Chapter 60
By resorting to strong-arm tactics, Solinor had successfully extracted the personnel records from Patrick.
A rough yet resolute and goal-driven attitude, entirely unbefitting of an eight-year-old.
Everyone in the room couldn’t help but admire her.
Princess Muriela is truly fit to be a queen!
But of course, that was only natural—after all, the soul inside her had once ruled a kingdom.
“Thank you for cooperating, Patrick. You’ve saved my subordinates from having to rummage through your office.”
Princess Muriela flashed a grin.
“No, it is I who should apologize for my incompetence, which forced Your Highness to take action personally.”
“What are you talking about, Patrick? This was supposed to be my father’s responsibility. But since that man refuses to do anything, someone in the royal family has to step up.”
At this point, no one even batted an eye at her referring to the king as that man.
If her etiquette tutor had been present, they would have been in utter despair.
Society was crumbling, discipline was…
Unlike history lessons, Muriela’s etiquette grades had only worsened over time.
“Well then, I’ll be off. It was a pleasure meeting you, Patrick.”
“Yes, please return safely, Princess.”
“Of course, not that I’m actually going back. I’ll be heading out of the palace to educate these officials personally.”
Everyone was taken aback by those words.
So hasty, as if she were cooking beans on a lightning strike.
“Princess, you mean right now?”
“Please reconsider, Your Highness.”
“Just sneaking into the main palace was already risky enough…”
Even Patrick, Sir Hamilton, and Bianca tried to stop her.
Visiting the officials’ homes was one thing, but shouldn’t they at least prepare first?
They had assumed the plan was to set a date for a proper outing.
But today, they had left the palace entirely unprepared—just their bodies and nothing else.
For her to suddenly decide to leave the palace at this moment was completely unexpected.
Getting caught sneaking into the main palace was one thing.
But leaving the Royal Palace without permission? That was an entirely different matter.
The princess’s guards and attendants would be punished severely, and even she would likely face restrictions.
Since this had never happened before, no one knew exactly how harsh the consequences might be.
Hadn’t they all seen what happened to Princess Katrina and Prince Brandon not long ago?
“Princess, even the Shadow Guardians have not been informed of this plan.”
Even Florina, who was normally aligned with the princess, was taken aback.
Not even Corbin had been informed of this.
She had assumed they would wait until another time,
Mobilizing intelligence agents across the capital to ensure security before tracking down the corrupt officials.
That was the scenario Florina had envisioned.
But right now, no precautions had been taken at all.
“Princess, going out now is far too dangerous.”
For a while, they all struggled to dissuade her.
But Muriela remained resolute.
Of course, Solinor wasn’t foolish—he knew leaving unprepared was risky.
However, he had something to rely on.
He had Zephyr, the wind spirit, and Aiorin as well.
“No, Sir Hamilton. I have a plan.”
Of course, Aiorin had already left the capital with his two grandchildren.
But Solinor wasn’t aware of that.
Even though there had been no communication, he still assumed Aiorin was in the city.
Which meant he could summon her through Zephyr if needed.
This was the reality of Solinor acting without a strategist.
“Sigh… There’s no helping it, then. Princess, have you thought about how you’ll get out?”
Since they had failed to change her mind, all that was left was to put the plan into action.
Using the main gate was out of the question.
If they attempted that, they’d be caught in less than ten seconds.
And since the palace walls were relatively new, built only a few decades ago, there were no hidden gaps or escape routes.
Disguising themselves was another option, but Muriela made that impossible.
Only three children lived in the Royal Palace—
Kasper, Adeline, and Muriela.
Just by size alone, she’d be identified instantly, making disguise futile.
That being said, for anyone other than the princess, disguises would have been a valid strategy.
They could have used the fake identities and appearances that Corbin had prepared for intelligence agents.
“Of course! We’ll climb the walls!”
And so, the only remaining option was—scaling the walls.
In broad daylight, a royal princess climbing over the palace walls.
What madness was this?
But Solinor was a madman, and to him, this was just another routine solution.
Of course, no tools or equipment had been prepared for this.
Because for Solinor, his physical abilities made such things unnecessary.
He could scale the wall with his bare hands without any trouble.
So he had never even considered a backup plan.
“P-Princess, climbing the walls? Absolutely not!”
“I must agree, Your Highness. There will be other opportunities—please reconsider.”
Everyone except the princess could vividly picture what would happen if she attempted to climb the wall.
Getting up in the first place was unlikely, but even if she somehow managed, getting down would be the real problem.
If she fell, breaking a few bones would be the least of her concerns—the height was far too dangerous.
Solinor had been too focused on looking impressive and had neglected the truly important details.
Of course, things couldn’t continue as they were.
After much back and forth, they finally reached a compromise.
“Well, it’s not ideal, but it’s a decent plan.”
“I am honored that you think so, Your Highness.”
The one who came up with the idea was Patrick, the closest thing to a strategist among them.
His plan was for him to pull a large document cart when he left work, hiding the princess inside.
Muriela was small enough to fit, and the palace guards were notoriously lax in their duties, making it a viable strategy.
“But doesn’t that mean I have to wait until you leave work? Isn’t that too late?”
“That won’t be an issue. Today isn’t actually a workday for me—I only came in voluntarily. So I can leave whenever I like.”
His words were true.
Solinor had already confirmed the budget office’s work schedule through Corbin.
That was why he had chosen to visit on a Saturday, knowing Patrick would be working alone.
Even he wouldn’t have attempted this on a day when the offices were full of bureaucrats.
“But why do you come in every Saturday if it’s not a workday?”
Why did Patrick bother showing up on a day off when all the other officials were resting?
Was he trying to escape from his wife? That wasn’t the case—Patrick and his wife had been happily married for decades.
Even after their children had grown up and left home, their household remained warm and peaceful.
“The truth is, I take advantage of the empty office to record all instances of corruption. With no one around to watch me, I can document everything and take the records home. That way, I can track where the kingdom’s funds are being siphoned off to.”
“That’s… You’re truly a loyal subject.”
“You honor me with your kind words, Princess.”
Solinor was genuinely impressed.
This was a strategy he had never even considered.
Keeping meticulous records of where, how, and by whom the national treasury was being exploited…
It was far more rational than filing complaints and getting demoted for nothing.
If Eldric ever came to his senses, these records would be invaluable in recovering stolen funds.
And if the next ruler truly wanted to reform the nation, these documents would be essential.
“Then let’s head out earlier than usual. We have four houses to visit, and we’re short on time.”
“Yes, I will return home earlier than usual today.”
“Well, that works. Since it’s still too early right now, we should wait until a more natural time. By the way, is there anything to eat in the office?”
Solinor was casually searching for snacks, but there was still one major issue they hadn’t resolved.
Even if Muriela left the palace with Patrick, what about the others?
A small and physically weak princess going alone—would she really be able to handle these officials?
Patrick would be with her, but he was an aging bureaucrat, not someone capable of intimidation.
“Then… is the princess going out alone? That’s too dangerous.”
“No, Patrick is coming with me.”
“So, you intend to visit the officials with him?”
“Of course. Sir Hamilton will also help with their… education—oh.”
It was only then that Solinor realized the flaw in his plan.
But Patrick simply smiled.
“Have you forgotten? The reason we couldn’t use disguises was because the princess is too small to blend in. However, if I take her out in the cart, the rest of you will be free to use disguises.”
This was an idea that never would have occurred to Solinor’s simple-minded way of thinking.
Even after experiencing death and reincarnation, he still hadn’t considered it.
“Wow, Patrick. Why are you so smart?”
“Haha, you flatter me, Your Highness.”
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