His easygoing nature made me forget his true nature and act too freely.

“Well, now that I’ve seen you’re healthy, I should go…”

“Princess Luibel Ajestar.”

But as I tried to leave, he gently grabbed my hand.

“About the partnership request you agreed to last time, it still stands, right?”

I paused and looked into his eyes, then nodded quietly.

“Yes. I keep my promises.”

After all, it was true that his help led to Hezen’s defeat. I had to fulfill my promise.

“I’m relieved. I was worried.”

“Worried about what?”

It was odd hearing him talk about worry with such an unfazed face.

“Seems like your head is full of ways to avoid me.”

“Avoid you? That’s a misunderstanding.”

Of course, if I could avoid Anselot, that would be great.

“Yes, well. I can’t check what’s in your head. So let’s leave it at that.”

“…”

His comment about not being able to check my thoughts felt strangely ominous.

‘Anselot might physically be able to…’

The thought was unsettling, so I quickly shook it off.

Anyway, it was somewhat relieving to find out he wasn’t actually sick, despite falling for a false rumor.

“Now that we’ve cleared that misunderstanding, I really should be going…”

“Where to?”

“There’s still time before the ball starts…”

“Since you’ve come to escort me, why not join me for a walk?”

“I told you, I didn’t come to escort you!”
As I spoke out sharply, he let out a chuckle.

Feeling a bit teased, my face turned even redder than before.

“Yes, alright. Then please show me around the imperial palace, Princess Luibel.”

‘…I must be crazy. Why did I stir up trouble by coming here?’

I lamented my decision to come here.

It was still daylight as we walked side by side. Though Anselot asked to be shown around the palace, he didn’t seem interested in its geography.

While walking, I noticed knights blocking the way near the lake. Erbain, the Deputy Commander of the Knights, was leading them in Hezen’s absence.

My mother considered this incident an attempt to defame the royal family and had ordered an investigation. Consequently, Hezen’s funeral had not yet been held.

‘It’s not wrong. After all, Hezen released the monster at the lake to kill me.’

While walking and pondering, a question suddenly struck me.

“How did Hezen get his hands on the horn flute?”

It wasn’t an item one could just find.

Even after searching the [Player Exclusive Shop], now accessible to me, I couldn’t find the [Aegir’s Horn Flute] there.

“Perhaps someone wanting to aid the player’s awakening gave Hezen the flute. Maybe minions of the system?”

“But…”

I protested, furrowing my brows.

“It’s too risky to release a monster in such a public place, even if it’s for awakening.”

“They don’t care about the means as long as they achieve their goal.”

I recalled how the system cleaners had tried to kill me, a princess, and Anselot, a foreign envoy, within the palace walls, seemingly indifferent to the potential diplomatic crisis.

I briefly thought of my maid, Roana.

Their deaths had been eerily smoothed over. No one in my entourage seemed to question Roana’s sudden absence.

I frowned more seriously.

Maybe the person who gave Hezen the flute was among us, just like Roana and the other cleaners.

‘Someone who could contact Hezen and possess something special like Aegir’s Horn Flute…’

But no specific person came to mind.

‘Will the knights uncover it?’

Watching the knights at the lake with a grave expression, I opened my inventory, where Hezen’s items remained.

Item

A sinister flute made from monster bones, showing signs of previous use. Bringing ten to the Dark Guild Merchant yields a reward.

The single-use Hezen used had disintegrated, leaving the in its place.

This old flute, a remnant after summoning a monster, had no function and was a reward item. It was categorized as basic, medium, or advanced, depending on the monster’s rank.

Simply put, it was a marketing tactic by the game developers, similar to a promotion where you get a cookie for every ten cups of coffee.

‘Dark Guild Merchant… Sounds shady just by the name.’