"Ow... Ah, Lady Jessica!?"
Jessica Norton was a celebrity in both face and name.
Even more than being the Captain of the Female Ritter Order, it was her status as an "excellent" fire-attribute magi that preceded her.
It was said that recently, her fire-attribute magic—which had been prone to rampaging because it was too powerful—had finally begun to stabilize.
Regardless, the moment Leder saw Jessica’s face, his own features contorted. He seemed to forget the throbbing pain of the strike.
After all, it was a rare event for the Captain of the Female Ritter Order to show her face at a common guard post in the capital.
Standing behind her, not only Lishia but also five Royal Guards were visible.
"S-So, Lady J-Jessica, what b-business might bring you to a p-place like this?"
His behavior was suspicious in the extreme.
"Hmph. I heard that an acquaintance of the Princess had been subjected to groundless suspicion, so I came with all haste."
"I see, the Princess... you say?"
"The Princess."
"The Princess... By 'the Princess,' do you mean Her Highness Princess Lieschen!?"
"There is no other princess in this kingdom at the moment, is there?"
"Th-th-the Princess!? Here?"
Leder’s face turned paper-white.
"Indeed....Hey, where do you think you're going?"
"Ugyah!"
Jessica snatched Cabrera by the scruff of his neck just as he tried to slip away and threw him back into the center of the guard post.
"Now then, Princess, that is quite enough for your incognito outing."
She snapped a crisp salute toward Lies.
Watching the scene unfold, one would have to be a fool not to realize who "Lies" really was.
"What! This brat... no, this lady is the Princess!?"
"Correct. And you, fellow—you were saying something to her just now, weren't you? Something about 'having her stay the night,' or some such."
"F-Forgive me!!"
Leder threw himself into a desperate dogeza.
"No," Lieschen said. "I have no intention of blaming you for words spoken while you were ignorant of my identity."
"Oh...!"
"However, I cannot overlook the fact that you clearly shielded a criminal and attempted to frame an innocent party. That act I will not forgive."
"Hieee...!"
"Restrain Leder Maoe and Cabrera. Take them away."
"Understood!"
Leder and Cabrera were hauled off by four of the Royal Guards.
The one remaining Royal Guard would take temporary charge of the post until a relief arrived.
"Jessica, you have done well. Lishia, your attentiveness was most impressive."
Princess Lieschen offered her thanks to both Jessica and Lishia.
"I am honored, Your Highness," Lishia replied, bowing her head humbly.
"Princess, perhaps it is time we returned?" Jessica suggested, her expression slightly strained.
The clock had already struck 4:00 PM. In this season of short days, the sky was already beginning to deepen into twilight.
"Mm, I suppose so....Ah, that reminds me. Jessica, do you have any funds on your person?"
"Pardon?...Yes, I have a small amount."
"I shall repay you once we return to the castle. Could you lend me one gold coin? I had Roland here purchase a doll for me."
"I see. Certainly....Master Roland, it seems Her Highness was in your care."
With a word of thanks, Jessica handed over a single gold coin. Since the doll’s price was only around 980 Toll, this was more than ten times its value.
"This is a reward for your guidance and compensation for the trouble. You were a great help today."
"I am most grateful for your generosity."
Offering a deep bow, Roland accepted the gold coin. He decided right then that he would keep the coin as a memento of the day.
Parting ways with Roland there, Jin and the others made their way back to the Royal Palace.
"Jin, today was truly an education."
"I'm glad you think so."
The group was relaxing in a drawing room.
"So that is the true face of the city..."
"I don't think pickpockets are quite that common, you know? Try not to get the wrong idea," Jin cautioned.
"Fufu, I am aware. Still, it seems even the security guards have some bad seeds among them..."
"The fact that Your Highness learned even that much made today's outing worthwhile," Tia said, her eyes narrowing with a soft smile.
"Mm, indeed... I have learned much today."
As she spoke, Princess Lieschen pulled out the doll Roland had bought for her.
She rustled the wrapping paper as she carefully peeled it back...
"Aaaaaah!?"
She let out a sound that hovered somewhere between a scream and a heartbroken sigh.
"It... it's broken..."
The material must have been brittle; the doll's torso had snapped clean in two.
"Ah, it must have happened then."
The only possible moment was when Cabrera, the pickpocket, had slammed into Roland.
"..."
"Let me see it."
Unable to ignore Lieschen’s devastated expression, Jin held out his hand.
"O-Ohhh! That’s right! Jin! Can you fix it!?"
"I can't very well stand by and watch when you're making a face like that, can I?"
Jin spoke with a light, teasing tone as he examined the broken toy.
"It's not ceramic; it’s just painted dried clay. No wonder it broke so easily."
After confirming the materials, Jin held the broken torso pieces together.
"Bonding."
He fused the break using Craft Magic.
"Alright, a little more like this... Joint."
He made some fine adjustments to the seam and bonded it permanently. Finally...
"Toughening."
He reinforced the material's structural integrity, and the repair was complete.
"There. All fixed."
"Oh! Thank you, Jin!"
"I'm so glad, Princess," Hanna added, looking equally delighted.
Reiko, Edgar, and Tia all wore gentle smiles. Even though it was just a simple doll, they were clearly happy to see Jin work his craft.
Later that evening, they took turns bathing.
Princess Lieschen, Hanna, Lishia, and Elsa headed to the bathhouse together.
Since Jin couldn't exactly take Reiko into the men's bath in plain sight, he asked Edgar to accompany him instead.
In exchange, Reiko went with Elsa to look after her.
While not quite as grand as the facilities on Hourai Island, the bathhouse in the Royal Palace was more than spacious enough for a relaxing soak.
Afterward, Jin and his companions shared a quiet dinner with Princess Lieschen.
The evening wound down with pleasant conversation before everyone finally retired for the night.