But the problem was—setting aside her pride and shame to mimic Selena—Vanessa didn’t even have the means to do that. Where was she supposed to find an outfit like that? The only thing on her body was the inherent [Armor Fortress]. Beyond that, she had nothing at all to cover herself with.

As for Vinny’s old clothes, they wouldn’t fit her. If she forced them on, they’d just rip apart.

Vanessa sat on the edge of the bed, completely at a loss, not knowing what to do next.

If she tried sneaking out, she had nowhere to go. She’d only end up wandering near the house—and wandering near the house meant inevitably running into Shicodale.

Vanessa was still mulling over how to resolve this predicament when Shicodale rapped a few more times on the door. He decided he must have misheard before—that it had only been the creak of Vinny’s old furniture, sounds he mistook as Vinny getting up. Concluding that Vinny hadn’t woken, Shicodale stopped knocking and crept downstairs as quietly as he could.

Vanessa finally let out a breath of relief. Then she suddenly remembered the signal scroll Mirexia had given her last night. She had thought she’d never need to use it.

Right—if anything happened, wasn’t the whole point to ask Mirexia?

So, Vanessa took out the scroll from the night before. There was nothing else in her room, but she still had half a bottle of ink and a feather quill.

She dipped the quill lightly, spread the magical scroll open, and activated it. Then she wrote in neat, elegant script:

“To Mirexia, I sincerely apologize for disturbing your rest on this holiday morning. This is truly out of necessity. As for the reason, please forgive me for explaining at length. Last night, I absorbed Saintess Elusha’s notebook…”

On the signal scroll she gave Mirexia a brief summary of what had happened the night before, and explained her current predicament, hoping Mirexia could help. Even though she was only asking for help through a signal scroll, Vanessa ended up writing it like a formal noble’s invitation, full of honorific phrasing and courtesy.

She herself didn’t know why—once she picked up pen and paper, the words flowed out on their own. She’d already written them, and the meaning was clear enough, so it would do.

Now all she could do was wait for Mirexia to receive the message. If Mirexia was still asleep and hadn’t spread the scroll, she wouldn’t see it.

All Vanessa could do was pray that Mirexia was already awake and would quickly notice the abnormality on the scroll.

But judging from what she knew, that overworking princess would never laze in bed, even on holiday. Mirexia would still insist on waking early to exercise, train, study, and then deal with state affairs.

At school she was always handling student council matters; back at the palace during long breaks she still couldn’t rest, still had to keep up with political duties. Multiplying herself across every front.

Even hearing about that kind of life made Vanessa’s forehead ache. That Mirexia had endured and adapted to it for so many years was astonishing.

To Vanessa’s delight, not even a second passed after she activated the scroll before Mirexia’s reply came.

Vanessa had written a whole long passage like a formal banquet invitation. Mirexia’s reply, however, was concise to the extreme:

“All right, I’ll come immediately.”

Relief washed over Vanessa. Brief though it was, Mirexia’s answer was like a stabilizing anchor, filling her with security.

——

Meanwhile, in the royal palace, Mirexia—as always—kept the signal scroll close at hand, even setting it on her desk while she worked. The moment it reacted, she noticed.

When she thought Vinny might be in some sudden danger, she hurried to open it. Only upon seeing the script appear did she finally breathe again.

If he could still write, then the trouble wasn’t life-threatening.

But once her eyes swept the lettering, doubt flickered in them. This handwriting clearly wasn’t Vinny’s. It looked more like Vanessa’s. She had seen Vinny’s handwriting before—rough, careless, almost crude. This neat and elegant hand could never be his.

Reading through the scroll’s contents, she pieced together the situation, rose to her feet, and set out, already considering possible solutions.

——

Vanessa waited in her room, minutes ticking by.

Down in the first-floor sitting room, Shicodale also felt something odd. Usually by this time Vinny would have been up already. Why hadn’t he appeared today?

Was it because of the long holiday—had Vinny grown lazy, oversleeping?

Shicodale glanced at the clock on the wall. Almost noon, and still no sign of him.

Come to think of it… hadn’t she smelled a faint, familiar white camellia fragrance at Vinny’s door earlier? She hadn’t really paid attention at the time.

Had it just been her imagination?

At that moment, the bell on the front gate chimed.

Someone was here.

Shicodale found it odd. According to Vinny, normally no one ever visited this house—except maybe a thief, and even then, thieves wouldn’t want anything from here. No one ever came to befriend him.

So why today?

Baffled, Shicodale went to open the gate. Stepping outside, she saw who was shaking the wind-bell.

“President… Princess Mirexia?!” At the sight of the striking blonde girl with twin tails beyond the rusted gate, the word President slipped out of her mouth. Then she remembered this wasn’t Carillian Academy but Camella’s capital, and quickly corrected herself.

Beside Mirexia stood a shoulder-length-haired girl in Camella palace maid attire. Silent, deferential, clearly Mirexia’s personal attendant.

“Yes.” Mirexia nodded gravely at Shicodale. “Dale, you haven’t eaten breakfast yet, have you?”

“Ah… no. Because, Vinny hasn’t gotten up yet.” Shicodale had planned to cook, but Vinny’s house really was as bare as he claimed—so empty even mice wouldn’t bother with it. Nothing to cook with.

A clever housewife can’t make rice without grain; Shicodale couldn’t make a meal, so all she could do was wait for Vinny to wake.

“In fact, that’s exactly why I came.” Mirexia’s tone was utterly serious.

“Eh? For that?” Shicodale blinked, not understanding.

Could the princess really have come just to invite her to eat?

But… she wasn’t that close to Mirexia, was she?

Shicodale tilted her head, mind full of questions.

And how did the princess know she hadn’t eaten yet?

“I’m here to take you to eat.” Mirexia nodded.

“Ah—no need, your Highness, I appreciate it, but if Vinny wakes and doesn’t see me, he might worry.” Shicodale declined politely.

“No, Dale. The truth is, Vinny isn’t in the house anymore.” Mirexia’s words were firm.

“Eh? What?” Shicodale’s face was pure confusion.

“Last night, before parting, because of an accident, I gave Vinny a signal scroll. If he ran into some unforeseen crisis, he was to activate it. Just last night, that scroll did react. I saw it, and came at once.” Mirexia explained.

Strictly speaking, she wasn’t lying—except about the timing.

“You mean Vinny ran into an accident?!” Shicodale’s eyes went wide.

“Yes. Something did happen.” Mirexia’s calm gaze met hers.

She didn’t add that the “accident” she meant was Shicodale herself.

“But don’t worry. I arrived in time. Vinny is safe, the situation already under control.” That too was the truth—if reinterpreted.

She meant now.

But Shicodale, in the dark, thought Vinny had truly been in danger.

“Vinny was worried you wouldn’t have anything to eat, so he asked me to bring you to the palace as a guest today.”

“…Princess Mirexia, can you tell me what accident it was?” Shicodale pressed, but relief softened her tone. To think Vinny’s first concern even in crisis was her empty stomach—her chest warmed.

[Virtue +60]

[Virtue +60]

[Current Virtue: 6104]

Inside the room, Vanessa’s face stiffened as she watched the numbers rise.

What on earth was happening out there now?!

“As for that, I’m sorry.” Mirexia shook her head. Of course she couldn’t reveal the truth—wasn’t that why she had come in person?

“This involves many complicated matters, with wide-reaching consequences. Given the unpredictability, I can’t explain them to you.” Mirexia’s evasive answers were polished; she used them often when meeting nobles. And she wasn’t technically lying.

“Then… if I go to the palace, can I see him?” Shicodale asked.

“That won’t do either.” Mirexia shook her head. “Dale, you may not realize this, but Vinny’s condition is… unusual. This isn’t something to broadcast. Do you understand?”

The implication was clear: this was Vinny’s secret, one he wasn’t willing to share with anyone except her—his childhood friend. For others to pry would only make things harder for him.

“Tomorrow, when he’s recovered, you can ask him yourself. Today, let him rest.”

“…All right, I understand.” Shicodale didn’t want to trouble Vinny further, but her mind couldn’t help running wild.

Did Vinny suffer from some rare illness?

And of course—her own place in his heart could never match that of a childhood friend.

[Virtue +30]

[Current Virtue: 6134]

“I’m glad you understand, Dale.” Mirexia nodded, then looked to her attendant. “Karin, take my friend to the palace for breakfast. Treat him as a guest of honor. Understood?”

“As you command, Princess Mirexia.” Karin bowed respectfully. “Mr. Dale, please come with me.”

“Ahem, Karin—my elven classmate is male.” Mirexia corrected awkwardly.

“My apologies, Mr. Dale. I was mistaken.” Karin bowed again, full of contrition.

“Uh… it’s fine. Not the first time I’ve been mistaken for a girl.” Shicodale flushed, half {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} forgetting to protest.

“Dale, whatever you want to eat or drink, just tell Karin.”

“All right… but, right now?” Shicodale glanced back at the house, sensing she was forgetting something important.

But her thoughts were fixed on “Vinny met with an accident,” leaving no room for anything else.

“Oh—Princess Mirexia, you said you came last night. But why didn’t I hear anything?” Shicodale asked.

“Vinny didn’t want to wake you. He went downstairs himself, and I escorted him. Otherwise, why do you think the gate was unlocked?” Mirexia said smoothly.

In truth, when she had arrived earlier she hadn’t rung the bell immediately. She’d given the old lock a discreet punch, passed the broken piece to Karin to hide, then rang.

Oh… right.

Shicodale remembered that last night Vinny had locked the gate. Yet when she came to open it, the lock was gone.

Nothing strange about that, apparently.

Karin stood by, face calm, as though nothing were hidden in her skirt pocket.

“Vinny’s been at the palace since midnight. You should go too.” Mirexia urged. “I came both to inform you and to fetch something Vinny asked me to pick up.”

“Oh, okay.” Shicodale almost asked what item, but held back. If it was Vinny’s secret, she shouldn’t pry. She followed Karin a few steps, then suddenly spun around.

“Wait—Princess Mirexia, isn’t something off? I could’ve sworn the door to Vinny’s room was locked from the inside this morning when I knocked!”

“How could that be?” Mirexia’s expression didn’t even flicker—her look said plainly, Are you quite awake, Dale? “You don’t know Vinny’s house well. Everything here is decrepit. The doors often jam when closed, and only open with a shove.”

“You must not have pushed. If you had, it would’ve opened.”

“Uh…” Shicodale faltered.

That… did sound plausible.

And so, she was deceived.

Not that Mirexia’s acting was flawless. Against someone like Aesphyra, an old hand at intrigue, her micro-expressions and unnatural tones would’ve been caught instantly.

But Shicodale—fresh from her ivory tower, still naïve—had no defenses.

Even if she felt something was off, she couldn’t articulate it. And so she truly believed Vinny was in the palace, and followed Karin away.

Only after they’d gone did Mirexia finally exhale, step into the yard, and push open the house door.

She had been to Vinny’s home before—but that was long, long ago.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep