“Your Highness the Crown Princess, I am Sir Roland Jachen, knight of the Crown Prince’s household guard.”

“I know who you are, Sir Roland. But what business do you have blocking my path?”

The knight before her was no stranger. Roland was one of Cedric’s most trusted companions. He had never been particularly warm towards her, but he had always been courteous. In a palace full of servants and guards who concealed their disdain with insincere politeness, this alone made him stand out to Anita as one of the few decent men in the crown prince’s entourage.

Yet today, there was something about him that made her uneasy.

Her heartbeat quickened as she met his gaze and in that instant, she understood. Roland’s gaze was not directed solely at her.

“My deepest apologies for the discourtesy, Your Highness. But I carry out official orders, and in doing so, I must regrettably obstruct Your Highness’s way.”

“Official orders?”

Anita repeated, her tone calm but wary, a faint chill creeping down her spine.

Laurent’s gaze briefly met Renee’s, then he looked away. Seeing this, Anita took a step back, pulling Renee behind her. For a moment, Laurent’s expression softened and he looked at her with pity, but he quickly returned to his usual stoic composure and bowed his head.

“Please forgive my discourtesy, Your Highness. It will only take a moment. Renee Baden.”

The knight called Renee’s name. Startled by the sudden attention, Renee froze as countless eyes fell upon her. Anita, sensing her fear, moved back with her, inch by inch. Laurent followed, his steps slow but heavy, and spoke solemnly.

“Having brought an unpermitted item into the Crown Prince’s palace, thereby defiling and desecrating its sanctity, you are hereby placed under arrest.”

··· ✦ ···

“Renee! Renee!”
“Your Highness! Your— hhk!”

It happened in an instant. The knights seized Renee and dragged her away before Anita could react. Although she managed to grab the hem of her dress, the knights’ strength easily overpowered her.

“Escort Her Highness.”

Overwhelmed by Anita’s desperate pursuit, the knights sped up and disappeared from view. Almost immediately, the chief lady-in-waiting appeared, as if she had been waiting for this moment. She ordered the maids to support Anita.

However, Anita had no intention of yielding.

“How dare you lay your hands on me!”

With fury, she shook off the hands clinging to her arms.

“Renee! Where have you taken her?”
“Your Highness! Please, you mustn’t!”

Anita dashed in the direction Renee had been taken, but the Knights had already disappeared, leaving not even a shadow behind.

She stopped halfway up the grand staircase, the soft carpet cushioning her trembling feet. She drew a sharp breath to steady herself. Where had they taken the accused? Despite her shaking hands, she forced her mind to piece together where Renee might have been taken.

Then, footsteps echoed from below.

Glancing down through the railing, she spotted a familiar face. Without thinking, she hurried down the stairs.

“Ah!”

Perhaps because she moved too quickly, the hem of her dress caught under her foot near the bottom step.

“Your Highness.”

Just as she began to lose her balance, someone caught her. The grip wasn’t harsh, but firm enough to keep her steady. Anita managed to reach the last step, her breath shallow and heart still racing.

“I beg your pardon for touching you without permission, Your Highness.”

The one who caught Anita was Dian. Since she had been following after him, Anita quickly shook her head, silently assuring him it was fine. Seeing him bowing respectfully, she spoke hastily.

“Please, rise.”

His slightly wavy, honey-blond hair shifted as he stood upright. Anita looked up at the man towering over her and asked in an urgent voice,

“The… the Count knows, doesn’t he?”

“……”

“Where did they take Renee? The knights took her away, but I can’t find her anywhere.”

Her voice quivered as much as her trembling body. Lowering his gaze, Dian finally answered in a subdued tone.

“I regret that I cannot tell you, Your Highness the Crown Princess.”

“Please, I’m begging you. Tell me. The Count knows, doesn’t he? Where is Renee? Why did they suddenly take her away?”

Overcome by desperation, Anita stepped closer. Her blue eyes, damp with tears, came near enough for Dian to notice his own hesitation, his teeth caught his lower lip for an instant before he released it.

“Lady Baden is suspected of committing an act of blasphemy against the Imperial Family. She has been transferred to a special facility for investigation. I must ask Your Highness to return now.”

After a brief hesitation, Dian revealed the charge. Blasphemy against the Imperial Family. It was a grave offense, one that could warrant execution if proven true.

“What nonsense is that!”

“An anonymous report was delivered to His Highness the Crown Prince. It claimed that Lady Baden had secretly brought in and concealed a forbidden item.”

“That’s impossible! You and your men carried all of her belongings last time, exactly the same as mine!”

“Yet, upon searching her chamber, a prohibited object was discovered. Such defiance of His Highness’s authority constitutes an act of blasphemy.”

‘A forbidden object?’

That couldn’t be.

Following the assassination attempt, Anita and Renee had almost all their possessions confiscated, including personal trinkets and items brought from Callithea. Furthermore, Renee had been by Anita’s side for almost the entire day, under constant surveillance. How could she have smuggled anything in under such scrutiny?

“What kind of item could possibly be serious enough to call it blasphemy? Did she bring in poison or something?”

“They found a statue of the goddess Asteria in Lady Baden’s room. She had carved out space beneath the bed and hidden it there.”

The absurdity of it left her breathless for a moment.

A goddess statue— not poison, not a weapon.

Then again, Cedric once flew into a rage over nothing more than a vase engraved with the symbol of the Asterian faith. There was no way he would overlook an actual statue of the goddess.

Besides, Renee had always been the devout one. She often complained that they should have at least one statue of the goddess in their chambers.

But could she really have gone behind Anita’s back to hide one?

‘No… she’s not that reckless. And besides, no one comes in or out of the Crown Prince’s palace without notice. How could Renee possibly have smuggled anything inside?’

The more Anita thought about it, the stranger it seemed. Not only was it an anonymous report, but someone had orchestrated it — and not just against Renee. It was aimed at her, too.

“The statue of the goddess isn’t forbidden in Laxion.”

“But within the Crown Prince’s palace, by His Highness’s own decree, such items are prohibited.”

“Cedric…”

In the end, only Cedric could release Renee. Anita murmured his name under her breath, then looked at Dian pleadingly.

“Count, please. Let me see Cedric— no, His Highness.”

“Your Highness…”

“I can explain. Renee has been with me the whole time. She hasn’t had the chance to sneak anything in. Even if she had, I can explain why. Please, just let me speak to him.”

She looked as though she was ready to seize his arm. Seeing her desperation, Dian stood up as though preparing to leave, but Anita moved first. She reached out and blocked his path, her hand trembling as she grabbed his sleeve.

“Count.”

“Your Highness, please you’re putting me in a difficult position.”

“Please. You can do it. Let me see His Highness. I must see him right now.”

“……”

“I’m begging you… Please, let me see him. Please.”

Her slender fingers trembled like the leaves of an aspen. For a fleeting moment, another image overlapped in Dian’s olive-green eyes.

“Please… I’m begging you like this. Please.”

There was nothing about her that resembled that other person and yet, the memory surfaced all the same. A fine crack split somewhere deep in his heart.

“…Then give the order, Your Highness.”

“Pardon?”

Cedric’s knight should have refused. His lord had no wish to see the Crown Princess; he wanted her to wander aimlessly and suffer, never appearing before him again. As Cedric’s loyal servant, Dian should have obeyed.

Yet, for the first time, he pretended not to know.

“Your Highness may issue me an order.”

Understanding his meaning, Anita hesitated for a moment. She was worried that it might get the knight in front of her into trouble. However, there was no time to consider the consequences. Every second lost could put Renee in danger.

Swallowing her guilt, Anita stood up straight and spoke firmly.

“Count, take me to His Highness the Crown Prince. Right now.”

··· ✦ ···

It was almost absurd how easy it was.

When she went alone, she would be ignored for days and made to wait for hours before being granted an audience. But with Cedric at her side, the knight appeared before her almost immediately.

Cedric could barely hide his surprise at seeing Anita with Dian. However, the flicker of astonishment soon gave way to restrained anger, and his cold gaze settled briefly on his most trusted vassal.

Nevertheless, Anita had succeeded in achieving her goal of a private audience with Cedric.

As she sat opposite him, Cedric made no effort to hide his irritation.

“I seem to recall telling you not to bother my servants. Has the Crown Princess learned nothing?”

“I’m sorry for coming unannounced. But this was urgent. I had no choice.”

“Very well. Let’s hear what’s so urgent.”

“Please release Renee. ‘Blasphemy against the Imperial Family?’ She’s done nothing to deserve such a heinous charge.”

Cedric’s mouth curled faintly, as though he had been expecting those very words. His laugh was quiet and scornful.

“Your maid brought an object strictly forbidden here into my palace. It’s a filthy thing that should never have crossed its threshold. Isn’t that insult enough to be considered blasphemy against me?”