After Hunter left, Cain came in, followed by Alan. I asked each of them what they talked about with Hunter. Andrea, however, didn't enter. He seemed like someone trying to sort out his relationship with me. Despite just a while ago and pouring his heart out calling me "master!".
I didn't believe he was trying to kill me. He had plenty of opportunities before, but Andrea didn't hurt me, let alone attempt to assassinate me. This means that either he is a terrible assassin or a terrible liar. I leaned towards the latter.
"I'll be staying at the Palace with His Royal Highness the Crown Prince for a week."
I announced, calling everyone inside. Cain and Alan, who had already heard about it during the private meeting, were displeased but didn't voice their objections. Andrea, however, seemed surprised and quickly looked away when our eyes met.
This week was not only a chance for Hunter but also a grace period for Andrea. Whether he would continue with his lies and leave or be true to his feelings and stay by my side, this is the decision Andrea had to make.
I, too, had a decision to make. Because of the quest, I had to accept a marriage proposal, but whether I would live as the Crown Princess or not depended on my answer.
And so, an important week began for us.
***
One week
The reason Cain and Alan were relatively calm when I mentioned going to the palace was that they were able to follow me as well. Cain said he would use a transformation spell to sneak in, and Alan mentioned being able to stay in a small Church within the palace.
"What about Andrea?" I asked.
Others answered before Andrea,
"Anyone can enter the palace, didn't you know, Mana vessel? Did you become a fool when you lost your memories? Isn't memory different from intelligence?"
"Narcissus, Brother Andrea should part ways here,"
Cain was able to enter the palace as a Magic Tower Lord without using a transformation spell. But he chose to transform because it was annoying.
Alan, a soon-to-be high-ranking priest, could stay anywhere within the Churches of Empire as long as he wanted. He didn't bother about accommodation while traveling, because all churches of the Empire were like his home.
I was a member of a noble family and was even officially announced as the prospective Crown Princess. Above all that, I was a guest invited by the Crown Prince.
However, Andrea was just a commoner, a guild leader. Whether he was strong, wealthy, or capable didn't matter, the threshold of the palace was too high for him. Unless he invaded secretly, finding a way for him to enter the palace was difficult.
"If you want to come as my guest, I can provide a permit for a day...but does the guild leader have to follow me to the palace?"
Hunter seemed puzzled, not knowing about the close relationship between Andrea and me. To Hunter, Andrea was just an information guild leader hired to find me. Andrea had no significance to Hunter.
Before I could say anything, Andrea quickly interjected,
"There's no need to take me along. The task you entrusted to me is done, so I'll head back now."
Andrea briefly bowed to Hunter. I was surprised and looked at him, but he stubbornly avoided eye contact.
"Yeah, yeah, be quick and get out of here quickly,"
Cain put his arm around me and motioned to Andrea. Andrea's eyes briefly gazed at my shoulder, but he soon turned away without hesitation.
"Wait...!"
I called out, and Andrea turned his head slightly, saying,
"Take care, Del."
What's this now? What's with the casual farewell?
I hadn't decided to become Crown Princess yet. It was the week of grace for us. I was about to ask where I should go if I come looking for you after a week.
"Let us leave?"
As soon as Cain spoke briefly, a red light emanated from our bodies. In an instant, Otakia's garden transformed into the main gate of the palace. Of course, Andrea wasn't there.
Cain, who had teleported himself and the five of us in an instant, let out a tired yawn.
As he turned around, the tall young man with fiery red hair and a fierce impression had disappeared and there was an ordinary boy with black curly hair standing there. If it weren't for Cain's personal information hovering above his head, I wouldn't have recognized him as Cain.
"I'll go in first and inform them that guests have arrived."
The aide bowed politely and quickly disappeared.
"I'll also go to the Royal Church to pay my respects. Narcissus, I'll be back as soon as possible."
Alan also vanished.
Now, only Hunter and I, along with the transformed boy, Cain, remained.
"By any chance, have you transformed and infiltrated the palace before?"
Hunter asked Cain.
Cain widened his eyes innocently and tilted his head.
"Why would I bother doing such a troublesome thing?"
"Well, that's good then."
Hunter said and began walking ahead, motioning for me to follow. From behind Hunter, Cain glanced at me and grinned.
Yeah, he's done it a lot, infiltrating.
However, the mischievous smile, as if sharing a secret, didn't bother me, and I just chuckled.
***
Hunter led me to a luxurious and splendid room. The maids, as if pre-informed by the aide, welcomed me without any surprise or confusion. I received their meticulous hospitality, taking off my outerwear and shoes, sitting on the sofa, and sipping fragrant tea.
Hunter watched with satisfaction as the maids, moving like well-trained soldiers, made me feel comfortable. Cain, casually seated next to me, helped himself to cookies on the table.
"This is the room you stayed in. Do you remember?" Hunter asked.
"Um... no."
Hunter seemed disappointed with my response. Cain, munching on cookies beside me, spoke up.
"But why did you experience memory loss? Did you hit your head or something?"
"I'd like to know too. What happened?"
I had told Cain that I woke up with no memories after being caught in a sandstorm. Hunter still had no knowledge of my actions over the past four months.
"But isn't it strange? If it was memory loss due to trauma, shouldn't It have improved when I used healing magic?"
Cain pointed out. Though his transformation magic made his appearance like a child, his gaze remained sharp and intense. He was indeed a formidable guy.
"It seems like there might be a cause other than trauma. Your Highness, how about summoning a court magician from the palace? It would be better to have someone who specializes in magic take a look."
Cain spoke with a harsh tone. The maids standing in the background gasped in surprise, but none of the maids were courageous enough to say anything.
Hunter didn't seem bothered by Cain's tone. Instead, he nodded seriously at Cain's suggestion and instructed one of the maids to bring a court magician for an examination.
"Get a check-up and take care of yourself while you're here."
"Yes, I will."
"And if you're not too tired, how about paying a visit to Her Majesty, the Queen? She has missed you quite a lot"
It turned out that I had a close relationship with the Queen in the past. While I was impressed by my connections, Hunter made another suggestion.
"Meeting Woofu after a long time might help jog your memory. Woofu will already be on his way here."
"yes...."
"I will tell them to prepare dinner from the menu you enjoy eating. The taste and aroma of familiar food might evoke memories."
My memory loss wasn't a result of illness or trauma. It was more like a penalty imposed by an unknown force, disappearing only after completing the quest. So meeting familiar faces or experiencing familiar sensations won't make my memories come back.
But I just silently agreed. I didn't want to disappoint Hunter, who was talking about different ways to return my memories. Despite Cain muttering, "I don't think it will be much use," both Hunter and I ignored his words.
Even if it seemed futile, it didn't matter. Hunter wanted to try something, and I had decided to respect that.
And so, my schedule for the first day at the palace was packed. After getting a medical examination at the palace, I met the Queen, strolled through her garden, and planned to have a grand dinner with her.
As I waited for the knights to bring Woofu, I thought about Andrea for a moment. What could he be doing? Was he even thinking about me?
However, all those thoughts vanished the moment a giant tiger with a muzzle entered the room when the door opened.