I Reincarnated as the Daughter of a Runaway Sub Heroine - Chapter 78

Strangely enough, my mood had been low since earlier. As I thought about why that was, I realized that my feelings started to sour the moment I figured out that Hyperion had truly loved someone or was currently in love.

And now, thinking about him riding with the princess only made me more irritated.

“You’re the one who told Hyperion to take the princess back. So why are you feeling this way now? Huh? Arcadia?”

I tried to answer my own question, but I couldn’t understand it at all. Why was I feeling so down?

Previously, Bell had told me that while I could read people’s thoughts well, I couldn’t read their emotions, and I started to wonder if that might really be true.

If I didn’t even understand my own heart, how could I possibly understand someone else’s?

And strangely enough, while I was talking and riding with Hyperion earlier, I felt so much joy, but now nothing seemed fun at all.

It’s incredible how one person’s absence can change everything.

While I was at the Grand Duchy, I had never thought that riding alone would be boring.

What on earth is so different between then and now?

As I turned a corner feeling a bit gloomy, a horse suddenly jumped in front of me at a gallop.

Hee-haw!

The horse startled and reared up. I quickly grabbed the reins and leaned down. I almost ended up on the ground like the princess did earlier.

“Whoa, whoa!”

Just as I barely managed to calm the startled horse, a man’s voice rang out.

“Why are you all alone?”

I looked up to see Persis standing in front of me. I shouted in anger.

“Isn’t an apology the first thing you should say? I almost fell because of you!”

Persis raised the corner of his mouth in a smirk.

“Really? It would have been better if I had seen that. What a shame.”

“What?”

“And when have you ever seen me apologize? Knowing what kind of person I am, what do you expect?”

Instead of apologizing, Persis was just rubbing salt in the wound.

I let out a sigh.

Let’s not talk. It would be better to converse with a passing ant than to engage with him.

“Why are you alone? Where’s Hyperion?”

“The princess hurt her ankle when she fell, so Hyun took her away.”

“Cassia fell? Hurt her ankle?”

Persis, who had been frowning slightly, suddenly burst into laughter and then looked at me with a face full of scorn.

“Do you really think Cassia got hurt?”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Cassia has been riding since she was young. She rides better than most jockeys. There’s no way she would just fall off while taking a leisurely ride.”

“So you’re saying she must have fallen on purpose?”

“Did you see her fall?”

“…….”

Now that I thought about it, when we arrived, the princess was already on the ground. The reason we rushed there in the first place was because of the maid’s scream.

“See? You don’t know Cassia. You can’t even imagine how cunning and ruthless she is. We’ve been in a bloody competition for the throne since we were young. Do you really think it compares to your upbringing, where you were loved in the Grand Duchy? Both she and I would do anything to obtain the throne.”

I had heard enough about how someone grew up being loved and pampered. Just as I was about to ignore him and head elsewhere, Persis said,

“If I were him, I wouldn’t have left you behind.”

I looked at him with a slight frown.

“What do you mean by that?”

“If I were your lover, I wouldn’t let you wander around alone like this.”

“So you’re saying I should have just ignored the injured person and left?”

“I’m telling you, she’s not really hurt!”

“Oh, so when I saw the princess earlier, I should have said, ‘Your Highness, I know you’re just acting, so stop pretending and get up and walk!’ That’s some impressive insight you’ve got there!”

“Don’t be sarcastic! I’m saying this for your sake. Cassia will never give up on Hyperion until she gives up the throne. Marrying him is her only way to ascend to the throne. How else would she defy the king’s opposition to become queen? Don’t you see that Cassia is the one who is more desperate than I am?”

As Persis said, it was indeed Princess Cassia who was more desperate.

Even if Hyperion and I were to marry, Persis wouldn’t suffer much. After all, the king’s favor still lay with him.

On the other hand, the only way for Princess Cassia to turn this unfavorable situation around was through marriage to Hyperion.

“To say you’re doing this for me is just ridiculous.”

I laughed at Persis.

“You’re becoming less and less honest. You just want to discourage me. But Persis, let me make one thing clear: even if Hyperion marries the princess, I will never marry you.”

“Do you really think people will keep falling for that fake relationship forever?”

“Fake relationship? What are you talking about? I love Hyperion so much.”

I scoffed and turned away. It was truly absurd to think about again. Saying it was for my sake? When did you ever think about me? How could you casually tell such a lie?

As I turned back to say one more thing before leaving, I saw the back of Persis, standing frozen in place.

Hmph, pretending to be hurt.

Just then, as I narrowed my eyes and glared at him, I noticed someone up in a nearby tree. A man was drawing an arrow and aiming it at Persis.

“Persis!”

I immediately kicked the horse’s belly hard. Shifting my cumbersome skirt to one side, I stood on one foot in the saddle.

Persis turned around, staring at me with wide eyes.

“Ha!”

I immediately threw myself toward Persis. At the same time, an arrow flew past us and struck the ground.

Thud!

Rolling on the ground a few times, I grabbed Persis by the collar, still dazed. I pulled him behind a nearby tree to hide.

Whoosh!

Before I could catch my breath, another arrow struck the tree. Soon after, there was a loud thud as something fell to the ground.

Peeking slightly, I saw the man from the tree walking toward us, aiming his bow as he approached.

If we kept running like this, we’d end up skewered.

In a panic, I felt around Persis’s waist. He flinched, startled and shrinking away.

“W-what are you doing?”

“Do you have a sword or anything?”

Persis clenched his teeth at my whisper.

“Of course not! Why would I bring a heavy sword while riding a horse?”

Damn it. I didn’t have any weapons either. What should I do?

I had become so accustomed to static gatherings like balls and parties that I hadn’t thought to carry a weapon. If only I had the hairpin Lucas gave me, I could have used it effectively, but today I had just tied my hair with a string.

Thud, thud.

Hearing the approaching footsteps of the man, I regretted my earlier actions over and over again.

Ah, why did I interfere? I should have just pretended not to see! Honestly, my body moved instinctively, but what good would saving this guy’s life do for me?

As I was tearing my hair out in regret, Persis suddenly moved.

“I’ll buy you some time, so you run away.”

I looked at him in surprise. Persis was gazing at me with a determined expression.

“Anyway, he’s after me, so he won’t chase you if I stay.”

That was true. Of course, after killing Persis, he would come after me to eliminate any evidence, but I could escape in the meantime.

Well, at least this guy has some minimal conscience. Just as I was thinking that, Persis shoved me hard.

“Go quickly!”

Then, Persis blocked my path. Just as the man was about to shoot an arrow at Persis’s chest.

Swish!

“Ugh!”

A dagger flew in from somewhere, striking the back of the man’s hand. Seizing the opportunity, Persis tackled the man. They began to wrestle on the dirt ground.

Turning my head, I saw Hyperion galloping on horseback in the distance. What was going on? He shouldn’t have returned so soon after taking the princess to the entrance.

“Ugh!”

In that moment, Persis let out a painful groan. In an instant, the situation had completely turned. The man was now on top of Persis, choking him.

That guy isn’t doing anything right!

I quickly picked up a nearby wooden stick. With it, I swung directly at the man’s head.

Thwack!

With a tremendous sound, the man collapsed. As he fell unconscious, Persis, who had been pinned beneath him, looked bewildered.

I waved my hand at him.

“Move aside. I hit him lightly, but I need to check if he’s dead.”

If this man dies, I won’t be able to uncover the mastermind behind this, so I need to keep him alive for now. I had tried to control my strength while hitting him, but you never know.

“…You call that a light hit?”

Persis pointed at the broken stick.

I tossed away the now useless piece of wood and tilted my head.

“I’ve only been fighting monsters lately, so I’m a bit out of practice. Is this enough to kill a person? Monsters would never go down this easily.”

Persis’s mouth dropped open wider.