Late-Night Messengers from the Crown Princess
It took quite some time, but the place Iris arrived at was the backyard of a butcher shop so rundown it could only be called shabby. Yet it wasn't your typical butcher shop yard—scarecrows were scattered around, along with wooden weapons that looked like they were used for training, making it stand out.
"Isn't this just a regular butcher shop?"
"The owner is a former swordsman who was quite the hotshot in his youth. He occasionally teaches talented folks as a hobby, from what I hear."
Anticipating Iris's curiosity, Seo Jinhee had already completed a full investigation on Duncan, the man running Der Viscounty's one and only butcher shop.
"Is that so? Even after retiring, he's using his talents to train others. A true imperial citizen."
"Yes, Your Highness. He's just the kind of talent you'd like. Unfortunately, he has no intention of ever coming back."
"What a shame. Anyway, so he's teaching someone, and he called the saintess for that disciple?"
"That's correct. We haven't confirmed any connection between him and the saintess yet... but I'll report it the moment we do."
Finding the link between Duncan and Estelle the saintess had proven more difficult than expected. It felt like something was being hidden—or deliberately concealed—which suggested it wasn't your run-of-the-mill colleague relationship.
"He doesn't seem like a bad person, so it's probably not anything suspicious."
"I agree. Anyway, it looks like the saintess isn't here right now."
Iris peered into the empty, dark training yard. The sun had set long ago, and even the butcher shop was closed for the night—far too late for anyone to be training.
The traffic jam had delayed them more than anticipated, which was the main reason they hadn't met Estelle yet.
"How about staying nearby tonight, Your Highness, and meeting the saintess tomorrow?"
Seo Jinhee had already scouted a suitable hotel and booked a room. It was modest for the empire's second-highest-ranking noble, but Iris wasn't one to fuss over such things.
"You still haven't found where she went?"
"Ah, well... we have, but..."
"You have?"
"Yes, but it's not nearby—it's quite a distance away."
At Seo Jinhee's words, Iris began pondering Der Viscounty. It was the middle of nowhere, real backwoods country. Venture out from the village, and you'd find nothing but open fields dotted with the occasional farmhouse—no hotels or motels in sight.
Yet the saintess had gone somewhere far off?
"Did she head to the city center?"
That left the city center as the logical option in Iris's mind.
"No. Reports say she's staying at a farmhouse."
But that turned out to be a spectacular wrong answer. Estelle hadn't gone to the city—she'd headed to Theo's house, one of those scattered farmsteads.
"A farmhouse? The saintess?"
Recalling her first meeting with Estelle, Iris hadn't gotten an arrogant vibe, but she'd seemed refined and high-class. Hard to picture her roughing it at a farmhouse. And after sneaking into the empire illegally, no less.
"...Let's head there right now."
"It's just an ordinary farmhouse, Your Highness. Showing up so late without warning would leave them completely unprepared and flustered."
It was advice only Seo Jinhee, Iris's longtime maid, could offer. Normally, she'd follow Iris's lead without question, but visiting a humble farmhouse at this hour—unannounced and unable to offer proper hospitality—would be a grave offense from their perspective.
"Ah... you're right. Fine, then send someone ahead tomorrow to let them know we'll visit."
Anyone else might shrug it off with "What do I care?", but Iris was the crown princess who cherished her imperial subjects above all. It wasn't an exaggeration to say she loved them more than the emperor himself. She wouldn't do anything that could cause them trouble.
It was just a strange move by the saintess that had nearly led her astray, but having a loyal retainer at her side had kept her from it.
"Let's call it a night, then. You all need rest too."
"Yes, Your Highness. The room is ready—I'll show you."
Watching Seo Jinhee guide her as if nothing had happened, Iris thought again how wise it had been to keep her close.
"Wow, this is so good!"
She'd suddenly insisted I call her Estelle, and on the way back, she'd perfectly modulated her magic so I wouldn't feel a thing. Now, she was raving over every single dish my mom had made.
"Oh my, I'm thrilled it suits your taste, Saintess!"
"Come on, just call me Estelle! I'm not here as the saintess, you know!"
"Hehe, alright then. Make yourself at home, Estelle dear."
Mom had been shocked to learn the rare guest was the saintess, but years of dealing with people had honed her skills. She was playing right along with Estelle's requests, putting her right at ease.
"Sorry, Mom. I should've explained properly."
"It's fine, son. Why aren't you eating? Dig in and spend some time with Estelle dear. Whoops, slipped again. Ahem."
"It's okay if you call me Saintess if that's more comfortable."
"Oh, no, we can't! You went out of your way to say be casual."
Our mom's sheer nerve was something else. I kept my thoughts to myself to avoid a swat and just focused on eating. Mm, Mom's cooking was always great, but it felt like it was getting better every day. Coming home from training, scarfing down her meals, washing up, and crashing in my old but cozy bed—this was it. Kuh~ This was the happiness I'd been chasing!
"Theo, these eggplant fritters are amazing! I get why you raved about them!"
Watching Estelle's eyes sparkle as she devoured the fritters like they were all hers, I couldn't help thinking she was kinda cute. With that pretty face and adorable antics, who wouldn't be charmed? Sure, some called her speech rude, but that enchanting aura of hers had men—and probably women—eating out of her hand.
"Eggplant? It's definitely eggplant. How is it this good?"
Her intense stare at the fritter, like she was hunting for some hidden secret, cracked me up.
"It's food—what do you expect to see staring like that?"
"Hmm, I see eggplant. Eggplant hiding under the batter."
Just as I was marveling at how her quirky, lively character felt so real and endearing—
Knock knock.
"Is anyone home?"
A visitor at this late hour, on this deserted rural road...? This felt like some bad event flag... No, wait. We've got Estelle the saintess on our side. Her magic control is top-tier too. And she loves Mom's cooking—if anyone tried to mess with us, she'd probably jump in to save the day.
"Who is it?"
Trusting that logic, I called back.
"We've been sent by Her Highness the Crown Princess. Could you open the door for a moment?"
The name "Crown Princess"—something I'd only hear at the academy—left me stunned.
"Uh, y-yeah, sure. One sec."
Peeking through the hole in the door, I saw three very ordinary-looking guys. Sure, they could be assassins or swordsmen in disguise, but they gave off zero threatening vibes, so I opened up.
"Sorry for the late hour. Her Highness the Crown Princess has an urgent message, so we've come despite the impropriety."
What urgent business could the crown princess have with a rural farmhouse like this...? Ah, did they catch wind of the saintess? Makes sense—she didn't exactly enter through official channels.
"Her Highness knows the saintess is here and is staying at the hotel in central Der Viscounty to meet her. She'll visit tomorrow, so please refrain from going out."
The empire's number two was coming? Well, no choice but to comply. Besides, I'd have to face the crown princess eventually. Actually, this was perfect—seeing how she and Estelle got along firsthand would be gold. I nodded.
"Got it. I'll let the saintess know."
"Thank you. We'll be off, then."
True to their word, the men delivered the message and melted into the dark road.
"Estelle, Her Highness the Crown Princess is coming tomorrow."
I headed back inside and relayed what I'd heard.
"Oh dear. Looks like my illegal entry got busted. I'm in for a scolding from Her Highness."