Rita and Cecilia shared an unusual relationship—Angus was well aware of this fact; otherwise, he would never have allowed Rita to continue living in the Lord’s Mansion until now.
But that was all he knew.
He neither wanted nor cared to dig deeper into what kind of dealings Cecilia had with anyone else.
His sole focus was to manage his own duties properly.
Letting Cecilia stay in the Lord’s Mansion was merely to protect her to the greatest extent—to prevent the Fourth Princess from dying within Solus City.
Yet now, Cecilia still remained here, while Rita had vanished without a trace.
Reflecting on the incidents that had occurred to them in recent days, Angus’s unease was nearing its peak.
“Back to the point. It’s the period of the Holy Knight examination now, so increased crowds are reasonable. But so many incidents happening during the day left the soldiers stretched thin, and some people took advantage of the chaos to sneak into the city,” Cecilia spoke up during Angus’s silence.
“The city is now full of the disorder they caused, but the actual harm targets the city guards. What’s odd is that the soldiers are well-trained, and the rioters only rely on their numbers. Even if some slipped inside, their numbers couldn’t be that large.”
Angus could have figured this out after some thought, but Cecilia stating it so directly cleared a lot of confusion in his mind.
“Princess, let’s walk and talk,” Angus said, feeling it was necessary to hear what Cecilia wanted to say at this moment.
“Alright. The unrest hasn’t settled for so long, and it even requires your presence on the front lines to command. That’s a bit strange, isn’t it?” Cecilia matched Angus’s pace, a few soldiers quickly surrounding them. “The only reason for this situation is that from squad leaders all the way up to several district Guard Captains, no one can command. Only you can take charge now.”
Cecilia’s reminder suddenly made things clear to Angus.
The daytime incidents were something he had paid special attention to after hearing about them, which led him to visit the prison.
But even without his involvement, those issues would have been dealt with as usual.
The matter of the nightmare demon was much more serious and required his decision regardless.
But that was a special case; if he tried to handle everything personally, even splitting himself in two wouldn’t suffice.
However, the soldier who came to report tonight made it clear that it wasn’t just about overseeing overall coordination—he had to personally lead the front-line command.
He had long underestimated Cecilia.
From just a few words, she could deduce these facts.
This princess was clearly not just a useless ornament.
Angus’s tone grew more serious. “Princess, what is your opinion then?”
“Going through all this trouble to create chaos just to let some rioters enter the city is a bit extravagant. These rioters seem more like distractions for the soldiers—even for your own attention. Even if that were the only purpose, would they really only come into Solus City to stir trouble late at night? That’s unreasonable.”
Cecilia pondered, her expression growing increasingly grave.
She was thinking quickly, and only after turning a corner did she continue.
“The soldiers of Solus City are not so powerless that they can’t suppress a few rioters, and your commanders shouldn’t be so incompetent. So just like Rita’s disappearance, I hope they are truly only too busy to command. Otherwise, there must be a person—or even a whole unit—quietly and invisibly eroding your power piece by piece.”
“Ugh.”
The Guard Captain of East City let out a painful groan mixed with blood through clenched teeth.
Trembling, he grasped the fish-fin-like stiletto thrust deep into his chest with one hand.
Blood dripped from his palm.
He shook uncontrollably, yet in the reflection of his dilated pupils appeared a face so beautiful it made his heart tremble, as if his boiling blood merely added a layer of allure to the makeup.
But that makeup adorned cheeks covered with several sapphire-like, translucent fish scales, proving his inhuman nature.
“Damn demons, when exactly did you sneak in?” the Guard Captain staggered, the stiletto seeming to penetrate even deeper.
“When?” Long eyelashes lowered, those eyes scanned silently over the crowd—like an impenetrable wall—and the corpses of soldiers beneath their feet. “When do you think my school of fish swam into this filthy mud?”
This strange, almost suicidal charge made the Guard Captain inevitably recall that failed assassination—one he never personally attended but that was notorious throughout the city.
“So, so you’ve long been here… Damn it! How on earth did you get in?”
His tone grew more agitated.
Some unknown strength surged through him, and he raised his sword-bearing hand, swinging the last strike of his life with all his might at the calm woman before him.
The stiletto was pulled out earlier from his body, spraying blood.
His final attack failed to hit the target, and the sword fell from the warrior’s hand as he collapsed into the pool of blood.
In the basement.
“I’ve sent out most of my men as promised. These are my accumulated forces over many years. Though they are just a ragtag bunch, gathered together they are a considerable power. So… will this be enough to get what I want?”
Mel frowned deeply, repeatedly confirming the question she had already asked several times.
“Do you doubt her judgment?” The nightmare demon asked with a sly smile.
“But the price is too high.”
“The Lord of Solus City isn’t cheap. If you aren’t willing to pay even that price, how do you expect to get it?”
“That’s true… That noble won’t lie to me!” Mel gritted her teeth. “But this is so sudden. I didn’t even know today was the day to act.”
“You’re a merchant—you should know a good opportunity doesn’t come twice. Tonight is the perfect chance.”
Mel fell silent this time, but the crease between her brows deepened.
“Alright, I believe my companions have mostly done their part. Now it’s time for me to take the stage. Everything must be finished before they realize what’s happening.” The nightmare demon clapped her hands and strode toward the exit.
“Oh, right.” She suddenly stopped. “I hope the little Rabbit under your command handles things well. Otherwise, having a guard favored by the princess running loose could be quite troublesome.”
“Klaus, did you hear anything?” Rita frowned, gently shaking Klaus, who was slumped against her and completely drunk.
“No…” Klaus replied drowsily, stretching out an arm to wrap around Rita’s shoulder. “Princess Rita, maybe it’s just your imagination? Stay with me a little longer.”
It had been almost half an hour since Klaus called Rita to stay.
He remained in this half-drunk, half-awake state, refusing to let her leave.
Rita’s feelings toward Klaus were complicated.
If it were simply liking, that wouldn’t suffice, but there was definitely some affection.
This wasn’t a brothel.
Klaus’s attentions carried no ulterior motive, which made them all the more precious to Rita.
Since coming to this world, it was the first time someone cared for her without expecting anything in return—taking her to experience plays she’d never seen, sharing meals he personally cooked, and revealing stories no one else knew.
He offered his heart to her, and all Rita could offer in return was her own true feelings and the emotions that flowed from her sincerity.
What would develop in the future, or what this flutter in her chest truly meant, Rita hadn’t thought through yet, but an instinctive desire to protect held her back.
Just stay a little longer, she wanted to say.
But the current time and the vague foreboding rising within her made it truly hard to linger.