Chapter 102 ….
For some reason, Uncle the Captain’s voice gradually grew quieter as he spoke. Looking more closely, his face also seemed slightly flushed…
‘Ah! Did I stare too intently? Maybe looking directly into an adult’s eyes is considered impolite!’
That can’t happen!
I need to be a polite and kind six-year-old!
Snapping back to my proper role, instead of looking up at him, I quickly bent my waist in a respectful bow.
“Yes, thanks to you, Captain, I’m so, so happy. Thank you for bringing me such wonderful news!”
After thanking him several times, I suddenly felt a gaze from afar and turned my head.
Verdandi, still with a surprised expression, stood in exactly the same spot she had retreated to earlier.
Verdandi is kind enough to cry along with me, so maybe if I’m happy, she’ll smile with me too.
If that happens enough times, perhaps I won’t need to force a textbook-perfect fake smile all the time, and I’ll naturally smile when I truly want to.
“Verdandi, did you hear? His Majesty is returning!”
Shouting this, I smiled brightly, letting my feelings shine through exactly as Uld had advised me yesterday.
“I’m so happy!”
For a moment, Verdandi just stared blankly at my smiling face, then slowly moved her lips.
“If Lady Lyra is happy, then I’m happy too.”
“Best of all,” she added, smiling just as radiantly as I did.
“…I never imagined a dragon could make that expression.”
Captain’s surprised gaze fell on Verdandi, but since we were facing each other, we didn’t notice anyone else watching.
Following the joyous news of Zeusia’s return, Captain also delivered some bad news.
“Last night, the maids who put Achillea in the Princess’s carriage, along with the head chef, escaped from the prison.”
Wow. I knew they showed no signs of remorse, but I didn’t expect them to attempt a prison break.
“Since the early morning, it appears the captain of the guards and some of his men are missing. It seems they assisted in the escape. Normally, the investigation office and prison are under the guard’s jurisdiction, so there must have been a secret route we didn’t know about. My apologies, Your Highness.”
The maids and the head chef manipulated the guards to escape?
Something about this felt off.
There must be someone behind their escape.
Most likely it’s Lady Perkins or Ivy.
“Attempting to harm the Princess and then committing a jailbreak to cover it up… Whoever’s behind this won’t escape execution.”
As I listened to Captain insist he would uncover the mastermind, I felt something strange.
‘Like Captain said… if they got caught by escalating things like this, the crime would be even worse. Why would they do such a thing? Were they simply afraid of those four people testifying?’
Even that explanation felt insufficient.
If Ivy is involved behind the scenes, all the more so.
In the original story, Ivy carried out countless schemes against the women around Saffron or Lady Synope, but she was never caught once.
She did it by going through several layers of intermediaries, quietly withdrawing if things went wrong without the principal even knowing.
Even Synope, who was repeatedly tormented by Ivy’s subordinates, only had suspicions; she never discovered evidence that the Duchess herself had ordered it.
‘Is it just my imagination, or does it look like they deliberately wanted the criminals’ guilt to grow?’
…Anyway, the urgent priority is to capture the suspects again.
“Are the escaped chef and maids, as well as the captain of the guards, still being searched for?”
“The captain’s group hasn’t been found yet, but the four suspects were located at dawn.”
Though the words were somewhat difficult, I nodded, and Captain continued with a serious expression.
“We found the carriages they used to flee in a forest near the Sian territory in the northern capital. The problem is…”
Captain frowned as he explained: the carriages were found abandoned, doors open, without drivers, and all four had died.
“D…dead?”
“Apparently they encountered wild animals. The northern mountains are full of starving beasts. I can’t explain in detail, but it’s certain all four are deceased.”
It’s true that they treated me horribly, but… they’re dead.
They… lost their lives.
Unconsciously, my eyes reddened.
I never thought there would be room in my heart to care for them, yet it felt like a lead weight pressing on my chest.
Captain, looking at me with a sympathetic expression as I quietly clasped my hands as if praying, calmly declared:
“They ruined your dress room and tried to make you drink something that would paralyze your tongue. There’s no need to pity them.”
Captain was right.
But… what the mind says is right and what the heart feels are two different things.
Knowing someone bore malice toward me, and seeing that malice lead them to self-destruction, was painful either way.
For some reason, I kept thinking of Zeusia from the original story.
‘I hope no one in this story ever meets such a horrible end.’
I will make sure of it.
But first, I have to completely resolve this terrible incident.
Wiping the red from my eyes, I looked up at Captain with a determined expression.
“Captain.”
“Yes, Your Highness?”
“Please find the mastermind behind this. Ensure nothing like this ever happens in the palace again.”
Captain stared gently at me, then bowed deeply.
He left to investigate the most likely suspects, Lady Perkins and the Duchess.
‘Honestly, Lady Perkins definitely orchestrated everything directly. She manipulated the guards for the escape and caused their deaths. The question is whether the Duchess is also involved…’
Phew… Phew…
Just as I was lost in thought, a strange sound from beside me broke my concentration.
Turning, I saw Uld blowing up a balloon, his face red from the effort.
Despite his usual versatility…
‘He’s really bad at blowing balloons! Even slower than me?’
It was surprisingly shocking that someone so capable could be so unskilled at this, even tying them up.
‘I didn’t realize it would suit him so poorly. Maybe I should have asked him to do something else.’
But I couldn’t tell him he was slow while he was trying so hard.
At that moment, Verdandi, staring at Uld panting, muttered as if confused:
“You’re slow.”
“Huh… finally done… What? Verdandi, what did you just say?”
“You’re slow. It’s a simple task, just blowing air into rubber, so why can’t you do it?”
Unlike Uld, whose face was bright red from blowing, behind Verdandi, untouched, were at least five to ten times the number of balloons.
Even while scolding him, Verdandi blew two more balloons, causing Uld to furrow his brow sharply.
“I’m not slow; you’re just too fast, Verdandi! If you go a little slower to match our pace, does it really matter? You’re making me rush too. Right, Your Highness?”
…No, Doctor, you really are slow.
I couldn’t say it out loud, so I gave an embarrassed smile.
