“If it’s not enough, we need to gather more evidence.”

Lisette, lost in thought, snapped back to reality at Celia’s voice telling her to gather evidence. A deep sigh escaped her lips, carrying all her hardships and worries.

“Audio recordings are good, but I need witnesses willing to testify directly. Finding people willing to testify isn’t easy, and that’s what worries me.”

“Didn’t you stay at the Temple briefly last time?”

“Yes. I went and became friendly with several people to hear their stories, but while there are victims, I couldn’t find anyone willing to be a witness. Everyone fears the High Priest’s retaliation.”

Under the pretext of offering prayers, Lisette would stay at the Temple for about a week before returning. Of course, to avoid suspicion from visiting only the Temple, she also stayed at monasteries and orphanages for volunteer work to deflect suspicious glances.

However, the High Priest was more malicious than she had thought, making it difficult to find willing witnesses. There were victims who had suffered terrible things at his hands, but they were reluctant to come forward for fear of consequences.

Occasionally someone would protest, but each time the High Priest would drag them somewhere out of sight of other believers and either threaten them with near-curses or use force, making it even harder for people to step forward.

“There’s a Temple ceremony coming up soon, right? Will you go and look for evidence then too?”

“No. Almost all nobles will attend, so it would be difficult.”

“If all nobles attend, he’ll be there too. Lord Usta? What if you run into him?”

Celia smiled mischievously. Though Lisette found her annoying for teasing without offering help, the mere mention of his name made her body flinch.

“It’ll be fine, like you said.”

Despite her words, a shadow fell across Lisette’s face.

“I don’t think Lord Usta will recognize you, but be careful anyway.”

“How unusual for you to worry about me.”

“I still need an employee.”

“…”

Any momentary feeling of being touched quickly vanished. Though she let out a hollow laugh at the absurdity, Lisette also wanted to continue working with Celia for a while longer. So she hoped Lord Usta wouldn’t recognize her going forward.

‘Please, don’t let me be discovered!’

* * *

At the temple ceremony day.

Lisette could see the Emperor’s face only three times a year. Those were the days of Temple ceremonies.

She wasn’t invited on other days, but was called only on Temple ceremony days. That was the minimum courtesy the Empress showed Lisette.

Since it was an event attended by the Emperor, Empress, and many prestigious nobles, Lisette had to dress neatly, and because she had no maid to attend to her, the head maid specially came to help her on this day.

“Here’s the veil.”

When all preparations were complete, the head maid handed Lisette a black veil, which she put on naturally.

The reason Lisette wore a black veil inside the palace was because the Emperor had imposed one condition when accepting her as his daughter.

‘Never show your face before me.’

Her face, so similar to her mother’s, caused him great pain. Especially because Lisette’s face grew more like her mother’s as she matured, the Emperor had ordered her to cover it.

“My goodness. It’s so hot, why wear long sleeves? Do you have some kind of wound?”

Upon arriving at the Temple wearing a dark gray dress with a high neckline and sleeves covering her wrists, something more suitable for a monastery, Lisette heard mocking laughter from several young noblewomen.

While everyone else wore elegant dresses with puff sleeves that slightly covered their arms and organza silk, though not quite banquet attire, she looked strange in comparison.

Already uncomfortable with the forced high-necked, wrist-length dress and gloves, unfortunately even the heavens didn’t favor Lisette.

The strong sunlight made her scalp feel like it was burning, and under the black veil covering her face, Lisette was drenched in sweat.

Meanwhile, Natalie sat in the shade created by a magical device far away. She appeared completely unbothered by the heat.

Since the ceremony hadn’t started yet, Natalie glanced briefly at the sweating Lisette before speaking to the Empress sitting beside her.

Judging by how she kept glancing at Lisette and smiling while talking, she seemed to be discussing her. Apparently, Lisette’s obvious discomfort brought her joy.

Lisette tried to endure as long as possible, but unable to bear it any longer, she had no choice but to use the magical device Celia had given her.

“What is this?”

“Hot, isn’t it? Hold this and you’ll feel better.”

Lisette took out two magical orbs and handed one to the head maid. The orb was one of the experimental magical tools Celia had given her.

The head maid looked at Lisette with surprised eyes when she felt a sudden chill upon holding it.

“Shh, I got it from a mage I met by chance in the garden last time.”

When Lisette whispered quietly, the head maid nodded in understanding, and the two were barely able to endure the sweltering weather.

At that moment, Claude was surveying the surroundings, focusing on security. Though holy knights were present, he needed to provide personal protection since the Emperor was attending the event.

After confirming there were no irregularities while checking the perimeter, his gaze turned toward Natalie.

Is that Imperial Princess Natalie?

Though he couldn’t remember her when trying to recall, seeing her face now, he could tell at a glance she was the Imperial Princess. However, while they had conversed at the banquet, he had no memory of having a lengthy conversation with her.

Yet she wants to marry him?

Marquis Usta had said Claude’s mind would change once he saw her face, but seeing her now, his thoughts didn’t seem likely to change at all.

Where does she keep looking?

Following her gaze, which kept darting somewhere, he found it directed at a woman wearing a black veil.

Judging by the slight furrow in the Imperial Princess’s brow, he could tell she didn’t have a particularly good relationship with the veiled woman, but Claude wasn’t especially interested.

His interest waning, he was about to look elsewhere when something caught his attention.

He sensed something suspicious about the veiled woman. Observing her carefully, he quickly realized why.

She should be sweating profusely under the blazing sun, but the woman didn’t appear to be affected at all.

While other attendants and maids were fanning themselves to express their discomfort from the heat, the woman in the black veil and gloves seemed unaffected by the heat, which made her look suspicious.

Who is this woman?

He didn’t usually pay attention to veiled individuals since widows occasionally appeared wearing black veils. But this woman kept bothering him. He felt he wouldn’t be able to shake off this uneasy feeling unless he checked directly.

When the ceremony ended and everyone dispersed, Claude followed the woman with two knights.

“Please wait a moment.”

When he stopped her hurried steps, he could sense her panic even through the veil.

“What is the matter?”

The head maid beside her asked instead.

“I want to check what you were holding in your hand.”

Lisette and the head maid immediately opened their palms to Claude, and there was nothing in her hand.

‘I didn’t see her throw anything away. Was it magic?’

“I understand. The inspection is over, you may go.”

Having no reason to detain them further, Claude had to let them go. After they bowed their heads, they continued on their way, and he silently watched them leave.

“Captain, why did you stop those people?”

As Claude kept his eyes on Lisette and the head maid until they disappeared from view, a knight beside him asked with a puzzled expression. The question arose from Claude’s behavior being somewhat different from usual.

The reason he felt uneasy about the veiled woman was because he detected a familiar scent from a stranger.

Strangely, the soft, comforting fragrance he always noticed when visiting the shop emanated from the woman in the black veil as well.

Wasn’t she a commoner? Why did she seem so similar?

“She might be up to something suspicious. Her behavior was odd.”

Unable to express his true thoughts, Claude used the woman’s nervous, hurried gait as an excuse.

“That’s unlikely?”

The knight replied, tilting his head.

“Why do you think that?”

“Don’t you know who she is? That’s the Imperial Princess.”

“Imperial Princess? Not a widow?”

Claude’s eyes narrowed. An Imperial Princess walking around with a black veil?

He couldn’t recall hearing news of an Imperial Princess recently getting married or being widowed. So this woman couldn’t be a widow.

Was there a special reason for wearing a black veil?

“You know, the Imperial Princess who fell out of favor with His Majesty. She’s the daughter of the former Empress, but after the current Empress arrived, she was abandoned, and His Majesty personally ordered that she must cover her face with a black veil to leave her quarters.”

This seemed to be quite a famous story, but since Claude had little interest in others, it was the first time he’d heard it.

Actually, thinking about it, he might have heard something before about an Imperial Princess who had fallen out of the Emperor’s favor.

“What’s that Imperial Princess’s name?”