Princess, Please Fall in Love with Me-Chapter 33 : Chapter 33

Chapter 33: Betrayal, Stinging Like Salt on a Wound
“You all, step back! If anything happens to me, none of you will escape!”
Yiwen held the First Prince hostage while moving forward, and the surrounding people, wary of the First Prince’s life, kept retreating.
“Where is Kafu? Bring him out.”
“Quickly release that old man!”
Despite the First Prince’s repeated urging, everyone on the scene froze, not daring to move.
The First Prince was still in her hands—what if their movement aroused her suspicion and she slit his throat?
Time ticked by, second by second, and the tense standoff persisted.
Suddenly, a small knife sliced through the air, grazing Yiwen’s hair.
She gripped her Double-Edged Sword tightly, warily scanning her surroundings.
A Masked Figure descended from above.
“No need to be so hasty, young lady. Your old servant still has a breath left in him.”
The Masked Figure kicked the battered Kafu off the roof, and he landed on the garden’s lawn.
Kafu had already fainted, only his labored breathing proving he was still alive.
“Let him go! Or I’ll kill your master!”
“Him? If I could trade a useless fool for the strongest Shadow Guard of Saito’s Empire, I’d be bowing to thank you. Go ahead, try it. Kill him!”
Despite being the Empress’s only child, the opponent didn’t even seem to consider the First Prince a bargaining chip, still wearing an arrogant expression and harshly kicking the fallen Kafu again.
“But if you really killed him, our plans might face complications. How about this: we both take a step back. You release that little prince, and I’ll return this old thing to you.”
To show sincerity, the opponent even kicked Kafu toward her like a ball.
Yiwen glanced worriedly at the barely breathing Kafu, but the knife in her hand didn’t loosen—instead, it drew closer to the throat.
“Hey, that’s not ethical, is it? I’ve already released a hostage first. You can’t be so dishonorable, little princess.”
“Honor? Are you referring to those Assassins lurking around, ready to swarm and surround us the moment I let go? Or the small knife hidden in your right hand?”
At Yiwen’s words, the Masked Figure laughed aloud, the coldness in his eyes finally impossible to conceal.
In an instant, he rushed toward Yiwen, but she was faster.
Her blade had already nicked the First Prince’s skin.
At the critical moment, both stopped simultaneously, locked in a stalemate.
The opponent’s small knife was only a centimeter from Yiwen’s heart, while her blade was mere millimeters from severing the First Prince’s neck.
“Quick… save this prince…”
The First Prince, facing such a brush with death for the first time, was scared out of his wits, his eyes nearly rolling back as he trembled, too frightened to speak.
“You did that on purpose?”
Yiwen saw the hint of regret in the opponent’s eyes. That strike was clearly a feint to provoke her into acting, so he could take her out—he’d been planning to kill the First Prince along with her all along!
“Looks like the old dog’s litter has produced a little wolf cub. Should I just take you out right here? Let’s do it.”
As the Masked Figure prepared to strike, an arrogant figure appeared at the garden’s entrance.
The Empress, accompanied by her maids, approached unhurriedly.
He clicked his tongue, withdrew his knife, and stepped back.
“Montor, I told you not to act recklessly against any part of the mission. Everything must prioritize the ultimate goal.”
The Empress scolded the Masked Figure, who shrank back and stood obediently, completely devoid of his earlier sinister and cunning demeanor.
“Mother, save me! Quickly save me!”
Seeing the Empress, the First Prince shouted excitedly, but faced with her disgusted and cold gaze, he froze, no longer speaking, staring in disbelief at his own mother.
“First Prince, you truly disappoint me. Can you, like this, really be fit to be the future heir to the Emperor? Don’t forget the name I gave you—Kleo.”
“Mother…”
The Empress no longer looked at her son but fixed her gaze on Yiwen behind him, staring at that young yet vigilant and dangerous face.
She wanted nothing more than to tear it apart.
“Yiwen, I’ll give you a choice. Hand over what I want, and I’ll allow you and your old servant to leave here alive—otherwise, both you and your old servant will die here.”
“Dare to kill in the palace? Do you take the Emperor of Austin for a decoration?”
Despite the opponent’s aggressive tone, Yiwen knew they wouldn’t dare kill her outright here.
Otherwise, they’d had countless chances before.
Killing the Emperor’s heir in the palace—even someone as esteemed as the Grand Duke of Saito’s or Eryus’s National Teacher would likely not leave this vast palace without a justifiable reason.
“Of course, I wouldn’t do anything to you. But—I can’t guarantee the safety of my subordinates, can I, Montor?”
“You’d better listen to her, little princess. Or this old fool’s head will roll.”
The Masked Figure, at some point, had grabbed Kafu’s hair, brandishing a sharp knife near his neck.
Yiwen watched this scene quietly, then fiercely kicked the First Prince, Kleo, away, sheathing her Double-Edged Sword at her waist.
“If I take you there, will you keep your promise?”
“You have no choice.”
The First Prince, clutching his scratched face, fled back to the Empress’s side in a sorry state.
She didn’t even glance at him, confidently following Yiwen.
Arriving before a dense patch of flowers, Yiwen unhesitatingly passed it, coming to a patch of grayish-white soil behind it, where only a few wilted flowers remained.
“Hmph, the most inconspicuous places often hide treasures, while those that look like valuable hiding spots…”
The Masked Figure suddenly gave a sinister laugh, signaling a nearby subordinate soldier to search the dense flower patch.
As the soldier dug into the soil, a hidden blade sliced his hand.
The First Prince watched the screaming soldier with lingering fear.
If he had dug there himself, his fate would likely have been the same…
Yiwen stood before the Flower Bed.
Several soldiers dug together, unearthing a deep pit.
But as they stared into the dark hole, everyone was at a loss—there was nothing inside!
“You dare trick me!”
The Empress slapped Yiwen hard across the face.
Yiwen, who could have blocked it, took the stinging blow head-on.
At that moment, she stood dazed, staring blankly at the empty pit.
“Why? I didn’t tell anyone… except you… why?”
As if something inside her shattered, Yiwen collapsed to the ground.