[Vol. 7] Chapter 236: Confrontation
"Even so... Even if that's the case... To just sit and watch my own brother die... Even if he's only a blood relative of this body, it's still too cruel. Is it really necessary to sacrifice a family member’s life, for the sake of expanding territory, or for some vague, uncertain idea of national destiny?"
"Oh? This body? That choice of words sounds like it has some deeper meaning~"
"Wah!?"
A crisp, unfamiliar female voice suddenly echoed in the room, making Carinvega jump in surprise. She nearly leapt off the sofa. Her first reaction, however, wasn’t fear. It was confusion.
After all, this room was the princess’s private suite, protected by the highest-level security. Ever since that strange magician’s attack, Sainz had added extra barriers using the ‘Tower of Space’, blocking almost all forms of spatial teleportation. In theory, even someone with extremely high powers shouldn’t have been able to sneak in silently.
"Guards—"
Carinvega instinctively wanted to call for help, but her experience as a royal quickly made her hold back. If the person before her really wanted to kill or capture her, she would have already lost all ability to move the moment that voice first spoke.
The fact that she was still conscious meant that this intruder didn’t intend to harm her. At least not yet. It also meant the person wasn’t afraid of her calling for help. Acting rashly could easily make things worse and put her in real danger.
"Oh? You're not screaming? I even set up a barrier in advance just in case, it looks like I miscalculated, you are quite wise compared to most people I know in the past. So you’re not someone who just relies on your special powers after all. Seems like you’ve got some real ability."
That pleasant, clear voice spoke again. Carinvega had only just managed to calm herself and now looked in the direction of the voice.
There stood a petite girl with black hair, dressed in a white robe. She was casually leaning by the window, having just put down a novel she’d picked up from the desk at some point. Her gaze was half-smiling as it landed on Carinvega.
"Miss Violet?"
After seeing the other person's appearance, Princess Carinvega instinctively let out a sigh of relief. But then, as if remembering something, her heart tightened slightly. She could only force herself to greet the girl.
"You... when did you come into the room? Do you need something from me?"
The uninvited black-haired girl put her hands up like claws, trying to look fierce. But she just ended up looking cute and harmless.
"What do you think, Princess Carinvega of the Austre Empire? As an honorary professor of Sainz, of course I’m here to defend peace and justice, and stop the war that’s coming. I came to capture the mastermind behind it in advance!"
"Wha—what war? Hahaha... I don’t quite understand what you mean?"
Seeing the girl with different-colored eyes look stiff and flustered, trying to explain herself nervously, the mischievous girl didn't care. She grinned and slowly explained.
"As for when I came in, well, as you can see, the doors and windows are tightly shut. I don't know any wall-passing spells, so of course, I came in with Mr. Shutak when he came to find you just now, properly through the door."
"I heard everything you said~"
"No, no! Miss Violet, I can explain..."
"Hmm~?"
The mischievous girl smiled with her lips curled up, like a white cat who found an interesting little toy. Her expression became more amused.
"Explain what? Explain that you don’t actually know the Austre Empire’s plan? You thought you were just here to bring glory to your country, but only just now did you find out that the Empire’s spies have already infiltrated every district in Sainz, waiting for the right moment? Or, are you confused and helpless, wanting to stop the coming chaos but not knowing where to start?"
"Is this really okay, Princess Carinvega? Letting someone like me, with an unknown background and whom you've only known for less than a month, know that Carinvega Frederick is actually just someone with an empty title, not as clever as people think, and you don’t even know what your subordinates have been secretly doing during this time?"
"Hmm, hmm, you know... if news like this gets out, the [Empire’s Two-Colored Lotus] might lose its reputation, right~?"
"Eh... eh!?"
Seeing Princess Carinvega drenched in cold sweat with a look of "How, how, how do you know this!?" and an expression full of guilt, Violet realized that up until just now, her judgment had only been a guess. But now, it was confirmed.
In the end, if even this expression, or the deep mental state shown in her [Yin-Yang Eyes], was all just a disguise, then Carinvega Frederick could truly be described as a complete monster. In that case, even if Violet had been tricked by her act of "pretending to be weak," Violet would have nothing to say.
A moment later, in the princess's room, after managing to calm herself, the girl with different-colored eyes took a few deep breaths and then looked up at Violet. The priestess was sitting leisurely on the opposite sofa, crossing her legs, and slowly shaking her small feet while enjoying a special breakfast dessert, savoring it bit by bit. Carinvega looked like she had made up her mind.
"Miss Violet, you... already knew all of this?"
"Hm? You're being a little too broad with that question... Well, most of it, yes, I knew or guessed a long time ago. After all, I'm pretty good at this~ Oh! This egg tart is really good, is it a special craft from the Austre Empire?"
"Uh, kind of? I brought it from the Imperial Capital..."
The princess was left a little confused by the casual and random way Violet spoke. Her calm and composed words, which she had carefully prepared, shattered into pieces without logic. She could only sigh and reluctantly accept the situation.
"That's right, as Miss Violet said, the truth is... I, Carinvega Frederick, am not as clever as people say. I wouldn’t say I’m stupid, but I’m just average, like most people."
"All that talk about far-sightedness and god-like wisdom is just nonsense. I only got this far thanks to some special methods and a bit of luck, but... to be honest, those special methods don’t work anymore. Now, everything is out of control, and I really don’t know what to do..."
"Oh~ Special methods?"
After finishing the egg tart, Violet took a sip of her freshly brewed tea to clear her throat. Her silver-blue eyes stayed on the princess for a moment, but she didn’t immediately ask what those methods were. Instead, she smiled and changed the subject.
"So, are you asking for my help? But, our relationship isn’t exactly close, is it? We can’t even say for sure if we’re enemies or friends. Is it really okay to reveal your secrets like this without any hesitation?"