Have I been mentally weakened? Was there such an incident?

I tried to recall Lionel’s words, but nothing came to mind.

“What do you mean by that?”

Prince Tesler asked me hesitantly, glancing at me.

“Oh, didn’t I mention that before? As I said, a courtier who worked in the empress’s palace was murdered during the empress’s palace sponsorship.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Upon investigation, it was a courtier named Pessilini, who worked in the concubine’s residence.”

“I-Is that so?”

When the topic of Pessilini came up, Prince Tesler’s pupils moved involuntarily.

I, too, was surprised.

I hadn’t imagined that Lionel would bring up this topic.

It seemed he learned about it again through Raphael.

“Why would a courtier from the concubine’s residence be murdered in the empress’s palace sponsorship?”

Lionel leaned towards Prince Tesler, questioning with a curious tone.

“That’s indeed peculiar. You know as well as I do that such things occasionally happen in the palace. So, it’s not that peculiar.”

“Well then…”
“This is an ominous occurrence,” Lionel murmured, lowering his voice with a hint of solemnity. Prince Tesler’s throat tightened for a moment.

“Discovering a corpse of a courtier in a large and talkative palace is not an entirely unusual event, but given the timing, it is indeed peculiar.”

“Do you suspect someone among the guests?” Prince Tesler asked with a tense expression.

“Haha, we can’t suspect the guests. Even if we were to talk about guests staying at the Raphion imperial palace at that time, it’s none other than Prince Norton and yourself, right?”

!”

Prince Tesler’s face turned a bluish hue, as if someone were choking him.

“In that case, one would have to suspect one of the guests from both countries, but would that even be possible? Especially considering you are from the Shato-nil Kingdom, the empress’s country.”

He swirled his wine glass playfully. Prince Tesler drank the wine all at once, as if he were drinking water.

“Oh, Prince, take it slowly.”

“Yes, y-yes… Your Majesty.”

“Given the unfortunate event in the empress’s palace sponsorship right before the grand continental hunting tournament, the empress is understandably anxious. So, the empress needs someone trustworthy by her side during such times.”

“I am deeply impressed by Your Majesty’s profound consideration.”

Prince Tesler flattered him as if applauding. “It’s only natural,” Lionel replied, wrapping his arm around my shoulder in a playful manner. Unintentionally, I raised my thumb under the table. Lionel noticed it when he glanced down, and he continued his act, skillfully returning to the conversation.

“If Bonis becomes a companion to the empress, the empress, who is already mentally fragile, will quickly recover and find stability again.”

He looked at Prince Tesler and drove the point home once more.

Even if the Emperor of the Raphion Empire talks about such matters, if there is courage to refuse, I intended to raise my thumb to Prince Tesler as well.

“Not an official concubine, and not even a courtier… is it difficult?”

Interpreting Lionel’s hidden meaning in those words, it roughly meant: even I, the Raphion Emperor, willingly send my concubine to the Prince of the Partsha Empire for the sake of justice. Can’t a prince from the Shato-nil Kingdom make a simple concession?

“Well, it is something to think about…”

Prince Tesler weakly replied in a hesitant voice.

“Shall we finish now? That thought.”

The prince, who had been directly pierced by Lionel’s sharp gaze, finally raised his hand.

“Yes, Your Majesty. I will do so.”

Although the answer to the problem was already decided, my heart pounded with anxiety at the thought of whether he would refuse.

I met eyes with Bonis. The rigid expression on her face began to loosen slightly. The heavy boulder that had settled in my chest for a while now seemed to disappear at last.
“Well, then, after the hunting tournament is over, we will follow the procedures in the Shato-nil Kingdom and send Bonis as a maid to serve Empress Bonis.”

Prince Tesler spoke as if reluctantly.

“There’s no need for formalities when she’s not even an official concubine.”

“That may be true, but… we still have to move Bonis’s belongings, and shouldn’t you give us time to bid farewell?”

Prince Tesler expressed slight irritation.

“The items Bonis uses can be replaced with those from the Raphion imperial household. And since you’ll be encountering each other throughout the hunting tournament, do we really need to travel back to the Shato-nil Kingdom just to say goodbye?”

I looked at Lionel as I spoke, but it was a remark directed at the prince.

“Bonis, what do you think? Did you bring anything important from your kingdom?”

“No, Your Majesty.”

Upon her response, a rough snort was heard from Prince Tesler.

“Alright then. Bonis, please take good care of the empress from now on. However, keep in mind that this is only during the daytime when I’m not around. Take note of that.”

Lionel told Bonis, tapping my thigh under the table.

“Yes, Your Majesty. I will keep that in mind.”

Bonis responded after a moment of confusion, quickly lowering her head.

After the dinner, Prince Tesler returned to his separate palace.

While Zelda suggested having tea with Lionel after Bonis, he said he still had work to do and headed back to his office.

“You called for me, Your Majesty.”

Raphael responded to his summons and entered the office.

“Find out what was inside this.”

Placing a small potion bottle on his work desk, Lionel ordered Raphael.

It was the magic potion bottle discovered next to the rose vase in Zelda’s bedroom.