063 Deceiving and Being Deceived

“So, what do we do now? Is our next step to find the real king?” She had finally finished drawing part of the palace layout, and with rare care, she shook the map gently and laid it out on the table to dry.

There were two paths laid out before her and Lance. The first: pretend they really were cultural envoys and retreat safely from Silver City back to Aikacia, shamelessly reporting that the king and the marshal were simply too well hidden to be found. It was a little disgraceful, yes, but at least it would ensure their personal safety.

The second: knowingly walk into the enemy’s trap, infiltrate their stronghold, obtain intelligence, and turn the tables—pull off a miracle.

“Which one do you choose?” Lance leaned against the window with arms crossed, watching her with a mocking smile.

“Is there even a question?” She waved the dried map in front of Lance and returned his smile. “Ordinarily, I wouldn’t do anything so dangerous. If I died in the street, not even my insurance would pay out—what a loss!”

“So, shall we pack up and leave?” In the lamplight, Lance’s eyes seemed irresistibly alluring.

“Unfortunately, this isn’t an ordinary situation, is it?” She managed to resist the temptation, dropping her smile as she carefully checked the map for errors. “The entire second class faces a grave danger to their lives. As their temporary homeroom teacher, how could I possibly abandon them?”

Lance obviously didn’t understand what she was going on about, but after spending time together, he’d learned it was best to let her explain her own cryptic remarks. Asking would only make things more confusing.

Realizing her slip, she coughed awkwardly and quickly handed the map to Lance, sidestepping her earlier blunder.

Lance left the window and came to her side, inspecting her work closely. “Not bad. But we probably won’t need this.”

“What?” She wiped her hands and suppressed her growing frustration. “You can’t seriously be thinking of running away now, are you messing with me?”

“Uh…” He was tempted to admit he’d been joking, but for the sake of his own safety, he refrained. “No, I just thought of a new, easier way to resolve this.”

“Speak!” She grabbed a vase and pointed it at Lance with mock menace, imagining herself as a heroic Red Wolf wielding a frying pan, facing the ever-troublesome Gray Wolf.

“Well,” Lance dropped his playful tone, turning serious. “Do you know where the real king is?”

“Uh, no…” She was momentarily at a loss, but quickly recovered. “That’s why we have to look for him!”

“And all we have is this map of the parts of the palace we passed through, and Sunflower’s brief description?” Lance lifted her work. “We don’t even know the names of these halls, or who lives in them.”

“Maybe we could check the false king’s bedchamber,” she suggested suddenly. “There might be a secret passage or a hidden chamber waiting to be discovered!”

“Are you serious?” Lance frowned, studying her.

“Forget I said anything…” Intimidated by his stern expression, she immediately lowered her head in repentance.

“So, instead of that, why don’t we seek out another key figure, somewhere else?” Lance said with quiet confidence. “It’s a much safer and more promising choice, and I just thought of a good way for us to slip out at night without being noticed.”

――――――――Nighttime Antics――――――――

Night in White-Edged City was peaceful and calm, perhaps because of its people’s disciplined routines. After ten o’clock, hardly anyone was seen on the streets, and most of the city’s lights were dimmed. Only the great bell atop the White Tower, which had tolled for centuries, sounded the arrival of midnight.

Dong, dong, dong—boom! The sudden chimes startled the secret guard watching over Lance and his companion, but he quickly suppressed all emotion and continued observing the room with practiced composure.

Inside, a light that had been extinguished suddenly flickered on, and a furious male voice rang out.

“What are you raving about in the middle of the night?” From this single sentence, the secret guard conjured a complete scene in his mind: the stroke of midnight, the young woman at last unable to contain her anger, kicking the sleeping Lance out of bed. Awoken from his dreams, Lance roared back in fury, demanding to know what had possessed her.

“You think I’m the crazy one? I should be asking why you’ve been sulking all day!”

“Oh, and who started sulking? Who was it that couldn’t stop batting her eyes at the king, afraid he wouldn’t notice her?”

“Batting my eyes? I was doing my best for the sake of diplomatic relations between our countries! Just look at your sour face—anyone would think you were here to collect a debt!”

“Ha! Doing your best? More like doing your best to make him fall for you!”

Smack!

That was a pretty loud slap. The secret guard glanced at his fellow watchmen, seeing the same amused expressions fixed on the room.

“Get out!” the woman shrieked.

“As if I’d want to stay!” the man shot back, his rage at its peak.

The door flew open and Lance, his face flushed with anger, stormed out into the hall and slammed the study door behind him.

The servants, already awakened, hovered anxiously in the corridor, unsure what to do. After a moment of silence, one finally gathered the courage to knock on the study door. “Is there anything you require, sir?”

A pause, then Lance’s slightly embarrassed voice came through. “Could you bring me a mattress and a blanket? And if there’s any supper left, I wouldn’t mind that either.”

“Of course, sir. Please wait a moment.” The servant replied respectfully.

“I want supper too!” came a voice from the other room, and the servant quickly agreed before retreating.

The noisy night finally quieted. Before long, the servants had brought Lance a mattress and blanket, made up a simple bed, and delivered a late-night snack to both rooms. With instructions to collect the dishes in the morning, the servants tactfully withdrew.

The lights in the study and the bedroom went out, and the night returned to silence.