Chapter 45

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Meanwhile, coincidentally, Olivia had also arrived at the same conclusion.

After finishing her search of a room on the first floor of the west side of the castle, Eugenia seems to think, like Edwar, that they will eventually find the lost sword if they search all the rooms in the castle. But is that really the case?

(I don't know when the sword was lost, but could it really go unnoticed? After all, one knows one's own actions best. If he says he must have left it somewhere, then he must have a memory of placing it somewhere. If so, wouldn't it be faster to search the places he visited? He can't possibly walk through every room in the castle every day. If the king wandered around like that every day, the servants wouldn't be able to do their work properly.)

Neither Eugenia nor Edwar doubt King Wilson's "carelessness." They both say it happens often, and it might have happened many times in the past. But—can this "carelessness" be considered the same as the past incidents?

Losing the sword, a national treasure passed down through generations at the time of coronation, is not something that can be dismissed as mere "carelessness." If he had repeatedly made such "careless" mistakes, there would be people questioning King Wilson's qualifications as a king.

However, to Olivia, King Wilson is beloved by both his people and his subjects, and no one seems to doubt his qualifications.

(That means there must not have been such a level of "carelessness" in the past.)

The perspective changes when viewed from the outside, or from the eyes of his children. Edwar and the others have grown up being tossed around by Wilson's "carelessness," so they have stopped thinking deeply about this incident.

"Miss Olivia, let's go upstairs next."

When Eugenia called out to her, Olivia nodded and followed her. Enoch and Eugenia were discussing which part of the second floor to search next as they climbed the stairs.

"Miss Olivia, is something wrong?"

Taylor, who was accompanying Olivia, looked puzzled.

"Just... something is on my mind," she replied.

"I see. But don't get so lost in thought that you trip on the stairs."

"Right."

Taylor, who knew Olivia's tendency to become so engrossed in her thoughts that she lost awareness of her surroundings, followed a few steps behind with a worried look.

(There are three points of concern. Why did King Wilson lose the sword at this particular time? Why did he tell us, outsiders, about it? And why is he having Prince Edwar and Princess Eugenia search for it... This seems like...)

Olivia stopped in her tracks as she thought this. A certain answer flashed through her mind, and she was stunned. It's not something the usually calm and kind Wilson would think of, but—this answer fits the best.

"Miss Olivia?"

"Oh, yes, it's nothing."

Olivia smiled at Taylor, who looked puzzled by her sudden stop, and started moving again.

(I shouldn't rush to a conclusion... but I need to consult with Prince Silas.)

If her conclusion is correct, Olivia and Silas are involved in a terribly complicated problem.

(I hope this premonition is wrong this time...)

However, from a young age, Olivia's bad premonitions have often been accurate. Looking up at Eugenia and Enoch chatting amicably, Olivia felt a strange sensation.

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Thank you for reading!

Today!! The second volume of "The Crown Prince Broke Off Our Engagement, So I'm Going to Stop Pretending to Be Stupid" is now available!! Please enjoy the wonderful illustrations by Ayano Shiono! (While all the illustrations are amazing, I particularly like the "muff" face on page 175 of a certain person w)

Also, I wrote two new short stories at the end of the book. One is a short story about Olivia's brother Ronaldo, and the other is a short story about Olivia and Silas. In the latter, I made it a bit more romantic.

Thank you very much!

Additionally, a new series has started!

[The Amnesiac Fiancé Seems to Like Me]

https://ncode.syosetu.com/n2251hs/

Please look forward to it!