The Former Prince Who Lost Everything Becomes a Masked Strategist, Dominates from the Shadows, and Vows Revenge - Chapter 6.1

With Gilbert’s protection, the three of us safely returned to the royal castle.

By the time we arrived, it was already past 7 PM, and a full moon hung in the night sky.

I now sat on my bed, while Hannah carefully wrapped bandages around my wounds, tending to my injuries.

In the corner of the room, Alphonse and Lilliette stood with apologetic expressions, while my father and Gilbert stood before me, watching me with concern.

The tense silence in the air was suddenly shattered.

With a loud bang, the door burst open, and Aria rushed into the room.

“Brother! I heard you were badly injured—wait, what!?”

As soon as she saw me, she covered her mouth in shock.

Then, without hesitation, she marched over to Lilliette—who stood silently in the corner—and slapped her across the cheek.

“I heard everything, Lilliette! You were the one who took my brother out into the city! He got injured protecting you! Are you truly prepared to be queen?! Because I, for one, cannot forgive anyone who hurts my brother!”

“A-Aria! Please, stop!”

Gilbert quickly restrained Aria in a firm hold, but she continued to struggle, her eyes brimming with tears.

**”Let go, Gilbert! Ever since Mother died, Brother has been by my side, comforting me! The thought of losing him too—of him dying—I… I… Waaaaahhh!!” **

Aria wailed uncontrollably.

I quickly tried to soothe her.

“Aria. I’m not dead. And this isn’t Lilliette’s fault. The ones to blame are the people who tried to kidnap her—”

“No, Grace. It is my fault. I was the one who suggested going to the city. If I hadn’t… none of this would’ve happened. It’s all… sob… all my fault… Aria is right…”

Tears streamed down Lilliette’s face.

Father stepped forward and gently placed a hand on her shoulder.

“No, Lilliette. Just as Grace said, you are not at fault. The true culprits are the kidnappers—but the fact that children cannot walk freely in this kingdom without danger… that is also a failing of my rule. This is a matter of governance, and I must take responsibility.”

“No, Your Majesty! This isn’t your—”

“It’s fine. The important thing is that all three of you returned safely. Now, get some rest and recover. Hannah, should I call for a cleric skilled in healing magic to tend to Grace?”

“No, Your Majesty. His injuries do not appear to be internal. They are only bruises and shallow cuts—rest and proper care will suffice. If anything, using healing magic on a growing child too often may weaken their natural recovery ability. Applying medicinal ointments will be the best course of treatment.”

“I see. Then I will entrust Grace’s care to you. Everyone else, let’s leave him to rest.”

With that, my father left the room, followed by Gilbert, who gave me a respectful bow before exiting.

Alphonse and Lilliette, after casting worried glances in my direction, also left.

The only ones remaining were Hannah, who continued tending to my wounds, and Aria, who sat beside my bed.

I smiled at Aria and spoke.

“It’s late, Aria. You should go back to your room and rest.”

“No. I’m staying here.”

She tightened her grip around my hand, her teary eyes still full of emotion.

Lowering her gaze, she whispered.

“Lately, I’ve been having awful dreams… Dreams where you disappear somewhere, never to return.”

“I’m not going anywhere, Aria. I promised Mother—I promised to make sure you’d always be happy.”

“Then…!”

Aria’s face flushed red as she fidgeted.

She opened and closed her mouth several times, struggling with her words, before finally looking away and murmuring softly.

“…Then promise me. Promise me that you’ll always stay with me. Because my greatest happiness… is being by your side.”

“Of course. I promise, Aria. I will always be with you.”

With those words, we linked our pinkies in a solemn oath.

One Week After the Lilliette Kidnapping Incident

Early morning—7 AM.

Thanks to the medicine, most of my injuries had healed.

After Hannah helped me get dressed, I walked down the hall.

Just then, I heard the sharp whoosh of something cutting through the air.

Curious, I followed the sound to the courtyard, which was often used as a training ground.

There, I saw Alphonse practicing his swings with a wooden sword.

I couldn’t believe my eyes.

“Huh…?”

The way Alphonse swung his sword…

It was completely different from before.

His posture was firm, his eyes focused, and as he brought his wooden blade down from an overhead stance, there was a newfound presence—something resembling that of a true swordsman.

I stood frozen, unable to call out.

Then, noticing my presence, Alphonse stopped his training.

The moment he saw me, his serious expression vanished, replaced by his usual bright smile.

“Grace! Are you all healed?!”

“A-ah. But more importantly, Alphonse… you’re practicing your sword swings voluntarily? You used to hate even looking at a sword. What changed?”

Alphonse tightened his grip on his wooden sword and exhaled.

“After everything that happened… I realized something. If I want to protect the people I care about, I need strength. Grace, I never want to see you go through that again…!”

He looked me in the eye and continued, his expression resolute.

“I’ll be honest, so please don’t get mad. I don’t really care about the kingdom. As long as you and Lilliette can smile, that’s enough for me.”

“Alphonse…”

“Of course, I haven’t abandoned our promise to support the kingdom together. But after fighting under your command… I understand now. On my own, I’m just a cowardly weakling. But if you’re with me, I feel like I can become stronger—stronger than I ever imagined. I know I’m still inexperienced, but… I want to be your sword, Grace.”

A gentle spring breeze swirled through the courtyard, rustling the deep green leaves of the trees.

At that moment, I felt a deep certainty.

I would never, for as long as I lived, forget this moment.

“Yeah. Alphonse, let’s protect the people we love—together. If it’s us, nothing is impossible.”

“Yeah!”

“Alright then, let’s spar, Alphonse!”

I grabbed a wooden training sword from the rack against the wall and took a stance before him.

Seeing this, Alphonse hesitated.

“B-but, Grace! Your wounds might reopen!”

“Just come at me, Alphonse. Even if you have the potential, I still have the upper hand in technique. There’s no way I’ll lose to you just yet!”

“Ugh…! O-okay! But don’t push yourself too hard!”

And so, Alphonse and I trained together.

Clashing wooden swords with him was incredibly fun.

I wished this moment could last forever.

That Night—Past 2 AM

I suddenly woke up.

“What… is this…?”

My throat felt unbearably dry.

A pounding headache throbbed through my skull.

And then—

A whisper echoed in my ears.

『Come… come here…』

I stumbled out of bed, my legs unsteady, and exited my room.

There should have been a knight stationed outside my door for the night watch.

But the hallway was empty.

An eerie silence filled the castle.

“What… is this feeling…?”

A strange, ominous presence loomed from deep within the corridor.