Chapter 268

Chapter 268

Sabioleen Tana was stationed in the Spring Palace to deal with Charlotte in case of an emergency.

It wasn’t for Charlotte’s safety, but for the safety of the Imperial Palace. That much was clear.

“Watch your words, Reinhart. I don’t have much patience,” Sabioleen Tana said as she strode through the rain.

Even though I was a friend of the princess, it was presumptuous of me to suggest that she had been assigned the task of killing the princess. The reason she was standing in the rain, struggling with herself, might have been because she wanted to torment herself in some way.

I didn’t know the relationship between Charlotte and Sabioleen Tana. However, laying hands on someone as noble as the princess, second only to the emperor, was no small matter.

It had to have been a direct order from the emperor, and Charlotte had to have accepted it.

For the person who had to carry out that order, though, it would feel like hell.

Something was about to happen that day. But that was just a warning from my Qi Sense, not a certainty.

Before I knew it, the Spring Palace was far behind us.

I couldn’t go back to the Temple.

But I couldn’t leave Charlotte behind.

How, though?

Neither Charlotte nor Sabioleen Tana would allow me to remain in the Spring Palace any longer. I had already crossed too many lines. Too much had been permitted just because I was Charlotte’s friend.

I didn’t know if Vertus was aware of my sojourn into the palace, but even if he was, he would likely be indifferent to Charlotte’s fate. There was no reason to make a move against a rival who was going to disappear on their own.

We were already nearing the tram stop.

“You know how to get to the entrance to the Imperial Palace, right? I would take you there myself, but I can’t leave my post for long.”

“Yes. Thank you, Dame Tana.”

She usually had to ensure that I left the palace properly, but the situation we were in was unique.

After escorting me to the tram stop, she headed back to the Spring Palace.

I couldn’t get permission to stay.

There was no one at the tram stop, as everyone who needed to leave had already left. It was to ensure no one saw Charlotte’s condition.

The Spring Palace was operating with the minimum number of people, and at this late hour, even that skeleton staff, except for Dyrus, had been sent away for the night.

This was to ensure that no one saw the leader of Shanapell killing Charlotte. Security around the Spring Palace at this hour was extremely lax.

Would it be possible to secretly observe the situation? After all, this was Sabioleen Tana, someone at the Grandmaster level.

The Spring Palace would be her domain. Could I hide my presence from her senses and infiltrate the palace to observe the situation?

Whether it was possible or not, I had to do it.

The area surrounding the Spring Palace was completely devoid of people.

It was time to cause trouble again.

Not for myself, but for Charlotte.

Just like when I first fell into this world. Just as I had risked my life in the Demon King’s Castle, I now had to gamble my life within the walls of the Imperial Palace.

I couldn’t stand by and watch while the first life I’d saved was snuffed out like this.

It was dark, on a rainy autumn night.

Sabioleen Tana would be on high alert, but she would not be focused on her surroundings.

She would be solely focused on Charlotte, and her own feelings of sadness and confusion seemed to go quite deep as well.

I didn’t know if completely erasing my presence would be possible with my Self-Deception talent, but I would give it a try.

On top of that, I had one more thing; I could use the Revise function.

‘Sabioleen Tana won’t sense my presence as I infiltrate the Spring Palace,’ I thought.

[To trigger this, you need 2,000 Achievement Points.]

It wasn’t an impossibility, but it certainly wasn’t cheap.

2,000 points would have been enough to purchase a talent in the past. My supernatural talent, Self-Deception, had cost me 2,000 points.

Thankfully, the circumstances around that night made it possible—although it was still difficult—to deceive a Grandmaster’s senses.

I had 5,930 Achievement Points on hand.

I was willing to use all those points to save Charlotte, and if it wasn’t enough, I would borrow more.

[Using 2,000 Achievement Points.]

When Sabioleen Tana disappeared behind the flowers in the garden, I left the tram stop and headed back to the Spring Palace.

I placed the umbrella among the flowers in the garden and used Self-Deception.

‘No one can sense my presence.’

As a result, its utility was increasing. Not only had the range of its applications expanded, but the effectiveness of the methods I had been using was also growing stronger.

At this point, I could easily isolate and distinguish the various sounds I was picking up. While this had been possible before, I could now manipulate it even more finely.

I could hear not just the pitter-patter of the rain, but also make out the slightly different sound of water dripping down from the roof and ceilings of the palace.

Within this sea of sounds, it was easy to pick out the sound of Sabioleen Tana’s footsteps. From the sound of those footsteps, I could roughly estimate the distance between us.

I did not know the entire layout of the palace, but I had a rough idea of where the main rooms were located.

The left-side corridor on the second floor led to Charlotte’s bedroom, and Sabioleen Tana was heading in that direction.

I could hear all this while hiding in the shadows of the first-floor hall.

It was possible because the palace was so silent.

The only other sounds were the thunder and rain.

—Where is Her Highness?

—She’s inside.

—Okay.

That was Dyrus’s voice.

I heard the sound of a door opening.

—Your Highness. Are you alright?

—Yes, for now.

Charlotte’s voice came through, trying to sound calm.

Charlotte’s supernatural power...

How dangerous was it, for the emperor to feel the need to kill the princess? And why was Charlotte so accepting of such a fate for herself?

Was it because she had lost control of her power and killed someone?

Click.

I heard the sound of the door closing, and no more sounds came out from within.

It had to be due to soundproofing. I needed to get closer.

As I moved up to the second floor, I kept my eyes open for any signs of movement. Even Dyrus had entered Charlotte’s bedroom, which left the corridor empty.

Just in case, I flattened myself into a recess in the corridor wall and approached Charlotte’s bedroom.

I couldn’t make any unnecessary noise. Even though the Revise function prevented Sabioleen Tana from sensing my presence, I couldn’t rely on it too much.

I was trying to deceive someone who would, under normal circumstances, be impossible to deceive.

The closer I got, the more I imagined Sabioleen Tana suddenly appearing and grabbing me by my neck.

The tension burning within me pushed away the chill of the rain. Cold sweat ran down my back.

Fortunately, neither Dyrus nor Sabioleen Tana could use magic.

If they had been using noise-canceling magic, I wouldn’t have heard anything at all. As I got closer to Charlotte’s bedroom, though, I could hear faint voices coming from inside.

—So, you still... don’t remember?

—No...

I heard Tana’s worried question, and Charlotte’s melancholic response.

‘What doesn’t she remember?’

—It seems the time is drawing near. When it happens, please don’t hesitate, Dame Tana.

—That won’t happen. There has to be a way to resolve Your Highness’s condition... The imperial family is doing everything they can to find it.

The imperial family was trying to find a solution, but I could sense from Sabioleen Tana’s tone that there was little hope.

—We won’t find a solution before my condition worsens.

Charlotte was pessimistic, and neither Dyrus nor Tana could deny it.

—Your Highness, we must find that child...

—Stop it, please. I’ve told you countless times. Don’t talk about that child.

Charlotte muttered irritably in response to Dyrus’s suggestion.

“That child” they were speaking of undoubtedly referred to me.

Did Dyrus think that finding me might improve Charlotte’s condition? Why?

If Charlotte’s power was dangerous, what does that have to do with me?

The ominous premonitions and numerous hints were leading me inexorably to an unpleasant conclusion.