IDGM 31

Chapter 31

At that time, a confrontation was unfolding at the inn between the imperial knights and Kallius’s knights.

Kallius’s knights wanted to search the floor where the princess was staying, but the imperial knights were enraged, seeing it as an intrusion into their territory.

“No one other than Her Highness’s maids has gone up to the fourth floor,” one of them said.

“Just in case, please cooperate and allow us to check,” replied a knight from Kallius’s side.

“We already confirmed everything when we came in. Are you saying you don’t trust us?”

The imperial knights spoke condescendingly, openly disrespecting Kallius’s men.

Even Chloe’s maids joined in, siding with the imperial knights.

“Her Highness is asleep, so please stop making a fuss and go back. We already checked her room thoroughly earlier.”

Alex was frustrated.

Even though he knew the real princess was hiding in another room, he couldn’t say anything.

Chloe wanted to keep the fact that she had seen a suspicious figure a secret.

‘What do they mean they checked? They don’t even realize the person lying in the princess’s room is a fake.’

The real princess was behind the door Alex was guarding.

Because they had promised to keep her secret, Kallius’s men, despite having solid evidence — that the princess herself had reported seeing a suspicious figure and requested a search — couldn’t press the imperial knights.

All they could say was that one of Kallius’s men thought he saw something suspicious and that it would be wise to double-check — a weak excuse.

The imperial knights raised their voices.

“We were watching with eagle eyes! If anyone had gone up to the fourth floor, they couldn’t have escaped our notice!”

There were now two possibilities: either the imperial knights had been bribed, or Chloe was lying.

Alex overheard his fellow knights whispering in the hallway.

“It’s strange, isn’t it? We were on the third floor, but none of us saw anyone go upstairs.”

“We were standing guard outside too. If someone had entered from the outside, we would’ve known right away.”

One of them lowered his voice.

“Isn’t it a bit weird? If the princess was telling the truth, why would she hide it from her own maids and knights and only come to us in secret?”

Alex recalled Chloe’s words.

‘Do you think I’m crazy too?’

And what she’d said about keeping it a secret:

‘If I say something, none of my attendants will believe me. So please, keep it to yourself.’

His companions whispered again.

“Maybe she’s delusional? Didn’t someone say she seemed crazy when we were at the palace? I heard that a few times.”

“I heard it too.”

“Maybe that’s it?”

Chloe had asked for help, fearing her own people wouldn’t believe her. Now, even Kallius’s men were starting to doubt her.

Andrew, who claimed to have overheard Chloe talking with a maid in the carriage, sneered.

“Either she imagined it or she’s trying to stir up conflict between the imperial attendants and us.”

“For what reason?”

“How should I know? Maybe she gets something out of it.”

“Well, Southerners are always scheming.”

The sentiment was turning against her.

More and more of Kallius’s men were growing suspicious of Chloe.

Alex scratched his head in confusion.

‘She didn’t seem crazy or scheming to me…’

Was he being naïve?

‘Is that it?’

But—

‘If nothing else, her concern for her lord seemed sincere.’

He couldn’t forget her desperate, worried eyes.

‘Maybe she has some reason she can’t explain.’

While Alex was in turmoil, Kallius arrived at the inn.

Hawick quickly reported the situation.

“…In short, we have yet to catch the intruder. I apologize.”

This kind of matter should’ve been handled swiftly and discreetly.

Instead, the chaos had given the intruder more time to escape.

Hawick lowered his head, ashamed.

Kallius patted his shoulder.

“As long as Her Highness is safe.”

The innkeeper, realizing Kallius had arrived, rushed over anxiously.

“Marquis Rodrian, everyone working at this inn is properly vetted. They’ve all been with us for many years. You’ve visited many times, so you know this, don’t you?”

“I apologize for the disturbance.”

“Oh, no, not at all. With such a noble guest here, it’s only right to be vigilant. It’s just… please understand we have nothing to do with this incident…”

The innkeeper looked distressed.

Seeing the man so flustered, Kallius realized he must be hiding something.

“I won’t hold anything against you. Just speak.”

“Really? Well… just now, I overheard the staff say they discovered that one of the uniforms was missing…”

Hawick scolded him with a stern face.

“Why are you only saying this now?!”

“J-just now! I only just found out. We really don’t know how it happened…”

Kallius ordered Hawick,

“Tell the imperial knights about this and push through. I will meet with Her Highness.”

“Yes, sir!”

With the news that a servant uniform was missing, and now backed by their lord’s presence, Kallius’s men forced their way past the imperial knights and up to the fourth floor.

Alex watched, relieved.

‘It wasn’t a lie.’

The comrades who had been saying the princess must be mad or scheming just shrugged and followed them upstairs.

They looked indifferent, like, “Oh well.”

Alex suddenly felt a surge of emotion.

‘They talked all that nonsense!’

They were his trusted comrades, and Chloe was the enemy’s daughter — yet he didn’t know why he felt so indignant on her behalf.

While it was fair to be cautious since Chloe was from the long-rival Iderian imperial family, blindly distrusting and accusing her with hostility wasn’t right either.

Everyone seemed to have lost their objectivity because of how much they adored Kallius.

‘So many nannies for our lord, huh?’

Alex failed to realize he was the same kind of frog who forgot he was once a tadpole.

Kallius headed straight to Chloe.

She had been pacing anxiously in the room where she was hiding. Seeing him, she brightened instantly.

“Marquis! You’re safe!”

Her face lit up with relief. One of Kallius’s eyebrows twitched.

“Were you worried about me?”

“I heard you went out alone. Was there anything unusual? Anyone suspicious following you…?”

Kallius remembered the assassin attack but shook his head.

“Nothing for you to be concerned about.”

There was no need to mention such feeble assassins.

It was almost laughable that Chloe, who once trembled at the idea that he was a man-eating monster, was now worried about him. He even teased her casually.

“Shame. If there were people like that, I could’ve had a good meal.”

“…!”

Chloe’s eyes widened.

“C-come to think of it, I suppose that could’ve been… a good opportunity for you…”

She mumbled softly under her breath.

“Ah, that’s why everyone was so relaxed!”

“Excuse me?”

Kallius tilted his head, not quite following her train of thought.

But Chloe quickly changed the topic, as if that wasn’t important.

“Marquis, I saw a suspicious person. I know who he is. He is—”

Just then, a sharp scream echoed from the fourth floor. It was a woman’s voice.

Chloe’s face went pale.