Chapter 225
Chapter 225
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 225
Chapter Title: Escorting Her Highness
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The day arrived for another meeting with the witches, but rather than heading straight to the Magic Department, I stopped by the Imperial Palace first.
I had asked a favor of Her Imperial Highness the Princess, so wasn't it only proper for me to roll out the red carpet—from seeing her off to seeing her return?
Even if our paths crossed by chance, it wouldn't matter.
It was just a small gesture of consideration on my part to earn a bit of favor, at the minor cost of a little of my time.
And fortunately, there were no such chance encounters.
"Unlike how you might see Yeo, it seems you do have some sense of honor."
"...?"
I almost didn't recognize her at first, since she was dressed in a maid outfit with a wide-brimmed hat, but the golden blonde hair cascading down from behind the hat gave her away immediately.
"Since I've come to ask a favor of Your Highness, this much is only natural. In fact, I'm sorry I can't do more."
"Hmph. Then I'll chalk it up as a debt."
"Yes, ma'am."
Thank goodness that tidy golden blonde hair like Elizabeth's was rare around the Imperial Palace outside of the imperial family.
If it had been a common color, I might've said, "Who are you?" and gotten royally chewed out.
"Allow me to escort you to the carriage."
As I imagined the parallel-world William who might have suffered that fate and shuddered, my shoulders twitched involuntarily. I hurried a step ahead toward the carriage.
Normally, I'd walk behind her or offer my arm as escort, but this was camouflage for now.
There were hardly any outsiders coming and going from the Imperial Palace, but preparing for the unexpected was important.
"Mm."
Her Imperial Highness knew that better than anyone, so she gave a slight nod and quietly followed behind me.
"This is the carriage for escorting Your Highness."
Arriving at the parking area, I pointed to a carriage that looked utterly shabby and tiny compared to the imperial ones, giving an awkward smile.
"Mm? This carriage..."
She glanced up at it, her eyes widening as she lightly covered her mouth with her hand.
"......"
Is it too small...?
It's the one I've been riding since childhood to avoid attention, and now that I'm used to small carriages being comfortable, it's become a liability for me.
I should switch carriages next time.
"If it's not to your liking, I'll hurry and prepare another one."
"Hee hee~ No, that's not it at all."
As I bowed my head and offered to fetch another, Her Highness waved it off with a pleased chuckle.
She gently placed her hand on the carriage, her gaze lingering fondly on the patterned door.
"It's just that it's been so long since I've seen this carriage. I missed it."
"Pardon? You've seen it before?"
I couldn't help but be startled by her words.
This was the carriage I'd pulled out of storage from my childhood.
For Her Imperial Highness to know about it? That didn't make sense.
Maybe she mistook it for a similar one?
"If Yeo's memory is correct, there should be a sword mark here... Ah."
She lightly brushed the side of the carriage, craning her neck around until she spotted the back, her face lighting up with a smile.
"It's still there, after all."
"Hm...?"
Looking where Her Highness pointed, there was a deep gouge.
I'd always thought it was just a dent from a crafting mishap long ago and never paid it much mind, but now that she mentioned it, it really did look like a sword mark.
"How do you know this carriage?"
"Because I've ridden in it before."
"...?"
Ridden in it? Beyond just seeing it?
I was even more baffled.
As far as I knew, Her Highness had never borrowed a carriage from our family.
"Hee hee~ This was before you were even born."
"Before I was born...?"
As I furrowed my brow and blinked in confusion, Her Highness looked at me fondly, as if I were adorable.
"There was that terribly complicated business twenty-one years ago, remember?"
"Ah..."
She must have ridden it during the civil war.
Now it made sense.
Things were such a mess back then that nothing would have been surprising.
A princess riding around in a shabby little carriage would've been downright mundane.
"Does seeing it bring back uncomfortable memories from that time?"
"Not at all. I had a lot of fun riding in this one, so it's fine."
A sword mark on the carriage, and it was 'fun'...?
"I see."
It absolutely didn't sound like it, but I nodded with a smile anyway.
Asking would definitely lead to some bizarre story.
"In that case, please, step right in. I'll escort you to the Magic Department."
"Very well."
I opened the carriage door and gestured inside.
"Oh my, this one's a bit tempting."
Her Highness watched Emily bow politely from her seat inside, then let slip something horrifying.
"No, that's not happening."
I shut it down clean.
Not even for His Imperial Majesty.
"It's been a while, Count Howard. Did you come up with some good ideas over the past week?"
"You won't be disappointed. His Majesty entrusted this to me—I can't half-ass it."
"Ufufu, saying that makes me look forward to it even more."
Lady Aileen, whom I met again after a week, looked positively radiant.
Maybe it was because the chance to deal with those newbie guillotine-wannabes ruining the witch image had come, or perhaps she'd just finally gotten a good night's sleep. Either way, she seemed in high spirits.
"Phew..."
"You've brought quite a load."
"It's just big sheets of paper. I have to draw large to show the fine details."
I set the bundled papers on the table and took a seat, shrugging it off casually while glancing at Emily and Her Highness, disguised as a maid.
"This might take a while—mind if the maids sit too?"
"Of course...?"
Lady Aileen smiled and turned to Her Highness, but the longer she looked, the more her face stiffened until it paled, and she pointed a trembling finger.
"Th-that... person... is a maid, right?"
True to someone who could read mana, she'd quickly sensed that the 'maid' was no ordinary person.
"For now, yes."
"Gulp..."
There was no point hiding it anyway, and I'd have to reveal her identity after the talk, so I phrased it indirectly.
Her face turned to stone as a result, but what could you do?
Someone had to sacrifice for the gold diggers' reform.
"Let's start with the designs."
"Ah, yes."
I snapped Lady Aileen out of her daze and unrolled the paper on the table.
Unfurling the A0 sheet revealed the black dress I'd sketched earlier, along with supporting accessories.
"It's decent."
"Trying something flashy would just fail. The key is escaping that sloppy, dingy image first."
"True. The dress itself seems fine, but from this alone, I can't picture how it'll look when worn."
Lady Aileen eyed the drawing skeptically, squinting and shrugging.
"Hard to see it shedding the image just like this."
"You don't make a newborn noble by dressing them up. It's about matching behavior and poise."
"Urgh... That's exactly why it's hard, so we're borrowing the clothes' help. But saying it like that..."
At the wake-up call, she pouted with a gloomy expression.
Chuckling at the sight, I leaned back in my chair and smirked.
"Well, that's why I prepared some countermeasures for that too."
"Countermeasures?"
She furrowed her brow at me like, 'Why are you worrying about that?'
"His Majesty entrusted me with this—gotta stake my life on it. He doesn't hand out trust lightly."
"Fair enough."
But anyone knowing who'd commissioned me would do the same.
Fail this, and my staff lose their knighthoods, I get summoned by His Majesty—how could I slack off?
"How do you plan to reform those hopeless kids?"
"Our maid here will help. One of the empire's most noble and elegant ladies."
I pointed to Her Highness on my left, her face hidden by her hat.
"Noble...? Elegant...?"
Lady Aileen stared at her in bewilderment.
Realizing the attention, Her Highness carefully removed her hat, revealing lustrous golden hair and a confident smile.
"Pleased to meet you."
"Y-yes... pleased to meet you...?"
Lady Aileen's face filled with confusion.
She managed a reply to the greeting, but looked like she was thinking, 'So who are you?'
"Ah..."
Unlike the nobles, the witches didn't know Her Imperial Highness well.
Magic Department newbies, after all.
They could sense the mana and guess she was an incredible mage, but nothing more.
Had I picked the wrong people?
Things were getting a bit tangled.
"H-hek...!"
As I pondered how to fix it, Lady Aileen suddenly gulped in shock, her body trembling.
"......?"
Wondering what was up, I glanced at Her Highness—her hair was floating ever so slightly.
Just like when Mother got angry.
I didn't know the details, but it seemed she'd used mana for something.
"Though our paths differ, as fellow travelers on the road of magic, I've come to offer a modest hand."
Emphasizing the gulf between them, she smiled brightly and crossed her legs.
Arm on the rest, chin in hand, she gazed languidly at Lady Aileen and beckoned lightly.
"So, if you could gather all the witches in the Magic Department."
"R-right away!"
Bowing deeply, Lady Aileen bolted from her office.
She was skilled enough for the Magic Department, yet reacting like that.
"Hee hee, what a cute little witch."
I glanced at Her Highness and rubbed my arms lightly.
To think I'd nearly been crushed by someone like her...