The fact that Estelle wasn’t preparing to attend the academy but was instead teaching someone in the Empire’s territory was bound to reach the ears of Crown Princess Iris sooner rather than later, even if it was happening in some remote territory.
This also showed how meticulously the Crown Princess managed her territories.
“So, you’re saying it’s confirmed that the saintess is there?”
“Yes, it’s been confirmed that she’s staying in Viscount Deir’s territory without any attempt to hide her presence.”
While the saintess remained within the Empire, it was inevitable that she would be under surveillance.
Considering the long-standing bad blood between the Ermunt Empire and the Holy Empire, the peace treaty set to take effect with the academy’s entrance period still left room for distrust. Until then, it was impossible to fully rely on the Holy Empire’s people.
“Understood. I’ll go and see for myself. You, on the other hand, report this to His Majesty.”
“Your Highness, you mean to go in person?”
“Yes. After all, she’s an esteemed figure who will be entering the academy alongside me. We should treat her accordingly.”
The Crown Princess finished her words and headed to the dressing room with several maids as if she had nothing more to say.
Her departure to prepare for the trip was also a silent command for her attendant to report to the Emperor.
Saying another word at that moment would only earn a bone-chillingly cold glare.
Knowing the Crown Princess’s temperament all too well, the attendant hurriedly began making their way to the Emperor to deliver the report before she went out.
“Your Highness, the saintess has entered the land of the Empire illegally. I don’t quite see why you need to go personally.”
Iris shook her head at the remark of Seo Jin-hee who was her closest aide.
(TN: This Seo Jin-hee name might throw you off, but it literally was Seo Jin-hee. It seems like Western and Eastern people may live together in this world.)
“His Majesty is doing everything he can to foster good relations with the Holy Empire. Whether it’s superficial or not.”
Seo Jin-hee mulled over her words for a moment before nodding her head in agreement.
“That’s right. Regardless of the identity the Saintess has used to enter illegally, as long as she hasn’t hidden herself or caused any trouble, His Majesty has no choice but to welcome her. So it makes sense for me to take the initiative and handle this first.”
In any case, it was inevitable that a report of the matter would reach the Emperor.
And the Emperor, whether outwardly or not, wanted to be friendly with the Holy Empire and expected Iris to lead the way in fostering that bond.
“All right, let’s depart.”
“I heard it’s been getting colder these days. Are you sure you’re dressed warmly enough?”
“It’s fine. I’ll just take a jacket.”
Since Iris tended to feel the heat more than the cold, carrying just a single jacket for cold weather was plenty enough for her.
When the seasons changed, wearing long-sleeved knits or long pants often made it more likely to feel hot once indoors.
For this reason, she was dressed in the outfits she often wore during the summer. Despite her fuller figure, Iris wasn’t particularly fond of revealing clothing. Her fitted ash-brown tank top, paired with white shorts and a brown belt, didn’t show much skin but still accentuated her figure.
“You really seem to like that outfit.”
“Yeah, it’s my style. I think it’s a crime to have a beautiful body and not show it off.”
In her view, her greatest physical assets were her ample chest and her well-shaped legs.
“But you don’t walk around showing off your chest.”
“That would just be too vulgar.”
Seo Jin-hee gave Iris a baffled look as she declared that exposing her chest was vulgar while revealing her legs was acceptable, but that was the extent of her reaction.
She didn’t press the matter further, as Iris’s status was significantly high.
If that weren’t the case, it was the sort of statement that could have easily drawn public criticism, but all Seo Jin-hee could do was think about it silently.
Knock knock.
“Your Highness, His Majesty has requested that you visit him before going to see the Saintess.”
“All right, I understand. I just finished preparing anyway. I’ll head over now.”
It was a bit bothersome, but since it was a requirement to meet the Emperor before leaving the palace, Iris had already planned to stop by. Without saying much, she began walking toward the meeting.
“Your Majesty, Her Highness Iris Luasa Ermundt has arrived.”
“Already? It’s been a while since you last visited, and now you’re here so quickly. Very well, let her in.”
She had intended to visit from the start and had already finished dressing when the attendant delivered the message. The Emperor let out a low chuckle at her unusually early arrival.
Creak—
The large doors opened to reveal the Emperor tidying the documents on his desk.
“I greet the Sun of the Empire, His Majesty the Emperor.”
“Ah, yes. Welcome. Everyone else, leave us. I need a word with Iris alone.”
None in the palace would dare ignore the Emperor’s order, and the room emptied quickly.
Once they were alone, the Emperor’s previously gentle expression turned sharp.
“Iris.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“You must determine the true reason why the Saintess has come to the Empire.”
As Iris listened, she realized that he had dismissed the others to talk about something less in keeping with the outwardly peaceful appearance of the Empire. She sighed softly to herself and fully understood the gravity of the conversation.
“Father, I have a question.”
“All right, what is it?”
When they were alone, the Emperor didn’t mind Iris addressing him as “Father”.
He understood that while she always maintained formalities in the presence of others, even if he encouraged her to speak freely, she would never do so first.
“The Academy enrollment with the Saintess, the peace treaty with the Holy Empire…they’re all superficial, aren’t they?”
The Emperor narrowed his eyes. He was trying to discern what Iris was thinking and the intent behind her question.
She was certainly his daughter. Someone smart enough to be cherished by him most of the time, but there were moments when he couldn’t fathom what was on her mind.
And this was precisely one of those moments.
“I can’t tell why you’re asking. What answer are you looking for, Iris?”
Since he couldn’t grasp his daughter’s intent, the Emperor chose his words carefully and tried to conceal his own thoughts. But that was all Iris needed to confirm her suspicions.
So the superficial reasons are true. Is he planning to neutralize them and then start a war? Or perhaps he intends to slowly infiltrate from within and bring them down?
Still, if Emperor Ermundt had such thoughts, there was no way the Holy Empire wouldn’t be thinking along similar lines.
The Holy Empire wasn’t foolish enough to let its guard down so easily.
If it ends up like that, war will break out again, huh?
The thought that there was no such thing as a genuine peace treaty or accord left Iris feeling somewhat disheartened.
If asked whether she liked the Saintess or the Holy Empire, the answer would be no.
To be honest, she thought the Saintess was a strange woman who spoke recklessly, and as for the Holy Empire, she couldn’t care less about it.
However, the thought that a war would harm not only the Holy Empire but also others weighed heavily on Iris’s mind.
Our people will suffer.
She couldn’t bear the idea of ordinary citizens who were leading peaceful lives being forced to sacrifice that peace because of the senseless greed of those in power.
“No, Your Majesty must have your reasons. I will make sure to find the Saintess’s true intentions. If you’ll excuse me, I’ll take my leave now.”
When she bowed her head deeply in farewell, the Emperor’s face returned to its earlier gentle expression.
“Very well, go safely, Iris. I hope there are no complications.”
“I’ll handle matters carefully to make sure no issues arise. Please don’t worry.”
The gazes of the father and daughter briefly met in midair before parting just as quickly.
Creak
“Let’s go, Jin-hee.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Though it was as if they were going to formally greet the Saintess, the only one accompanying Iris was Seo Jin-hee.
In any case, the fact that the Saintess had entered the Empire illegally indicated she had a clear motive, and to avoid provoking her, they had kept the accompanying personnel to a minimum.
Of course, it was unavoidable to have knights and mages accompany them for protection.
It’s the Saintess who’s strange for moving around alone.
Iris wasn’t a weak crown princess incapable of defending herself, but it was still unusual not to have knights and mages by her side. After all, as the second-highest-ranking person in the Empire, her movements typically required a formal entourage. Even bringing just a few knights and mages was technically an exception to protocol.
“How far is it to the Deir Viscounty?”
“If Your Highness travels by car, it will take about three hours. If you use the private plane prepared by His Majesty, it will take around an hour.”
“…The plane will draw too much attention.”
If they were going to make such a conspicuous move, they might as well have brought along the full group of knights, mages, and even maids in a formal procession.
“We’ll take the car.”
In the end, Iris’s choice had been decided from the very beginning.
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