Estelle Will Not Forgive a Second Time: The Condemned Noble Lady Returns in Elegance to Dance with the Incompetent Prince - Chapter 12

Since then, Lord Leonhardt and I have spent our days busily making rounds through high society.

I had always been conscious of the attention I drew at social events, but now that he serves as my bodyguard, I find myself strangely at ease—even I find it odd.

“Oh my, Estelle. It’s been a while. I’ve heard you’ve been quite active in society lately.”

A gentle voice called out to me from behind.

Turning around, I saw my cousin, Miriam, standing there.

It had truly been a long time since we last met, and for a moment, I was at a loss for words.

As always, Miriam wore a calm and composed smile.

“Miriam… It really has been a while. Have you been well?”

“Yes. I’m glad we happened to be invited to the same soirée tonight. I’ve heard quite a bit about the Grandier family… and about Clarissa as well. It must have been difficult.”

“Yes, a little.”

“I see… I don’t have much time tonight, but let’s talk again sometime soon.”

With those words, she turned on her heel and gracefully walked away.

Though her gentle smile remained unchanged, a faint unease stirred in my chest for some reason.

“Please, step inside, Lady Estelle.”

Once the evening party was over, Lord Leonhardt, still disguised as my bodyguard, always guided me to the carriage ahead of time.

That the second prince himself would serve as my personal guard—anyone would consider such a notion absurd.

However, in order to maintain his image as the “useless prince,” he wears a deep black hood and wraps a cloth around his mouth, like a bandage, whenever acting as my escort.

Even the noble ladies and aristocrats in my circle seem unaware that he is actually royalty.

His behavior in public as a mere guard may appear somewhat unnatural, but thus far, no one has shown any sign of suspicion.

“Thank you, Leon… I mean, Sir Guard.”

I always catch myself just before saying his name, quickly correcting it.

As I boarded the carriage, he took the seat opposite mine.

Though his eyes beneath the hood seemed sleepy at first glance, they were sharply scanning the darkness of the night outside, ever vigilant.

Lately, we’ve found ourselves sharing carriage rides like this quite often.

Each time we converse, I feel that the distance between us is slowly closing—at least, that’s how it seems to me.

We are companions bound by a shared goal to bring down Victor… though perhaps it’s not just that.

“How was the party today? Did you learn anything new?”

As usual, Lord Leonhardt asked in a calm, gentle tone.

I adjusted the hem of my dress and gave a small nod.

“Yes, there were a few rumors of interest. I overheard that Gustav—the Minister of Finance—is also part of Prince Victor’s faction.”

“Gustav… the Minister of Finance, huh. I’ve heard his name before, but I never imagined he’d be affiliated with my brother’s faction.”

A sharp glint flickered in Lord Leonhardt’s eyes.

I don’t even want to think about the Minister of Finance being involved in corruption, but given the embezzlement case and Clarissa’s involvement, it’s certainly within the realm of possibility.

“If the Minister of Finance truly is complicit in Victor’s corruption, it would cause a scandal far greater than the Clarissa incident. The chief official responsible for managing the national treasury might be embezzling tax money…”

“If the people find out, it would shake their faith in the royal family as a whole. Even I didn’t expect my brother’s influence to reach this far.”

His tone, tinged with disappointment, made that clear.

Still, despair won’t help us now. We have a mission—to expose the corruption.

“Even so, we have to act, Lord Leonhardt. If we don’t stop this here, the country could be consumed by corruption.”

“I know. We’ll need to investigate Minister Gustav’s actions as well.”

We exchanged a brief nod and then fell into silence.

The carriage rumbled softly as its wheels rolled along the dark road, carrying with it a sense of foreboding.

As I stole a glance at him seated across from me, I couldn’t help but wonder what kind of expression lay hidden beneath the bandages that always covered his mouth.

This man is certainly no fool.

On the contrary, I’ve seen his swordsmanship before—it’s almost on the level of a master.

How reassuring it is to have someone like him as my bodyguard.

That thought alone brought an unconscious smile to my lips.

We sat in silence for a few minutes. Just as I was about to relax, as I usually did during our carriage rides, the vehicle suddenly jolted violently.

“Ah!”

My body pitched to the side, thrown by the sudden movement.

Outside, I could hear the coachman shouting and the tense voices of the guards.

No… could it be—assassins?

“Estelle, are you alright?”

Lord Leonhardt immediately leaned toward me, wrapping his arm around me to support my body.

My heart was racing—but whether from fear or from the embarrassment of being held by him, I couldn’t tell.

“Y-Yes… I think we’re under attack.”

The sound of clashing metal echoed outside, along with the frantic footsteps of the coachman.

The carriage, still shaking from the impact, seemed to have been pulled to the side of the road, coming to a sudden halt.

“Assassins sent by Lord Rodolphe… no doubt. So they’ve come.”

Lord Leonhardt muttered in a low voice.

My heart pounded wildly, a cold sweat trailing down my back.

—Memories of my death flickered at the edge of my mind, threatening to overwhelm me, but I couldn’t afford to panic.

“I-Is there anything I can do?”

I started to ask, my voice trembling, but he gently reached out and stroked my head to calm me.

“It’s alright, Estelle. Stay here. I’ll end this quickly.”

His composed tone was like a spell, calming the turmoil within me.

He touched my cheek lightly, offering a gentle smile.

It was rare to see him smile like this, which made my heart skip all the more.

“Please… don’t die.”

The words came out in a voice so frail, it even surprised me.

For a prince to risk his life like this was unthinkable—but he’s not just a co-conspirator, not just an ally—he might be something more.

“Leave it to me. No matter how many of them there are, it’s no problem. I’m no fool, after all.”

With those words, Lord Leonhardt opened the carriage door and leapt out into the night, still cloaked in his black hood.