An elf woman with long red hair tied back neatly stepped into the grand chamber, dressed in a fitted knight's armor. Two others were already waiting inside.
"Welcome back, Your Highness," said an older elf man. By human standards, he looked to be around his fifties, with dark gray hair that gave him a calm and dignified appearance.
"You seem a little more troubled than usual today." said the other elf in a much more relaxed tone. She had short dark red hair and wore a sleeveless, fitted combat outfit that made her look like a close-range fighter.
"Elion, Esta," Princess Rania said as she walked toward the center of the room. A large round table stood there, with the most distinguished chair positioned at the far end. She took her seat without another word.
The other two quietly sat down as well.
After a brief silence, Elion spoke again with the same composed and respectful manner.
"I heard about the incident earlier this afternoon. To be truthful, what the Eighth Prince did was an exceptionally bold decision. I cannot imagine that you would simply overlook such an act. Perhaps he acted out of desperation, still unable to recover from the overwhelming defeat he suffered before. Even so, it was a reckless move."
"Elion..." Esta let out a quiet chuckle before leaning back in her chair. "The prince made it back alive, didn't he? I'd say that's already more than enough of an achievement for him. Besides, a group of players interfered as well. He even managed to kill every one of them, so I'm sure his ego has only gotten bigger because of it. Still, he's nothing more than a crybaby prince who got lucky once."
She laughed softly again. "That said, I do think he crossed the line this time. If you wish it, Your Highness, I'd be more than happy to pay the prince a visit and remind him where his place is."
Rania remained silent, her sharp eyes moving from Elion to Esta before returning to the center of the table.
"Elion, as my chief advisor, I want to hear your honest thoughts on this situation," she said. "Caelan should never have dared to do something like that, no matter how you look at it. He has nothing. His position in the palace has been hanging by a thread for years. Yet he boldly spoke about forming allies. What if he has already gained support from someone behind the scenes?"
Elion gave a slow nod before answering.
"If that is Your Highness's concern, then we can gently apply some pressure and observe how he responds. If your suspicion is correct, whoever is backing him will eventually be forced to reveal themselves, whether by stepping in directly or by leaving behind traces of their involvement. However, I still believe the Eighth Prince, Caelan, does not possess enough influence to build such support on his own. At present, I find it far more likely that he simply acted on impulse rather than confidence."
Rania remained silent, her expression as sharp as ever. After a moment, she turned her gaze toward Esta.
"Esta, I believe you already know what you need to do."
The elf woman rose from her chair with a faint smile tugging at the corner of her lips.
"I've always enjoyed this kind of assignments," she said with a quiet laugh. "Watching people suffer is far more entertaining than another day of training. Leave it to me, Your Highness. I'll make sure you get the answers you're looking for. Before long, we'll know exactly what's really going on inside the head of that incapable Eighth Prince."
**
Elsewhere in the palace, Jester, still having Caelan's appearance, sat comfortably in a luxurious dining chamber. A massive table stretched out before him, covered with all kinds of freshly prepared dishes, delicate desserts, exotic fruits, and expensive drinks. Several servants moved around him with coordination, each attending to his every need.
Two maids stood behind him, gently massaging his shoulders while another two stood on either side, taking turns feeding him bite after bite. A fifth maid remained nearby, ready to hand him anything he desired the moment he reached for it.
"Your Highness, would you care for some roasted white pheasant? It was freshly prepared for today's banquet."
"Is the seasoning to your liking, Your Highness? If you'd prefer something sweeter, I'll have another dish brought over immediately."
"Would you care for another glass of fruit wine? Or perhaps some chilled tea to cleanse your palate?"
"Please don't hesitate to tell us if you're uncomfortable anywhere, Your Highness. We'll see to it right away."
"Would you like us to peel the fruit for you, Your Highness? It's much easier to enjoy that way."
"The desserts have just arrived from the royal kitchen. They're still fresh. May I serve you one?"
...Did Caelan really spend his entire life living like this?
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Hah! That idiot prince.
No wonder he had grown into such a spoiled fool. The weakest prince in the entire royal family, with barely any talent worth mentioning, yet he lived every single day surrounded by luxury while everyone waited on him hand and foot.
Maybe the prince really did have some talent hidden somewhere.
But a life like this… Anyone would become soft after being pampered by beautiful women every single day.
Jester swallowed quietly as another maid gently held a grape to his lips.
He really shouldn't get used to this.
If he kept enjoying a life like this, sooner or later he'd end up becoming just as hopelessly spoiled as the real idiot prince.
A few of the maids even giggled softly after watching him obediently accept another grape.
...So this was what heaven felt like.
What a blessing.
Hopefully Lina never found out what he was doing inside the game. She'd probably glare at him all day, throw him out of the house, or both.
This wasn't who he really was. He was only doing this to convince everyone that he truly was the original Caelan. Acting a little foolish, lazy, and completely dependent on others made the disguise far more believable.
"Put a little more effort into it," he said lazily, leaning farther back in his chair. "Your hands are too stiff."
A maid quickly adjusted her touch, her voice trembling slightly. "My deepest apologies, Your Highness. I'll be more careful."
Jester took another bite before immediately spitting the fruit onto a silver tray held beside him.
"Tch. This tastes awful. Bring me something that's actually fresh."
Several maids flinched before hurrying into action.
"We sincerely apologize, Your Highness. We'll replace it at once."
"The royal kitchen will prepare a fresh selection immediately. Please forgive our carelessness."
A few moments later, another maid entered the chamber. The green-haired elf stopped near the entrance before lowering herself into a respectful bow.
"Where the hell have you been? You were supposed to stay by my side, Elora."
The elf girl's eyes widened. She immediately bowed even lower.
"Please forgive me, Your Highness. I noticed Sir Igrio and the others were falling behind schedule, so I volunteered to help with the preparations. The knights and workers are now assembled, and nearly all of the supplies have been loaded. We should be ready to depart shortly."
Hearing those words, Jester immediately rose from his seat, causing the maids attending him to stumble back a step before quickly regaining their composure and lowering their heads again.
"Throw all of this away," he said with a dismissive wave. "It all tastes terrible. Have something better prepared for me later."
Without waiting for a response, he walked past Elora. The green-haired elf hurried after him without another word.
Jester let out a quiet sigh. Why did that idiot prince have to waste so much of the royal treasury on extravagant meals and pointless luxury, only for most of it to end up as garbage?
Then an idea crossed his mind. He stopped and turned back toward the maids.
"Actually... pack all of this instead. Feed it to the starving stray dogs once we reach Necroton City. I'm sure they'll be grateful enough to kneel and worship me for such a generous gift. People in a remote city like that have probably never even seen food this expensive."
The dining hall suddenly fell silent. Several maids looked visibly startled. A few quickly lowered their heads, unable to completely hide the surprise on their faces.
...Damn.
Had he overdone it?
Was that something the real Caelan would never have said?
The maids exchanged brief glances before bowing deeply once more.
"As you command, Your Highness. We shall have everything carefully packed and delivered according to your wishes."
"It will be done immediately, Your Highness. Thank you for your generous consideration."
They didn't seem suspicious. At least, that was how it looked to Jester.
Maintaining the same arrogant expression, he turned away once more and strode confidently toward the exit, his posture as proud and commanding as ever.
[Several of the Eighth Prince Caelan's maids noticed a subtle change in his behavior. Although the difference left them quietly puzzled, they found themselves preferring this version of their prince far more than before.]
[Chaos +25]
[Elora regarded Jester with newfound admiration. Her respect for him deepened, making her even more determined to follow his orders faithfully. To her, he was someone worthy of greater responsibility. The mysterious player called Jester continued to raise questions in her mind, yet that only made him all the more fascinating to observe.]
[Chaos +10]
Very nice. That reaction was even better than he had expected.
It seemed that as long as he acted like the same arrogant, overbearing prince, people wouldn't question him, even if his actions ultimately benefited others.
Good.
That meant he could adjust his approach from here on out.
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