15 Oh Wow, What a Wonderful Idea In a Monotone Voice (1/2)
”Is that it for your report?”
Asks a beautiful girl with red hair the shade of flames. The red hair that reaches all the way down her back glitters in the candlelight, as her wine-red eyes flash over the investigative report. That imposing, beautiful figure of hers makes the reporting knight's cheeks dye red.
”Th-, that is all, Iris-sama. We will continue our investigation.”
Iris nods, then gestures for the knight to leave the room.
When the door closes, only Iris and a handsome, blond-haired man are left alone in the room.
”Marquis Zenon, thank you very much for your help this time.”
”The incident occurred with school grounds, so I am also partly responsible. But more than that, I am also worried about Alexia-sama...”
Zenon looks down and bites his lower lip in frustration.
”You also have your duties as the Swordsmanship Instructor. I am sure no one would find fault with you for this. For now, what we should focus on is not who to blame, but to safely rescue Alexia.”
”Indeed...”
”So.”
Iris suddenly closes the report folder.
”How sure are you of the probability of this student Sid Kagenou being the culprit?”
”I am also loathe to consider a student of the academy a culprit, but circumstances show him to be the most suspicious. But when considering his strength, it is highly unlikely for him to win if he faces off against Alexia-sama in a direct fight.”
Zenon chose his words carefully while replying.
”In which case, it would either mean that he has an accomplice, or that he had to have used drugs of some sort. But he didn't confess to anything even under the interrogation of the knights, right? Are you sure about this?”
”I want to believe in him. I truly do.”
Iris nods, then closes her eyes.
”You have already assigned trustworthy knights to follow him, right? Then there's nothing else that we can do aside from waiting for their report.”
”I shall pray for Alexia-sama's safety.”
With a bow, Zenon turns to exit the room.
But at that very moment, a single girl slides into the room through the door that Zenon had just opened.
”Iris-sama! Please listen to me!”
”Clare-kun, what do you think you are doing! Please pardon her rudeness, I'll bring her back out immediately!”
Zenon seizes the girl who just slid in, Claire Kagenou, and tries to drag her out.
”Marquis Zenon, who is this?”
Iris stops Zenon and asks.
”She...”
”My name is Claire Kagenou! I am Sid Kagenou's older sister!”
”Claire-kun! S-, she is an exemplary student at the academy, and is currently temporarily with the Knight Order on a sort of experience program.”
”I see... Very well, you may speak.”
”Thank you very much!”
Claire Kagenou proceeds before Iris in supplication.
”My little brother, Sid, would never do something like kidnapping Princess Alexia! I'm sure there must be some big mistake here!”
”The Knight Order is conducting their investigation with the utmost caution so that there would be no mistakes. It is still not yet confirmed that your younger brother is the culprit.”
”But the way things are currently going, if the real culprit is not found, it will be him who gets executed!”
”The Knight Order is being very careful. They will not mistakenly execute the wrong person.”
”But still!”
”Claire-kun!”
Zenon stops Claire as she frntically tries to press closer to Iris.
”Claire-kun, leave it at that. Anymore would be an affront to the Knight Order!”
”Kuh...!”
Claire glares first at Zenon, then at Iris.
”If anything happens to that child...!”
”Claire-kun, don't you dare finish that sentence!”
Covering Claire's mouth with his hand, Zenon drags Claire out of the room.
BAM.
Staring at the forcefully closed door, Iris sighs deeply.
”So our love for our family is the same, huh...”
She murmurs.
”Alexia, please be safe...”
Long ago, these two sisters were very close.
But when was it that they began to pass by each other?
How many years has it been since they last talked?
Could it be that they would never again be able to talk with each other?
”Alexia...”
As she closes her wine-red eyes, a single tear rolls down her cheek.
Find authorized novels in Webnovel，faster updates, better experience，Please click for visiting.
◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇
When Alexia opened her eyes, she found herself in a dim room.
No window, and only a single lit candle.
The walls are stone, and a sturdy-looking door is right in front.
”This is...”
She has no memory of anything after separating from Pochi after school.
When she tries to move her body, she hears the clinking of metal rubbing against metal.
Looking towards the origin of the sound, she realizes that all four of her limbs are chained to a pedestal.
”Magic-sealing chains...”
She cannot use her magic. Escaping by herself would be difficult in the extreme.
Exactly who was it that took her away, and for what purpose? Kidnapping, coercion, human trafficking... a train of possibilities flit through her mind, but there's no way to confirm.
Alexia is not in the line of succession for the crown. But her status as a princess still has a certain amount of utility value. This she knows.
However, the information she has on hand at the moment is really too little to draw any conclusions with
Alexia stops thinking about it, but then a different thought suddenly comes up in her head.
Is Pochi alright?
The boy with a terrible personality who had recently become her friend. She is quite fond of him, because he always saying things to her straight without any fear.
If he was truly caught up in this, then by now he is probably... let's stop there.
Alexia shakes her head, then looks around.
Stone walls, iron door, candle stand... and a black mound that looks like trash.
That mound is right next to Alexia, and for some reason is chained up.
Upon closer inspection, Alexia notices a slight movement.
It is breathing.
The 'mound' is a living creature wearing tattered rags.
”You there, can you hear my vo-...!”