Helena and Violet arrived at the palace's gate. The guards spotted and stopped them from entering further. "Halt! This is a restriction area! What is your purpose to come here?"
"I need to meet the Crown Prince. It's an emergency!"
They were suspicious of Helena until they saw the badge on her chest. The guards changed their minds and permitted Helena to enter the place.
"Pardon our rudeness. You can go inside."
Helena and Violet were astonished by the power of the badge. They continued the journey to the main building. Helena had a smug grin on her face. The power trip felt great. Violet hoped this did not get into her master's head.
"Let's go, Violet!"
"My Lady, you suppose to go right, not straight."
"... You should lead the way."
Helena came to the right place without getting lost because of Violet. The guards who attended the office did not ask questions when they saw her badge. They allowed Helena and Violet to get into the room.
Prince Sapphire was sitting behind a desk. He lost his rosy complexion and had a bag under his eyes. A stack of paper lay beside him. His forehead was frowning. He was so busy that he did not notice them in the room.
"Greeting to Your Highness."
Prince Sapphire was startled. "Lady Blackmoore? When did you arrive?"
"I just arrived. I'm here too..." Helena glanced at Violet. She wondered if it was all right to spill private information. This was a sensitive secret concerning the kingdom. Violet was aware of this and excused herself.
"I will wait outside."
Violet left the room, and Helena was free to speak. What she did was rather rude by the standard. A Count's daughter abruptly visited the palace to meet the Crown Prince without invitation. Her behaviour guaranteed a walk on the gallows. However, she prepared for it. Her mission was more important.
"Yesterday, a group of rebels broke into my house."
Prince Sapphire was surprised to hear the news. "I assume you made it through since you are standing right now."
"Barely. My father, my maids, and the servants helped me. When I interrogated one of them, he said something... intriguing..."
The Prince sighed. "Is it something about Ruby?"
"Is it true?"
The Crown Prince became depressed. "I'm afraid it's true. Ruby's knight had killed citizens under an order."
Helena was shaken when she heard it. "This is a huge problem, Your Highness. Why did you not do anything?"
His expression turned dark. "Lady Blackmoore, promise me. Whatever you listen to today won't get out to the public."
Helena nodded. "I promise."
"Father... The King is ill. He was shocked when he heard the news. Ruby denied his involvement, and he was to stay in his room until everything was clear. Yet, my brother disappeared one night. No one knows where he is. Meanwhile, the nobles push for the annihilation of the rebels. I can't do that. If Ruby is guilty, I will make a grave mistake by punishing them. The investigation is on halt because my brother is missing. My hand is tied. The situation is worse since the Vermillion cannot help me."
A cult lurked in the shadow, rebels ruined the peace, and the King was in bed. If this came out, the kingdom would be in shamble. Now Helena understood why the Crown Prince looked exhausted. Every responsibility fell on his shoulders.
"How about on your side, Lady Blackmoore? Do you have anything to share?"
"Based on the information I gathered, Paradise Star is involved with the rebels."
"I'm not surprised. Otherwise, it will be difficult to get gunpowder."
Helena took a deep breath before speaking. "Paradise Star might be the one that sparked the rebellion. I met someone who paid to spread the rumour. He tried to scare people and blame the royalty for not protecting the citizens. I believe this is related to Sinner's Punishment. Most people on the list were innocent and were planted by Paradise Star. Let's say Sinner Punishment was successful. The citizens found out we hid the cult and killed innocent victims. What will happen?"
The Prince was thinking while tapping his finger on the table. "Some people on the list are important figures. They keep things between nobility, commoners and royalty in check and remain balanced. People will be angry and blame our incompetence. Perhaps a riot will break out and-"
Prince Sapphire realised the implication. "Oh, God. They've been planning this. It is bigger than I thought."
"Paradise Star has access to the firearm. If they give it away..."
"It can lead to coup d'etat..." The Crown Prince was frightened. The mental image of the commoner upraising stressed him out. "Those bastards get me good. Who the hell is their leader? I feel like I'm falling into multiple traps."
"Everything is just a catalyst for this event. However, Sinner's Punishment had failed. They must find another way to create a riot. The sneaky execution is a perfect thing for them."
"Do you think my brother is related to this?"
"We have no proof. Prince Ruby might be a culprit or scapegoat. Is there any more clue or help?"
"I put Heliodor to investigate the rebellion. He has sent me letters about their movement, but.... he has not returned for a few days. I'm getting worried."
"I see..." Helena murmured along with him. The situation was grim. "Prince Sapphire, do you mind if I investigate this further?"
"You get my blessing. It's not like I can move from my desk. What are you going to do?"
Helena shook her head. "I have no idea. I'm stuck in front of a wall."
"How about visiting Queen Patricia? She might know something about her missing son."
Helena was taken aback at his suggestion. "Can I even do that? I will have a hard time meeting her even with this badge."
Sapphire grinned. "Well, I'll make your work easier. Go to the Rose Garden and wait in there."
Helena did not understand his words but complied. Before leaving, the Prince spoke to her. "I am so sorry, Lady Blackmoore."
She turned her head. "Huh, for what?"
"For this mess.... You should not even be supposed to be tangled in this chaos. A noble lady like you should attend a saloon or party instead of chasing a cult."
Helena chuckled. She appreciated his thought and kindness. For a moment, a glint of vengeance appeared in her eyes.
"Don't worry, Your Highness. I have my own reason to do this."
After leaving the office, Helena followed Prince Sapphire's order. She and Violet waited for a long time in the Rose Garden. Seconds changed into minutes, and minutes changed into hours. She could not take it anymore after two hours had passed.
"ARGH! LET'S JUST GO HOME!"
"That voice... Is that you, Lady Blackmoore?"
Listening to Prince Sapphire was worth it. Lady Elena walked with her maids and knights. Helena was happy to see her well. Before she greeted Elena, a knight pointed his sword at her.
"Identify yourself."
Violet almost pulled her weapon. Helena stopped the maid before a fight broke out. The Concubine sighed and reassured the knight. "Don't worry about her. She is my saviour."
The knight nodded and put back his sword. Elena spoke to the rest of the servants. "I want to speak privately with Lady Blackmoore."
The maids and the knights still followed them from a distance. They seemed overprotective toward Lady Elena. Violet did the same.
The older woman touched her head. "Please pardon them, Lady Blackmoore. They are here to guard me."
"It's fine! They are doing their job. I'm the one who intruded on this place. The capital has not been safe recently."
"Haaaah.... I guess you're already hearing the rumour. How fortunate I already visited Angles Street."
"You did?" Helena was curious. She wanted to listen to her story. "How was it?"
"Well, it was a mixed reception. Half was shocked by my presence and did not like it. Some were happy and missed me." She stopped speaking for a moment. "I could not believe they still remembered me after all these years. So many things had changed. Mrs. Dorian gets plumper, and Elisa is a grown-up lady now. She used to hide behind me and watch me baking bread. Only Dean barely changes."
"... Did he give you a fish?"
"... He did. It was tuna."
"Yeah, that's Mr. Dean."
Lady Elena continued her story. "All of them congratulated me, but I noticed greed in some people's eyes. They wanted to get a connection to the palace through me. I've seen those eyes before. It was similar to nobles who tried to turn me into a puppet for politics. Of course, I denied their request."
"It must be not easy."
"They were pushy. I had to use my authority. Thankfully, I brought some knights with me. It would be a disaster otherwise."
Helena felt guilty for persuading her to visit Angles Street. "I am sorry. You ended up having unpleasant memories because of me."
"Don't be, Lady Blackmoore. I never regret my decision. I was delighted to reunite with my old friends. I finally met my best friend since childhood after leaving without a goodbye. I was a bit sad to hear his wife passed away, but she had a lovely daughter. He was a doting parent. I gave him a job here, but he refused. He grew attached to the street and called it home. He even said his daughter would be sad if they moved. She had many friends in the orphanage."
Helena almost choked on her saliva. "Uuuh, is this daughter named Lilian?"
"Oh, my. Did you also know my friend?"
"Mr. Umber? Hahaha... I guess so." Helena avoided her gaze. She could not tell her that he used to be a negligent father.
Lady Elena stopped walking. She held Helena's hand and smiled. "I must offer my gratitude. Everyone in the street spoke about you, Lady Blackmoore. You transformed the slum into a living place. I also did not thank you enough for saving me from that poison incident. If you did not save me, my life and the kid in my belly won't make it."
"Oh, that's right. It will be- WAIT, WHAT." Helena was flabbergasted. "YOU ARE PREGNANT?"
The Concubine nodded with a blush on her cheek. "I did not blame you for not noticing. It is a small pregnancy."
Cold sweat dripped from Helena's forehead. She connected the dot to her previous life. No wonder Queen Patricia's title was taken. The autopsy of Lady Elena would reveal her pregnancy. Considering both mother and child died, it would be a trial for harming the royal family and a successful attempt at killing an heir.
Lady Elena giggled. "Look at me, talking a lot about myself. What are you doing in here, Lady Blackmoore?"
Helena startled. She almost forgot why she was there. "I need to talk to the Queen, but I did not know how to see her."
"Patricia? Why don't we visit her together?"
Helena was stunned. She could visit Queen Patricia without permission. Prince Sapphire must calculate this outcome. Helena accepted her offer without hesitation. The noble young lady followed Lady Elena to the Queen's palace.