Then Erzhe, with a slightly disappointed expression, said, “Yesterday, I heard that there’s a greenhouse in the palace sponsored by Prince Erhan. But when I said I wanted to go there today, he said I couldn’t go in alone…”

“Ah, I see. The greenhouse is a place used by the royal family, so you can’t enter without permission.”

“But if you’re with the princess, you can enter. Could you accompany me tomorrow afternoon?”

Although caught off guard by the sudden request, Valia, considering this might be the last time, saw no reason to refuse.

“Sure, I’ll adjust my schedule. Let’s go together.”

After that, the name Erzhe would become meaningless to me.

Valia, with a calm expression, finished the remaining tea and stood up.

“See you tomorrow, Erzhe.”

“To be honest, I find Lady Kinetra a bit intimidating.”

Out of the blue, the maid who was grooming Valia’s hair blurted out such a comment.

“What happened?”

“Not much, but… originally, I find it a bit strange that she requested a tour of the palace.”

Most maids seemed to agree.

Valia, who had stopped grooming her hair, turned towards them.

“Anyway, the guest will be leaving soon.”

“A few days ago, I saw Lady Kinetra walking with Prince Erhan in the palace garden.”

“So she did.”

It was a story Valia had already heard directly from Erzhe.

However, the maid brought up a different story.

“In front of Prince Erhan, her expression was as if she were shivering like a frightened rabbit… and she kept glancing around near Prince Erhan’s office, which was suspicious.”

Valia quickly raised her hand to stop the maid from talking.

There was simply something that couldn’t be ignored.

“Gazing near Khalid’s office?”

At Valia’s question, another maid opened her mouth with an uncomfortable expression.

“I’ve seen it three times, Princess. The first and second times, she claimed to have lost her way, so I guided her back. The third time, she saw you, got startled, and ran away.”

There was dissatisfaction in her tone.
“Later, he made the excuse that the path was unfamiliar, but I can’t understand that either. From the beginning, the guest room and His Majesty’s office are on different floors, and the distance is quite far. I don’t know how he got lost and ended up going all the way there.”

“Hmm…”

Listening to that, it did seem peculiar.

Valia asked with a serious tone, “Were there any other strange things that caught your attention?”

“Oh, yes. I have one more thing.”

Another maid, who was pouring water into a cup, approached cautiously.

“When Princess collapsed this time, the guest often lingered in front of this room, seemingly coming to inquire about Your Highness’s well-being.”

Khalid had also heard about that. He often came to inquire about her and left. However, the maid’s expression suggested she wasn’t trying to convey that.

“Worrying and coming to inquire is understandable. We, too, often peeked in because we were concerned about you, Princess. Most of the servants were gloomy because of their concern for you. But…”

The maid’s expression wrinkled.

“When the guest found out about His Majesty’s room during that time, it seemed a bit creepy.”

Valia was also surprised by that revelation.

“…In Khalid’s room?”

“He excused it by saying he confused it with the neighboring room, but it’s a lie. I’ve seen him several times in front of Your Highness’s room, having conversations with His Majesty. And no matter how confused he was, it’s only natural not to enter the room without permission. So why did he go into His Majesty’s room, which was empty at the time…? That’s really strange.”

Valia couldn’t just let that pass.

If Erzhe was someone’s spy?

Although all the important documents were stored in the office safe, there could still be potential risks.

“Do His Majesty know about this?”

“Yes. I immediately told him. We even caught and searched him. However, we found no suspicious evidence. So His Majesty told me not to escalate the matter, saying that you shouldn’t be bothered without reason.”

“…I see. But still, it bothered you?”

“Of course. His actions, wandering near His Majesty’s office and entering His Majesty’s room without permission, are suspicious behaviors with some hidden motives. Maybe coming to the palace was also a scheme to make an impression on the princes. I just hope he returns home as soon as possible, even if it’s just for a day.”

Valia felt anger in the maid’s words.

She calmly comforted the maids.

“…If no evidence was found during the search, it might have been a genuine mistake. Don’t unnecessarily suspect the guest and be rude to him.”

“Of course. We would never become a nuisance to His Majesty and Princess. You can trust us.”

Valia smiled warmly at the trustworthy maids.

“Thank you. I feel secure with you all.”

However, despite their composed appearance, Valia had a complex feeling.

Considering the stories the maids brought up, it seemed like Erzhe was approaching Khalid. Even if it wasn’t, there was undoubtedly something fishy.

‘I should observe closely when we meet later.’

The innocent and cheerful Erzhe from yesterday’s conversation didn’t match up with the suspicious actions heard through the maids. Moreover, didn’t Erzhe like Raul?

The behaviors were utterly incomprehensible.