9.
“Please step back.”
"Yes, Your Highness."
As Lancel silently bowed and retreated, the expressions of the men in the ballroom seemed to brighten.
This was likely due to their relief that no one present could escape the Third Princess's scathing remarks.
“So I wasn't the only one who got insulted.”
“If even Lancel Dante gets criticized…”
Lancel was born into a noble knightly family with excellent lineage. Compared to the people of the archipelago, his height and physique were strikingly superior. He possessed objectively handsome features that would earn him compliments on his appearance.
Yet the fact that he had also endured the Third Princess's sharp criticism suggested that she treated all men equally. This realization spread like wildfire, bringing a sense of reassurance.
“So my looks aren't actually bad after all!”
“You didn't really mean it when you called me rotten squid, did you...? Yes, yes.”
Of course, only half of that was true.
After all, only a handful of nobles and knights met the Third Princess's impossibly high standards.
"Rox Ruin. Still, you're a bit more presentable than these dried fish."
"...Your Highness, you flatter me...!"
When Rox Ruin finally stepped forward with his gift, it was the first time praise had been uttered.
The son of Count Ruin, Rox Ruin, with his slicked-back hair, couldn't suppress his elation, his lips twitching as he stole glances at Lancel.
"I've won, Lancel Dante." The unspoken words seemed to ring in Lancel's ears.
"Sir Lancel is much better in my eyes."
"That's right, Sir Lancel. Don't be too disheartened."
The ladies of the archipelago subtly edged closer to Lancel, offering words of comfort.
‘I know that much.’
Naturally, he was better than that pomade-haired fool who looked like he'd poured a bucket of oil over his head.
Then why hadn't the Third Princess spoken harshly to Rox Ruin?
Could it be...?
Had she treated the count's son with unusual deference, contrary to her usual behavior?
"After all, he's the count's son. How could she insult him to his face?"
"Exactly, Sir Lancel. Don't let it bother you."
The ladies gathered around Lancel echoed similar sentiments.
“Third Princess Claria... is this woman just an imposter?”
Lancel took a deep swig of his strong liquor, his gaze fixed on the Third Princess, piercing through her veil as if trying to see her face clearly.
The air around him thickened with the lush fragrance of tropical fruits emanating from the ladies gathered nearby.
As befitting the open-minded ladies of the archipelago, they were constantly seeking opportunities. To them, Lancel Dante, a viscount's son from the mainland, likely seemed like prey at this banquet.
Swish.
The hands of several ladies brushed against Lancel's body. Provocative glances flew at him from all directions.
"Then, I'll take my leave now."
"Huh?"
Lancel rose from his seat before things got any more complicated.
"You’re leaving already?"
"I have urgent business at Navy headquarters. I'll have to stop here."
"But the banquet has only just begun..."
Leaving behind the ladies who tried to detain him with disappointed expressions, Lancel headed out of the banquet hall.
"All done with your business already, Lancel Dante? Why not stay and enjoy yourself a bit longer? It's a banquet hosted by Her Highness the Third Princess—what a rude fellow. You're not sulking just because Her Highness’s feedback, are you?"
Rox Ruin's voice, dripping with amusement, stabbed into the back of Lancel's head as he saw him off.
He was having way too much fun.
.
.
.
"A woman's scent...!"
As they returned to headquarters, Marigold began sniffing the air.
"Two... three... no, four?"
Lancel had been close to women heavily perfumed with scented oils just moments before. Marigold seemed to have detected the scent with uncanny accuracy.
"Five?!"
She even got the number right. It was like she had the nose of a bloodhound.
"You said you were just going to greet them, Sir Lancel! How long were you clinging to those women? This is unacceptable! All relationships formed at banquets are fake! Fake! Just a one-night illusion!"
"...? How many banquets have you even attended to be lecturing me like this?"
"It's intuition! Intuition!"
"......"
"I've heard so much about banquets, I know exactly what they're like. People take turns dancing and flirting, and if they catch each other's eye, they sneak off to some dark corner, fueled by alcohol... ahem!"
Marigold's face flushed crimson as she cleared her throat awkwardly, fanning herself frantically to cool the sudden heat rising in her cheeks.
"A-anyway, I don't think that's real love at all."
"I see."
‘She knows more than she lets on…’
Marigold seemed to have already grasped the true nature of banquets.
Chirp!
Just then, Lancel looked up at the sound coming from the corner of the duty room. There was something he'd never seen before.
"Oh, oh! Sorry, sorry! I'll refill it right away!"
Marigold scrambled to her feet, quickly grabbing jerky and filling the plate.
"What's that?"
"A bird! Isn't it pretty?"
Marigold walked towards the cage with a bright smile.
"No, I can see it's a bird. But where did you get it?"
"I found it on the ship that just arrived. After looking around, I learned it doesn't seem to have an owner, so I'm taking care of it temporarily until someone claims it."
"A bird without an owner?"
Lancel stared into the cage.
The haughty-looking bird flicked its head away, avoiding his gaze.
Inside the cage were a neatly cleaned dish and a water cup.
"That's a rather fancy dish for birdseed."
"It seems it won't eat unless the dish is pretty."
"So picky for a bird."
"Maybe it's a noble among birds? It is quite beautiful."
"Birds are just birds. What's noble about them? So you decided to carry it around and raise it?"
"Yes!" Marigold looked delighted.
She was at the perfect age to want a pet.
"I named her Pia. What do you think? Isn't she cute?"
"She's alright."
"Pia can hear you! Just say she's pretty, please."
Marigold's expression softened as she gently stroked the bird's feathers.
"Hehe, she's so pretty, so pretty. You're the prettiest bird I've ever seen, Pia."
Whenever the bird heard the word "pretty," the bird would proudly straighten its neck, as if understanding Marigold's words.
"Stop playing around and finish the report, Private Marigold."
"Ah, yes, Sir!"
Marigold saluted and sat down next to Lancel.
This week was his first time on duty at the naval base.
Naturally, he had delegated all his duties to Marigold.
"The security patrol went to District 1 an hour ago, so they should be in District 2 by now..."
Lancel watched the guard meticulously fill out the patrol log by the dim candlelight, his eyes closing silently.
The veiled Third Princess continued to bother him. What could it have been?
Was it just his imagination?
Or...
"Lancel!"
His eyes snapped open.
The door to the duty room swung open, revealing Baron Coral, drenched from the rain.
"Ah, I wasn't sleeping! Private First Class Mary is continuing her duties, Sir!"
Beside him, Marigold startled awake, hastily wiping the drool from her mouth.
Judging by the log, she had clearly dozed off after scribbling for a few minutes.
"Leave your post to someone else and come with me for a moment."
"What's happening at this hour?"
"His Excellency Count Ruin wishes to see you. Hurry."
Baron Coral turned to leave, then suddenly stopped.
"Mary! Yes, Mary, you come too. You're involved in this as well."
"Huh?"
‘Even her?’
10.
"I've brought Lancel Dante."
They arrived at Count Ruin’s salon.
"You've arrived. Take a seat."
Count Ruin was the first figure Lancel noticed.
Around him sat the count's son, Rox Ruin, along with high-ranking naval officers, knights from the Imperial Palace, and nobles who had accompanied the Third Princess.
As Lancel discreetly took a seat at the table, Marigold remained standing awkwardly behind him.
"Is that Mary behind you?"
"Yes, yes! Your Excellency Count Ruin!"
"Lower your voice. It's hurting my ears."
"Yes, Sir."
"By the way, what are you holding?"
"Ah, this is Pia... a bird!"
Baron Coral had been so insistent and demanding that Lancel couldn't stop her in time.
"Pia gets anxious when I'm not around..."
"......"
With just that one sentence, the count seemed to have already recognized Marigold's tendency for mishaps. He shook his head and muttered, "Enough. Just sit down quickly."
Despirited, Marigold quietly took the seat next to Lancel.
"Listen carefully. From this moment on, everything said in this room stays between us. Especially you, Mary. Understand?"
"Yes, Count!"
He nodded, his eyes tense.
"Mary may cause trouble, but she's not the type to spread secrets. Don't worry too much, Your Excellency."
"I hope Baron Coral's words are true. Then..." Count Ruin turned to look back.
"Tell them to gather."
"Yes, Count."
A moment later, the salon doors opened again.
‘The Third Princess.’
The veiled Third Princess entered with graceful steps.
She raised a hand to stop those who were hastily rising from their seats.
"It's alright. Please remain seated."
Her voice was soft and gentle.
It was hard to believe she was the Third Princess.
‘Could it be?’
It was then that Lancel finally recognized her.
Just hearing her voice made his blood boil slightly, because it was identical to that of a woman he had known in the past.
"Allow me to reintroduce myself," she said, carefully removing her veil. "I am Airi Wiz Iceford."
The woman Lancel had once been formally married to, though only in name.
One of the Empire's three great beauties, Lady Iceford.
She was here, under the title of Third Princess.
"H-Her Highness the Third Princess?"
"What's going on...?"
"Silence!" Count Ruin's thunderous roar instantly silenced the murmuring crowd.
"This is Lady Iceford, the daughter of Count Iceford, the Count of the Palace—she is a lady-in-waiting of the Imperial Family. As a distinguished daughter of the capital, show her proper respect."
‘To think, I'd see you here of all places.’
Lancel had finally met her again on the archipelago, when she should have been living it up at parties in the capital.
‘If this was fate, it was a cruel one.’
"Please bring out the item, Count Ruin."
"Very well. It's faster to show you directly and explain."
Count Ruin reached under the table and pulled out something.
"Ah!"
Marigold's mouth fell open as if she recognized it. Lancel reacted similarly.
"Lancel, you must already know. After all, it came from the pirate ship you personally captured."
‘Of course I knew.’
"The flower of the soul," Lady Iceford murmured.
"The object you're looking at now is called the flower of the soul—a magical flower that can cast spells."
Pointing to the vase, she continued, "This flower can be quite terrifying. When its magic activates, it randomly swaps the souls of everyone nearby."
"I don't understand..."
"To put it simply, if a slave and their master gaze at this flower simultaneously... the slave will take over the master's body for exactly one minute."
"...One minute?"
A wave of confusion spread through the crowd. The thought, “Only one minute?” seemed to flash through their minds.
For such a powerful effect, the duration may seem remarkably short.
"Yes. After one minute, everything returns to normal. Perfectly normal, as if nothing had happened."
The next moment, Lady Iceford's eyes turned icy.
"...However, this is only true under the condition that both individuals remain in the same location for the entire duration."
This was exactly what Lancel and Marigold had experienced. If they stayed perfectly still in the same spot for one minute, it would be as if nothing had happened.
But what if they didn't?
"In other words, what would happen if, during that one minute, one of them fled... or was killed? Imagine the possibilities."
No further explanation was needed.
"Hah!"
"W-what ominous!"
"G-get it away! Immediately!"
The nobles and officers of the archipelago recoiled in terror, scrambling backward.
It wasn’t called the “Emperor's Flower” for nothing.
A flower that could elevate even a mere beggar to the throne.
A relic managed exclusively by the Imperial Family due to its terrifying power and inherent danger.
That was the true nature of this "flower of the soul."
"The flower's magic activates only once a year. Right now, it's nothing more than a flower in a bottle of water, so there's no need for such a ridiculous fuss," Lady Iceford replied coldly, sighing.
"To get straight to the point, this flower is the reason for the Third Princess's disappearance."
A brief silence fell, as if time itself had frozen.
Clink.
The only sound was Lady Iceford quietly lifting her teacup.
"Disappearance!"
"The Imperial Princess!"
Shock.
Disbelief.
Chirp! Chirp!
Just then, Marigold's bird flapped its wings wildly, creating a commotion.
"Get that thing out of here!" Count Ruin roared.
"S-sorry!" Marigold hastily placed the birdcage under the table.
"I told you to be quiet, Pia! I'm going to get in trouble. Please, please, just go back and I'll give you more treats later."
‘You shouldn't have brought it here in the first place,’ Lancel thought with a wry smile.
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