LLTEEFM 66

#066. I Came Today to Give a Warning

I entered Spinel Palace and requested a meeting, saying I wanted to see Princess Starte.

“Her Highness the Princess is not here at the moment. I will convey your message when she returns,” the butler replied.

A reasonable response. It would be rude to demand an immediate meeting on the day of arrival and get kicked out right away.

But this situation was an exception. After all the effort I made to create a link between the peace envoys from other countries and the empire’s nobles, she went and caused an affair — was it reasonable to expect common sense?

So I sat gracefully on the sofa in the reception room.

“Then I’ll wait until she returns.”

The butler’s expression wavered, either underestimating me because I’m young or failing to keep his composure. I put on a refined smile honed over ten years and said,

“I can wait all day, so don’t worry too much. Go and take care of your tasks.”

Let’s see if anyone has the guts to keep me waiting here all night.

“I’ve been waiting,” Princess Starte appeared after just ten minutes.

Contrary to what the butler said about her being out, she was in casual clothes, but I didn’t make a fuss. After all, I myself had been impolite, so it would be silly to demand courtesy from others.

I went straight to the point.

“Have you decided not to listen to my advice?”

Princess Starte’s shoulders twitched at my sudden blunt tone.

Normally, the hierarchy among peace envoys is ambiguous. You can’t simply determine rank by royal blood since the power balance among nations varies.

So, since I am the youngest envoy, I had been using honorific language to all of them.

But is there really a need to be polite to the culprit who tried poisoning and caused this mess? I chose not to bother with formalities. Besides, my status remained high enough that speaking down felt more natural.

“Th-That’s rude—”

“Not rude, I’m a quasi-royal after all.”

Technically correct. Considering my engagement to the Grand Duke, except for the four direct royals, I don’t need to be overly formal.

I gestured to the seat in front of me to the trembling Princess Starte.

“Why don’t you sit?”

Showing a rare intimidating attitude, Princess Starte looked humbled and slightly wounded in pride but obediently sat.

“…So. Have you come to give me another ‘advice’ today?”

Princess Starte straightened her back as if trying to act tough. Of course, such gestures don’t work on me.

“I don’t enjoy repeating advice you won’t heed. I came today to give a warning.”

“A warning…?”

“Yes.”

I leaned forward and gestured with my finger for her to come closer.

Princess Starte frowned but complied, bowing her head. When our foreheads almost touched, I grabbed her forearm to hold her still and continued.

“Let me make this clear: you are more careless than you think. Which means, if you tried to poison Lady Melek, there would definitely be evidence left behind.”

She probably wouldn’t use poison if she were to assassinate Melek, but I deliberately mentioned poisoning—to remind her of the incident ten years ago.

“Even if this time there isn’t evidence left, it doesn’t matter. Because I can provide the evidence. So please don’t entertain useless thoughts. If you don’t want the consequences from ten years ago to catch up to you.”

Princess Starte flinched and tried to pull back, but I held her arm firmly so she couldn’t.

Having trained regularly, I was stronger than I looked.

“W-What…”

Princess Starte had probably forgotten that incident, since it was ten years ago.

In the end, I didn’t die, and the poisoning attempt didn’t come to light.

Perhaps she thought the poison was poorly made and the attempt unnoticed, so she comfortably forgot it.

Even if she remembered, since I hadn’t used that incident as a threat in previous warnings, she might have ignored it.

But I didn’t use it before simply because there’s a big difference between telling someone to clean up past mistakes and telling them to refrain from future ones.

The uncertain incident from ten years ago might work as a warning to be cautious but not as advice to stop reckless behavior.

So when I told her to break off her relationship with Mastera Youngshik, I didn’t mention the incident until today.

I couldn’t force her to break up, but at least I hoped she would avoid a second assassination attempt.

“You probably hadn’t fully learned about poisons back then, right? But now you should know well that poisons can be preserved much longer than you think.”

When rumors spread that scholarly pursuits were a way to leave the palace, all but those truly uninterested in academics in the peace envoy started some research.

Princess Starte began studying poisons.

It turned out she learned lightly about poisons in her home country as an assassination prevention measure.

When I heard that, I realized how she obtained poison that was awkwardly made but untraceable.

Unlike Princess Dilaira, whom Starte tried to frame, Starte didn’t properly research poisons, so even if I died and investigations began, she thought there’d be no evidence implicating her.

Considering that Starte was in her early teens ten years ago, she’s quite cunning.

But it’s far from a perfect crime. After all, she didn’t realize that I restricted information and that I met the Empress, not Princess Dilaira, that day.

Besides, Princess Dilaira specializes in herbalism, not poison expertise, and the poison wasn’t perfectly made, so if I had died and an investigation started, it would have been led by amateurs.

So despite her energy, Starte’s finishing is clumsy.

I won’t bother explaining further, but even without the poisoning attempt ten years ago, I am confident I could find evidence if Starte committed a crime.

Yet, people like her who have mediocre criminal skills tend to believe they’ll never be caught.

“Think carefully about what you’ve done. Consider well how much evidence has piled up. Then decide your actions.”

Ideally, she would break up with Mastera Youngshik and calm the scandal, but at this point, that seems unlikely.

“At first, I was silent. Then I gave advice. Now we’ve reached the warning stage, so I hope there won’t be a next step.”

I made it clear again that I was not ignorant back then.

“I apologize for coming suddenly.”

I smiled gently and released my grip. Since I didn’t ease the force, she might even have bruises.

She would spend a few days thinking deeply about my warning while the bruises healed.

“Well then, I will take my leave. No need to see me out.”

Leaving the frozen Princess Starte behind, I left.

Since Riana’s birthday banquet, I had been socializing more with the empire’s nobles, but since I wasn’t officially debuted yet, my social circle was still very limited.

Mostly academic people. Especially, I only met often with those my age.

That naturally limited the information I could get. I learned only yesterday that there were factions disrespectful to the Grand Duke.

I hadn’t cared much until now.

I thought once I officially entered society, I would naturally get more information, and while studying at the academy, I was isolated from the outside, so I could gather information later, after graduating.

But seeing Marquis Chase made me think that being lazy might make it too late.

In the Jin Empire, minors without office were somewhat overlooked, but maybe not here.

I clicked my tongue briefly. Adults don’t act their age and just catch kids like they’re vermin. Though that kid wasn’t really a kid, but since they don’t know that, it’s the same situation.

Anyway, I concluded that I needed to gather some information.

And the best person to get information about the empire was obviously Panya. We’re close friends, so it’s easy to make appointments.

Since Panya wanted to help with my debutante event, she would gladly help.

I couldn’t be sure if this friendship would last a year from now, but I had no doubt that for now, Panya considered me her best friend, so I immediately made plans with her.