Chapter 4: Time to Make Our Escape

“…Hehe. Prince Sirlot, you really are skilled at leading,” I whispered softly into his ear as we danced.

It was my first time dancing in my life—let alone in front of a crowd—and I had been genuinely worried about whether I could manage it. But thanks to Prince Sirlot’s adept guidance, I had only stumbled occasionally, and so far, I hadn’t made a complete fool of myself.

I had some martial arts knowledge from my previous life, but applying it to dance was entirely different. My body simply wouldn’t move the way I wanted. Or rather… since I was in a woman’s body, I wasn’t entirely sure how to use it effectively.

On the bright side, Princess Sonia’s body was incredibly flexible, so the movements themselves weren’t difficult. Outwardly, I was able to dance gracefully enough.

Even so, putting that aside, I had to admit: this prince really was good at dancing.

He corrected my missteps without hesitation and gave me just enough space to spin smoothly, opening the floor so I wouldn’t bump into him. Yet from the outside, it all looked effortless.

I silently admired him. This guy really knows what he’s doing.

Of course, in the game, he had been a complete novice in battle.

But that was only natural. As royalty, he probably learned the standard knightly techniques—sword, spear, bow—but he had never actually fought in a real battle.

“…Phew… Prince Sirlot, I’m a little tired. I’ll step aside for a moment,” I said.

“Ah… I see…”

I used this pause to put my plan into motion—the plan I had been preparing for Prince Sirlot.

Since the day before yesterday, I had recalled every detail I could from the game scenes, written them down on parchment, and spent countless sleepless hours thinking it through. Finally, I had devised a strategy that I felt could actually work—my magnum opus, if you will.

In short, it relied on exploiting the in-game scene’s “situational descriptions” to aid our escape.

For me, it was do-or-die. Failure would mean the end—just like in the game, my life would descend into mockery and suffering.

“Oh, then I shall come with you too…”

Sirlot started to say he would accompany me, but I cut him off firmly.

“My apologies, Prince Sirlot. This antechamber is off-limits to men. I would be grateful if you could wait in the hall for a short while.”

With that, I quickly retreated to the antechamber. Sirlot froze, stunned by my resolute tone and demeanor.

Sorry, I thought. I have no room for hesitation.

I spun on my heel, flung open the door to the antechamber with a clatter, and slipped inside.

Once inside the antechamber, I immediately stripped off the frilly dress I had been wearing. Using the pretense of going to the restroom, I slipped out and hid in a small nearby room.

There, I quickly changed into the maid outfit I had prepared beforehand. From a distance, no one would recognize me as Princess Sonia.

After changing, I left the small room and made my way back toward the ballroom. Even if some attendants caught a glimpse and recognized me, I figured I could just claim it was a surprise for the guests. Kamina, the maid, might glare at me later—but there was no other choice now.

…After a while, a small commotion arose because Princess Sonia could not be found.

I stayed low, pretending to tidy up the wine cellar or sweep the corridors.

When I returned to the hall to collect empty bottles,

“Have you seen Princess Sonia?”

Kamina was asking around the guests behind me. Sorry, Kamina, I thought silently, sending an apology from the depths of my heart.

Some time passed, and just as I feared my identity might be discovered, soldiers burst into the hall entrance, shouting loudly.

“An… an attack by the Demon King’s army! Everyone, this fortress will not hold much longer! Please escape through the secret underground exit!”

At first, the guests reacted slowly, thinking it might be some staged entertainment. But when injured soldiers began arriving, the gravity of the situation finally sank in—and panic erupted.

“R-Run! The Demon King’s army is attacking!”

“Help—somebody help!”

“Hey! Don’t push!”

Everyone surged toward the underground escape route. Absolute chaos reigned—a battlefield of fear.

The fortress guards split their forces. Some stayed behind to protect the VIPs, while the rest rushed to defend the castle itself.

But I already knew, from the game, that the Gai-Koku Fortress garrison alone could not hold back the Demon King’s army.

“Princess Sonia! Princess Sonia, where are you!?”

Amid the chaos, Kamina and the other loyal servants risked their lives, searching desperately for me.

“…I’m here, Kamina,” I called quietly.

“P-Princess Sonia! We’ve been looking everywhere! And… what is that outfit…? More importantly, the Demon King’s army is here! This place is no longer safe! Please, quickly—let us head to the underground passage!”

Kamina’s desperate plea only made me shake my head calmly.

Seeing my composed demeanor, the servants exchanged wary glances.

Now was the time to reveal my plan. I addressed Kamina and the others in a quiet, deliberate voice.

“…We will not be going to the underground passage.”

“W-Why not!?” Kamina demanded, unable to accept it.

“The underground passage has already been taken by the Demon King’s army. We will not go that way.”

“How… how do you know that, Princess!?” Kamina’s gaze sharpened with suspicion.

I cleared my throat and explained.

“The truth is, we intercepted information that the Chancellor was secretly meeting with the Demon King’s army. They plan to capture us in the underground passage.”

“Y-You already have such valuable information, Princess Sonia!?” Kamina’s eyes widened in astonishment.

I allowed a small, satisfied smile to appear. Then I announced our next move.

“We’ll outmaneuver them.”

“W-What… how?” Confusion spread across Kamina’s face.

“Order the guards: once the Demon King’s army is drawn into the castle, set fires throughout the fortress.”

“Eeh!?” Shock and disbelief rippled through the servants.

“And then, amidst the chaos, we make a forced breakthrough at the southern gate.”

Their jaws dropped.

“A… a forced breakthrough!?”

From among the group, a soldier with a sharp, commanding face stepped forward. It was Captain Postov.

“Yes. We will run through the hail of arrows without hesitation,” I said, meeting Postov’s gaze unwaveringly. I could practically hear him swallow, thinking: Is the princess sane?

“After breaking through their lines, we’ll escape into the southern forest region—the Black Forest. If we manage it, we can even reach a nearby castle!”

There was no other option.

In the game, some minor enemy soldiers and the servants escaped into the southern forest. I—as the Demon King—would have discarded them, commanding my subordinates to ignore the weaklings, then spent time with Princess Sonia. But now, I was in the servants’ place. I would participate in the escape that had succeeded in the game.

No one—neither the Demon King’s army nor traitors in our kingdom aside from the Chancellor—would ever expect the princess to flee in such a manner.

“Guards! This is the moment to show your loyalty to the royal family! Follow me and summon every ounce of courage you have!”

I roared my command, rallying the soldiers with all my might.

““Oooohhh!””

The hall echoed with the soldiers’ mighty battle cry.

“Follow me—and summon every ounce of your courage!”

Were they now standing in the very pages of history?

At the sound of the princess’s commanding declaration, Postov felt something stir within him—courage, fierce and reckless, surging up from the depths of his heart.

He had served as a fortress guard for many years, but only now, in this moment, did he understand: this was the time to die, if necessary.

“Our loyalty… we offer it to you, Princess!”

The words escaped his lips almost unconsciously, a declaration of resolve.

The princess blinked, momentarily startled, then gave him the most captivating smile imaginable. Her eyes blazed with strength as she spoke:

“Thank you, Postov. Now, let’s prepare. Remember this—every second from here on will decide our lives or our deaths!”

For her, they would die.

Postov fixed this resolve firmly in his heart.