"Do you have any particular discomfort or pain?"
The palace doctor who was examining David asked.
"There's nothing in particular."
David shook his head with an indifferent expression. The palace doctor, who examined him here and there, soon finished his examination and said.
"There's nothing seriously wrong with your body. If you get some rest, you'll feel better soon."
A middle-aged woman with faded blonde hair tied neatly into a ponytail sighed in relief next to him.
"It's fortunate that you weren't seriously injured, Your Highness."
Dressed in an elegant dress and expensive jewelry, she looked at David with worried eyes.
"I'm fine, don't worry, Mother."
She was David's mother and the Empress of the empire, 'Marydne Dandelica'. She had come to find him as soon as she heard the news that David had been rescued from the Cursed Forest and returned to the palace.
"Then I will be leaving now."
The palace doctor left the room after completing his examination. As soon as the palace physician left, the Empress's expression changed to one of determination.
"Prince. While you were being held captive by the demons, quite a few things happened behind the scenes."
The face of the mother who had been worrying about her son until just now disappeared without a trace, and only the Empress of the empire remained there.
"You must never show yourself weak just because you were captured by a demon. Even today, you must show the surrounding officials that you are in good health."
"..."
"You should not be complacent just because you have the Duke of Dandelica as your relative. Remember that a moment of carelessness can lead to a fatal attack."
"I know. Don't worry."
David reassured the Empress as usual.
"Your Majesty the Empress. However, I would like you to allow His Highness to rest until today."
Levy interjected cautiously.
"You finally returned from the Cursed Forest last night. Of course, it's important to show that you're healthy, but isn't it a blessing just to have returned safely?"
Levy was the second son of the House of Dandelica, the Empress's family, and her nephew. He could say such things because he was her relative.
"Besides, His Highness had an audience with His Majesty the Emperor when you entered the palace. He has already shown the other officials that he returned safely without any injuries, so it won't be a big deal even if he takes a day off."
"..."
The Empress, who had been pondering for a moment while studying David's face, opened her mouth.
"Then let's just rest until today."
"Thank you, Mother."
David bowed his head in greeting. His manner was polite and gentle, but it meant that he was asking her to leave so he could get some rest. Levy, who quickly noticed his intention, quickly led the Empress out the door.
"I will come again tomorrow, Your Highness."
The Empress added a word before leaving, her steps not easily faltering.
"Yes. I will wait."
David didn't lose his smile until the very end.
Click.
Levy personally confirmed that the Empress had left and closed the door tightly.
"Ha."
Levy sighed and looked back at David.
"Her Majesty the Empress remains the same."
"Well, that's true."
David's expression looked bitter as he spoke. Levy cleared his throat and changed the subject.
"First of all, I'm really glad that you weren't seriously injured."
"What are you talking about all of a sudden? I already saw that the Grand Duke's family was fine."
David was alone with Levy, putting aside his pretense and revealing a bit of his true self.
"Still. I was so worried because you were taken by a monster and I couldn't contact you for a long time."
"Were you worried a lot?"
"Are you saying that?"
Levy brought up a question he hadn't been able to ask the day before because he had been at the Grand Duke's residence.
"You could have just used teleportation magic when you had the chance. Why didn't you use it?"
The fact that David could use magic was a secret known only to his closest associates. So he couldn't use it in the capital or the palace because there were so many eyes watching him. However, Levy didn't know that he would endure without using it even in this urgent situation. David answered concisely to Levy's frustrated attitude.
"I didn't want to use it."
"Yes?"
David looked out the window and smiled meaningfully.
Then suddenly he brought up a different topic.
"Levy. Do you remember the bet you made with me last time?"
"If it's a bet..."
"I won that bet."
David had a victorious smile on his face.
"Ah...."
Levy, who remembered the bet, made a sullen expression. The Grand Duchess had publicly requested a divorce at the banquet hall, so the bet was clearly his loss. Originally, David wanted compensation for not attending this New Year's Festival, but the New Year's Festival had already passed.
"Are you trying to say that you want me to skip another banquet instead of the past New Year's party?"
Levy assumed David had brought it up just to say that, but.
"No. There is no need to do that. Instead, let the Grand Duchess find a way to divorce the Grand Duke of Colesberg as quickly as possible."
"Yes?"
A look of bewilderment crossed Levy's face.
"Why are you suddenly interested in the Grand Duke and his wife's divorce?"
"I want to bring the Grand Duchess and have her by my side."
"..."
Levy was suddenly overcome with an ominous feeling.
"Bringing the Grand Duchess? And keeping her by your side? No way... No way?"
The Crown Prince of the empire would bring a woman and keep her by his side. The position of the Crown Princess was still vacant. There was plenty of room for misunderstanding in those words. David snickered with amusement at Levy's serious tone.
"What are you thinking right now? You're getting ahead of yourself. That's not it."
"Then why do you want to bring the Grand Duchess?"
"I think it would be fun and not be boring if I kept her by my side.
"Is that the answer?"
"Isn't that all? What else is there?"
"..."
Levy, who had been quietly watching David ask questions while crossing one leg, quietly shut his mouth. For some reason, he had a strong feeling that asking more questions now would be like scratching an itch.
'I hope this time too, it will be just a passing curiosity like before.'
"All right."
Levy answered with a slightly shaky expression. Then David, with a satisfied expression on his face, immediately sat up.
"Then, since the Imperial Palace is going to the Grand Duke's house, I should go with them."
"Yes? Why, Your Highness?"
"Isn't that obvious? I should brag to the Grand Duchess that thanks to me, she was able to receive a medical examination from the Imperial doctor. If I pay off the debt like this, it will be easier to bring her back later."
Levy internally clicked his tongue at David's wickedness. Wasn't he the one who had even chased away the Empress just a moment ago while saying he was resting? However, he already knew that no matter, how much he tried to stop him in that state, it would be useless.
"Yes. Let's go."
Levy, who had given up early, followed him obediently. David headed to the Grand Duke's residence in a cheerful mood. However, that mood did not last long.
"The Grand Duke and the Grand Duchess of Colesberg are not in the private residence?"
"Yes, that's right."
David, who arrived at the Grand Duke's residence with the Imperial Court, heard from the butler that the two people were absent.
"How can you say there are no patients even though you brought them all the way to the palace?"
"Sorry."
David's eyes turned cold. He was annoyed that he had finally come back to see Karina and now he couldn't see her.
"Where did those two go?"
"He went to the magic tower."
"Magic Tower? He took the Grand Duchess to Magic Tower?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"I am sorry, Your Highness the Crown Prince. I have heard nothing more about the Grand Duke and his wife, other than that they have gone to the Magic Tower, so I have nothing more to say."
The butler bowed his head politely. Before Jeremiah went to the tower, he had been ordered to remain silent about the disappearance of Karina, so the butler had no choice but to say this. Of course, David, who had no way of knowing this, had a slightly hardened expression.
'You knew the palace doctor was coming, but you didn't even get treatment and went to the magic tower. Did you deliberately leave the place because you knew I was coming?'
But it was also an imperial order to see the palace doctor. Jeremiah was a man who hated being criticized by the Emperor, so there was no way he would avoid it so openly.
'Surely there's something wrong with the Grand Duchess?
David recalled the appearance of Karina that he had seen the day before. She looked fine on the outside, but her body might have been damaged internally due to the contaminated magic. If so, even if she looked fine at first, her symptoms might have gotten worse over time. David's eyebrows furrowed.
'I don't want it to break before I can play with it.'
He wanted Karina to fall into his hands in good health.
"It looks like you headed to the magic tower as soon as you returned from the palace?"
"Yes."
David wondered what Jeremiah was thinking, but aside from that, he was extremely offended.
'This makes me want it even more.'
His twisted possessiveness was stimulated. However, the current situation was not conducive for him to go to the magic tower outside the empire. The attention focused on the Crown Prince was too great. His mother would come to his room again tomorrow morning. David, who had been staring at the butler with a sullen expression and feeling burdened, turned around.
"The palace. You go back to the palace. I have a place to stop by for a moment."
"All right."
David was sent back to the palace alone by the Imperial Guard.
"Your Highness? Weren't you going back to the palace?"
Levy, who was hurriedly following David, asked in a small voice so that only he could hear.
"I can't go back to the palace like this. I'll go there."
Levy, who noticed where David was going, quietly followed him.
***
After passing through the dirty and complicated alleys, they came to a deserted and quiet open space. They opened the most shabby-looking door among the old buildings built close together around the open space. Inside, there was a narrow, old wooden hallway that was barely big enough for one or two adult men to pass through. It was the back door leading to the dark room. David and Levy entered without hesitation.
"Are there still investigators staying at the tower?"
As soon as David arrived at the dark room, he asked the masked man.
"Yes."
The masked man, Pie, faithfully welcomed them despite the master's sudden visit.
"Then tell him not to come back and to wait there a little longer."
"What should I do?"
Even when given orders he didn't understand, he didn't ask why he had to do something. Instead, he asked what he had to do there.
"The Grand Duke of Colesburg took the Grand Duchess to the Tower. Find out why they went there and what they are doing there, without leaving anything out."
"Yes, I'll gather as much information as I can and report back to you."
Pie followed the order without saying a word. David tapped the table with his fingertips. Now that he had given the order, all he had to do was wait...
"Yeah. While we wait, it might be a good idea to put a leash on some rotten bastards you don't want to see."
A bitter laugh escaped his teeth. He had some time left, so he planned to use it to his advantage. He had found a suitable number of cases and evidence in the Cursed Forest, so he could do it properly. David also gave orders to Levy.
"The Knights should also be ready immediately."
"All right."
'I guess I'll just do this to kill time.'
Then he thought of Karina again.
'I hope you come back soon. Before I get tired of waiting.'
The corners of David's mouth went up.
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