〈Everything is developing according to your plan. He is indeed lurking by the Crown Prince's side.〉
“...What the hell?”
Greg read the decoded cipher and froze on the spot.
“Is something wrong?”
Sarah noticed the strange expression on Greg's face and took a step forward with concern. “Is some part of the letter smudged? Or is the handwriting hard to read? I checked it before I brought it over, so it should be perfectly fine.”
Greg snapped back to his senses. Realizing he had failed to control his expression just now, he quickly organized his thoughts. “No, there's nothing wrong with the letter. The handwriting is very clear, it's just...”
He sighed softly, his tone filled with deep affection. “She told me not to worry about her and that she would be at ease as long as I took care of myself... Even though she's locked up in a place like that, she's still thinking of me... I was just a bit moved.”
Hearing this, the concern on Sarah's face gradually softened into a warm, touched expression.
The bond between the two of them was truly profound.
Even when facing what could be a life-and-death separation, they still prioritized each other, unwilling to let the other worry.
Such pure and sincere affection was incredibly rare within the royal family.
She even felt a trace of envy toward her sister.
Sarah reached out and gently patted Greg's shoulder, offering comfort. “Please don't lose hope. I will continue to try and persuade Father, to get him to change his mind. Though the current situation is indeed complicated, there is still a glimmer of hope!”
Greg looked up into Sarah's earnest eyes and spoke sincerely. “Thank you, Princess Sarah. I will surely remember this kindness.”
Sarah waved her hand. “There is no need to thank me. I haven't actually been of much help to you both yet. Let's do our best together from now on.”
Having said that, she turned and walked toward the corridor. After a few steps, she looked back and added: “You should also take care of your health first, just as Wendy said. If there are any new developments, I'll have Juno let you know.”
Greg nodded, watching Sarah's back as she disappeared around the corner of the corridor.
Only when her footsteps had completely faded did he look down, glancing once more at the decoded letter in his hand, before letting out a soft sigh.
He had originally thought that since Wendy returned to her family because of what he had said, she must have had her own reasons.
Although she had misunderstood his meaning, since she knew returning would be dangerous, she wouldn't have gone back completely unprepared. She had to have known some of the inside story.
That was why Greg wanted to use the cipher to ask Wendy if she knew the mastermind behind all this—specifically, the Floor Boss of the third layer who had escaped the dungeon.
If Wendy knew and could tell him the identity the boss was using to hide, Greg and Allie could just quietly go eliminate them, then focus on rescuing Wendy without distraction.
But the current situation... didn't seem to support such a simple and crude operation.
Although Greg had no idea what plan of his was supposedly in motion, Wendy's reply still provided some useful intelligence.
Namely: there was indeed a suspicious person lurking around the Crown Prince, and this suspicious person was highly likely to be the Floor Boss of the third layer.
Although that was still a bit broad, he just needed to find a way to narrow it down. Fortunately, he was prepared for this.
Greg set the letter ablaze, watching it turn to ash and scatter in the wind.
Aside from his original decapitation plan, given his Luck stat on the surface, he had also prepared a Plan B.
However, this plan would cause a massive commotion and drag many people into it.
But with time running out, he didn't have any other choices.
“Anyway, I need to hurry and drag that damn cowgirl into this mess too.”
Greg turned and immediately headed toward the upper levels of the Magic Tower.
Not far away, Victoria and Silvia were walking side by side.
Victoria was still cradling her thick book on magic theory, while Silvia carried a paper bag filled with pastries.
Upon spotting Greg, they had wanted to go over and greet him, but they didn't expect him to be in such a hurry. He quickly vanished around the corner of the stairs, not noticing them at all.
Silvia watched Greg's disappearing back with a trace of regret. “It feels like Senior Greg has been constantly busy ever since he returned to the Magic Tower.”
“Yeah... I wonder what he's so busy with,” Victoria replied absentmindedly.
Yet, a thoughtful look flashed through her gray eyes.
She had actually guessed roughly what Greg was working so hard on.
After a moment of silence, Victoria suddenly proposed, “Hey, Silvia, let's go watch the public execution at the Imperial Square the day after tomorrow.”
Silvia was slightly startled. “I-I guess we could... but an execution sounds so terrifying. Victoria, why do you suddenly want to go see that?”
“It's nothing.”
Victoria turned her head away and looked out the window, her tone carrying a feigned indifference. “I just want to get a close look at how beautiful this so-called Fifth Imperial Princess really is.”
...
“They say good wine needs no bush, but I can smell such a strong stench of alcohol even from outside the door. Is she really still alive? I hope I don't end up being the one to discover her corpse.”
Greg stood in front of a door. Before he could even knock, a heavy scent of alcohol wafted through the gap, assaulting his nostrils.
With an anxious heart, he reached out to knock.
But the moment his hand touched the wood, the door swung open on its own. It hadn't been locked at all.
“Shit, did she actually drink herself to death?”
Greg quickly stepped over the threshold and walked inside.
The moment he entered, he was nearly tripped by an empty bottle at his feet.
Looking down, he saw dozens of empty bottles strewn haphazardly across the floor, densely covering the entire path from the entrance to the living room.
“Could this scene be considered her Domain Expansion?”
After muttering a complaint, Greg carefully navigated around these landmines, calling out as he walked: “Hey, damn cowgirl! If you're still alive, give me a—”
He cut himself off mid-sentence.
He had just seen the scene in the main hall.
Sitting at the dining table, which was piled high with all sorts of liquor bottles, were two people.
Both of them were propping up their faces with their fingers, striking an extremely bizarre pose that made their otherwise beautiful faces look rather comical.
One of them was indeed the Headmistress, Olivia, whom he had been looking for. Her signature wavy red hair was currently a messy nest draped over her shoulders, two buttons of her shirt were undone, her sleeves were rolled up high, and her entire being exuded the distinct aura of a drunkard.
The other, striking the exact same bizarre pose, was the white-haired elf who had inexplicably become his discount master—Luna Starfall.
Rate on N.U.
