It's Annoying Because My Childhood Friend Is An Archmage

"Yes, yes. It was hot when I stood in the long line of carriages earlier, so I took off my coat for a while…"

"Where did you put your coat?"

"I hung it on the coachman's seat."

As he said this, Ticef bowed his head even further downward, as if he had committed high treason.

"I apologise, my lady. I should have been more careful... I'll take disciplinary punishment later…"

"Don't worry, Ticef, it wasn't your fault." I meant it, something was wrong.

Ticef was usually a meticulous person, he would've tucked the important invitation deep into his coat pocket, so the chances of the invitation slipping out simply by taking off his coat and hanging it on the seat for a moment were pretty slim.

It couldn't be…

For a moment, Lady Aronia's face flashed across my mind.

After I bade Lady Aronia farewell, Ticef stepped away from the coachman's seat to close the carriage's door.

By then, she would've passed in front of my carriage to return to her own.

Not only that, she was looking at something in the coachman's seat.

Was it the invitation in Ticef's coat?

It could have been. She must have been pretty upset at my bitter words.

And my unguarded invitation might have caught her eye.

Wouldn't she have been tempted to steal it to leave me in trouble?

Maybe I'm being too cynical, but I couldn't think of any other possibility.

The problem was that I had a suspect, but no physical evidence.

And the more pressing problem is that there's no point in suspecting Lady Aronia now, for she has already entered the palace in the carriage ahead of me, while I'm still held by the gatekeepers and couldn't set foot inside.

There's only one choice, let's sell the name of Kaerun Duchy.

I opened the carriage window. I peered out at the palace gatekeepers, who were arguing with Ticef.

"I apologise for keeping you waiting. But my coachman seems to have accidentally lost the invitation, so will you allow me to use this carriage, which bears the seal of my family, to guarantee my status?"

In other words, I'm asking you to let me in because my carriage bears the emblem of the Kaerun Duchy.

But the gatekeepers were more stubborn than I expected.

"I'm sorry, my lady, but His Majesty the Emperor has forbidden anyone without an invitation to the ball to enter the palace."

"I am Skyla Kaerun, the only princess of the Kaerun Duchy. I doubt there is anyone in this empire who hasn't heard my name."

At my point, the gatekeepers looked at each other and were at a loss for words.

Then the one who seemed a little braver than the other cautiously opened his mouth.

"O-Of course we're well aware of your honour. However, as I said, this was an order from the Emperor... and we are afraid of the consequences if we let my lady in at our discretion."

No, the son of the Emperor is scripted to confess to me today! is what I wanted to shout, but I couldn't bear to.

It was no use to rage at the gatekeepers, they were right. They were just underlings doing what their superiors ordered them to.

No matter how hard I stir-fried, fried, and boiled them, ultimately I could get nothing out of them. (t/n: Skyla meant no matter how hard she pressed them, they still wouldn't budge)

What should I do about this?

It was when I held my throbbing head and wondered,

The carriage window slammed shut with a bang.

I looked up, startled by the sudden noise, and saw Phoebe, who was sitting across from me, pulling down the window curtains.

"Phoebe?"

"My lady, I have an idea."

She whispered in a voice only I could hear.

"I will sneak into the palace first."

What? What does that have to do with anything?

I stared at her, unable to understand her plan.

But she soon brings up the universal solution for everything.

"Then I'll get Lord Lancer."

"What?"

"Lord Lancer is already in the palace, so I will find him inside and bring him to my lady."

I was dumbfounded by Phoebe's plan on leading Lancer to me.

"What is he gonna do?"

"I don't know what Lord Lancer will do either. Perhaps he could forge the invitation, or maybe he could make our carriage invisible so that we can pass through, or he could change the Emperor's mind and allow us to enter the palace without an invitation. In any case, he has no hesitation in committing an offence, so I'm sure he will be able to get you into the palace by any means necessary, no matter how wonderful or devious."

"..."

It's a good indication of how Phoebe sees Lancer in general, but it made me a little sad that I couldn't refute her.

"But what about your clothes?"

Phoebe was still in her maid uniform as she had no plans to attend the ball.

Contrary to my worries, she declared, "There's a spare dress."

All of a sudden?

"Yes? There's a spare dress in the carriage compartment for emergencies."

'Actually, it's the dress I bought with my own money 'cause I wanted you to wear it the other day but… I can wear it for you!'

As I listened to her inner thoughts, I couldn't help but look at her with wistful eyes.

Ah… she doesn't mean that drilled, insolvent dress that she tried to make me wear before I went to see the Crown Prince does she…

"...You don't have to do that, Phoebe."

"But…"

"Let's get out of the way first, there's a lot of people trying to get in behind us."

The ball was still a couple of hours away from starting, but there were many carriages lining up to enter the palace.

It was also quite disrespectful to others for us to sit in front of the palace gates like this.

So let's leave first then figure out a way to get inside the palace.

Having made that decision in my mind, I opened the window of the carriage again.

As I was about to ask the gatekeepers to move away,

"What's the matter with that carriage?"

A familiar voice called out from the window.

I turned my head towards the source of the voice as if I was possessed by something.

The first thing that caught my eye was his neatly arranged grey hair.

A man in a robe adorned with a jewelled brooch was striding towards the gatekeepers with dignity, the red magic stone earring twinkling in his left ear.

I recognised the man at once.

"Viscount Artisina?"

"P-Princess?"

It was Viscount Ketniff Artisina, the mage, and the man who lunged at me the other day without a care in the world and was thrown into the dumpster by the Lancer.

Why is he coming here?

His eyes were visibly shaking as he looked at me, he was agitated.

"Ah, I was unable to let the lady in because she did not bring an invitation to the ball."

The gatekeeper bowed to the mage and reported.

Come to think of it, he did say he was an imperial mage.

From the look of things, Viscount Artisina hadn't come to attend the ball, but rather as a manager to make sure the gatekeepers were letting the nobles into the palace well.

As it turns out, I was right.

The mage approached the gatekeeper and listened to the situation.

When he had a rough idea of what had happened, he approached me.

"Well, Princess, it's been a long time..."

"What brings you here, Viscount?"

Interrupting him, I asked back in a slightly stingy tone, I was still annoyed with him for trying to burn my clothes the other day.

The mage let out a chuckle. He even dared to wink at me.

"When a beautiful lady is in trouble, it's only right that you come to her rescue, don't you think? It's so good to see you after a long time."

'I'm f*cked… I can't believe I'm seeing the princess again, what a sh*tty life....'

You don't seem happy to see me at all.

Knowing the Viscount's inner thoughts, I didn't budge at his words.

"Cut the nonsense and get straight to the point, Viscount. What are you doing here?"

The mage, realising that I wasn't pleased to see him again, stammered out a flimsy excuse.

"As an imperial mage, I have been ordered by the Emperor to manage the entry and exit of carriages, but…"

"That's good, I've finally found someone who speaks my language."

Crossing my arms, I faced the mage in the carriage.

"Let me into the palace."

"...Huh?"

"Let me in? not even a 'please'? Isn't this just an order?'

His eyes widened, it was apparent he didn't like my tone.

Well, I can't help it. 

I was going to get inside the palace somehow, even if the mage wouldn't let me in now.

Of course, the downside is that all seven methods in my head are illegal.

So I'll just have to try a little harder.

"You heard me right, don't make me say it twice."

I said to the mage, deliberately keeping my voice low.

The mage stared at me for a moment, then flashed me a pretentious grin.

"But, Princess, His Majesty the Emperor has clearly ordered that only those with invitations to the ball can enter. How dare I disobey the Emperor's orders..."

"Viscount."

My cold voice interrupted his words.

"Let me in, I'll take the blame."

"...You seem to have a knack for putting me on the spot, Princess…"

The mage, who rubbed his temples, sighed.

"You're being too hard on me, Princess."

'Very good.'

Hmm?

My eyebrows shot up in a steep curve at the mage's inner thoughts in my ear.

'She's definitely my type of girl, all the more reason to make her mine.'

What the f*ck? Why is he liking me more now?