Chapter – 51
I brandished the mana shock device threateningly.
“You don’t know what this is, do you? It’s a personal self-defense item that I developed myself and haven’t commercialized yet.”
The man’s eyes widened as he hurriedly covered his face in the darkness.
I swung the device around proudly and continued.
“With this, all I have to do is press it against someone’s neck, and even a frail person like me can take down a Sword Master with ease. You felt it yourself, didn’t you? Agree or disagree?”
Under my interrogation, he immediately answered,
“I-I-I agree!”
Satisfied, I raised the device one last time and shouted loudly,
“And the best part is that individual purchases are available if you visit the Frelai Ducal Estate!”
“……”
“I’ve heard that several high-ranking nobles already own one secretly.”
The man stared at me with his mouth hanging open.
Behind me, Princess Celiette muttered quietly,
“…Advertising?”
I lifted my chin and snapped,
“So don’t ever try something like this again and get lost immediately. Before I increase the mana output. At maximum power, you’ll pass out instantly!”
The man finally glanced around frantically before turning and fleeing.
I understood exactly what he was thinking.
This area was extremely dark.
Dark enough that, at first glance, people couldn’t clearly make out faces.
He probably thought that, above all else, he couldn’t allow an outsider like me to identify him.
He likely assumed that Celiette wouldn’t reveal his identity either, for the sake of her own reputation.
Even if he had Hiten backing him, he was still merely a servant and she was a princess.
The plan had probably been to later announce that they had been secret lovers all along.
But if this incident grew into a major scandal now, it wouldn’t benefit anyone involved.
He would undoubtedly run away first and then, if trouble arose later, deny everything.
Hmph. As if any of that matters.
I had deliberately pretended not to recognize him, but I knew exactly who he was.
Ben Eilid.
A servant of the Crown Prince’s Palace.
The person who had attended the Crown Prince most closely.
And one of the members of the Last Picnic.
Nowadays, with the Crown Prince absent, he was probably loafing around with nothing to do.
Celiette also made no attempt to tell me who he was.
So I didn’t ask.
“I’m sorry, Your Highness.”
I turned toward Celiette and gave her an awkward smile.
Maybe smiling wasn’t appropriate in this situation, but I thought it might help her relax.
“Y-Yes…?”
Hmm.
It seemed my smile had only made her more nervous.
Celiette trembled as she stared at me.
But honestly, I nearly gaped at her myself.
Seriously, why is she so beautiful?
The Frelai family was famous for their looks, so I rarely found myself admiring anyone’s appearance.
Melissa and I both had relatively gentle features.
Celiette, on the other hand, was a striking beauty with sharp, catlike eyes.
She’s honestly beautiful enough to rival Cesare.
If Cesare were a woman, he’d probably look something like this.
She was beautiful enough that a timid little servant could spend years secretly admiring her before eventually attempting something this outrageous.
Beautiful enough that the Third Imperial Consort—old enough to be her mother—was reportedly jealous of her every single day.
In truth, Ben’s real backing wasn’t Hiten.
It was the Third Imperial Consort.
She genuinely wanted Celiette to marry Ben.
Hiten was merely following his mother’s wishes.
Even so, if Celiette had possessed just a little more ambition and confidence, she was beautiful enough to influence the entire nation.
I admired her for a moment before regaining my senses.
“Are you alright?”
“Y-Yes…”
Celiette clutched her dress tightly.
“H-He’s a coward… I’m sure he won’t dare make this into a bigger issue.”
I tilted my head.
“No, I wasn’t asking about what happens afterward.”
“…”
“I was asking whether you’re alright.”
“The future matters, sure. But how you’re feeling right now matters too.”
“……”
After hearing that, Celiette’s lips trembled.
Then tears suddenly spilled down her face.
Without a word, I handed her a handkerchief.
Celiette was right.
According to the original story, after hearing Ben’s threats, she had eventually screamed for help.
Something along the lines of:
“This servant bastard is harassing me together with my damned brother Hiten!”
Celiette was timid.
But she wasn’t the sort of person who would do absolutely nothing when cornered.
The servant’s claim that nobody would come had been a bluff.
The moment she screamed, he panicked and ran away.
Unfortunately, several noblewomen who had stepped outside for fresh air happened to hear her.
As a result, the entire incident became gossip.
Nothing changed.
Only Celiette’s reputation suffered.
The mere fact that the Empire’s only princess had become entangled in rumors involving a servant symbolized how poorly she was treated.
Naturally, the person who spread those rumors most viciously was the Third Imperial Consort herself.
Still, even knowing that nothing truly disastrous would happen to Celiette, I had chosen to intervene.
Because rumors like that aren’t harmless.
And honestly… she must have been terrified.
Thinking about it again just made me angry.
I should have shocked him one more time.
After crying for quite a while, Celiette sniffled and looked at the device in my hand.
“M-Miss Kiana… what exactly is that?”
As I smoothed the wrinkles in my dress, I answered,
“As I said, it’s a self-defense item that can inject mana instantly. I developed it myself.”
“Mana… can be used like that?”
Celiette’s eyes sparkled.
Feeling slightly proud, I explained,
“If you construct the formulas properly and turn them into a magical tool, yes.”
“Though it can’t produce enormous power. It mostly just hurts.”
“B-But earlier… you said it could knock out a Sword Master…”
“Of course that was a lie.”
Celiette’s mouth fell open.
I shrugged casually.
“Why would I tell the truth to a creep like that?”
“That was maximum output.”
“Ah…”
“Like most magical tools, it doesn’t actually do anything miraculous.”
“Although it works wonderfully for bluffing when you’re as smart as I am.”
Then I placed the mana shock device into her hands.
“Take it.”
“It’s a gift.”
“If that man ever bothers you again—which hopefully won’t happen—just quietly stick this against him.”
“…T-Thank you.”
“But is it really alright for me to accept something like this?”
“We aren’t even acquainted…”
“It’s fine.”
“I don’t have many acquaintances anyway.”
“……”
Holding the device, Celiette blinked several times.
Then she looked at me with an expression full of admiration.
“I heard that you’ve lived in seclusion since childhood…”
“I thought you were just someone timid like me, but meaner…”
“But you’re actually very confident.”
“You’re amazing.”
I scratched my cheek awkwardly.
“I’m definitely bad at dealing with people, and I am kind of mean.”
“I just happen to have both power and ability.”
Then I added,
“Actually, my position within my family wasn’t that different from yours.”
“I used to be someone who had no choice but to shrink back and keep my head down.”
Knowing my circumstances, Celiette quietly remained silent.
“Well then, Your Highness.”
I had already done everything I came here to do.
So I offered a proper farewell.
“I should get going.”
“I have an annoying appointment with a thoroughly awful person.”
“Please take care.”
Celiette gripped the hem of her skirt and nodded.
Then, after hesitating, she spoke softly.
“Y-Yes…”
“But… is there anything I can do to repay you?”
That made me pause.
There actually was something I had originally wanted from Celiette.
But after seeing her nearly become a victim of someone like Ben firsthand, I no longer felt much desire to ask for it.
Saving her had simply felt like the obvious thing to do.
“Anything at all…”
“I’d like to repay you somehow…”
Well, if she insisted this much, there was no reason not to say it.
I quickly replied,
“Then can I ask for two favors?”
“Yes!”
“First, promise me one thing.”
“Don’t tell anyone about this mana shock device.”
The supposed sale of the device was actually part of a trap I was setting for Ben.
In reality, I hadn’t sold any magical tools to anyone.
One reason I had come here tonight was because I was plotting something within the Imperial Palace.
Unlike other places, the palace wasn’t somewhere I could freely enter and leave.
Since the Emperor had fallen ill, even distinguished guests had found access restricted.
Only Hiten was still allowed to meet with a handful of close associates.
Celiette fiddled with her fingers nervously.
“T-There’s nobody I could tell anyway…”
“Fair enough.”
“I’m accidentally becoming the sort of person who keeps secrets too.”
“Still, I wanted to ask.”
“Then there’s the second favor.”
I took a deep breath.
“In a situation like this…”
“Don’t you ever wish there were a magical tool capable of recording conversations?”
“Huh?”
“A device that could secretly record someone and then play the recording back.”
Celiette’s eyes widened.
Then she nodded enthusiastically.
Understandably so.
Just moments ago, Ben had openly mentioned Hiten’s name because he thought nobody was listening.
It had been valuable evidence wasted.
“To make one, I need Esphra flower petals.”
“Esphra flowers bloom in autumn, and…”
I smiled slightly at her.
“Right now, the only remaining Esphra flowers are in the late Fifth Imperial Consort’s greenhouse.”
