Ilya stopped moving her hands and looked at Dantalion. She narrowed her eyes at the woman, doubting her words.
With a sigh, Ilya said, "Really? Then I won't force you. Just answer my question earlier."
"Question?"
"The one about the food of the knights. Did you bring them?"
"Don't worry about them, Lady Gertrude. They had a short banquet before entering the barrier." Dantalion replied while signalling a no with her hands. "More knights will arrive shortly. They're just finishing their own tasks outside."
Ilya hummed as a response. She stayed silent until she was done cleaning the scraps of the sandwich. She then wiped her hands with the extra cloth given to her by Dantalion.
Dantalion resumed administering ointments to the wounds on her legs. Before doing so, she gave Ilya the pills that she needed and a water bottle.
Since she found the silence unpleasant, Ilya initiated another round of talk with the woman.
"Let me guess what is happening outside, Lady Dantalion. If I'm accurate, you have to grant me a favour that you must not turn down."
Dantalion raised an eyebrow at the word favour. For some reason, her heart started beating heavily. Ilya should know that Dantalion had no power to reject most of her requests. Hence, the special rule made Dantalion all the warier of what the Lady would request.
Nevertheless, Dantalion figured that Ilya wouldn't raise something unreasonable.
"Please go ahead, Lady Gertrude. But first, can you please stand up. I'll lay another mat for you to sit on."
With the assistance of Dantalion, Ilya took a stand. Once the woman was done, they both sat back down. Ilya proceeded with her talk then.
"I thought that it was unnatural for the Obelisk Sorcerers to leave in the middle of the investigation. There's only one answer as to why they did that. One of the Jodugars inconspicuously visited the Hamlin Estate. Because of that, they were able to sense the onset of the Bacharoth's appearance. They went ahead and conducted an emergency meeting inside the Obelisk."
Dantalion paid Ilya a glance. She noticed that Ilya was looking somewhere else, at a place far and unseen. The woman wanted to give her opinion, though abstained in the end.
"Aware of their constraints, the Jodugar who sensed the Bacharoth's birth invaded the Imperial Palace. Their main goal was to inform the Emperor of the danger that the Empire was about to face. From that moment on, a Breach of Peace was declared. So far, did I say anything wrong?"
Dantalion just continued to do her job, acting as if she didn't hear Ilya. She didn't want to be swept by Ilya's leading questions.
After all, a single mistake from Ilya would make their impromptu agreement turn to dust.
Ilya readily understood Dantalion's intention, so she quietly pleaded ignorance to it and continued.
"Roughly two hours earlier, the soldiers were ordered to evacuate the citizens of the capital. Rather than the neighbouring fief, they were told to send them off to the borders. That also applied to the citizens of the fiefs surrounding the capital. Meanwhile, a summon was sent out to every sorcerer in the Empire. The interim Prime Minister was ordered by the Emperor to warn the neighbouring nations, and also to ask for their assistance."
"What about the Royals?"
"The Royals?" Ilya asked, puckering her lips as she mentioned their title, "But of course, the Emperor ordered them to stay. Some of them, those who have the backbone, were ordered to join the knighthood."
Ilya clicked her tongue, slamming her clenched fist on the dirt. She began recalling her many encounters with the children of the royal family. Withal, not a single meeting was unable to let her leave without a bad taste in her mouth.
Dantalion noticed forthwith the ire that was building inside Ilya's heart. How could she not when Ilya's gaze seemed as if it was piercing her head?
"I assume the 2nd, 4th, 7th, and 8th Prince, and the 2nd and 3rd Princesses volunteered themselves. As for the others, what good are they in this kind of situation? I'd rather hear a baby's wailing than the constant complaints of the royals."
"I can't help but agree, Lady Gertrude."
"Who wouldn't? Their nannies? Even the Emperor has had enough of their incapabilities. They're worse than that conniving Empress."
Dantalion wasn't able to suppress the laugh that she had been trying to swallow. She ceased the movement of her hands lest making a mistake while she was tending Ilya's wounds.
Ilya could see the woman's shoulder quivering. It put a smile on her face, knowing that someone shared her opinions on some of the royals. If only she knew that a mere handful didn't, Ilya would be more than ecstatic.
"Anyway, that's the state of things outside. The Sorcerers, the Monarch, and the Royals are in the capital. They're preparing to enter the barrier. As for the Nobles, including the officials and employees of the Monarchy and the Parliament, and the citizens, they were told to seek refuge in the borders."
"And what about the Crown Prince?"
The query petrified Ilya in an instant. She couldn't close her mouth, her eyes became unfocused. The Lady couldn't settle on where to look, even her hands didn't seem a comfortable sight either.
Because of the silence, Dantalion peered at Ilya. The second that she took note of Ilya's behaviour, Dantalion bowed her head.
"I apologize, Lady Gertrude. It just slipped out of my mouth. Again, I apologize for my tactlessness. I'll reflect on my behaviour." Dantalion cried out, her knees and hands on the ground.
Ilya didn't give any indication of hearing the woman's apology. She just sat there with a vacant look in her eyes.
Dantalion wasn't entirely cognizant of the reason why Ilya had that reaction whenever the Crown Prince was mentioned. However, prying was not an option. By virtue of that, she struggled to find the right words to her apology.
No sooner than a minute, Ilya finally spoke.
"Never should you bring up that person in our conversation again, Lady Leahmir Dantalion. The moment you do so will be the end of your career."