Two-Faced Princess

“I won’t forget, Your Majesty.” Uriel held her hand and kissed the palm of it. “I won’t let anything hurt Your Majesty’s heart.”

This time, he bowed his head and kissed her forehead and cheeks. Each kiss was so sweet that it made her lose her mind. “Let’s do the rest when you come back.”

Leaving behind words that captivated her, Uriel left her room.

Bamel Mountains was massive. It was not just one mountain, but a range of about five peaks, consisting mostly of giant rocks and cliffs. There was a path that could be traversed in the middle, but even that was covered with rocks and trees growing in between, making it a dark and sparsely populated area. A river flowed below the mountain. It was a vital lifeline for the Trion residents who used it for agriculture and drinking water. However, since the Croadin horde entered Bamel Mountain through that river, no one remained in the nearby villages. Some people fled far away after a few were devoured. Leading the knights into that place was not easy. While Croadin easily climbed the rocks and cliffs where humans couldn’t walk, the knights’ movements were greatly restricted. That’s why Uriel wasn’t surprised to see most of Caellion’s forces waiting below the mountain with bows and spears at the ready. The problem was that the knights’ faces had a pale complexion as if something was wrong.

“Where is the Duke?” He furrowed his eyebrows and asked one of the knights belonging to the Royal Order who was waiting right there.

“My lord…” The knight who saw Uriel became even more contemplative and stumbled over his words. Uriel’s right hand instinctively grasped the hilt of his sword at his waist. “Is this not a plan to lure them here and capture them or… is it not?”

He quickly scanned the lined-up archers. He couldn’t see Caelion who should be at the forefront. The knight’s lips were trembling slightly. “That… Those bastards are more intelligent than we thought. Did they… observe us while we were waiting, surrounding the mountain——-” His voice gradually broke with fear.

“Uh, when did they move? They hid their bodies underwater and approached from behind, swiftly taking down five soldiers and disappearing. Your Highness quickly noticed and hit both of their left eyes but… it seems like the soldiers bitten by them sank into the water together.” He pointed to the riverbank with his finger. There were bloodstains and fragments of armor. Uriel furrowed his eyebrows even more.

“So?”

Feeling threatened by his low and forceful voice, the soldier trembled and answered. “W-We suggested that we should capture those creatures one by one, but Your Highness insisted on a different approach.” Uriel chewed on his lips. Seeing the knight’s expression clouding the conversation frustrated him, and he had an uneasy feeling.

“T-To lure the queen out, we have to go into the mountains… Ugh!” The knight couldn’t finish his sentence. Uriel reached out and grabbed him by the throat.

“Where is the Duke right now? Start with that.”

With a piercing blue gaze, Uriel stared into the knight’s face. Shaking, the knight managed to speak. “Th-The Duke… he went into the mountains with only a few soldiers!”

Uriel’s eyes widened. As he released his grip, the knight who had been grabbed by the throat slumped to the ground. He recalled the characteristics of the Croadin that Evangeline had told him. She had told Uriel the same story she told Caelion that capturing the queen would end everything.

“When hunting a large and dangerous beast, the queen cautiously withdraws, but once the prey is subdued and ready to be eaten, she charges first.”

Uriel took a deep breath.

“Damn it.”

How cunning they were, considering the forces stationed below the mountain as a ‘hunt for a large and dangerous beast’. It was possible for those who enjoyed human flesh. And Caelion, who recognized this, didn’t withdraw but found a way to lure out the queen.

“Reckless fool.”

Going into the demons’ lair on his own. He became the prey that was brought to be ‘prepared to be eaten’ and approached the queen. In the eyes of the giant and powerful demon, Caelion and a few guards separated from the troops were nothing more than a meal. He had truly risked his life this time.

“When did he go in?”

Uriel asked the trembling knight. His voice sounded even lower and more dangerous than before. The knight, sitting on the ground, replied. “A d-day…”

“What?”

Uriel’s gaze sharpened.

“He has not returned even after a day has passed.”

*THUD!*

Before his words could even finish, Uriel swiftly began leaping up the rocky mountain at full speed. The mountain was rugged and slippery. A single misstep could result in a fall of dozens of meters. However, Uriel reached the middle of the mountain in an instant, as if he had wings, and caught his breath. He rooted himself in the crevices of the rocks and looked around at the strangely twisted, towering trees.

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