Home/The Prince died, so we're starting over!/ch21

Episode 21

Count Lulupel would sometimes take me along on territory inspections.

But whenever he did, he was always glued to my side.

So I had no way of knowing whether the territory residents had always known Hariella's face, or whether they'd recognized me as the count's daughter because I was accompanied by members of the count's household.

'How on earth does he know me?'

The more I thought about it, the more questions arose.

Count Lulupel never took me on territory inspections before I turned ten, citing safety concerns.

So it couldn't have been a territory resident I'd met during an inspection.

The only opportunity for commoners to catch even a glimpse of Hariella was the annual year-end festival.

But even at festivals, the nobles and commoners were seated separately.

At that distance, Hariella would have looked no bigger than a cotton swab. It would have been impossible to recognize her face.

...At any rate, that wasn't what mattered right now.

What mattered was that now that the man knew I was the lord's daughter, he would never give up on us.

I wanted to put these useless questions aside.

But there was too much unease in the man's words.

"Hariella Lulupel! You insolent brat! I won't let you get away!"

His tone was as if he bore a personal grudge against Hariella.

But what reason could a merchant-turned-miner have to hold a grudge against a count's daughter?

As if harboring some deep grievance against Hariella, the man quickened his pace noticeably.

"Your Highness! Hurry! Where was that cave from earlier?"

"Th-that's... I don't know. They all look the same..."

"Oh, for heaven's sake, is it this way?"

We wandered the mountain paths again and again, but the cave leading to the secret passage was nowhere to be found.

Gradually, strength began to drain from my legs.

Though the distance between us and the man was still considerable, I began to feel that if this continued, it could become dangerous.

I felt like a rabbit being driven into a trap by a hunting dog.

Pweee—

Just then, the man suddenly put his fingers to his lips and whistled.

At the signal, dark figures began to emerge from all directions.

"Oh no..."

'Why would clothes be left in a place like this?'

I should have figured out the answer to that question earlier.

"They're bandits..."

Bandits lived on this mountain.

It seemed my fourth life was doomed.

"Oh, some promising little brats here."

"Hey, little girl, take off that hood. Let's see your face."

The bandits leered at us with nasty grins, sizing us up.

They approached us leisurely, backing us into a corner.

Behind us, a large boulder had somehow appeared.

Our escape route was cut off.

I'd felt like a rabbit being driven into a trap—and that's exactly what had happened.

"L-Lady Lulupel, quickly get behind me..."

The Third Prince, trembling, tried to hide me behind him.

Of course, there was no way I—who was at least a fist taller—could be hidden behind his tiny frame.

Who's protecting whom here?

I sighed and, grasping at straws, picked up a tree branch from the ground.

It probably wouldn't be of any use, but it was better than nothing.

"Oh ho? Little missy, you gonna hit me with that?"

"Oh my, I'm so scared."

The bandits cackled at my futile defiance.

They all had a crazed look in their eyes. Their yellowish whites gleamed eerily.

I involuntarily took a step back.

"Now, let's see this little one's face too."

While I hesitated, one of the bandits strode toward the Third Prince.

He grabbed the Third Prince by the collar and hoisted him into the air.

The Third Prince's tiny feet dangled pitifully in midair.

"Oh, this one's pretty too. Lucky day."

"Let go! Release me at once!"

The Third Prince put up a resistance no better than a chick's flapping, kicking and squirming.

As he flailed his limbs, he frantically muttered an incantation.

I'd half-expected it, but as usual, nothing emerged from the Third Prince's fingertips.

Before it was too late, I charged at the bandit.

"Yah!"

And with all my strength, I struck the bandit's leg with the branch I was holding.

"Aagh!"

The flimsy branch snapped in half instantly. The bandit screamed and collapsed to the ground.

The Third Prince, released from the bandit's grip, tumbled and rolled to a stop beside me.

Even then, the bandit was groaning and couldn't get up.

'...Huh?'

Something felt slightly off.

I was just an eight-year-old girl who'd hit him with a tree branch—should it really hurt that much?

Well, strictly speaking, I wasn't just an ordinary eight-year-old girl.

I'd been forced by my mother to take taekwondo for two years, and hapkido and kendo for a year each.

I'd learned them in elementary school, and now I don't even remember the first form, but at any rate, I was a beneficiary of early Korean martial arts education.

Was my real parents' overzealousness finally paying off?

So they did have their uses after all...

"Hey, are you kidding me? Can't even handle one kid—what are you doing?"

Another bandit nearby frowned and approached.

Before he could reach for me, I quickly snatched up a new branch and struck him in the back of the knee.

"Aaaagh!"

This bandit too screamed and crumpled instantly.

"L-Lady Lulupel? Did you learn swordsmanship?"

"...No? ...Probably not?"

Since possessing Hariella's body, I'd never once tried to learn anything.

All I'd learned was etiquette and dancing—and even that was forced upon me by the Count and Countess.

Swordsmanship, of all things...

Hariella had never even held a toy sword.

"Aagh!"

"Yaaagh!"

So why were these bandits so easily defeated?

Were their bones made of marshmallow, despite their bulky frames?

I dismissed such absurd thoughts and took down the bandits one by one.

For some reason, I felt unsettled.

How should I put it... the situation felt too contrived and unrealistic.

What is this? Did this happen in the original story?

"Y-you little brat!"

The bandits, who had been attacking one at a time like typical low-level villains, finally grew enraged.

They charged at me all at once.

"Lady Lulupel! It's dangerous!"

Just then, a small spark burst from the Third Prince's hand.

"...A m-mage! It's a mage!"

The bandits who had been reaching for me faltered and backed away.

They exchanged glances, communicating silently.

How absurd.

They weren't afraid of a little girl who'd just taken down ten bandits with a tree branch, but they were afraid of a little boy who could use magic?

"They say mages always repay their grudges twofold..."

"...I'm out of here!"

A few of the bandits turned and fled.

I stared at their retreating backs in bewilderment.

Right... So that's why things felt so oddly scripted.

This was one of those moments—where the male lead awakens to protect the female lead in danger.

Considering this was a third-rate romance novel world, it wasn't strange at all.

I felt utterly deflated.

I tossed the tree branch aside.

The remaining bandits would surely flee too, overwhelmed by the awe-inspiring presence emanating from the Third Prince's small body.

"...But isn't that spark a bit too small?"

"He doesn't seem very skilled at magic for a mage, does he?"

Huh, I guess not.

A few of the more curious-minded bandits gripped their weapons again.

One of them swung a wooden club at the Third Prince.

'Well, he'll handle it somehow.'

I waited, not wanting to interfere with the Third Prince's growth moment.

Sure enough, the Third Prince produced another spark from his fingertips.

'But it's... a bit too small, isn't it...'

The problem was that the spark was smaller than a match flame.

The Third Prince's magic was worse than useless.

The bandits completely ignored the tiny flame flickering above his hand and swung their clubs at him.

Struck squarely on the head, the Third Prince collapsed to the ground.

"Gasp! Your Highness!"

At the same time, my vision began to blur.

"No! Don't die! What's this—wasn't he supposed to awaken?"

In a panic, I snatched a wooden club from a bandit and quickly disposed of the remaining ones.

Perhaps because my weapon was better, each swing sent two or three bandits flying.

But my vision grew darker and darker.

I tried to keep my balance, but it was no use.

In the end, I staggered and fell forward.

No! My fourth life!

Just as I thought I was truly heading into my fifth life—

A figure of unknown identity suddenly appeared from somewhere.

Even through my fading vision, I could tell he was a dark-haired man.

"Oh ho... Taking down this many bandits single-handedly—a remarkably talented child."

With a single swing of his blade, the man cut down all the remaining bandits, then strode over to me.

His strong arms scooped me up.

"Worry no longer. I shall personally see to you and your companion."

That was certainly a relief.

...But who are you?

I was desperately curious about the man's identity.

But I never got to ask.

Because my fading vision finally went black.

Farewell, my fourth life...

---

"Gah!"

I screamed and sat bolt upright in bed.

I'd had a terribly bizarre dream.

It was like a scene ripped from a third-rate martial arts film.

I felt nauseated.

"My lady! You're awake!"

My fifth life, too, began with Anna's voice.

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