At Fenrick's words, Dietrich showed no reaction.
But Precipe was no different.
To be more precise, she was in such a state of confusion that she lost the right moment to react.
“…What on earth did you just hear?”
Presibe stared at Fenric expressionlessly, but the one who spoke remained as calm as ever.
"Is someone targeting Presibe? How dare they?"
It was Dietrich who broke the silence first.
"She can't leave. Especially if she's in real danger! If that's the case, the safest place in Atiluia is this palace!"
“But Your Majesty, the incidents all happened in the palace as well,” Fenric replied.
Dietrich hesitated.
“Although Noah Duffern died in his home and not in the palace, it is difficult to rule out any connection between him and the other strange incidents that occurred in succession. At least not yet.”
“……”
“We must investigate the matter thoroughly, discover the truth, and ensure safety. Once that is guaranteed, you can return Ms. Priscipe to the palace.”
Fenric's words flowed like a well-thought-out argument. He looked like someone who had carefully prepared counterpoints to anything Dietrich might say.
“Precipie…”
Dietrich's muffled voice came out from between his lips.
“She…she can’t go.”
“……”
“It's the safest here.”
Do you really think so?
“Even if I'm in this palace too?”
Are you confident that you will not repeat what you did in your memories?
“…What are you basing this on?”
Dietrich thought to himself, his face white with horror.
“……”
Fenric's crimson eyes shone calmly and warily as he watched Dietrich. This was not the look of a subordinate looking at his boss. It was not the look of a loyal subject looking at an emperor.
It was a look of mockery.
[Kill this filthy and vile thing.]
Just as Precipe remembered, so did Fenric.
He remembered vividly the number of times and the many ways in which Precipe had met her unfair and miserable end in Dietrich's way.
[Hang her up immediately!]
She was falsely accused and hanged in the field.
[Value? What is the value of a woman born of lies like you, to be allowed to live?]
She begged for her life, claiming it was all just a misunderstanding, only to die a prisoner.
Even the so-called “end” was...
[No matter how much you love me, I can't believe a single word. Letting go of your hand will be enough to end everything…]
Double suicide was the best outcome.
Now that he knew all this, how dare he say such things?
With that collapsed expression, and throwing a childish tantrum – it was both pathetic and laughable.
“I understand what Lady Prisippi means to Your Majesty,” Fenric said calmly.
Dietrich shuddered again.
“Even though you two are not related by blood, she is a precious person who shared your childhood with you. Isn’t that right?”
“……”
“Thus, I also understand how much Your Majesty cares about her.”
‘Care…’
Dietrich's eyes twitched briefly.
"You must want to protect her no matter what. Anyone would feel the same way. Any human specifically."
Dietrich had no answer.
“However, you cannot feel comfortable allowing Ms. Presippi to leave the palace either.”
Fenric continued smoothly.
“So, I propose to accompany Mrs. Priscipe.”
"…What?"
“I will stay with her at the house in the capital. Although it is a house, it is large enough to place private guards without any problem.”
“……”
“As one of Your Majesty’s loyal subjects, needless to say, I will do everything in my power to protect Ms. Presippi.”
Fenric's words seemed flawless.
Moreover, Wenrich was one of Dietrich's few close associates - and perhaps the only person he truly trusted. He played an active role in helping Dietrich, both financially and morally, when Dietrich seized the throne.
but.
But…
"If things remain as they are, Ms. Priscipe will be in danger. The probability of that happening is very high. Unless there is a better solution, isn't this the only solution we have?"
“……”
“Rumors will soon spread throughout the capital – that strange incidents are occurring one after another at the palace. While the identity of the target has not yet been revealed, the attack on Ms. Priscipe will change the narrative.”
“I…I…”
"And it won't be long before people's attention turns to something else. Why was Lady Priscipe, who had lost her status as a princess, locked in a tower in the palace?"
Dietrich's complexion turned pale.
“They will start to speculate. Forgive me, Your Majesty, but they may also wonder if there is something… private between you and Ms. Priscipe.”
Fenric's crimson eyes sparkled as if they were piercing Dietrich, and his gaze was almost accusatory.
"And they may conclude that it was Your Majesty who detained Lady Priscipe. Immediately after your accession, no less. Such a dirty scandal would spread like wildfire."
Dietrich's fingers, which were resting on his knees, trembled faintly.
“Of course, I will never believe that Your Majesty is capable of doing something so vile, so low, and so despicable.”
“……”
"But Your Majesty has only recently ascended the throne. Such rumors won't do you any good, right?"
Fenric's expression softened slightly as he continued, "Why don't we grant permission?"
“……”
“What do you think, Your Majesty?”
Presibe, who was listening to Fenric's words, still looked dazed.
“Is it possible that someone would surround Dietrich like this...?”
Fenric was not a member of the royal family, just a high-ranking noble. However, he looked like a snake – cunning, skillfully manipulating his opponent to suit his needs.
But what was most surprising was that Dietrich was not angry or upset by Wenrich's words.
It looked as if Fenric had aroused Precipe's ire.
While Wenrich was oblivious to the truth and believed the Emperor incapable of committing such heinous acts, the irony was that Dietrich had actually done those very things – vile, vile, despicable things.
Perhaps this was the reason why an indescribable expression appeared on Dietrich's face.
“...Pressipi.”
After a long silence, Dietrich's dry lips parted, and his cracked voice finally emerged.
What do you want to do?
"Pardon…?"
“I'm asking for your opinion.”
“……”
“Do you want to leave the palace and stay with Grand Duke Fenric until we catch the culprit?”
'Leave the palace?' Can I leave this place?'
'Then what happens to the game?'
Prisippi's thoughts raced.
This was uncharted territory – nothing like this had ever happened since it was ported to the game.
Up until now, she had only been able to leave the palace after her affection levels for a certain male character had reached a high enough level to unlock the ending. Even then, she only left after successfully reaching that ending.
'Okay, the tower. Once I leave the tower, I won't even be able to access features like event history or flashbacks. The memory book has been out of order all this time anyway.'
“Precipie.”
‘But there is no main hero in the palace. If he was there, I would have already met him by now.'
'So wouldn't it make sense for me to leave and look for them myself?'
'I can't trust Grand Duke Fenric completely, but what if someone is really targeting me?'
'The palace is not safe at all. In fact, it's probably the most dangerous place for me.'
“Answer me.”
'And... if you leave the palace...'
'Maybe I can finally escape all these horrific, suffocating events. Being locked in an ice prison, being executed, being kidnapped, being dragged away against my will… all of it.'
'Outside the palace, I won't have to face Dietrich, Ivan in the Wizards' Tower, or Siegfried in the church.'
'If the game is broken anyway, wouldn't it be a good idea to choose the path that makes me suffer less?'
“Precipie!”
When he did not answer her as usual, Dietrich shouted her name in a loud and threatening voice, as if warning her not to test his patience any further. This was an old habit of his.
Fenric gave Dietrich a cold look while Preseppe fiddled with her fingers. Finally, she spoke with a trembling voice.
“I…I…”