“…Oh my, why would you think that? Why would I want to drag you back?”
The fact that she felt bewildered was impossible to change, so Vita did not hide it. Instead, she acted as though she was startled by Kane’s words, rather than the fact that he was actually apologizing.
“After all, I am an outsider. It is only natural to be wary of whether I would have a negative impact on the Royal Family. No one can guarantee that I wouldn’t go around using the Royal Family’s name to swindle people after leaving the palace. So, it’s best to be monitored… I think it is quite normal to have such thoughts.”
Kane did not notice anything wrong with Vita. He simply explained why he thought that way, speaking as if he were discussing someone else’s affairs.
Ultimately, it was because he himself believed he should be kept in the palace.
At the very least, if he were the king of a country and a woman who could be mistaken for him suddenly appeared, Kane certainly would not let her leave the palace easily.
“The logic is sound, I suppose, but you aren’t the type of person to cause trouble, are you? Neither Her Majesty nor I have any intention of imprisoning you, you know?”
Hearing Kane say this, Vita felt both helpless and amused.
She had not expected Kane to think this way. Although there was some truth to his logic, from her perspective, Corellia had absolutely no such intention.
While Vita personally disliked that arrogant and cold woman, she had to admit that Kane was special to Corellia. After all, he was the first man permitted to address the Queen by her name.
If anyone else received such treatment, their head would likely spin with the thought that they had gained the Queen’s favor, and they would surely become conceited.
Yet Kane was exceptionally clear-headed. Not only was he not getting ahead of himself, but he even thought he should be placed under supervision.
How ridiculous.
“In that case, I am sorry. It seems I overthought things.”
Kane admitted that he had been a bit too serious and gave an apologetic smile.
“Mhm, as long as you know. If anything, if anyone tried to harm you, I would be the first to object.”
As she watched the man before her apologize again, Vita took on an attitude of being ready to fight for his sake.
In reality, of course, she was taking the opportunity to woo Kane, increasing his favorability toward her to facilitate her revenge against Corellia.
“Haha, that is quite reassuring.”
Unaware of her motives, Kane indeed felt that Vita was reliable.
However, due to Vita’s identity, his trust felt more like familial affection than romantic interest.
Vita, of course, noticed this as well.
‘He doesn’t see me as a member of the opposite sex. A cheerful personality makes it easy to go from a stranger to an acquaintance, but is it hard to take a step further from there…?’
While Vita continued to chat casually with Kane on the surface, she was re-evaluating the current situation in her mind.
Her frivolous and cheerful personality was not her true self; it was merely a disguise to make others drop their guard. This kind of extroverted, sunny personality could quickly close the distance between strangers.
However, moving beyond that was difficult.
Furthermore, her opponent was Kane — someone who appeared polite to everyone but actually maintained a sense of distance.
If she wanted to win Kane over, relying on this so-called sunny personality to slowly melt his icy barrier might take a lifetime.
Not to mention, she had to prevent Corellia and Kane’s relationship from progressing further.
She had to think of another way.
“Ah, right. I almost forgot my business again. So, what did you want to see me about yesterday?”
At that moment, Vita remembered the important matter at hand. With a look of sudden realization, she quickly stopped their trivial chatter and brought back the topic from yesterday.
“It is nothing major. I just wanted to ask about the Queen’s opponents. I thought you would know more about them than anyone. Although Corellia surely knows as well, I felt it might be inappropriate to ask her directly. So, I can only rely on you.”
Due to the Second Prince in the original work, Kane trusted Vita quite a bit. Since she was so concerned about him, Kane decided to let their distance close slightly.
Of course, it was only slightly — at most to the level of ordinary siblings. It wouldn’t get much closer than that.
He looked at Vita with a serious and sincere expression, lacking any pretension.
It would have been fine if Kane hadn’t said anything, but his words nearly made Vita burst out laughing.
Perfect! She was just worrying about how to bridge the gap between them, and Kane had practically delivered himself to her doorstep.
And it was even about a topic involving Corellia.
Who would have thought that the goddess of fate could actually do something good? Since the opportunity was handed to her, she would graciously accept it.
“…Mhm, I understand. However, this place is a bit inappropriate. How about we change locations? You should have some time, right? Why don’t we go for a walk in the outskirts?”
Responding to Kane’s trust, Vita tucked away her frivolous smile and replied with a serious attitude.
Her suggestion that they should talk elsewhere for fear of being overheard was quite convincing.
As it happened, the open space in the outskirts would also make it convenient for Kane to test his magic again.
Finding no issue with the plan, Kane nodded in agreement.
Seeing Kane prepare to follow her without hesitation, Vita immediately smiled. She stood up quickly from her seat and grabbed Kane’s arm, leading him out. As they walked, she didn’t forget to wave at the receptionist who had been watching them.
“Sorry~ I’m going on a date with Master Kane now. I’ll come back for a quest some other time~ See you later!”
Although Kane had some doubts about her wording, it wasn’t a big deal. Like an older brother being pulled along by a lively younger sister, he offered no resistance or complaint.
He truly followed Vita out of the Adventurer’s Guild obediently.
This display caused the receptionist to flash a kind smile filled with both well-wishes and a hint of longing. Clearly, she had taken the statement at face value.
‘Those two have such a good relationship. Maybe I should find a boyfriend too?’
—
Meanwhile, at the royal palace.
“What!? Mother suddenly left the palace this morning!?”
Edwina, who had just finished her lessons, looked distressed upon hearing the news of Kane’s departure. Although she usually wore a melancholy expression, it was clearly much more severe now.
“…You really called that fraud ‘Mother,’ Edwina. Is your mind still functioning normally? Do you need to see a doctor?”
Vanessa, who had delivered the news, looked on with a speechless expression.
Had she not heard it with her own ears, she wouldn’t have believed it. Which part of that man looked anything like their Mother?
“…”
However, Vanessa’s reprimand did not reach Edwina’s ears.
At this moment, Edwina’s mind was filled with thoughts of what would happen if Kane left and never returned.
The more she thought, the more anxious she became, leaving no room for her sister’s complaints.
No! She couldn’t just sit here and wait! She had to find the Mother who had left the palace!
Thinking this, the princess, gripped by her heavy obsession, rushed out of the room without a word, failing even to say goodbye to Vanessa.
More accurately, she seemed to have forgotten Vanessa was even in the room.
“Ah, hey! Edwina!”
The ignored Vanessa was clearly startled. Even though she called out her sister’s name, she couldn’t stop her. In her helplessness, she quickly chased after her.
They were sisters, after all. She couldn’t just watch the usually quiet Edwina go on a rampage.
***
Well, my attempt at a double update today failed. The ten monthly votes for an extra chapter definitely count. I already owed three, and since I failed the double update today, I’ll add one more as a penalty. That’s four chapters I owe. I’ll work hard to pay them back this month.