How to Survive as a Princess in a Reverse Harem Game - Chapter 144

“Perhaps someone approached you with that intention?”

Evgenia smiled, resting her chin on her interlocked fingers. She was driving the point home.

Thanks to that, my hands went weak and I nearly dropped the spoon I was holding. Though I barely managed to catch it.

To speak so casually about being free to form relationships…….

Should I be grateful she spoke indirectly considering young Cirilla was present? Still, my bewilderment wouldn’t fade.

‘I never thought even Evgenia would say something like this.’

Reno and Killis had said something similar before. But now even Evgenia…….

I couldn’t readily respond to such liberal thinking. While it might be fine for some, these were still unfamiliar ideas to me.

Just as I had nearly composed my flustered expression, the dinner ended. Evgenia rose from her seat, and I stood up as well.

“Um, sister.”

“Yes?”

Cirilla tugged at the hem of my dress. As I lowered my gaze to the child, I heard her clear voice.

“I wanted to say thank you…….”

“……?”

“Actually, before dinner, Her Highness spoke to me privately. She said it was thanks to you that they were able to discover it.”

“So you heard. I’m sorry I couldn’t help more actively.”

“N-no. I’m just glad that things turned out this way. And Her Highness also promised…….”

“May I ask what kind of promise?”

“Just that she would make sure nothing like this happens again……. She said she was sorry for being inattentive, and that she hadn’t noticed because she never thought someone would do such things to a member of the royal family.”

I had thought perhaps Evgenia had deliberately turned a blind eye, but that wasn’t the case.

Well, it might be different for a powerless princess like me. But who would think someone would abuse a princess whose father was still alive and who had good magical abilities?

I still didn’t understand why Cirilla and her father Equus Cecil had been pushed around by Morris, though.

“That’s good news.”

“Yes!”

I didn’t want to probe further about various things from Cirilla, who had only just escaped her situation.

“It’s all thanks to you, sister! Thank you!”

Seeing the child nodding vigorously with a bright smile, I found myself unconsciously patting her head.

Cirilla quietly submitted to my touch. Similar to Jiyu, yet different. If it were Jiyu, she would have grumbled about not being a child even while quietly allowing it.

This was also why I couldn’t equate this child with Jiyu. The sudden return to reality stung my heart like being doused with cold water.

I miss Jiyu.

* * *

The next day, I conveyed my plan to identify the maid to Evgenia early in the morning. Before afternoon came, Evgenia readily provided her maids and guards for me to proceed as I wished.

With Reno accompanying me, I headed to where the maids were being held with them. Just as we had moved to Evgenia’s palace yesterday, the maids who had worked in my palace had also moved here.

Though there was the difference that they had been grouped together in one place due to difficulty in assigning individual rooms, I supposed it was better than a prison cell.

When I entered through the door opened by Evgenia’s maids, the maids inside recognized me and their eyes widened.

“Ah, Your Highness……?”

They didn’t seem pleased. Rather, they appeared surprised, as if they hadn’t expected me to come here in person.

‘There are quite a lot when I see them like this.’

There seemed to be over forty people at a rough estimate. While some faces were familiar, most were strangers. They must be the lower-ranking maids who did menial tasks around the palace.

Clearing my throat softly, I began to speak.

“You may have heard, but there was an unfortunate incident where perjury came from my bedroom. The only people who could enter my bedroom were myself, Sir Isaac, and…….”

“…….”

“Only the maids who worked in my palace.”

I slowly observed the maids’ faces. Judging by their expressions, it seemed they had already heard quite a bit before I arrived.

Or perhaps they had prepared themselves mentally by anticipating what might happen.

“Her Majesty Evgenia, concerned for my safety, decided to dismiss everyone.”