Chapter 21. The Camouflage Plan Weaved Together
[Your plan with Morgan is underway.]
[You two have split up to gather information about the battlefield situation from within the capital.]
[In fact, the situation seems more serious than you thought.]
[Due to the slow transmission of information, the people in the capital remain very optimistic about the front-line war. They even confuse Morgan's return as a positive sign.]
"Hey hey! The princess has returned from the battlefield! The war is definitely about to end!"
"Of course! Our king has personally gone to the front! How could we possibly not defeat the White Dragon Vortigern!"
Hearing these words full of confidence about her father, King Uther, Morgan always looked sad.
After all, she fully understood the actual situation.
At this moment, Ian, who was riding beside her, gently reminded her:
"Princess, you don't need to be sad. This is the trust the people have in the king, and you should be happy about it."
"But this trust will quickly turn to foam, right?" Morgan looked at the people and replied, "My father, he…"
Morgan didn't finish her sentence.
Clearly, even though she had been sent back to the capital, she still believed her father, King Uther, had the ability to fight.
"Then you should be even stronger," Ian also looked at the people.
"Because if the king loses their trust, it will be up to you, princess, to restore that faith."
"Only then will Britania have a hopeful future."
Ian words made Morgan feel a little relieved.
She gently tugged the reins and led her warhorse to circle through the noisy crowd.
She suddenly remembered something and spoke again:
"Ian, you… won't betray me, will you?"
"Of course not, unless—"
"Unless what?" Morgan furrowed her brows and asked.
She was very concerned about this issue.
"Unless you need my betrayal," Ian replied bluntly.
"…"
Morgan fell silent for a long while.
"It feels like your words are a bit contradictory."
"But, I don't hate it."
[You and Morgan continue to carry out the plan.]
[You have concealed the true reason for returning to the capital and begun to camouflage yourselves as victors.]
[You and Morgan ride your warhorses, scattering gold coins along the sides of the road.]
[Everyone is deceived by you, and the story of your victory spreads more and more throughout the capital, almost becoming as believable as the truth.]
[Minstrels sing praises of King Uther, and the smell of wine often fills the bright alleys beneath the sunlight.]
[Only you know it's all just an illusion.]
[Morgan is also very aware of this.]
[You both carry out each step of the plan seriously, blocking information and fearing that any mistakes might occur.]
[The more you proceed, the more you realize the importance of each other in the plan, and you understand that your fates are tightly intertwined like a rope.]
[This causes your relationship to move further along a path that cannot be described.]
[By day, you are the noble princess and the loyal knight.]
[By night, you are secret lovers, on the verge of igniting, like fire meeting dry tinder.]
[Morgan finds joy in teasing your body, and this is one of the rare moments in the day when she can relax.]
[But things can't always go so smoothly.]
[The danger arrives silently, without warning.]
The sun sets.
The last light of the sunset stretches the shadows across the capital's ground, the orange-red light bathing the land that has gone through many years.
Ian is watching all of this.
He stands before the city gate, from where he left the capital several years ago—it still stands tall there.
Everything seems unchanged, but in reality, everything is very different now.
Looking at the road in the twilight, countless thoughts rise within Ian.
However, he is not confused and knows exactly what he needs to do at this moment.
A figure is running toward him from a distance.
Ian, who has been through many battles, immediately recognizes that it is a knight returning from the front lines.
He immediately becomes alert.
"Stop." Ian orders the knight to halt, then pretends to ask, "Where are you from? What's going on?"
The knight is intimidated by Ian aura.
He immediately pulls the reins to stop the horse and quickly speaks:
"There's an urgent matter at the front! I need to report to the princess immediately!"
"…"
Ian's heart tightens, but he still tries to remain calm.
"What's the matter?"
[Talent "Affinity Knight Aura" activated: Although he was reminded to immediately report to Princess Morgan, under the influence of your aura, he still tells you the situation.]
[You learn from him the unfavorable news from the front.]
[You realize that this is extremely dangerous for both you and Morgan from many aspects.]
[If the unfavorable news from the front spreads to the capital, the identities you and Morgan have worked so hard to build will shatter in an instant.]
[You absolutely cannot allow that to happen—no one can destroy what Morgan truly deserves.]
[Killing intent surges within you.]
[You lure the knight into a dark place, stabbing through his heart with your sword.]
[You clean up all traces and make his horse run off, never to return.]
[No one knows what you've done, but you understand that there must be a follow-up strategy.]
[You remain alert to everything around you until night falls.]
[You avoid attention and go to Morgan's room to report everything.]
"It's just as expected."
Morgan does not panic.
In the plan that Morgan and Ian devised together, this was an essential part.
"Ian, have you finished handling it?"
"Yes." Ian nods. "It's buried. No one will find it."
Upon hearing this, Morgan's expression becomes complex.
She presses her lips together, her emerald eyes showing signs of pain.
She reaches out, gently wiping the small traces of blood from Ian face.
"Sorry, you had to get your hands dirty with a colleague like that."
"It's fine." Ian smiles lightly. "I'm already guilty. Being able to serve as a pawn for the princess and continue to live—that's the most meaningful moment of my life."
"Ian, don't say that."
Morgan looks straight at the man, who, though much taller than her, always kneels before her and serves.
She gently caresses his face, which has endured so much hardship.
"Because you are my pawn, you must follow my orders."
"So, unless I give the command, I will not allow you to die."
"Princess..."
Feeling her hand caressing him, Ian is moved, but he does not let his emotions cloud his thoughts.
"But we must have a next plan, right?"
"Yes." Morgan nods.
"Of course, there is—"
"Ian, I want to kill that heir."