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[CHAPTER 135]
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After the meeting, Vincent returned to the Crown Prince’s residence. Oscar, who had been fidgeting beside him, finally spoke up, unable to hold back.
“Your Highness, are you really going to do nothing? They are taking this opportunity to pressure you.”
“…….”
“Your Highness.”
Vincent, standing in front of his office, slowly turned.
“Oscar Colbran, Count.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Even if they pressure me over Amelia’s departure, what could they possibly gain?”
“Well… they would criticize Your Highness for being heartless and claim you are unfit as emperor. And they would likely put even stronger brakes on the policies Your Highness is pursuing.”
Vincent grabbed the doorknob and pushed the door forward.
“Have they not done this before?”
“Well…” Oscar’s voice faded.
He had raised his voice now because it was an opportune moment, but even before this, they had consistently opposed Vincent.
“It’s just an extension of what always happens. No need to react to every little thing.”
When Oscar fell silent, Vincent strode into the open room.
Oscar hesitated for a moment, then cautiously spoke.
“But Your Highness… this matter is a bit more sensitive than a policy issue. If Your Highness appears heartless, people might misunderstand that the princess ran away because of you. Public sympathy for the princess could turn into criticism toward Your Highness.”
Vincent draped his coat over a chair.
“If it’s about that, I have no excuse to offer.”
“What? No excuse? Your Highness, you treated the princess so well.”
“I treated her well….” Vincent muttered skeptically. Oscar immediately added, as if it were obvious.
“Yes, I actually thought Your Highness would just bring the princess along and ignore her. Or subtly torment her. But you treated her much better than expected, and you genuinely seemed concerned. I was very surprised.”
“Subtly torment her, huh.” Vincent gave a bitter smile. Indeed, at first, he had thought about it.
“So the princess should have been satisfied with that?”
“No… well, not necessarily…” Oscar paused, furrowing his brows and sighing.
“Yes, but considering how much the princess helped, she really did a lot. At first, she may have annoyed you, but as Princess Wentworth, she’s done her best. So I’m curious—why did she leave? You know, don’t you? Even taking the poison suddenly…”
Oscar, curious for some time, finally asked directly.
Vincent’s face darkened as he spoke somberly.
“I implied that I didn’t trust her. I asked if she intended to use the medicine brought from Duke Wentworth’s place on me. The princess drank it then and there to prove her innocence…”
“Ah…” Oscar sighed softly, unable to continue.
For Vincent, it had been a matter of recalling events before the reset, not mere distrust, but to those unaware, it could seem like excessive suspicion.
“In that case, it’s understandable that the princess would feel hurt.”
Unexpectedly, Oscar nodded in agreement from the princess’s perspective. Vincent made no objection.
“Then… shouldn’t we do something? Of course, that would require Your Highness’s intention. Sigh… I can’t meddle in matters between a man and a woman.”
“Of course, I don’t mean to leave it be.” Vincent slowly approached the window. Beyond it, far from the palace, a dark spire stood.
Usually, violet smoke curled from it, but today it was quiet.
“Oscar, find out what the Tower Master is doing and where he is.”
“The Tower Master? Why all of a sudden?”
“He seems to be absent from the tower.”
Oscar finally noticed the clear sky around the tower and frowned.
“Understood. I’ll inquire.”
A short while after Oscar left, the orb on Vincent’s desk shimmered and vibrated.
Vincent lifted it and placed it on paper. From the center of the orb, letters began to appear, accompanied by a faint burning smell.
It was a device capable of transmitting text over long distances, strictly restricted and not freely usable.
Occasionally, it was used for military purposes.
Vincent stared intently at the letters appearing on the paper. They formed gradually in a circular pattern from the orb’s center, making it hard to grasp the content at once.
After a tense wait, the paper was filled with text. Vincent quickly picked it up.
He first checked the origin.
“Runetten….”
Although he had only heard the name briefly, it was impossible to remember every small town in this vast empire.
Vincent roughly memorized the location and read the rest.
Amelia was safe, and Derek had found her. Silvia had also helped.
After reading the message fully, Vincent lowered his gaze, holding the paper.
Relief washed over him.
Amelia’s safety, and Derek being near her, was fortunate.
But at the same time, he felt anxiety and impatience.
He reread several phrases.
[The princess seemed to be searching for something. She is heading deeper into the forest from the village. Miss Silvia is assisting her.]
Amelia’s letter also mentioned that she needed to find something.
She believed it would allow her to deal with the Tower Master, and if she succeeded, she would contact the palace.
What could it be…
Couldn’t she have trusted him to go together? Did she need to face such danger alone?
Vincent let out a small, bitter laugh.
He had failed to show trust in her, yet he expected her to trust him. Could it be called selfish?
Carefully, he placed the paper back on the desk, worried it might crumple, and turned to study the empire map on the wall.
Annotations were scattered across the map, and he quickly located Runetten.
It was in the northern frontier of the empire.
“…Far.” Vincent narrowed his eyes.
By normal routes, it would take at least three days by carriage from the palace.
But long-distance travel didn’t require only that method.
If they drew a magic circle and provided precise coordinates, he could open a spatial transfer circle and arrive instantly.
Such magic couldn’t be used often, and required either a very skilled mage or an expensive magical artifact, usable by at most a couple of people.
Fortunately, as Crown Prince, Vincent had all of that.
Wanting to go immediately, he memorized Runetten’s location on the map repeatedly.
Runetten, Runetten…
What was there that Amelia needed to go all the way there? And how could she deal with the Tower Master? What if he targeted her before she found it?
Suppressing his anxiety, Vincent slowly opened and closed his eyes. Then he sat at his desk, picked up fresh paper and a pen.
He would not simply wait.
He began drafting a letter as concisely as possible, placing the orb on it. As the orb glowed, he gripped the bookshelf behind him with both hands.
Pushing forcefully, a hidden secret room was revealed.
