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Revan’s impression of Oliana was that she was an oddball princess.

Nevertheless, it was pointless for him to be surprised by such revelations anymore, given that he was already acquainted with two individuals who had long surpassed the term ‘oddball.’ One was his quirky little sister, who loved him unconditionally, and the other was Her Highness, who embodied absurdity and seemed to have bypassed common sense altogether. Come to think of it, Princess Oliana may very well be the most rational one of them all.

For better or for worse, Revan, who arrived at that conclusion, has yet to realize that the line between his common sense and absurdity is rapidly blurring.

On that rainy day, he was discovered unconscious in the garden of a detached villa situated in the heart of Argentum, the capital city of the Graviol Empire, according to her.

As luck would have it, Princess Oliana happened to be passing by when she heard the cries of the young lion cub Shin. It was something about how she enjoyed the scent of nature after it rained and the scenery just before the rain. She discovered Revan collapsed in the grove, covered in blood, when she went to investigate the situation.

“I initially assumed it was a stray cat, but it turned out to be a very peculiar and furry one.”

She had brushed it off lightly as if it were insignificant. She enlisted the help of the maid from earlier and covertly brought him to a guest room in the villa, where she treated him herself, rather than following the norm of calling the guards.

When questioned about her motives, she replied firmly, “I assisted you because you didn’t seem like a bad person, and it was my first encounter with a Beastkin. Furthermore, I was genuinely intrigued as to why you were in such a condition while holding such a cute pet and doll. I simply had to know the reason.”

During the first one or two days, he was barely conscious due to his condition and could scarcely recall anything. However, his condition improved significantly on the third day, and he was able to offer a simple introduction. He gradually began conversing with the young girl who regularly came to check on him.

By the fourth day, he had regained full control of his mouth and was able to articulate his reason for coming to Argentum to the young girl.

He disclosed his purpose for being in Argentum: to propose the idea of free trade negotiations among all nations after the discovery of teleportation equipment in the Cres Freedom United Nation.

He explained how he had received an invitation from the Empire’s Prime Minister Warren to discuss the matter unofficially and lay the groundwork. He also mentioned the assassination attempt that resulted in the deaths of his entire entourage and how he was nearly killed himself. However, he was ultimately transported to his current location through an unknown magical means, presumably by Hiyuki, to seek refuge.

Princess Oliana was left in a state of constant amazement upon hearing his entire story, and her expression was one of complexity. She ended her visit for that day. It was no surprise, given that even the Emperor himself was unaware of the existence of teleportation equipment and the negotiations with the Cres Freedom United Nation.

Today, on the fifth day, his body had finally recuperated enough to permit him to lift himself off of the bed.

The young girl sat by his bedside with rapt attention as he recounted stories about his eccentric little sister or the absurdity of Her Highness, appearing amused by his tales. Meanwhile, the maid standing on the sidelines appeared skeptical, with her eyebrows furrowed, deeming his stories to be nothing more than tall tales.

After Revan had finished recounting his story, the young girl’s expression grew serious once again.

Oliana shared, “I sent my people to investigate the incident, but we received no updates from the intelligence department. It is possible that Warren’s subordinate is behind the attack, or he could have collaborated with someone outside.”

The maid furrowed her brows and questioned, “I’m sorry if this sounds impolite, but is this just a guess?”

Oliana nodded in agreement, like a teacher praising a student. “Yes, we do not have any concrete evidence. However, there was no information about a secret messenger from Cres Freedom United Nation coming here, nor was there any sign of a victim. Even if Cres demanded an explanation, there was no one to confirm the situation. Hence, it is highly likely that Prime Minister Warren is involved.”

Princess Oliana remained silent for a while, seemingly taking into account Revan’s emotions, whose expression turned grim upon realizing that his comrades had been killed and buried in darkness. However, as if she suddenly recalled something, she began with the phrase, “Speaking of…”

“I have yet to meet her, but is Her Highness Hiyuki of Imperial Crimson truly as stunningly beautiful as the rumors suggest?” she asked, hugging the «Teeny-Weeny Hiyuki» that sat on Revan’s pillow.

“—Huh… Ah, yes. Her Highness the Hiyuki is just as beautiful as that doll, if not even more beautiful.”

“I too wish to meet her someday, but the current situation within the Empire makes it unlikely.”

Revan tilted his head at her distressing words and asked, “What do you mean?”

“…Actually, the Empire is currently divided into two factions. There’s no point in hiding anything now,” Princess Oliana said, turning her focus back to Revan. Her words were mingled with a sigh.

Revan assumed that there were two factions in the Empire based on the conversation, asking Princess Oliana, “Prime Minister faction and resistance faction is it?” She shook her head in response.

“They’re certainly no different from the resistance faction but the leader is my dad, so it’s the Emperor faction to be more precise.”

“? You mean the Emperor himself is against the Prime Minister and that’s why the Empire is divided into two factions?”