Chapter 340: Covert Maneuvers
Violet’s Side
…A few minutes earlier.
At the venue of this Fourth Royal Exchange Gathering,
Violet had been assigned two primary tasks by Felisiana.
One of them was—
“If, by any chance, it looks like Lux-kun is about to be taken into a private room by someone other than me, stop it, even if you have to be somewhat forceful.”
That was the instruction.
Although the Royal Exchange Gathering is a crowded venue, once it becomes a private room, it turns into just the two of them.
If something were to happen to Lux, no one would be able to help him, so for Felisiana, who cares deeply for Lux, it was a perfectly natural order.
And the other task—
“If there is anyone who shows signs of watching me, Lux-kun, or Elizalina-anesama, extract information from them, then inflict enough shock to make them forget the time before and after, or use a drug to render them unconscious… If they appear to be someone who might harm Lux-kun in the future, I permit you to take not their consciousness, but their life, in a place without witnesses.”
That was it.
Of course, she had also been told to act flexibly depending on the situation.
However, Violet operated here with those two directives as her foundation.
While Felisiana was speaking with Lux and Florence,
one of the royal affiliates was directing his gaze toward the three from the edge of the dance hall.
Since Felisiana is royalty, she naturally stands out.
Because of that, distinguishing whether someone is merely looking at a prominent figure or actually observing them is quite difficult.
However, since Violet is a specialist in that field, she could easily tell the difference.
That person is watching Ojou-sama.
Murmuring that inwardly,
Violet moved along the back side of the second floor of the dance hall and took position behind the man, who was also on the second floor,
then, with practiced efficiency, restrained both of his arms.
“Wha—!?”
The moment the man let out a startled voice,
Violet, without reacting in the slightest, spoke calmly.
“Under whose orders were you watching Her Highness the Third Princess Felisiana? Answer truthfully, and I will guarantee your life.”
In other words,
it was also a warning that if he did not answer honestly, his safety would not be guaranteed.
From Violet’s perspective, since someone had been watching her master Felisiana, this level of threat was only natural.
Perhaps that pressure reached him, as the man responded after a short pause.
“Th… the King.”
“…The King, is it?”
Considering the engagement matter, Ojou-sama and the King are currently at odds, so this isn’t surprising.
“Why would the King do such a thing? Tell me the reason he ordered you to watch Ojou-sama.”
There were many possible reasons to consider,
but rather than speculate, she judged it more efficient to question the man before her, who was more likely to know, and so she asked.
However, the man shook his head.
“I… I don’t know. I was just told to watch the Third Princess Felisiana… and also the Second Princess Elizalina. There’s another guy doing the same, and both of us were told to record the characteristics of the people those princesses talk to.”
“…I see. Thank you for the information.”
“I… really don’t know.”
From her long experience hearing desperate pleas from those facing death, she determined that his words were not a lie.
Violet, as promised, did not take his life and instead immediately made him inhale a drug,
taking both his consciousness and his memory of the time before and after.
“I must properly report this matter to Ojou-sama… however, before that…”
Afterward,
Violet returned to her original position, confirmed that Elizalina was speaking with Lux and Florence, and after identifying the person watching them,
at the moment Elizalina left Lux and Florence, she made that person inhale a drug as well, putting him to sleep just like the previous man.
…Around that same time.
In the throne room of the royal castle,
the King, still wearing a twisted smile, was eagerly waiting for information from the two who had already been rendered unconscious by Violet…