~Chapter 102~
Amel quietly looked at Christan. She met his strong gray eyes—the eyes she liked so much. Honestly, if he said anything with that look, she would have no choice but to believe him.
And Christan knew this too. That’s why he couldn’t lie to Amel.
“…Yes.”
At last, Christan let out a small sigh and spoke.
“Gerard Siad isn’t really the second son of the Siad family.”
“Master…”
Gerard looked at Christan in shock, but Christan continued.
“I’m sorry I kept hiding the truth from you. It’ll sound like an excuse, but I only found out a little while ago. I was worried about how you’d take it, so I couldn’t tell you.”
Amel listened quietly. What in the world was Gerard’s real identity?
“So, who is Gerard really—”
『Witch!』
Just as Amel tried to ask, a sudden urgent voice and purple wings flapped into the room.
It was Kamarin.
“Kamarin? What happened? I left you with the guard—how did you get out?”
Amel was startled by Kamarin’s sudden appearance. Kamarin began to babble an explanation.
『Normally, I wouldn’t do these petty errands, but, ahem, thanks to the Crown Prince I got let out, and then someone gave me delicious pomegranate as a bribe… Anyway, it’s an emergency!』
“What emergency?”
Annoyed by Kamarin’s long-winded answer, Amel grabbed his wing and shook him.
『The Crown Prince says, Count Siad has reported Marquis Esmeralda!』
“…What?!”
The news was so shocking that Amel froze.
『So now they’re having an emergency nobles’ meeting at the palace. He asked me to tell you.』
“So, the Count made the first move. He must have thought I wouldn’t be able to join the meeting.”
Christan, who was listening, said. Then Gerard, as if he was ready, handed something over.
“Here are all the evidence documents and the assassins’ confessions. Please take them.”
“Ah, yes.”
Amel, still holding Kamarin, turned around. Christan was already getting ready to go, packing a change of clothes.
Amel looked a bit sad and asked,
“Are you leaving like this…?”
“Of course.”
“It’s nothing special, I guess. I’ll ask you about Gerard’s identity next time.”
Christan gave her a strange look, as if he wanted to say more, but then Amel seemed to remember something.
“Ah! Can I go to the meeting too?”
“If you want to go, you have to leave with me right now.”
“Okay, then I’ll just get ready—oh.”
Suddenly, Amel’s face fell. Christan looked at her curiously. Amel explained,
“I gave the recording necklace to Kiara and asked her to gather evidence from Marquis Esmeralda’s lab. But I forgot to pick it up because I came here in such a hurry.”
“…You asked Lady Esmeralda?”
Christan, who didn’t know how Amel and Kiara had grown closer, was even more puzzled, but that wasn’t important now.
Getting the evidence from the Marquis’s lab was vital, but if they went to find Kiara first, the meeting might start without them—and then all the evidence would be useless.
Christan was deep in thought. Amel let out a long sigh and pulled something out.
“I’ll just have to use this.”
She held up a colorless potion. It looked like clear water.
“This is an invisibility potion. Kamarin, come here.”
Without answering, Amel dripped a bit of the potion into Kamarin’s mouth. Instantly, Kamarin disappeared.
“…!”
“Oh, Kamarin vanished,” Amel said, stroking the air where he’d been.
“Your Highness, if you go to the meeting room first, I’ll find Kiara and get the necklace. With the invisibility potion, I can sneak into the meeting without being noticed.”
『You gave me that to drink?!』
“…I see.”
Christan looked at Amel with a complicated expression.
Kamarin’s body reappeared a moment later, since he’d only had a small sip. He was standing in the opposite direction from where Amel had been petting the air.
『I’m right here. What are you petting over there?』
“…”
Amel put away the potion, embarrassed. She glanced at Christan, then stepped toward the door to give him space to change.
She still didn’t know Gerard’s true identity, which was disappointing, but with the emergency meeting starting, there was no time left.
“See you soon, Your Highness. Though you won’t be able to see me.”
As Amel was about to leave, Christan called her back.
“Amel.”
“…Yes?”
“Since you’ll be at the meeting anyway, I’ll tell you now.”
Over Christan’s shoulder, Gerard’s jet-black eyes glowed strangely. Christan said,
“Gerard Siad’s true identity is…”
A few hours later, in the palace meeting room.
All the nobles of the capital gathered quickly for the emergency meeting, called because Count Siad had reported Marquis Esmeralda.
“Do you think it’s true? That the Marquis made a crack in the barrier in Siad’s land?”
“If the Count’s right, we should also question the cracks that appeared elsewhere. But if it’s a lie, it’s just insubordination.”
“Even if it’s true… Her Majesty the Empress is from the Esmeralda family. Who knows what His Majesty the Emperor will decide?”
“That’s what I’m saying.”
Count Sabadel, with his impressive mustache, agreed eagerly.
“And the Marquis’s second daughter is said to be engaged to Grand Duke Bellerophon, right? To accuse such a family… Count Siad must be very bold.”
“Why are they mentioning my name?”
“Huh— ah!”
Count Sabadel jumped as if he’d seen a ghost. Christan was sitting right next to him.
“G-Grand Duke Bellerophon! You’re attending this meeting?”
“Yes. Is there a problem?”
“N-no, not at all.”
Nobody had known the Grand Duke was even in the capital, so everyone stared at him in surprise. Christan ignored all the stares and just kept glancing at the door.
There was a reason he looked so nervous.
The doors would soon close when the meeting started. Even if Amel got in while invisible, if the door opened by itself with no one there, it would just look suspicious.
Meanwhile, Count Siad and Marquis Esmeralda came in, avoiding each other’s eyes. Emperor Gaspar was the last to enter, and then the doors shut tightly.
Gaspar saw Christan staring at the door and smiled.
“Well, look who it is. I didn’t expect my cute little brother to join the nobles’ meeting. You’ve grown up so much.”
“Please, Your Majesty, since this is an official meeting, let’s keep things formal.”
Christan frowned, not wanting to waste attention on Gaspar when he was already worried about Amel and the closed door.
“Haha, alright, alright. I guess I was being too sentimental.”
But Gaspar’s friendly look disappeared in an instant. He coldly looked at both Marquis Esmeralda and Count Siad.
“Let’s begin the meeting.”
