PSMWHB Chapter 115

“Ah, right. Diana.”

 

“Yes?”

 

“Did you happen to visit while I was sick? I vaguely remember hearing your voice in a dream.”

 

At his words, both Kayden and Diana’s shoulders flinched in unison. Kayden instinctively glanced at Diana, but she, busy holding back a startled reaction, didn’t notice his gaze.

 

…It can’t be.

 

When Elliot was gravely ill, Fleur had restricted access to the First Prince’s palace. Even Kayden and Diana could hardly visit at the time. However, Elliot’s face was completely innocent as he spoke. Judging by the look of doubt on his face, it seemed like he didn’t fully believe his own words either. It was likely something he mentioned in passing. All Diana had to do was laugh it off and dismiss it as a misunderstanding, as if nothing was wrong.

 

As she quickly organized her thoughts and prepared to smile, Kayden suddenly spoke up. “I’m disappointed, Brother. I talked to you so much, yet you don’t remember my voice.”

 

“Fleur already told me how talkative you were whenever you visited me.”

 

“First Princess Consort is too much. How could you say that?”

 

“Ahaha.”

 

Elliot and Fleur burst into laughter at Kayden’s light-hearted joke.

 

The subtle tension that had been hanging in the air, unnoticed by some, seemed to dissipate.

 

Kayden seized the moment and smiled. “Anyway, it must have been a mistake. In dreams, you sometimes see the most unexpected people. Isn’t that right, Diana?” He turned to Diana with a smile, seeking her agreement.

 

Diana, who had instinctively tensed up, quickly composed herself and nodded. “Yes. Except for the times when you were somewhat conscious, I wasn’t able to visit the First Prince’s palace. I’m sorry, Your Highness.”

 

Diana lowered her gaze slightly as she spoke, and Elliot quickly waved his hands, flustered.

 

“Oh? I didn’t say that expecting an apology. I was just curious if it was a misunderstanding, so there’s no need to apologize.”

 

“Why are you saying things that make Diana feel bad? You look like the bad guy now.”

 

“My apologies, dear.”

 

Fleur gently nudged Elliot with her elbow, grumbling. Elliot immediately pretended to be pushed back, laughing.

 

The topic of Elliot’s question was smoothly transitioning away. Normally, Diana would have breathed a sigh of relief, grateful that the conversation moved on without further probing, but not today. She glanced at Kayden, who was now teasing Elliot and Fleur with a smile. Unconsciously, she bit her lip.

 

Something…

 

Something feels off.

 

“Anyway, it must have been a mistake. In dreams, you sometimes see the most unexpected people. Isn’t that right, Diana?”

 

Kayden’s words still bothered her.

 

Am I mistaken it?

 

Strictly speaking, Elliot’s question was directed at Diana. Yet Kayden had defended her before she could even respond. It was as if he knew she might be flustered by Elliot’s question.

 

“Diana, you’ll hurt yourself like that,” Kayden whispered gently, brushing his thumb over her lips, which were pressed against her teeth.

 

Startled, Diana looked up at him only to see him smiling before withdrawing his hand. She forced a smile in return. “…Thank you, Kayden.”

 

“Don’t mention it.” Kayden shrugged playfully, his expression as gentle as always.

 

Surely, this uneasiness she was feeling must just be her imagination. Diana tried to convince herself, but she couldn’t shake the subtle sense of unease. She picked up her teacup, trying to calm her mind by inhaling the scent of the tea.

 

At that moment, a servant came running from a distance. The group of four turned to look at the servant, surprised.

 

“What’s…”

 

They had specifically instructed that no one disturb their time together unless it was urgent. For someone to come running like that, there must have been a serious problem. Their faces stiffened.

 

The servant, panting, finally reached the tea table and straightened up as best as he could. He spoke in a clear voice. “A mutant monster has appeared in the

 

“A mutant monster has appeared in the Wicksvil territory…! His Majesty has ordered all the knight order commanders to gather in the meeting room immediately!”

 

It was news of a mutant monster appearing in the Wicksvil territory, following the previous incident in Findlay territory.

 

* * *

There weren’t many mutant monsters in this case, but the types were varied, and they appeared spread out over a wide area. Thus, the emperor decided to leave the second order led by Duke Yelling at the imperial palace, and ordered the fifth order under Duke Wicksvil to guard the surrounding areas to prevent the monsters from harming civilians. He then ordered the remaining three orders to exterminate the monsters. With the Second Prince Ferand’s death, the role of the third order commander and overall commander had been temporarily filled by Duke Findlay.

 

Duke Findlay, expressionless, spread a map on the table and divided the operation zones. “The mutant monsters in the west will be handled by the third order. The ones in the east and south aren’t few in number, but each is relatively weak, so we’ll assign them all to the First Princess. And…”

 

His cold eyes turned to Kayden. Kayden met his gaze calmly.

 

“The northern mutant monsters aren’t many in number, but their initial force and strength are considerable. However, as their initial burst of energy fades, they rapidly weaken over time. The fourth order, with its mid-level earth elementalist, should be well-suited for the task.”

 

“If we can hold them off well at the start, we should be able to hunt them without much damage.”

 

“Yes, exactly. If you’re not satisfied with this arrangement…”

 

“Why wouldn’t I be? It’s a reasonable judgment.” Kayden smiled and shook his head. He meant it. But under the dark bangs of his hair, his straight eyebrows subtly furrowed.

 

I thought he’d pull something more underhanded.

 

Duke Findlay and Rebecca were clearly Kayden’s political rivals. Being caught between them was akin to having blades pressed against both sides of his neck.

 

With Duke Findlay as the overall commander, he could have easily sent Kayden to the most dangerous monster zone, and there would have been no room to object. Yet, contrary to his expectations, Duke Findlay had assigned him to the zone with the weakest monsters, except for the initial burst.

 

Unless a particularly dangerous one shows up, achievements are usually measured by the number of monsters subdued… Is this an attempt to boost the first princess’s achievements?

 

Opportunities to discreetly assassinate Kayden were rare, and this situation presented a perfect chance. Duke Findlay and Rebecca were not the types to let such opportunities slip by.

 

I’d better not let my guard down. Just because there were no visible tricks at play didn’t mean he could afford to be complacent.

 

Kayden remained vigilant throughout the meeting. After it ended, he bowed slightly in acknowledgment and returned to his tent.

 

Meanwhile, even after Kayden had left the table, Rebecca stayed behind. Duke Findlay, while putting away the map, looked at her and tilted his head. “Do you have something to say to me?”

 

Rebecca bit her lip. Facing the suffocating pressure of his gaze, she gritted her teeth and spoke. “…What are you plotting?”

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