Chapter 11: A Princess Who Really, Really Cares About You

Meanwhile—

In the Kingdom of Kellivir’s inner city—

“How’s the experiment going?”
A silver-haired man wearing a crown stood at the entrance of an underground lab, addressing a black-robed mage inside.

“Your Majesty, we’re nearing the final stage. It might cause some disturbances in the city soon. Please handle it.”

“Sigh—your archbishop, that Uri guy? He caused me a huge mess in the underground district recently.”

“Your Majesty, what do you mean?” The cultist paused, setting down a vial of potion.

“Stirring up trouble everywhere, setting off a massive explosion underground, and then dying? I’d like to know what that means.”

“Dead?” The cultist put down his materials, his expression turning grave.
“Uri loved causing chaos, no doubt, but… his strength was enough to back it up in this city.”

To think he’d died so suddenly—there had to be someone formidable behind it.
“Just be extra cautious, Your Majesty. You don’t want the experiment to fail at the last moment, do you?”

“Hmph, I don’t need you to tell me that. I’ve waited long enough for the day the kingdom is fully mine~.”

…

“Miss, are you truly ready?” Everett asked Tina in the hall.

“I’m good to go anytime. I’m just worried His Highness will get bored staying here alone.”

Moments earlier, Everett had laid out a plan: under the guise of preparing for the festival, he’d sneak Tina into the palace for a period of investigation. Once they had enough evidence, they’d coordinate an inside-out attack to destroy the lab.

As the main firepower, Everett and Tina would take the lead. Due to her identity, the princess couldn’t show her face in the palace yet, so she’d stay outside with Tyr and Phyllis to assist.
“Tina…” Althea’s expression turned slightly forlorn after the plan was set.

“Your Highness, don’t look like that—it makes this hard for me.”
Tina couldn’t stand seeing girls upset because of her. (Phyllis: “?”)

“Haha, how about this? I’ve got two crystal balls here. Once linked, they let you talk or leave messages no matter where you are.” Everett jumped in.

“Consider it a festival gift for you two. If things wrap up quickly, Miss Tina might even be back early.”

Catching Everett’s encouraging look, Tina got the hint.
“Exactly, Your Highness! The festival’s once every ten years—how could I let you spend it alone?”

“Alright, if it’s just a short separation, I can handle things here.”

Althea could prioritize what mattered most—
As long as she didn’t have to choose between Tina’s life and her kingdom’s restoration.

…

After leaving the shop, Tina disguised herself as a maid, blending in with other servants to enter the palace’s grand hall.
“Where’s His Majesty? Not here?” Everett asked the knight captain.

“Great Sage, His Majesty’s been busy lately. Do you need him for something?”

“Nothing urgent. Just tell him I’ve secured help for the festival. Oh, and remind him to get out more—overworking’s bad for his health.”

“Understood, sir. I’ll pass it along.”

The knight captain left, and Everett led Tina to his clock tower.
But barely settled, Tina’s curiosity kicked in.

“So, you and the king are close? You talk to him so casually.”

“Oh? Can’t slip anything past you, huh?” Everett chuckled, relieved.
“I wasn’t hiding it. Rune and I go way back—best friends, you could say.”

Tina realized Everett had personal reasons for wanting to dethrone the king.
Not just as a loyal subject, but as a friend unwilling to watch him fall into ruin.

“I’m a bit jealous of you and the princess, actually,” Everett admitted, a touch nostalgic.

“Why’s that?”

“Because Rune and I used to be just as close. I became Great Sage partly due to my magic, but a big part was Rune’s support. He vouched for me to the old king. Without him, I wouldn’t be here.”

“And now?” Tina pressed.

“Now? Honestly, we’re on different paths.
Maybe it started when he got extreme, or when he told me he wanted to overthrow the old king—I can’t pinpoint it.
We’re still lord and vassal on the surface, but he’s wary of me. No amount of advice gets through.”

What caused this rift?
Jealousy of the princess? Lust for power? Or… the cult’s influence?

Everett didn’t know.
All he knew was he wanted to help the girls reach a different ending, to make Rune turn back.

“Ah, sorry, got lost in the past there. Let’s switch to something lighter.
Speaking of, Miss Tina, got any plans for the festival?”

“Plans?”

The festival held special meaning in Kellivir.
From what she’d heard, it was a three-day extravaganza of grand performances across the city. People set aside work to immerse themselves in the celebration.

Rare treasures and gourmet delights, unseen on normal days, were there to feast your eyes on—or even experience.
But the centuries-old festival had another key tradition—

If a girl accepted flowers from a boy during the festival, followed by a heartfelt hug and kiss, the kingdom’s guardian deity would bless the couple, ensuring a long, happy life together.
Whether it worked was anyone’s guess.

“Hm, if we wrap this up early, I’d love to stroll the city with His Highness, heh.”
After all, the sweetest reward comes after hard work.

“Oh~ Miss Tina, what if the princess offers you flowers during the festival? Would you accept?” Everett teased, grinning like a gossip.
“Or are you planning to string her along, even at the cost of missing this once-in-a-decade chance?”

“Well… the restoration’s not done yet. I’d rather focus on the mission.
I don’t want to shake His Highness’s resolve because of me.”

“Is that so? That’s your choice, then.” Everett gave a knowing smile.
“Miss, when you get the chance to choose, don’t let yourself regret it.”

“I get it.”

Ding-a-ling— The crystal ball chimed, ripples spreading across its surface.
Tina marveled—this thing was basically a phone!

“It’s His Highness. You two chat. I’ll head out.” Everett tactfully retreated to his room, leaving Tina alone in the hall.

“Hello—can you hear me?”
It was late at night, and a faintly worried voice came from the other end of the crystal ball.

“I’m here, Your Highness.”