Chapter 20

Meanwhile, at that time.

Luke held his head in his hands over the information Ding brought back. However, he could not remain silent, and immediately gathered the king, Duke Belfias, and Duke Lithaard in the waiting room to report the incident.

"…As a member of the Royal Guard, I am deeply sorry that I could not protect him…"

"…..."

Luke and Ding bowed deeply. Even though it was unexpected that the attack would come from the sky, the fact that they were unable to prevent it despite being present was undeniable. Even if it was by Alvis's own will, it was a failure of the Royal Guard. As the captain, Luke could not avoid being held responsible.

"…Luke, the target this time was Alvis, was it?"

"I believe only the prince knew that… However, based on the reports from my subordinates, I think the target was most likely the daughter of Duke Lithaard."

"…."

Luke glanced at Duke Lithaard. In response, Duke Lithaard remained silent. Although he was not at the scene, he did not know if it was true. However, both Ding and Luke were almost certain that the target was Elina. There was no reason to kill Alvis now.

Girard was no longer a member of the royal family. To bring him back into the royal family, there was no other way but to start a rebellion, and there was no noble family that would benefit from carrying it out. There were no objections to Alvis becoming the crown prince. If the noble families were to act, they would likely target the crown princess, trying to make Elina step aside. There were people who might try to change the engagement by creating a fait accompli. This time, the guard was on high alert for such a move.

If they were to take a fatal action like shooting an arrow, it would be reasonable to assume that the target was Elina. If Elina were to be injured and unable to stand as the crown princess, another person would inevitably be chosen.

"…Has Elina been told about this?"

"I have not told her."

"Then, what about the perpetrator?"

"…My subordinates found that he was already dead."

The location was a high platform that could be shot from outside the balcony. Upon searching the area, they found that the guard at the gate tower had been put to sleep, and a man who appeared to be the perpetrator was lying dead on the watchtower. There were signs of poison use, so it was possible that he had committed suicide.

"…It will be difficult to trace…"

"We are currently investigating… If we have your permission, I would like to ask for the prince's help as soon as he regains consciousness."

"Alvis's?"

Not only the king, but also Rakwell spoke up. Extracting information from the dead was almost impossible. It was normal for not even a name to come up.

"…If it's the prince, he can trace the trajectory by reading mana. However, it will be a burden on the prince… Duke, did you not know about this…?"

"Yes… I have never heard of it."

"…Is such a thing possible?"

"Yes. We have seen it several times. As for how it is done, only the prince can explain it…"

It seemed that Alvis had been doing this as a matter of course even before joining the Royal Guard, using his power as if it were nothing. Luke had received an explanation of how to use it, but he could not do it himself. Therefore, Luke could not explain the power.

"Well, that's fine… I cannot give permission while he is still unconscious. We will see the situation after he regains consciousness."

"Yes."

"…Luke, how is Elina?"

Suddenly, Duke Lithaard, who had not spoken until now, opened his mouth. Even though she did not know that she might have been targeted, Elina was at the scene when Alvis was shot. It must have been a shock to her. As a parent, Duke Lithaard was worried.

However, Luke did not know her condition. He sent a glance to Ding, who was standing behind him, and Ding spoke.

"When we carried the prince to his room, she offered to accompany us, so we took her along. After that, she has stayed with the prince in his bedroom. She has not spoken a word during this time."

"…I see."

"Duke Lithaard, what do you intend to do? Should we bring her here?"

Although they were engaged, they were not yet married. For a young lady, staying in the same room with Alvis, who was lying down, at night was not a desirable action. Elina must have understood this. However, she must have decided that it did not matter and stayed there.

After a moment of silence, Duke Lithaard spoke.

"…Elina, my daughter, lived her days like a duty when she was engaged to Girard. She did not like Girard. As she grew, she no longer acted capriciously and must have been restraining herself in that matter."

Elina, who silently tolerated Lilian and Girard's closeness. She must have had a sense of pride as a lady, but she also endured Girard's insults. This was because it was not allowed to speak without permission in public.

Still, it was a fact that Elina was hurt. She tried to support her future husband and accept everything, but Girard betrayed her in the worst way. Even so, Elina never blamed Girard. It was not enough to just go through the motions of education. She needed to exchange words and hearts with Girard. In the end, she felt that she was not a person worthy of being a queen, and she was disheartened. She did not even hate Lilian.

Recently, Elina has become more cheerful and smiles more. From the way she cherishes what she received from Alvis, it is clear that Alvis is one of the reasons for her change.

"Please understand, even if it is impolite. My daughter is acting unbecomingly because she cares so much for Prince Alvis… Your Majesty, as a father, I want to grant Elina's wish. I would like to ask for your permission for her to stay with the prince for a while."

"…Hmm, a father's heart."

"Yes."

The king looked at Rakwell, but Rakwell said nothing, leaving the decision to the king.

"…It would be better to confirm her safety before sending her home. I will allow her to stay until then."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

"It is for Elina's safety. Alvis risked his injury to protect her. If something were to happen to her afterward, Alvis would be sad."

The king emphasized that it was for Elina's safety. It was a reasonable reason to have a noble lady stay in the castle. With this, Elina was granted permission by the king to stay in the castle with dignity.