Do You Not Intend to Repent

Prisons are dark and damp.

They are like this everywhere.

Furs had long since grown used to this place.

So hearing the prisoners’ curses and wails did not provoke any reaction from him.

The only one following behind him was Ellie.

Compared to the expressionless Furs, she paid much more attention to her surroundings.

Still, she was merely observing the details of the environment out of habit.

Wailing.

Begging.

Cursing.

For a noble young lady, this kind of environment was terrifying.

But for Ellie, it was already something utterly commonplace.

She had always lived in places like this.

She had also trained her assassins in places like this.

Hearing such screams and cries every day, she had long since stopped feeling anything special about them.

Following behind Furs, Ellie remained silent the entire way.

In theory, a mature and steady knight or gentleman should have stayed close to a petite girl like Ellie, offering at least a little sense of security.

But Furs was not the type to think about such things.

He simply walked straight ahead with his back upright, nodding in greeting whenever he passed the guards on duty.

“Your Highness, this is the place.

This is the prison we prepared for special inmates.

That bandit has also been placed here.”

After walking for some distance, Furs finally brought Ellie to their destination.

Although people often say that everyone is equal before the law, in a world filled with nobles and the wealthy, true equality was still lacking.

Even prisons were a kind of gray area.

Some criminals with power or money were placed in this kind of special prison.

Although the conditions of the room were certainly inferior to their former residences, with no gilded walls or soft beds, compared to prisoners sleeping on hard iron beds or even straw mats, their rooms were relatively clean.

They also had a private toilet and washbasin.

The food was not refined and the portions were not large, but it was at least ordinary fare fit for common people.

That bandit had been arranged here.

Just as Ellie had requested.

It could be considered both “care” and “placement.”

“Next, I want to speak with him alone.

Dismiss the people at the door.

You stay outside and guard it for me.

As for my conversation with him… you have served under my royal brother for many years.

You understand, don’t you.”

Ellie turned around.

Her face still wore that same smile.

It seemed as though she kept smiling to make herself appear more approachable.

At first, such a smile could deceive people.

But after hearing her words repeatedly while seeing that expression, Furs began to feel that perhaps this princess was not simply a childlike girl as imagined.

“I understand, Your Highness.”

But—there was no need to think too deeply about such matters.

As a royal knight, his duty was to keep the royal family’s actions confidential.

What should be said and what should not be said, he had always understood.

Ellie’s words sounded like a mixture of probing and threat.

But in reality, they were a sign of trust.

Letting him hear such words meant that she trusted him.

She was not worried that he would speak out of turn.

Furs dismissed the other guards nearby, leaving only himself standing watch at the iron door.

The doors of these special cells were rather peculiar.

Because they had ventilation openings, viewing slots, and food hatches, their soundproofing was usually poor.

This design was also for ease of surveillance.

But much like confession rooms in churches, there were actually two doors here.

One inside and one outside.

The inner one was an ordinary door.

The outer one was a thick, soundproof door.

As for why it was soundproof—

Of course, because there was a need for it.

Sometimes, discussing unspeakable matters with powerful individuals inside a prison required proper soundproofing.

At other times, handling people of special status also required a door like this.

No sound would escape.

No one around would know what had happened.

When investigations came later, they would simply say something like “died by suicide after being stabbed three times in the back.”

The reason Ellie had not closed the soundproof door was mainly for her own safety.

If she were still in her former male body, she could probably have resisted a bandit like this with brute strength.

But now, as a sickly princess, if the bandit were to do something violent or extreme, her frail body would be incapable of handling it.

Although this possibility irritated her, and the feeling of weakness made her grind her teeth, there was no helping it.

The reality was right in front of her.

The once-strong man had become a fragile woman.

She had to accept that.

So she chose to have Furs stand guard outside.

If something truly went wrong, he could resolve it with force on her behalf.

“Hm.

Who are you.

Does the knight order have such a scrawny female knight.

Or are you some noble young lady.”

When Ellie entered the room, the bandit sitting across the table widened his eyes at her.

Seeing that it was a frail young girl who had entered, he let out a few disdainful laughs.

The expression on his face grew more twisted, as though he took pleasure in frightening others.

“Yes.

You could say I’m a noble young lady.”

Ellie was not without nervousness.

She was simply accustomed to such scenes.

She sat down across from the man, adjusted her chair slightly, and straightened her back.

It was her attempt to project some authority despite her frailty.

“Oh.

Then, my noble young lady, what are you here for.

Heard of your bandit grandpa’s fame and fell for me.

Makes sense.

I’m strong and well-built.

Women are always obsessed with me.

Among the women I’ve touched, there have been noble ladies like you.

When they cry, all pear blossoms in the rain.

Cute as hell.

Like little rabbits that have been ‘bred.’”

As the man spoke, he deliberately emphasized a vulgar phrase, laughing crudely.

But Ellie showed no particular reaction.

She simply waited for him to finish speaking.

“…Hmph…”

Seeing that Ellie’s expression did not change at all, the man found it boring.

Normally, women would be shouting insults, showing disgust and fear at this point.

What was wrong with this woman.

She even looked bored.

“What’s wrong with you.

If you don’t have anything important, stop bothering me.

Look at me.

Even though I’m in prison, I eat well and drink well, living in a place like this.

There must be some big shot who needs me.

After some time, I’ll definitely get out.

If you’re interested in this kind of treatment, you can be my woman right now.

When I’m out, I’ll make sure you benefit.”

The man continued spewing provocative words, trying to elicit a reaction from Ellie.

But Ellie remained the same.

Expressionless.

She tapped the table lightly with her finger.

Tap.

Tap.

As if she were growing impatient.

“I want to ask you something.”

After the man finished speaking, Ellie seized a gap and posed her question.

“So far, how many people have you killed.”

“Me.”

Faced with this sudden question, the man raised an eyebrow.

“Hah.

What kind of question is that.

Do you remember how many pieces of bread you’ve eaten.

Who would remember how many people they’ve killed.

For us, it’s everyday business.”

“What kind of people have you killed.

Travelers.

Villagers.

Mercenaries.

Caravan guards.

Knights.

Have you killed them all.”

“Of course.”

Hearing this, the man grew visibly excited.

The smile on his face became even more arrogant.

“Big ones, small ones, old ones, young ones, men, women.

I’ve killed them all.

People with children.

People who needed to raise children.

Delivery men.

Passersby.

All of them.

In this world, even we bandits are just trying to survive, right.

Women like you.

I don’t even know how many I’ve played with and killed.

What.

Are you here to judge my conscience.

Hahahaha.

You must be here to tell jokes.”

The man showed not the slightest pity toward life.

To him, killing was just a matter of raising his hand and dropping his blade.

He treated slaughter as a badge of honor.

He even began telling Ellie how many villages he had massacred and how many mercenary groups he had wiped out.

He seemed completely immersed in his own boasting.

The arrogant words made even Furs outside the door let out a slow breath.

Although Furs did not show much emotional fluctuation, he had risen together with Aegmaed.

Aegmaed’s upright values had always influenced him.

So in the face of such a villain, anger inevitably stirred in his heart.

He even worried slightly about the second princess.

This kind-hearted princess who seemed to have come to offer repentance to the bandit.

Would she be frightened by this man.

“Mm.”

But Ellie simply uttered a single sound.

Then she smiled at the man.

“It seems you do not intend to repent.

That’s wonderful.”

“…?”

The inexplicable words left the man confused.

But for some reason, that subtle smile made a chill creep up his spine.