“Ah, wait a moment.”
Forcite’s voice stopped her steps again.
“Take this and eat it.”
He held out a box that he had somehow neatly repacked with the puddings from the table, stacked carefully and tied with a pretty ribbon.
Merrien, who had her hand on the doorknob, accepted it with a bewildered expression.
She was now holding Agnes in one arm and a large box in the other.
“Thank you. Then…”
Just as Merrien was turning around, Forcite leaned in.
“Looks like a little rat has sneaked in.”
The whisper lodged clearly in Agnes’s ear.
As expected, there was no way they wouldn’t be discovered.
*** 
Agnes dangled his hind legs while being held in Merrien’s arms.
He deliberately made a show of grumbling. Even though it was a misunderstanding, it was better to make her think about something else than worry about Ariel getting involved because of him.
“Why did you provoke the Prince? You don’t even have evidence to show him.”
Anyone who saw would have screamed and run away at the deep, thick male voice coming from the mouth of a cute puppy.
“That was my purpose.”
“…Pardon?”
Agnes raised his head at her confident reply rather than embarrassment, then quickly lowered it again.
It was his first time looking up at Merrien from such close proximity. His heart thumped at her delicate features.
“I was curious if his goal was to make Ariel reveal himself as the Tower Master. When I just said I believed him, he asked me if I knew what Ariel’s true identity was.”
Agnes hadn’t realized she had thought that far ahead, assuming it was just words spoken in anger. He nodded, still keeping his gaze fixed forward rather than looking at Merrien.
“That means it could be his purpose, and it also means Forcite might not yet know that I’m aware Ariel is the Tower Master.”
“……”
Agnes discovered an unexpected side to her.
He had thought that once she was convinced the Prince was Ariel’s enemy, she would scold him loudly without thinking or even pull his hair out.
But she was someone who could think more calmly than he expected.
However, her arms holding him tightly were trembling, showing she was clearly very nervous.
He stroked her arm with his pink jelly pads as if to say “good job.” Though the sensation she felt would probably be just a tickle.
“And I needed to buy more time. The energy emanating from Forcite was very similar to your energy, Nes.”
“…What?”
Agnes froze in the middle of stroking her arm.
Noticing such energy should be impossible for anyone except Ariel or himself. She even confidently claimed it was similar to his own.
“But… it’s different. Yours is soft and warm, but his was terribly ominous.”
“Similar energy but slightly different…”
Agnes’s contemplative voice resonated deeply like it was traveling through a cave.
Moreover, the Prince had noticed him again this time and whispered about it. This wasn’t something they could dismiss as a misunderstanding.
At that moment, Merrien suddenly stopped.
Agnes realized the reason before he could even look up.
“A traitor who conspires with dragons to destroy the Empire with magical beasts is wandering right in front of the Prince’s palace?”
There were quite a few people causing trouble in front of the carriage in the distance.
As if they had gone berserk upon seeing the House Hartez emblem, the carriage was covered in eggs, flour, and various filth.
The coachman staggered from apparent blows, and the waiting guard knight struggled desperately to hold back the crowd.
“What in the world……”
Merrien’s trembling eyes took in the scene.
She had expected some reaction from the imperial citizens, but it had only been a short time since the special edition was distributed!
“Merrien.”
Before she could think further, someone tugged at her sleeve from the side.
When Merrien turned around with a start, the person who had grabbed her collar also seemed surprised, eyes wide like a rabbit’s.
Hair and eyes of a white color that couldn’t be found anywhere else on the continent.
It was Charlotte.
“Charlotte!”
So delighted was Merrien that she put Agnes down and not only grabbed Charlotte’s hands but raised her voice.
Her head was already about to burst from the sudden events, and now, directly witnessing people terrorizing the carriage with filth had completely deflated her spirits.
To have her only friend appear at such a time!
She felt like crying and pouring out every detail of these incidents.
The people shouting at the carriage began murmuring as they looked in their direction.
“Shh-.”
Charlotte put her index finger to her lips and hurriedly led Merrien behind a pillar in the corridor.
Despite being in a blind spot where no one could see them, she peeked out slightly to carefully check if anyone was coming.
Only after confirming that people’s attention had shifted did she push Merrien against the pillar and trapped her with both arms.
Her gaze was resolute, as if demanding Merrien to look directly at her.
“Merrien. What did His Highness the Prince call you for?”
“…He said there were unfavorable rumors about Ariel. That was all.”
Merrien, trapped, narrowed her eyes.
Even with a welcome face, being questioned so abruptly naturally raised suspicion.
She worried that she might have shown her happiness too readily just now.
It seemed like just yesterday they were laughing together as best friends, but coincidentally meeting at the Second Prince’s palace made her wonder.
She even thought that Charlotte might be on Forcite’s side.
“Merrien. I’ll keep this brief since there are many people watching.”
“What?”
“His Highness the Prince is planning to hold a noble trial.”
A noble trial? Merrien’s eyes rolled around.
Charlotte took a deep breath as if she had made some decision.
“A trial about stripping Duke Hartez of his title. I think he’s even considering branding him a traitor and executing him.”
“……!”
Merrien just realized that when you’re too shocked, your mouth doesn’t even open.
Instead, she bit her lower lip, rolling it inward.
No matter how she thought about it, Forcite had no reason to attack House Hartez.
It would mean making an enemy not just of Ariel but of the Tower.
‘Then why on earth……’
Finally, the tangy smell of blood spread from her lower lip.
Merrien roughly wiped away the blood that was filling her mouth and about to stain her lips, thinking carefully.
Even before, when Forcite rashly attacked House Hartez…..
Her racing thoughts suddenly stopped.
‘Could it be to get me out?’
Her eyes met with Agnes, who had somehow appeared right next to her leg.
Though she had to bend down quite a bit to look at him, it seemed their thoughts aligned.
“It’s not because of me… is it?”
Though she spoke worriedly, once the words left her mouth, she felt embarrassed, thinking it might be self-centered.
But Charlotte seemed to share the same thought and nodded.
“Yes, it seems he’s doing this reckless thing to get Merrien out of Duke Hartez’s mansion. Tsk, why does he try to interfere between people who are getting along well?”
She even clicked her tongue and uttered words that seemed too rebellious for the sacred original female protagonist in Merrien’s heart.
Though briefly surprised, Merrien quickly grabbed Charlotte’s hands again. Warmth transferred between them.
Her faintly smiling face was filled with fatigue.
To have doubted such a person even momentarily… guilt rose within her.
Charlotte added words that made her conscience sting so badly she wanted to hit her own head hard enough to faint.
“Merrien. Let me know if there’s anything I can help with. And thank you for coming back.”
“……”
It was a heartfelt statement.
Merrien couldn’t easily open her mouth.
That was the answer to the letter she had sent recently, the one she felt would cause her to die of shame just thinking about it.
Everyone around her was the same.
Unlike Merrien herself, who felt ashamed, others didn’t ask anything despite seeing meaningful words and actions.
They just said thank you for coming back, that was all.
The two Saints smiled at each other.
Amusingly, both had faces that were not just pale but haggard.
“Charlotte, please let me know if you have any problems, too. Really… thank you.”
“Yes, Merrien. I’ll pray that things work out well.”
If they stayed together any longer, Charlotte might also get caught up in strange rumors. Merrien quickly sent her away.
After taking several deep breaths in the alley to create a time gap, she picked up Agnes.
Then she walked confidently toward the carriage.
“Look! That’s the Saint who goes around with Duke Hartez!”
Someone pointed and prepared to throw eggs or something similar.
Merrien didn’t hesitate and resolutely got into the carriage.
Agnes growled and glared at them from within her arms, but it was a useless gesture.
Even after the carriage departed, the mocking cries of the imperial citizens could be heard for a long time.
She simply closed her eyes.