I've Suffered for Five Years, Now It's Your Turn. ~The Crown Princess Has No Intention of Forgiving~ - Episode 11

“Let go of me! No matter what, I must stop her… As the Crown Prince of this country, I must stop Filia!!”

“What are your orders, Lady Filia?”

There was no emotion in Ryug’s eyes.
He simply carried out his duty calmly, just as a knight of the royal family of Sylvan Kingdom should.
In our kingdom, knights are bound by a code: they must handle royal disputes coldly, without letting personal feelings interfere.

If I were to command Ryug to kill Erik right now… he would likely carry it out without hesitation.
That’s the kind of knights we raise in our country.

“I was practically assaulted. Ryug, you saved me.”

“I merely fulfilled my duty.”

“Even so… I have one more favor to ask.”

I rose from the bed and quietly shut the door to the room.
In the stillness, breathing shallowly, I made a cold, decisive order as a princess carrying the weight of my homeland.

“I cannot risk being assaulted again. Can you make sure I stay safe — enough that it could be passed off as an accident?”

“Understood.”

“Wha—?! What are you—?! Guh!?”

Ryug quickly shoved a cloth into Erik’s mouth to muffle his voice.
Then, without hesitation, he bent three of Erik’s fingers in the opposite direction.

A muffled scream echoed uselessly within the room.

“––––!!!?!”

“Attempted rape against Lady Filia. During the struggle to restrain him, three fingers were broken. Would that be acceptable?”

“Perfect. You truly are a knight of the Sylvan royal family.”

The Sylvan knights are divided into several orders, but the Royal Knights, who serve directly under the royal family, follow orders without hesitation.
That loyalty was the wisdom that allowed our small nation to survive past wars.
Now that I had married into another country, I found that loyalty both frightening and reassuring.

“Now then, Erik.”

“Hu… huff. Doing something like this…”

With the cloth pulled from his mouth, Erik gasped and spat out saliva, writhing in pain.
For what he did, this injury was light — but at least he would no longer be able to overpower me under the excuse of an investigation.

“You may think my decision cruel. But from where I stand, you’re the real monster.”

“!!”

“You didn’t just disgrace the princess who married into your country for peace — you also spread lies, claiming I was barren.”

“Y-You knew…?”

Erik’s face twisted in shock.
I gently ran my fingers over his broken ones.

“Ah! Gghh… huuu…”

Pain twisted his face, cold sweat dripping down his pale skin.
In a soft voice, I whispered to him:

“Go ahead and scream and accuse me all you want. I’ll simply declare that it was self-defense.”

“…Kuh…”

“You can’t escape anymore. No matter how much you howl… For the past five years, you’ve tainted my name, violated my body, and smeared my honor with lies. Now you will face the truth and pay for it.”

“Stop… Please, stop… I beg you…”

I glanced at Ryug, and without needing words, he understood.
He dragged Erik from the room, the prince clutching his injured hand, realizing now there was no way to talk his way out.
Tomorrow would be the audience with the King — there was no more need for Erik tonight.

More importantly…

“Ryug, thank you for coming. You saved me.”

“It’s nothing.”

“Thanks to you, I protected my purity.”

Ryug stood silently, waiting for my next order.
That cold, unwavering loyalty was exactly what set the Royal Knights apart.
And yet, I had a lingering question for him.

“Ryug. There’s something I want to ask.”

“Please, ask me anything.”
“One year ago… It was you who told me the truth, wasn’t it?”

That knight, wearing a helmet, whose face I never saw —
Yet he wore armor from our kingdom, and he had entered the castle that day.
Only Ryug’s entry was recorded, so I asked with confidence. But…

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“One year ago, you spoke to me.”

“I know nothing of it. I was assigned elsewhere at the time, and the records confirm it.”

His reply seemed sincere.
A Royal Knight would never be allowed to lie — and Ryug wasn’t lying now.

Which only deepened the mystery.
The knight from that day — was he not from our kingdom at all?
Had someone faked their identity to warn me?

“Looks like I have even more to think about now.”

Ryug simply stared at me, silent, waiting for instructions.
The Royal Knights were trained to suppress all emotion… which was, honestly, a little lonely.

But there was one thing that could temporarily change that.

“Ryug, I release you from duty for now. Can we just talk?”

As soon as I said that, Ryug’s expression changed completely.
He rushed to my side, concern flooding his face.

“Lady Filia! Are you alright?! You were attacked — are you hurt? If that bastard violated you in any way… I’ll kill him with my own hands!”

“Calm down, Ryug. I’m fine.”

“If only I’d arrived sooner. If I’d pushed the horses harder, I could have reached you by dusk… It’s my failure!”

“It’s alright, really.”

“I failed to be at your side. If I had been assigned as your personal guard from the start — not just any knight, but a Royal Knight — this never would have happened. I should have pressed the King harder.”

“I’m safe now. That’s what matters.”

“You’re not safe! You’re allowed to express your pain! You’re the treasure of our kingdom!”

His transformation was striking.
These knights, trained to hide their feelings, still had hearts filled with loyalty and love for our homeland.
If released from duty, they could show their true emotions — and right now, that brought me a warm, unexpected comfort.

“Lady Filia, His Majesty will act soon. You can trust in him.”

“I know… and I have you here now, too. That’s enough.”

“I won’t let anyone harm you. My body and soul exist for you, Princess. I’m truly grateful to see you again.”

“Since the wedding ceremony, right?”

“Yes. It’s a joy to see you again.”

“From today on, will you serve as my personal knight?”

At my question, Ryug simply murmured, “At your command.”
Instantly, the air around him changed again — returning to the disciplined demeanor of a knight.
Sylvan knights might be quirky, but when it came to duty, they were unmatched.

“My body no longer belongs to Erik.
It belongs only to my homeland — and to myself.”

With the strength of a Royal Knight at my side now,
I would not fall to simple assassination attempts or petty schemes.
From here on, it was my turn to fight.

The next day, I headed to the throne room.
King Harvin himself had urgently arranged this audience, recognizing the seriousness of the situation.
Gathered there were Erik, Rosalyn… and Camilla.
Second Prince Luans, and Chancellor Dalton, were present as well.

Standing quietly by my side, Ryug gave off an aura that dared anyone to even think of touching me.

“Kuh…”

Erik clutched his injured fingers, his face pale with fear and panic.
And as I took my place, King Harvin rose to his feet.

“Filia Sylvan.
You married into our country to secure peace, and yet we have allowed this disgraceful situation to unfold.
Before we begin any discussion, allow me, as King, to first offer you my sincerest apology.”

The King himself bowed his head.
But there was no joy in my heart.

There was no point in feeling anything like that.
I had one goal in mind:
In this precious audience I had fought to obtain, I would present the evidence I had gathered — undeniable and final.

No one would be able to talk their way out of this.

Right, Erik?