CH 34

Yuren-kun was looking at me.

He wasn’t looking suspicious or worried.

He was just looking at me with his usual expression and not averting his gaze from my eyes.

Caught off guard, I couldn’t answer him immediately.

I averted my gaze slightly.

But I quickly composed myself and asked him back.

“What do you mean, something strange?”

I tried my best to keep a poker face, pretending that I had no idea.

I was desperate not to involve Yuren-kun and to keep my secrets hidden from him.

“…If there’s nothing, that’s fine. Keep up the good work, Aria.”

“Okay, thank you.”

Saying that, Yuren-kun left the workshop.

I was relieved that I managed to avoid his suspicion, but I regretted making him doubtful.

I seemed to have made him feel the difference from our usual interactions.

I need to be more careful.

At least until Hisui-san finds out who sent the letter.

◇◇◇

A few days later.

There was no particular movement, and there was no report from Hisui-san.

I walked around the trees where the knife had flown.

Today, I took a shortcut to report to Laura-san.

I arrived in front of the tree where the knife had pierced, and somehow stopped my feet.

“Oh!”

Just like that day, a knife passed in front of my face and pierced the same carved tree.

It was exactly the same as before, down to the finest detail.

“Oh, a letter.”

A letter was wrapped around the handle of the knife.

Although it was just white paper folded and wrapped, I knew it was a letter because it was the second time.

I pulled out the knife and opened the letter to read it.

It was a second warning.

“Do not get involved with His Highness Yuren any further.”

It was a short message, but strong emotions were clearly conveyed.

The sender was clearly angrier than in the first letter.

“I wonder if they were watching me.”

Perhaps they were observing Yuren-kun’s visits to the workshop somewhere.

I looked to the left and right once, and then lowered my gaze to the letter again.

The flying knife was thrown so that it would miss.

I didn’t feel any danger, but the second time I did, I was feeling increasingly uneasy.

I hid the knife and folded the letter, putting it in my pocket.

Then, after reporting to Laura-san, I took a longer route back to the workshop.

I didn’t want to take any shortcuts and risk another knife coming at me.

“I’m back.”

“Welcome back, Onee-sama! Is everything okay?”

“Huh?”

“Your complexion doesn’t look good.”

Irina-chan can tell that I’m troubled.

I quickly force a smile.

“Oh, it’s nothing. I’ve just been going in and out of the palace a lot lately so I was just thinking about that.”

“I see… is it related to the incident in the neighboring country?”

Irina-chan lowers her voice.

When she mentions the neighboring incident, she’s undoubtedly talking about the case in the Mayquin Kingdom.

She continues, “That incident has spread to other countries and many people in our country are worried that the same thing might happen here.”

“Anxiety…is this place also affected?”

“Yes. However, the person in question’s Onii-sama is not concerned. The ones who are concerned are the Five Great Noble Families.”

“The Five Great Noble Families?”

It was a name that had come up in a previous conversation.

I knew they were very important people.

“What kind of people are the Five Great Noble Families?”

“They are descendants of nobility connected to the royal family. They have been supporting the country for a long time, and Otoo-sama is also relying on them. And each of the Five Great Noble Families supports a different prince.”

According to Irina-chan, the word “support” is not quite appropriate, and “assist” would be a more accurate description.

Princes are people who have the qualifications to become kings someday.

They move politics and support the country.

It is the role of the Five Great Noble Families to assess and lend their power to them.

So they are concerned about the princes, and the princes also trust them.

After listening to the story up to a point, a certain premonition passes through my mind.

“So, are there people who support Yuren-kun too?”

“Of course. Duke Gardenn-sama will become a supporter of Yuren Onii-sama.”

“Duke Gardenn-sama… What kind of person is he?”

“Well~ let me think…”

Irina-chan groaned and thought for a moment.

“In short, he is a very strict person.”

“Strict… so he is a tough person.”

“Yes. But he is not just strict; he is a very serious and sincere person, so Onii-sama also trusts him.”

“I see…”

My premonition becomes stronger.

Could it be that Duke Gardenn sent the threatening letter?

No, it’s too complicated for such a distinguished noble to do something like that, right?

I understand why he doesn’t want me to get close to Yuren-kun.

My background is not clear.

Moreover, I am from Mayquin Kingdom, where there were some problems, and I used to work as a Transmutation Master in the royal palace.

I don’t know how much that person knows about the situation, but it’s only natural to think that it’s dangerous.

If that’s the case… is that really it?