Reynald, who had suddenly appeared in front of me, asked a question out of the blue.
"What?"
"About you and that prince...!"
"R-R-Reynald!"
I was startled to see Reynald, whose voice had risen in excitement.
'Talking ill of the prince in the palace!'
Indeed, he was not an ordinary bold person.
Fortunately, it was early morning, and there were only the two of us near the duke's campsite.
Reynald, who seemed to have regained his composure, immediately clamped his mouth shut and struggled to speak without a subject.
"Is it true that you and that guy had something going on?"
"What do you mean by 'something going on'?"
"I'm not in the mood for your word games."
I asked out of genuine confusion, but Reynald glared at me.
"Everywhere we go in the hunting grounds, it's all about you and the prince! Did you know that?"
"..."
"What did you say in the courtroom? Tell me the truth, okay? Huh?!"
Reynald, with a look as if he wanted to shake me immediately, pressed me repeatedly.
I answered truthfully.
"Yeah. No."
"Huh..."
Relieved, the guy let out a deep sigh and scratched his head.
Then, he muttered irritably.
"Damn, why did such a rumor spread..."
"If it's about the secret meeting in the forest, that's true."
"…What?"
But his hand, which had been messing with his pink hair, suddenly stopped at my additional words.
He asked with a puzzled look.
"What do you mean by that?"
"Exactly what I said. We met alone in the forest, so it's natural that we were chased by assassins together."
I shrugged and answered ambiguously.
I had anticipated that someone would ask about the truth.
I could have told the truth—that I had fabricated it to avoid suspicion from Duke Ellen—but I didn't want to explain it in detail to the people of the duke's household.
"You... You speak clearly."
Reynald gritted his teeth and pressed me with a sinister voice.
"You were shaking with fear when you came back after being stabbed by that guy. And damn, what secret meeting?"
"Stabbed?"
I frowned at his crude words.
"I met His Highness because there was something to talk about."
"What to talk about?"
"There was something. You don't need to know."
In fact, there was nothing specific to talk about, so I had nothing to tell him.
"Stop making excuses and tell me the truth. What do you mean by 'affection'?"
"Has it already spread that far?"
Despite their noble emphasis on honor, they sure were loose-lipped.
I clicked my tongue at the rumor that had spread so quickly in just one evening.
Then, I sighed deeply and spoke.
"...That was just a fabricated story to support the meeting."
Despite my resolve not to explain in detail, I ended up spilling the truth.
Not only because I knew he would badger me until I gave a straight answer, but also because I didn't want to be associated with the prince in any way.
The moment I finished, the guy asked urgently.
"Then why did you meet that guy? Are you crazy, wanting to get stabbed again?!"
"Reynald."
I looked around again and tried to calm him down.
"Watch your words."
I didn't want to engage in this kind of pointless argument from the morning. My voice came out a bit tired.
"...And even if I said it was a coincidence, you wouldn't believe me, right?"
"Unlike my brother, I would."
"…What?"
"If you said you didn't shoot the nobles, I would have believed you."
I repeated Reynald's words to myself.
Unlike my brother, he would have believed me.
It was hard to believe.
A twisted smile escaped me.
"Don't lie. You would have condemned me just like Derek, right?"
No. When the two sons of the duke were in sync, it was only to drive me to the brink.
"Do you think I have no eyes?"
Reynald, sensing my cold gaze, stopped his anger and looked flustered.
He started to ramble.
"No matter how stupid you are, you wouldn't have gone crazy the moment the restraining order was lifted, right?"
"..."
"Besides, you didn't want to come to the hunting competition, fearing something might happen again."
I looked at Reynald with renewed eyes.
I had indeed avoided meeting all the male leads.
I thought no one had noticed, but this guy had accurately gauged my state, which was a bit surprising.
"So, just tell me the truth. You really didn't do anything with him, right? Huh?"
Noticing that I was paying attention to his words, Reynald asked again in a calmer voice.
"Maybe not? It might help to quell the rumors."
"...Alright. It wasn't a secret meeting."
I gave in.
Reynald's insistence on convincing me to speak the truth made me finally spill the beans.
"The atmosphere was such that a simple explanation wouldn't quell the suspicions, so I thought that was the only excuse. That's all."
"Ah, you idiot! If you had said that earlier, it would have been better. Why did you make me so anxious?"
As soon as I finished, Reynald pounded his chest in frustration.
'Indeed.'
Because there was someone who wouldn't believe me, I couldn't speak up easily.
I forced a bitter smile.
"...Yeah. You wouldn't have done something like that with him."
Meanwhile, Reynald looked relieved and muttered to himself several times.
I asked bluntly.
"Did you call me just to confirm this?"
"Just? How serious is this, you girl!"
Reynald scowled and shouted.
I was taken aback.
It was a serious matter, but was it that serious to him?
If the prince regained his senses anytime soon, I would be the one struggling to deal with the aftermath.
"And it's not just about that."
Reynald, sensing my dissatisfaction, roughly rummaged through his pocket.
"Here, take this."
He suddenly handed me something.
A small, flat container. I recognized it.
"I'm not taking it."
Just looking at it, the guy started waving his hand.
I reluctantly took the medicine container he offered.
"Your bruises are worse than at the pre-festival, you slowpoke. You're so slow, you don't even feel the pain, right?"
The guy clicked his tongue and cursed.
I rubbed the back of my neck, feeling embarrassed.
"Serious?"
"Don't touch it, it will get worse."
He frowned and stopped me, so I immediately put my hand down.
"Tsk. When you're in the palace, don't forget to apply it carefully. Don't just leave it because it's troublesome, and make sure to visit the infirmary when you have time. Got it?"
We would meet again in just four days.
It sounded like a farewell to someone far away, making me chuckle.
"I'll do that. Thanks for your concern, Reynald."
I nodded and said sincerely. Then, after a moment's hesitation, I added.
"...And for believing me. You're the only one who said that."
I had just stated the facts, but Reynald's face suddenly turned bright red.
"Why did you say that?"
The guy suddenly shouted and then walked past me without a word.
'What the heck. Did you want me to show it with my body?'
[Goodwill: 40%]
I watched the quickly disappearing pink hair heading towards his cabin and pouted.
* * *
During my stay at the palace, there were no particular inconveniences.
Besides Emily, the palace servants were extremely attentive, and the food was laid out in abundance at every meal.
The most important thing was that there were no restrictions on what I did or where I went.
'This place is much better than the duke's household.'
While leaving the palace archives on the third day, I suddenly had this thought.
The area near the archives was quiet and desolate.
Moreover, the vast archives were filled with books I liked.
Thanks to this, I could indulge in books about ancient mages and the Baltha myth.
Hugging the borrowed books about the Arkin system, I walked briskly.
How long had I been walking on the now familiar path?
I easily passed through a gate surrounded by guards, and a man came out of a building with a doctor.
"Miss! You're here again today?"
The prince's advisor greeted me warmly as I entered.
I nodded slightly in acknowledgment and immediately got to the point.
"How is he today?"
"His breathing has stabilized a lot. It seems he's improving."
"That's a relief."
It was good news. I had been worried after hearing that the night before was a critical moment.
"But since we're not specifically detoxifying him, we'll have to wait a few more days to see."
"...Is that so?"
"Would you like to... go in?"
The advisor, seeing my matter-of-fact response, asked cautiously.
Despite the rumors of a secret meeting with the prince, I always left exactly after ten minutes.
"I'll be out in ten minutes."
I said what I always said without showing any emotion.
"Alright."
The advisor gave an ambiguous smile and cleared the way.
Unlike the rumors that suggested I had a special relationship with the prince, I always left promptly after ten minutes, as usual.