The day after Will contacted Freed, we visited Duke Pellegrini's residence.
The lineup was me, Freed, Cain, Brother, Will, and Glenn, the six of us.
Will and Glenn weren't Cain's acquaintances, so I got them to accept him by explaining that he's my escort. Of course, he faced them with blackened eyes.
Although we went to their mansion, we didn't go inside. Duke Pellegrini said he'll meet the guest alone. So that it didn't get exposed that we came, I took out a medicine bottle.
Inside were white pills for each person.
"Ta~da!"
"Lidi, those are?"
Will, sensitive to things related to magic, reacted to what I was holding first. I wryly smiled and said.
"Medicine that hides a person's figure from others. The effect lasts until the person says anything. People who take this medicine can see others who've taken it, so you just need to be careful not to talk."
"Medicine that hides a person's figure? Lidi, you… Where the hell did you get it?"
Will seemed to want to know where I'd obtained the unique medicine, but I grinned with my forefinger placed on my lips and said, "Secret."
"I also have my unique connections. Because look, I'm the Crown Princess."
I winked at the end. Seeing that, Brother said with a serious face.
"… You should apologize to the crown princesses all over the world."
"Older Brother, what do you mean?"
"Reflect upon yourself."
"What the! I'm an extremely ordinary crown princess!"
"Do you know that people who call themselves ordinary are generally the most unusual?"
While the meaningless conversation with Brother continued, I told Will, "Well, I thought it would be like that, so please understand," and he turned bright red for some reason.
"Will?"
"G-Got it…"
"Ooh, amazing. I've never seen Will step back so easily when it comes to magic. He always gets way too much into the topic."
"Alex, shut up."
Brother just shrugged his shoulders as Will glared at him. Freed smiled wryly at the exchange that lacked any tension and said.
"If you are done talking, take medicine from Lidi. Let me tell you just in case, I know where she obtained it. It's not suspicious, so don't worry."
"Well, if you say so. Lidi, give it."
"Ah, yup."
I placed the medicine on the hand Brother reached out.
I requested these pills from Ms. Delris after being asked by Freed. Of course, it was an official request, so I properly paid for the medicine.
It was the answer to Freed's wish to observe the exchange between Duke Pellegrini and Marquis Westin without being noticed, but I'm a little nervous that the effect wears off if a person talks.
"Don't talk no matter what. Your figure will become visible if you do."
"Got it, got it."
I finished handing out the medicine to everyone. Before taking it, Freed said.
"I absolutely believe in the effectiveness of this medicine. As long as we can see each other, there's no need to worry about being seen by others. Please trust me and Lidi."
"…"
Everybody nodded and took the pill.
A refreshing taste of mint spread in my mouth. Nothing seemed to change, but Freed gestured with his hand to go inside.
First of all, we avoided the gatekeeper and entered the mansion. Everybody looked relieved that the gatekeeper hadn't noticed us at all. Will moved up to Freed and pointed at the courtyard. Apparently, the Duke was there.
We proceeded through the courtyard. The garden with more greenery than flowers had a calm impression and was different from the showy garden of the Vivoir ducal house, but it was good in its own way. There were many short plants in the garden that made it hard to hide, so I thought that it was correct to disappear.
―― Ah.
When I arrived after Will and Freed, I saw Duke Pellegrini's back.
Because he was meeting a foreign noble, he was clad in fine clothes.
Seeing the man in front of Duke Pellegrini, I turned my eyes to Freed and he silently nodded.
I see, so he must be Marquis Westin.
―― Eh.
Perhaps because he couldn't be seen, Freed was surprisingly daring. He boldly moved very close to the two people facing each other. Certainly, he's invisible to others so there should be no problem, but how should I put it, he's too daring.
While I was watching him with my eyes wide open, Brother patted me on the shoulder and shook his head.
'He's that kind of guy,' was written on his face, and I also strongly nodded to convey, 'You're right, Freed is like that.'
We also moved to follow Freed. Marquis Westin of Sahaja was a tall, slender man with a gentle impression.
They seemed to come to the courtyard specially so people wouldn't hear their conversation.
"―― Then, could I ask for the answer?"
It was Marquis Westin speaking. He looked at Duke Pellegrini with a confident face and urged him to give some sort of reply.
"I read the letter, but nothing definite was written in it. I'm troubled that you ask for the answer."
"You jest again. A person like you should immediately understand what I want to say… What you hate is what we need. Isn't Princess Lidiana an eyesore? Please deliver Princess Lidiana, who's a nuisance to you, to us. You know, if you cooperate just a little, we'll take care of the rest. We promise the information about your betrayal won't be leaked. You hate the Vivoir ducal house, right? I think our interests coincide here."
"… I see. You won't spread around that I betrayed the Wilhelm Royal Family."
"I understand that you are a very loyal person. That's why I won't spread it around. Our His Majesty Maximilian will sooner or later crush Wilhelm, so it's unnecessary. For you, the eyesore Princess will simply disappear from Wilhelm. Eventually, His Highness Friedrich will marry a new consort, so nothing will change for Wilhelm. However, your life will get easier. Don't you think it's wonderful?"
"…"
I felt Freed, who was close to me, tightly clasp my hand. The strength of his grasp conveyed how incredibly angry he was.
―― Scary.
It's not that I wasn't offended, but with everybody around being angry in my stead, I somehow felt like I didn't have to get angry.
However――
―― I wonder if he realizes cooperating in handing me over is itself an act of betraying Wilhelm.
I've already married Freed and joined Wilhelm royalty as a princess consort. Selling me out isn't any different from selling out the country. There's no way it wouldn't be a betrayal.
When I looked at Will and Glenn, I saw them so furious their faces were red. They stared at their father as though they wouldn't forgive him depending on his answer.
"―― Certainly, I can't betray Wilhelm. But, I'm willing to cooperate in disappearing a single consort."
"!"
My eyes widened. I couldn't believe what Duke Pellegrini said.
Hearing the reply, Marquis Westin laughed happily.
"Yeah, exactly. I thought you would say that."
"I'll use my sons to cooperate. Both are close to that girl. They can be used to lure her out."
"That's a wonderful idea. I'm sure His Majesty Maximilian will be delighted!"
"I don't really care about your King. He'll really accept that girl, right?"
"Yeah, of course. We'll take her back, and I think she'll be later given another name and spend the rest of her life without leaving the harem as His Majesty Maximillian's Princess Consort. I can promise that a life more comfortable than her current one awaits Princess Lidiana."
"… Then that girl will be happy. His Highness Friedrich also won't be limited to one person and this time will be able to marry at least several concubines on top of a princess consort for the sake of producing an heir. I think His Highness will understand this if we talk."
"Yeah. His Majesty Maximilian also has a number of side consorts. It's all right for the prince of a powerful country, His Highness Friedrich, to do the same. Then, you have no problem with all this, right?"
Chapter end
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