「A knight who was in charge of access to the Queen’s Palace was found comatose.」
「…!」
Someone’s comatose, does that mean he was intentionally deprived of consciousness? I was speechless that a knight of the Kingsguard would harm a like-minded knight.
I wonder if Brace, who is glaring at me as if he is about to shoot me dead, doesn’t understand the stares of his colleagues as if they were looking at something unbelievable that is directed at him.
That knight has not regained consciousness, Ryniel-sama said.
「…And, unfortunately, a maid from the Queen’s Palace was there to help.」
「What was that…!?」
Not only Brace, but also a person who works for the Queen’s palace, but to collaborate in something that might endanger the Queen. As soon as I heard that, I felt dizzy. Thank you Noah-sama for casually supporting my body. I was not joking, I thought I was going to lose consciousness. Ryniel-sama’s brow was wrinkled as well.
When I asked the name of the maid, it was one of the new maids who had been bad-mouthing me more than any other person. Although there was nothing wrong with her work performance, she was a bad-mouthing and disruptive person, so she was scheduled to be removed from the Queen’s Palace in the upcoming transfer.
「The maid says he instigated her when she was held by the knight…」
「I don’t think it’s acceptable for any reason whatsoever.」
If it was just a bad word to me, I could tolerate it a little, but this isn’t on the scale of harassment or anything like that. This is an action that seems to be against the Queen of Gran. No matter how much she may cry out that she was instigated, she can’t cover up for me. I’m sure you agree with me, aren’t you, Ryniel-sama?
「And Marsha. Do you remember this one?」
Mhm? Calling out? I wondered for a moment, but I was brought to consciousness by the earrings offered by Ryniel-sama.
「This… you mean?」
「Yes.」
Large pieces of amber and obsidian with flashy decorations of pure gold. The earrings are the exact opposite of my taste, more glittering than shiny.
「I have no recollection of this item.」
I replied, thinking that my earlobes would shred if I wore such heavy earrings, and Brace’s loud voice came flying out.
「Don’t lie!! That is a piece of stolen jewelry of Her Royal Highness found in your room!! You’re not going away with this!!!!!!」
Brace, who is restrained, tries to approach me with all his might, but he is blocked by the knights of the 2nd Unit and cannot get any closer. Raul tried to restrain him, but he was too excited to hear him.
「…My room, you say?」
I asked Ryniel-sama, not Brace.
「In his defense, right? Because it was already in his hands when we found this out.」
In other words, it may be Brace’s own act to frame me.
If, that is. If this coercive investigation had been conducted in the right way, there might still have been some room for consideration in Brace’s argument. But his action was to enter the Queen’s Palace by unjust means while under house arrest, and to force his way in despite the restraining order. And the fact that it was in his custody indicates that I think he was trying to pin the crime on me. Under the circumstances, no one here thinks that those earrings came out of my room.
And yet, Brace says to Raul with a delightful expression on his face.
「Here, Captain Raul, take a look at this. This earring I found is a solid proof that this woman is a thief. You should be catching this woman, not me, Captain. What are the others doing!? Let go of me and get on with this paltry and catch the thief!!!」
No one obeyed Brace’s words. The situation was almost pathetic.
I shook my head.
「I’m sorry that no one can’t help you, but I have no need for these tasteful earrings.」
I don’t understand the point of stealing something I don’t even want.
「…urk… You say you don’t really recognize it, Marsha…」
Perhaps dissatisfied with the answer, Raul, in a trembling voice, said.
「What is it? Are you saying that I am lying?」
I don’t know what this man means by that, but I wonder if he properly understands the meaning of that statement.
When you stand on his shoulders, which is an unbecoming act of a knight, it is tantamount to saying you believe him.
It’s extremely unpleasant, and my heart chills down soooo much.
「Wait. That’s not what I meant. Don’t get me wrong.」
Perhaps sensing the unpleasant atmosphere, Raul hurriedly corrected himself, but the surrounding Kingsguard knights turned a cold eye toward Raul.
「Haah… I understand that you want to doubt me, but…. I can assure you that I do not recognize these earrings. I just saw them for the first time.」
Such cold, chilling tone of voice. I never thought I could sound so cold.
「…Okay. That’s really not what I meant. I think I misspoke…」
Raul insisted, but no one believed him. Raul must’ve realized that. Raul wasn’t going to make any more excuses.
Raul then turned to Brace and took a breath,
「Darryl. You have to stop now.」
He said this in a scratchy voice.
「What are you saying, Captain…! These earrings belonged to Her Highness who had them stolen! There is no doubt about it!!」
「No, there are no amber and obsidian earrings on the list of lost jewelry.」
「It can’t be. I have seen Her Highness wearing these earrings. There is absolutely no mistaking them. Without a doubt, these are the earrings of Her Highness!!!」
Brace, his lips trembling, retorts with these words, but Raul just shakes his head quietly from side to side. Then I heard a small voice mutter,「She’s got this… I see…」
「…I recognize these earrings as well…」
「Then…!」
「But… this is…!」
Raul didn’t say a word after that. His brow furrowed painfully and he bit his lip, an expression I had never seen on his face before.
「…Raul?」
I couldn’t help but call him by his name, plain and simple.
Not the look of a tragic hero in his usual smug theatrics.
After closing his eyes for a moment, Raul looked up, and the expression on his face was the one I used to see when I was a little girl with my childhood friend.
I felt my heart make a sickening sound.
