The palace was not only impressive from the outside – it was equally, if not more, luxurious on the inside.
Every corner of the house exuded luxury, and the cleanliness was almost fantastic. Presibe had the ridiculous idea that even if she licked the bare floor, not a single speck of dust would stick to her tongue.
According to Fenric, he hired a large number of gardeners, as well as a large number of maids. He assured her that she would not face any inconvenience in her daily life.
But even if Precipe was ordered to clean up this huge palace by herself, her life would still be much better than the miserable life she lived in the tower.
Well, anyway...
The room to which Fenric had led Presippi was located in the deepest and most secluded part of the palace.
After mentioning that the room had been hurriedly prepared as soon as Dietrich gave permission, he asked her to tell him if she needed anything else, and then left.
“Wonderful…”
As she stood alone in the room, Precipe's jaw dropped.
“It's so wide… and so beautiful,” she whispered to herself.
And it was true, the room was huge, stunning, and luxurious. Even the most prestigious princesses or nobles among the empires might be fascinated by it.
“There's really nothing else I could ask for,” Precipe said quietly.
Despite everything she's been through since she was thrown into this game world, she has yet to completely abandon her conscience. With so much luxury already available to her, how could she ask for more? What then - ordering jewelry? This seemed a bit much.
“Hmm...”
As she explored the room, she suddenly stopped, looked around before smiling in relief. Then she picked up the vase she was carrying and placed it carefully on the bedside table.
It seemed a bit strange amidst the room's lavish decor, but that didn't bother her.
After putting it down, she slowly looked up, focusing her eyes on the view beyond the wide balcony.
“He wasn't exaggerating when he said I wouldn't need to visit the park,” she whispered.
From the balcony, she could see countless flowering trees spread out in front of her. There were also flower beds filled with unknown flowers outside the windows.
It was nothing compared to the barren, deserted landscape she was accustomed to in the tower.
The breeze was blowing the curtains, carrying with it the scent of flowers. The petals were dancing in the air, illuminated by the warm sunlight.
Everything about it was perfect.
Perhaps most comforting to her was the fact that this room was on the first floor – a stark contrast to the high tower she had always been confined to.
Whether it was intentional or not, Fenric was clearly thinking about her feelings. I felt a sudden sense of peace and relief.
“Mrs. Presby.”
Her thoughts were interrupted by a polite knock on the door, followed by Fenric's voice.
“Can I come in for a moment?”
"Oh yes! Of course."
As soon as she responded, Fenric stepped inside, carrying something she had never seen before.
Flowers.
Prisippi nodded in surprise as Fenric walked over to the vase. Without hesitation, he bent down slightly and placed the flowers inside her.
“Did you go get flowers?” I asked.
"I did."
His short response made Presippi laugh softly.
“But Your Highness, didn’t you say earlier that I don’t need to go to the garden to see the flowers?”
“…”
“And like I said, I can see them pretty well from here.”
“The person who gave you this vase likely wants it to always be full of flowers, wherever you are.”
Was that true?
Well... maybe he will.
“Anyway, since you arrived safely, why don't you grab a meal?” Fenric suggested.
"Oh, I'm fine. I must be too exhausted to feel hungry right now."
"Then, please, get some rest. His Majesty has summoned you since the early hours of the morning and you have not had a single moment of sleep, have you?"
He was right. Now that she felt safe, her tension began to dissipate, leaving her body heavy with fatigue. Her eyes gleamed with sleepiness as exhaustion washed over her.
"Yes, I think I'll take a nap. Thank you for your concern," she said with a slight smile.
“Don't think about it,” Fenric replied, shrugging slightly.
"Make yourself comfortable. Sleep when you want, rest when you feel like it. That's why I brought you here."
“…”
“In this palace, no one will dare disturb you, Lady Presippi.”
“…Duke Fenric?”
"So, sleep well. Don't worry about anything."
With that, Fenric let out a bright smile and slowly left Presibe's room.
Presibe was left sitting alone in slight confusion.
“No one dares to bother me…?”
She thought about Fenric's words for a long time before shaking her head as if to clear her thoughts.
‘Considering what happened with Ella, and how Dietrich treats me like a dog… I think it’s not impossible for him to say this.’
Yes, this should be it.
Prisippi sat on the bed muttering to herself, but after a short while her body sank into the comfortable mattress as if she was collapsing.
The soft, fragrant bedding enveloped her, adding to her exhaustion and almost immediately necessitating sleep.
She wasn't planning on completely lowering her guard in this place. After all, she couldn't predict when or where something would happen, and in the end Fenrick was still one of Dietrich's men.
But the day was long and eventful. Without knowing it, her head bowed, her eyes closed, and she fell into a suddenly deep sleep – just as Fenric had said.
—
Even after the sun set in twilight, night fell and the moon rose to fill the dark sky, but Presippi did not wake up.
It was normal. After she had finally succeeded in escaping the Infernal Imperial Palace, how much tension must have left her body?
In fact, Fenric was worried, he was afraid that she would still be tense, suffering from anxiety even here.
After all, you have endured countless horrific events, endless despair, and soul-crushing struggles. Fenric would have understood if she was still filled with worry.
But seeing her resting peacefully was a huge comfort.
[The palace is beautiful! Extremely elegant and exquisite… Even though Your Majesty said it was modest, it is far from it.]
It seemed as if everything he had prepared so carefully had her approval – the palace décor, the garden flowers, even her room.
...Of course, the claims that flowers bloom year-round and that gardeners were hired to match the blooming seasons, or that the room was hastily prepared with Dietrich's permission, were all blatant lies.
Fenric had spent a very long time carefully preparing for this day.
He was not the only one to realize this fact.
—
“It was very different from the last time I was here,” one of the men commented in a light but curious tone of voice. “It looks like the palace was completely rebuilt.”
“…”
“But the strong smell of flowers is nauseating.”
Fenric remained silent.
Instead, he simply met the man's gaze as he lay on the opposite sofa, his elegant face adorned with a permanent wry smile.
“You were smart,” the man continued, his smile widening.
"Where did you get the griffon? It's not easy to get."
“There is nothing in this empire that I cannot have,” Fenric answered frankly.
“…”
“Nothing at all.”
“Not even Prisippi?”
Fenric's expression hardened slightly at the man's question.
“Anyway,” the man continued, laughing sadly, “it was fun. But trouble is already brewing.”
“Grand Wizard Ivan, specifically,” he added with a wry smile.
"An investigation has begun into Noah Duffern's possessions. You know as well as I do that Ivan's abilities should not be underestimated."
“…”
“And if Noah Duffern’s death is linked to magic, that is even more important.”
“What does it matter about this?” Fenric asked coldly.
"What?"
“All of them, whether it's Atari Hannan or Noah Duffern, will meet the same end.”
"Is this correct?"
“Okay, then.”
The man laughed hysterically, as if he were possessed.
“But that is not the case now,” interrupted Fenric in a low, brightening voice.
“Why were you in church?”
“…”
“Answer me, Vidar.”
For a while, Vidar said nothing.
Instead, he was bathed in the pale moonlight streaming through the open window, and looked at Fenric with an unsettling smile, his strange blue eyes sparkling ominously.