Chapter 19

It seems that Silas and the others returned quite late at night.

Due to the late hour, they only spoke with the supervisor of the prisoners who was on watch, discussed the search area for the night and the reinforcement of security, and then returned. Although their stay was not particularly long, the time it took to go and come back was considerable, so by the time they returned, it was already midnight.

Olivia had intended to stay awake and wait for Silas's return, but she must have fallen asleep while sitting on the bed reading a book.

She woke up when the sky was just beginning to lighten.

Of course, at such an early hour, neither the cafes nor the restaurants were open. Taylor was still asleep, and Silas and the others were surely still sleeping as well.

Even when she opened the curtains facing the main street and looked down, there were hardly any people walking around.

After lighting the small stove to boil water and making chamomile tea, Olivia decided to pass the time by reading a book.

The book she was reading was about incense, which she had bought from a bookstore in town. She had become curious after Silas bought her an incense burner and Dr. Wybal told her about the incense used in the ancient dynasty's temples.

While the book did not mention the incense used in the ancient dynasty, it did provide a lot of information about the incense available in the Calzor Kingdom. According to Dr. Wybal, incense is sometimes used like medicine in the Calzor Kingdom, with some incense having a numbing effect on the nerves and others having strong hypnotic properties, which are often used in medical settings.

(There are also people called sorcerers in the Calzor Kingdom.)

Sorcerers, who are known not only for divining good omens but also for cursing and killing people, apparently often use such incense.

Olivia, who had no interest in such terrifying incense, skipped over those sections and opened the part about incense with relaxing and beauty effects. The incense Silas bought her was also mentioned in this section.

While Olivia was engrossed in reading, Taylor woke up and sighed in exasperation at seeing her reading so early in the morning.

"Miss, you were up late last night, and now you're up so early. What are you doing?"

"I just woke up."

"Really, Miss. You're going to the ruins today, right? What if you collapse from overexertion?"

The matter at hand was Tiana's escape.

Since she wasn't allowed to go with them last night, she was determined to go today. She didn't want to be left out.

While muttering complaints, Taylor helped Olivia get ready.

When Olivia went to the restaurant for breakfast, Silas and Alan were already there. They both looked sleepy, probably from lack of sleep.

"Good morning."

As Olivia sat down, Silas, who was drinking coffee to wake up, called the waiter. It seemed they had been waiting for her to come down before eating.

Taylor was eating with Colin at a different table, so Silas ordered breakfast for three and stifled a small yawn.

"Was it late last night?"

"Yeah. We didn't mean to stay long, but it takes more time to travel at night than during the day."

"We only asked for the surrounding area to be secured, but a large-scale search will have to wait until the troops from the Zakhfil Earl's territory arrive."

"I don't want to make a big deal out of it, but there's no choice."

While they were talking, the waiter brought their breakfast. The menu included croissants, fava bean soup, scrambled eggs, and cut fruit. It was more than enough for Olivia, but it seemed insufficient for the two who had been out late, as Alan ordered additional mashed potatoes and a hamburger steak, and Silas ordered a sandwich.

"Is Princess Florenzia still not feeling well?"

Princess Florenzia and her guard, Legion, were not in sight. She had been unwell since yesterday, and if she was still not feeling well this morning, perhaps they should call a doctor.

"It seems so. I invited her to breakfast, but she said she wasn't feeling well and would eat in her room."

Alan shrugged. By position, Princess Florenzia was a potential fiancée for Alan. While Alan wanted to avoid the engagement, he couldn't treat her rudely. Moreover, his mother, Queen Barbara, was very enthusiastic about the engagement, so Alan had to deepen his relationship with the princess, regardless of his own feelings. His frustration at not being able to ignore the situation was understandable.

"Should we arrange for a doctor?"

"Legion, her guard, said it would be fine."

"…Does he have medical knowledge?"

"Who knows? Maybe."

Alan answered indifferently and took a bite of his hamburger steak.

"Brother, isn't that risky? If something happens to the princess, it could be serious."

"But she said she doesn't need one."

Silas had a point, but Alan was right; they couldn't arrange a doctor without her consent.

Alan seemed a bit irritated. With the pressure of being pushed into an engagement with Princess Florenzia and Tiana's escape from labor, it was understandable that he was frustrated.

"If the princess is still not feeling well when we return from the ruins, I'll go check on her."

It would be inappropriate for the two men to enter the princess's room while she was unwell, but as a woman, Olivia could do so. Alan nodded in agreement.

"Right. Thanks. Given the current situation, if her condition doesn't improve, it might be better for her to return to the capital first."

It was almost as if he was saying he wanted her to leave because of the chaos.

They needed to resolve the Tiana issue quickly, or Alan's frustration might explode.

(She's still as short-tempered as ever...)

Olivia sighed and slumped her shoulders.