299: Unrecognizable

Unrecognizable

"Hey, are you alright?" Sasha talked under her breath when Kaiser stood still. But the cylindrical hall carried the words all the way to Adela's ears.0

"…Yes."

The Archduke pressed forward, his eyes avoiding Adela's tormented gaze. Meanwhile, Aldric's smile stretched wide as he strolled with Adela's arm linked in his, moving past the golden throne and descending the stairs to meet his two guests halfway on the long, overly white carpet.

Adela averted her gaze when Aldric left her arm to shake Kaiser's hand warmly, the latter's face as lifeless as a corpse.

"My old friend, it's been just a few days, but I've missed you dearly!" Aldric exclaimed with joy.

Releasing Kaiser's rigid hand, he proceeded to shake Princess Sasha's hand, unfazed by the fact that her face was almost as dark as her Kolhisan armor.

"Welcome to Varinthia, Princess. We are truly honored to have you among us," he greeted warmly.

Breaking royal protocol, neither of the two returned the warm greetings.

"Is there anything amiss?" Aldric inquired with a sickening sweetness.

Sensing Kaiser's discomfort, Sasha frowned as she studied Adela who was unrecognizable under the Oracle's disguise.

"Oh," Aldric feigned innocence before nodding as though he had a profound realization. "Seeing her must have taken a toll on you, Kaiser."

He nudged Adela forward with a hand placed between her shoulders.

"Allow me to introduce Sister Celestia, a member of the royal family on my beloved late mother's side. Her presence is the reason I rushed back here when notified of her biannual visit. You see, I am extremely fond of her."

Once again, the exaggerated sweetness in his tone left a bitter taste in Adela's mouth, and her eyes pleaded with her father to look her way.

"Regrettably, she won't be able to engage in conversation at the moment, as she is currently observing a period of fasting from speech."

Flustered that her father wouldn't make eye contact anymore, Adela mustered all her wits to devise a plan of action. Finally, a simple idea came to mind that might alert her father to her true identity.

Please, let it work.

She performed an Emorian-style curtsy, lowering herself gracefully as a noblewoman should. But she didn't rise from her curtsy, waiting for her father to touch her, adhering to Emorian protocol when in the presence of the future Emorian King.

The air grew thick with silence, and the touch Adela waited for never came.

"My apologies, Kaiser," Aldric interjected, "She is a noble lady, but she hails from a fallen noble house. She seems to have confused Varinthia's customs with Emorian ones."

Adela felt Aldric's aura grow darker around her, and the air seemed to become heavier to breathe.

"Straighten up now, Sister," he commanded.

In an act of passive rebellion and another endeavor to convey her message to her father, she refused to straighten up and continued her curtsy. Nevertheless, the collar around her neck stubbornly yanked her backward, obliging her to comply to avoid choking.

Her resistance proved futile.

Adela's eyes were the last to rise and meet her father's, a silent prayer that he had grasped her message echoing in her heart. Yet, when Adela's gaze finally connected with Kaiser's, all she found in his piercing blue eyes was a fake, empty stare.

"Kaiser?" Sasha questioned.

"Sister Celestia bears an uncanny resemblance to the former Varinthian Queen," Aldric muttered darkly.

Sasha appeared unimpressed. "And where is the current Varinthian Queen?"

"Preparing for a feast in your honor , of course. Your arrival was rather sudden, I hope you understand. It might seem peculiar for me to inquire, given our business partnership and your freedom to visit whenever you wish. But what brings you to Varinthia's doorstep, especially during the sunless season?"

With one glance at the pale, absent-minded Kaiser, Sasha decided to take the lead.

"First of all," she gestured around meaningfully, "Do you always receive your royal guests with such elaborate security measures, concealing the identities of your armed personnel, or is it reserved for special cases like ours?"

"I am simply following the advice of my counselors, Princess. I'm sure you understand."

Sasha seemed unconvinced, but her face displayed no surprise.

"Given the fact that neither my bodyguard nor Sir Gustav were granted access, I will make this quick. It has yet to be formally announced, but Kolhis and Emoria have entered into a mutual defense treaty." Sasha's neutral expression shifted to one of intimidation. "This means that any assault on either of our lands or one of our royal members will be considered an assault on both."

Adela bit her lip and cast an urgent look at Sasha. Perhaps her salvation lay in the hands of the Princess after all. It was then that her father made eye contact once more, his gaze filled with unmistakable pain.

"I offer you my heartfelt congratulations. The Empire and Varinthia have always been distant and formidable neighbors, but with a mutual ally now, I hope that we can establish closer economic ties with Kolhis," Aldric said, shooting a look at a very silent Kaiser. "Isn't that right, old friend?"

As the Archduke's complexion began to turn a shade of green, Sasha's patient demeanor came to an end.

"I haven't finished speaking, Your Holiness," Sasha stated firmly. "Backed by the Kingdoms of the East and West, we have reason to believe that Lady Adelaide de Lanark was kidnapped and brought to Varinthia. As the guardian of this Kingdom and its highest authority, we request an inclusive search warrant that covers the entirety of this land."

Adela pressed the back of her hand to her nose, tears welling up in her eyes and streaming down her face. She was right in front of them, but they couldn't recognize her.

"Head Counselor! Bring the Head Counselor to me right this instant, right now!" Aldric's urgent shouts filled the throne hall.

The nearest masked men by the door bowed and promptly exited.

It seemed as though the Head Counselor had been standing ready by the entrance, as he was immediately ushered in.

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