I held back the urge to pound my chest out of frustration.
I can't just blurt everything out, so after a quick chat, should I just wait and see what their intention is in asking this?
This situation was indeed awkward. To think we were having a conversation like this between people I barely knew by face.
I realized once again that the pressure exerted by Duke Joubert had dealt quite a blow to Sylvia.
I just smiled awkwardly and tucked my hair behind my ear.
"Princess, I am quick-witted. That is how I have managed to hold out this far, but right now, I don't even have the composure to figure out what you are thinking or what your true intentions are."
That is how it looked. Just looking at those wide-eyed eyes, you could tell exactly how furious Sylvia was right now, but the question was, why me of all people?
I just intended to watch for a moment as I was passing by...
"You might think it's impulsive, but I've wanted to talk to you for a while, Princess. How about we have an honest conversation?"
"...What do you want?"
"As for the relationship with His Majesty. Even if it isn't the Princess, the relationship between the two of you looks quite serious to me. If it were a relationship where the Princess is unilaterally showing interest, there might be some hope for me to step in, but...On the contrary, His Majesty is showing infinite interest in the Princess right now."
"That interest might not be the interest you are thinking of, Princess."
"That may be the case. However, His Majesty is absolutely not the type to enter into a royal marriage unless he desires it. I would rather choose the safe path than get involved in such an uncertain and dangerous situation..."
Are you talking about a way to safely escape the Duke's grasp?
I stared intently at Sylvia's stiff, rigid face. She spoke continuously, almost shooting at me. I noticed her occasionally biting her lower lip, as if she were getting nervous as she spoke.
'What should I do? Should I give her a card that allows her to discard the Duke?
I thought it wouldn't be a bad idea to watch how Sylvia, holding that card, would react. If she really moved according to my plan, wouldn't that mean I was gaining a tremendous ally?
"Actually, I overheard what the Duke said to the Princess earlier. That is why it weighed on my mind, and I followed you. I am sorry about that."
After all, handling the dagger requires extensive investigation, so having a relative closer than anyone else would undoubtedly be of great help. It would make the process much smoother in many ways.
"That’s actually for the best. The conversation will go faster."
Sylvia's face stiffened slightly. I didn't think she would turn away in anger right here, but Sylvia acted as if it were actually for the best.
"Realistically, it seems statistically more likely that I can escape my father's grasp than to catch His Majesty's eye. If it means escaping, I intend to be honest with the Princess, even if it means taking the risk."
"We're just talking for the first time today, so aren't we moving too fast?"
"If not now, when would I ever speak to you? If we met separately again, we would only be suspected. So, I’ll get straight to the point quickly."
“Tell me.”
"I want to establish a friendly relationship with His Majesty. I am well aware that His Majesty dislikes my father. In a way, you could say that His Majesty and I share the same goal."
"Why don't you tell me directly rather than asking His Majesty?"
"His Majesty won't even give me a chance to speak. And he will likely demand that I prove my sincerity, but honestly, I don't know what to do. I heard you recently resolved a major issue, Princess. With that extraordinary mind and drive of yours, couldn't you give me at least a small clue?"
No matter how I looked at it, I was a rotten rope here, so the fact that she was trying to grab me meant she was truly backed into a corner.
Even if there were ulterior motives, the person standing before me right now was a girl who needed to be protected from threats. No matter how feisty she looked.
So, if I could help a girl who was just about to become an adult, it wouldn't be bad for either of us.
'Much better than Duke Joubert, who just spouts nonsense.'
If Duke Joubert disappeared and Sylvia took over the ducal household, that future would undoubtedly be the best for everyone.
"Hmm, even if you say so... the only thing I've done recently is regarding the former head maid who was arrested not long ago."
"That’s great. I was actually interested in that case myself. I hear Chloe Ante killed a prisoner; could that prisoner possibly be a poisonous herb trafficker?"
Sylvia didn't really try to hide her interest in Chloe Ante. On the contrary, she even asked me about it with a sparkle in her eyes, as if pleased. She looked like someone who knew something.
Do you happen to know the relationship between Duke Joubert and Chloe Ante?
"...Yes. It seemed that the maid caught distributing poisonous herbs was connected to the head maid. However, given that she was desperate enough to resort to murder, I suspect there might be a mastermind behind her."
Sylvia paused for a moment, her expression filled with thought. Staring blankly into the air as if something were weighing on her mind, she slowly opened her tightly closed mouth again.
"Will even a noble be punished?"
"That seems highly likely. His Majesty was extremely furious about the incident. Not only will he punish those behind it, but I suspect he might even bestow a massive reward upon anyone who brings him evidence."
Sylvia's eyes sank deeply. My harmlessly smiling face was reflected in her eyes, which were dazzlingly bright despite the darkness.
***
Sunlight filled the interior of the imperial palace, which had grown dark due to the darkening sky, like the glow of a sunset. Unlike the splendid and bustling banquet hall, the door to the bedroom, where silence had descended, opened, and a swaying shadow entered beneath the blazing light.
As the shadow slowly lifted, the figure of Thierry, tilting his head from side to side with a languid expression, was revealed. Perhaps because he could not hide his exhaustion—having been unable to sleep lately and having to deal with nobles he usually avoided—a particularly decadent atmosphere strongly enveloped him.
“What about the Princess?"
Thierry, who was loosening his tight tie, glanced briefly at Wagen, who was following him in.
"She went into the room a little while ago."
The tie, carelessly tossed into the air, fluttered and fell to the floor. Wagen picked it up as if accustomed to it, answered nonchalantly, and approached Thierry, who had unbuttoned his shirt up to his chest and plopped down in the middle of the long sofa as if he could finally breathe.
“A little while ago?”
Thierry, who had been leaning back with his arms resting on the backrest, twisted his head.
Today, he deliberately tried to act refined by attending to nobles he usually wouldn't even glance at, but Elisha didn't even show her face at the ball. Since the person he was trying to impress wasn't there, his attempt had effectively crumbled like a bubble.
Out of consideration for Elisha, who seemed to want to be alone, Thierry chased away the persistent nobles with a fierce glare—as if they didn't know when they would ever see the Emperor again—and even returned first. However, he was displeased to find out that Elisha was actually with someone else.
"Who was she with that she stayed outside for so long in this cold weather?"
Thierry's eyes, as he looked up at Wagen at an angle, were filled with displeasure.
"She was with Princess Joubert."
"The Princess? Why is she with that woman?"
Thierry felt even more upset when an unexpected person was mentioned.
Why was the person who said they wanted to be alone with Princess Joubert? Of course, if the atmosphere between the two had looked bad, they would have been reported to it immediately, but seeing that they were only mentioning it now, it seemed they had at least exchanged a normal greeting.
"I'm not sure about that part yet. Should I just bring the Princess over?"
He suppressed his desire to be with her and even went out of his way to give her space, so he felt a bit wronged.
No, actually, the image of Elisha constantly trying to avoid him kept coming to mind, and his mood kept sinking.
Thierry recalled the face of Duke Joubert, who had a vile, snake-like impression. It was a family that was still milking the family for all it was worth because of their past status as a noble family, but even that was slowly reaching its limit.
After observing her closely recently, the daughter seemed quite perceptive, unlike her father, who lacked common sense; however, you never knew.
Even though it didn't seem like she would do anything foolish to Elisha, it didn't seem like a bad idea to warn her at least once for the sake of the future.
"...That wouldn’t be bad either. Try to arrange a quiet time for her. The Princess might have more to say to her."
"A tribute girl? Ah... because of the royal marriage?"
Thierry languidly lowered his eyes and stared at Wagen, who was sitting on the sofa opposite him.
"The Duke was in a frenzy. He seemed blinded by anxiety, as if he had gone senile."
"Why? Did something happen?"
"Yeah."
Elisha wasn't the only one who saw Duke Joubert squabbling with Sylvia last night. Thierry, who had been watching Elisha for a moment because her back looked cute as she crouched in front of the railing, also happened to hear the sound of them bickering from a distance.
Since his physical abilities were so good, understanding the conversation with the figure hidden in the bushes was not really a problem.
But to think he would witness such reckless behavior firsthand. He was actually quite lucky.
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