Although that officer said the princess had requested her presence, there was neither the princess around Rita now, nor had she been formally invited.
At present, Rita was, in name, a guest of the Lord of the Castle’s residence, but if she made the slightest move, she would likely face house arrest or even imprisonment.
This situation was thanks to Rita cooperating fully by handing over all the dangerous items she carried; otherwise, the small collar and handcuffs might already have been locked onto her.
Among the surrendered items was also the Sacred Knight Registration Certificate cradled in Rita’s arms.
Rita strongly suspected that without it, she wouldn’t be sitting so decently in the Guest Room of the Lord of the Castle’s residence, but rather swinging from the city gate alongside those assassins.
Although being hung at the city gate was avoided, being branded as the assassin of the princess, having her identity as a succubus revealed, or being found out that the registration certificate did not belong to her—all of these were enough troubles for Rita to handle.
Yes, it was decent, but not by much.
After all, this was the Guest Room of the Lord of the Castle’s residence—there was a huge bed carved with intricate patterns, a soft down mattress, linen sheets, and a blanket embroidered with designs even Rita did not recognize…
Perhaps because Rita’s self-identity as a succubus had settled in, or maybe because her rest had been so poor since transmigrating, her gaze never left the bed.
But compared to the princess’s room, it seemed a bit inferior.
Or rather, the princess’s room was overly luxurious? The decorations, bedding, and even the incense burning in the room were definitely brought in by the princess herself!
At the time, Rita had been so focused on the princess that she hadn’t even noticed how out of place the surroundings were compared to an inn; otherwise, she definitely wouldn’t have dared to sneak into the princess’s room for a nighttime assault.
If only she had noticed earlier last night and changed her course of action, wouldn’t today’s mess have been avoided?
Thinking back now, Rita really wanted to slap herself twice.
No one was coming to find her now, so worrying was pointless.
Since things had come this far, she might as well get some sleep.
Rita unfastened her leather armor, kicked off her boots, and dove headfirst onto the bed.
Inside the Reception Room of the Lord of the Castle’s residence.
A faint stream of magical power flowed from the hands of a female Mage, coalescing into an image in midair.
The image showed Rita lying on the bed, belly exposed, sleeping soundly in an extremely relaxed posture.
“To be able to sleep like that, she really has a big heart.
She still hasn’t grasped her situation and thinks we invited her here as a guest?” The Lord of the Castle crossed his arms, frowning. “Is she really unrelated to those assassins?”
“That’s hard to say. If she had known the assassins committed suicide before being interrogated, she’d naturally be at ease.” The princess seated in the main chair closed her eyes. “It’s also possible she’s aware she’s being watched by magic and is putting on a show for us.”
“But her identity, like those assassins, cannot be traced at all, yet the registration certificate on her is genuine. She showed no strange behavior during the chaos, and it’s logical that she finally wanted to leave in fear. I think she is unaware.”
“Anything is possible. Today’s assassination attempt was reckless and highly risky—any slight increase in security would have doomed it. Yet the assassins still tried. Why? To send me a warning? To complicate the situation? Or to make me lower my guard so something even more dangerous can catch me?”
“Princess, then what do you mean?”
“She may be an innocent caught in the mess, or she could be a clever assassin pretending to be crazy to get close to me. Until I meet her in person, there can be no conclusion. But one thing I am sure of: even if she is unaware of the matter, there must be another hidden truth.”
The Lord of the Castle was startled. “You just said she might be an assassin waiting for the right moment. Wouldn’t meeting her directly be a bit…”
“I want to trust your loyalty, but there is no evidence that your people—or even you—are uninvolved in this.” The princess rose from her seat. “As for whether she is innocent, I will judge for myself.”
Rita awoke abruptly to a grating creak that made her teeth ache.
Her cultivated sense of danger, combined with her excellent perception as a succubus, had her instantly open her eyes and curl up like a frightened kitten in the corner of the bed, eyes darting around warily.
She didn’t have to search hard to find the source of the sound—the evil origin herself, Princess Cecilia, stood at the door.
Cecilia’s eyes widened slightly in surprise before she revealed a meaningful expression.
Rita’s cheeks flushed red, and flustered, she scrambled to the floor and knelt on one knee, bowing respectfully to the princess.
“Princess.”
Only then did Rita realize what was happening.
“No need for formalities.” Cecilia waved her hand and pulled over a chair, lifting her skirt to sit. She looked up at Rita. “Sit.”
Rita rose slowly, her eyes flicking around the room with caution.
The door had been shut by Cecilia, and now only the two of them were alone.
What was going on?
She was accused of assassinating the princess—wouldn’t the other party be afraid she meant to harm her?
No, whether or not she had recognized her identity was more important.
If she knew Rita had entered her room last night, even if Rita was innocent of assassination, other charges could await her.
Rita, full of suspicion, sat opposite Cecilia.
The princess was small in stature, the embodiment of a legitimate loli figure, looking like a doll placed on the chair.
But Rita would never be fooled by appearances; whether it was the vague memory of her dominance from last night or her calm composure after the assassination attempt, all reminded Rita that this princess was no mere pretty vase.
At the square, Rita had also heard another word that caught her attention—the “Cursed Princess.”
She had wanted to investigate further, but reality hadn’t given her the chance.
This was not a late-night inn room; others might be watching this room.
She must not reveal her succubus identity unless absolutely necessary.
Of course, if the princess really wanted to hang her at the city gate, she’d have to run when the time came.
“You’re wondering why I’m alone with you?”
The princess’s voice interrupted Rita’s thoughts.
Rita knew nothing about this world’s etiquette, nor did she have experience being alone with such a high-ranking figure.
Even walking with her homeroom teacher made her uncomfortable.
This was exactly what Rita had been thinking moments ago; the princess was not wrong.
Rita answered truthfully.
“Yes, Princess.”
“Then what do you think the reason is?” the princess asked again.
Rita was stumped—she had to keep up appearances, come up with a reasonable, legitimate answer, and convince the other party.
It was a hellish challenge.
However, Cecilia had no intention of letting Rita answer and instead took out a bundle, placing it on the table.
“The reason is this.”
The princess slowly unfolded the bundle, revealing the contents, which made Rita gasp in shock.
Lying on the table was the extremely revealing outfit Rita had worn when the princess had pinned her down last night.
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