The treasure room is close to the Red Rose Room. It is quite natural that the room where the queen lives and the treasure room are close to each other, but Diana is not interested in jewelry at all, so when she was told the location, she only thought, "Wow, it's surprisingly close. --It's really convenient.

"This and this are knockoffs!
"Oh my God...
Where's the key to the National Treasure vault?
The Commander of the Imperial Guard is searching for it right now!

I walked out of the room and hid in the shadows to get a glimpse of what was going on, only to find that the area around the treasure vault had turned into a hellish scene of screaming and shouting. His Majesty and Alford were nowhere to be seen, so they must be in the back of the treasury.

(The sellers are sellers, but the buyers are buyers. You'd think they'd figure it out eventually.

But it was a miscalculation. I had thought that the investigation of the treasure house had been completed since Keith took the chief lady with him, but it seems that the most important part, the national treasure room, has not been completed yet. It looks like I'm going to have to unintentionally watch the most difficult part of the investigation from the sidelines.

"What are you doing, Deanna?
"Oh.

I reflexively looked up, but of course there was no sign of her. I'm not sure what to do.

"Greetings. I'm here to see you.
"Me?
There's something I wanted to talk to you about.
"Hmm...?　Wait a minute.

When I nodded my head, the wall in front of me - not the door - flung open.
I'm sure you're not the only one who can't stand the thought of someone doing something insane like this in broad daylight, but since you can enter the wall without resistance, you're in the same league as Deanna after all. As I proceeded down the passage, killing my footsteps, I found the seeker waiting for me at the corner.

How many hidden passages are you familiar with?
"That's not something you want to hear from the Cresta's who have the Dark Ones at their side.

When we entered the hidden passageway in the light, the light from outside leaked in through the vents and mosaic patterns, creating a mysterious atmosphere. We could see each other's faces clearly.

Do you want to talk about it first?　Or maybe Chris will be back soon and we can take a look at the national treasure survey?
"......, or more correctly, a tour of the Shurakijo.
"Hmm?

Kai laughed, sounding happy but noisy.

Are you sure it's going to be a shuriken?
I think it's pretty much a done deal. ...... I'm telling you, it's not our fault, okay?
I know you got what you deserved, matron. I'm sure you'll be happy to hear that.

Is Kai surprisingly fond of mud? While tilting her head, Diana followed Kai's lead through the hidden passageway.

This place has a double structure, right? At the top of the hidden stairs is a very old hidden room.
"There's another hidden staircase inside the hidden passage ......?
The person who built this castle must have been very busy or very strange. Thanks to them, I'm still alive.

It would be heaven for a secret agent. You don't have to hide in a cramped attic, you can operate at your leisure.
I did as I was told, went up the stairs and entered a hidden room of unknown use. The inside was dusty and the interior was quite prehistoric. Deanna's eyes flickered.

This ...... is older than a hundred years. I think this kind of art was popular about 250 years ago.
"Wow, that's amazing. I knew it looked old, but it's really old.
So, what's wrong with this room?
Yeah. It's called the National Treasure Room down there.

Deanna seriously wondered how she hadn't fallen over.

"Here, the National Treasure Room?　Down here?
"So I'm thinking. So I'm thinking, whoever built this castle must have been a real nut job.
It's a thief's delight...
The knights, on the other hand, are in tears.

This is what I mean when I say I have no intention of letting them protect me.
Deanna held her aching head with her fingertips.

I'm sure you'll be happy to hear that. If the headmistress finds out, she'll happily blame it all on the thieves.
"Well, in reality, it would take a lot of skill to get to this room, so it would be impossible for a common thief.
I don't know anything about that kind of unorthodox "reality.

I'm not sure what common sense is, but Diana often wanted to take a distant look, but the people under the floor did not even let her escape such reality.

"It's open, Your Majesty.
"Hmm. Thank you, Commander Gracie.

"...... You can hear me quite clearly, can't you?
"Sometimes there are rooms like this. Sometimes there are rooms like this. They're built in such a way that the voices below and beside you can be heard. In addition, conversations in this room cannot be heard downstairs unless you shout very loudly.


"This just reinforces my theory that you're a freak...

Standing was tiring, so Deanna and Kai brushed the dust off the sofa and sat down. In the meantime, the conversation under the floor continued.

"I never thought that so many of the items were fake...
It was not like this before the establishment of the palace, according to those in the outer court. They must have been exchanging jewelry for cash since this spring.
"What do you think you're doing with the nation's wealth? ......!
"Your Majesty. Your Majesty, you are right to be angry, but now we must check the national treasure.

Kai gives a short whistle.

"You're a good actor, Mr. Alford.
"You're a good actor, Mr. Alford. I can see that you are a friend of my brother's.

The king and Alford are the only ones talking now. The only national treasures kept in the palace are the queen's tiara, necklace and bracelet. So the national treasure vault itself is probably not a very large room.
I heard the sound of a lock turning with a click and the sound of a box opening with a click. It is strange that I feel a strange sense of guilt when I can hear even such a small sound.

I can't say that I was eavesdropping...
Where were you eavesdropping in the first place?
That's true.

I guess I'll just have to cut it out.

I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that ...... has a great selection of national treasures.
The bracelets, necklaces and ...... the tiara?
Oh. It is a venerable treasure that can only be worn by the queen of this country. ...... What's wrong?
"...... No.
What's the matter, Alford? What is it that's bothering you?

Even without looking at his face, I could tell from his voice alone that Alford could not believe his eyes. --It's not an act.

This tiara, although ...... finely crafted, is not the same as the national treasure that has been handed down in this country for generations.
It's not the same as a national treasure that has been passed down from generation to generation.

I'm sure you're right.

You're sure about that, Alford?　You're sure about that, Alford? It looks real to me.
I can't make such a statement without proof. It is indeed incredibly well made. It would have taken an extraordinary amount of money and effort to make such a replica...
So how do you know it's a fake?
I'm sure you're not the only one. I'm not sure what to do. A good engineer has crafted the scratches so that they shine through, so they are not generally known to the public.

Even from the hidden room, where only sound could be heard, I could see that the king stared at the tiara in silence. Kai made a surprising sound.

"Mr. Alford, you know a lot about strange things, don't you?
"Master Al's family is a great historical researcher. Al's family is a great historical researcher, and there's no one better in the kingdom to talk about this kind of knowledge.
You sound like you're really surprised. You really are a good actor, aren't you?
No, I don't think it's an act. I didn't tell Master Al that the empress is messing with the national treasure.
...... Is that so?
They say that to deceive your enemy, you must first deceive your friend. To tell you the truth, I also know that the matriarch has been messing with the national treasure, but I don't know the details yet.

With a hand on her cheek, Diana sighed.

With a hand to her cheek, Diana sighed, "But stealing the crown? I don't know," she said, "but it's possible that she got greedy when she heard that His Majesty had ascended to the throne and was not going to choose a queen right away. I wonder how she planned to cover up the fact that she would not have a queen for a long time, and that her coronation would take place. She should have just contented herself with the ornaments in front of her.
"You shouldn't have messed with the front either. I mean, you put a lot of effort into making the fake tiara, didn't you at least plan to hide it?
"Well, I don't know about that.

In the event that you have any questions concerning where and how to use the internet, you can call us at the web site. I'm not sure what to say.

I'm not sure what to make of this, but I'm sure it's a good idea.
"What can I do for you, Your Majesty? This is too ...... much to be kept private.
I'm not going to keep this to myself. --Where is the High Septon?
I've asked my aide Hi-Zet to keep an eye on her after we take her into custody.
I have a message from my aide. He said he's keeping her in his office.
All right, let's go.

Oh, sister-in-law, you've been waiting all this time, haven't you?
When I hear your voice like this, you sound like a normal person, Chris-san.
"Mimicry is my specialty, sister-in-law. She can even become a lady-in-waiting if she wants to.
"Can we conclude that everyone who is close to the Cresta family is strange?

I'm sure Alford would have a big objection to Kai's line, but Deanna smiled and nodded, searching for signs of life below. The sound of several people's footsteps echoed, and the National Treasure vault regained its previous quietness.



「……予想したほどの修羅場でもなかったわね」
「どの程度の修羅場を想定してたワケ. これでも結構な修羅場だったと思うけど」
「陛下が暴れて手を付けられなくなるとか、ティアラを偽物だと見抜いたアル様を陛下が信じず泥沼になるとか、女官長が乗り込んできて言い訳大会開催とか？」
「……ちょっとは王様側のことも信用してあげなよ」
「別に信用していないわけじゃないわ. ただ、最悪の事態を念頭に置く癖がついているだけ」
「厳しいねぇ」

くすくす笑ったカイが立ち上がる.

「修羅場見学も終わったことだし、話を聞こうか？」

紫紺の瞳が煌めく. 『修羅場見学』よりもディアナの話をカイが重要視していることは、その目が十二分に物語っていた.