Ron furrowed his brows slightly. An ordinary person might not have noticed, but as a fairly skilled knight, he was quick to notice the subtle sense of strangeness that the Imperial Palace gave off. And the way he asked the question was also strange.
"What brings you out?"
"..."
It was too explicit and somehow felt a bit urgent.
'Even though it's the palace, isn't this asking too many questions?"
An instinctive sense of wariness rose. As if reading his uncomfortable feelings, the palace doctor added slowly and coquettishly.
"Oh, it's just that I have a habit of asking about incidents or daily life that require medical attention due to my job. I apologize if you were surprised."
Then he seemed to be trying to lighten the mood by laughing.
"Um... It's difficult to give you the details."
Ron was nervous, but he didn't show it, just smiled and held back his words. He had a nasty feeling that he shouldn't answer in detail.
"Let's have a cup of tea while we wait."
He decided that the best way to find out why he felt this way was to keep the palace doctor here and use the conversation as an excuse to slowly dig in. While the butler brought out the tea, they smiled formally and chatted about some useless small talk. Even after the tea and snacks were prepared, the conversation continued. The palace doctor asked lightly.
"By the way, is His Highness the Grand Duke in good health?"
"...?"
It was a casual question, but it felt strangely unpleasant. It sounded like he was asking to confirm that Jeremiah wasn't okay. Ron eventually laughed in vain and asked back.
"Is there any reason why His Highness the Grand Duke should not be in good health?"
A slightly sharp tone came out in displeasure.
"No, that's not it. I just heard that you two had been to the Magic Tower before coming here."
The palace doctor continued speaking with a good-natured smile.
"I Just asked to confirm if His Highness the Grand Duke had come for treatment, not just the Grand Duchess. I was worried."
"I see."
Ron said it bluntly as if he were declaring it, with the same smile on his face.
"You don't have to worry. His Highness the Grand Duke is fine."
The palace doctor who had been staring at him, nodded.
"I see. I'm glad to hear that he's okay."
The palace doctor picked up the teacup in front of him and emptied its contents in one go. Then he opened his mouth.
"I have come under His Majesty's orders to examine the ailing Grand Duchess and help her recover. However..."
The palace doctor took a quick look around the inside of the Grand Duke's residence and then continued speaking.
"If the Grand Duchess is not present, I cannot check on her condition, so I cannot examine her. Until the Grand Duchess returns, it will be difficult for me to carry out the imperial order even if I stay here."
"I guess so."
Ron nodded in agreement as if he felt sorry for her.
"So, let's go back for today."
"Yes...?"
Ron was puzzled by the fact that he was going back so easily. He couldn't just be happy. There was something about sending him off like this that felt really uneasy. However, before he could catch him, the palace doctor had already left the gate. That was the situation where he ended up seeing the palace doctor off unexpectedly.
The palace doctor got on the carriage he had come in and immediately started the carriage. At that moment, Mikhail returned to the Grand Duke's residence.
***
"Hmm?"
When Mikhail had almost reached the Grand Duke's residence, he saw someone getting on a carriage from afar. An ominous magic was slowly emanating from him.
'What the heck? Are you making it obvious that you're a suspicious person?'
It seemed like he was trying to hide his magical power by using an artifact. But it was a trick that was obvious to Mikhail. He squinted his eyes and tried to examine the person who was emitting a beggarly magical energy. However, it was a face he had never seen before.
'Who is it?'
Mikhail quickly glanced through the window as the carriage passed him, but the curtains on the window prevented him from seeing inside.
'This.'
But he didn't panic and quickly cast a tracking spell on the carriage wheel axle. He could find it later if he needed to. Mikhail stared at the back of the carriage with a discontented face. Before the carriage disappeared from sight, he approached Ron and asked him abruptly.
"Who was that person who just got into that carriage?"
"...?"
Ron looked puzzled by his sudden question. He understood why he was looking that way. He was the one who spoke to him in a situation where he would have just nodded and passed by. Still, Ron answered obediently.
"This is the imperial doctor from the palace."
"Of the palace?"
Mikhail's eyebrows rose diagonally at the completely unexpected answer.
"Why did the royal doctor come here?"
"That's... um?"
Ron said, tilting his head a few times and narrowing his eyes.
"Since he's from the palace... He probably came to examine the condition of the Grand Duchess...?"
"...?"
Ron's attitude was strange. He seemed unsure of his answer. Mikhail noticed it immediately.
'You've blurred your presence with magic.'
It was a type of magic that was mainly used when stalking someone or secretly gathering information. This magic was magic that blurred one's presence and left only a vague feeling in the other person's memory without any specific memories after some time. Ron put his hand on his forehead and tried hard to recall the contents of the conversation.
"What? We were just talking just now?"
The look of confusion was evident.
"Do you remember what the palace doctor you just came from looked like?"
"That is..."
Even though he had just left, Ron couldn't quite remember the appearance of the palace doctor.
'Looking at the condition, it looks like he used magic from the beginning.'
Mikhail swallowed his bitterness and asked the most important thing first.
"Where is Karina now?"
He spread his search magic widely and immediately realized that she was not within the Grand Duke's palace, so he asked.
"Oh, the Grand Duchess went out with His Highness the Crown Prince a long time ago. I have received reports that she is in the city now."
Mikhail was relieved by that answer.
'That means the guy who left earlier didn't meet Karina.'
He was a guy who came looking for Karina. Her absence was unpleasant, but Mikhail thought it was a good thing that she avoided a situation where she would run into a guy who was giving off suspicious vibes. Although he still doesn't know what his intentions are.
'Let's start by finding Karina!'
Mikhail headed straight into the city to find Karina.
***
Meanwhile, at that time.
"Are you sure you want to see it?"
Karina arrived at the front of the circus with David. Around the entrance, excited children and their parents holding hands were busily going in and out of the entrance, taking care of their children.
"Do you hate the circus?"
David turned to Karina and asked.
"No, It's not that I hate it, but..."
More than that, she had never seen it in the first place. She had heard about it vaguely, but it wasn't enough to discuss whether it was good or bad.
"Actually, I would have liked to go see an opera more than this."
He lowered his head slightly, met Karina's eyes, and said.
"I thought the Grand Duchess would dislike that, so I came here instead."
"...!"
It was obvious. The opera was not a street performance where tickets were sold to the commoners in the city and received an audience. It was a luxurious cultural activity that only the nobles could enjoy, held in a huge hall called the opera house. From the ticket sales, commoners were not even given the opportunity, and each seat was Individually assigned. It was also essential to check the ticket and enter the theater to confirm one's identity. Of course, since it was for the nobles, the identification was done very carefully and meticulously based on appearance, atmosphere, and the level of friendship between them. Going to such a place with the Crown Prince was a very public way of showing off, saying, "We came together," "I'm close with the Crown Prince." That day, all the nobles would be paying attention.
'I absolutely hate it.'
Just imagining it gave her goosebumps.
Karina shut her mouth tightly in disgust. Compared to that, choosing this place was a thousand times, ten thousand times better. To be honest, even now, people were secretly looking at David. No wonder. With his blond hair shining like the sun, his skin clear and blemish-free, his beautiful features, his handsome appearance, his noble and elegant aura that was unique to high-ranking nobles, and his naturally polite attitude and gestures. It was because he was extraordinary. Those who discovered them would always look back and exclaim in admiration or whisper among themselves. As if he had anticipated this situation, David was wearing a white, plain mask that covered the upper part of his face that he had prepared in advance in the dark. Karina was the same.
'Before I came here, I was worried that if I wrote something like this, it would stand out too much.'
Realizing that he would be noticed even if he didn't wear the mask, he didn't refuse it and just wore it obediently.
"I love the circus. Come on in."
Karina quickly entered the circus arena before he could change his mind, thinking, 'I'll be noticed wherever I go anyway.
'Wow!'
And she was secretly surprised. From the outside, the concert hall didn't look as big as she thought, but when she went in, the inside was spacious and cozy.
'It's better than I thought?"
Looking up, a thick pillar stood tall in the center, supporting an orange tent. Between them, twisted ropes were connected here and there, and on both sides, there were aerial swings and tightropes. On the floor, colorful, large, cylindrical pillars as tall as a person and round iron bars were erected at regular intervals. Many people were already sitting in the audience seats surrounding the performance hall. They were holding various snacks and drinks in their hands to enjoy the performance. There were especially many children, and even before the performance had started, the children were already very excited, chatting loudly and playing happily.
"It's really noisy and chaotic."
David shrugged his shoulders, looking slightly embarrassed.
"Yes, that's right."
Karina nodded in agreement. This kind of commotion was unfamiliar to her, but it wasn't all that bad. She felt like the joy around her was spreading through the atmosphere and reaching her.
"That's interesting."
David also smiled brightly when he saw her smiling slightly.
"I'm glad that the Grand Duchess seems to like it."
And then, whoosh!
He whistled and gestured with his hands to call out to a vendor who was walking around the audience selling food.
'Uh?'
Karina was a little surprised by the behavior that seemed so familiar.
'I guess this is your first time seeing the circus?'
That thought lasted only a moment.
"Here it is."
He handed Karina some snacks and drinks.
"Ah... Thank you."
Karina was taken aback, but she accepted what he gave her. Upon inspection, she saw a small, easy-to-eat snack mixed with raisins, nuts, and white powder in a paper bag. It was a cheap, low-quality snack that nobility would want to eat.
"If not now, then when else would I get to eat it?"
He smiled pleasantly, the corners of his lips gently raised.
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