## Chapter 197 – 197. Royal Castle
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#197. Royal Castle
Logen, the capital of the Nivia Kingdom.
At the heart of this city, built upon bountiful lands, stands the Royal Castle, the kingdom’s pillar.
‘It’s magnificent.’
Perhaps due to the royal insignia emblazoned on it, the carriage passed through the castle gates without any significant inspection.
Once inside, the castle’s interior was several times more majestic than it appeared from the outside. Scenes too grand for words flashed past the window.
Since I hadn’t passed through the capital in the Veilhaven Republic, this was my first time actually seeing a castle.
Before long, the carriage stopped in front of a mansion.
No, even the word “mansion” felt inadequate to describe its splendor.
“Here?”
“Ruby Palace, where the princesses of each generation have resided. I live here now.”
As the coachman opened the carriage door, about a dozen maids lined up on either side to greet us.
I wasn’t sure if it was because each country had a different atmosphere or if it was the difference between royalty and nobility, but nothing like this had ever happened in the Veilhaven Republic.
‘…This isn’t so bad, is it?’
While I was distracted by the spectacle that no man could easily turn away from, someone poked me.
“What are you doing?”
“Huh?”
Elisabeth was glaring at me with a sulky expression.
“Aren’t you going to escort me?”
“Escort?”
Come to think of it, the carriage was quite high.
It would be difficult for Elisabeth to get down on her own.
I got out of the carriage as if pushed by her nagging.
“Is it alright? It’s my first time.”
“No? I’ll punish you if you mess up.”
“…”
What’s with this woman?
Elisabeth laughed at my dumbfounded expression.
I awkwardly extended my hand. She skillfully took it and stepped out of the carriage.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
Is this what it feels like to have someone bow down and worship you?
Tina followed Elisabeth out of the carriage.
‘…?’
Tina’s attire was strange.
Just moments ago, she had been wearing a skintight suit, but now she was wearing a plain dress like an ordinary maid.
For a moment, I doubted my eyes.
‘Did she change clothes in that brief instant I got out of the carriage?’
In many ways, she was living up to her role as an assassin.
I followed Elisabeth, who was leading the way, toward the mansion.
As she took a step, the maids bowed in turn. Not even a small breath could be heard.
Instead, someone was approaching quickly from the mansion. It was a woman who looked quite old.
She was wearing a maid’s uniform like the others, but she seemed to be of a higher status.
“Your Highness Elisabeth! Where have you been?! You suddenly disappeared this morning!”
The woman shouted, beads of sweat dripping down her face.
But Elisabeth didn’t seem to be listening.
“Oh, save the nagging for later.”
“Your Highness!”
Judging from their reactions, I could roughly guess what had happened.
Elisabeth’s sudden disappearance must have turned the entire castle upside down, and this woman, who seemed to be the palace administrator, must have been held responsible.
She probably felt like her lifespan was being shortened every second.
“I was so worried…”
“Enough.”
Elisabeth skillfully ignored the nagging, as if she had heard it more than once or twice.
“Go check the carriage that’s following us and inform the main palace. Tell them there was an attempted assassination of a member of the royal family.”
“…Pardon?”
Leaving behind the middle-aged woman suffering from a bad boss, Elisabeth leisurely walked toward the mansion.
Of course, there was chaos behind us. The flustered middle-aged woman, as well as the maids, were startled and ran toward the carriage.
“Elisabeth-nim.”
“What?”
“Things seem to be getting too big. Can’t we just quietly get the letter of recommendation and leave?”
“No.”
It was a truly sharp rejection.
“Then how about just running away?”
“Do that if you want to be chased by the Knights.”
Elisabeth turned her head slightly, leaving behind a chilling warning and a smile.
I’ve been thinking this lately, but it seems like I only attract women with tragic stories or strange personalities.
***
“…Is it true that the First Princess has returned safely?”
Inside a lavish room, an elderly woman was talking to someone.
“Yes.”
A man completely cloaked in a robe, making it impossible to discern even his build, replied.
“She even brought back the body of the attacker, unscathed.”
“…Was it that assassin wench’s doing?”
“I don’t believe so. It’s always been common for the Princess to go on outings without an escort. Besides, the condition of the body was peculiar. It looked as if it had been burned.”
“If not that wench, then who on earth saved the Princess?”
Her voice was gentle, but the man did not miss the subtle murderous intent in her gaze.
Ignoring the cold sweat trickling down his cheek, he continued as if nothing were amiss.
“…Around 1 PM, lightning struck the eastern industrial complex, and the guards were dispatched.”
“Lightning? On a day like today, without a single cloud in the sky?”
“Yes, the investigation revealed traces of magic, and they are currently searching for the culprit. But as you know, wizards who can control lightning are extremely rare. More than anything, considering the wounds left on the bodies of the attackers…”
“Enough.”
Tap, tap, tap.
Interrupting the man, the woman tapped the table, seemingly lost in thought.
The many wrinkles she already had deepened further.
“…You said the Princess brought a man with her?”
“Yes, according to the Ruby Palace maids, he is quite handsome. However, he doesn’t seem to be a noble.”
“Hmm…”
The woman frowned, as if something were bothering her.
The many wrinkles she already had deepened further.
“That Princess, who never gave a single glance to the young masters of other families during her debutante… brought a man with her…”
“If you wish, I will investigate.”
After a moment of contemplation, the woman nodded, and the man bowed before disappearing from the room.
***
Following Elisabeth into the mansion, I was assigned a suitable room.
Of course, the room was more like a reception room.
Anyway, thanks to the magic books she had thrown at me to read when I was bored, I didn’t have time to be bored.
Being royalty, she had many fascinating books. They were so interesting that I wanted to show them to Iris.
It was reasonably comfortable, except for the slightly piercing gazes of the maids.
‘They must be wondering what kind of guy the Princess brought with her.’
After looking around for a bit, it seemed I was the only man in this mansion.
There wasn’t even a common butler, and even the people working in the kitchen were all women.
‘…Is this heaven?’
The average appearance of the maids seemed quite high, and overall, it was close to my ideal, except for the occasional appearance of an older woman.
Of course, I couldn’t leisurely look around because Elisabeth kept giving me the side-eye.
She said my gaze towards the maids was disrespectful or something.
Anyway, I was spending time having a staring contest with the beautiful maid standing across from me when…
Bang.
The reception room door opened.
A familiar scent brushed past my nose.
“I told you to rest.”
Elisabeth entered the room, wearing a vibrant pink dress with a subtle floral fragrance.
Her beauty was so stunning that I was momentarily mesmerized. Thanks to that, I could reaffirm that she was indeed a princess.
Tina followed her into the room.
It seemed that Elisabeth was the only one who had changed clothes, as Tina was wearing the same outfit she had worn when she got out of the carriage earlier.
“You couldn’t even wait that long before hitting on a maid… You really have no loyalty.”
Elisabeth sat demurely across from me.
It felt as if a floral fragrance was wafting from her small gestures.
“Don’t you knock?”
“Why would I?”
Elisabeth, holding a teacup, scoffed.
As expected, only her appearance had changed.
Clack!
As she snapped her fingers, the maids in the room left in an orderly fashion.
Only Elisabeth, Tina, and I were left in the room.
“I dismissed them because I have something to talk about.”
“Something to talk about?”
“About the attacker who escaped across the roof. It seems they couldn’t recover the body.”
“Pardon?”
That’s impossible.
There’s no way a mere assassin could have survived a lightning spear thrown with all my might.
“…Did someone steal the body?”
The fact that someone stole the body meant that they were involved in this attack.
If things went well, it could lead to a clue to finding the real culprit.
“Who knows? Maybe they did, maybe they didn’t…”
But she seemed indifferent to the disappearance of the body.
As if she thought it was unrelated to her.
“You seem calm.”
Elisabeth smiled faintly at my words.
Her profile, as she turned her head while fiddling with the teacup, looked somewhat bitter.
“It’s not the first time.”
Elisabeth’s cold, sunken eyes gazed out the window.
“The first time I almost died was when I was five years old. My favorite rose tea was poisoned. Then, it was when I was twelve? I left the capital to visit a nearby territory and was attacked by an assassin. Thanks to the efforts of the guards, I was able to survive, but…”
Elisabeth trailed off, stroking the back of her hand. It was her left hand, which she had been constantly covering with a glove.
Swish.
She silently removed her glove, and I couldn’t say anything.
It was a scar.
And a terrible mark that didn’t seem to have faded for quite some time.
“The attacker’s dagger grazed the back of my hand, and I was poisoned. It seems they used a rather potent poison. Even with the high priest’s help, the treatment was slow, and I almost died. Well, I somehow managed to get treated and survive, but they said there was nothing they could do about the scar on the back of my hand? It seems even divine power can’t heal it.”
Only then did I realize why she always wore a glove on her left hand.
Basically, a scar is a flaw for a noble lady.
Even if it looks small, it’s a big flaw that gives others a reason to criticize her.
It must have felt even bigger for her, as a princess.
“Is there no way to treat it?”
“…It’s not that there aren’t any, but they’re all incredibly difficult methods, so you can say there’s no possibility right now.”
She gave a cynical smile.
But I felt like it was detached.
As if she was observing from a third-person perspective. Even though it was clearly her own problem, she seemed unusually uninterested.
Like someone who doesn’t expect anything.
“Oh, right.”
After a moment of silence, Elisabeth picked up the bell on the table, as if she had remembered something.
With the short ring of the bell, the maids entered the room.
“Did you call, Your Highness?”
Elisabeth pointed at me.
“Take him and dress him up properly.”
“Yes.”
The maids who received the order immediately surrounded me.
The pressure was even heavier than when I was surrounded by the attackers.
“…Um, Elisabeth-nim?”
“What?”
“Why do I suddenly have to dress up?”
“Oh? Didn’t I tell you?”
“?”
She picked up a snack on the table and said with the brightest smile.
“We’re going to see my father soon. I informed the main palace, and he told me to bring you right away?”
