Mining City — Akinashi Domain, Lord's Mansion
"I understand. I understand. I fully comprehend Your Highness's feelings. I will do my best to persuade that person to grant you an audience."
At those words drawn from the handsome, stubble-chinned blond man, Rose pumped her fist in triumphant joy within her heart.
And for good reason. This distinguished gentleman was none other than Knight Lord Oliver Akinashi. Until now, he had stubbornly feigned complete ignorance regarding Princess Felice. Yet here he was, finally agreeing to reason with her elder sister.
"You have my deepest gratitude."
As Rose bowed vigorously, Oliver offered a weary smile.
"Please, raise your head, Princess Rose. I am the one who should be thanking you. In any case, our activities had reached their absolute limit. Princess Rose reaching out a hand at this juncture is a godsend for that person as well."
"I shall devote myself to proving worthy of your trust, Lord Oliver. I look forward to working together."
"Yes, likewise. First thing tomorrow morning, I shall head out in person to persuade Her Highness. Things will become hectic from here on out, so please rest comfortably in your room for today."
"Yes, thank you!"
Doing everything she could to suppress a beaming grin, Rose returned to her assigned room with a spring in her step.
"We did it! This paves the way to naturalizing the Wind Cats as citizens of the realm!"
Bursting into the room, she sank onto the sofa and spoke in breathless excitement.
Of course, she was genuinely delighted that the plan was proceeding smoothly. But more than that, the true reason for her near-ecstatic mood was the prospect of reuniting with her elder sister, Felice.
Indeed. Just before departing for the Akinashi Domain, Kai had revealed an astonishing truth to her: the leader of the Wind Cats was none other than her long-lost sister, Princess Felice, who had disappeared years ago.
(I really wish Kai would do something about his infuriating secrecy. But still...)
Sister Felice was one of the very few members of the royal family to whom Rose could truly open her heart. Thus, learning she was alive and that they would soon meet again made her want to leap for sheer joy.
In stark contrast to Rose's unbridled elation, however...
"Hmm, yeah, I guess..."
Zack gave a noncommittal grunt, while...
"A joyous occasion indeed."
Asta outright poured cold water on Rose's delight.
"Why the long faces?! Sister Felice and I share similar ideals. Once she meets with me, I am certain—"
"Nah, that ain't the issue here. In fact, Princess, you did great."
Pouring wine into a wooden cup, Zack offered words that served as no comfort at all.
"Then what is the issue?!"
"The fact that the guy who came up with this plan is Master."
"It is true that Kai laid the groundwork for this strategy. However, my persuading Lord Oliver is the absolute linchpin of it! Because he understands that, Kai entrusted the negotiations here to me!"
"Then let me ask you this. Where is Master right now?"
"Huh? In the Forest of Deep Magic in Eastend, of course."
Indeed. He was there to handle Count Ketzer in case the man invaded. That was the sole reason Kai had stationed himself in the Forest of Deep Magic.
"Right. Master ain't here. If this operation was as simple as the princess just convincing that old man Oliver, Master would've stayed by your side, and we'd be the ones defending the Wind Cats from Count Ketzer. That's the kind of plan it should've been."
Gulping down his wine, Zack wore a grim expression as he gave voice to the very incongruity Rose had felt from the beginning.
"I wondered about that as well, but aren't you overthinking things?"
Zack placed absolute trust in Kai. That faith extended beyond martial arts to every conceivable matter. And the same held true for Rose. That was likely why they both unconsciously read deeper meaning into every single move Kai made, far more than necessary.
Asta, Kai's female butler who had been reading a book the entire time, finally shifted her gaze toward Rose.
"Rose, you fundamentally misunderstand our Master. He is abnormal—nay, far too abnormal. His strength goes without saying, but his very thought process has long since abandoned common sense. In any case, this will surely culminate in some horrific situation that far exceeds our wildest imaginations once again."
With a dark, knowing smile playing on her lips, she delivered the assertion with complete conviction.
Kai's way of thinking was abnormal, was it... That was likely true. If it weren't, he wouldn't be able to pull off such reckless, high-wire acts before the entire Holy Amelia Kingdom, nor would he ever conceive of turning bandits—even chivalrous ones—into law-abiding domain citizens.
"That may be true, but—"
Just as Rose began to counter, a knock sounded at the guest room door, and a red-haired maid stepped inside. Offering a respectful curtsy, she spoke.
"I have brought your meal."
She walked over to their table and began setting down the dishes.
She had introduced herself earlier: a newly hired maid named Jane. A good-natured, sweet-tempered woman.
Lord Oliver made a point of providing temporary employment at his mansion to people with troubled pasts who lacked relatives and struggled to make ends meet, eventually helping them secure suitable work. Consequently, there were several women like her serving in the estate.
"Thank you for your hard work. I appreciate everything you do for us."
"Not at all, Milady, it is simply my duty."
Just as Rose felt her heart warmed by the maid's bashful smile,
"Alriiight, Princess, let's dig right in."
Zack urged her with fork in hand, whereupon,
"Then I shall take my leave."
Jane offered a hurried bow and swiftly exited the room.
Hmm. Excusing oneself while guests dined in private, only to return promptly when summoned—that was standard etiquette in the Holy Amelia Kingdom. For a newcomer, she was remarkably well-trained. Perhaps she was simply a quick study. Entertaining such thoughts, Rose moved to take her seat, only to find Zack glaring sternly at the closed door through which the maid had just vanished.
Without a word, he stood up, snatched the plate of food, and hurled it out the open window onto the grounds below.
"Zack! What in the world are you doing?!"
"Just shut up and watch."
Moments later, several small birds perched in the nearby trees fluttered down to peck at the scattered food. After swallowing merely a few bites, they toppled over, unmoving.
"What...?"
Rose let out a stunned gasp, unable to process the sight before her eyes.
"That food contains enough sleeping drug to knock out humans like you soundly until morning. Though, such a mild sedative would naturally have zero effect on me."
Asta's sarcastic voice sounded strangely distant in Rose's ears. And then came that familiar, chilling sensation of her blood running cold—a feeling she had experienced all too recently. It seemed someone was trying to eliminate her yet again. And this time, it was happening in this very mansion, where she believed she had finally earned their host's trust.
That brutal reality gouged and tore at Rose's heart far more deeply than she could bear.
"Do you think... this was Lord Oliver's doing?"
Doing everything in her power to swallow the crushing despair threatening to drag her down, she questioned her two companions.
"Nah. Unlike Master, that old man is a good person down to his bones. He couldn't stomach something like this. Besides, pulling a stunt like that would almost certainly get this mining city stripped of its charter and destroyed. There's no upside big enough for the old man to balance out the risk of harming the princess."
At Zack's strangely confident reassurance, a warm spark returned to her frozen heart. Slowly, her spiraling panic subsided, and her mind began working clearly once more.
He was right. Even granting the unlikely premise that Lord Oliver intended to frame Rose, he would have arranged it far away from his own domain.
"Is this part of Kai's plan as well? Is that what you mean?"
"If he knew the exact specifics, Master would've said something. He probably just sniffed out a vague threat. That's why he assigned Big Sis Asta, with her Appraisal Gift, to stick close as your bodyguard."
If that were true, it made Kai's absence here all the more telling. There was no longer any room for doubt. This entire situation was vastly larger than Rose merely convincing Lord Oliver.
"Kuku! Now that he has made his move, Master will not stop, nor will he ever look back! Steel yourselves. Accept the reality that from here on out, this whole affair will only descend into something far more absurd and catastrophic!"
Asta spread her arms wide, looked up toward the ceiling, and declared her prophecy triumphantly while cackling with wicked delight.
Zack seemed to share the sentiment, offering no disagreement whatsoever.
"We have already been served sleeping drugs by the mansion's maid! What could possibly be more absurd than this?!"
As Rose raised her voice in protest, Zack brought a single index finger to his lips, gesturing sharply for her to quiet down.
Once Rose clamped her mouth shut in a fluster, he leaned in and whispered softly.
"What's the play? Should we play dead and pretend to be asleep? If we do, I bet whatever idiot cooked up this farce will come waltzing right in."
"No. We cannot be certain it was merely a sleeping agent meant for everyone else. If actual lethal poison has been served, it will be an utter massacre. We must alert the mansion's staff and raise the alarm at once."
A grin tugged at the corner of Zack's mouth.
"Figured you'd say that, Princess."
He murmured the words in a bright, effortlessly amused tone.