The Princess is Not a VIP
It wasn't just anyone; the news that the 'Imperial Princess' had arrived sent me scrambling to get ready with Shion’s help. If it had just been some high-ranking noble or a wealthy merchant, I could have gotten away with just smoothing down my messy hair, but this was the Princess. She wasn't some illegitimate child or a half-blood like Lairis, whose presence was so faint you could barely tell she was there. She was of the legitimate bloodline—a Princess with a rightful claim to the throne.
I couldn't keep her waiting, so I moved with frantic energy. I hurriedly put on a suit that had been freshly laundered overnight and rushed out of the room. It was a good thing I hadn't left it at the cleaners; that would have been a disaster.
“So, where is the Princess?”
“She is at the bar in the basement.”
Hearing that, I couldn't help but freeze and turn my head toward Shion.
“...Not anywhere else, but the basement bar?”
It wasn't the well-decorated rooftop garden, nor the VIP waiting room on the first floor. She was at the bar?
“Yes. She is sitting in the seat that Lairis-nim always occupies.”
“Ah... wait, don't tell me.”
Hearing that much, something started to click.
Lairis, who could be called the 3rd Prince’s right-hand woman, was staying at our hotel. The official reason for her visit was to scout out rooms for the Prince, but in reality, it was likely the Prince’s 'consideration' for a subordinate who didn't even know how to rest properly. Since she spent every night after sunset sitting around sipping alcohol, he probably meant for her to at least enjoy a 'hotel vacation.' She didn't have to worry about other people's eyes, and the staff would clean her room the moment she stepped out. She didn't even have to pay. The room was always kept empty and ready, just in case the Prince decided to visit.
“Did she hear that Lairis was here and get curious...?”
Ding. The elevator reached the first floor. I took a deep breath to calm my nerves and stepped out into the lobby, which was bustling with people as usual. Right, it looks like any other day. Wait, the Princess is here, and it looks like any other day? To avoid causing an unnecessary scene, I leaned in and whispered to Shion.
“By the way, how did you even realize it was the Imperial Princess? Did she tell you herself?”
“Someone who looks exactly like Lairis-nim arrived wearing dress armor.”
“Huh? Dress armor?”
Like that blonde food-loving character from a famous game?
“Yes. Her attire was lighter than when Lairis-nim first arrived. However...”
Shion’s tail, which was usually stiff and puffed up, looked like it was twitching with a mechanical 'creak-creak' sound. She was clearly nervous. “She arrived without covering her face with a helmet or anything from the start.”
“Ah, Delphi has seen Lairis before, so she must have recognized her immediately.”
Silver hair and blue eyes weren't exclusive to the Imperial family, but conversely, having silver hair and blue eyes that looked exactly like Lairis—who carried the Imperial bloodline—meant she was definitely royalty.
“Yes. An emergency report came to me immediately, and when I checked...”
“So that’s how it was...”
I tugged at my necktie, which I’d tightened too much in my haste, and approached Delphi, who was still at the counter.
“Ma, Manager...!”
She was maintaining her composure in front of other guests, smiling and being kind as usual, but her movements were noticeably awkward. Seeing her break into a cold sweat, which she never did, it was clear she had realized who it was.
“You might be a little late for your shift change today. Actually, you will be late.”
“That much is fine! More importantly...”
“Right. The more important thing is how to handle our sudden ‘VIP.’ Did she say anything else?”
“No, she just asked where the bar was that Lairis-nim usually spends her time in...”
It was private information, but not something worth hiding. Anyone staying at the hotel for a few days would see her tucked away in a corner seat, sipping drinks for hours on end.
“Everyone knows she sits in the corner by herself nursing a glass anyway.”
I let out a sigh and looked around the lobby again, but it didn't seem like the guests had noticed anything.
“She didn't come without any attendants, did she?”
Even though we had a security team, I didn't give them swords because they worked primarily inside the hotel. Guests would be uncomfortable if security guards were walking around the hallways with swords strapped to their waists. Besides, we hadn't had any troublemakers or hostile forces come to the hotel that would require drawing a blade. I had prepared some in the security team leader Nairin’s room just in case, but they hadn't been used yet.
“Come to think of it, where’s Nairin? Why don't I see her?”
“She saw the VIP arrive, turned pale, and said she’d leave the lobby to me while she focused on patrolling the basement...”
“Right, Nairin must have seen the VIP once before too.”
“When I saw her for the first time and wasn't sure, Nairin-nim confirmed it for me, saying, ‘You’re thinking exactly what you think you are’...”
“Nairin really did us a solid. Phew... I’ll be back, so please keep an eye on the counter a little longer.”
“Leave it to me...!”
Leaving her nodding behind me, I headed down the stairs to the basement with Shion.
A space filled with smooth jazz music welcomed us.
A place designed so that one could enjoy the present moment entirely, forgetting whether it was day or night outside.
However, my heart was pounding as if that design meant nothing now. It was a sense of tension I hadn't felt in a long time, not since my childhood after reincarnation when I was poking my nose into everything without knowing any better. This cold, heavy sensation. I couldn't help but smile at this familiar, thrilling sensation that made my palms sweat.
“Let’s see how this goes.”
Let’s say the Princess visiting is what it is. It’s already happened, so there’s nothing to be done. So, what should we focus on? It’s the point of why she came wearing knight’s armor like Lairis. It makes sense, really. A Princess? Even if she were just going out for a light inspection, it’s standard procedure to have dozens of knights as escorts and to send people ahead to 'clear' the area. The most important thing isn't seeing how the people live, but the safety of the one who carries the Imperial bloodline. In other words, it wouldn't be strange if the entire path from the Imperial Palace to the hotel had been turned upside down. No, that would actually be the norm.
If it’s like that for a simple outing, what about the Princess eating outside the palace? What about the threat of poisoning? You might say, 'Who would be crazy enough to poison royalty?' but there are more crazy people than you’d think. Especially those who hold grudges against the Imperial family. It’s not for nothing that the escort knights act paranoid. How do I know? I didn't want to know...
“Young Master, it’s over there...”
Looking in the direction Shion pointed, I saw a familiar head of hair. It was Lairis, dressed comfortably in just a shirt and trousers. Then, the person next to her...
“What? Why are there two?”
One woman was wearing dress armor—a dress with armor parts layered over a predominantly blue-toned dress. And another person was wearing a robe, even though they were indoors. Judging by the long hair spilling out and the small stature, that person seemed to be a woman as well.
“There’s one more...?”
I looked at Shion with questioning eyes, wondering who the person in the robe next to the Princess was.
“She is a companion that the VIP brought along...”
A companion brought by the Princess? Surely she wouldn't just be a friend... Does the number of variables increase here? “Still, it doesn't change anything.” Whoever it was, there was no possibility of someone more unconventional than the Princess appearing here. For some reason, the Princess had come to the hotel very quietly, probably because she didn't want to see a fuss. Those who noticed, noticed, and perhaps because of that, no one was sitting around Lairis more than usual...
“The people around them are probably...”
“Escorts? That can't be helped. Even if the VIP herself says it’s fine, it can't be helped.”
I thought I only heard the music from the bar today, but it seemed most of the people occupying the seats were escort knights. The fortunate part was that they were all wearing light armor. Shion’s expression 'dress armor' was accurate. As soon as Shion and I entered, gazes converged on us in an instant.
“...”
'If you're going to go undercover, do it properly, seriously.' I kept that grumbling to myself. It wasn't something I should say out loud. Above all, when Nairin, who had been waiting in the basement, approached, everyone averted their eyes.
“Are you taking the initiative as the security team leader?”
“Even if there are separate security personnel, I cannot simply neglect a VIP who has visited our hotel.”
“Good, very well done. It was worth hiring you. Leave the rest to me.”
“Yes, I wish you good fortune in battle...”
Equipped with a soft smile, I passed the tables where the knights were positioned in a circle as if guarding someone, and headed to the seat where Lairis always sat.
“...You’ve arrived.”
Lairis, who turned her head toward me with a look that asked why I had appeared only now, greeted me. When I shrugged my shoulders and looked at her with eyes that said, 'That’s not my fault, is it?' she had nothing to say and tilted her glass. Well, Lairis is on the Prince’s side, so this was enough of a greeting... The one I really had to deal with was this one.
“If it is not an intrusion, may I sit for a moment?”
“Ho. Are you the owner of this place?”
A deep blue sleeveless dress with the sleeves daringly removed, perhaps for mobility. The dress, with a beautiful pattern embroidered in gold thread in the center, was clearly made of the highest quality fabric just by looking at it. A dress that fell smoothly and seamlessly along the lines of her body without a single rough patch. And the gold and black armor parts that wrapped around her chest, waist, and thighs. Perhaps for joint mobility, the moving parts were finely adjusted, moving gracefully according to her movements as she sat.
“I grant you permission. Speak for yourself.”
However, although she resembled Lairis, the spirit and atmosphere felt in the fundamental parts were different, so it didn't seem like I would be confused. If Lairis had a calm and subdued atmosphere, the Princess in front of me felt much more like a 'person who stands above others.' An aura that it was truly natural for her to be above others was being emitted.
“Thank you. I am Julian Everglow, the owner of this hotel.”
I bowed my head deeply, showing full respect. The 3rd Prince, who threw away court etiquette, was the weird one; this was the correct way to do it.
“One who knows etiquette. That guy also has a good eye for people.”
The blue eyes, deeper than Lairis’s, seemed to pierce through me and Shion.
“That is an undeserved evaluation. I simply know what I must protect.”
“That is enough. I did not come here to engage in such wordplay.”
The Princess, who was leaning back comfortably in the high-end chair with her legs crossed, gestured lightly as if to tell me to sit. I bowed my head and sat facing her in the seat in front of me. The blue gaze that observed me while turning her head little by little as if interested was sharp, but that was all. Rather, I was more concerned about the person in the robe who was silently touching a glass next to her. The red hair flowing out from under the robe caught my eye. Well, I’ll find out slowly.
“Right. So this is the place my younger brother has been watching with interest lately.”
“Yes, it seems the VIP has taken a liking to it.”
“Ho, is that guy a VIP?”
“Because she is someone who must be served with special care. I have also received help, both big and small.”
“Help, both big and small...”
Hearing that, the Princess raised the corners of her mouth. She didn't seem particularly displeased; it was a smile that felt like she had truly heard an interesting story.
“Although it is mostly me who has been on the receiving end of the help.”
I received the glass of alcohol that had just arrived and shook it lightly. Because of the large square ice cube, it made a clear sound.
“Therefore, I would like to ask one thing.”
“I am in a good mood today, so I will listen and decide.”
“Yes, then thank you.”
Carefully putting the glass down, I straightened my back and opened my mouth.
“For what reason has the Danju (Leader) come all the way here?”
“Danju...”
Hearing my question, the corners of the Princess’s mouth curved into a deeper smile than before.
“Right... 'Danju', is it.”