It was still hot during the day, but the breeze was cooler after the sun went down. A pleasant breeze blew on the balcony, relieving Diana's tense body and mind.

"So, brother... Shayla-sama?
And you, Shayla..." "Your desperate tactics have paid off. She left the hall, away from the king, while people were looking away.
I see. ....... The worst of it seems to have been averted somehow.

Deanna is relieved for the moment. But Edward remained stern.

But those who were in the vicinity must have noticed. But those who were close by must have realized where His Majesty's heart was.
"...... Was it really that obvious?
I'm sure he thought he was being modest. It's obvious to anyone who sees it. ...... You've gone to a lot of trouble, little man.
Really. I'm sure you'll be able to understand what will happen if Miss Shayla stands out now?
I don't know if you're aware of what you've done to make Miss Shayla stand out.
That's where ...... comes in.

I nodded my head and sighed deeply. He held his forehead with his hand and shook his head.

I'm sure His Majesty is thinking something stupid like it's not strange for the king to talk to his aide.
I'm sure His Majesty thinks that it's not strange for the king to talk to his wife.
Miss Shayla, you must be very confused. ......
"In Miss Shayla's mind, Your Majesty's stock is plummeting.
Was it high enough to take a dive?
Diana, there's no limit to the bottom line. If the ground is zero, it could mean a negative rating as you sink into it.

With no one to butt in, there was no one to stop the generally rude conversation between Deanna and Edward. After complaining for a while, Deanna changed her mind.

"Brother. What shall we do now?
"Right now, in the hall, your father, mother, and aunt are working to make sure that what the king has done is diluted as much as possible. I'll be joining them later.
Yes, sir. But ......
I know. It doesn't solve anything fundamental, and more importantly, it doesn't ......
"...... Brother?

Deanna had a very bad feeling when her brother suddenly broke off. If it were possible, she would have preferred not to ask, but that would not have solved anything.
So, she asked him.

"What is it?
"...... There are a few conservative types near Miss Shayla. I'm sure Landrose will hear about what happened today.
"......!　Aaahhh...

I'm not sure what to do, but I'm going to do it. It's not that I'm not a good person, I'm just not a good person.

The forces in the palace are keeping a certain level of balance under the rumor that "His Majesty is interested in the Red Rose". The "favor of the Red Rose" is just a rumor, and therefore the side chambers of the "Peony Faction" have not gone so far as to make a fool of themselves. With Deanna's glare in effect, the bullying of the innovators that was once so severe seems to have calmed down.
In the midst of such a situation, the existence of the "daughter to whom the king's favor arrows are directed" has been revealed. If you're a conservative, Shayla is the daughter of an up-and-coming nobleman who came to the palace as if she was kicked out. There is no way Liliane can tolerate her as a partner for the king.

What are you thinking about ......?　I just warned you to keep your eyes on the palace!
"Did you just say that?　It's useless.
I thought it was useless, too!　But it can't be helped, because it's clearly impossible to stabilize the palace without His Majesty's cooperation.
"Ah, ....... I guess I'll just have to do my best not to expect too much from you, kid.
"I don't have any expectations, so at least don't do anything unnecessary.
"Diana, language.

I don't expect anything from you, so at least don't do anything unnecessary.

If you want, I can rephrase every single word in the language of the lady of the house.
"...... No, yes, I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
It's okay if you don't understand.

Deanna leaned against the railing, her arms folded and her gaze fixed on the hall.

"Master Shayla is a much stronger person than I expected. She's not going to be broken by a little harassment, though.
"Is that so?
You looked me in the eye and talked to me in the Red Rose?　That's not normal.
Yeah, that's definitely something to see.
But, but!　The king, who is in a position to protect his wife, would rather put his favorite princess in danger!

Deanna was furious. The moment she had taken a liking to Shayla, and now she was in this mess, she wanted to ask what the hell she was doing harassing her.



"Don't say too much. If you say so, it will mean that we are also at fault for not being able to stop the king when we expected him to do something.
It is true that we expected to see Shayla when we found her, to gaze wistfully at her in the distance, to look back at her when we passed her, and so on. But who would be stupid enough to hold her hand and talk to her in public?
"That's certainly not what I'm talking about. .... I'm sure Al will give us some guidance.
I'm not sure what you're doing here. You are a knight guarding His Majesty, and your duty is to stop him before he does something stupid like that.
No, it's a supervisor, not a bodyguard.

It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for. When I think of the hardships he must be going through in the hall, I really pity him.

Al's going through a tough time. "It's not easy for you, Al. You're too talented with a sword.
"Someone else who could compete with Al-sama easily turned down the knighthood and retreated to the countryside. He's the best.
Don't be silly. We have different weapons. Don't be ridiculous, we have different weapons. I'm not even close to him when it comes to swords.

Laughing lightly, Edward turned to Diana.

Do you have a vision for the future?
The first thing I'm going to do is keep the Peony Faction in check and make sure the Red Rose Faction doesn't do anything stupid. There are a few people in the Red Rose Faction who are obsessed with their status and are unusually gossipy with me.
That's something to watch out for.
After that, I'll bring in the others with names to my side.

In the event that you have any questions regarding where and how to use the internet, you can call us at the web site. It is said that Ria and Yolanda have been repeatedly solicited by Liliane, but the two have not shaken their heads.

"Master Rhea, Master Yolanda, and Master Laetitia are painfully aware of the current situation in the palace. That's why they dare not take sides. They know very well that if they were to move, the power in the palace would collapse.
...... So in other words, except for the Landlord's daughter, the nobles don't want the court to be disturbed.
Yeah. It depends on how you want to talk about it, but I think all three of you will cooperate if you know what I want.

I haven't really been in the palace for more than a month. I already know the personalities of the three "famous" men. It's almost impossible to hope for the king's cooperation in this situation, and the only people who will be on our side next are the girls.

"All right. You know the next move. What about the Dark Ones?
"We don't have to pull our weight anymore. Can you protect Master Shayla?
"I'm on it.

The voice came from the trees just below the balcony. Deanna smiled.

"Sirius. It's been a long time.
"Long time, my lady. Leave Miss Shayla's escort to us.
"But then, Deanna, won't that leave your side thin?
I think we'll be fine with Rita.
Rita is a maid of honor. Rita's a maid. She can't be around all the time.
"With your permission, we can increase the number of staff at the palace.
...... I'll see what I can do. I'll let your father know.
"Understood.
"Be careful, Sirius.

Sirius is gone. He must have made arrangements for more men as soon as possible.

"Well... What should I do now?
"I'd better not go back to the hall ....... It could get out of hand in other ways.
"Then I'd like to have a little chat with you, Miss Shayla. In the event that you have any questions concerning where and how to use the internet, you can contact us at the web site.
No, I think it would be best if you don't do that.

Suddenly, the voice of a third person sounded. When Deanna and Edward turned around, they saw a young man with auburn hair, dressed in full knight's regalia, standing there. Edward chuckled.

"What, Alford?
"Long time no see, Master Alford.
"It's been a long time, Master Diana. You don't have to thank me. You are, after all, the highest-ranking person in the palace.
...... Thank you.

Edward opened his mouth just as Deanna raised her bowed head.

I'm not sure I should be here.
I've been looking for you and Deanna. I was looking for you and Deanna. I figured you'd have a plan somewhere.
...... What's going on?
I grabbed Her Majesty by the scruff of the neck and pulled her out of there to give her a lecture and get her motive for the act.
What was it?
It seems that ...... Mistress Shayla had an absurd misunderstanding that Deanna had mistreated her. I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that I'm not the only one who's a little concerned about this.


Was it because of ...... Diana? ......

Edward frowned, holding his forehead. Of course Deanna exploded.

I'm not sure if it's my fault or not.　I'm not sure what to make of it.　I'm not sure what else to do!
"Calm down, Miss Diana. Of course it's not your fault. I was watching from afar, but your response was very well done and you were the best in that situation. It's Your Majesty's fault if you saw it and misunderstood it.
"Thank you, Master Alford. And by the way, you don't have to change your tone. I'm surprised that Alford-sama's first name is 'I', it doesn't suit him.
I'm surprised you don't like the first name of Alford-sama, 'I'." "...... You've changed nothing at all, Miss Diana, even though you're in the side room.
It's no wonder. What do you think of the Cresta family?

I'm sure you'll be able to understand why. I'm not sure what to say, but I'm going to say it.

So... I'm sure you're not the only one who has a problem with that. In any case, the first thing she said was, "Are you alright, what did the Red Rose do to you? I've heard that was the first thing he said.
...... I would never bully you, Miss Shayla.
I know. But I don't know how Miss Shayla interpreted Miss Diana's actions and what Her Majesty did afterwards.
You mean, if she's not careful, she'll think it's all a ruse?
"I'd like to believe that Miss Shayla has good judgment, but... I'd like to believe that Miss Shayla has good judgment, but you 'Cresta family' never know who might misunderstand you.

Deanna and Edward fell silent. The Crester family has always been unwilling to admit it, but they had to, because it was the priceless truth.

"...... Where is Master Shayla?　I'll go check it out.
She's curled up in a corner of a deserted corridor on the west side. Are you going?

Diana nodded at her brother's confirmation.

You can't know how Shayla feels unless you ask her.

And then she bowed brilliantly.
And then she left the balcony.