The Grand Duke’s Fox Princess

6: When the Princess is Away, the Bad Guys Come Out to Play (III)

*******

‘I shouldn’t have thought about it.’

It was when Eristella was shaking her whole body and head in fear of being influenced by unlucky energy.

The door was suddenly thrown open with a shattering force.

As soon as she heard the rumors, Charlotte rushed over with a frightening vigor. She came close to Eristella and opened her mouth gravely.

“You know what kind of bullshit I heard that made me come all the way here? Tell me what happened that day.”

“Charlotte… Calm down a bit…”

“Sonia. Do you know what happened?”

“No. Me too…”

Sonia shook her head, and Charlotte’s gaze returned to Eristella.

“Are you still going to stay like this?”

Charlotte’s sharp question was directed at the fox.

“My cousin wasn’t the type of person to be bullied by magic. Am I wrong?”

[No way.]

Of course, Eristella had no intention of being an easy target either.

She flatly denied Charlotte’s words.

Even if it was an illusion, such a misunderstanding was denied.

At that moment, Rowen called Heinricion, hurriedly knocking on the door.

“Your Highness. It’s urgent.”

“Come in.”

Rowen’s expression as he entered the room was terrible.

“The wizards are gathering in front of the Imperial Palace and requesting a search. If it goes on like this, the gates of the Princess Palace will open.”

“Already?”

“Yes. I guess they are trying to push it by surprise.”

It meant that they would secure clear evidence before they could properly deal with it.

“Let’s go to the Imperial Palace.”

It was when Heinricion was about to move right away.

The fox stood in Heinricion’s way. Eristella seemed to have something to say, so Heinricion let Rowen go first, and as soon as he left, she spoke quickly.

[I agree for the palace to be searched. Tell them to feel free to dig around and find what they want.]

One of Heinricion’s eyebrows rose.

[Don’t worry. Because that would instead hold them back.]

‘Hmmm. Since it comes down to this, I’ll have to show them the shadow of the dead princess.’

An insidious smile appeared on Eristella’s face.

‘There’s a lot of crap they’re doing to get me.’

‘I guess you think I’ll be buried. Not a chance.’

‘Rather, it’s good.’

*******

In the end, the Princess Palace was thoroughly searched. However, not by the wizards, but by the Imperial Knights.

Most of the nobles, including the wizards, gathered in the palace hall.

The wizards were in high spirits.

They were convinced that something great was about to be discovered.

Then, in order to intensify the atmosphere, one of them raised his voice.

“Look at how many words were said, but no one who protects the princess appears.”

Pointing to the reputation of the princess, he laughed.

There was no way anyone would stand up for someone who had already died.

Heinricion was holding back from breaking up their sarcastic babble, since Eristella effectively threatened him to not come forward.

It was then.

Amidst the group of wizards raising their voices and a buzzing crowd. The only one who remained silent cracked their convictions.

“Then I will go.”

Relaxed footsteps walking out of the crowd.

It was slow, but it had the strength to overpower the surroundings.

Clean hair. Slightly curved back. A cane that supported every step she took.

Nevertheless, with an undisturbed gait, the person stood in front of everyone.

It was Sophia Haveling, the mother of the late Marquis Haveling, and who still had authority.

“Magic and swords, although we’re walking different paths, it’s all for the sake of the empire, so I can’t help but say a word.”

A calm but powerful voice came out that overwhelmed everyone in the venue.

“I don’t know much about magic.”

An unexpected person took Eristella’s side.

“But I know that the princess has defended the empire until now.”

Since the Marquisate of Haveling was a family that symbolized the sword of the empire, Sophia lived her whole life against a wall facing magic, the opposite.

Thus, it was very unusual for her to step up now.

“So, if you need a guarantee, I’ll come forward.”

Even in this situation, it was shocking to see her protecting the princess.

“Why is Madam Sophia coming out? This is nothing else but a case involving black magic.”

“Why. Am I not enough?”

She said with a glare that had not faded in spite of her old age.

Her power, which was shown by her strong influence on one axis of the empire since her youth, was still there.

Besides, she had a reputation for being strict, and she was protecting Eristella herself, so no one could recklessly speak out.

“Isn’t my guarantee worth that much weight?”

She was the symbol of the Marquisate of Haveling. No one dared to deny her words.

“At least, we must not forget the respect and treatment of those who defend the empire.”

She spoke meaningfully as she glanced slowly at the wizards in front of her.

“If there’s a thing called shame…”

There was silence at the old lady’s words.

“There is no need to talk recklessly in a place that’s already being investigated. You can check when the results come out.”

And finally, she hit the wedge.

The wizards could no longer mock her with their mouths, and so the conversation about the princess ended.

*******

It was when Sophia, the matriarch of Haveling, was slowly walking down the hallway.

Her steps stopped when she found Heinricion waiting for her.

“Your Excellency the Grand Duke, I’m glad to see you here.”

“I didn’t know the madam would come forward.”

“If I’m a human being, I should.”

Sophia Haveling spoke as if it was obvious. However, she didn’t feel the slightest bit of trust or affection for Eristella.

Rather, it was closer to a sense of duty.

Why? It was when Heinricion had this question.

“It’s not right as a human being to pretend not to know despite being aware that she’s the one who helped my grandchild.”

“?”

“Leighton said that when he went to the Imperial Palace, the princess was the first to notice and wanted to help.”

Heinricion didn’t even know about it.

He did wonder how Eristella noticed Leighton’s situation so quickly.

As it turned out, she already knew for a while. Then… At that time, was it for that reason that Eristella assaulted the acting Marquis Haveling?

“Although I didn’t like the princess…”

For a moment, as if she remembered the face of the princess, displeasure came upon Sophia Haveling’s face before quickly disappearing.

“…What I do know is the fact that the princess wouldn’t do anything against the empire.”

It was then.

Her gaze deviated slightly from Heinricion, shifting to the fox on his shoulder.

Her eyes narrowed as if she was about to frown.

“By the way, this must be the fox Leighton was talking about.”

The wrinkles on Sophia’s forehead deepened as she stared at the fox with her neck out.

“Somewhere in your eyes… A bad thing that reminds me of the princess.”

“…….”

‘…….’

“I was curious because Leighton said it’s very cute, but…”

Sophia shook her head and walked with her cane.

The moment Heinricion was about to turn around with a light smile.

He felt a terrifying aura on his shoulder.

‘Did you just say you didn’t like it?’

Eristella thought blankly in shock. This was dangerous. As soon as Heinricion sensed danger, Eristella exploded.

Kieeeee!

‘What’s wrong with me? Are you ignoring me because I’m now a fox?’

Eristella roared.

*******

The Grand Duchy of Adelasia.

Thanks to Charlotte’s loud visit early in the morning, Eristella, Sonia, and Heinricion were all sitting around the table.

“To think there would come a day when I’d be so frustrated that I can’t go to the Imperial Palace. It’s all because of you. I couldn’t sleep because I cared about how things were going.”

Charlotte poured out complaints full of worries.

“What the hell happened that the results of the investigation aren’t coming out?”

The results of the search for the Princess Palace were delayed and not released.

It meant that something unexpected had happened.

At that instant, Rowen came in with a knock.

“The results of the investigation into the Princess Palace are out.”

The news they had been waiting for so much made them nervous and swallowed dry saliva.

“It’s said that some suspicious objects were found in the Princess Palace.”

“Something was found?”

Heinricion’s eyes became strained.

“Yes. Something came out. But it’s a possession of the princess… There’s evidence, but… It’s not about black magic; it’s about other wizards.”

“What are you talking about?”

Right then.

Heinricion heard a chuckle next to him. But when he turned his head, he saw a fox with a straight face as if it had never smiled.