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The two of them spent the night with wide-open eyes.

The woman who had collapsed opened her eyes just around dawn, but as Edgar had predicted, she remembered nothing.

It wasn’t just related to the incident; she didn’t even know what she had done all day yesterday.

Who she had met, what conversations she had, and even the details of her meals—all of it was a blank slate.

In the end, Ariel, frustrated, decided to probe her memories despite Edgar’s dissuasion, but truly, yesterday’s memories were completely wiped clean.

“You said your name is Dana? What do you do?”

“I humbly assist Your Majesty with the surrounding management.”

Dana lowered her head, responding sincerely, though her voice trembled.

Honestly, it still felt unbelievable.

She tried to kill none other than the Grand Duke’s beloved.

But there was no doubt, the hazy memory of the moment she attempted to harm the red-haired man remained.

Perhaps the will to kill surged within her at that moment, leaving a mark not in her mind, but in her body.

One thing was certain: what she did could very well result in her head rolling right there.

“So you’re one of those who serve Your Majesty then?”

“I’m not among the very closest. I merely keep an eye on those who enter the audience chamber, guard the surrounding corridors, and tidy up the area.”

Though she said that, Ariel also knew.

Regardless of the reasoning, someone allowed to loiter near the emperor’s residence wasn’t a very low-ranking user.

Thus, she nodded as if she understood, but in stark contrast, Edgar only squinted as if something was bothering him.

“So, Your Highness, what will happen to me now…?”

“Well, as much as I’d like to take your head for what you’ve done…”

Ariel’s gaze sharpened as it locked onto Dana.

Emotionally, she wanted that, but Edgar wouldn’t want that at all.

Moreover, Ariel also knew that there would be no actual benefit in killing this woman right now.

“Then, I will accept my punishment.”

“That’s enough. Besides, the person involved probably doesn’t want that either.”

Though Dana spoke humbly about accepting her death, Ariel turned her gaze away as if uninterested.

It’s not like she was some kind of murderer; killing this woman, who now seemed irrelevant to the case, would hardly feel like revenge.

It would merely be a futile act of getting her hands stained with someone else’s blood—something Ariel didn’t prefer.

If revenge was to be had, it should be against the man.

She should punish him in a way that would make him feel the most humiliation and fear in his life.

While waiting for that day, Ariel was merely brainstorming all sorts of ways to get back at that man.

“For now, this matter will be reported to His Majesty the Emperor. In return, we will protect you.”

“I…I don’t wish for such great desires.”

Finally, as Ariel finished speaking, Edgar added his thoughts, and Dana waved her hands in haste while bowing her head again.

All she truly wished for was to prevent the fallout of this incident from affecting those around her; her life was already offered up.

“I feel uneasy about this too. After all, no one was killed or injured, and you are ultimately the victim here.”

“Ah…”

Yet, Edgar wasn’t exactly extending mercy either, chuckling as he explained.

After all, this situation was caused by Albrecht manipulating her, making her both the perpetrator and the victim; it was not this woman’s fault.

Most importantly, realistically speaking, her death would be akin to erasing potential evidence.

What if her memories returned, or what if some physical proof emerged from somewhere around her?

For the future’s sake, it was better for her to be alive.

‘Plus, from Albrecht’s perspective, he’d definitely want her dead.’

Even if Albrecht had manipulated her memory, that was a precaution for any unforeseen circumstances.

Initially, he must have thought that whether Dana killed Edgar or failed, she would end up dead.

If he saw Dana alive, it would certainly lead him to assume that her memories could return, just like Edgar’s.

If he wanted to prepare for that, he might plant people around her to track down his trail again.

Edgar felt uneasy about using her as bait, but still thought it was flowing into a mutually beneficial situation.

Dana was saved, and Edgar might just gain a chance to trace Albrecht’s movements through this incident.

“Anyhow, if I save you, it might sound like I’m the bad guy here, but is it alright if I want to ask for your help later?”

Realizing what kind of help Edgar was hinting at, determination settled in Dana’s eyes.

For a mere user like her, there was only one reason he might want to seek her aid right now.

“Of course. Even though I lack ability, I want to catch the person who committed that act against me.”

“I’m glad to see you understand quickly.”

Perhaps Edgar thought this could be more beneficial than simply facing a life-threatening ordeal.

Even with the power of the Robeheim Family, extracting personal matters from within the Imperial Palace could be quite challenging, yet users would usually be in a position where such information reached them instantly.

Besides, he figured that the external information he’d be receiving in the future would be of little use.

Of course, that was assuming his conjecture was correct.

“Well, since we’ve agreed to cooperate, we’ll need a way to contact each other… Ariel, do you have anything you gave previously?”

“What do you mean?”

“A communication device that looks like a ring.”

“Why? Are you planning to give it to this woman?”

Ariel immediately caught onto Edgar’s plan and asked.

He surely wanted to hide Dana in the palace as a kind of informant and keep tabs on their movements.

And if possible, if she could act as bait to lure out Albrecht’s minions, that would be even better.

For that, a means of communication was essential.

“Yeah, don’t have one?”

“……”

When Edgar showed a hint of disappointment while responding, she briefly met his gaze before sidestepping to dart a sharp look at Dana.

Her eyes seemed to harbor doubt over whether she could truly trust this woman.

“…I have no choice. You use this.”

“Your Highness, this is…?”

As Ariel pulled out a small ring that had been on her necklace to hand it over, Dana accepted it without fully understanding what was happening.

A rather plain-looking ring lacking any significant jewels or adornments.

This was one of the communication devices Edgar had mentioned.

“Just in case, I had two of these, so I’ll give you one. Keep in mind, it’s quite a valuable item.”

When someone of the Grand Duke’s stature called it a “quite valuable item,” Dana’s face drained of color as she examined the ring.

“Your Highness, I’m ashamed to ask, but how valuable is it…?”

“Well, I can’t pinpoint it exactly. If I had to put it into words…”

As Ariel evaluated the value of the ring in Dana’s hand, she let out a low sound of contemplation, causing Dana to gulp nervously.

About thirty seconds passed like that.

Ariel’s previously tightly sealed lips parted, and a sinisterly bright smile crept onto her face.

“After losing it, you might think it would’ve been better to die right now than to repay it…”

“Eek!?”

“……”

As Dana let out a shrill scream, Edgar shook his head in disbelief.

It seemed pointless to reveal that fact now, probably deflating her motivation to cooperate before they even started, but it seemed better than risking a scenario where she’d lose it.

“Cough, anyway, was it Dana you said?”

“Please call me freely. I cannot receive respect from one who is Your Highness’s beloved.”

“Ah… right, Dana. Anyway, we plan to leave for Hespania soon, but before that, I want you to do a couple of things for me.”

“Whatever you command, I will wholeheartedly do my best.”

After all, it was these two who had virtually saved her life.

Though she worked under the emperor, her loyalty wasn’t exceptionally high.

If she was to serve someone from now on, she believed it should be these two, and with that conviction, Dana responded with determination.

Then Edgar held up two fingers, stating his requests.

What she accomplished in this would change the course of their future actions.

“First, I want you to compile reports on even the most trivial things that happened in the Imperial Palace that day, and inform both me and Ariel every night.”

“Yes, I will do as you command.”

“And second, if anyone who usually doesn’t speak to you suddenly engages in conversation, inform me about that.”

The second request, being quite out of the blue, made Dana tilt her head.

Ariel also felt the same, wanting to question the intention behind that directive.

“I don’t know if it’s appropriate for me to say this, but the person who manipulated you will likely see you as a thorn in their side. They’ll probably look for any excuse to kill you or find an opportunity.”

“What do you mean…?”

Upon hearing this, both women’s eyes widened.

It seemed they already had a hunch about what he was going to say.

“There’s a high chance that person is the culprit. No, more accurately, it’s likely that they’re the culprit or someone connected to them.”

At Edgar’s words, Dana swallowed hard, nodding her head.

Someone who hadn’t talked to her suddenly starting a conversation?

Surely such a person might make an appearance.

She couldn’t be certain, but she believed there was a fair amount of truth in what Edgar said.

“I will keep that in mind.”

“Good, I’m counting on you.”

Thus, an unexpected ally emerged for the two.