Asteria’s reception room.
I was comfortably resting, sinking into a rocking chair.
“There’s no need to attend the birthday banquet.”
Especially since my relationship with the prince hosting it is at its worst.
Going there and getting stabbed for no reason would be a loss.
Besides, Silvia is probably doing wonders at the event.
Her social skills at official gatherings are unmatched.
“I’ve done everything I needed to.”
I accomplished everything I was supposed to in this episode.
So smoothly that I even wondered if it was too clean.
‘…Usually, something bad happens right about now.’
I shook my head quickly. Let’s stay positive.
Yeah, I did a good job, so it went smoothly, didn’t it?
Thanks to Asteria, securing Ether was key to dealing with the assassins.
Anyway.
Soon, blood will flow in the Imperial Palace.
The moment the captured assassin can’t withstand the torture and opens their mouth, that’s when the bloodshed will begin.
“… It might happen sooner than expected.”
It’s best to avoid the storm of blood.
Since I’ve cleared all my missions, returning early doesn’t seem like a bad idea.
Of course, it’s a shame to miss out on the luxurious food and expensive drinks prepared for the banquet…
“I can just visit Restaurant Esmé in Lichten again.”
In terms of flavor alone, it’s better than the Imperial Palace chefs.
Okay. I should head back quickly.
Since I got deeply involved in this scenario, I should be cautious.
Should I go to the banquet hall and fetch Silvia?
As I was contemplating this, I heard hurried footsteps approaching.
“I-Ian!”
“What is it? Did the banquet go well?”
Huff—Huff—
Silvia barely nodded, catching her breath.
“Y-Yes… But, but!”
“Hold on.”
I plucked a twig stuck in her bangs. It was dangerously close to poking her eye.
“T-Thank you.”
“No problem. But what happened to you? Why are you covered in leaves and twigs?”
Silvia, always impeccably clean, was clearly in a situation.
After briefly blushing, Silvia gathered herself and spoke.
“Kiss… kiss!”
“Kiss?”
“Yes!”
“You want to kiss?”
Silvia stared blankly at me for a moment after my question.
“Is that okay? — No! That’s not what I meant!”
She flailed her hands, looking comically flustered, reminding me of Elena in her clumsy moments.
But then Silvia shook her head and regained her composure.
“The Second Prince kissed Emilia Raymond.”
Now I understood why Silvia was so worked up.
“… The Second Prince and Emilia?”
It’s likely a strategic relationship.
No, it must be.
“Did you see the kiss clearly?”
“I wasn’t close enough to be sure, but I saw them holding each other’s cheeks, and their shadows overlapped.”
Even if they didn’t actually kiss, it was close enough to count.
“Oh, and…”
Silvia continued.
“Just before that, a servant rushed up to Emilia and whispered something to her. That was even more suspicious. It seemed connected to the prince as well.”
“When did this happen?”
“About 30 minutes ago.”
That would be after the assassination attempt had failed.
The prince and Emilia.
This suggests they might be involved in the assassination attempt.
“How did they react?”
“They looked extremely disappointed.”
“…Hmm.”
Definitely suspicious.
“Do you have any guesses?”
I briefly explained the Emperor’s assassination attempt to Silvia.
The sequence of events from the assassination’s failure to the report reaching Emilia and the prince.
The timing was eerily perfect.
‘The question is, does this benefit them?’
Let’s think simply.
If the Emperor dies right now, the one most likely to ascend the throne is the First Princess.
Both in terms of succession rank and the scale of her influence, she’s the frontrunner.
On the other hand, the Second Prince, who has lost most of his allies, is currently even threatened by Asteria.
However, all the circumstances point to him perfectly.
How should I interpret this gap?
‘…Does he have another hidden card?’
That would explain it.
The Second Prince’s power is largely divided into two factions:
- The North, once ruled by Richard Pierce.
- The Raymond Trading Company and its alliance.
The North was taken by Asteria.
The Raymond Trading Company and its alliance are still strong, but they can’t compare to the First Princess, who has united the nobles and the church.
This means…
There must be another hidden force behind the Second Prince, one that could instantly turn the tide in this political power game.
Who could it be?
The Council of Elders?
Holy Constantine?
Or perhaps the Bloodstone Cult?
A few names floated through my mind, but for now, it was difficult to speculate.
We’ll have to wait for the results of the interrogation with the captured assassin to piece things together.
By the way…
“You’ve been through a lot.”
“Huh?”
“You got caught spying, didn’t you? That’s why you ended up like this.”
I smiled and removed another leaf from Silvia’s hair.
“Hmph… I wasn’t spying, just tailing them.”
“Alright.”
I continued plucking leaves from the back of her hair.
Swish. Swish.
Her hair was delicate and fine, like silk spun from the finest threads.
As her hair swayed, a subtle floral scent tickled my nose.
I inhaled the fragrance and spoke.
“I’m thinking of returning to Lichten.”
“Already? You didn’t even get to see the banquet properly.”
“If I’m not careful, the fallout from the assassination attempt might reach me.”
“Hmm… Given the prince’s temperament, that’s very possible. When will you leave?”
“Now.”
“I’ll come with you.”
Silvia answered without a moment’s hesitation.
“Are you sure?”
“The second and third days of the banquet are just for deepening friendships. Leaving now will be fine, and it’ll even help with maintaining a bit of suspense.”
If Silvia says so, I believe her.
“But what should we do about this dress?”
Silvia gestured at her dress, which was stained with dirt and grass, looking troubled.
“Hold on a second.”
I lightly activated Dishwashing.
Pah!
A white light enveloped her dress, swiftly purifying it.
“…Ian, do you remember?”
“Remember what?”
“When we first met, you cleaned my dress like this.”
Hmm.
That’s right.
We met in a muddy alley.
Back then, Silvia was quite troubled by the mud that had splashed onto her clothes.
Silvia spun around and smiled at me.
“Thank you, just like that time.”
Her gown fluttered gently as it descended under the night sky.
Her radiant smile, bathed in moonlight, gleamed white.
Silvia’s pure and graceful charm remained as captivating as ever.
…But this isn’t the time to get distracted.
“Alright, let’s head out.”
We explained our early departure to Asteria, who had just returned.
“I see. Not a bad choice. I can handle things on my own from here.”
She nodded in approval, though for some reason, there was a hint of loneliness…
It was probably just my imagination.
Silvia and I boarded the carriage to depart.
“Here you go, hop in!”
There was an emergency carriage ready for nighttime travel within the palace.
Though not as ornate as the one we had arrived in, the ride was smooth as we cut through the night.
“Escaping from the palace in the dead of night—how romantic.”
“Yeah, isn’t it?”
We exchanged light banter as we rode along comfortably for a while.
—Screech.
The carriage suddenly came to a halt.
“Oh no! My lord, I am terribly sorry, but the carriage can’t go any further.”
The coachman said, bowing deeply.
We waved our hands dismissively and asked for an explanation.
“This is the quickest route to the checkpoint, but once a year, on the night of the full moon, the water rises in the city like this.”
Silvia and I stepped down from the carriage and looked ahead.
Just as the coachman had said, knee-deep water shimmered over the stone streets of the city.
“How long will it take if we go back?”
“It’ll take about two more hours, my lord.”
“And if we walk from here, it’s not far to the checkpoint, right?”
“Yes, just keep following this street, and you’ll reach it in about 15 minutes.”
“Then this is far enough. You can head back now, coachman.”
We sent the coachman on his way and began walking.
The water wasn’t too deep to hinder our progress.
Clear water rippled across the road, reflecting the glowing full moon above.
It was quite a surreal experience.
— Plop
I dipped my toe into the water. It felt a bit cold but not unpleasant.
“… Students, are you?”
A voice came from nearby.
An old man was sitting on a wooden table.
“You’ll catch a cold.”
“Thank you for the concern, but we’ll be alright, sir.”
“Heh, a polite one, aren’t you.”
The old man gazed at me thoughtfully, his eyes filled with wisdom, as if he could see right through me. His gaze lingered on my chest, then drifted away.
“That badge… You’ve come from the palace, haven’t you?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Heh.”
The old man chuckled and lightly swung his cane.
Suddenly, a small boat appeared, floating gently before us.
…Was he a mage?
“Feel free to ride.”
“Thank you, sir. But how will we return it to you…?”
“Heh, look over there.”
The old man pointed his cane forward.
In front of us stretched a long stone road.
The full moon, glowing over the water, softly illuminated the path ahead.
“A truly magical night, wouldn’t you say?”
With those words, the old man closed his eyes, as if preparing to sleep.
Silvia and I exchanged glances before stepping into the small boat.
It was a narrow boat.
Sitting across from each other, our legs brushed together gently.
We could hear each other’s breathing.
“How does this thing move, anyway—Ah!”
— Thunk.
The boat began to glide through the water on its own.
That’s why I looked down.
Silvia was in my arms.
Her tear-filled violet eyes, reflecting the night sky, gazed up at me.
A large full moon hung overhead.
Around us, floating lanterns began to rise.
Sometimes, the mood shifts without reason.
Simply because the scenery is beautiful, the person before you begins to seem beautiful, too.
“Um, this hurts.”
“Huh?”
“The only cure is Ian.”
Before I could ask what she meant…
Silvia’s lips met mine.
Her lips carried the subtle scent of moonlight.
