63. Imperial Palace
It was also Diarin's first time at the Imperial Palace.
To begin with, the Imperial Palace was a space where only a very limited number of people could enter.
But for those who could enter, it was also a home.
Robben knocked on Diarin's door, dressed casually in a shirt and trousers, as if he were coming to the house next door.
“Do the clothes fit you well?”
“Oh, yes. Fortunately.”
Diarin had changed into the clothes that Robben had brought her.
Sbs wanted to push the embarrassing morning outfit far, far away from her mind.
It was best to just erase the shameful memories that had lingered in her life.
“Thank goodness. Now we can face each other and talk.”
“...”
If only someone wouldn't force her to remember.
Diarin held back the urge to strike him in the name of God.
He was the one who saved her in that emergency situation, even though he was only running an errand.
...I’ll tolerate it this once.
“Come in.”
Diarin invited Robben to her new room, which she still felt awkward calling her own.
“Well then, excuse me.”
Robben bowed his head in a slight greeting and entered the door that Diarin had opened for him.
It was Robben who chose this room. He'd already checked everything while choosing, but he still carefully inspected it as he entered, just in case anything was missing.
As soon as you open the door, you pass through a small hall and open the door opposite it, which is where the living room and reception room come into view.
The two people sitting across from each other on the living room sofa first let out a long sigh.
The events of last night were not yet completely resolved.
“...First of all, thank you for surviving.”
Diarin finally felt alive.
She almost died.
Even on the battlefield, arrows flying over her head weren't this scary.
Diarin swallowed back the tears that were threatening to well up.
“Gratitude... isn’t just about words...”
It would be less unfair if she received money.
You thought I'd let a single word of thanks get me over something that could have cost me my life? How naive of you!
“Hmm, hm! Of course.”
Robben coughed dryly and turned his eyes away from Diarin's murderous gaze.
The incident was too big to pass up for free.
And Ceres and Diarin became truly precious beings.
If something is precious, you should treat it with the same amount of preciousness.
“If this one goes well...”
"No."
Diarin smiled brightly with that murderous look in her eyes.
"You can't live only looking forward to the day you die. You have to wear clothes, eat, and sleep. Isn't the 'process' important in everything?"
“...Of course, the support needed for the process will be much, much more than what we have now.”
“I’m just grateful to have my life.”
“...I will definitely express my gratitude for protecting your precious life.”
"If you don't express your feelings, they won't be conveyed. Thank you for understanding."
Only then did Diarin's questioning stop.
Diarin did a really great job.
It was clear that gratitude and compensation were both deserved.
Compensation for her was already being prepared.
...But why do I feel like I’m being ripped off?
“But if you’re saying thank you for being alive, what happened to the other members of the unit?”
“...It’s still under investigation, but... a significant number of people have died.”
"...ah..."
“Some people are unconscious due to severe injuries, and some go berserk and become completely useless.”
The situation was more serious than expected.
Diarin and Ceres, who had been away from home, suffered the least damage.
The shoulder that had been treated was throbbing.
“The rest... what about the people who were working?”
There may have been someone who returned to the mansion while the two went out to see the festival.
They weren't very close, but we still woke up and slept under the same roof every day. It's scary, even if you don't know it.
“There is no need to wonder.”
"Yes?"
“You don’t have to worry about it.”
Robben's eyes were cold.
Diarin's gaze, which had been blankly staring at him, gradually settled.
"...No way."
“I’m not sure.”
“And you’re not completely innocent?”
“Yes.”
"...Ha."
The mansion was left empty, leaving only two people behind.
The noise of firecrackers at a festival.
It could have been a coincidence, but it was a combination that didn't seem like a coincidence.
“Is there another mansion by any chance...?”
“It’s similar. The workers are all gone, and the mansion is blown up.”
“What about casualties?”
“There are almost none except for the 8th unit members and the Priestess.”
Diarin's eyes shook.
That means...
“You’re saying that all the people who were working there were instigated and broke in?”
"Not everyone was given the order. Likely, they were deliberately excluded, as injuries to anyone other than the 8th Unit members or priests could escalate the situation."
“...We eat, sleep, and live in the same house, so how can that be...”
She felt torn by the feeling of betrayal.
If she had been suspicious from the beginning, she wouldn't have felt betrayed.
Diarin was truly at ease.
In this case, it would be correct to call it carelessness.
"I'm sorry. I should have done more research beforehand. Even when I investigated them before hiring them, they were clearly suspect. ...So, it's highly likely they were bribed."
Even Diarin didn't take on the job because she was swayed by the prospect of promotion and money.
If even priests who are brainwashed to abandon material desires are like this, how much more so must ordinary people be?
But she couldn't help but feel bitter at the betrayal of the people she saw face to face every day.
“Even in the palace, you can’t trust anyone.”
“It’s especially true in the palace.”
"Yes..."
"Now, as a member of the 8th Division, only Ceres can be known to the world. It will be a burdensome task for you, Priestess... but now, you are the only one who can protect Ceres."
Diarin couldn't even breathe deeply under the weight of reality pressing down on her shoulders.
But even if she couldn't breathe, she had to say what she had to say.
“...Then the cost of protection is...”
“...Three times...”
“Five times.”
“...Four times... no. Yes. Five times... Oh, yes. Let’s go, five times.”
“May God bless you.”
Money wasn't the issue anymore.
“Please take good care of me. I don’t know why the chaos started when I entered the palace, when I was fine.”
“That’s right...”
Robben glanced towards the room where Ceres was.
Diarin also turned her gaze in that direction.
'Will it work?'
Ceres fell almost simultaneously as he crossed the palace gates.
Although he had injuries and physical problems, he buried his face in Diarin's arms and growled incessantly in an unintelligible language.
It was clear that something mentally had also been shaken.
He barely managed to make it look human, but he might have to start over again.
"phew..."
"ha..."
The two people who had been sighing deeply looked at each other and then exchanged a long sigh as if greeting each other.
“Are there any inconveniences to living in the palace?”
Robben asked, trying to change the mood.
“No... as of now.”
Diarin just washed up and changed her clothes.
If you don't even know what's there or not, you can't know that it's inconvenient.
“Except for the fact that I was suddenly flustered at having to come to the palace.”
It was not a situation where she could receive friendly guidance while moving to the palace.
However, she couldn't help but be surprised at the sudden rush to the palace.
Diarin was in a state of confusion as she passed through the main gate of the palace.
It was even more so because he was dressed like that.
If Ceres hadn't fallen first, she might have fainted first.
“Lady Charlotte, having heard of the situation, personally ordered us to come here.”
“It’s a blessing.”
“It’s all thanks to the hard work of the Priestess.”
It was a statement that made her laugh, saying that she would work hard no matter what.
Diarin's life was also in jeopardy.
Now that she has come to live in the palace, there is no place she can retreat to.
Charlotte was her only salvation and protection.
'While Charlotte was hoping for the 8th Squad's social debut.'
If it becomes unnecessary, there is no guarantee that it will remain safe afterward.
“Are we going to stay in the palace forever?”
"Yes, this is the residence of the nobles attached to the Third Prince's Palace. As long as you don't leave your room, you won't encounter anyone else, so make yourself at home."
The imperial family was not the only one living in the palace of Laklion.
The so-called 'chosen' nobles, who had close ties to the imperial family, also resided in the palace.
As a noble, living in the palace was the highest honor and a path to recognition as a prestigious family.
If she had been granted the right to live in the palace as 'Diarin, the Young Lady of the Writer', she would have been so moved that she would have cried prostrate.
The palace was all something. Living in a noble mansion was a life she couldn't even dare dream of.
Diarin looked around the living room where she was sitting.
Perhaps because it was an imperial palace, the rooms given to the nobles were imbued with a solemn splendor.
If it weren't for this situation, she would have been so embarrassed that she would have just walked around bowing to the door.
But now, all she could think of was that it was just a cramped place, inconvenient in one way or another, and a place with a lot of people watching.
“Originally, you had to pay the residence fee to the owner of the palace, but that’s not something you need to worry about.”
“...Was it paid?”
Diarin was shocked by the palace's physiology that she had no idea about.
Fortunately, it's free, but the royal family, who have everything, are so stingy that they even charge rent?
But Robben shrugged his shoulders as if he found Diarin's question rather surprising.
"Yes, it's a room in the palace. If you add up the rent, the food, the maids' salaries, and the daily gifts to the palace master, it's a total drain on your bones."
A world completely different from the one Diarin had lived in unfolded before her eyes.
She suddenly felt like she had been kidnapped.
It was also Diarin's first time at the Imperial Palace.
To begin with, the Imperial Palace was a space where only a very limited number of people could enter.
But for those who could enter, it was also a home.
Robben knocked on Diarin's door, dressed casually in a shirt and trousers, as if he were coming to the house next door.
“Do the clothes fit you well?”
“Oh, yes. Fortunately.”
Diarin had changed into the clothes that Robben had brought her.
Sbs wanted to push the embarrassing morning outfit far, far away from her mind.
It was best to just erase the shameful memories that had lingered in her life.
“Thank goodness. Now we can face each other and talk.”
“...”
If only someone wouldn't force her to remember.
Diarin held back the urge to strike him in the name of God.
He was the one who saved her in that emergency situation, even though he was only running an errand.
...I’ll tolerate it this once.
“Come in.”
Diarin invited Robben to her new room, which she still felt awkward calling her own.
“Well then, excuse me.”
Robben bowed his head in a slight greeting and entered the door that Diarin had opened for him.
It was Robben who chose this room. He'd already checked everything while choosing, but he still carefully inspected it as he entered, just in case anything was missing.
As soon as you open the door, you pass through a small hall and open the door opposite it, which is where the living room and reception room come into view.
The two people sitting across from each other on the living room sofa first let out a long sigh.
The events of last night were not yet completely resolved.
“...First of all, thank you for surviving.”
Diarin finally felt alive.
She almost died.
Even on the battlefield, arrows flying over her head weren't this scary.
Diarin swallowed back the tears that were threatening to well up.
“Gratitude... isn’t just about words...”
It would be less unfair if she received money.
You thought I'd let a single word of thanks get me over something that could have cost me my life? How naive of you!
“Hmm, hm! Of course.”
Robben coughed dryly and turned his eyes away from Diarin's murderous gaze.
The incident was too big to pass up for free.
And Ceres and Diarin became truly precious beings.
If something is precious, you should treat it with the same amount of preciousness.
“If this one goes well...”
"No."
Diarin smiled brightly with that murderous look in her eyes.
"You can't live only looking forward to the day you die. You have to wear clothes, eat, and sleep. Isn't the 'process' important in everything?"
“...Of course, the support needed for the process will be much, much more than what we have now.”
“I’m just grateful to have my life.”
“...I will definitely express my gratitude for protecting your precious life.”
"If you don't express your feelings, they won't be conveyed. Thank you for understanding."
Only then did Diarin's questioning stop.
Diarin did a really great job.
It was clear that gratitude and compensation were both deserved.
Compensation for her was already being prepared.
...But why do I feel like I’m being ripped off?
“But if you’re saying thank you for being alive, what happened to the other members of the unit?”
“...It’s still under investigation, but... a significant number of people have died.”
"...ah..."
“Some people are unconscious due to severe injuries, and some go berserk and become completely useless.”
The situation was more serious than expected.
Diarin and Ceres, who had been away from home, suffered the least damage.
The shoulder that had been treated was throbbing.
“The rest... what about the people who were working?”
There may have been someone who returned to the mansion while the two went out to see the festival.
They weren't very close, but we still woke up and slept under the same roof every day. It's scary, even if you don't know it.
“There is no need to wonder.”
"Yes?"
“You don’t have to worry about it.”
Robben's eyes were cold.
Diarin's gaze, which had been blankly staring at him, gradually settled.
"...No way."
“I’m not sure.”
“And you’re not completely innocent?”
“Yes.”
"...Ha."
The mansion was left empty, leaving only two people behind.
The noise of firecrackers at a festival.
It could have been a coincidence, but it was a combination that didn't seem like a coincidence.
“Is there another mansion by any chance...?”
“It’s similar. The workers are all gone, and the mansion is blown up.”
“What about casualties?”
“There are almost none except for the 8th unit members and the Priestess.”
Diarin's eyes shook.
That means...
“You’re saying that all the people who were working there were instigated and broke in?”
"Not everyone was given the order. Likely, they were deliberately excluded, as injuries to anyone other than the 8th Unit members or priests could escalate the situation."
“...We eat, sleep, and live in the same house, so how can that be...”
She felt torn by the feeling of betrayal.
If she had been suspicious from the beginning, she wouldn't have felt betrayed.
Diarin was truly at ease.
In this case, it would be correct to call it carelessness.
"I'm sorry. I should have done more research beforehand. Even when I investigated them before hiring them, they were clearly suspect. ...So, it's highly likely they were bribed."
Even Diarin didn't take on the job because she was swayed by the prospect of promotion and money.
If even priests who are brainwashed to abandon material desires are like this, how much more so must ordinary people be?
But she couldn't help but feel bitter at the betrayal of the people she saw face to face every day.
“Even in the palace, you can’t trust anyone.”
“It’s especially true in the palace.”
"Yes..."
"Now, as a member of the 8th Division, only Ceres can be known to the world. It will be a burdensome task for you, Priestess... but now, you are the only one who can protect Ceres."
Diarin couldn't even breathe deeply under the weight of reality pressing down on her shoulders.
But even if she couldn't breathe, she had to say what she had to say.
“...Then the cost of protection is...”
“...Three times...”
“Five times.”
“...Four times... no. Yes. Five times... Oh, yes. Let’s go, five times.”
“May God bless you.”
Money wasn't the issue anymore.
If the Third Prince's support didn't come through, he had to give it even if it meant dipping into Robben's personal funds.
“That’s right...”
Robben glanced towards the room where Ceres was.
Diarin also turned her gaze in that direction.
'Will it work?'
Ceres fell almost simultaneously as he crossed the palace gates.
Although he had injuries and physical problems, he buried his face in Diarin's arms and growled incessantly in an unintelligible language.
It was clear that something mentally had also been shaken.
He barely managed to make it look human, but he might have to start over again.
"phew..."
"ha..."
The two people who had been sighing deeply looked at each other and then exchanged a long sigh as if greeting each other.
“Are there any inconveniences to living in the palace?”
Robben asked, trying to change the mood.
“No... as of now.”
Diarin just washed up and changed her clothes.
If you don't even know what's there or not, you can't know that it's inconvenient.
“Except for the fact that I was suddenly flustered at having to come to the palace.”
It was not a situation where she could receive friendly guidance while moving to the palace.
However, she couldn't help but be surprised at the sudden rush to the palace.
Diarin was in a state of confusion as she passed through the main gate of the palace.
It was even more so because he was dressed like that.
If Ceres hadn't fallen first, she might have fainted first.
“Lady Charlotte, having heard of the situation, personally ordered us to come here.”
“It’s a blessing.”
“It’s all thanks to the hard work of the Priestess.”
It was a statement that made her laugh, saying that she would work hard no matter what.
Diarin's life was also in jeopardy.
Now that she has come to live in the palace, there is no place she can retreat to.
Charlotte was her only salvation and protection.
'While Charlotte was hoping for the 8th Squad's social debut.'
If it becomes unnecessary, there is no guarantee that it will remain safe afterward.
“Are we going to stay in the palace forever?”
"Yes, this is the residence of the nobles attached to the Third Prince's Palace. As long as you don't leave your room, you won't encounter anyone else, so make yourself at home."
The imperial family was not the only one living in the palace of Laklion.
The so-called 'chosen' nobles, who had close ties to the imperial family, also resided in the palace.
As a noble, living in the palace was the highest honor and a path to recognition as a prestigious family.
If she had been granted the right to live in the palace as 'Diarin, the Young Lady of the Writer', she would have been so moved that she would have cried prostrate.
The palace was all something. Living in a noble mansion was a life she couldn't even dare dream of.
Diarin looked around the living room where she was sitting.
Perhaps because it was an imperial palace, the rooms given to the nobles were imbued with a solemn splendor.
If it weren't for this situation, she would have been so embarrassed that she would have just walked around bowing to the door.
But now, all she could think of was that it was just a cramped place, inconvenient in one way or another, and a place with a lot of people watching.
“Originally, you had to pay the residence fee to the owner of the palace, but that’s not something you need to worry about.”
“...Was it paid?”
Diarin was shocked by the palace's physiology that she had no idea about.
Fortunately, it's free, but the royal family, who have everything, are so stingy that they even charge rent?
But Robben shrugged his shoulders as if he found Diarin's question rather surprising.
"Yes, it's a room in the palace. If you add up the rent, the food, the maids' salaries, and the daily gifts to the palace master, it's a total drain on your bones."
“So, a gift... Did it really have to go that far?”
She suddenly felt like she had been kidnapped.
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