Chapter 526: Formal Exchange

Royal Garden, someplace.

Once those soundless footsteps departed, Ariel suddenly opened her eyes.

Good weather, few clouds, the glittering stars mirrored in her pupils—clear and bright, without a trace of the murk or confusion one should have after fainting.

“Sigh...”

She touched the big swelling on her forehead and sat up, letting out another soft sigh:

“I didn’t expect the beauty to be so unwilling for me to stay with her to deal with those things. Does she still not trust me? That’s a pity.”

In her heart, she didn’t think ambushing a prince was any big deal. It wasn’t the first time she’d killed someone for their belongings. She was skilled. She had full confidence in leaving not the slightest trace behind.

“But... speaking of which, the tone she used earlier when she said those things... I keep feeling I’ve heard it somewhere before. Where was it...?”

She thought it over but couldn’t find an answer.

That’s how the human mind works—something looks familiar, yet the reason refuses to surface.

Or maybe some line of reasoning had fallen into an unexpected dead end from the very beginning.

“Forget it.”

Ariel smiled carelessly, tossing those doubts aside. Then she suddenly cupped her cheeks, murmuring with delighted expression:

“Ahh, to think she’d rather use a method like this than drag me into trouble... Miss Muse, you really do have me in your heart, don’t you?”

“Next time we meet, I absolutely have to close the distance between us completely. After all, I still have your... who!”

Ariel’s lovestruck expression snapped away at once. Her gaze turned icy as she looked toward a shadow not far away.

A rare cluster of flowers shook. Amid the rustle of leaves brushing together, a small silhouette gradually revealed itself.

“Bro... big brother?”

The silhouette wasn’t actually small at all—he only looked half-height because he was seated in a wheelchair.

The «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» familiar face emerging from the darkness was exactly that of Ariel’s half-brother, Orlando.

“What are you doing here? Weren’t you not attending the ball?”

Ariel narrowed her eyes, making no effort to hide the chill radiating from her.

“No, no, no... Ariel, you misunderstand. I absolutely wasn’t following you.”

Seated in the wheelchair, Orlando also looked somewhat surprised—as if he hadn’t expected to meet his sister here. But he quickly smoothed away that surprise and smiled:

“I came to the palace for something else. Now that it’s done, I came to the garden for a walk.”

“By yourself?”

“Ariel, that’s a bit hurtful.”

Orlando patted his own knees with a wry smile:

“Even though I’m just a cripple now, I still have basic self-care abilities. But you, Ariel...”

He glanced left and right, puzzled:

“What are you doing here? The ball isn’t held here.”

“Same as you. Clearing my head.”

Ariel’s face didn’t move.

“Then...”

Orlando probed:

“Want to walk together?”

“No. The ball isn’t over yet.”

Ariel turned around without looking back. She had not the slightest thought of closeness toward this brother of hers: “If even I, the heir of the Bugaard family, can’t stay at the ball until the end, big brother, you’d get troubled, wouldn’t you.”

“You...”

Orlando gave a soft laugh: “I never said that.”

“I’m leaving.”

“All right, then.”

Orlando watched his sister’s back. Deep in his eyes, a faint light shifted, yet his voice stayed gentle as he nodded in farewell:

“Go safely. See you later.”

“......”

...

...

“Hiss... that hurts.”

Albert opened his eyes to see the familiar ceiling of his own room.

But he didn’t feel at ease in the slightest. After a brief moment of confusion, something came to mind. He immediately sat up, alarmed, scanning the surroundings.

The maid was lying obediently beside him, breathing steadily. She didn’t look seriously harmed.

Albert let out a breath and looked upward again... and then froze.

The attacker he expected hadn’t appeared. Or rather, it didn’t look like they’d appeared.

Yet in a bit of moonlight entering through the window, through the softly trembling gauze, seated at his familiar antique redwood table was a breathtaking golden-haired girl, resting her cheek on her hand, quietly gazing toward the distant royal garden.

Starlight shone on her face. Not a single flaw in sight—beauty beyond compare.

If it were any other day, waking to see such a beautiful girl sitting at his side would be like a pleasant dream.

But Albert couldn’t help recalling the black shadow that had burst forth earlier.

“You are...”

“You’re awake.”

Albert’s instinctive question startled the statue-like girl. She turned her head, lifts the corners of her lips, and smiled gently:

“Good evening, Your Highness Albert.”

“G-good... evening.”

Unable to understand her intentions, Albert chose to keep playing along:

“What exactly happened...”

“Ah... that? Actually, Your Highness Albert, you were just attacked by some little thief from who-knows-where. Thankfully, I happened to be passing by, so I saved you on the way.”

The girl said this with a completely serious expression:

“It was really close. I didn’t expect that you, a dignified prince, would have not even a single guard by your side. Even if this is the palace, that’s still very dangerous. Luckily I was the one who passed by, otherwise who knows what might’ve happened. So Your Highness must be careful in the future—boys going out alone easily run into danger. At the very least, bring more guards...”

“......”

Albert stared at Muen, who spoke so smoothly without even blinking. His eye twitched uncontrollably.

Spoken like it was real. If he hadn’t glimpsed that unforgettable face right before fainting, he really might’ve believed it.

Hiss...

Thinking of the attack, a sharp pain throbbed through Albert’s head. He instinctively touched the bandages wrapped around his skull.

“Ah, right. When I was checking your injury just now, I noticed you seem to have some older wounds on your head.”

Muen pointed at his own temple:

“That is... nothing serious, right?”

“......”

Albert’s body stiffened for a moment but quickly returned to normal.

“I’m fine...”

He took a deep breath. In an instant, he returned to being that gentle, cultured First Prince. With a mild smile toward Muen, he said:

“Compared to those insignificant things, what I want to know more is... who exactly are you, and what do you want?”

“Don’t worry, don’t worry, no need to be nervous. This is the palace—I wouldn’t dare do anything excessive.” Muen hurried to explain: “I only want to have a chat with Prince Albert.”

“......”

Albert fell silent.

You broke into a prince’s room, knocked out the prince and his maid—that’s not excessive?

But despite thinking this, Albert didn’t show it. He quietly waited for the rest.

“As for my identity...”

Muen said nothing more. He leaned forward slightly and handed Albert a family crest.

“This is... the Dragon-Slaying Sword... you’re from the Campbell family.”

Albert’s eyes tightened as he examined the crest in his hand. Small, delicate—didn’t seem like a fake.

“That’s right.”

Muen nodded.

“I see. If you’re from the Campbell family, secretly contacting me isn’t something incomprehensible... but how do I know you’re real?”

Albert continued questioning: “A crest isn’t something absolutely trustworthy.”

“Very simple.”

Muen had expected this question. He shrugged calmly:

“I showed my face at the ball. You just need to check a little to know I entered together with Princess Celicia.”

“Celicia...”

Albert raised his brows and shook his head in sudden realization:

“Heh... so that’s it. That girl has really started seeing herself as the future Lady Campbell, huh? Even helping with something like this. That’s not very much like her cold personality...”