Distortion

I had been on guard, thinking we might be attacked in our sleep, but it turned out to be unnecessary worry.

We safely greeted the morning.

A cloudless blue sky.

This time Elza and Alexia were called to help with dressing.

Even though the person she was visiting had renounced her succession rights, Princess Tianis would be going in formal attire since she was still her sister.

I brewed some strong coffee in place of breakfast.

The sharp bitterness woke my brain.

After waiting for a while, Princess Tianis emerged from her room.

She wore a tiara and was dressed in a gown like she would wear at the royal castle.

She also appeared to have light makeup on.

When I handed her the coffee, she drank it in one gulp.

"Bitter. Haah, to be honest, I'm not looking forward to this. Deliberately interrogating my sister. But I'm the only one who can do it right now."

"That's true. It would be too much for the guards."

"You're right. Then let's go. To First Princess Yupe."

"Understood, Princess Tianis."

I opened the door and escorted her out.

Apparently this city only had personnel for maintaining its function as a recuperation site and people engaged in agriculture for food production.

So there were hardly any people walking around the streets.

Even when we passed someone, they simply bowed their heads to Princess Tianis without showing surprise.

Everything needed was shipped in from the Royal Capital.

Completely different from a normal city.

This was likely a place that could only exist because it was under direct royal jurisdiction.

However, from the perspective of a commoner like Yohane, there was also a sense that various things were being wasted.

With such a spacious location and beautiful scenery, it seemed like many people would gather if it were turned into a tourist destination.

They could even use the phrase "by royal appointment," and it would surely bring in revenue from outside.

"We're here."

"This is quite impressive."

There was a large mansion located at the outskirts of the city.

In addition to an impressive exterior that overwhelmed onlookers, it had a garden complete with fountains.

It was like something out of a story.

It must have cost a fortune.

However, while the gardens were maintained, there wasn't a single flower, and the fountains had been drained.

The spacious grounds only emphasized how sparse it felt.

Princess Yupe, the owner of the mansion, had likely decided she couldn't care for them and left them this way.

"Use this key."

I unlocked the door with the key she handed me.

There didn't appear to be any guard soldiers either.

When I opened the door, an open atrium entrance came into view.

Despite it being morning, it was dim inside.

That was because all the curtains were closed.

"It seems Yupe-neesan really doesn't want to be seen by anyone."

When Alexia used illumination magic, the surroundings brightened.

Princess Tianis climbed the stairs and headed to the room at the very end of the mansion.

Normally the master of a mansion would be in a more convenient room, but…

Perhaps she was avoiding people's eyes, as Princess Tianis had said.

"Neesan, I'm coming in."

Without waiting for a response, she opened the door.

The room contained only a bed.

On that bed, someone was sitting up, looking outside.

Their face and hands were wrapped in bandages, making it impossible to identify them.

"Someone is hiding in the room. Be careful."

"Got it."

I received Finn's warning in a whisper.

The person on the bed was looking outside through a small gap in the curtains.

There was a breeze, so the window appeared to be open as well.

"Since when did you start entering my room without knocking, Tianis?"

"Since you renounced your succession rights, Yupe-neesan."

"How bold of you to say. You and Anatia confined me here when I couldn't even speak due to burns and severe injuries."

"If Father and Brother were still alive, we wouldn't have had to do that. But circumstances didn't allow for that. If you kept your succession rights, a succession dispute could have split the kingdom. There's no time or room for such things in the current kingdom."

Princess Yupe laughed while looking outside.

"Were you taught to say that by Anatia? You've always been closer to her than to me since we were young. Even though I taught you so many things."

"You just wanted to manipulate me when I didn't know any better. I'm grateful that what you taught me has been somewhat useful, though."

"I see. Well, fine. What's done is done. So what brings you here? Did you come to laugh at my appearance?"

"I don't have such hobbies. Don't play dumb, Neesan. You had people steal food from the soup kitchens, didn't you? I also know you received money from that."

"… Uneducated commoners really are useless. They can't even do a simple errand. There are plenty of ways to leave no evidence. I should have done what that person said."

Princess Yupe slowly turned toward us.

Through the gaps in the bandages, only her eyes were visible. But in those eyes, I sensed intense anger and despair.

Orleans, intimidated, hurriedly hid behind me.

"I'm suffering, so why should commoners be satisfied? Don't you think that's wrong? I merely took what was rightfully mine."

"… Neesan, what are you saying?"

Princess Yupe took hold of her facial bandages and began unwrapping them.

When her appearance was revealed, someone screamed.

She must have originally had beautiful features like Princess Tianis or Lady Anatia.

But the burns had left scars covering half her face.

Only part of her hair remained.

"Treatment by priests or using potions can heal wounds. But if treatment is delayed, this happens. I didn't know that. And once wounds heal, they become permanent and can't be restored by any method. I even tried a World Tree Fruit with all the money I could throw at it, but it didn't work. I'll have this hideous face for the rest of my life. Me. The First Princess. Even though I was the most beautiful!"

"That doesn't mean you can do whatever you want! Many people have died!"

"Shut up! You talentless incompetent who was just lucky!"

Princess Yupe's breathing grew ragged.

I couldn't claim to understand her feelings, but… perhaps losing her composure was understandable to some extent.

She had been avoiding people's eyes precisely because she had been confident in her appearance.

Meanwhile, Princess Tianis was agitated but still sufficiently composed.

The weight on her shoulders was different from Princess Yupe's.

"I thought about dying, but that person found a way to solve things for me."

"You keep saying 'that person, that person.' Who are you talking about? Answer me, Yupe."

"Don't address me without honorifics! … Come out."

When Princess Yupe clapped her hands, several men emerged from the shadows of the room.

So these were the people Finn had mentioned.

It seemed that the so-called Royal Shadows had indeed been monopolized by Princess Yupe.

But something seemed off about them. Their eyes were vacant.

"I was forced to give up my succession rights, but Tianis, if you die, I'll be the only remaining royal. That would change things, wouldn't it? If I kill Anatia too, I'll be the only legitimate successor. Duke Baroba will surely be taken care of by the Church of the Sun God."

Princess Tianis's eyes were utterly cold as she watched Princess Yupe speak fervently, as if intoxicated with herself.

"How pitiful you are, Neesan. You're only speaking in hypotheticals. When did your vision become so narrow? You've even forgotten your duties as royalty. You're nothing but a rebel now."

"Don't look down on me! All of you, kill them!"

The Royal Shadows attacked.