Seated in the drawing room of the grand mansion, Heidi was in a foul mood, her spirits practically in the underworld.
Last night, she’d been bossed around by that idiot Liya, with no time to rest, forced to travel through the night, and only arrived at Tafia at dawn.
Without even a moment to recuperate, she immediately began searching the city for traces of Eze and that woman.
She’d been so flustered during their last meeting that she’d forgotten to ask the woman’s name, but Heidi didn’t think it was a big deal.
A noblewoman with purple hair? How hard could it be to find her? Just ask around a little in town and she’d be found in no time.
However—
“Purple hair? No, we don’t have any nobles like that here.”
“Noble? Are you talking about the lord? No? Then I don’t know.”
“A purple-haired noblewoman? Is she pretty? Pretty!? Can you describe what she looks like!? I want to use it as a reward for myse—hey, don’t leave so fast!?”
Utterly exhausted in both body and mind, Heidi was on the verge of breaking down.
“What the hell is that idiot doing!? Half-dead from injuries and still making me run around like this—is he trying to show off!?”
“And what’s with that woman? Not a noble, not a wealthy merchant, not even an adventurer—don’t tell me she’s a succubus or a Faceless One in disguise, luring that fool away to harvest his organs!?”
If Eze was really dumb enough to fall for something like that, then she didn’t need to swallow her pride and disgust to look for him—he might as well just die already.
She could complain and fume all she wanted, but after venting, there was still work to do.
After all, Eze’s life could be joked about, but her own Inheritance Right to the Throne was no laughing matter.
So, she set her sights on the local lord—Sean Edgar’s mansion.
Judging by the clothes, that woman was definitely not just anyone. Since that was the case, the local lord would most likely know her.
Maybe she could find something out there.
But as luck would have it, the master was not at home.
Drowsy and half-asleep, she waited in the drawing room for about half an hour before Sean finally returned.
“Welcome to Tafia, Your Highness. I apologize for being late—the affairs of the territory kept me busy. Please forgive me, Your Highness.”
“It’s nothing, Viscount Edgar, you’re too polite.”
Heidi replied politely while sizing up the young nobleman before her.
He didn’t look even twenty—far too young for a lord, and probably not hard to deal with.
After exchanging greetings, the two sat down. Sean kept studying Heidi’s face, frowning as he asked,
“Your Highness, are you feeling unwell? You look rather pale.”
Not only was her skin ashen and lips dry, her eyes also looked a bit unfocused, and her short red hair, lacking any care, was messy and dry.
By noble standards, this was already bordering on disgraceful.
Heidi hadn’t wanted to show herself like this, but her body hadn’t recovered, she’d been running back and forth for two nights without sleep, and had almost coughed up blood from her useless teammates. Even if she wanted to look presentable, there was just no way.
She could only force a smile and say,
“I came straight here as soon as the battle ended—there was no time to tidy up or rest. Sorry for the unsightly appearance, Viscount.”
“Not at all. Your Highness bears the duty of the Hero, fighting the Demon Race for our safety. We should be thanking you.”
Though Sean said this, his gaze dropped subtly to the armor Heidi wore.
The silver Holy Armor—like the Holy Sword, it was a one-of-a-kind divine gift from the heavens. To appear more formal during her visit, Heidi had put it on.
But this set of spotless, gleaming, magnificent armor stood in stark contrast to Heidi’s current state.
Fresh off the battlefield, no time to tidy herself up, yet she’d managed to polish the armor until it shone?
Who was she trying to fool?
But Sean didn’t call her out. Instead, he wanted to see what she was really up to, so he smiled politely and asked,
“Your Highness, what brings you here today? Is there anything I can assist you with?”
Heidi shook her head.
“Thank you, Viscount, but today I’ve only come to deliver some news. The battle at Anlin Plain ended in a complete victory. The Great Witch Vilrian has been slain, and the Witches’ main force has been routed. They will no longer pose a threat.”
“Truly? Thank you very much. My people can rest easy now.”
The defeat of the Witches’ army at Anlin Plain was certainly good news—after all, it was so close to Tafia, and if the enemy had attacked, this place would have been the first to suffer.
But as for Heidi’s claim that she was only here to deliver news, Sean scoffed inwardly.
A Princess and Hero would come all this way herself for something any messenger could do?
Ridiculous.
No one comes to the temple for nothing—she clearly had some business she couldn’t speak of directly.
Her intentions were written all over her face.
And of course, his guess was correct.
Heidi was here to use Sean to find that woman.
But she couldn’t say so outright.
How could the Princess and Hero of the kingdom go out of her way to find a woman whom hardly anyone in town even recognized, someone of no social standing?
There was simply no way to explain it.
If she told the truth—that Eze had been lured away—those nobles itching to get rid of her would take action immediately.
That’s why Heidi used this excuse.
She said she was here to deliver the news of victory at Anlin Plain, but in reality, she just needed a formal reason to visit and find a way to fish for information.
Sean couldn’t guess all of this, but he didn’t care. In fact, he was forming his own plans.
The royal family of the Kingdom of Yalt was already crippled, but Heidi’s titles as Princess and Hero still carried weight. Now that she’d come to him of her own accord, why not make use of it?
With that in mind, he smiled and asked,
“Does Your Highness have any plans for what comes next? As the knights withdraw, do you require any assistance from Tafia?”
“The knights are still resting for now and won’t be moving out yet. Depending on the situation, we might need help. I’ll have to trouble you then, Viscount.”
“Of course, of course.”
Sean nodded with a smile, then suddenly changed the subject:
“If Your Highness isn’t in a hurry to leave, why not rest here for a while? After the Banquet tonight, you can return tomorrow—how about it?”
Heidi blinked.
“Banquet?”
“Yes. I wish to announce our victory to the city’s dignitaries in person. It’s also my way, as a humble noble, to show my respect for Your Highness’s bravery.”
“No need, no need, that’s too much trouble.”
“Not at all, not at all. If I didn’t at least do this much, I wouldn’t be fit to be lord.”
Heidi said this on the surface, but inwardly, she was delighted.
A Banquet, with all the city’s dignitaries present—there was a high chance that the woman she was looking for would attend as well.
That would save her the trouble of probing for information.
What’s more, through such a grand event, she could put a little pressure on that clueless woman, making her realize the difference between them and not even dream of competing.
On the other hand, just a single visit from her, and the other side was welcoming her so grandly. What did that mean? It meant her royal status still had value.
After being depressed for two whole days, she finally had something to be happy about.
“Then I’ll gladly accept your hospitality.”
Heidi didn’t decline any further—she hadn’t planned to anyway—and under the guidance of the mansion’s maids, she went to her guest room.
Sean, left in the drawing room, clapped his hands, and the butler who had been waiting outside immediately entered.
“Master, do you have any orders?”
“Change my earlier instructions—the Banquet will be held tonight, under the pretense of welcoming Her Highness. The Crystalrock Centipede hunt must be sped up and done today, with the reason being to ensure Her Highness’s safety. Understood?”
“Understood. I’ll see to it right away.”
The Banquet had originally been a trap set for that damned Adventurer Guildmaster, meant to disgrace him in front of all the city’s dignitaries.
Normally, it would’ve required some flimsy excuse to throw a banquet and speed up the commission, which could easily arouse suspicion.
But Heidi’s arrival gave him the perfect pretext.
And after all, Heidi was still the Princess. With her present, he could put even more pressure on that damned Guildmaster—truly perfect.
As for what Heidi herself was planning… Sean didn’t care. Judging by her awkward manner, it probably wasn’t anything aboveboard. If she wouldn’t say it, he’d just pretend not to know.
No need to make trouble for himself.
After a moment’s thought, Sean added,
“Also, the invitations for Mr. Ain and Miss Vivian, whom I visited earlier—you are to deliver them personally. Arrange for a carriage to pick them up at the appointed time. Make sure they’re treated with the utmost respect.”
To deal with the Guildmaster, Ain was indispensable.
And someone familiar with monsters but not affiliated with the Guild was a rare talent—worth recruiting.
Besides, if you need a favor from someone, it’s best to be polite and courteous.
No one would really act all high and mighty when asking for help, would they? Surely not, right? Surely not, right?