."
"Ah!?"

From the other side of the iron bars I heard a man"s voice.
When I hurriedly turned my face towards it, Freed"s cousin whom I met several months ago at the victory celebration party, Andre, stood there with an uncanny smile on his face.

"… Lord Andre."

So the culprit behind my kidnapping is Andre.
I worried it would be Crown Prince Maximilian, so I felt just a little relieved.
It would be the worst to see that man upon opening my eyes.

"It"s been a while, Princess. Since the night of that victory celebration party."

I scrunched my eyebrows at his arrogant way of speaking. Even so, for the time being I replied.

"… You"re right."
"You look as poor as ever. Why did Freed choose you of all people."
"…"

It"s absolutely none of his business.
For a moment I thought about ignoring him, but he"s an important information source.
It won"t do any good to make him angry.
Thinking that I should be patient and get even a little information from our conversation, I took a deep breath and spoke.

"… Is this your deed, Lord Andre?"

I stood up from the bed and walked up to the iron bars. Looking closely, the lock was fastened. I could strangely accept that no matter how luxurious the room is, it"s unmistakably a prison.
Andre looked at me through the bars and laughed scornfully.

"I told them you didn"t need such a room prepared. For some reason, they didn"t nod yes, so this happened. You better be grateful."
"…"

I don"t know who they are, but because they helped me, I stayed silent.
When I met Andre"s gaze, he took notice of my Royal Flower.

"… Oh. After all you"re Freed"s mate. Seeing his obsession, I thought that was the case, but actually seeing it, I find him more and more detestable."

He muttered hateful words.
I guessed from that alone. He probably kidnapped me from the grudge against Freed.

"… Please return me."
"Unfortunately, I can"t do that. Afterwards, I will deliver you to them… That"s the contract."
"Contract…"

What does he mean by contract? Is Andre saying there are still people working with him?
Thinking so, I recalled the woman who had kidnapped me. Perhaps, I"ll be taken somewhere by her. I wonder where.
While I was intently thinking, Andre spoke again.

"I want to see Freed suffer. You are what can damage Freed the most now. That"s why I decided to aim at you. I wasn"t wrong, right?"
"You"re the worst."
"Whatever you say. Ah, let me tell you, Freed won"t come. About this time, Sahaja should be going to war. He won"t have time to come here. No matter how much that guy loses his mind over his mate, he"s in charge of the army. He won"t throw everything away and come here. For better or worse, he"s got self-awareness as royalty."
"Sahaja, going to war…?"

My eyes widened at Andre"s words.
Did this man just say Sahaja is going to war? Did he say I was kidnapped in antic.i.p.ation of that?
The fact that he knows means Andre is connected to Sahaja.
My body trembled. It"s unmistakably because I"m furious.

"… Don"t you realize you are Wilhelm royalty? Of all things to keep in touch with the enemy country, Sahaja…!"

Andre laughed scornfully at my question.

"Do I realize I"m royalty? I lost my status as royalty in all but name when I failed the Royal Flower ceremony. I failed the Royal Flower ceremony with the woman I recognized as my mate! Because of Freed!"
"Because of Freed?"

Unconsciously I asked back about the words that I couldn"t let slide.
Andre nodded provokingly.

"That"s right. Freed stole my mate"s, Leitis"s virginity. Not knowing that, I carried out the Royal Flower ceremony… and failed."
"…"

Supposing that"s true, it"s an outrageous story. However, would Freed really do that?
Stealing a person"s mate. He understands the importance of that more than anyone else.
While I was having doubts, Andre further said.

"From the first time I saw her, I thought she was my mate. That"s why to cherish her until the ceremony, I"d been embracing other women. But when the time came, she had already been robbed of her virginity."
"… Eh?"

Andre talked while biting his lip in vexation.
But I unconsciously raised my voice.
I found it strange.
After all, Freed said. If they recognize a partner as their mate, they won"t be able to embrace other women.
The King and Freed himself serve as the proof.
He said it was a feeling like hunger, like he had to obtain me right away no matter what.
Good examples are how I and Mother-in-law were a.s.sailed. When they find a mate, they can"t do something as hard as enduring. They rush recklessly. Until they obtain their partner, they never stop. Paying attention to other women is unthinkable.
And yet, although Andre recognized Leitis as his mate, he was embracing other women.
Considering the common sense of Wilhelm royalty, such a thing is impossible.
I could only find it strange.

To be edited