“…Floria?”

— There’s no one around.

They called out softly but there was no one there according to Yuri.

Had they missed each other because they were late? She started to worry.

— Maybe she didn’t believe what you said? Or maybe she didn’t come today at all.

“She would have said something in advance if she wasn’t coming.”

The person they were supposed to meet was Floria.

She wasn’t the type to stand someone up without saying anything after making plans.

— Then what? Has she not arrived yet?

That didn’t seem likely either. They were the ones who were late after all.

Perhaps…

“She might have gotten caught up in something.”

— Oh dear. That’s troublesome.

Beyond troublesome, this was serious.

It would be fortunate if Floria had taken Saena’s hint lightly.

However, if that were the case, Floria would have been here instead.

Rather, it seemed correct to think she wasn’t here precisely because she had taken Saena’s words too seriously.

‘Given her personality…’

She would have been angry that someone dared to try to harm her.

She probably confronted them with an attitude of ‘Just try something!’ wanting to see what kind of face they had.

Ha, this was why she had debated whether to tell her in advance or not.

“I need to check.”

Suddenly, Saena felt urgent.

She hurriedly moved toward the banquet hall.

Just as she almost arrived, she bumped into someone coming out.

“Ah!”

The impact caused her hood to fall off.

“I’m sorry… Oh? Saena?”

It was startling enough that her hood fell off, but even more surprising that the other person immediately recognized her.

Actually, on a day like today, it would have been best not to run into anyone. Getting involved would only create witnesses, and in this situation where she didn’t know exactly what would happen, even witnesses weren’t welcome.

It would likely be a night with more unofficial handling of matters.

“…Kayan?”

But fortunately, perhaps,

The person she bumped into was someone who could be trusted even if she was discovered.

Though he wore a mask, he had no special costume, so she could recognize him immediately.

“It’s been a while! How have you been?”

“Ah, yes… It has been a while.”

His slightly awkward attitude suddenly reminded her of the last situation when she met Kayan.

Just as things were about to become awkward, he suddenly asked.

“By the way, did you see Floria on your way here?”

“…Huh?”

How strange that Kayan would mention the very person Saena was looking for.

“No. What… happened?”

“I saw someone who looked like Floria inside the banquet hall, but she rushed outside earlier.”

“Really?!”

So she had come to the banquet hall after all.

“She didn’t look well, so I followed her out, but she disappeared in an instant.”

“Ah…”

Not looking well—what could that mean?

Saena grew worried.

“Are you sure it was Floria?”

“Pretty sure. Pink hair…”

Hearing the description, Saena thought it must be her too.

“Which way did she go?”

Kayan answered immediately without questioning why Saena seemed so anxious.

“She went this way first. That’s why I followed…”

Ah, did he lose track of her when bumping into me?

“Want to look for her together if you’re worried?”

“Yes. That seems best.”

If Kayan followed her out because something seemed off, this wasn’t a normal situation. Her sense of urgency intensified.

“I’ll check this way, can you go that way?”

“Alright.”

They split up in different directions, agreeing to meet near the garden fountain if either found Floria.

Just as Saena started walking, Yuri suddenly grabbed her and hid behind a pillar.

Click. A door opened.

—Someone came out.

Who could it be? Maybe Floria?

Saena peered toward the sound from behind the pillar with wide eyes.

—I’ll look.

Saena nodded. Better not to peek out and get caught.

—The outfit… it’s an imperial servant.

Hm? This corridor had the ladies’ restroom, but a male servant rather than a maid? And he came out of the restroom?

Anyone would find him suspicious.

But what he did next was even more suspicious. He approached the restroom next to the one he came out of and turned the doorknob. Then he hurriedly looked around and disappeared toward the banquet hall.

—Couldn’t be more suspicious.

They moved toward the restroom the servant had come out of.

Looking at the door, the handle was normal here. Meaning it was an ’empty restroom.’

And next to it, the restroom where the servant had turned the handle.

Why did he deliberately turn the handle and leave? To tell others not to come in because someone was inside?

—Someone seems to be in there.

Ah, so he did this to isolate whoever rushed in without even time to lock the door.

Saena urgently opened the door and went in.

“…Hic.”

A faint m*an.

Going inside, she saw a woman trembling while lying face down on the sofa.

Saena supported her and removed her mask.

It was indeed Floria.

“Ha… thank goodness, Floria.”

“Sa-Saya…”

Though Floria’s eyes were unfocused, she recognized Saena.

“Are you alright?”

“My, my body… ugh.”

Why did she even ask? Anyone could see she wasn’t alright, sweating and trembling all over.

Floria looked around as if searching for something, then spotted Yuri and reached out her hand.

When Yuri quickly stepped back, Floria burst into tears after grasping empty air. It seemed like an unconscious action.

—Looks like she’s been drugged.

‘Purification?’

Saena mouthed the word.

—Yes. Purification should help her feel better.

“Floria. Wait just a moment. I’ll make you feel better.”

Saena poured water from the table into a glass.

‘Is this okay?’

When she mouthed the question, he nodded.

“Drink this. You’ll feel better soon.”

She held the glass to Floria’s lips while signaling to Yuri with her eyes.

It was a precaution in case she remembered, though she might not since she wasn’t in her right mind. Saena still couldn’t reveal that she was an Oathkeeper.

While Floria drank the water, Yuri used purification energy from behind. When her trembling body suddenly collapsed, Saena reflexively caught her.

Crash.

She dropped the water glass she was holding. The glass fell mercilessly to the floor, shattering into pieces with a sharp sound.

That sound made her freeze involuntarily, then Yuri said,

—Someone’s outside.

“…What?”

He immediately used Guardian Spirit power to lock the restroom door.

Just as the door clicked locked, it rattled. Someone had tried to open it.

“……”

Her body tensed at the sudden sign of intrusion.

Could it be Kayan?

Though she asked in a small voice, she didn’t really think so.

Hadn’t they already agreed to meet at the fountain?

—It’s not just one person.

‘That means…’

High chance it was whoever did this to Floria. And that was likely Elizabeth or her underlings.

Like that imperial servant from earlier.

Rattle, rattle—

The door rattled again. Multiple times this time.

“……”

Then it went quiet.

—Let’s go through the terrace. It’s not safe here.

Yuri picked up Floria.

Saena nodded and grabbed Floria’s mask she had removed earlier, heading toward the terrace.

“Wait.”

When they were about to jump down, Saena paused in thought.

Then she broke off the horn part attached to the mask and dropped it on the terrace.

“Let’s move sideways instead of down.”

—That way?

“Yes.”

Moving from this terrace to that one, and to the one further away would be impossible for normal people. The gaps between them were quite far.

But with a Guardian Spirit power, it wasn’t difficult. Just having Yuri made it possible to create unexpected movement patterns to throw off pursuers.

It might be troublesome if they ran into someone coming out onto a terrace, but they could avoid that too since they could sense presences inside. Plus, since it was night, even if someone was inside they couldn’t notice their movements.

The three of them could easily move to the farthest terrace. Fortunately the inside was empty too.

As soon as they got down from the terrace railing and opened the door, they saw someone coming out onto the terrace of the restroom they had been in.

Saena quickly went inside and hid. Then she crouched down and carefully peeked out with one side of her face to look over there. Not having good night vision like knights, she could only see rough silhouettes.

Seeing Saena frowning, Yuri, who had returned after laying Floria down inside, said,

—As expected, it’s Elizabeth.

Finally…

She had thought so from glimpsing the dress silhouette, but getting direct confirmation made her sigh.

—Seems she has a master key.

“Well, it is the imperial palace.”

She wouldn’t have broken down the door. She couldn’t draw others’ attention.

—She found the horn piece you dropped earlier.

Yuri, who seemed to have exceptional eyesight too, started describing the situation over there in detail.

—’Ha, how did they jump down here?’

“Hm?”

—She said ‘They couldn’t have gone far. Quick, search that way. Ah, they might have gone toward the carriage station. Find them and bring them to me.’