The Heroines Who Framed Me Are Clinging to Me

Chapter 43 - Lloyd is Mine

At the words "go back," tears streamed down Claire’s face.

Her gaze grew anxious, and her trembling fingers shook uncontrollably.

Whatever hope she had held onto, it was clear now that Claire had nothing left to offer.

Did she think I was some kind of cure-all?

Like someone who had just been given a death sentence by a doctor, Claire grasped my sleeve with trembling hands.

"I-I’m sorry, I was wrong. Could you please just give me one more chance? Please, Lee Han…"

Trembling.

Her desperation and anxiety were conveyed through her grip on my sleeve.

But that was all.

The desperation and anxiety belonged to Claire, not to Lloyd.

I felt no sympathy for her emotions.

"P-please…"

At the moment when Claire’s fingers tightened around my sleeve,

— Knock, knock!

A rough knock sounded, and the door opened.

A figure with waist-length, platinum-blonde hair, and eyes that glowed a brilliant blue even without light, stood at the entrance. Her awkward smile only added to her beauty and grace.

"Um… I brought some cookies…"

Yulia stood there, holding a plate with a few cute bear-shaped cookies on it.

The freshly baked cookies filled the room with a rich, inviting aroma.

"Can I come in?"

Her expression, as she looked in this direction, was awkward, to say the least.

Lloyd’s eyes narrowed.

Yulia flinched, her shoulders twitching.

‘She must have been eavesdropping.’

The sound of her eyes shifting uncomfortably was practically audible.

Still, the timing wasn’t bad.

Claire, who had been gripping my sleeve as if to pull me closer, slowly released her hand.

Yulia was staring intently at Claire’s hand—so intensely, in fact, that it seemed as though fire might shoot from her eyes.

"Of course. Thank you."

Lloyd sighed as he welcomed Yulia in.

"Ahem."

Yulia cleared her throat lightly as she entered.

Even the way she placed the plate on the table was graceful.

Claire, who had been staring blankly at her, suddenly widened her eyes.

Blink, blink.

She hurriedly stood up as she stared at Yulia.

"Y-your Highness? Princess Yulia?"

"Haha…"

Yulia’s lips curled into an awkward smile, as if she had been caught.

"Nice to see you, Lady Claire."

"Wh-why is the Princess here?"

"Because I own this research institute."

"Ah… You were said to be traveling outside the Imperial Palace…"

"As expected of the continent’s top trading company, you’re well-informed."

"...Yes."

"Have another cup of tea. After all, Lady Claire is our guest today."

I wondered if they had met before.

Conversations between high-ranking nobles were often difficult to understand.

Regardless, Claire accepted the tea that the princess poured, visibly nervous.

The atmosphere between them was unbearably awkward.

It was no wonder—a princess serving tea to someone else was something unheard of in noble society.

Even if Yulia had left the palace and wasn’t bound by those formalities anymore.

Yulia casually remarked as she spoke,

"You must know Lloyd pretty well?"

"Huh? Ah… Yes… From before. It’s a bit of a long story."

"You don’t need to explain too much. I can already tell it’s complicated just from the way things look."

"Th-thank you."

Claire bowed her head.

Lloyd couldn’t help but be impressed by Yulia.

Claire was one of the Three Heroes, with a great deal of power and wealth. If you calculated it strictly, Claire might even be more powerful than Yulia.

And yet, Yulia had quickly taken control of the dynamic between them.

‘Is this the dignity of the Estrid bloodline?’

Yulia gracefully stopped pouring the tea.

The cup rippled slightly, not a single drop spilling over.

As Claire nervously watched Yulia, she cautiously took a sip of the tea.

Yulia smiled brightly and took a seat opposite Claire, right next to Lloyd.

"It seems you and Lloyd have a lot of history together."

"There’s… a lot."

"Why didn’t I, Lloyd’s master, know about this?"

"Pffft! What? You’re his master?"

Claire spluttered as she asked, spraying tea everywhere.

Yulia quickly covered her mouth with her hand, exclaiming, "Oh my."

"Didn’t… our Lloyd tell you?"

"...Huh?"

"This boy is my servant."

Yulia emphasized "my servant," as if she was firmly asserting her ownership.

‘The fights between noble women are terrifying.’

How did I manage to endure this during the Hero Party?

Oh. Now that I think about it, I didn’t.

Lloyd let out a small sigh and looked at Claire.

Her eyes were wide, darting around as if she had no idea what was going on.

"Y-Your Highness… I didn’t know he was Your Highness\'s servant…"

"Though I said that, Lloyd is more like my advisor. I respect him, so nothing will change even if you know this. You’re free to request whatever you like. But…"

Yulia crossed her legs, emphasizing the "but."

"It’s important to clearly understand who owns whom. It makes things easier to sort out later, don’t you think?"

She spoke with a smile, but her voice was icy and carried an air of authority.

Flinch.

Claire’s hand, which had been gripping Lloyd’s sleeve, trembled before she quietly lowered it under the table.

"Yes, Your Highness."

Claire nodded in agreement.

Her days of being above the Third Princess were now several weeks in the past. With both the illness and rebellion issues arising simultaneously, Claire had taken quite a hit.

"I won’t trouble Lee Ha—no, I mean, Lloyd—anymore."

She murmured with her head bowed.

Yulia nodded, smiling as if she was satisfied.

‘…Why is she so scary?’

Lloyd let his arms drop to his sides.

There was something particularly chilling about Yulia’s assertion of ownership.

That fear didn’t last long, though.

— Crash!

Another commotion erupted near the door, drawing their attention. This time, the village chief had almost dropped a tray but managed to catch it just in time. Was that a cake?

The chief, having barely saved the tray, looked flustered as he turned to Yulia and exclaimed,

"Your Highness…? You mean, a princess—you’re a princess?"

◆

The village chief’s commotion soon subsided.

In any case, he was an experienced man, and it didn’t take long for him to accept that Yulia was indeed a princess and start acting accordingly.

"I beg your pardon for my earlier rudeness. Please understand that I didn’t mean to disrespect the Estrid bloodline…"

"I understand, so please stop. I wasn’t expecting to be treated as a member of the Estrid family since I’ve left the palace."

"...Then, if it’s alright, I’ll go back to how things were before."

"Yes, that would be better."

And so, the incident was settled with the village chief showing just a little more courtesy than before.

"The important thing is that we’re about to engage in a battle with the Seven Kill Squad."

Lloyd refocused everyone’s attention.

The village chief pointed at Claire and asked,

"It sounds like this young lady was involved in some big plot. Is it okay for her to be here?"

"...How much did you overhear?"

At Lloyd’s question, the chief scratched his head.

"From the beginning."

"Ha."

Lloyd sighed lightly and gave a brief summary.

"Claire has Mana Sensitivity Syndrome, so I’m necessary for her survival. I checked while she’s been here, and it’s true."

"Ah. There’s no one more trustworthy than someone whose life depends on you."

After easily convincing the chief, Lloyd turned to Claire with a question.

"First, we need to know more about the Seven Kill Squad’s strength. Claire, you said you were attacked at the Eastan branch? Who attacked you?"

"My… my butler suddenly turned on me."

"Was it the Seven Kill Squad?"

"N-no, but there was a faint mark of the Blood Sect on his arm."

Hmm. That’s new information.

Are the Blood Sect and the Seven Kill Squad connected?

"This complicates things a bit. We don’t have enough strength to take on the Blood Sect as well."

Yulia murmured, but Lloyd shook his head.

"We’ll take them out in one blow."

"In one blow?"

"Yes. Before they can call for help from the Blood Sect, we’ll crush the Seven Kill Squad."

Lloyd clenched his fists together in a gesture, and the chief nodded in approval.

"I like it. It’s a manly approach."

"…"

Yulia shook her head, but it seemed she had no better solution.

So it was decided—they would strike the Seven Kill Squad.

Lloyd turned to Claire and asked,

"Do you have any information about the Seven Kill Squad?"

"Well, their hideout is very complex, so I don’t know the exact layout… You need some kind of pass to enter."

Lloyd pulled a key from his pocket and held it up.

"Ah… yeah, that should be enough."

"We’ve solved the entry problem. What about their strength?"

"They’re strong."

"Specifically."

Claire stood up.

She began to draw on a tactical board that had been prepared in advance.

The internal structure was neatly sketched out.

"First, there’s a staff member at the reception desk."

He’s about 180 cm tall. Slim build. Short hair, wearing a uniform.

A clear explanation was added next to the sketch.

"He’s not just anyone. He’s clearly one of the core members of the Seven Kill Squad. I’d estimate he’s probably ranked somewhere between third and fifth."

"Do you know his specific abilities?"

"No, but considering he doesn’t seem to have any mana, he’s probably in the physical enhancement category."

"Good."

Claire’s voice brightened a bit, perhaps thinking Lloyd’s comment was praise.

"Next is the corridor and stairs leading to Ilsa’s office. There’s always a maid and a butler cleaning whenever I’ve gone there. Since they don’t bother hiding their mana, it’s likely a blatant warning."

"They must be strong, too."

Lloyd’s gaze focused on the space beyond the stairs and corridor.

An imposing office that looked like it spanned at least two floors.

Claire pointed to her drawing as she continued her explanation.

"Finally, Ilsa. She’s in her late twenties to early thirties. Every movement she makes exudes confidence, and in terms of ability, she’s undoubtedly the strongest in Eastan."

Gulp.

Claire swallowed as she continued.

"I’m certain I wouldn’t be able to beat her—no, I’m not even sure I could land a scratch."

Even though Lloyd had carried her, Claire was still one of the Three Heroes who had defeated the Demon King. With her skills and experience, she was unquestionably a top-tier fighter.

And yet, she was certain she couldn’t even injure her opponent.

Lloyd’s lips curled into a smile.

"That’s the kind of boss fight that’s worth it."

It wasn’t baseless confidence, either.

Lloyd already knew Ilsa’s abilities and how to counter them.

"Do you think we can pull this off, Your Highness?"

"...I’m not sure… No, I said to speak normally. Chief. Now you’re making me use formal language."

"...Yes."

Leaving the two nervous fools to their own devices, Lloyd turned to Claire.

"Claire."

"Y-yes!"

"I’ll call you if I need you. That’s enough for now."

"B-but!"

Claire, fixated on the idea of being dismissed, clung to him.

Lloyd shook his head firmly.

"Hasn’t your mana stabilized enough?"

Lloyd used his senses to examine her.

Her flow of mana had been stable for some time now.

"Return to your branch and keep the Seven Kill Squad’s attention on you. I’m sure at least a few of them have already infiltrated the branch. Since they’ve made a move, they’ll want to make sure you’re completely taken care of. Just draw their attention. You can handle that, right?"

Lloyd’s command.

Was it because it meant that Lloyd still needed her?

Claire hastily nodded her head.

"I-I understand! I’ll do my best!"

With that, preparations were complete.

Lloyd stood up and led Yulia and the village chief.

"Then let’s head out."