The Grand Duke’s Fox Princess

Episode 49: When the Princess is Away, the Bad Guys Come Out to Play (VI)

*******

Rowen did not delay and headed to the Prouthu territory.

Actually, he was curious too. He recently learned new facts about the princess.

Naturally, he thought that there might be something in the princess’s final location.

So Rowen wanted to check it out in person this time.

It was when Rowen reached the middle of the mountain where Princess Eristella was believed to have gone missing.

He was with the investigators who were already dispatched from the Imperial Palace because the situation shook the current empire.

Although it didn’t seem like these investigators would figure out anything here, still, even in such a situation, Rowen sought to produce results.

“I come from the Grand Duchy of Adelasia. I understand from the Grand Duke that he had sent a message to the Imperial Palace. Have you heard of it?”

“You’re here. We’ve been told to cooperate in anything.”

It was when the investigators were figuring out the first direction they should look in.

Rowen spotted a boy shouting something next to an investigator.

“Who is that boy?”

“There’s prize money for information related to this. As a result, all kinds of people come to me saying they know the information.”

“…….”

“That kid is just wandering around hoping for anything to fall. You can ignore it.”

An informant of the Grand Duchy of Adelasia in the Prouthu territory explained the situation.

The boy kept shouting something, clinging to the investigator who ignored him.

“No! I’m really a witness! Why don’t you believe me?”

“Get out of here!”

The boy fell backwards by the rough hands of the investigators, jumped up, and ran over again.

“It’s true! I met the princess here!”

“I’ve definitely seen one or two liars like you here. If you keep disturbing me, I will arrest you.”

As the child continued to shout, the investigator’s behavior became harsher, shaking away the child more and more.

From a distance, a couple came running in a hurry.

“You…! You’ve come here! I told you not to walk around alone.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. We’ll take him away as soon as possible.”

The couple said, bowing their heads repeatedly to the investigator.

The child shook his arms and tried to get away, but the more he did, the more desperately the two tightened their hold on him.

“Don’t disturb me anymore.”

“Yes, yes. He will. Hurry. Let’s go quickly.”

Those who appeared to be the child’s parents embraced him as if they were protecting him.

“No! I have to clear the accusations of the princess! I can’t just pretend I don’t know!”

“Please. Be still. Mom and Dad will find another way.”

“You can’t do this here. There are so many eyes and ears around… Did you forget everything I said to you then? This is all for you…”

What caught Rowen’s nerves was that the parents were desperately persuading to appease the child rather than yell to dissuade him.

For some reason, an alarm sounded in his head that he should not ignore those words.

“Maybe that boy…”

Rowen’s brow furrowed heavily.

Since the disappearance of the princess, he had been constantly investigating if anyone witnessed it. But could an eyewitness who had never appeared before suddenly shows up now?

Usually, in this case, there was a high possibility that the person was disguised as an eyewitness for a specific purpose.

Being a young child could also be a device to ease doubts.

Nevertheless, in Rowen’s head, there was a very small possibility.

“The princess never colluded with black magic! She’s not that kind of person! She fought valiantly against the black wizard… and…”

The child who had been screaming in anger closed his mouth as he became conscious of his surroundings.

Seeing this, Rowen pushed aside his worries, walking towards the child.

It seemed there was something to ask the boy and listen to.

Rowen approached the child and asked in a soft tone.

“What is your name?”

With tears in his eyes, the child looked up. He was so frustrated with his appeal that he could not react immediately to Rowen’s question.

*******

Rowen returned to the capital in a hurry.

And as soon as he got out of the carriage, he went straight to Heinricion.

“Your Excellency. I have something to report right away.”

Heinricion had been waiting for Rowen to return for the past few days.

And as soon as Heinricion saw Rowen bring up the topic without saying hello, he was filled with anticipation that Rowen did not return empty-handed from Prouthu.

“Looks like you found something.”

“Yes. I found out what happened that day.”

Contrary to Heinricion, who tried to ask calmly, Rowen’s excited answer flowed out straight away. It was immediately followed by something astonishing.

“I brought the child who last saw Princess Eristella.”

Rowen was not alone in the carriage from Prouthu to the grand ducal residence.

“The last person to see?”

“Yes. I met a boy by chance in Prouthu. He claimed to have been there the day Her Highness the Princess disappeared.”

“He was there?”

How long had he been searching for witnesses? However, he had almost given up on their existence because he could not find anything other than the traces of Eristella and the black wizard.

Heinricion’s sorrows were not known to Rowen.

Rowen’s voice gained strength.

“He’s definitely a survivor who got caught up in the incident. He knew everything that happened that day.”

“…….”

Heinricion’s face hardened.

It was a completely unexpected result. There were eyewitnesses? But why had he never appeared before? Heinricion was a bit concerned.

“Then why didn’t we know about it until now?”

The first thing that came to mind was doubt.

Heinricion’s forehead wrinkled. Half of him hoped the witness was real, and the other half said he should doubt it.

“I didn’t believe it from the beginning either.”

“But?”

“However, I couldn’t ignore what I heard when I met him.”

Heinricion could not simply ignore the child’s existence.

“In addition, listening to the child’s story, it is consistent with the circumstances of the day. Even the parts we don’t know. So I think it’s worth checking.”

“Did you say you brought him here?”

“Yes. I have given him a room and told him to rest.”

There was only one thing for Heinricion to do.

“I want to meet him in person.”

He couldn’t stand it. Heinricion, whose patience had run out, gradually quickened his step.

*******

The child in front of Heinricion, who came hastily, looked completely different from what he expected.

The child was guided to a room by the employee. The moment he entered, he looked around. He had never seen such a large and colorful space in his life.

Amazed at the furniture, the child sat quietly on the bed, and as soon as the door opened, he jumped up like a startled rabbit.

Heinricion’s doubts peeled off because the boy seemed like an innocent child who didn’t know the world.

In fright, the child gazed at Rowen; it was because Heinricion was unfamiliar to him.

Heinricion stared at the child. He was a little nervous about what was going to come out of this child’s mouth. It might be a scary shocking truth, but he couldn’t help but listen.

Heinricion calmly opened his mouth and said,

“Oh, hello?”

He smiled as softly as possible.

However, it was unexpected that the child’s face turned red because it was too much.

“Oh, H… H-Hello… I s-see Y-Your Excellency… Eup.”

“…….”

“Eup!”

The child was so nervous that hiccups came out of his mouth nonstop. As a result, Heinrichion was also embarrassed.

“What do I do?”

“It’s okay. All you have to do is tell me the story you told me last time.”

Rowen stepped forward and spoke to the child, but the already withdrawn boy was still frightened.

Heinricion’s blunt impression seemed to be a high barrier to the boy.

‘There are a lot of things I want to ask, but right now, it seems that making the child comfortable is the priority.’

It was then.

There was something pulling Heinricion’s leg. It was a very strong force.

Thanks to this, Heinricion’s body tilted, and one of his knees slightly bent.

‘Sit down!’

He felt as if he could hear a cry right in his ear.

And as expected, the main character behind the strong force was the fox, Eristella.

Eristella flapped her front paws and tugged at Heinricion’s trousers.

‘What are you doing?’

‘Sit down, now! Once you meet his eye level, he won’t be afraid.’

‘Ah.’

Heinricion, noticing the signal Eristella was growling and pointing to, went down on one knee.