Chương 21: The Second Princess Rania

Ch 21 - The Second Princess Rania Jester climbed down from the gray direwolf after it came to a stop in front of the Royal Residence, the private palace complex reserved exclusively for the royal princes and princesses. The vast estate was divided into separate palaces, with each royal child having their own residence, servants, and personal guards. Waiting at the entrance was a man dressed in a neat black tailcoat, white gloves, and polished leather boots.

His long gray hair was tied neatly behind his back, and the moment Jester approached, the man lowered himself into a respectful bow.

"Welcome back, Your Highness. I am truly grateful to see that you have returned safely." Jester turned his attention to the man. His name was Igrio. There wasn't much information about him that Jester had managed to find online. As far as he knew, Igrio officially served as the prince's personal attendant. Unofficially, however, he was far more than that. He was Caelan's personal bodyguard, sword instructor, and archery teacher. A personal attendant who personally trained a prince in swordsmanship and archery?

Wasn't he a little too overqualified? Jester walked past him without stopping. Igrio immediately straightened his posture and quietly followed a step behind.

"I heard that Your Highness survived the expedition. I also received word that the rest of the expedition force was wiped out." His voice remained calm.

"You have my deepest condolences for what happened. Did you encounter an unexpected obstacle during the mission, Your Highness?"

"I ran into a group of players," Jester said.

"They interfered with the raid... and even tried to kill me. In the end, I killed every last one of them." Igrio remained silent for a brief moment.

"The players dared to attack a member of the royal family? Such recklessness is impossible without someone powerful standing behind them. They must have influential supporters if they believed they could act without fear of the consequences." He paused before continuing.

"Would Your Highness like me to begin investigating the people backing them? If nobles or members of the royal factions are involved, we will uncover them."

"Do it. I will slaughter every single one of them." Jester said.

"No one is allowed to provoke me and walk away unpunished."

"Not a single one." They continued walking, with Fang following quietly a few steps behind Igrio. Before long, someone approached from the opposite direction. Jester raised his gaze toward the young woman. She appeared to be around the same age as Caelan, though he knew she was actually older. She had long crimson hair tied neatly behind her back and wore an elegant dark maroon outfit reinforced with fitted plate armor. A sword rested at her waist. She was the Second Princess, Rania.

Unlike Caelan, Rania was born from the king's marriage to an elf. She had inherited the elegant features of her elven blood, giving her a striking beauty that was impossible to ignore. A few moments later, the two groups stopped directly in front of each other. Neither stepped aside. Jester didn't lower his gaze for even a second. Instead, he looked straight down at the princess, who stood slightly shorter than him.

"Well, if it isn't the little crybaby prince. The weakest prince in the kingdom somehow managed to crawl back from a simple trip through the forest. Not only did you fail the expedition, but you couldn't even bring a single knight back alive." Rania said with a mocking smile. Jester slowly lifted his chin, meeting her eyes without the slightest hint of submission.

"Rania," he said.

"Watch your filthy mouth. You don't have the right to speak my name so casually," she snapped.

"You should worry about yourself instead," Jester replied.

"Your proud army still hasn't managed to eliminate the monster infestation along the kingdom's western frontier. Maybe you should take care of your own responsibilities before mocking someone else's." If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Rania's expression instantly darkened. She drew her sword in one swift motion and pressed the blade against Jester's neck.

"You dare lecture me? Don't mistake my patience for weakness. Do you really think I wouldn't kill you where you stand? You're nothing but the weakest prince in this family. Someone like you has no place standing among the royal bloodline." Jester simply took another step forward. The blade remained against his neck, yet he acted as though it wasn't even there. For the first time, Rania's eyes widened ever so slightly.

"How many times have you threatened me with that sword?" Jester said with a faint smile.

"Why don't we settle it today? You and me."

"You've lost your mind..." Rania snapped. But her words stopped halfway. Jester had already reached out and grabbed her jaw firmly. The surrounding knights reacted instantly.

"Release Her Highness immediately, Your Highness," one towering knight nearly two and a half meters tall ordered in a respectful yet unmistakably threatening voice.

"Any further action will force us to intervene." Jester didn't even glance at him. Rania slowly raised one hand, signaling her knights to stand down. The knight reluctantly stepped back, though he never loosened his grip on his weapon.

"Listen carefully, Rania." Jester's voice became frighteningly calm.

"You don't get to run your mouth in front of me anymore."

"In three months... I'll make you kneel before me with your head lowered."

"Don't fool yourself into thinking you know who I am."

"And don't think I'll show mercy just because you're my sister."

"If you don't take your hand off me," Rania said coldly, "I swear this will be the last day you ever have both of your hands." Jester leaned even closer until only a breath separated their faces. From this distance, he could clearly see his own reflection in her brilliant emerald-green eyes.

"Then mind your own business," Jester said.

"You should spend less time trying to put me in my place and more time watching your own back. Every prince and princess in this palace is building allies while you're standing here threatening me. If you think I'm your biggest obstacle, then your priorities are worse than I thought." He met Rania's emerald eyes without the slightest hesitation.

"If you truly believe I'm weak, then stop paying attention to me. Ignore me. Pretend I don't exist. You don't need to prove your strength by picking on someone beneath you." A faint smile appeared on his face.

"Unless... that's exactly what you're afraid of." His voice turned colder.

"You're afraid that one day the weakest prince in this kingdom won't stay weak forever. You don't know what I'll become, and that uncertainty bothers you. That's why you keep coming to me. That's why you keep trying to remind me of where I belong." Jester leaned in slightly.

"So stop pretending you're doing this because you despise me. If I were truly insignificant, you wouldn't waste a single second of your time standing here." His eyes never left hers.

"You should be worrying about your own ambitions instead. Everyone in this palace is fighting for influence, and every day you spend watching me is another day someone else gets ahead of you."

"So here's my advice. Go finish your campaign. Earn your glory. And leave me out of your business." A brief silence followed before his expression hardened.

"But remember this. If you ever draw your sword on me again, don't hesitate."

"Because if you fail to kill me..."

"I won't hesitate to return the favor." The tension between them became suffocating. Neither of them spoke. Even the surrounding knights remained perfectly still, afraid that the slightest movement might trigger a fight between the two royals. After several long seconds, Jester released his grip on Rania's jaw. Without giving her another glance, he calmly walked past her. The two knights instinctively stepped aside, allowing him to pass.

Igrio and Fang quietly followed behind, crossing paths with the princess and her escort before continuing toward Caelan's residence. Jester walked with his back perfectly straight, showing no trace of emotion. Although… That had probably been more reckless than necessary. It was still consistent with Caelan's arrogant personality, but from everything Jester had learned, the young prince usually knew when to restrain himself, especially around his older siblings.

And Rania was one of the few people Caelan rarely dared to provoke this openly. After walking in silence for a while, Igrio finally spoke.

"Your Highness, I must admit, today's display was... unexpected." His tone remained as respectful as ever.

"The Second Princess has intimidated many nobles. Yet Your Highness did not retreat even after she placed a sword against your throat." He lowered his head slightly.

"Your resolve is admirable." A brief pause followed.

"However... If I may be so bold, I hope Your Highness will exercise greater caution in the future. The Second Princess is renowned not only for her strength but also for her unwavering pride. Publicly challenging her in such a manner may have consequences beyond today's confrontation." His expression remained calm.

"Of course, I do not question Your Highness's judgment. My only duty is to ensure your safety." Jester gave no reply. Outwardly, Rania appeared cold, arrogant, and uncompromising. But according to everything Jester had gathered, she was actually one of the kingdom's most dedicated royals. She spent more time leading expeditions than attending banquets and was constantly accepting dangerous missions beyond the kingdom's borders. She was also above Level 200. Jester quietly swallowed.

Only now did the weight of what he had just done finally settle in. He had grabbed the jaw of someone whose level wasn't just higher than his. It wasn't even close. Well… He was Jester, the Evil Clown. If he was going to play the role of an arrogant prince, he might as well commit to it completely. But… Why did Jester still feel like he couldn't catch his breath? His chest was still tight. He couldn't lie to himself. That little performance had definitely made him nervous. Just a little.

He was still getting used to pretending to be someone else. Still… That should have been a perfect performance. So why hadn't the system congratulated him or said anything? [Your confrontation with the Second Princess exceeded expectations, forcing her into silence while even her personal knights hesitated to act. Your identity as Prince Caelan has become more convincing to nearby witnesses.]"Now that's more like it. This is getting interesting." [Chaos +55]