After summoning the housekeeper for Senia, Alvin left the Council Hall.
His fief wasn’t in Fenglin City. But as a member of the royal family, he had a dedicated residence within the palace inside the Crown Giant Tree.
“Your Highness, will you be returning to your quarters to rest now?”
A servant waiting in the corridor outside the Council Hall saw him approach and bowed.
This servant was his personal guard, brought from his own territory.
When he had attended the Nelf Family’s dance party earlier, this personal guard had also been at his side.
“Not just yet. I haven’t visited the palace in many years, so I thought I’d take a look around. Accompany me for a while.”
“…As you command.”
This personal guard, who had served him for a long time, quickly noticed the deeper meaning in his eyes.
He followed Alvin away from the Council Hall’s corridor, heading towards the upper levels of the palace.
The entire Crown Giant Tree served as the palace of the Fairy Court… and this palace was roughly divided into three functional areas.
The part with the most space, contacting the Lower District on the ground, was the servants’ quarters; most of the attendants and guards protecting the court lived here.
The middle section of the tree connected to the Central Plaza and the Upper District, and all the various government offices and departments of the palace were gathered here.
The Council Hall where Alvin had met Senia earlier was also located here…
…The area he and his personal guard were now heading to was the higher region, where only honored guests and royalty could reside.
“You haven’t been here in many years either, have you? What do you think? Has it changed a lot?”
“Your Highness is correct. The palace’s decor seems to have changed a great deal… It appears Her Majesty is quite interested in the recent developments of the humans.”
The canopy area featured vast indoor and outdoor gardens… …and the two were currently in one of the outdoor gardens.
They walked deeper into the quiet, secluded parts of the garden, exchanging thoughts on the changes in the palace.
“Besides that, what other changes are there?”
In a shadow cast by interwoven branches and leaves, Alvin suddenly stopped and changed the subject.
“The number of guards is unusual. In my memory, there weren’t this many guards in the upper areas.”
“Why has the Queen strengthened the security to this extent? And there are many Imperial Guards among them. I don’t understand why my sister would need to increase the guard to this level. Could it be that Her Majesty found out from another source and is responding preemptively?”
“You came to report the incident at the dance party to Her Majesty, didn’t you? But she only strengthened the security in the upper areas. Judging by her reaction just now… it’s clear she didn’t know beforehand. And even when I told her it was important, her attention was focused on other things.”
“…Do you wish for me to investigate this, Your Highness?”
“Yes.” Alvin nodded to his personal guard. “Something has certainly changed in the palace… I need to know what it is. Gather the other servants and inquire around the palace. Be careful.”
“I understand. And what about you?”
“I’ll also look around the palace. As soon as you find anything, hurry back to my quarters and wait for me… I’ll see you later.”
Following his orders, the personal guard left. Alvin deliberately stayed in the garden for a while before casually walking out.
That feeling might have once been affection… but now it had become a hopeless obsession.
Alvin was well aware of this. After the Hero left, his sister’s obsession had deepened day by day… but he never imagined it would turn her into the person she was today.
He tried directly asking the Imperial Guards why they were stationed there—the first knight told him he was acting under orders, the second and third said the same.
When he subtly inquired about the Queen’s recent activities, these knights all chose silence.
This outcome didn’t surprise Alvin. These knights only swore loyalty to the Queen alone… even if he was the Prince Consort, Her Majesty’s blood relative, there was no guarantee they would answer him.
But their evasiveness also convinced Alvin that the changes in the palace were definitely connected to his sister’s change.
After questioning them, he decided to return to his quarters and wait for word from his subordinates.
His identity was too conspicuous… If he kept asking, it would inevitably attract more attention.
What he was doing now barely stayed at the level of ‘casual questions prompted by unusual security and concern for his sister’.
In his quarters, he waited anxiously for his subordinates’ reports. But he waited until nightfall, and none of his personal guards returned.
“What’s going on… Even if they couldn’t find anything, they should have come to report to me.”
As he waited fruitlessly, he grew increasingly uneasy… And just then, there was a soft knock at the door.
“Come in.”
“Prince Consort.”
The clinking armor of an Imperial Guard and the familiar, cold greeting made Alvin’s heart tighten… but he quickly composed himself and looked up calmly.
“It’s you, Waletidina. What brings you here?”
A female Imperial Guard knight entered from outside the door. She was Waletidina, the commander of the Imperial Guard.
Even facing the Prince Consort, her expression was as stern and solemn as her voice.
“You know very well why I’m here, Your Highness. Your servants, who were snooping around, are now being detained by the Knight Order.”
“…So you’ve come to detain me?” Alvin noticed two more Imperial Guard knights behind Waletidina and deliberately raised his voice. “Just because I had my men inquire about some news in the palace, you’re going to arrest me? Let me tell you, I am a member of the royal family!”
“I have no authority to detain you for such a reason. I came to offer you advice: With the Audience Ceremony approaching, please refrain from conducting any improper investigations.”
Ignoring his feigned arrogance, Waletidina calmly added, “This is also Her Majesty’s wish.”
“!” Alvin’s expression changed abruptly. He stood up, glaring at Waletidina, and lowered his voice to a minimum. “Is this my sister’s wish? Do you know what she’s become now?”
As he spoke, Waletidina’s gaze shifted slightly… “Everything is as usual.”
Alvin caught that shift precisely. “With her like this, don’t you have any thoughts? Is this your loyalty, Waletidina? To her current state?”
“I do not understand your meaning. If you cannot calm down, perhaps you should take a walk in the courtyard outside?”
“You iron-headed woman!”
“Your subordinates will be released after the Audience Ceremony.”
Leaving only those words, Waletidina turned and left the room. Alvin sat back down in his chair, listening to the knights’ footsteps fade away.
Maybe now’s about right.
After waiting about half an hour, he got up and walked towards the nearest garden.
Once he entered the depths of the garden, he found Waletidina waiting there as expected.
“I’m here.”
He knew Waletidina wasn’t the type to use sarcasm or mockery. Since she left that remark, it must have been intentional.
“The Queen’s change stems from a human girl. She is currently a guest in the palace… and the Imperial Guard has gathered here to protect her.”
‘A human girl…?’
Waletidina didn’t beat around the bush… but Alvin was stunned nonetheless.
“Yes. The girl appears to be the Hero’s daughter.”
‘The… Hero’s daughter? But the Hero’s daughter is in the Nelf family…’
“She is another one. Reportedly, the girl who defeated the Magus who attacked Northern Yilansiya has been called the Hero’s illegitimate daughter.”
“Then the rumor is true? The Magus wasn’t defeated by the Sword Saint… but by a young girl? The Hero’s illegitimate daughter?”
“I am not clear on the specifics. But that girl is indeed here. During the Lower City riots, she ended up at the Clausure Company’s office. And Her Majesty was there at the time. She arrived at the palace with Iyue Nairfu, and yesterday…”
Alvin had naturally heard about the Elf Hero’s return and the series of disturbances she had caused, as well as the Clausure Company… Iyue!
But at the time, he was waiting for reports on the aftermath of the dance party, so he hadn’t looked into it further.
“The girl does bear some resemblance to the Hero. So Her Majesty brought her back to the palace. After inviting her for breakfast today, she instructed us to strengthen the palace’s defenses and block all suspicious approaches.”
“Including me?”
“Everyone else is considered suspicious. That is all I know.”
Finishing her words, Waletidina bowed to him and then walked towards the garden exit.
“I want to see that girl. Waletidina, please help me arrange it.”
Alvin spoke to her back.
“As the Captain of the Imperial Guard, I cannot do that. Her Majesty has decreed that no one, except the maids, may enter the girl’s Royal Bedchamber.”
Leaving that remark, she strode away quickly.
Meanwhile, Lian was sitting by the window in the Royal Bedchamber.
Moonlight filtered through the gaps in the branches, casting dappled shadows on the floor.
She hadn’t left the area near the bedchamber all day.
“Please do not wander too far. If you require anything, just instruct the maids.”
She was indeed under house arrest.
She could take a walk nearby, but whenever she approached the entrances to other areas, the guarding knights would step forward and politely turn her back.
The Imperial Guards were the elite of the Fairy Court, their prowess incomparable to human knights or soldiers…
They possessed masterful swordsmanship and archery, as well as magical abilities on par with high-ranking human mages.
If it were just one or two, even with her magic suppressed, Lian was confident she could defeat them… but if they were numerous, she would have no choice but to raise her hands in surrender.
…She slowly outlined an escape plan in her mind.
The surrounding environment, the patrol routes of the Imperial Guards, her position… So Lian didn’t act rashly.
She meticulously observed everything.
“I can’t be sure with just one day… I’d better observe the changes tomorrow.”