Chapter 44

Derek expected Rust to seek his agreement, but instead, Rust immediately turned to me.

"Given that, Your Highness Octavia. May I have your permission to alter—investigate this room?"

Due to the blue-silver mask with glass embedded in the open sections, it was impossible to guess what Rust was thinking from his overall expression.

The frustration had been growing since I arrived. To calm myself, I opened the 'Black Fan.' In times like this, it's fluffy! ...Okay, it's fine.

I looked back at Rust.

"What do you mean by 'given that'?"

"'Do not alter the throne room.' The words left by King Us when he transferred this palace have been strictly adhered to for a long time. My actions would violate this. If I were a rebel against the royal family, I wouldn't care, but I am not a rogue. ...Breaking the taboo is terrifying."

A rebel against the royal family, Rust, afraid of drawing a bow?

"...So?"

Even with the mask on, the movement of his lips was clear. The corners of Rust's mouth turned up.

"Because of that, at least, I seek Your Highness Octavia's permission. Otherwise, I would be punished by King Us, or—since the current owner of 'Heaven's Paradise' is His Highness Edgar, the Queen—both of them."

"Even to save Sir Sil, His Majesty and His Highness Edgar would not consider it?"

"History shows this to be certain. For example, when King Enock, the current king, was the crown prince—"

Rust's smile faded, and he spread his hand, indicating the interior of the 'Sky Room.'

"Just for entering this room secretly, he was given a severe punishment."

Just for entering? At least, in my case, it wouldn't be like that—. No, no, when I came with Alec, I did get permission. It wasn't a secret.

"Let me ask again, Your Highness. Can you grant me permission to break the taboo?"

There is something clear. Rust himself is not afraid of breaking the taboo. So, what is the meaning of asking such a question?

"—Is this also part of the resolve you demand from me?"

Adding one foolish act to another.

"Octavia-sama"

Derek, who had been watching the situation with a stern expression, called my name.

He didn't say anything more, just shook his head from side to side. ...I think he's telling me to stop.

I gripped the handle of the 'Black Fan.' I looked around the 'Sky Room' again.

The color scheme of the room is blue, giving a sense of high class. The emblem of the Esphera royal family is also depicted.

But there is only one throne, a simple setup.

There are two unconscious fake guards. Standing are me, Clifford, Derek, and Rust, the guide.

Trying to find someone—there's no place to hide.

But if Rust's words that Sir Sil is in the 'Sky Room' are true, and bringing us here was not a mistake, then there must be something unknown in this room.

—Do not alter the throne room.

Revealing this might not be something the royal family, as a whole, would welcome. As a princess, I probably shouldn't agree.

Derek, who also wants to find Sir Sil, opposes it.

But—

I closed the fan and looked directly at Rust.

"I grant you permission."

If I weigh Sir Sil's crisis, the choice is clear!

If I back down here, I'll lose my nerve. Even if nothing happens to Sir Sil, I'll definitely regret it. If only, at that time...

"If not, you wouldn't do anything, would you? Rust Burn. Everything you do in this room is with the permission of me, the First Princess. —The responsibility is mine. Is this acceptable?"

How about that! There should be no complaints.

"Come on. Break the taboo."

When I urged him, Rust bowed deeply.

"—Then, as Your Highness Octavia commands."

With a smile, he raised his head and walked towards the throne, the only piece of furniture in the 'Sky Room.'

The golden throne is not just in appearance. The backrest, armrests, seat, and legs—all parts are made of pure gold. It looks uncomfortable to sit on, but it's a luxurious item that evokes the splendor of the Us era. The simplicity of the room is more than compensated for by the throne.

But gold is surprisingly heavy!

In my previous life, I thought gold bars could be easily picked up and thrown. I had never held one, so I was wrong. A single bar probably weighs more than ten kilograms.

The throne in the 'Sky Room' uses at least ten or twenty gold bars.

It shouldn't be so easy to move—right?

Unless you know it exists. Or unless you thoroughly examine the throne, you wouldn't find the mechanism.

Rust activated it casually.

The throne, which would normally require several people to move, began to move like a living thing.

At the same time, a unique sound echoed. It's similar to when the gate opened by operating the gear room when we saw Alec off. The principle might be the same.

Is the structure of the 'Sky Room,' which can only be entered by circling the corridor, for this purpose?

The sound stopped. The throne disappeared.

In its place, an empty space opened up.

Alek's face came to mind. When he said, "Don't go to the 'Sky Room'" while feeling unwell.

—A staircase leading somewhere, extending downwards, was visible.

The sight reminded me of the hidden passages in the royal castle. If you step in lightly, you'll lose your sense of direction in a maze of branching paths. You might end up in a hidden room that's a dead end. In the worst case, you might be lost.

These passages, originally created for emergency escape, were later used by thieves, making them more complex over time.

I swallowed hard.

'Heaven's Paradise' was originally a royal palace. Moreover, it was a place favored by King Us, who was revered but had many enemies. It wouldn't be strange if it had hidden passages.

...So, the interior might be a maze?

"Can you guide us further? Even if it's a vast space that requires a map?"

"Map? Here."

Rust pointed to his head with his index finger.

"Didn't I say? If Your Highness goes, I will accompany you and lead you to Burks."

"...That's why a guide is needed."

No matter how strict the security, without prior knowledge, it would be impossible to find the entrance and the hidden passages beyond.

Moreover, the 'Sky Room' is a kind of sanctuary. It would only be searched as a last resort. If it's not recognized, it might as well not exist.

"Is the throne like a lid? Entry is restricted, and it's usually under surveillance. Even if someone enters, they wouldn't touch the throne."

"Even if they touched it, the throne wouldn't move. ...Unless they know the mechanism?"

"Knowing the mechanism alone is useless. It's difficult to enter this room by normal means. You need to plan like a rogue. —Or, the higher your status, the easier it is to enter."

Knowing the mechanism alone isn't enough to enter the 'Sky Room'.

...Did my father, who was the crown prince, come here secretly? Does he know this entrance?

—Wait. Why is this entrance left here?

Probably a mechanism from the Us era.

King Us didn't want this entrance to be found—right?

But if he didn't want it found, he could have sealed it completely when transferring it to a vassal, or kept it as royal property.

As expected, the mechanism remained until today, and was used by the 'Servants' to target Sir Sil...?

...Then, why did the 'Servants'...

"But—strange."

Looking down at the entrance he had created, Rust muttered. His words sounded disappointed to me.

"What were you expecting?"

"There was no expectation. Just that sound. At least, the rogues at the other end of this entrance would know the mechanism was activated unexpectedly. —I thought some of them might come here. Indeed, the knight and the next Duke of Knight Fellow are prepared for it, aren't they?"

Indeed...!

Clifford and Derek were ready to fight at any moment. Their positions were also different!

I was completely preoccupied with the entrance.

So, I should have anticipated this danger...!

Actually.

"...Considering you anticipated the danger, you seem quite relaxed."

"I'll just run away. I'll leave the fighting to the two of you."

He waved his hand casually.

During this time, no one seemed to be checking the stairs.

"Perhaps... something unexpected happened among the rogues."

They might not have enough manpower to deal with our movements.

Then, it's a tailwind for us! We should take advantage of this and enter the passage.

Just as I was about to say we should hurry to Sir Sil,

"Unexpected... Like the next Duke of Knight Fellow being here?"

Rust directed a loaded question at Derek.

"—What do you mean?"

Derek asked coldly.

"Why did you come to this 'Sky Room' to search for Burks? Of course, your judgment was correct. But the number of people who can do this is limited. Do you have a lead—like I do. Or"

Are you one of the rogues?

"Are you conveniently forgetting that I defeated the fake guards?"

"Perhaps it was an unexpected event among the rogues. If you deny it, I would like an explanation of why you came here to search for Burks."

Rust added convincingly.

"I have no objection to guiding Your Highness further. But I want to avoid going with someone who might attack from behind. Do you find the next Duke of Knight Fellow suspicious, Your Highness?"

"...No."

Well, I did have a bit of doubt just now.

"That's good."

"Between enemy and ally, the next Duke of Knight Fellow is an ally of Sir Sil. —It's more likely that he had a lead than being one of the rogues."

I was surprised that the 'Servants' were targeting Sir Sil, so he might have found a different route, or had a source of information that he couldn't disclose due to his position.

Derek took a deep breath.

"I will explain to Your Highness Octavia."

Then, he spoke to me.

"Our Duke of Knight Fellow family has deep ties with the royal family, and we gather various information, true or false. Sometimes, more than the royal family. I can access this information, though not as much as my father. ...I knew there was something hidden in the 'Sky Room' before. When I saw the current layout of 'Heaven's Paradise,' I noticed unnatural points. ...But, investigating the 'Sky Room' was practically impossible."

"Did you connect Burks to the 'Sky Room' just because of that? The next Duke of Knight Fellow seems to have an unusually sharp intuition."

"—I connected the 'Sky Room' to my father's movements."

Derek answered succinctly to Rust's interruption.

"...The Duke of Knight Fellow's?"

I blurted out.

Huh? Uncle?

Seeing my confusion, Derek hesitated before continuing.

"I had expected my father to set something up at today's semi-ball. A lot of personnel from our family were involved. Also, when I received permission to carry weapons from Lord Rendington, I learned about the security setup. ...It was stricter than a normal semi-ball. My father probably planned the layout. But there were two points that caught my attention. One was the unusually thin security in the garden. —It seemed to invite someone to intrude."

"That's..."

"Yes. I asked Your Highness Octavia earlier. A trap set by my father and others to catch the rogues. I didn't consider this a major issue, but the other point was more significant."

"Another point?"

He paused.

"—The security for the 'Sky Room' was normal, without any reinforcements. But, given my father's character, this was impossible."

Derek stated firmly.

"It should have been a place with enhanced security, given that the Duke of Knight Fellow family has information about the 'Sky Room.' Yet, he neglected it intentionally. ...If the semi-ball had ended peacefully, it would have been my overthinking."

But, halfway through, Sir Sil disappeared.

"When I learned that Sir Sil was missing, I came here because the security here was cleverly lax compared to the venue. Indeed,"

Derek cast a bitter glance at the two fake guards.

"My father could have prevented this situation. But, he left the 'Sky Room'—the hidden passage—vulnerable, knowing the risk."

"I see."

Rust nodded, seemingly impressed.

"Since the Duke of Knight Fellow didn't completely neglect the security of the 'Sky Room,' he can explain it in any way he wants."

"My uncle..."

What is he thinking?

Even calling him 'Duke' had slipped my mind.

"—Don't misunderstand. From what I can see, my father would not turn against Your Highness Octavia. Even if he takes suspicious actions, he would avoid harming Your Highness. However, he might not be so considerate towards others. That's all. ...Also, my assessment of the security gaps is just my opinion. My father has his own reasons."

"...Yes, I see."

I nodded.

Yeah, I get it. Ask Uncle about his thoughts.

Find Sir Sil safely and meet Uncle!

Derek called out to Rust.

"Is my suspicion cleared now?"

"I can trust the next Duke of Knight Fellow. I apologize. —Your Highness Octavia, shall we proceed to Burks with the next Duke of Knight Fellow?"

He confirmed, about to agree.

"What do you think? Sir Derek?"

"Our goal is the same. Honestly, I don't think Your Highness should go—"

Derek sighed, looking at Rust.

Though reluctantly, we rely on Rust. Rust is cooperating on the condition that I go to Sir Sil myself.

Derek seemed to have read this from our previous interactions. However, his initial distrust of Rust had not completely disappeared.

"As a vassal of the Esphera royal family, I cannot not go."

Derek bowed.

"—I will assist with all my might."