Chapter 50

It had been about two days, but I still hadn't found anything.

Nash, the owner of the ice cream shop, remained silent. Was it because it would be inconvenient if the source of his startup capital was revealed, or was he protecting something...?

(Prince Eric seems to think this incident is related to the mastermind targeting him. At the very least, it seems to be connected to the Belkline incident.)

While heading to the office, I continued to think about the case.

There are too many incidents around His Highness, but since we always prevent assassinations before they happen, this is the first time we've encountered such a special case.

Nash is the most likely suspect. Still, it's not certain yet.

Nash is also uncooperative with the investigation. He denies the charges, but his silence is unacceptable.

And we don't even know the reason for his behavior.

"Reia, are you going to see your brother now?"

"This is Prince Dale. I apologize for interrupting your work the other day."

While I was lost in thought, Prince Dale spoke to me.

Eric's younger brother and the second prince of the country. His friendly personality is well-known, and he is popular among the people.

He is also on good terms with the nobility, and all but Duke Gilbert openly claim that he should be the next king.

"No, my business is simple and will be over quickly. I just thought it would be better to prioritize your schedule. Please don't apologize."

Prince Dale, with a smile and a gentle tone, said that there was no need to apologize for the incident in the archive room where we reached for the same document and he let me go first.

I heard that Prince Dale was also investigating for Prince Eric by the king's order.

"Is your brother doing well?"

"Yes, I haven't heard that he's been unwell since I came here."

"That's good. Your brother tends to overwork himself, so it would help if Reia could remind him to take care."

Prince Dale shows concern for his brother, Prince Eric.

Indeed, Prince Eric often works too hard.

Protecting Prince Eric is my job. I'll speak up if it gets out of hand, though I'm not sure if he'll listen.

"Understood. If I feel that Prince Eric is overworking himself, I'll try to say something."

"...Reia, you've changed a bit, haven't you? Has Prince Eric opened up to you?"

"Huh? Did I say something strange?"

I thought I was just answering the question, but Prince Dale said I had changed.

Perhaps Prince Eric has opened up to me, but it feels more like Prince Eric has changed, not me.

Why would Prince Dale say such a thing?

"No, not at all. I just thought that Prince Eric must be healing thanks to Reia's kindness."

"Hmm..."

"I heard you went out together yesterday. Prince Eric never goes out for a break, so I was relieved to hear that."

That break led to an attempted murder, so it's questionable whether it was a break at all.

Still, I could feel that Prince Dale cares for Prince Eric.

I had suspected that he might have ambitions to become the next king, but it seems those suspicions were unfounded.

Still, I think he's exaggerating a bit to say he was relieved to hear about our outing.

"Don't get your hopes up. I hope going out with someone like me can help relieve his stress..."

"That's not true. I'm envious of my brother. I also want to have dinner with Reia."

"Well, that's an honor."

Prince Dale wants to have dinner with me? I was internally confused by this unexpected proposal.

What does this mean? Does he want to probe deeper into Prince Eric, or is it just a social courtesy?

(Social courtesy is more likely. Prince Dale is kind, and he must be concerned about me.)

In any case, it doesn't seem to have a deeper meaning. I shouldn't take it too seriously.

"If you don't mind, how about dinner tomorrow? I can introduce you to a delicious new restaurant."

"Really? Tomorrow?"

I was surprised. I thought he wasn't serious, but I didn't expect him to invite me to dinner tomorrow.

I let out an awkward sound, feeling embarrassed. When I cautiously looked at Prince Dale, he was smiling softly at me.

"Tomorrow might be a bit too soon. I didn't mean to surprise you. If it's inconvenient, we can reschedule."

"No, it's not at all inconvenient. I would be honored to join you."

"Great! I'm looking forward to it!"

When I accepted Prince Dale's invitation, he opened his eyes wide and said happily.

I felt a bit embarrassed that he was so pleased about having dinner with someone like me.

(Prince Dale's happy face seems different from his usual smile. Maybe it's his true...?)

"Then, I'll send someone to inform you of the meeting time."

"Understood. I'll be waiting."

And so, I made a dinner appointment with Prince Dale and headed to the office.

◆

"Hmm..."

When I entered the office, Prince Eric was reading documents with a serious expression.

I wanted to tell him about Prince Dale, but I didn't want to disturb him, so I decided to tell him later.

(These past two days, His Highness has been like this. Johan has been investigating, and he's been staring at the documents, thinking about something.)

The abolition of privileges is about to be officially announced. His Highness probably wants to solve the case before then.

If the country becomes unstable, it will be harder to uncover the truth, and there will be more distractions.

"...Reia, I'm sorry to trouble you."

"No, it's only natural to be considerate so as not to disturb you."

"I see. ...What do you think about this case?"

Prince Eric asked for my opinion on the attempted murder.

To be honest, I don't understand much. But I can't just say that, so I decided to share my thoughts.

"To be frank, it seems unlikely that the owner of such a popular shop would try to kill someone in his own store. That's the most suspicious part."

As His Highness has said before, poisoning someone in that way is a bad move.

It's obvious who would be suspected first, and there were certainly more discreet ways to administer the poison.

"...That's right. I mostly agree. The ice cream shop was thriving, and it took a lot of money to open. This means Nash is passionate about his business."

"Yes, I felt the same. The staff were polite, and the shop was clean and had a good atmosphere."

That's why it's so concerning. The reason he burned the ledger on the day of the incident. If he had nothing to hide, why would he act suspiciously?

I had a gut feeling that Nash wasn't the culprit.

But he is the most suspicious based on the circumstances.

As His Highness said, the reason he burned the ledger is unclear.

We already know that he sold the results of his forbidden magic research to Belkline. So why is he still silent?

"Prince Eric! The source of the ice cream shop's funding has been identified!"

"―What!?"

At that moment, the office door opened, and Johan appeared.

Has he found out about the hidden startup capital? Johan is as efficient as always. However, his expression seemed anxious. What's going on?

"Well done. ...But from your expression, it doesn't seem to be good news."

"Yes! It turns out that the ice cream shop received a large donation from Prince Dale."

"Hmm. Dale is involved? This is unexpected..."

Prince Dale donated to the ice cream shop? If that's the case, he should have mentioned it when we talked about going out with Prince Eric, but he didn't.

He knew we went out, but maybe he didn't know it was to the ice cream shop.

(I'm imagining the worst. Could Prince Dale be pulling Nash's strings for something sinister...?)

I shook my head, feeling disrespectful. I had convinced myself that Prince Dale was on Prince Eric's side.

But he might have been following the king's orders, and it's not necessarily true. This chain of suspicion won't stop.

I don't know what lies behind his kind and gentle smile.

There's a feeling I can't put into words, a will that he must never be understood, that I sometimes sense when talking to him.

"Dale was also investigating Jade's social circle by the king's order. He might have known about Baron Almar and Nash Hofmann."

"That's a possibility we can't rule out."

"Indeed, of all people, Dale. This is difficult. No one is more inscrutable than that man."

Prince Dale, Prince Eric's only brother.

I've never seen them get along.

When they meet, Prince Dale greets him, but they are clearly estranged.

Previously, Prince Eric said he doesn't dislike his brother. I believe that's true.

But the distance between them seems too great to be just a matter of blood.

(I can't really talk, considering how far apart I am from my sister.)

I think of Jill. She came to believe she was a tragic heroine and started treating me as the villain.

Before I knew it, she tried to kill me. Prince Eric said it was because she was brainwashed by Jade Belkline, but I can't help but worry.

Being targeted by a family member is not something you can easily brush off.

I hope my bad feeling is wrong.

"Prince Eric, Prince Dale is definitely on our side. There's no need to be so pessimistic."

Johan tried to calm Prince Eric, who was probably imagining the worst.

I agree with Johan. It's foolish to get depressed without knowing the full story.

But I can understand why it's not that simple for Prince Eric.

"Of course, I want to believe in Dale. But he was close to Belkline. What if he's just pretending to be on the king's and my side...? ...No, I'm just being paranoid."

Prince Eric shook his head, trying to rethink.

He probably wants to believe in his brother but is frustrated that he can't.

In a situation where everyone around him is an enemy, it's normal for His Highness to become suspicious. I could feel his inner conflict and felt uncomfortable.

Reflecting on it, our first conflict might have stemmed from this suspicion.

(I can't just stand by. I need to do something for His Highness. I know! )

I opened my mouth, determined to clear the clouds in His Highness's heart.

"...Prince Eric, should I try to probe Prince Dale?"

"You want to probe him? That's sudden. What do you plan to do?"

I decided to do my best to clear up Prince Eric's doubts.

With that in mind, I opened my mouth to make a proposal.

"Actually, Prince Dale just invited me to dinner tomorrow."

"Huh? Dale invited you to dinner? Wait a minute. Are you two that close?"

Prince Eric looked surprisingly shocked.

Was it so strange to hear that I was invited by Prince Dale?

It's true that we don't talk much, and I thought it was just a social courtesy, so I was surprised when he invited me to dinner tomorrow.

But I didn't expect His Highness, who is usually calm, to be so surprised by this.

"Not really. It was just a casual conversation that led to the invitation. He said he wanted to introduce me to a good restaurant..."

"From a casual conversation? Does Dale invite women to dinner every time he chats? How many meals does he plan to have in a day?"

"Every time is an exaggeration, isn't it? Prince Eric, are you okay? You seem a bit off."

"Me, off? I'm not... No, you're right. Saying 'every time' was illogical. Sorry, go on."

Prince Eric, looking unamused, finally calmed down.

Johan seemed to be trying not to laugh.

(Prince Eric must realize that Dale inviting me to dinner is a chance to probe his true intentions.)

I decided to explain it in simple terms and make sure he understood. Looking into His Highness's annoyed eyes, I spoke slowly.

"So, I thought I could use the dinner to try and understand Prince Dale's true feelings."

"I see... I understood that, but you and Dale..."

Hearing my words, Prince Eric nodded and crossed his arms in thought.

(Is this really that difficult to decide? He's muttering something, but he understands, right?)

After a while, His Highness, who had a troubled look on his face, sighed.

"Alright, I'll leave it to you. But don't overdo it. ...You're my bodyguard. I'd be in trouble if something happened to you."

"Understood. I promise not to overdo it."

"Yes, a promise."

His Highness's awkward but caring concern is a source of strength for me.

Being relied on is a sign of trust. It's like a medal to me.

(I'll definitely meet your expectations. Please wait.)

I want to be of service to His Highness. I've wanted that for a long time.

I haven't thought about how to get information yet, but I need to get something useful.

"By the way, Reia."

"Yes?"

As I was mentally preparing, Prince Eric looked at me seriously.

What is it? Is there another instruction?

"...I know a few good restaurants, too."

"Really?"

"Yes. So, um..."

"Then, please tell me. I'd like to know about the restaurants you recommend, Your Highness."

The conversation suddenly changed, and I was a bit surprised. I didn't know Prince Eric was a foodie.

When we went for ice cream, I didn't sense any particular interest, so I thought he wasn't into it.

"Really? Then, I'll introduce you to one next time!"

"Yes, I look forward to it, Your Highness."

He looked happy. I guess he didn't have many friends to introduce his favorite places to, except for Sir Philip.

I also have a promise of a reward. This makes me even more determined not to fail at tomorrow's dinner. I clenched my fist, feeling more resolved.

This month, on May 25th, the second volume of "Tragic Heroine" will be released!

The story, with its original developments, is more voluminous and entertaining than the web version!

The cover is currently being revealed in the activity report!

It's now available for pre-order on various online stores, so please look forward to it! m(_ _)m