The Princess's Tail
Unlike a few days ago when I was turned away with a polite let's meet next time, getting an audience with the princess today wasn't difficult at all. The prince must have dropped some kind of hint.
"...Welcome."
Well, the servant attending her still shot me a suspicious look on the way in. The vibe was basically Who do you think you are, showing up to see Her Highness without an appointment? But hey, do you want to handle this instead? My head's already pounding just thinking about what comes next.
"When you meet Her Highness, you must observe proper etiquette. The essential protocols are as follows──"
Ah, it's boring right from the start. Still, I paid attention just in case. If I'd been a foreigner they probably wouldn't have gone this hard, but since I'm from the Korean Empire it feels like the lecture gets twice as long. After enduring an explanation of etiquette so stifling it felt like my breath was being choked off, we finally reached the top floor of the residence.
"...Please come in, Mr. Namgung Min."
"Thank you for your hospitality, Your Highness."
The princess's expression made it clear she'd known someone was coming, but never expected it to be me. She waved the servant who'd escorted me away, then gestured to the chair across from her.
"Sit."
"Yes, ma'am."
The room was far too large for one person. Ornate decorations, luxurious furniture, and a glittering chandelier all screamed opulence. A high-end carpet cushioned the floor, and the chair I settled into was so perfectly balanced—neither too soft nor too firm—that it felt almost surreal. So this is what it means to be imperial family. The space really drove home the sheer status of Kim Eun-ha and Kim Seong-il.
"So, you said you had something to tell me?"
"Yes. During our last class, didn't I mention reading Your Highness's fortune?"
"...You did. That's right."
I brought up a fortune that had never been promised, but the princess accepted the conversation naturally without showing any reaction. If I simply delivered the prince's message and left, it would look suspicious to anyone watching. The fortune-telling excuse must have gotten the intent across.
"Will you be using tarot?"
"That's my specialty, but today I'll be reading your facial features."
"Physiognomy...?"
Physiognomy. Fortune-telling based on a person's appearance. Like what I'd done for that rather distinctive-looking Druid senior, it mainly involved studying the face. You examine the primary bloodlines and palaces, divide the face into three sections—upper, middle, and lower court—and predict future fortunes. Since physiognomy gives a fortune teller plenty to talk about, it's also the easiest way to slip a message through.
"You're busy, so we shouldn't take too long. Shall I just look at your eyes?"
"My eyes?"
"In physiognomy, the eyes are considered the most important feature. They say if the face is worth a thousand gold, the eyes are worth nine hundred."
Of course, this was all just an excuse. Better to keep it light and appropriate.
"Your Highness possesses... phoenix eyes."
"Phoenix?"
"Among all eye types, it's the finest—superior even to the dragon eyes often called the emperor's gaze. With them, wealth and fortune roll in even if you do nothing, and you obtain whatever you desire. The eyes of an ambitious person."
"...Ambitious."
"Indeed."
The princess didn't actually have phoenix eyes, but my words weren't wrong. She truly was an ambitious person who obtained everything she wanted. Why else would she be the hidden power behind the imperial family?
"Moreover, phoenix eyes are... the kind I like and want to protect. They're extremely rare, you see."
"...!"
The princess, who had been listening to my reading, widened her eyes. It was the prince's coded message: I like and want to protect you. The code itself wasn't complicated at all. He'd simply translated the hanja into Korean. "Like" was (ho), "protect" was (wi). Taking just the sounds gave "ho-wi"—guard. Add "I" in front and it became my guard. In other words, the assassin was among the prince's own guards.
But seriously, how is this even a code... Ji-soo, were you that lazy when you came up with it? Or was this really your best effort? It's supposed to be a secret code between the prince and princess—couldn't you have made it a little more complex and mysterious?
Well, as long as the message was delivered clearly, there was no problem. I'd managed to slip it in fairly naturally. If the princess could just understand without showing any outward sign...
"I see."
"...Your Highness?"
"So that's what it was..."
...Hey, you're supposed to sound natural! The prince's "my guard" meant there was an assassin among his own protectors. And obviously the princess, the assassination target, would have the culprit's accomplices lurking nearby. Even though it was just the two of us in this room, there were surely listening devices and hidden cameras everywhere for her protection. So if the princess suddenly made a serious face while getting her fortune read and said something like So that's what it was, anyone would find it suspicious.
I had to smooth this over somehow...!
"Haha, Your Highness. You don't need to take it so seriously."
"...Ah, yes?"
"Having phoenix eyes isn't why you rose to your current position. This might sound odd coming from a fortune teller, but physiognomy is really just superstition. Please don't worry about it."
"...Ah."
She finally seemed to snap out of it. The princess stopped her muttering and looked at me. Yeah, I just saved you. So don't complain if I dodge your princess punch from now on, okay?
"You seem to believe in fortune telling more than I expected."
"...Yes. I suppose I do. It was so accurate that I got caught up in it without realizing."
It was a slightly awkward save, but still better than ending on that muttered comment.
Time to get going.
An audience with the princess wasn't something that could drag on. Unlike a jobless commoner like me, she had plenty of responsibilities. Even with a prior appointment it would be difficult; since I'd simply shown up today, this was probably the limit.
"Your Highness, I should be going. I have other matters to attend to."
"I see. Then it can't be helped."
I didn't actually have anything else to do. I was just saying it because the servant had lectured me about etiquette on the way up. Wouldn't it be so much simpler to just speak directly like we do in the mountains? I really don't understand these pointless formalities.
"I'll see you in our next class, Your Highness."
"...Yes."
Hm? Was there a strange pause at the end? No, she was smiling and even waving, so I must have misheard.
As I left the top floor, I received the same suspicious look from the servant again. I felt a twinge of self-loathing at having become a messenger, but stepping out of that dazzling space brought a sense of liberation.
Guess I'll take another walk, then.
There was nothing I could do until tomorrow's meeting with the prince anyway. The Princess Assassination Attempt event was something the player couldn't intervene in during the game, either. The player only got dragged into it after the attempt had already taken place. Besides, even if I tried to move now, I had no way of entering the imperial residence where the assassination would occur.
I wandered aimlessly, thinking I'd organize my thoughts while taking a stroll, but...
"...Hm?"
...that was the plan, anyway. What was this?
"............"
It was a strange feeling. The back of my neck felt tight, itchy, and cold all at once. The distinct sensation of someone staring at me openly. Is this what it feels like when you notice you're being followed? But...
There's no way I should be able to notice someone tailing me.
Whether it was Lane's surveillance or the people investigating me, I shouldn't be able to detect it like the game's protagonist. My catastrophic physical aptitude was probably to blame. Which was exactly why the discomfort stood out so much. Under normal circumstances, I shouldn't have noticed the tail at all. Which meant...
"........."
I changed direction. From inside the academy to outside, from the academy grounds to the shopping district, from the shopping district into the back alleys. Only after reaching the darkest, most secluded spot did I finally sense a real presence behind me.
"Who are you?"
"............"
It was a pretty stupid question. Like they'd actually answer if I asked who they were. Still, I needed to buy time somehow.
Liu? Lane? The prince's side? Or the princess's? Or maybe the assassins...?
There were too many people who might want to follow me! I thought I'd been getting along with everyone, but looking at it this way, my relationships were a complete disaster. This is why you shouldn't live without friends...!
"Even if you're going to kill me, at least let me know why I'm being targeted so I can go in peace, yeah?"
"........."
If it was just regular surveillance, they wouldn't have revealed themselves like this. This was definitely a threat. That narrowed the options a bit.
Liu... she did seem suspicious last time, so she might have ordered them to bring me in. Lane's unlikely, but she could be testing whether I'm really strong. Both Liu and Lane were low probability but possible.
The prince? I thought he was just investigating me, but maybe he's gone as far as kidnapping? The prince was possible too.
The princess? Because she finds me suspicious? I basically traded for her secret last time, and now I've shown up as the prince's messenger. She could easily think I'm involved. The princess was possible... as well.
The assassins? Definitely possible. My cover-up of the princess's reaction was awkward, so they might want to kidnap me and get the full story...! The assassins made sense too.
What the hell? Every possibility worked? The options hadn't narrowed at all? All those people I'd been laughing and chatting with could stab me in the back at any moment?
...Life.
If not for the unidentified tail behind me, I might have actually shed a tear. Well, it was the first time, so they'd naturally be suspicious. If I treated them sincerely, they could become friends someday... probably.
The tail must have sensed my strangely melancholy mood, because they moved. The sound of their footsteps brought me back to my senses and I quickly thought through my options.
Can I turn around now? What if I get stabbed the moment I do?
The cards I could play were My Own Little Fortune Teller Shop, Cleanliness, and Observation. The combo of My Own Little Fortune Teller Shop and Cleanliness was my only real option, but it could only buy time—it wouldn't let me subdue the opponent. It had worked on the saint, but that was because of his skill.
Still, I learned judo in the department. If I can surprise them, I might be able to take them down!
I wasn't great at it, but I'd attended a judo dojo to become a police officer. Filled with confidence that I could do this, I waited until the opponent was close enough and then──
"........."
"Guh!"
──before I could even trip them, I was slammed to the ground. I hadn't seen the movement at all. And why were they so strong? As I tried to turn my face to at least see the person who'd crushed my confidence in an instant──
"...What exactly are you doing?"
"What do you mean, what? Obviously I'm trying to see your face... huh?"
Wait. That voice sounded familiar.
"You can be so sharp at times, yet also such a fool. You're a truly incomprehensible person."
"...Your Highness?"
Why was the princess here? Didn't she have bodyguards and servants swarming her the moment she left her private residence? How was she walking around alone?
"What happened? Did you come all this way by yourself?"
"You immediately switched to polite speech once you realized it was me."
"Well, a lowly tail and the noble princess are rather different, aren't they?"
"You only noticed the tail after I practically gave you hints, yet your tongue is remarkably smooth."
Ah, so that feeling earlier was her giving me hints. I'd thought it was a threat to lead me quietly into a secluded area. ...Come to think of it, wasn't that essentially the same thing?
"I'll be direct. I came because I have something to say."
"Before that, could you please release me first? This is actually quite pa──"
"──What is your relationship with the assassins?"
"........."
Yeah, I figured she'd ask that. Just as I'd thought earlier, the princess had more than enough reason to suspect me. Some random fortune teller had suddenly approached her, mentioned a secret she'd kept tightly hidden, and then appeared as the prince's messenger. No matter how you looked at it, I seemed connected to the imperial family. Naturally, bringing up the "assassins"—something I shouldn't know about—was a probe to find out more.
In a way, I'd brought this on myself. I'd used dangerous information to catch her attention. But I hadn't done it without any thought.
"If I tell you here, will you believe me, Your Highness?"
"Pardon?"
"You're planning to call the Arbiter anyway, aren't you? I'll answer all your questions then."
Slide.
The princess's restraint loosened. My shoulders hurt like hell... I lightly rolled my arms as I stood and brushed off the dust, meeting the princess's doubtful gaze.
"So for now, why don't we join hands for the same goal?"
"...The same goal?"
"What else could it be? Preventing Your Highness's assassination... and catching the assassins."
The Princess Assassination Attempt was the biggest event before the first-year midterms. The entire Romance Academy would be in an uproar, and the player had to gather every hint to deduce the culprit in what was essentially a mystery story.
To be honest, it wasn't very fun.
It was fresh, sure, but not particularly enjoyable. The hints were too obvious and you could figure out the culprit right away. The process itself was frustrating and involved a lot of tedious grinding.
"...Does that mean you know about the assassins?"
"Of course I do."
Which is why I was trying to take the easy route.
"Good. Then tell me everything you know..."
"Who the assassin is, what their motive is, and who is backing the assassins."
"...Pardon?"
Problem one: What's the fastest way to finish the deduction segment?
"I know it all, Your Highness."
The answer? Just know who the culprit is from the start. Pretty simple, right?