"Shouldn't you be more cautious? You have pushed your appointment back and you're now frolicking with the ladies of the capital. It won't be long until someone finds out about your....inclinations"
"Since your sister declined my offer to become a temple maiden, I've been out and about looking for one. Why should I settle for a low quality body like the past when the ladies of the capital are brimming with energy and magic? Too bad you're off limits"
"Keep your perverted thoughts to yourself" Alana glared at her, keeping her hands away. Adelie laughed, sipping her tea. Things have been going well for her, unnaturally well. No one was directly intervening with her plans and she didn't have to struggle to achieve what she wants. It infuriated her since she knew Natalia also had knowledgeable of her past life as well. The anxiety of not knowing what was going to happen frustrated her but Adelie went by the policy of 'if it doesn't bother you, don't bother it'. If the opportunity came, she would kill Natalia.
"Are you participating in the extermination campaign as well, Lana?"
"Don't call me that. I will not be attending"
"Why? It's a good opportunity to stake your claim, either on the Grand Duke or Lord Orland. Everyone's curious of how it would turn out. You should go"
"I'm not about to become a laughing stock for your entertainment. I'm not going because I have something more important to do"
"What?"
"Bury my mother. My father granted me a piece of land in the north so I'm traveling there to bury my mother in peace and stay there until the turbulence subsides"
"Well, isn't that interesting? You don't want to see Natalia become queen neither do you want the blame of Lord Orland's death on your head so you're going to run away. You're so clever, Lana"
"I said don't call me that! Say what you will. I've already prepared to leave"
"Alright. You would still return anyway. Are you going to eat that?"
While the two drank tea in silence in the restaurant, a group of boisterous ladies walked in. When they spotted Adelie, they immediately joined her table.
"Your holiness, it's so rare to see you these days. You too, your highness"
"I have a lot of duties. Her highness invited me for tea today so I had to make time for my friend. Please, join us"
"Okay!" They giggled excitedly, taking a seat. The waiters worked their backs to bring tea and snacks for the ladies who immediately started gossiping.
"Did you hear about the attack on the betting houses in the northern region of the capital? I heard all of them were burnt down by angry men who lost all their money. There were guards from the palace surrounding the place to investigate and they found traces of child trafficking!"
"I heard the royal guard took this case upon themselves and are investigating the child trafficking ring in the capital"
"They even said that a few noble children that were kidnapped were found and the nobles immediately went to complain to his majesty. They even said Marquis Adamantine went to the palace himself"
"Is that so?" Adelie asked, surprised.
"Yes! I saw the carriage pass on my way back home that day. The news has been rocking the capital for a few days now. I'm surprised you haven't heard of it, your holiness"
"Aha, well, the people of the church don't exactly gossip"
"Oh, I apologize"
"Have they found the perpetrators? It's absolutely infuriating that children would be treated in this manner"
"They haven't but some say the crown Prince's seal was found addressed to many of these traffickers. What makes it worse is that the children were being sold to the Empire of Illumine. If the crown prince is found guilty, it can have dire consequences"
"What?!" Alana exclaimed, springing out of her seat.
"Oh, but it's just a rumor, your highness. No one knows if it's true yet. It can't be his highness" the girl quickly corrected herself, thinking Alana was angry with her. But Alana and Adelie had one thought in mind: it wasn't until after Fredrich took the throne that people knew about the crown Prince's despicable acts. There was one other person who would know about this and would have the power to expose him like that. But she was not in the capital, right?
"I-Is the Grand Duke in the capital?"
"I don't think so, your highness. But I heard a few days ago that Count Umel went to see her grace in the Grand Duke's Mansion. Even if his grace isn't there, her grace is definitely in the Capital"
Natalia had started to make her move. Her intent wasn't known but one thing was clear, she was trying to bring the Crown Prince down. She had her own personal grievances but she wasn't the type to act on personal feelings. There was something more, something they didn't know about. It made Alana anxious. Without even bidding them goodbye, Alana left the restaurant. And a few days later, she was out of the capital.
"Everything is going according to plan, your grace. His majesty is being pressured by the nobles and in turn, the crown prince is receiving a lot of pressure. His influence over the underworld is weakning. The extermination campaign is nearing and the capital is descending into chaos that only the Grand Duchess is able to tame with her influence. Your success is in sight, your grace" Corren praised as he submitted the documents he received. The report was accurate and meticulous, all from the hands of his wife.
"So, this is what she's really capable of, huh? Why hasn't she brought me down yet?"
"Maybe it's because she likes your grace"
"I cannot believe that. I have done everything possible for her to hate me and yet, she hasn't tried to get rid of me yet even though she's more than capable of doing do. She's up to something. Have the maids watch her and report her every move"
"How is that different from what they have been doing before? Your excessive suspicion of her is what is leading you to paranoia. Just put your faith in her as you've always done. I think it would work out quite well, your grace"
For some reason, Fredrich couldn't be at ease. He could feel something was wrong. She had been patient and obedient the entire time. The amount of anger and humiliation she must have felt was probably overwhelming yet she hadn't done anything even though she was capable of throwing the entire capital into chaos.
"I'm not convinced. She's up to something and I will find out what that is. Prepare the carriage. We are leaving for the capital"
"You can't leave just yet, your grace. The plans for the extermination campaign are not complete. You can leave to see your wife once they are completed"
Corren's tone inspired disgust in him. He immediately set aside his plans to leave and focused on work. Natalia didn't know that it was Corren's complete faith in her that made it easier for her to escape in the future.