Chapter 23
In the end, Princess Muriela, accused as the culprit behind the great catastrophe, was banished from the garden and forced to stay confined in her room.
Of course, she was actually the true culprit behind the garden terror incident, so calling her “accused” might be misleading.
It made it sound like she was an innocent person framed for a crime.
Solinor reflected on the conversation he had with the spirit before being caught red-handed at the crime scene.
The spirit knew Aiorin well.
It claimed to have been one of the wind spirits Aiorin used to summon.
After Aiorin returned to the Fey Forest, she hadn’t called upon it much, allowing it to roam freely and enjoy the world.
Apparently, it had been relishing its carefree lifestyle.
It had come to the royal palace out of curiosity after seeing the place where Aiorin once lived and had discovered Muriela, who showed talent as a spirit mage.
It decided to linger, observing her for a while. However, after some time, it concluded that she seemed like an unusual princess and planned to ignore her altogether.
That was harsh! What had Muriela done to deserve being called strange?
Solinor felt wronged.
All he had ever done was try his best to pave the way for his granddaughter’s brilliant future.
But Solinor was oblivious to one crucial fact.
His already poorly conceived plans, when filtered through Muriela’s immature mind, became even more chaotic.
At any rate, the spirit’s plan to ignore Muriela fell apart when she tried to dismantle the window frame.
Another spirit, enchanted by Muriela’s spirit power, had helped push the frame out.
Then it simply stared dumbfounded as Muriela plummeted out of the window.
No matter how strange a princess might be, letting her fall to her death seemed unthinkable, so it had flown to catch her just in time.
At least it was kind-hearted.
The fact that Muriela reminded the spirit of Aiorin also played a significant role.
Most spirits didn’t fully understand the concept of familial relationships among living beings.
To them, it just felt like people had similar “scents.”
Fortunately, the spirit speaking with Solinor had followed Aiorin for a long time and gained considerable knowledge of the human world.
Though initially startled by Solinor’s sudden declaration of being Aiorin’s husband, it eventually understood the situation after Solinor clarified that Muriela was his granddaughter.
In the end, it even offered to deliver a message to Aiorin on his behalf.
Now all Solinor had to do was decide what to say to her.
“But what should I even say?”
“Hey, why’d you go back to the forest, you crazy woman?” No, that’s too harsh.
“Dear wife, why did our son grow up like this?” Still no good.
“My lovely wife, why did you leave the nest of our love?” That sounds nice, but did I ever speak like that during my life?
I’ll need to summon the spirit again to discuss it.
“Wind, are you there? Can you hear me?”
Moments later, the spirit appeared with a clearly annoyed expression, or at least as close as a faceless entity could get.
‘Ugh… Yeah, I hear you. And didn’t I tell you to call me Wendy? Did you already forget?’
“Oh, right. Sorry about that, Wendy.”
Apparently, Wendy was the name Aiorin used to call the spirit.
‘Whatever… Also, did you know there’s a green-haired woman outside the door using some weird gadget to spy on you? I think she’s listening to everything you’re saying.’
“Huh? Florina? She’s my maid. Don’t worry about it. She’s probably just making sure I don’t ask her to do something unexpected.”
‘Well, if you say so.’
Solinor, as carefree as ever, dismissed the spirit’s blatant mention of a spy.
Meanwhile, Florina, who called herself Corbin’s most loyal servant, had been brooding over missing the garden destruction incident while enjoying a small party thrown by Bianca and other servants.
Finding out about the dramatic event only after it ended made her feel like a failure as a spy.
From now on, she resolved not to miss even the smallest detail.
That was why she now pretended to await orders while keeping a watchful eye on Princess Muriela.
To ensure Bianca stayed away, she had gone as far as pleading, “Sister! Let me take care of things today! Please, just relax and rest.”
Lying about her age by three years was basic spycraft, wasn’t it?
Equipped with a mana stone-powered spyglass and eavesdropping device, Florina closely monitored Muriela’s every move.
Both tools were masterpieces created by the late Sylvius Peregrine, the royal court magician, for Spymaster Corbin.
Although the tools weren’t perfect—Florina’s spyglass only revealed rough outlines, and the eavesdropping device suffered from constant static—they still offered a significant advantage.
Unfortunately, no improvements had been made to these inventions since Sylvius’s passing, and newer models were less effective than the originals.
Still, having such devices was a luxury.
Silbrenoa’s spies achieved notable success using tools other nations lacked.
(Not for Sale.)
Though there were no strict orders to watch Muriela so closely, Florina felt desperate.
This time, she had to produce results.
If her performance review for this quarter was the worst again, she’d face yet another pay cut!
Corbin had been tasked by the king to monitor Muriela but didn’t see much need for strict oversight.
So, he assigned the job to the most underperforming agent, Florina.
A bungler, a walking disaster, a disgrace to spies.
Such was the reputation Florina had earned among her colleagues.
Based on her record alone, she should have been fired long ago, but Corbin kept protecting her.
By appearance alone, Florina looked unmistakably human, but one-quarter of her bloodline came from the Grimkin.
Nepotism: the practice of favoring relatives, in this case, shielding one’s kin.
As evidenced by Corbin, Grimkin were characterized by their dark gray skin.
However, in Florina’s case, despite being only two generations removed, her skin was light enough to require no disguise.
Grimkin genetics? Utterly weak.
Florina herself wasn’t even aware of her Grimkin heritage.
Thus, Corbin’s covert protection of his kin continued unnoticed.
Today as always, taxes leaked like a sieve.
Indeed, the pinnacle of corruption: Silbrenoa.
Even Solinor, who placed so much faith in his comrades, hadn’t foreseen this!
Unaware of these harsh realities, Solinor continued his conversation with Wendy.
“Wendy, what should I say to her? It’s only been a month for me, but it’s been 35 years for her. I’m not sure.”
‘I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m not human, so I can’t say for sure, but you don’t look anywhere near 35 years old. What’s this about a month and 35 years?’
“It’s… complicated. Anyway, how should one greet someone they haven’t seen in a long time?”
‘Why are you asking me? I’m not human; I wouldn’t know.’
“Then how do you spirits greet each other?”
‘We don’t. We always sense each other’s presence, so there’s no need.’
“Wow, that must be convenient.”
_
Even by the end of their conversation, Solinor still hadn’t decided what to say to Aiorin.
Truly, a prime example of unproductive time management.
Meanwhile, Florina, having discovered an incredible fact, gleefully returned to her private quarters to update her report.
‘This is huge, huge! I might even get a raise this time!’
***
[February 21, Year 761, Morning]
Today marks the first day this agent has been dispatched to observe Princess Muriela’s residence.
Upon visiting the princess’s bedroom alongside her regular maid, Bianca, we confirmed that the window had been completely removed.
After speaking with the princess, Bianca, and others, we ascertained that during the night, the princess attempted approximately thirty flying kicks at the window, which resulted in its destruction.
While it was hard to believe, her sweat-soaked clothes, which she demonstrated herself, served as evidence.
The princess then took a shower alone.
According to Bianca, she used to assist the princess in bathing until about a month ago, but the princess now insists on bathing alone. The reason is unclear, but a change in attitude is suspected.
Following the shower, the princess had breakfast.
The menu included a salad with fruits, vegetables, nuts, and a braised dish using a small amount of meat.
The princess appeared to enjoy her meal and finished it without issue.
However, a noteworthy incident occurred shortly after.
While this agent was temporarily away, the princess was confirmed to have dug up large patches of soil in her private garden with a small shovel, destroyed flower beds, and climbed a tree while still in her pajamas.
She showered again afterward and had lunch.
As before, no abnormalities were observed during the meal.
Unless further incidents arise, reporting on meals and showers appears unnecessary.
[February 21, Evening]
The princess was observed sitting on her bed, gesturing and speaking into empty space for an extended period.
Audio surveillance confirmed repeated mentions of the name “Wendy,” as well as a reference to this agent’s alias as her maid.
While exact details were unclear due to interference, the term “35 years” was noted.
This agent’s personal assessment suggests the princess exhibits symptoms of severe delusion.
While not always in this state, intermittent bizarre behavior has been observed.
End of Report.
____
Although instructed to report weekly, Florina, confident of a major breakthrough, submitted her report to Corbin after just one day.
Surely, this would earn her a bonus!
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