The banquet was grand and magnificent, filled with music and dancing. The sound of clinking glasses filled the air, and exquisite dishes were presented in an endless stream, dazzling everyone with their variety.
Eric went to great lengths to flatter the Princess, praising her as someone rare on earth, so much so that his sycophantic words were unbearable to hear. Yet, Eric seemed unfazed, as if those words hadn't come from him, showing a shamelessness that was remarkable. Nonetheless, the atmosphere of the banquet was lively and harmonious.
Kaguya neither agreed nor disagreed, smiling without speaking, sitting alone, and drinking quietly.
Halfway through the banquet, when the wine was starting to take effect and the atmosphere began to calm down, the music and dance softened. Kaguya leaned lazily against the soft chair, her fair and delicate fingers playing with the porcelain cup in her hand, her eyes dreamy and wandering. Her graceful and soft demeanor left many people entranced.
Sensing Kaguya's distraction, Eric quickly stood up and excused himself, tactfully ending the banquet early.
This mansion was very luxurious. Although it could not compare to the palace or Kaguya's residence, it was still quite splendid, with tall buildings, a spacious courtyard, and charming rock gardens and pavilions.
Kaguya walked leisurely along the dimly lit corridor. Suddenly, a figure emerged from the darkness and knelt before her. It was the guard who had been by her side during the day.
"How did the investigation go?" Kaguya asked calmly, her face showing no signs of intoxication.
"I have completed the investigation. This mayor, Eric, is a distant relative of the minister, known for his cruelty and brutality. He extorts and oppresses the civilians, leading to widespread resentment among the villagers. Those people you saw today were forced to act cheerful under Eric's orders," the guard reported.
"As expected, there is a problem." Kaguya's delicate hand rested on the railing, and she smiled coldly.
Kaguya had noticed something was wrong when she arrived in the town during the day. While others might not detect the difference between genuine and forced smiles, nothing could escape Kaguya's keen eyes. Many people had stiff smiles and eyes filled with resentment. If Kaguya hadn't noticed, she might as well have been blind.
"Princess, should we..." The guard hesitated but held his hand on his sword, making his meaning clear.
"Don't act rashly for now," Kaguya waved her hand, "You may leave."
"Yes."
As Kaguya expected, these people had committed many outrageous deeds behind the scenes. Now, they dared to deceive her face-to-face. They were truly audacious. Did they really see her as a naive young girl?
Kaguya had planned to remove a few egregiously corrupt individuals during her inspection to set an example. Since someone had willingly presented themselves as a target, she wouldn't be polite.
Upon returning to her room, Kaguya found that besides Fal, there was another person present.
She was a young girl, looking even younger than Fal. Her hair was messy, and her clothes were tattered and dirty, covered with dust and mud. Her garments were torn, revealing her delicate skin, and her shoes were falling apart.
"Who is this?" Kaguya glanced at the girl and then looked at Fal.
"Princess, she claims to have something urgent to report to you," Fal explained, stepping forward. "But she insisted on speaking to you directly and refused to tell me anything."
"Oh?" Kaguya's eyes swept over the girl, and she asked, "What do you need to tell me?"
"Are you the Princess?" The girl's wide eyes were fixed on Kaguya.
"Yes, I am," Kaguya smiled softly. "Please, have a seat and tell me what's going on."
Suddenly, the girl knelt on the floor with a thud, pleading urgently, "Princess, please save my father."
"Your father?" Kaguya was taken aback, her brow furrowing as she set her teacup down. "What happened?"
"They're going to execute my father," the girl said, tears welling in her eyes.
With Kaguya and Fal's patient encouragement, the girl finally began to recount her story.
Several days ago, news spread that Kaguya would be inspecting the territory. The ordinary people, long suffering under the oppression and exploitation of officials and the wealthy, saw this as an opportunity to expose the crimes of the nobility and bureaucrats.
However, Eric, being one of the powerful officials, had many spies. Before they could gather all the evidence, he arrested them, and the girl's father was among those captured.
It was said that they would be executed tonight or tomorrow.
Desperate, the girl risked everything, evading capture and slipping through defenses to reach Kaguya.
"Princess, please," the girl implored, looking at Kaguya with hope.
Fal, too, gazed at Kaguya expectantly, her heart touched by the girl's plight, for she had experienced something similar. Her father had been persecuted to death by corrupt officials.
Kaguya thought for a moment and suddenly asked, "When did you arrive here?"
"At dusk." The girl replied, unsure why Kaguya asked but answering truthfully.
"At dusk?" Kaguya frowned and turned to Fal. "Why didn't you tell me about this?"
"I saw you were at the banquet, so..." Fal stammered, feeling she had made a mistake under Kaguya's gaze.
"Never mind, we'll discuss this later," Kaguya called out, "Guard!"
"Yes."
A guard in armor entered, kneeling, "Princess."
"Send the signal immediately and have the troops stationed outside the town move in," Kaguya ordered.
"Yes." The guard responded promptly and left without questioning. To him, the Princess's orders were always correct.
Kaguya's expression was grave, and her heart was filled with worry. She had a bad feeling and hoped they wouldn't be too late.