Chapter 529: Formal Exchange
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 529: Formal Exchange
Somewhere in the Royal Garden.
Once the soundless footsteps had faded into the distance, Ariel suddenly snapped her eyes open.
The weather was fine, the sky nearly cloudless, and the brilliant stars were reflected in her pupils. Her gaze was clear and sharp, devoid of the typical grogginess or confusion one would expect from someone who had just regained consciousness.
"Sigh..."
She felt the large bump on her forehead as she sat up, letting out a soft sigh.
"I didn't expect the beauty to be so against me helping her with those matters. Does she still not trust me? What a pity."
In her heart, she didn't think ambushing a prince was any big deal. After all, this wasn't her first time killing and looting; she was quite skilled at it and confident in her ability to leave no trace behind.
"But... speaking of which, the tone she used earlier... I find it strangely familiar. It’s like I’ve heard it somewhere before... but where?"
She searched her memories but found no answer.
Human thought is often like that—a sense of déjà vu that remains frustratingly out of reach. Or perhaps, the logical deduction had run into an unexpected dead end from the very beginning.
"Forget it."
Ariel gave a carefree smile, tossing her doubts to the back of her mind. Then, she suddenly cupped her cheeks, murmuring to herself with a look of pure delight.
"Ahhh, you’d rather use a method like this than get me involved... Miss Muse, do you really care about me that much?"
"Next time we meet, I must definitely get closer to you. After all, I still have your... Who’s there!"
Ariel’s lovestruck expression vanished instantly, her eyes turning cold as she glared toward a nearby shadow.
A patch of rare flowers swayed, and amidst the rustle of leaves, a short figure gradually emerged.
"Bro—Big Brother?"
The figure wasn't actually short; it only appeared to be about half-height because the person was sitting in a wheelchair.
The familiar face emerging from the shadows was none other than Ariel’s half-brother, Orlando.
"What are you doing here? I thought you weren't attending the ball."
Ariel narrowed her eyes, radiating an unceremonious chill.
"No, no, no... Ariel, you’ve misunderstood. I wasn't following you."
Orlando, sitting in his wheelchair, looked somewhat surprised himself, as if he hadn't expected to see his sister here. However, he quickly masked his surprise and smiled.
"I came to the Imperial Palace for other business. Now that I'm finished, I just came to the garden to clear my head."
"Just you?"
"Ariel, that’s a bit hurtful."
Orlando patted his knees and gave a bitter smile.
"I may be a cripple now, but I still have basic self-care abilities. As for you, Ariel..."
Orlando looked around, his expression puzzled.
"Why are you here? The ball isn't being held in this part of the garden."
"Same as you. Clearing my head."
Ariel remained expressionless.
"Then..." Orlando ventured tentatively, "Shall we take a stroll together?"
"No thanks, the ball isn't over yet."
Ariel turned and walked away without looking back, showing no desire for closeness with her brother. "If I, the heir to the Bugard family, fail to stay until the end of the ball, Big Brother would be troubled too, wouldn't he?"
"You..."
Orlando chuckled. "I never said that."
"I'm leaving."
"Alright then."
Orlando watched his sister’s retreating back, a glint flickering in his deep eyes. Yet, his voice remained gentle as he nodded his farewell.
"Take care. See you later."
"..."
*
"Hiss... that hurts."
Albert opened his eyes to see the familiar ceiling of his own room.
However, he didn't feel the slightest bit of relief. After a moment of confusion, a memory flashed through his mind, and he immediately bolted upright, looking around warily.
His maid was lying quietly beside him, her breathing steady; she seemed to be unharmed.
Albert breathed a sigh of relief and looked up... then froze.
The expected assailant was nowhere to be seen—or rather, they didn't appear to be there.
However, in the faint light streaming through the window, amidst the swaying silk curtains, a stunningly beautiful blonde girl sat at his familiar antique mahogany desk. She was resting her chin on her hand, quietly gazing out at the nearby Royal Garden.
The starlight illuminated her face, revealing a flawless, ethereal beauty.
Under normal circumstances, waking up to find such a beautiful girl sitting nearby would feel like a wonderful dream. But Albert couldn't help but remember the dark shadow that had lunged at him earlier.
"You are..."
"You're awake."
Albert’s instinctive question disturbed the statue-like beauty. She turned her head, her lips curling into a slight smile.
"Good evening, Prince Albert."
"Good... good evening."
Unsure of her intentions, Albert chose to play along for the moment.
"What happened to me...?"
"Ah... that. Actually, Prince Albert, you were just attacked by some random little thief. Fortunately, I happened to be passing by and saved you."
The girl spoke with a perfectly serious expression.
"It was a close call. I didn't expect a grand prince like yourself to be without a single guard. Even if this is the Imperial Palace, it’s still very dangerous. It’s a good thing I was passing by, otherwise, who knows what might have happened. You must be more careful in the future, Your Highness. It’s very easy for a boy to run into danger when he's out and about; you should at least bring more guards..."
"..."
Albert stared at Muen, who was talking smoothly without even blinking, and his eyelid began to twitch uncontrollably.
She made it sound so real. If he hadn't seen that unforgettable face the moment before he blacked out, he might have actually believed her.
Hiss...
Thinking about the attack, Albert felt a sharp throb in his head. He instinctively reached up and felt the bandages wrapped around his skull.
"Ah, right. While I was checking your injuries, I noticed you seemed to have an old wound on your head."
Muen pointed to her own head.
"Is that... alright?"
"..."
Albert’s body stiffened slightly, but he quickly regained his composure.
"I'm fine..."
He took a deep breath, and in an instant, he reverted to the refined and elegant First Prince. He gave Muen a calm smile.
"Rather than those trivial matters, what I really want to know is... who exactly are you, and what do you want?"
"Relax, don't be nervous. This is the Imperial Palace; I wouldn't dare do anything excessive," Muen explained quickly. "I just wanted to have a chat with you, Prince Albert."
"..."
Albert was speechless. You’ve broken into a prince’s room and knocked out both the prince and his maid—and you call that "not excessive"?
Despite his thoughts, Albert didn't show it, silently waiting for her to continue.
"As for my identity..."
Muen didn't say much. She leaned forward slightly and handed Albert a family crest.
"This is... the Dragon-Slaying Sword... You're from the Campbell family."
Albert’s gaze sharpened as he examined the badge in his hand. It was small and exquisite, and it didn't look like a forgery.
"Correct," Muen nodded.
"I see. If you're from the Campbell family, it’s not incomprehensible that you’d contact me secretly... But how do I know you're the real deal?"
Albert continued to question her. "A family crest isn't exactly something that can be implicitly trusted."
"It’s simple."
Muen had anticipated this question and shrugged nonchalantly.
"I made an appearance at the ball. You only need to do a quick check to find out that I came in with Princess Celicia."
"Celicia..."
Albert raised an eyebrow, then shook his head in realization.
"Heh, I see. Has that girl already started thinking of herself entirely as the future Mrs. Campbell? To think she’d actually help with something like this... it’s quite unlike her cold personality."