With matters having come to this, Griffith and Oscar decided to hasten their departure.
"Travel safely."
Calix and Romeo briefly bid farewell to the two who were leaving for a while.
Lelia also tried to shake hands with them. No, she tried to.
Griffith accepted the handshake with a sour expression, but Oscar did not.
He casually finished his farewell to his friends with a glance and simply left.
He didn't meet Lelia's eyes even once.
'Oscar...'
Lelia bid him farewell inwardly, calling his name faintly.
Griffith too left without lingering.
Griffith and Oscar agreed to return a month later, on the day of 'Leo's' birthday.
The four decided to gather again that day to say their final goodbyes at Leo's grave, and after that, each would go their separate ways.
Now they would each live their own lives.
'I need to find the sacred relic before the two return.'
One month was enough.
'The problem is...'
Lelia looked at Romeo and Calix as if they were hindrances.
The two said they would stay in the capital until Oscar and Griffith returned and insisted on helping Lelia.
Far from helping, they were actually just getting in the way, but Lelia had no choice.
If she refused, they would suspect her again.
That evening.
Lelia had a meal with Calix and Romeo at a restaurant near their lodging.
As the meal was ending, Calix said firmly to Lelia, who was trying to refuse at all costs.
"You don't have a way to enter the imperial palace alone anyway, right? So let us help. You're like a younger sibling to us."
"...."
At Calix's words, Lelia had no choice but to nod. She had to hide her alchemy skills, so there was no other way now.
She had to enter the imperial palace with Calix and Romeo's help.
Then Romeo asked Calix with a pathetic expression.
"Hey... but on what grounds are you so confident? Who are you going to say she is to bring her in? What if someone recognizes her face?"
Calix blinked, apparently not having thought that far.
"I knew it."
Romeo clicked his tongue and scolded Calix.
"As long as it's not the Emperor, no one will recognize me."
"Really?"
At Lelia's words, Romeo thought for a moment, then suddenly struck his chest with his palm and said.
"No choice then. Let's say she's my fiancée."
Lelia doubted her ears.
What did he just say?
"Romeo, you're a genius? That's a great idea."
Calix gave a thumbs up.
Romeo chuckled as if it was nothing and added.
"It works out perfectly. We can just say I brought my fiancée to attend the final banquet tomorrow."
"...."
Lelia didn't move a muscle, only rolling her eyes.
'Enter the imperial palace as Romeo's fiancée?'
Lelia quickly calculated the possibilities.
"...."
Honestly, not a bad method.
As long as she didn't encounter Emperor Perseus.
But the location was the imperial palace. The possibility of encountering the Emperor was very high, making it dangerous.
Moreover, as a prince's fiancée, she would have considerable status. If Emperor Perseus took special interest in checking, it would be exposed immediately.
'I was planning to sneak in and out secretly to avoid the Emperor...'
She wasn't going to steal anything anyway. She just needed to enter the hut, press the ingredient search button, and wait.
Lelia asked cautiously.
"But won't the Emperor also attend the banquet? He might remember my face and suspect something."
"Is that so? From what I heard, he won't be attending the final banquet."
"And the status of a prince's fiancée is too dangerous. They'll think I'm a high-ranking noble, and news could reach my home country..."
As Lelia hesitated, Romeo thought for a moment then said.
"Then let's say she's a distant relative."
Lelia nodded for now. In case of unforeseen circumstances, that would be easier to lie about.
"...If that's the case, then the opportunity is tomorrow, just one day."
"Well... if I want, I can stay longer at the imperial palace. Actually, I heard there are many guests staying longer this time."
At Romeo's answer, Lelia fell silent, thinking.
'Will this be okay?'
No matter how she thought about it, this method was too dangerous.
It was something that could be finished in a day, but if she stayed longer at the imperial palace, only the danger would grow. She didn't have that much time to drag it out.
It didn't seem right at all.
Lelia continued to worry, then finally had a good idea and spoke.
"Actually, I originally planned to secretly infiltrate the imperial palace alone."
"...Did you learn swordsmanship or martial arts?"
Calix asked, sounding surprised. Lelia shook her head.
"No. I have medicine that can put the palace gatekeepers to sleep."
"Alchemy medicine?"
Romeo's brows furrowed. Lelia quickly added, fearing suspicion might fall on her.
"Yes. After I escaped from the imperial palace as a child, the people who raised me obtained it for me."
At Lelia's words, Romeo went "Ah" and nodded.
'As long as I'm not suspected of being an alchemist.'
If she was suspected of being an alchemist, they might point swords at her again as the murderer who killed 'Leo.' It was better to say it was medicine someone else obtained for her.
"Then let's do this."
Calix waved his large hand to draw attention.
Lelia looked at him feeling somehow anxious at him doing this again.
"On the day of the final banquet tomorrow, Romeo, you attend the banquet. And I'll help Lelia secretly infiltrate the imperial palace."
"...Hey, is that right?"
Romeo asked in annoyance.
"Yeah. Perfect plan, isn't it?"
"What's perfect about it? You're telling me to attend the banquet alone? This bastard... you just don't want to go yourself so you're sending only me!"
"Then what should we do? Someone has to attend or they'll be suspicious. You want me to attend alone? I can't. The lighting in the banquet hall makes my eyes sting."
"...."
At the excuse about his eyes, Romeo's lips sealed tight. Calix shrugged his shoulders while holding back laughter.
Lelia glanced at Calix's eyes.
His eyes, revealed since they weren't covered with black cloth, had an ambiguous color.
Calix would eventually lose most of his sight, and in the end, he would only be able to distinguish people as dark shadowy figures.
It would happen in the near future.
"...Alright."
Romeo answered as if he had no choice. Calix turned to Lelia and asked, "What about you?"
Lelia too nodded awkwardly. It was better than entering the imperial palace as Romeo's fiancée.