[Vol. 1] Chapter 15: A Trade
Seeing the amusing expression on Lilya's cute face, which turned from green to white, Violet finally abandoned her teasing and chuckled, "Don't worry, I can't promise to keep my mouth shut, but I don't have the nasty habit of spreading secrets everywhere. Besides, if the princess is under attack, it means that your intentions have already been known to some extent, right?"
"….sigh."
Lilya exchanged a glance with Flora behind her, then pondered for a moment before sighing, "Miss Violet, you're very clever. I won't hide it from you, I do have ambitions to take the throne."
"At present, my father is gravely ill, and the kingdom is in turmoil. My younger sister is still a child, and my older brothers only care about seizing power, with no interest in governing the country."
"My eldest brother, who was originally the heir to the throne, was talented and had the moral authority to rule, but two years ago, he died in an accident. This, in turn, left my father bedridden. My second, third, and fourth brothers saw an opportunity in this chaos and started forming factions, turning the kingdom into a mess."
"To be honest, I can't bear to watch this any longer. I've contacted a group of trusted friends and supporters to quietly build up our strength. My plan is to seize the throne and restore order to the kingdom. Otherwise, if my brothers continue to fight among themselves, even if we eventually have a king, the kingdom is likely to split apart."
Lilya spoke with a heavy heart, her sincerity evident in her tone, and at least Violet couldn't detect any pretense or manipulation designed to gain her sympathy.
"But the secrets have been leaked?" the priestess speculated.
The princess hung her head even lower, appearing disheartened. "Yes, I never expected my brothers to be so distrustful. They've even placed spies around me, a woman…"
"Alright, I understand. So, what do you want me to do? It can't be that you want me to go and assassinate each of those princes, right?"
Hearing Violet's half-joking question, Lilya shook her head vigorously. "Of course not! I would never ask someone to kill my own brothers. It's more like…"
The princess explained to Violet the current situation in the kingdom and her own circumstances. In essence, the Human United Kingdom was in constant warfare with the Beastman Kingdom to the west. Especially at this time of year, the beastmen would launch large-scale attacks on the kingdom's borders to plunder resources and reduce their excess population.
And Lilya, even from a young age, displayed exceptional talent. Later, she gained a reputation for her ingenuity and skill in military strategy simulations, which allowed her to unite the three warring princes who, for the sake of a reason, manipulated the council and proposed that Lilya should go to the western border to oversee the defense against the Beastman Kingdom's aggression.
Because the old king was gravely ill, and the council's operation had been influenced by the princes' collaboration, the proposal actually passed.
As a princess, Lilya had the authority to refuse to go, but if she did so, her reputation within the country would immediately be tarnished with an excuse to attack her, making it difficult for her to contend for the throne in the future.
Conversely, if Lilya agreed to lead the troops, the three princes could cause chaos from behind, intentionally causing her to lose battles, thus undermining the power of the Fifth Princess.
What's more, as Violet had seen before, they could set an ambush on the march and kill Lilya outside the capital, then blame it on bandits or mountain bandits.
Although the rebellious royal guards had their evidence destroyed in advance, it was clear that the princes were the ones behind it. But Lilya had noticed the clues in advance, which allowed her to turn the tables and barely escape danger.
But this was just the beginning. Along the way, and especially when the conflict with the beastmen began in the western border, more crises would await the young princess.
Her brothers would certainly not allow Lilya to return to the capital with a triumphant military record. Relying solely on Flora would be insufficient to ensure her safety.
After all, even though legendary-level individuals were powerful, they were not invincible. Both within the Human United Kingdom and the Beastman Kingdom, there were other legendary-level experts.
"So… Princess Lilya's request is for me to protect your safety until you return to the capital, right?" Violet repeated the request she had just heard.
"Yes, and you can name your reward. As long as it's something I can do and doesn't violate my principles, I will make it happen for you. So, please, Miss Violet, tell me, what would you like?"
"Wait a minute, have you ever considered the possibility that I might be a spy sent by your brothers?"
"…To be honest, yes."
Lilya smiled wistfully. "I did consider that possibility initially. But, Miss Violet, if you had intervened in the battle just now and made me lose, I would have already fallen in combat, so there would be no need for further suspicion, right?"
She continued, "And, more importantly, I have no choice now. My power is insufficient, and I desperately need the support of a strong ally…"
Noticing that the princess had unconsciously clenched the hem of her pristine skirt, Violet shook her head with a slightly amused expression. "Alright, one more question: can I know what her reward is for protecting you?"
With that, the Violet pointed at the legendary-level expert who had been silently guarding Lilya.
"Huh? Flora, you mean?"
"I came here willingly. Lilya is my friend, and I believe she can make the kingdom better."
Before Lilya could respond, the typically silent Flora answered Violet's question.
"Ah, I see."
Violet smiled while looking back and forth between the two young women. She didn't say much more but crossed her arms contentedly.
"In that case, I won't ask for any compensation. As a condition, during the time I'm protecting Lilya, you can't hide any secrets from me. If there's any information or knowledge I'd like to know, you have to be honest and tell me. How about that?"
"Cough… Of course, I won't ask about anything related to personal privacy, so you can rest assured," Violet quickly added to avoid being misunderstood as intrusive.
Fortunately, the pure-hearted princess didn't seem to take it the wrong way. Instead, she nodded appreciatively. "Using information as compensation… That's a very profitable deal, Miss Violet. Alright, I agree. Regarding your abilities, if Flora has already vouched for you, we probably don't need additional tests. I hope we have a pleasant collaboration."
The blue-haired princess extended her slender, gloved hand with semi-transparent white gloves and offered a friendly smile. Violet reciprocated with a satisfied smile and shook the princess's hand.
"Pleasure working with you. I'm looking forward to the days ahead, Miss Employer."