Please Answer Me - Chapter 143

It was something Allen had been thinking about ever since he returned to the palace. In fact, he had been pondering it for quite some time. What would he do if the princess ultimately couldn’t forget that man and decided to return to Arden?

Surprisingly, the answer was simple. As the princess’s escort knight, he would follow her wherever she went. That was the conclusion he had reached.

It was something he had considered even before becoming an escort. Watching his competitors view the position of the youngest princess’s escort as a mere stepping stone to build connections with the royal family, Allen had firmly resolved that, from now on, his only master would be the princess.

Rosetta shook her head. “Don’t do this. You know helping me would be an act of treason against His Majesty. You don’t have to go this far. I’ll make sure you and the others don’t get caught up in any trouble. I didn’t even plan on taking you to the jousting tournament.”

“If you don’t take me with you, I won’t let you go.”

“What about your family if you leave?”

“Have you forgotten that my grandfather once saved His Majesty’s life?”

Allen’s grandfather, Herend, had saved the current king’s life with his medical skills when the king was young. This opportunity allowed Herend to rise to the highest position as a court doctor.

“Because of that, nothing will happen to them, so don’t worry. And besides, I gave up becoming a doctor to become your escort knight, so you’re responsible for me until the end.”

Even then, when Rosetta couldn’t easily make up her mind, Allen let out a small sigh.

“There’s actually another reason why I made this decision.”

“Another reason?”

Allen averted his gaze from Rosetta and spoke softly, “If possible, I want to meet Rosie… again.”

“Rosie?”

It was the nanny who had been listening nearby who exclaimed in surprise.

“You mean Miss Rosie, the Basque chieftain’s daughter?”

Allen nodded, his ears turning bright red.

“When did you start having such feelings for her? I’m sure before you left with the delegation…”

“Ah, we’re not in any kind of relationship yet! Anyway, that’s not what’s important right now!” Allen hurriedly steered the conversation back on track, preventing it from veering off course. “Wherever you go, Princess, I will go with you. Please remember that.”

“I’ll go with you too, Princess,” the nanny interjected, shouting heartily. “I don’t have any family, so I can leave with peace of mind. I’ve lived long enough and have no regrets. This old woman will follow you wherever you go, Princess. I’ll even deliver the baby with my own hands.”

“Nanny…” Tears welled up in Rosetta’s eyes once again. She nodded her head. “Thank you, everyone. Thank you so much.”

The nanny hugged Rosetta and patted her back. Allen joined in and embraced them both.

The day passed in a whirlwind. Allen secretly visited the Artz Trading Company and communicated with Rashid. Thanks to Allen’s involvement, everything went more smoothly.

On the day of the jousting tournament, the plan was for the nanny to leave with Rashid in advance. Rosetta intended to leave the tournament early, using the excuse of being tired. The overall plan was for her to meet up with Rashid’s group on the way back to the palace with Allen.

Rosetta’s absence wouldn’t be noticed until after the tournament ended, giving them enough time to escape from Terra.

The nanny discreetly prepared the necessary supplies for the long journey, while Rosetta continued her daily routine without raising any suspicion. She dined with her family, laughed with them, and continued the wedding preparations as if nothing was amiss. She was careful not to arouse suspicion or risk ruining the plan.

Everything was going smoothly—until the queen suddenly summoned her.

When Allen was called away by his superior, Rosetta had no idea what was happening. Even when the nanny disappeared without a word, she thought she would return shortly.

It wasn’t until her mother’s ladies-in-waiting came to fetch her that she sensed something was wrong.

“She summoned me?”

“Yes, Princess.”

Rosetta instinctively knew that Allen and the nanny were with her mother. There was no other explanation for both of them being absent at the same time.

This was the second time her mother had taken her people. The first time might have been a coincidence, but the second time was a clear sign that something was amiss. Rosetta rushed ahead of the ladies-in-waiting to her mother.

When she arrived at the reception room, what she saw was the sight of two people lying on the cold floor, bleeding. Allen and the nanny’s backs were completely torn apart. It seemed that Allen had shielded the nanny, as her wounds were not as severe, but Allen’s back was in a truly horrible state.

Despite their pain, both Allen and the nanny shook their heads at Rosetta, signaling for her not to oppose the queen.

“Mother!”

But Rosetta was already blinded by rage as she stormed into the reception room. Two knights flanked the queen, who was seated on a high chair. As Rosetta approached, the queen raised her hand, and the knights drew their swords, aiming them at Allen’s and the nanny’s throats.

Rosetta immediately halted. The sharp blades glinted, ready to sever their necks at any moment. Her jaw trembled. Even seeing it with her own eyes, she couldn’t believe what was happening.

“…What are you doing? Why are you doing this?”

“I demanded they confess, but they remained silent despite their suffering. Now, Rosetta, you will tell me yourself.”

“Tell you what?”

“Where have you been for the past month?”

Rosetta bit her lip hard.

“I sent people to the retreat to verify your story. To my surprise, you never arrived there. And you even took measures to keep it hidden from everyone?”

Rosetta clenched the hem of her dress. When her mother had summoned the nanny separately to confirm things last time, she clearly hadn’t believed the nanny’s words. That was why she had sent people to check for herself. Since Rosetta was carrying someone other than Iselle’s child, her mother must have assumed something had happened during the trip.

“Tell me the truth about where you were and what you were doing, or these two will die.”

Rosetta exhaled deeply. Right now, the most important thing was to save Allen and the nanny.

“I begged them to take me somewhere else on a trip, and they couldn’t refuse my orders. It was my fault, so please punish me and let them go.”

The queen slammed her fist down on the armrest of the chair. “So they dared to deceive the King and Queen and put you in danger because of such a reckless request? Did they forget their duties?”

“There was no danger. As you can see, I’ve returned safely!”

“And yet you carry a child whose father is unknown?”

Rosetta lowered her head slightly. “I apologize for not telling you earlier. But I did not conceive this child lightly.”

“In that case, tell me. Who is the father of the child?”

Rosetta squeezed her eyes shut, then opened them again. “I cannot tell you that. I’m sorry, Mother.”

“What?”

“Please, just release the two of them first. They’re bleeding.”

The queen’s face was filled with anger. Her hand, gripping the armrest of the chair, trembled with rage. “It seems words won’t work.”

The queen issued an order to the guard who had his sword pointed at Allen.

“Cut off one of his arms.”

Rosetta’s face immediately turned white. “Mother!”

“If cutting off his arm isn’t enough, then cut off his leg next, and then that useless tongue of his.”

Fear filled Allen’s eyes, but it was soon replaced with resignation. Even in the face of losing his limbs, he had no intention of speaking.

The queen turned her gaze back to Rosetta. “Will you still refuse to speak, Rosetta?”

The queen expected Rosetta to break down in tears and beg for mercy at this point. After all, Rosetta was usually a kind, obedient child, and the queen thought she would plead for forgiveness and confess everything.

However, contrary to the queen’s expectations, Rosetta neither cried nor begged. Her daughter had an expression the queen had never seen before. It was dry and composed. In her cool, green eyes, there was neither excitement nor even the slightest hint of anger.

The words that came out of her mouth next were even more shocking. “Go ahead, cut it.”

“…Rosetta?”

“Cut off his arm, Mother. If you can.”

The queen, who had been staring at Rosetta in disbelief, gripped the armrest tightly and issued the command. “Cut it off!”

At her order, the guard raised his sword and brought it down. The nanny screamed and covered her eyes, convinced that Allen’s arm would be severed any moment now. But that didn’t happen.

The guard didn’t cut off Allen’s arm. He remained in the same position as before, sword raised in the air.

“What are you doing?” the queen demanded.

The guard stammered, looking bewildered. “I-I’m not sure, but the sacred sword won’t move.”

It was as if an invisible force had fixed the sacred sword in place. No matter how hard the guard tried to lower the blade, it wouldn’t budge. He even tried to pull it down with both hands, but the sword remained immobile.

Allen quickly realized that he had witnessed something similar before. This exact situation had happened to him at Edirne Castle.

How could the same thing happen twice…?

A strange feeling washed over him as he turned his gaze to Rosetta. The same thing had occurred both times, and on both occasions, Rosetta had been present.

Allen wasn’t the only one looking at her. The queen’s gaze also shifted to Rosetta, and her eyes were now trembling violently.

“Could it be… you?”

“Send everyone out immediately, including your guards, Mother.” Rosetta coldly whispered, staring directly at the queen, “You know what power I possess. And you know that if I set my mind to it, I can do something far worse than this.”